A/N: Written for QLFC. Prompts: "We accept the love we think we deserve" and "freedom". Beater One . Word Count: 1496 (according to ffn)
On the outskirts of a small town called Little Hangleton was an old shack, and in that shack hid a ring, under rotting floorboards and powerful enchantments. It was hidden there by a mysterious boy with a curious name: Tom Marvolo Riddle.
The ring was enchanted so people could not stumble upon the shack. However, Albus Dumbledore was not just some person. He was the headmaster of Hogwarts, the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Most of all, he was one of the greatest sorcerers of all time.
Albus stepped over a fallen tree trunk and started walking on a paved path. After five minutes of walking, he stopped in his spot and whirled around. He then headed in the opposite direction. Eight minutes later, his lips curved upwards as he turned to his right and saw the shack.
The wizard made his way towards the door of the shack when he noticed two snakes; the first, a dead one, nailed to the door by its tail; the second, alive, curled around the doorknob. Albus knew many things, but he did not know how to speak to snakes. Only Parselmouths knew how, and the only Parselmouths he knew were Tom Riddle and Harry Potter; both whom he would never ask for assistance.
He walked around the shack trying to find another way in but was unsuccessful. Back at the front of the place, he stared at the snake (the live one). Suddenly, the snake began to hiss. Fortunately, Albus could understand Parseltongue, although he couldn't speak it.
"You are not alone," it warned. The snake slithered away from the door handle onto the uneven ground, where it made its way to freedom.
Albus turned the handle and pushed forward cautiously. He peeked in and saw only an old stove, a pile of dusty pots and pans, and an unmade bed in the corner. He paced around the room and considered where Lord Voldemort's horcrux may be hidden. It was on his third round around the room when he saw something move from the corner of his eye.
Unlike many people, Albus proceeded calmly. "Please reveal yourself," he said. A shadow came out from under the bed and its source was revealed.
Albus chuckled as he saw the squirrel stare up at him. He resumed pacing around the room when, again, he stopped. He looked back at the squirrel, who hadn't moved a single inch, and who was still staring up at him with big brown eyes. There was something different about this creature, he thought. "Ah," Albus said softly in realization. It was so obvious he was surprised he didn't know it sooner.
"An animagus. I must say, I've never met a squirrel one before. Quite unique," Albus mused. The squirrel's eyes seemed to widen.
Albus continued. "Unregistered, I assume. As the head of many associations and such I'm quite aware of who and who aren't registered animagi. I do not remember a squirrel being one of them...but then again, I am getting quite old." His bright blue eyes twinkled as he recollected old memories. "Let's see. The last unregistered animagus I met was...oh. Sirius Black." The man's eyes lost their twinkle and grew solemn.
The squirrel froze at the mention of Sirius's name. Albus, though not as young as he used to be, was just as attentive as he was a few decades ago and noticed this.
"I should have known." He pulled out his wand from one of the many pockets on the insides of his robe and casted a blue and white spell towards the small animal.
In front of his very eyes, the squirrel turned into a man with black hair. The moment Albus saw his face, he knew who he was. After all, he was the spitting image of his brother, only he was smaller and slighter (but just as handsome). "You're alive," Albus said amusingly. "I heard you were killed."
"You heard wrong," Regulus Black replied, matter-of-factly. His voice was almost identical to Sirius's, too.
"Evidently," Albus said with a smile. His eyes lowered to the golden box in Regulus's hand. His eyebrows raised. "You're searching for horcruxes, too."
"Yes," Regulus replied. He looked at the headmaster. "And you, evidently."
"How did you find out?"
"The Dark L - You-Know-Who let something slip. Most of the Death Eaters were too stupid to catch on to what he was saying, but I understood."
"Of course. So, please enlighten me, Regulus - how did you survive?"
Regulus sighed. "You-Know-Who asked me for the assistance of my house-elf, Kreacher, and I was more than happy to lend him to him. He treated Kreacher very badly and when Kreacher came back home he told me of all the horrible things You-Know-Who made him do. Then, a few days later, he let something slip and I did some research. I discovered that he had created horcruxes - not one but multiple. I asked Kreacher to tell me where You-Know-Who took him and I brought a duplicate of the locket You-Know-Who had hidden in there. I brought Kreacher with me and I told him to switch the lockets after I had drunk the potion in the basin the locket was placed. I drank, he switched, and we apparated out of the cave with his house-elf magic. I ran away to Germany, where I have been living like a Muggle, trying to discover more Horcruxes. I left Kreacher with the locket, and only a few weeks ago I learned about the ring."
"Did you destroy the locket?" Albus asked.
"As I said, Kreacher has it, but I don't think it's destroyed yet. I looked up how to destroy horcruxes, and I highly doubt Kreacher could do it." Regulus laughed nervously. "I won't reply to any of his messages; I reckon he's very angry at me."
"Do you intend to destroy that one?" Albus asked, gesturing to the ring in Regulus's hand.
"Yes."
"Can I look at it?"
Regulus shrugged and threw him the box. Albus caught it with his right hand and unlocked it slowly. The spells and enchantments on the box were removed by Regulus only an hour or so before.
Inside was a ring, with a big black stone and a golden band. The black stone had an engraving on it: an engraving of what Albus knew to be the Deathly Hallows. This, was what Albus had been searching for as a child.
The Resurrection Stone.
Greedily, without thinking, Albus pulled out the ring and put it on his right hand. Regulus let out a cry of protest but the older wizard ignored him. He thought about his sister, Ariana, and that one afternoon she, out of the blue, declared: "We accept the love we think we deserve." Albus had asked what she meant when she replied that he would understand when he got older. Hearing that from a thirteen-year-old girl angered him, but he did understand now. Voldemort became who he was because he thought he didn't deserve any love - people had loved him, but he never accepted it, leading him to think that love didn't exist at all. It is funny, Albus thought, how such evil came from what started as a lonely orphan boy who thought no one would ever love him.
His train of thought was interrupted when the ring burned his hand which turned black and shriveled. Wincing, he threw the ring onto the ground and clutched his hand to his chest.
"You shouldn't have done that!" Regulus hissed. He ran to Albus's side and cast a spell to get rid of the burning. Albus muttered a word of thanks and looked up at the boy (who was now a grown man.) He reached into his robe and pulled out the Gryffindor Sword. He handed it to Regulus and whispered, "Destroy it."
Regulus hesitated before he took the sword and plunged it into the stone. The horcrux made an unbearable noise; then, silence. Regulus stood on the spot, panting.
"You did it, my boy. You did it."
Regulus grinned. "Well, that's one thing Sirius didn't do, isn't it? Destroy a horcrux? Despite all the heroic things he did, he's never destroyed a horcrux." He turned to Albus. "How's that old man doing, by the way?"
This was the moment Albus had been dreading. He closed his eyes. "Regulus, I'm afraid Sirius is dead."
Regulus invited Albus for dinner that evening and the two ate mashed potatoes and beans. Albus remembered this especially well because it was his friend's last meal.
When the clock struck midnight, Regulus told Albus that he was going to go to the toilet and that he would be right back. After a while, Albus became worried and checked up on him.
He knocked on the door and after getting no reply, he pushed it open to see a pair of feet dangling in front of him.