CRACK!
The house-elf reappeared by the shores of Loch Ness, clutching Hydrus .
"Momo," Hydrus said, shrugging her shoulders. "Why did you save me?"
The elf, Momo, stared with wide, watery eyes. "Little Mistress is the sole heir to the House of Lestrange," she whispered timidly. "Momo is a Lestrange elf; it is only natural to protect Mistress Hydrus."
Hydrus smiled thinly. "But I'm a Squib. My parents would hardly acknowledge me as an heir."
Momo shook her head firmly. "Little Mistress is no Squib! Since the day you were born, Momo has seen you intentionally pushing magic into your body! I saw it all!" She looked up with pure adoration. "I didn't understand why at first, but now Mistress is as strong as a dragon! You are a truly great witch!"
Hydrus turned serious. "You can see the flow of my magic?"
"Faintly," Momo nodded. "But I can see it."
Hydrus sighed. House-elves possessed magical talents far beyond most humans, yet they were relegated to lives of servitude. It was a tragic irony .
"Momo, the Grays have turned against me. Staying with me is dangerous. Aren't you afraid?"
Momo flinched, her voice small. "I am afraid." Then, she straightened her back. "But Mistress was kind to Momo. You even let me learn wizarding magic! I would die to protect you!"
True loyalty, Hydrus realized, was only found when one had hit rock bottom. Her plan had gone off the rails, but gaining Momo's unwavering devotion was a victory in itself .
"Let's go, Momo. Take me to the Gaunt Shack."
They appeared at the gates of the dilapidated Gaunt estate. Hydrus knew this place well; before she was five, Bellatrix would often leave her in the overgrown garden while she vanished on errands .
She wasn't here for nostalgia. She was here for her "emergency fund" .
"It's even more of a wreck than I remember," Hydrus grumbled, picking her way through the moss-covered statues and choking weeds . She quickly located three holly trees planted in a triangle .
"Momo! Dig here!"
Momo snapped her fingers, and a small shovel began to work autonomously . Soon, a metal box was unearthed. Hydrus lunged for it, flipping the lid open with excitement .
The box was empty.
"Where are my Galleons? My jewelry? My alchemy tools?" Hydrus stared, bewildered . "Momo... am I hallucinating? Weren't there treasures in here?"
Momo fidgeted. "You mean the eight hundred Galleons, the necklaces, and the Garland III enchanted watch you hid when you were six?"
"Yes! Exactly those!"
Momo looked ready to burst into tears. "Mistress left them there for years without touching them. I thought... I thought you forgot them! I thought it was just a childhood game... so I moved them back to your bedroom for safekeeping."
Hydrus froze. That was her life savings—her "exile fund" so she could live like a lady even if she were kicked out .
"Momo," Hydrus said, trying to keep her voice level. "The treasure I hid at Uncle Rabastan's manor...?"
"Recycled to your room, Mistress."
"The Black tea garden stash...?"
"Recycled."
Hydrus felt like a fish that had lost its will to swim . Momo wailed, beating her head with her tiny fists in a fit of self-punishment .
"Enough, Momo. I order you to stop punishing yourself," Hydrus commanded.
Momo stopped, her brow already bruised and swollen . "The money is gone for now, we'll find another way," Hydrus said, rubbing her chin in thought. "But we need to figure out where to sleep and what to eat tonight."
Momo wiped her eyes frantically on her pillowcase. "Momo made a mistake! But Mistress is kind! I must fix it! I will get the treasure back!"
Before Hydrus could stop her—knowing the Grays would be swarming her bedroom—Momo vanished with a CRACK .
While she waited, Hydrus looked at the rotting house. Somewhere inside was Voldemort's Horcrux: Marvolo Gaunt's ring . She scoffed at Voldemort's ignorance; he had turned the Resurrection Stone—one of the Deathly Hallows—into a mere soul container .
CRACK!
Momo returned, lugging a massive bundle. She was in terrible shape. Her pillowcase was scorched black, her skin was covered in fresh burns, and what little hair she had was singed away .
"Momo!" Hydrus rushed to catch her.
"Mistress... I brought the treasure," the elf whispered with a weak smile before collapsing into unconsciousness .
Hydrus's heart sank, but she had no time to mourn. POP! POP! POP!
Three figures appeared: Norsen Gray, his nephew Stevenson, and Daniel Gray—the man in charge of the family's herbology gardens .
Hydrus dropped into the tall grass, hiding between the holly trees . How did they find me? She looked at the treasure bundle Momo had brought. They must have planted a tracking charm on her belongings .
"Clever, Grays," she whispered. "Very clever."