Regulus and Kreacher reappeared on a precariously narrow outcropping of rock overlooking a choppy, briny body of water. Regulus briefly looked around, allowing the freezing water to mist his skin. It was a clear night, one in which it seemed every star was visible. Out of habit, the Black heir sought out the star that was his namesake and found it easily. For some reason the sight of it triggered a memory from what seemed like a different life.

It was the night before Regulus was to begin Hogwarts. He had been lying on his bed reading his potions textbook when Sirius entered his room. Sirius had barely spoken to him since he had returned from his first year at Hogwarts. Regulus knew it was partly because their parents had kept them deliberately separated. However, it was also obvious they both had changed.

The Black Brothers had been inseparable prior to Sirius beginning Hogwarts. Even when they attended gatherings with their parents where other children their age were, Sirius and Regulus always stayed together. However, once Sirius returned from school it was as if he had completely forgotten Regulus was anything besides an annoying little brother.

Sirius' first year at Hogwarts had been hell for Regulus at home. His parents were outraged with his brother's sorting and took every opportunity to insult Sirius. If Regulus took up for Sirius he was punished. He learned quickly to keep his mouth shut to avoid punishment. Sirius rarely ever wrote to Regulus and to his dismay, spent both the Christmas and Easter Holidays with the Potter's that year (and every year after).

Left alone, Regulus began to try even harder to gain the approval of his parents. He no longer had Sirius to get into mischief with and he had no younger siblings or cousins. He instead buried himself into his studies. He listened to the criticisms his parents had of Sirius and perfected those 'flaws' in himself. He became everything his parents wanted in a son. Not that they noticed. Without having reason to criticize Regulus, they seemingly chose to ignore him altogether. Even in Sirius' absence he was all they talked about. Unless Sirius was around of course- then they would point out the younger Black's 'superiority' as often as possible, further damaging the brothers' relationship.

Regulus realized now that the destruction in their relationship was both initiated and strongly encouraged by their parents. However, the eleven year old whose room Sirius entered that night did not. It was a bitter Regulus that did not even bother looking up from his book as he inquired lazily,

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk, Reggie."

"About what? You've barely spoken to me all summer and right now I am reading. Surely it can wait until in the morning."

"Mother and father will see to it that we do not to talk in the morning. You must have noticed they have done all they can to keep us away from each other all summer. I just... Look, all you have to do is ask the hat to put you where you want to be, Reggie. It won't make you be a snake if it isn't what you want. I mean, I know our parents want you to be in Slytherin, but you don't really want to be, do you?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"It's the most dreadful house! Everyone else in the school hates them. Their common room is in the dungeons! James and I snuck down there once, and it's absolutely freezing. I know how you hate being cold, Reggie, it wouldn't suit you."

"I already know most of the Slytherins in your year and many who will likely be in mine. Cissy and Lucius Malfoy will be there. I happen to like them, even if you don't. I also am perfectly capable of casting a warming charm. If those are your only reasons, I would like for you to leave. I am reading."

With obvious strain to remain calm Sirius asked, "Just please tell me what house you want to be in. I don't care what anyone else wants for you, Regulus. What do you want?"

Surprised by the unusual show of restraint, Regulus finally looked up from his book and replied honestly, "I don't know, it's just- it all seems a bit unreasonable doesn't it? All of this pressure based on what house at school we are sorted in. Once we graduate any arguing of house would be moot, would it not? And besides, why should anyone be looked down upon for being intelligent, cunning, loyal or brave? Are not all of those qualities commendable?"

"Exactly my point, Reggie. No Slytherin would ever say that."

After a pause in which Sirius apparently decided Regulus was not going to respond, he added,

"Regulus doesn't just mean 'Little King' you know. If you look at its location in the sky it is the brightest star in the constellation of Leo, the Lion. As in, 'the heart of the lion'. If mother and father gave anyone permission to be in a house apart from Slytherin it's you." He then placed his hands on Regulus' shoulders and looked him in the eyes as he added, "You don't always have to do what they want, you know? You will be much happier when you stop trying to please them, and do what is right for you."

He then turned away and left Regulus alone to think about what he had said.

Regulus agreed seven years too late that he would in fact have been much happier had he not always tried to do what his parents wanted. He certainly wouldn't be here at any rate. Shaking himself out of thoughts of things he could not control he focused on the present. He took a deep breath and thought, 'It's now or never' before conjuring a knife.

"It requires blood to grant entrance, I believe you said?"

