"Well, at least this way he won't hurt himself, right?" Hermione gave an awkward smile as she noticed the others' gazes, lowering her wand.
"No problem, good girl, well done!" Sirius said briskly, then turned his attention to the locket in his hand. "So, it really is—a Horcrux?"
"I never would've thought—why would a Horcrux be with the Black family? Did Voldemort give it to Regulus?" Sirius mused, his mind racing. "It's not impossible. Regulus always admired the Dark Lord. The moment he left school, he joined the Death Eaters. After I was disowned, Regulus became the Black family heir, so it's entirely possible Voldemort entrusted him with something like this… though he definitely wouldn't have told Regulus what it was."
"Master Regulus knew! He knew everything!" Kreacher wailed. "He knew it was the Dark Lord's treasure! That's why Master Regulus told Kreacher to destroy it! But useless Kreacher couldn't do it! Bad Kreacher! Bad Kreacher!"
If Hermione's spell hadn't still been in effect, the ancient house-elf would likely have started slamming his head into the floor again.
"So this isn't your locket, it's Regulus's," Harry concluded, taking the locket from Sirius's hand. "Regulus told you to destroy it, but you couldn't. That's not surprising. This locket isn't just Voldemort's Horcrux—it's Salazar Slytherin's locket, a Hogwarts heirloom."
Harry examined the locket closely. It looked exactly as he'd seen it in his divination vision: small, about the size of an egg, with a silver frame encrusted with a large emerald. Most striking was the prominent 'S' marking it as Slytherin's.
"Slytherin's locket?!" Fred and George exclaimed in unison. "It's actually real?!"
"Of course it's real," Harry said, tossing the locket lightly in his hand. "Just as real as Ravenclaw's diadem, Gryffindor's sword, and Hufflepuff's cup."
"Why'd you put Gryffindor's sword after Ravenclaw's diadem?" Ron protested. "That's not something a true Gryffindor would do."
"Is this really the time to nitpick?" Hermione snapped, rolling her eyes at Ron. "So, we've just found a Horcrux?"
"We need to contact Dumbledore immediately," Mr. Weasley interjected. "Only he can handle something like this. I'll send an owl right now."
"No need, Mr. Weasley," Harry said, shaking his head. "Even if Dumbledore had this locket, he'd do the same thing I'm about to—destroy it."
As he spoke, Harry drew his warhammer from his belt. Kreacher, still sprawled limply on the floor, suddenly widened his eyes at Harry's words, muttering something incoherent under his breath.
"Wait, you're just going to smash it with that hammer?" Sirius stammered, breaking his silence. "I mean—now? Will it even work?"
"This warhammer was forged with a basilisk fang," Harry said, looking at Sirius. "I've already destroyed one Horcrux with it. Are you being affected by it? Reluctant to destroy it?"
"What? Reluctant?" Sirius blinked, then snapped angrily, "Of course not! I want nothing to do with anything tied to Voldemort. I just—just—damn it, get up! Tell me everything about this locket! How did Regulus die?!"
"No… Kreacher cannot… Master Regulus told Kreacher not to tell anyone…" Kreacher mumbled. "He told Kreacher to destroy the locket… Potter scum says he can destroy it? Impossible… impossible…"
At Sirius's command, Kreacher shakily rose from the floor, but his words only further enraged Sirius, who kicked the elf in frustration.
"I told you! Harry is your master too! Now! Tell me! How did Regulus die? Why was it him and not you?!"
"Sirius, calm down!" Hermione cried, horrified. "He's pitiful enough as it is!"
She rushed to help Kreacher up, but the elf recoiled violently, scrambling away from her in a frantic crawl.
"Mudblood touched Kreacher! Kreacher won't allow it! What would Mistress say?!"
"I forbid you to call her that, Kreacher!" Sirius roared like an angry hound. "Now! Answer my question! I order you as your master!"
"Master Sirius commands Kreacher to answer, so Kreacher must…" Kreacher began, his voice trembling. "Though he's a bad boy, with all his improper behavior breaking Mistress's heart. But Master Regulus… he knew what the Black name and pure blood meant…"
"Master Regulus often spoke of the Dark Lord," Kreacher continued. "The Dark Lord would let wizards rule openly over Muggles and their spawn… So, at sixteen, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord's cause. He was so proud, so happy to serve…"
"Ruling over Muggles… I'm not surprised," Sirius muttered, arms crossed, his voice dripping with disdain.
It was clear that, despite his contempt for the Black name and most of his family, Sirius held a flicker of warmth for his younger brother, the one he'd grown up with.
