Shadows In Light

Chapter IV

. . .

REGULUS

When Regulus Black woke up to the familiar ceiling of his bedroom his first thought was why wasn't he dead. His next was a groan of pain as his body finally caught up with his mind. His throat felt like it was on fire and the rest of him felt like it had taken the worst beating of its life. And considering he could still visibly remember said worst beating it was surprising he could still think coherently. It had been the last Quidditch Game of his brother's Seventh year. Sirius was the Gryffindor Beater for a reason and Regulus lost count of how many times he'd been hit by a surprise bludger during that one painful misty morning. Even catching the Snitch itself had cost him the shattering of every bone in his right hand. But he'd still managed to make it a Slytherin win and gain back the Quidditch Cup despite losing it to Gryffindor the past five years. He hadn't left to Hospital Wing for a week afterward, but it had been worth it to become a hero in the eyes of his house and watch Madame Pomfrey rip Sirius a knew one for his 'barbaric fratricidal stupidity' from the comfort of his hospital bed. Sirius had worn the most enjoyable puckered expression of absolutely fury when he realized no matter that he had broken thirty three bones (not counting the hand), given Regulus a concussion yet again, and cracked three of his little brother's ribs he had still failed to stop his brother from beating him.

The pain Regulus felt now though had none of the satisfaction from that match and its aftermath and it took him what seemed an eternity to realize he was starring at a much needed pain relieving potion and glass of water. He went for the water first and it took two tries to get into a sitting position so he could. His throat felt instantly better. It was only after he'd drunk the potion that he realized his cheeks were wet with tears he hadn't noticed he'd started crying. Regulus shivered at the phantom memories of such pain. Now that the pain was gone he realized he felt weak. Very weak. He also had the oddest feeling he shouldn't be here, which filled him with unease.

Regulus looked around his room bleary eyed wondering why he felt like that. Then it hit him emptying his lungs of air and stunning him as surely as his brother's beater moves once had. He was supposed to be dead. It all came back in a sudden rush. Finding out about the Horcrux from a drunk and smug Bellatrix. Going to the cave with Kreacher. Drinking the potion. Going to the water. The pale boy appearing out of thin air. The portkey. Seeing Kreacher again. And finally darkness. He had survived something he was sure would kill him. He hadn't even entertained the idea, the 'what if', of his survival he had been so sure of an inevitable death. So Regulus sat not quite sure what to do, feeling a simultaneous urge to laugh and cry.

Then the implications of what that would mean hit him as suddenly as the memories had. He couldn't stay here. He was out of the bed before he even finished the thought. Automatically he moved to grab the Muggle duffel bag he'd found in Sirius's room the day after his brother left from its place in the loose floor board under his bed. Regulus didn't know how exactly Horcrux worked or even if the Dark Lord would be able to feel if they'd been destroyed, but he knew the man would find out. And when he did he would come here. Regulus couldn't stop that, but if he left now he might be able to escape without his parents notice and avoid demands of where he was going. The less they knew the safer they would be, especially since they were too respectable and too much Pureblood Maniacs for the Dark Lord to be able to get away with killing without losing his support base. He paused for a moment in his going over the room to grab any last minute things.

Where was he to go? For a moment he thought of Sirius and it made him feel a peculiar mixture of painful longing to see his big brother and fear. If he went to Sirius to beg protection of the Order it would put his brother in even more danger than he automatically was in for supporting Dumbledore. And that was only if his brother believed him. The first thing he'd done while he was in shock about his discovery was go to Sirius and beg to see Dumbledore. He's brother hadn't believed him then and as much as it hurt Regulus couldn't really blame him. Marlene McKinnon had been murdered not a month earlier when she'd let who she thought was an old friend into her home. The Death Eaters were still bragging about it to Regulus's discuss. Regulus had liked Marlene. She'd been nice to him when he was a First year even though she was a Seventh year Gryffindor. She'd gone out of her way to say hello to him everyday and make sure the older Gryffindors didn't bully him when she could. It made him sick to think he'd been a part of the organization that murdered her. When Sirius had looked at him asking for help, Regulus knew he'd seen Marlene's friendly face smiling as she let in her friend who'd killed her. Regulus was glad that Sirius was finally showing some caution, but it had hurt more than anything in the world. No, he couldn't go to Sirius rather he believed him or not. Endangering his brother or facing another heartbreak were not something Regulus desired.

Regulus looked at his bag, gently rubbing his fingers along his brother's name sewn in the side sloppily. He'd had this bag ready since the day after Sirius left. Walburga Black had become more and more unstable at the betrayal of her son and not even his father's calm smooth voice could calm her down anymore when she got going. Regulus knew, in her own twisted way, that his mother had loved Sirius. She's been proud of his accomplishments as had their father and Regulus knew who the favorite was though it didn't seem obvious from the outside, or even the inside. He doubted Sirius realized that they'd loved him or that it had destroyed part of them to lose him. Regulus had seen it plain and clear and had prepared for an inevitable meltdown that would send him fleeing for safety too.