"Yes, Master Regulus," Kreacher answered as he offered a bony hand to Regulus without even the slightest hesitation.

"That won't be necessary, Kreacher, but thank you," Regulus smiled sadly. Ignoring Kreacher's objections, he carefully sliced open his own palm and pressed the wound to the place Kreacher indicated.

As the walls began to jut back to allow them entrance into the cave, Regulus cast a quick healing spell on his palm before proceeding forward.

Inside the cave was an extreme contrast from the outside. As they entered it became pitch black and practically radiated dark magic. The two walked farther into the blackness that somehow seemed darker than regular darkness. Regulus lit his wand tip but the light did not illuminate as well as he would have expected. The only other light in the cavern was an eerie greenish glow emitting from what appeared to be the center of the lake.

Regulus immediately began searching for what would prompt the boat to materialize. He feared the slightest hesitation on his part might be enough to cause him to lose all nerve and give up on this final act of defiance. A few moments later he was able to locate what he was looking for and began pulling on an invisible rope.

Once the vessel fully revealed itself, Regulus and Kreacher silently boarded the boat and were slowly transported across the placid water.

The cave was oddly quiet. The only noise was the sound of the boat moving slowly across the water. Closer to the green light. Closer to the horcrux. Closer to Regulus' imminent death.

Oddly enough, the Black heir was no longer fearful, but resolute. For the first time in a long time he had a purpose. For the first time in possibly his entire life he was doing what he knew for certain was right.

Finally the boat made it to their destination. Regulus walked to the basin and observed the locket through the potion. He then made a nearly perfect replica of the locket and conjured some parchment and a quill. During his ride on the boat he had decided he wanted to write a letter. Confident that Voldemort was far too arrogant to check on the security of his horcruxes in his parent's lifetime, Regulus wrote:

'To the Dark Lord-

I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more. R.A.B.'

The letter was a lie really. Regulus had no intention of destroying the Horcrux on his own, that would be his final order for Kreacher. However, as Kreacher was supposed to be dead, Regulus thought it best to make it look as if he acted alone.

He wasn't really sure what prompted him to leave a letter in the locket. He knew everyone would believe he died a coward, and a slave. Perhaps that's why he felt the need to leave documentation of his true loyalty. He had once read in muggle literature, "If there be any truer measure of a man than by what he does, it must be by what he gives."

Regulus was giving his life in effort to bring down the Dark Lord. If nothing else, perhaps Voldemort would find it shortly before his own demise and at least realize that Regulus wasn't just another one of his mindless puppets.

After carefully folding the letter and fitting it inside his locket, he turned to his beloved house elf,

"Kreacher"

"Master wishes for Kreacher to drink potion."

"No, Kreacher, I want you to promise to make me drink the potion- the entirety of it. Force feed it to me if you have to."

"No Kreacher won't! Kreacher won't! Kreacher will drink it for master!" Kreacher wailed, shaking his head.

"Kreacher, listen to me, this is important. I have to be the one to drink the potion. I need you to take the locket in the basin and switch it with this one," Regulus said holding up his newly conjured locket.

"You are to then leave here, without me. You must destroy the locket, Kreacher. You cannot tell anyone in the family what happened here," Regulus said firmly.

All the while Kreacher was shaking his head vigorously and trying to figure out a way to circumvent his master's orders.

"Kreacher can't. When mistress asks what has become of you, Kreacher will have to tell her."

Regulus had researched elfin magic and was prepared for this question,

"While it is true that you are bound to all of the Black family, you can choose to serve one master above all others. No matter what anyone else asked of you, your loyalty would lie with that one individual first. You could keep all of their secrets. Kreacher, if you could serve but one master, who would you choose?"

Kreacher immediately responded, "Kreacher would choose you, master Regulus, for master Regulus is always kind to Kreacher."

"Thank you, Kreacher," Regulus answered somewhat detachedly as he couldn't allow the alternative if he wanted his mission to succeed. "You will not have to do anyone else's bidding if doing so discredits orders I have given. If you are asked what has happened to me, you will not have tell what you know. I ask that you pretend not to know anything of my disappearance, as it would be the most believable," Regulus smiled sadly.

He then conjured a goblet and filled it with potion. "You must ensure I drink all of it." Ignoring the obvious internal dilemma Kreacher was struggling with, he took his first drink.

