Regulus Black, younger brother of Sirius, had embraced the pure-blood fanaticism espoused by their family, idolizing Tom Riddle in a way Sirius never could. This earned him the family's favor, especially after he joined the Death Eaters at the tender age of sixteen. Regulus had been ecstatic; joining the Dark Lord's ranks was everything he'd ever wanted. His admiration was profound.
But his joy was short-lived. Close proximity to Tom Riddle revealed a ruthlessness and unscrupulousness that Regulus struggled to reconcile. And yet, this did not spark immediate rebellion.
The breaking point came when Tom Riddle requested a house-elf for his experiments. Regulus, in his naiveté, readily offered Kreacher, believing he was granting the Dark Lord an unimaginable service. Kreacher was taken to a sea cave where Slytherin's Locket was hidden. Tom coldly used Kreacher to test the cave's defenses, fully expecting him to die there.
Fortunately, house-elves possessed magic of their own. Kreacher managed to escape and return to the Black family, recounting everything to Regulus. Though still clinging to some pure-blood beliefs, Regulus's conscience had not entirely withered. He decided to betray the Dark Lord, creating a fake locket and ordering Kreacher to lead him to the cave.
Inside, master and servant overcame numerous obstacles, reaching a small island in the center of a lake within the cave. There, they found the stone basin containing the locket. The Dark Lord had filled it with a potion that induced agonizing pain. It could not be poured away or siphoned off; it had to be drunk. Regulus, as the master, willingly drank the potion, enduring unspeakable torment as he replaced the real locket with the fake.
Finally, he commanded Kreacher to leave the cave with the real locket and to find a way to destroy the Horcrux. Kreacher searched for years, but he could never discover how to destroy a Horcrux.
...
A heavy silence fell as Kreacher finished his tale, each person silent for a different reason.
In her portrait, Walburga Black wept silently for her favorite son. In her eyes, Regulus had betrayed the Dark Lord and sacrificed himself for a house-elf. It was all so unfair.
Sirius Black was stunned that his brother, whom he had always disliked, possessed such heroism. Bellatrix, on the other hand, leaned towards Voldemort's view, that Tom was more important than anything, even family. She scowled, enraged that Regulus had stolen the Dark Lord's locket. Only Tom Riddle's presence prevented her from attacking Kreacher.
As the story sank in, the portraits chattered amongst themselves, concerned Tom Riddle would eradicate the Black family for Regulus's betrayal. Though only Sirius remained, he was still a male heir. If Tom was truly displeased, he could simply kill Sirius and end the bloodline.
Sirius, however, wasn't worried at first; he was Harry's godfather, after all. But on second thought, if he were to die... Tom might become Harry's "new father." The thought of that "father-son" moment sent a chill down his spine. Even though he knew Tom Riddle had no intention of taking on that role, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease. What if?
So, he suddenly didn't want to die, at least not until he surpassed Tom in Harry's eyes.
Therefore, Sirius decided to heed the opinions of the old hags in the portraits.
They suggested killing Kreacher. Regulus was gone; only Kreacher remained. Kill Kreacher, and then Sirius could prove his loyalty.
"..."
Sirius listened with a peculiar expression.
Bellatrix, while considering Sirius a waste of space, supported killing Kreacher.
Sirius, however, was against it. He disliked indiscriminate killing, evidenced by the fact that Kreacher had annoyed him for years without being harmed. Kreacher wasn't that bad, just irritating. And he'd helped his brother... he had to admit, he didn't hate either of them as much anymore.
...
Looking at Kreacher huddled in the corner, sobbing, Sirius pursed his lips. "Forget it. Let him live... for now."
"You're not going to do it?" Bellatrix's voice rose in anger. "Then I will!"
"Wait!" Sirius snatched his wand, placing himself between Bellatrix and Kreacher, something he never imagined he would do. "Have you considered what Tom Riddle thinks?"
Sirius didn't want to fight Bellatrix. "If Tom Riddle wanted Kreacher dead, he would already be dead."
Sirius knew Tom Riddle likely didn't care about Kreacher one way or the other.
But he was betting on Bellatrix's fanatical devotion to the Dark Lord.
Bellatrix wouldn't do anything to upset Tom Riddle, not even slightly.
If he was wrong, he would do his best to protect Kreacher as a sort of... compensation to his brother.
"..."
The two argued, but Bellatrix finally lowered her wand. She hated this feeling.
But as Sirius had guessed, she wouldn't risk it. Even if there was only a minuscule chance that killing Kreacher would displease the Dark Lord, she wouldn't take the chance.
"Keep a close eye on that traitor!" Bellatrix glared at Sirius. "Or I'll kill you, too!"
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