Hi everyone! I would have posted sooner but man, life has been full of drama lately! But, the storm has past I think (thank goodness!), so now I can focus on updating. Yay! A huge thank you to those who reviewed last chapter as well as those who read and decided to follow/favorite this story. All of you rock!
disclaimer: same as always! No, Archimedes, I'm not going to say it; there's no need. They already know what it's going to be! Yes, despite what you think, they're pretty smart. Don't insult the readers or I'll have Merlin turn you into a human! Or better yet, I'll let Harry have a go!
Please don't take offense to Merlin's owl. He's upset because he feels he's being neglected. He really thinks all of you are wonderful; he's just not willing to admit it because he's a prat just like Arthur. Shut up, you silly king, you know you have a hard time with 'feelings'. See, Merlin and Harry agree; they're both laughing!
Enjoy!
14 R.A.B.
Professor McGonagall was sitting behind her desk in the Headmistress office, staring at the morning edition of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow. Sighing, she removed her square spectacles from her face and pinched her nose. The news that she might have to step aside and let Severus Snape take the position of Headmaster caused her an enormous amount of anxiety. As a loyal Death Eater, he would no doubt exercise his authority in having other Death Eaters teach the students; it would be as if You Know Who himself were running the school! The professor shuddered.
Just when she was about to share her fears with the previous headmasters and headmistresses on the walls, a wave of incredible power slammed into her body, leaving her spirit purring in a sense of contentment. The very air itself was tingling from the magic and for a moment tears came to the professor's eyes.
"What on earth?" she gasped, standing up.
Suddenly a large silver dragon fell through the ceiling, causing Professor McGonagall to yelp, clutch at her racing heart, and stumble backward into her chair. Only half of the terrifying beast's body fit within her office; the other half disappeared through the solid stone wall. Opening its great maw, it exposed a set of rather terrifying teeth.
"Don't be alarmed, Professor," the voice of the stunning Patronus soothed. "It's Merlin. May Arthur and I have a moment to speak with you? We're waiting out on the grounds by the lake."
The dragon then disappeared in a wisp of silver smoke. Never in her life had Minerva McGonagall seen a Patronus so large and powerful. Thinking on it, she wasn't surprised the menacing beast belonged to Merlin. It suited him in a way. Replacing her glasses, she immediately left her chair and rushed out of the office. Moments later she found Merlin and King Arthur standing under a rather large tree, the former wrapping a bandage around the king's hand. Arthur sent her a firm nod in greeting.
Merlin smiled. "It's good to see you again, Professor. I hope my Patronus didn't scare you."
"It honestly did," she reluctantly admitted. "I wasn't exactly expecting a dragon to appear in my office this morning."
Arthur let out a sour chuckle. "And I wasn't expecting one to shoot out of the fingertips of my manservant and fly off either."
"I told you what I was about to do," Merlin argued.
"You failed to explain what a Patronus was, you idiot," Arthur chastised, looking over his bandaged hand.
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we wanted to talk to you about the article in the Daily Prophet."
"Oh, so you saw, did you?" McGonagall muttered, resigned.
"There's no need to look so downtrodden," Merlin comforted. "I just finished performing a spell that will ensure Hogwarts is Death Eater and Tom Riddle free."
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. "The magic I felt just now? That was you?"
"Merlin just used my blood to solidify the wards," Arthur replied, holding up his bandaged hand.
"Any Death Eater who tries to enter Hogwarts from now on will meet an impenetrable wall that not even Morgana could break through," Merlin proudly declared.
The professor blinked several times, unable to believe what she had just heard. She felt faint. "They won't be able to take over the school?" she asked, dazed.
"I just gave the command guaranteeing they won't," Arthur assured. "We wanted you to know that the school is safe."
The professor's eyes started to shine and her voice became emotional. "Thank you," she expressed with all the energy of her soul.
Though the king did not smile, his eyes softened and his entire countenance lit with glowing conviction. "As long as I draw breath I will not allow evil sorcerers to taint my castle. Should any problems arise, send us word."
"Any of the school owls should be able to find us," Merlin added.
Professor McGonagall, swallowing with difficulty, nodded. "I will be sure to do so. Thank you again. This means the world – not only to me but to many others."
Arthur smiled before turning to Merlin. "We should probably head back."
The two turned to walk away but the professor called out to them, "Merlin, King Arthur… is Potter with you? We were worried when the Weasleys sent word that you had disappeared."
Merlin shared a glance with Arthur before sending her a reassuring smile. "We're taking good care of him, professor, don't worry."
McGonagall immediately relaxed, relief evident as she sighed.