"But a year later," Kreacher went on, his voice faltering, "Master Regulus said… said the Dark Lord needed a house-elf…"
"Master Regulus offered Kreacher. The Dark Lord took Kreacher to a cave…"
Kreacher's words came slowly, broken by sobs.
Years ago, Voldemort had taken a house-elf from the Black family. He placed his Horcrux in a basin filled with a torturous potion—one that could only be removed by drinking it, leaving the drinker in agony and defenseless. The cave was also filled with Inferi, dark creatures crafted from the corpses of the dead.
Voldemort assumed Kreacher would drink the potion and die, becoming one of the Inferi. But he hadn't accounted for Regulus's distant command. Kreacher used Apparition to return to the Black family home, as anti-Apparition wards meant for wizards didn't restrict house-elves.
Thus, Regulus learned Voldemort's secret. After a period of inner turmoil, he betrayed the Dark Lord. He ordered Kreacher to take him back to the cave. Unlike Voldemort, Regulus didn't force Kreacher to drink the potion. Instead, he drank it himself, enduring its torment to retrieve the Horcrux. He commanded Kreacher to take the real locket and replace it with a fake.
And so, Regulus died in that cave, becoming one of the Inferi. Kreacher returned home with the order to destroy the locket but found himself unable to do so, no matter how hard he tried.
When Kreacher finished his tale, the kitchen fell silent, save for his soft sobs. Sirius leaned against a cabinet, wordless for a long time.
"It's… not like him," Sirius finally whispered. "He was so timid, so… I never thought he'd have the courage to do something like this. No question, he betrayed Voldemort, stabbed him in the back… I never imagined…"
"Can you take me to that cave, Kreacher?" Harry asked, slipping the locket into his dragonhide pouch. "I need to check it out and bring Regulus's body back."
"I'm coming with you, Harry," Sirius said, snapping out of his daze. "I have to… I have to bring him home."
"Alright," Harry agreed after a moment's thought. "Mr. Weasley, could you stay here and keep cleaning with the others? Sirius and I will be back soon."
"Understood. Be careful," Mr. Weasley said gravely. "If you're not back by evening, I'll notify Dumbledore."
"Of course," Harry nodded, then turned to Kreacher, who stood frozen. "Let's go, Kreacher. Don't you want to bring Regulus home?"
Harry's words jolted Kreacher like a shot of adrenaline. The elf's eyes lit up with fervor. "Yes! Master Potter! Yes!"
For the first time, realizing Harry's intent, Kreacher called him "Master Potter" instead of "Potter scum."
With the familiar crack of Apparition, Kreacher brought Harry and Sirius to a small island within a cave. The water surrounding it was nearly black, but closer inspection revealed countless corpses faintly visible beneath the surface, shrouded in dark magical energy. Voldemort had killed many to create these Inferi.
Sirius rushed to the water's edge the moment they landed, careful not to touch it, straining to spot Regulus's face among the lifeless forms.
Harry turned to the stone basin Kreacher had described, filled with green potion. At its bottom lay another Slytherin locket.
"That's it," Kreacher said mournfully, clutching the basin's edge. "Master Regulus placed it there… Kreacher failed to fulfill his command…"
"I found him!" Sirius's shout startled Kreacher, who let out a brief squeal. The elf scrambled to Sirius's side, and together, master and servant peered into the water.
"It's him! Regulus! His robes still bear the Black family crest!" Sirius shouted, turning to Harry.
Without a word, Harry summoned the water elemental within the cave, gently parting the water to reveal the dense cluster of Inferi at the lake's bottom, swaying like seaweed. As the water receded, the Inferi stirred, but before they could act, a stream of water coiled around Regulus's body, pulling it to shore. A small flame sparked, then roared into a blaze, reducing the exposed Inferi to ashes.
Sirius stared at Regulus's body, now writhing and clawing as if to attack, restrained only by the water's grip.
"Regulus…" Sirius whispered, barely audible.
Inferi were cursed beings, their souls trapped in torment within their corpses. Harry purified Regulus's body, dispelling the dark magic. At last, Regulus's form grew still, lying peacefully on the ground.
"Let's go, Regulus," Sirius said calmly, lifting his brother's body. "I'm taking you home."
Voldemort's magic was tied to the cave's structure. Harry destroyed the seaside cavern, collapsing and shredding it. The protective spells centered on the basin unraveled, and the potion no longer replenished, revealing the locket at the bottom.
A fake.
Regulus's forgery was crude compared to the true Slytherin locket in Harry's pouch. This one was smaller, lacked the intricate patterns, and bore no 'S' symbol. Inside, where a portrait might sit, was only a folded piece of parchment.
Harry unfolded it:
To the Dark Lord,
I will be long dead before you read this, but I want you to know it was I who discovered your secret.
I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.
I face death willingly, in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B.
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