He'd learned from his brother's quick escape and had everything he should need ready. The bag itself had an Undetectable Extension Charm on it he'd paid a Ravenclaw to teach him Third year. Inside was a supply of Galleons that consisted of all of his pocket money he'd been given in the past four years and a bit of his inheritance. He'd packed some books and a Medic Kit to rival the Hospital wing, it was filled with potions made from Severus's strengthened recipes all with Unbreakable charms on the glass. Other essentials, like clothes, false papers (Muggle and Magic), Muggle money (if he needed to hide among them), Language Lozenges along with some Wit Sharpening Potions (for foreign countries), and some Polyjuice Potion with hairs of a nondescript Muggle teenager he'd met, enough to last a few months. The only extras were the things he'd already found in the bag in Sirius's room. A almost eligible birthday card for Sirius made by Regulus when he was three with a blue blob that was Regulus's attempt at his brother, the first Snitch Regulus ever caught that had gone missing after the game during Regulus's first of many stays in the Hospital Wing, and a picture of a beaming toddler Sirius holding a baby Regulus.

Regulus blinked back the burn of his eyes and focused on deciding where to go first. Then he heard it. Two voices. One was the deep bullfrog croak of Kreacher, familiar since birth to Regulus, and a clear accented male voice that could only be the boy who'd rescued Regulus. Regulus's blood went cold and he strained to listen harder. There was only two voices. That didn't make sense. His parents would never leave a stranger alone with just a house-elf and their injured, and now only, heir. His father was too paranoid and his mother too much of a mother bear when her children were injured by anyone other than her. Then he saw the fine layer of dust that hovered on every surface in his room and the bitter smell of rot and damp forced its way through the purpose and panic that had gripped Regulus.

Then he noticed the dust and his heart stopped for a moment as an impossible realization tried to force its way into his mind. That didn't make any sense. Kreacher was an excellent cleaner. Regulus looked around in the dim light he made out the thin layer of dust surrounding everything. He felt a chill and realized this place felt less like his room and more like a tomb, totally untouched from when he'd left yesterday except for what he'd just done. His room couldn't have gotten this dusty in a few hours.

He couldn't think as he walked towards the voices, flinching as he saw the impossible amounts of decay that had occurred to his home. Regulus found them in the kitchen, which looked as if it had had its first cleaning in a decade very recently. Kreacher was smiling happily and looking as if he'd start crying at the drop of a hat as he served to pale boy a large English breakfast that normally would have made Regulus's mouth water.

Finally seeing his savior close up Regulus's mind went even blanker with shock. He was just a child, no older than thirteen, if that he looked too thin and small to be a teenager. And he looked like a Muggle. The boy was paler than death with dark haunted hypnotic eyes and black messy hair that reminded him painfully of Potter and therefore his brother. a flash caught Regulus's attention, causing him to notice the silver skull ring on the boy's finger. He wore black jeans with a chain for a belt and a black T-shirt with grotesquely smiling skulls that looked as if they were laughing mockingly at Regulus. On the table in front of him was a pitch-black sword. He looked like a Muggle Death Eater.

Regulus was gaping at him, so focused on his shock at his appearance Kreacher managed to notice Regulus and start to drag him to a chair before he realized. He didn't even bother to protest as the old house-elf settled him slowly into the chair across from the boy with a watery smile and place a plate of breakfast in front of him. Numbly Regulus took a bite of the eggs to make Kreacher stop staring at him expectantly. they tasted like ash, but the house-elf smiled at least and started fussing happily around the room as he started to clean more. Regulus instantly put the fork down and stared at the boy, who returned it with a wary one of his own that made it clear Regulus would have to make the first move.

"Kreacher," Regulus croaked, voice sounding horribly rough. "Where are my parents?"

Kreacher paused and turned to look up at him, large eyes filling with tears. "Dead Master Regulus. the Master went first, he just couldn't take losing both you and that good-for-nothing blood traitor brother of yours, but my poor Mistress lingered on. Her heart was broken when you disappeared. We thought you dead Master Regulus." the old house-elf stopped abruptly his bull frog voice cracking as he collapsed into sobs too overcome to continue.

"But its only been a few hours." Regulus protested weakly, voice strangled. Even to himself he sounded like a child desperate for comforting lies. His head was spinning.

"It's been fifteen years." the boy corrected softly.

Regulus flinched away from the boy feeling as if he'd been snapped the crushing weight of the truth almost drowning him. He tried to think, but he couldn't. Regulus forced him to focus on anything other than the fact that he'd somehow managed to do the impossible twice now.