Immediately he began to feel queasy and his body screamed for him not to drink anymore. He quickly forced himself to drink two more goblets full of potion, before falling to his knees. His entire body felt as if it were burning from the inside. He was trapped in an illusion, reliving of all of his worst memories.

Kreacher forced him to take another drink.

Regulus was six years old and had accidently broken his mother's favorite vase. His father held a belt with the intent of whipping Regulus. Sirius threw himself between the belt and his little brother, taking the lashing for Regulus. The younger Black was then forced to watch his father 'crucio' Sirius for his interference. Sirius was only seven.

Another drink.

Regulus was sitting at the bottom of the stairs out of sight, listening to his mother shriek to his father, "This is why I warned you we must have an heir and a spare. Regulus will be in Slytherin, I will see to that. The indignity of one child being a Gryffindor is bad enough. Sirius is the rightful heir to The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Regulus has no such luxury. He will be in Slytherin or nothing will stop me from disinheriting him from that day forward!"

Another drink.

Regulus was sitting under the sorting hat knowing he was about to lose members of his family today. He was begging, no, that was unbecoming of a Black, he was appealing to the hat's sense of compassion, rather adamantly to put him in Slytherin. The hat was insisting he was a much better fit for Ravenclaw, or even to his bewilderment, Gryffindor. Finally the hat asked if he put him into Slytherin if he would do what he could to restore honor to the house of snakes. Regulus promptly agreed and the hat sorted him into Slytherin. Regulus had never felt more relieved. He immediately looked to Sirius and found he was being pointedly ignored. As Regulus passed he saw his brother was laughing with his friends, though poorly disguised disappointment shadowed his handsome features. Regulus also realized now he had not upheld his end of the bargain with the sorting hat.

Another drink.

A fourteen year old Regulus was standing in the stairwell listening to his brother's yells and mother's shrieks. Finally Sirius shouts, "You're nothing but bigoted and evil! I've had enough! I'm moving out! I should have done it years ago!" Regulus quickly retreated back to his room to avoid being seen. He desperately wanted Sirius to ask him to go with him. Sirius quickly packed up his room and left, without even saying 'goodbye' to his younger brother.

Another drink and images began coming faster now.

Pain-he had just received the dark mark.

Nausea-he had just watched Evan murder a muggleborn with a blood-depletion curse that Regulus had shown him in his family's grimoires.

Guilt-Glassy, sightless eyes staring at him. Dozens of them. Innocent people he had stood by as death eaters tortured and killed them.

Rachel was then accusing him of murdering her father rather vividly. It seemed the potion was now calling on fears more than actual memories, as this had never actually happened. Regulus had been present the night Rachel's father was murdered in a raid at the ministry. Some part in his subconscious always held that she must blame him even if she never said as much.

More images continued to flood his mind. A moment later and Regulus was so full of self-loathing that he was almost thankful he had no plans to survive this mission. His life had hardly been worth living, after all.

Finally the potion was finished and all comprehension was lost on Regulus. He could not remember why he had been so determined to drink the horrid potion in the first place. All he could register was that he desperately needed water. Reaching his goblet into the smooth lake, he scooped up the putrid water and took a drink.

The once smooth surface immediately became frenzied with the movement of hundreds of inferi. Frantic to get to Regulus. Desperate to drag him beneath the icy surface of the lake with them. Fleshless arms wrapped themselves around him. Rotted teeth tangled in his hair, dragging him into the water.

"Master Regulus!" he heard Kreacher screech.

The sound of his name brought Regulus back his purpose.

"Kreacher, you must take the locket and leave here. Destroy the locket. You know your orders, now go!"

Regulus fought to get that message out around all of the decrepit bodies pulling on him. When a sobbing Kreacher finally popped away, he lost all fight and allowed the inferi to pull him under the icy depths of the lake. He wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway.

He forced himself to let out the breath he had subconsciously taken before being brought under. Unimaginable pain tore at his lungs. The lack of oxygen caused the pain to spread throughout the rest of his body. A part of him knew he should inhale the water in attempt to drown himself faster. He feebly attempted to do so, but his traitorous body refused to cooperate.

Self-loathing aside, he did not really want to die. He was only eighteen years old. He knew that everyone made mistakes when they were young. He would never have the opportunity to right his wrongs. This one mission was his only means of absolution, and no one would ever even know about it.

Black spots appeared in his vision as his body began to convulse involuntarily.

Regulus' last thought was that he should have told someone about the horcruxes before coming here. He was fairly certain no one else knew.

Finally everything went black. Regulus welcomed the relief.