"Oh, and professor," Arthur paused, "this citadel is open to all those seeking a safe haven from the wickedness spreading in the world. Should any muggleborn families desire shelter, the gates are open to admit them and I expect accommodations to be made. Please keep us informed should any do so."
"I will," she promised, awed by the king's generosity and protection; he truly lived up to the legends. "Thank you again."
"It's our pleasure," Arthur replied, sending her a warm smile. Grasping Merlin's forearm, he commanded, "Take us away, Merlin."
The warlock sent her one last nod before his eyes flashed gold and the two men disappeared. Professor McGonagall stood still for a moment before a large, uncharacteristically gleeful grin spread across her sharp features. "Oh, I can't wait for any of those Death Eaters to try to get past the wards now!" And with a spring in her aged step, she headed back up to the castle much happier than she'd been when she'd left it.
After Merlin and Arthur had dodged the wrath of 'Old Dusty', they wandered into the kitchen, interrupting the current conversation. Ron leapt to his feet and shouted with a pointing finger, "You own Hogwarts?!"
Merlin let out a chuckle as Arthur raised an amused brow. "Yes."
Hermione had stars in her eyes. "I've read several theories that the school used to be Camelot but actually hearing that they're true… it's fascinating!"
"Were you strengthening the spells you cast, Merlin?" asked Gwaine.
Merlin nodded. "We strengthened the wards in such a way that the Death Eaters and Riddle will have no way of breaching them and entering the castle – or the grounds for that matter."
"Are you serious?" Harry gasped, floored that such a thing could even be possible.
Merlin and Arthur nodded. "The spells are so strong that even sorcerers of the Old Religion wouldn't be able to get passed them," Merlin replied with absolute certainty.
"Wicked!" Ron whispered in awe.
Arthur strode over and sat down at the head of the table. "Now that all of you know Hogwarts is safe, we should move on to planning where to start looking for the horcruxes."
"I suppose we should start by making a list of the ones we do know about," Harry suggested.
"Good idea," Hermione praised, waving her wand. A moment later a piece of parchment, an ink bottle, and a quill came soaring through the air, landing on the table in front of her. Unscrewing the ink cap with ease, Hermione dipped her quill and waited, eyeing Harry expectantly.
"Er – right," Harry muttered. "So, I unknowingly destroyed one in my second year – Riddle's Diary – and Dumbledore destroyed one at the beginning of last year – Marvelo Gaunt's ring. If what Dumbledore and I researched was true, we believe Riddle made at least six horcruxes."
"So that leaves four for us to track down," Elyan mused as Hermione scratched 'ring' and 'diary' onto the parchment.
"And we believe that those would be something belonging to the Hogwarts Founders," Harry finished, "Two of them being Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket." He turned to Merlin, clearly waiting to hear what he had to say on the matter.
Merlin nodded, leaning back in his chair, thinking of his dear friends. "I believe those two things are fairly accurate. Helga created the cup – I often caught her admiring it. I have little doubt that it would be her most prized possession. Slytherin enchanted the locket so it could only be opened by a Parselmouth, something the man was quite proud of. Every time he saw me looking at it he had to explain how it worked."
"What's a – par – er – partelmouth?" Arthur asked.
"Parselmouth," Merlin corrected. "It's someone who can talk to snakes."
"Oh."
Hermione wrote down 'cup' and 'locket' before glancing up. "Okay, that's two Founders down. Any idea what Gryffindor and Ravenclaw's most prized possessions might have been?"
"Let's see…" the warlock mused, "Well, Godric's most prized possession would have been Excalibur but I doubt Riddle found it since I enchanted it to appear only in times of great need."
Remembering what Merlin had told them about the sword's disappearance, Hermione frowned. "You really don't think You Know Who has it?"
"I'm positive," Merlin answered. "The sword disappeared through the means of the Old Religion though I don't know why. It still has the enchantment to appear when in times of need so it should show up eventually."
Arthur huffed in frustration. "It had better."
"I thought only a true Gryffindor could summon the sword," Ron muttered, bemused.
To their surprise, Merlin let out a peel of laughter. "Sorry," he chuckled with a slight cough, "I'm just amazed that facts can become so warped over time – like all the legends concerning us." – He gestured to himself and the knights – "Excalibur will come to the aid of those who are true in heart and in dire need of accomplishing a noble cause for Camelot. That's why it appeared in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry. Your purpose in defeating the Basilisk was not for glory but to save the life of Ginny Weasley and keep the castle from closing. The sword is meant to protect Camelot and recognized your desire to vanquish a threat. It came to your aid in your darkest hour."