"Who are you?" he demanded of the boy, choosing the safest question.

There was a pause as the boy looked over him with those intense dark eyes that made him thinking he was weighing Regulus's very soul.

"Nico di Angelo."

Dumbly Regulus watched Nico as he explained that his aunt, whoever that was, had sent him into the past to save Regulus because he'd done her some mysterious 'great service'. Then Nico began telling him Regulus's family's own history, from what Nico heard from Kreacher. The house-elf sobbed loudly in the corner, giving a large frog-like hiccup every now and again. Regulus felt as if he'd aged a century in an hour when the boy had finished. Sirius in jail. for being a Death Eater. It was impossible, completely against everything Sirius ever aspired to be and was. And as for betraying Potter, he'd sooner kill himself. His brother had been framed, but by who was the question and when Regulus found out there would be hell to pay. the Dark Lord's defeat nearly made Regulus cry from relief, but the Slytherin part of him, a very large part it was, tingled with unease. What had Evans done to save her son? Because there was no chance a baby could have done it. The girl was amazing with Charms, but he couldn't think of any light magic that would- Regulus started in realization. Soul Magic. Evans had used Soul Magic and activated the ancient Magick that ruled the universe to save her son. The Golden Light Princess had dug into the darkest of all arts that only the Dark Lord had dared cross into and succeeded. Regulus swallowed impressed and awed by exactly what Lily Evans had done to protect her child, even if it meant the possible shattering of her soul. But it did mean one thing.

"Kreacher were is the locket?"

Kreacher looked up utter shame and horror covering his features and he almost wailed as he answered through fresh tears. "Kreacher is so sorry Master Regulus. Kreacher tried. He did, but he couldn't. I've put Master's locket in the Drawing Room."

"Get it now!" Regulus snapped feeling himself pale and start to shake. Kreacher flinched and a small bit of guilt made itself felt through the terror that consumed Regulus. He never raised his voice to Kreacher or beat the house-elves like some of his sick relatives, Bella for example. But he couldn't help himself. the Dark Lord was alive, which meant one thing and one thing alone. He had more than one Horcrux. One Horcrux had been that most horrifying thing Regulus ever heard of, two was even worse, but Regulus knew the Dark Lord enough to know that if he had more than one he wouldn't have stopped at two. It made him simultaneously disgusted, nauseous, and in the worst terror he'd ever felt. He knew fiendfyre and basilisk venom could destroy a Horcrux, but he'd also known house-elves were powerful and underestimated creatures. He'd hoped and relied on Kreacher finding a way. the elf was suddenly there looking like he was ready to jump into the fire then an there. Regulus felt himself soften despite the situation they were now in.

"You've done very well Kreacher. I am proud to have you as my elf." Regulus handled the locket delicately, warily as Kreacher began sobbing for joy. Had the elf always been so emotional? Or was it the cause of age and years alone?

"There's a soul in that." a soft voice observed and Regulus finally remembered their guest. Nico looked politely inquiring, but there was a almost childish curiosity in his haunted eyes, making him look more his age instead of an old man in a child's body.

"Yes." Regulus told him not quite feeling connected to the words coming out of his mouth. "I need to destroy it."

Nico nodded absently not taking his eyes off the locket as he grabbed his sword.

"I'll do it." Nico said and before Regulus could warn him the boy grabbed the locket and calmly stabbed it as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

A presence of utter evil filled the room making the fire flicker out with all the lights. Regulus's arm burned in a way he knew better than his own name and he would of screamed from it if he wasn't frozen in fear. Kreacher screamed and tumbled away slapping ineffectively at the shadows. in the dim moonlight shining from the window Regulus watched Nico have a very different reaction. He frowned and waved his hand muttering something in Greek. Ancient Greek. The presence screamed despite possessing no mouth and Regulus knew that as long as he lived he would never forget that scream or the presence that temporarily overwhelmed the Dark Lord's. One older and ancient that seemed to try and suck the very life out of him. the next second both presences were gone, the lights were back on, and Nico was picking up a fork to continue breakfast as if he hadn't just done something amazing.

As Regulus watched in silence the boy absently picked up the plumpest sausage and tossed it into the fire.

"Hades." Nico said mildly and started eating.

"What did you just do?" Regulus finally managed to squeak out and Nico paused and looked directly at him with those pained old man eyes.

"I sent him to my father." and then he looked away leaving Regulus with the impression he was lucky to get that. Regulus suddenly realized that he wasn't the one who'd accomplished the impossible these past few hours it had been the boy in front of him. Time traveler and vanquisher of Dark Lord's soul pieces. Regulus wondered if the Dark Lord really was the person he should be worrying about when he had the feeling a child a thousand times more powerful than his ex-master was sitting in front of him eating breakfast at three in the morning.