Chapter 51 - R.A.B
Kreacher became mournful. He pressed his hands to his chest, his ears droop, and he whispered Regulus's name like a prayer. His voice was gentle, almost trembling with devotion.
Lord Black and Sirius did not expect Regulus to react as such. Lord Black remembered that Kreacher was close to Regulus back then.
He questioned Kreacher, "What are you crying about Kreacher? Do you know this locket? Is it Regulus who put it here?"
As he was questioned about it, Kreacher breaks down completely. His ears drooped low, and his eyes filled with a wet, trembling shine. He pressed his knobbly hands to his chest as if holding something precious that only he could feel.
The memory overwhelms him. He begins to cry openly, striking his head with his fists and calling himself a "bad elf" for failing to save his beloved master.
In a thin, wavering voice, he whispered, "Master Regulus… my brave, noble Master Regulus…" Then, he began to shake, letting out small broken sobs. "Kreacher failed him… Kreacher could not save him…" He struck his fists against his head and rocked on his heels, tears slipping down his long nose as he wailed, "Master Regulus told Kreacher to go home… and Kreacher went… Kreacher had to obey…" His voice cracked into a painful cry, raw with mourning that had lived inside him for years.
He tells the complete story in broken words, with more sobs than words, about how Regulus discovered the Dark Lord's secrets, how he ordered Kreacher to help him retrieve the locket, and how Regulus died because the Horcrux's protections were too strong.
He could not stop himself and kept crying.
Lord Black and Sirius were both frozen when Kreacher finished crying and choking out the truth. The room felt colder.
Lord Black closed his eyes and let out a long breath, very slowly.
He whispered, "Regulus… my grandson… my boy…"
There was no anger in his voice. Only shock and grief. And a quiet pride that grew stronger with every breath he took.
Sirius, who had been clutching his wand so tightly that it almost broke, wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "I… I never knew," he said. "Regulus… he never said anything to me. He should have said something."
His voice cracked in the middle. He looked like someone who had been punched in the chest.
Harry glanced up at him, concerned. I placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and said softly, "Go and hug him. He needs you now."
Harry nodded quickly. He walked up to Sirius and wrapped his small arms around him. Sirius froze for a second, then held the boy with both hands, face crumpling as he hid it behind Harry's head.
Dudley looked helpless beside me. I touched his arm lightly and glanced at Kreacher. Dudley understood at once. He stepped closer and put a hand on the trembling house-elf's shoulder.
Kreacher, still sniffling, allowed it. His small bony hands clutched the hem of Dudley's sleeve, as if holding onto it for his dear life.
I turned to Lord Black. He was still standing straight, back stiff, chest lifted. His eyes, however, were moist.
He inhaled deeply once more and spoke in a firm voice.
"Enough," he said. "Enough of the crying and the pain."
Sirius looked up, startled. Kreacher hiccupped mid-sob. Harry and Dudley stood still.
Lord Black continued, "Regulus did not die in shame. He did not die confused. He died standing for what he believed was right. He turned against darkness when he saw its true face. A Black does not bow once he knows the truth."
His voice grew steady, stronger, almost ringing across the room.
"He made the House of Black proud. Every ancestor in our family would stand in respect for what he has done. Those who live now, and those who will live in the future, will speak of him as one who acted with courage."
Sirius swallowed. "Grandfather…"
Lord Black raised a hand. "Sirius. Your brother may have walked down the Dark path at first, which he believed was right, but in the end he chose the correct one. He chose it alone, without asking anyone for support. That takes strength."
Then he turned to Kreacher.
"And you, Kreacher. You followed his last order and returned here. You lived with his memory and carried his secret all along. You have served your master well. Take pride in that."
Kreacher looked up, eyes wide and wet. "Master… Master Arcturus…"
Lord Black sighed, his face softening for a moment. "Yes. Be proud. But next time, you tell me. I cannot fight shadows if you hide them from me."
Kreacher nodded quickly, bowing his head.
"Now," Lord Black said, straightening again, "we will finish what Regulus died for. We will destroy the Horcrux."
I stepped forward. "Lord Black… the goblins have experience with destroying Horcrux. Maybe it would be safer if their curse-breakers handled it."
Lord Black shook his head slowly. "No. I have handled dark magic long before you were born. A Horcrux is vile, but it is not invincible. Fiendfyre will consume both the object and the piece of soul inside it."
I hesitated. "But… Lord Black… I wished to keep the locket itself."
He frowned. "Keep it? This thing is cursed and corrupted. Why would you keep such filth?"
I pointed at the front of the locket. "Because this is a Slytherin locket. The mark… the S… I've seen this symbol before. In Hogwarts paintings of Salazar Slytherin. In old pictures. It belongs to him."
Lord Black's eyes narrowed. He took the locket carefully, holding it away from his chest, and studied the front closely.
"Yes," he muttered. "Yes… the crest, the shape, the carvings… This is real. This is old. And this belonged to Lord Salazar Slytherin himself."
He looked furious now, not at Regulus or Kreacher, but at what had been done.
"What a monster he was," Lord Black hissed. "To defile something ancient… something sacred to magic… with his foulness. To stain a relic of Lord Salazar Slytherin with a torn piece of his soul. Not even Merlin would show him mercy."
Sirius lowered Harry gently and rose. "So how do we destroy it?"
Lord Black nodded. "We destroy the foul thing inside it. But the shell, this locket, we have to cleanse and preserve it. Even a hundred Dark Lord would not be of equal worth than this Slytherin's locket."
He turned to me.
"Arthur, your magic found it. You have seen how goblins destroyed it. Now let me show you how we wizards do it. Let us go to the ritual room. There, stand back, and watch carefully."
His wand was already in his hand as he marched downstairs to their ritual room.
"And let us end what Regulus began."
End of Chapter 51 - R.A.B