Harry sat, stunned. Clearly he was trying to digest that all those years ago he'd held the legendary Excalibur in his hands. "Why didn't it disappear after I pulled it out of the Sorting Hat?"
Merlin shrugged. "The school has been threatened many times since your second year, Harry; every year, in fact, if I'm remembering right. I suppose it stuck around in case it could be of some use – and it was, when Dumbledore destroyed Marvelo Gaunt's ring."
"So that's why Dumbledore left the sword to Harry in his will!" Ron cried, suddenly understanding, "So we could use it to destroy the horcruxes!"
"That man had no right to bequest my sword to anyone!" Arthur thundered possessively.
"The sword wouldn't have stuck around with Harry anyway, Arthur," Merlin comforted with a smirk over his king's behavior. "The enchantment is made so it stays with Camelot, to guard it."
"But it's missing!" Harry reminded them. "Where could it be if it's not protecting the school?"
Merlin shrugged again. "Just because it's invisible to the naked eye doesn't mean it's stopped protecting the school, Harry. We may not know where it is, but I know that the Old Religion is responsible for its disappearance. I trust that when the time is right, it will return."
"But what are we supposed to use in its place?" Ron demanded. "We're going to have to destroy the horcruxes somehow!"
Everyone sat there, at a loss for an answer – until Merlin suddenly smacked his forehead. "Of course!" he cried, understanding lighting his features.
"What?" Gwaine pressed.
"Aithusa!" Merlin exclaimed. "She said we were going to need her help!"
"What does a dragon have to do with this?" Harry asked, clearly as confused as the others.
"Excalibur is no ordinary blade, Harry," Merlin tried to explain.
"It was forged in a dragon's breath," muttered Arthur, catching on. "You told me that was one of the most powerful magical enchantments bestowed in the world."
"That's because it is," Merlin replied smugly. "Dragons –Old ones – are physical forms of magic itself."
"Like you," Percival voiced.
Merlin swallowed uncomfortably but nodded anyway. "Yes," he muttered, "like me." He didn't like when others pointed out how different he was from regular people though if it was the truth. He was a creature of magic and he had to accept that.
Arthur, sensing his friend's discomfort, tried to change the subject. "So horcruxes can be destroyed in a dragon's breath?"
Merlin sent his king a grateful glance before nodding. "Exactly; all we have to do is gather the horcruxes and Aithusa can destroy them."
"That's great!" Harry exclaimed, evident relief flooding through him.
"But you've forgotten one thing, mate. We've got to find them first!" Ron complained, frustrated again.
"Right," Hermione muttered as Harry scowled, "Well, we have the locket, the cup, the ring, and the diary. The last two have already been destroyed so we no longer need to worry about them and we can rule out anything from Gryffindor. That leaves two horcruxes left. What about Ravenclaw, Merlin? Is there anything she treasured that comes specifically to mind?"
"Certainly," Merlin smiled. "Without doubt, Rowena's most prized possessions were her books and her diadem."
"Um, what's a diadem," asked Ron.
"It's a crown," Percival answered.
"Of course!" Hermione cried. "The lost diadem of Ravenclaw! Every Ravenclaw student tries to search for it because it's said to have magical properties to give the wearer increased intelligence."
Ron opened his mouth to scoff but Merlin silenced him by saying, "And that's technically true."
"Really?" Harry asked skeptically.
"It was meant to be a birthday present," Merlin muttered more to himself than the others. "Rowena was the smartest woman I have ever come across. She often told me her greatest desire was teaching everything she learned to others so I modified the crown she wore with an enchanted blue stone that would copy her knowledge into it. Her daughter Helena, longing to possess her mother's wit, stole the diadem and ran away after she found out what it could do. She hid it somewhere but I don't know the location. I only learned what happened after I returned to the school years later to be by Rowena's side as she died."
"Do you think Riddle found it then? The diadem?" Leon pressed.
"It wouldn't surprise me," answered Harry with a groan. "He would have sought after the greatest thing Ravenclaw possessed. It has to be it!"
"But how are we going to find something that's lost?" Ron demanded, his irritation clearly mounting.
Merlin paused, thinking.
"Merlin?" Arthur prompted, noticing the contemplative look on his manservant's face.
Merlin shook his head. He had a pretty good idea of how to find out where the diadem might be; he just wasn't particularly thrilled with having that particular conversation with the Gray Lady. Perhaps that should be a discussion for another time, after the other horcruxes had been gathered. Clearing his throat, he gave Arthur one of his best grins. "Sorry, I was just thinking… anyway, concerning the cup and the locket, what did you learn about them Harry?"
