Chapter 264 – Regulus
What kind of wizard was Regulus Black?
The cowardly yet kind brother Sirius had once mentioned?
Harry wasn't so sure. To him, Regulus sounded more like Percy Weasley — proud, disciplined, and perhaps a little too obsessed with doing things the proper way.
When he had first wandered through Grimmauld Place, Harry had noticed a small plaque nailed to a door at the bottom of the stairs.
It read, in neat, commanding handwriting:
> Without my express permission — No Entry.
Regulus Arcturus Black.
The sight of it reminded Harry strongly of something Percy might have done back at the Burrow.
And yet, despite that sense of order and arrogance, this same Regulus had hidden away an object tied to Voldemort himself — and had asked his family's elf to destroy it.
That didn't fit. It was strange.
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Harry couldn't shake the feeling that the locket they had just destroyed was directly linked to Voldemort.
The sensation that had gripped him while facing Slytherin's locket was the same dark chill he felt whenever Voldemort was near.
Could it be that the younger Black brother — the one Sirius claimed had died following Voldemort out of cowardice and family pressure — had actually turned against him?
If true, that would mean everything to Sirius.
Harry intended to find out.
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"Kreacher," he asked carefully, "what was that locket we just destroyed?
You said it belonged to Master Regulus, but it was clearly tied to Voldemort. Why would Regulus want it destroyed?"
He didn't expect a real answer. Kreacher was stubborn, and rarely cooperative.
Harry only wanted some clues to take to Sirius later — Sirius could give the elf a direct order if needed.
But to his surprise, Kreacher actually replied.
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Still huddled on the floor, the elf's muffled voice quivered.
> "Kreacher is willing to obey Harry Potter's orders. Harry Potter is also part of the Black family — he is one the Prodigal Son commands me to serve."
> "Master Regulus was a good boy. He joined the Dark Lord when he was sixteen. Later, the Dark Lord said he needed an elf, and Kreacher had to obey… and then come home…"
Kreacher's voice cracked, trembling with pain and fear.
Harry frowned. From Kreacher's tone, this wasn't pride — it was trauma.
It must have been something unbearable.
Of course, Harry thought grimly. Voldemort was capable of anything.
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"What does that have to do with the locket?"
"So Regulus just… handed you over? And how did you come back? Did Regulus save you?" Ron asked, his curiosity overcoming his disgust.
It sounded plausible — maybe Regulus had regretted his choices, tried to rescue Kreacher, and paid the price.
After all, with Bellatrix Black in the family — Voldemort's most loyal servant — it wouldn't have been hard to cover it up.
But Kreacher didn't answer at first. He muttered something nasty under his breath about Ron, clearly still resentful of his earlier hesitation during the locket's destruction.
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Finally, his thin voice rose again, trembling as he relived the memory:
> "Kreacher was taken to a cave… there was a black lake and a small green boat… on the island was a stone basin filled with potion. The Dark Lord ordered Kreacher to drink it…"
The elf's whole body shook. His eyes stared blankly ahead as if he were there again.
> "Kreacher drank it… saw horrible things… his insides burned… Kreacher called to Master Regulus to save him, called to Mistress… but the Dark Lord only laughed. He made Kreacher drink it all. Then he dropped a locket into the basin and refilled it with potion."
> "Then the Dark Lord left Kreacher there… on the island…"
Kreacher's voice broke, and he collapsed into a trembling heap.
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Harry's stomach twisted. "And you went back — with the locket? Regulus died trying to destroy it?"
It was a cruel irony: Voldemort had lost one of his Horcruxes because of a creature he had considered worthless.
Ron frowned. "But how? How could an elf escape from a place where Voldemort kept something that important? Regulus must've helped you."
Kreacher glared weakly at him. "Stupid blood-traitor brat… Master Regulus helped Kreacher later. But not then."
He took a shaking breath.
> "Kreacher only wanted water… crawled to the lake… but the lake was full of dead hands. They dragged Kreacher down… and Kreacher went home."
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Harry blinked. "Went home? How? Some kind of Portkey in the water? Did Regulus make it for you?"
Kreacher looked up with wide, confused eyes.
> "Master Regulus told Kreacher to go home… so Kreacher went home."
Harry's eyes widened in realization. "I get it now!"
"The bodies were Inferi — they guarded the locket. You'd have to drink the potion to get it, but the potion would make you weak and desperate for water… and then the Inferi would drag you under."
"But Kreacher could Apparate," he continued, glancing at Ron and Draco. "House-elf magic doesn't follow wizard rules. Dobby once Apparated into Hogwarts to deliver me a message — and we all know you can't Apparate inside Hogwarts."
Draco nodded sharply, his eyes lighting with understanding.
> "That's why Voldemort made the mistake! He despised Muggles and never cared to study their limits — but elves have their own kind of magic. They can do things wizards can't."
Kreacher looked at him with a trembling smile.
> "The young master is annoying," he muttered, "but he is indeed the pure-blood nephew of the old master."
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Then his expression crumpled again as he continued, voice breaking:
> "Master Regulus took Kreacher back to the cave. He carried another locket — one that looked just the same. He drank the potion himself… told Kreacher to leave him… to replace the locket… to destroy the first one…"
> "Kreacher saw… Master Regulus… dragged under the water…"
> "And then the Mistress went mad. Kreacher was ordered not to speak of what happened. He tried to destroy the locket but couldn't. Kreacher knew it could only be destroyed from the inside… but Kreacher couldn't open it…"
Kreacher's voice broke into sobs, his small body shaking with guilt and sorrow.
The truth hung heavy in the air — the tragic courage of a for
gotten boy who had dared to defy the Dark Lord.
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(End of Chapter 264)
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