After explaining the memory he and Dumbledore had witnessed between Hepzibah Smith and Voldemort, the boy's face darkened a little and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a necklace. "We don't know what happened to the cup but the locket Dumbledore and I found was a fake," he revealed as the knights and Arthur leaned forward. Merlin knew without the revelation that Harry spoke the truth. There wasn't an ounce of magic coming from the piece of jewelry. "It has a note inside."
"Can I see?" Merlin asked, holding out his hand.
Harry pulled the note out of the locket and handed it over. Merlin read it aloud for the knights' sake. "'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.'"
"R.A.B.?" Gwaine repeated. "Who's that you reckon?"
"We haven't the foggiest," Harry sadly replied.
"Well, we do have one clue," Merlin pointed out. "The person addressing Riddle specifically called him the Dark Lord which is something only Death Eaters would do."
Ron's mouth dropped open. "Are you suggesting that one of You Know Who's Death Eaters went rouge?"
"But who?" Harry puzzled, eyebrows clasped together.
Hermione gasped. "We may be able to narrow it down further than that! There's another clue. R.A.B. said they would be long dead by the time You Know Who figured out they took his horcrux."
"So we need to be searching for a dead man," Leon concluded.
"Hmmm, should I look for some shovels?" Gwaine teased. Elyan hit him in the arm.
"We need to make up a list," said Merlin, "of every known Death Eater, from both wizarding wars."
"We would need to talk to an original Order member then," Harry supplied. "They would know who fought with You Know Who before as well as now."
"We'll send out an owl," Merlin decided. "It wouldn't due to have the Order knowing we're here. We don't want them to get any more involved than they already are."
"Do you have any suggestions of who we should write to?" asked Arthur, eyeing the trio.
"Remus was part of the original Order," said Harry at once. "He would know. I'll send Hedwig."
"No," Merlin countered.
"Why not?" Harry questioned, surprised by the unabashed rejection.
"Remus would immediately recognize Hedwig and the Order might place a detecting charm on her," the warlock explained before glancing over at one of the kitchen cupboards. "Archimedes?"
The owl looked up from preening his feathers, disgruntled. "I suppose I could go," he muttered past his beak in mock resignation.
"But won't they just place a detection charm on him?" Harry asked grumpily.
Merlin smirked. "Archimedes is no ordinary owl, Harry. The spells placed upon him are the pure form of the Old Religion. Any New spell will merely bounce off his feathers."
"So if someone tried to hit him with the killing curse it wouldn't be able to touch him?" wondered Hermione, eyes wide.
"That's right," Archimedes huffed, fluffing his feathers importantly.
"Great, you just had to give him something that will further boost his ego," Arthur muttered, smirking.
"What did you say, worthless king?" Archimedes demanded, rounding on the royal.
To his displeasure and the others amusement, the king blatantly ignored him, turning to Harry instead. "Try to write that letter as soon as possible, Harry. The sooner we give it to Remus the sooner we can start tracking down the identity of the locket thief."
"Are you ignoring me?" Archimedes cried. Arthur paid him no heed. The bird rounded on Merlin. "He's ignoring me!"
Merlin sighed. "Archimedes, let it go, will you? I'm not going to try to change the prat's mind. How about we all take a break?"
"Wait! We still don't know what the last horcrux is," Elyan protested.
"I think we do, actually," Harry interrupted. "The diary, Marvelo Gaunt's ring, Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's locket, perhaps Ravenclaw's diadem, and You Know Who's snake, Nagini. Dumbledore suspected she's the last because You Know Who has a remarkable hold on her and he keeps her closer than even his most trusted Death Eaters. I'm sure she's the last; she has to be."
The knights shared a look with Merlin, clearly stating that they knew of one more horcrux that the other three didn't but they kept silent. They'd made a promise not to say anything about the matter; best to let the boy think there were six until the Old Religion gave the all-clear for Merlin to be honest with him.
"I think you're right, Harry," the warlock sighed, resigned. "Tracking down Nagini will be easy enough since once we find Riddle we find her. The hardest, I believe, will be Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's diadem. We already have quite a lead on Slytherin's locket. Let's focus on that one for now. We don't want to become too overwhelmed with what we have to do; best to take things one step at a time."
After that the group dispersed, Harry, Ron, and Hermione staying at the table to write out a letter to Remus while the knights, Arthur, and Merlin went to explore the house.
"You know, for a bunch of dark sorcerers this house isn't so bad," Gwaine commented as they trudged up the stairs.
"Compared to what?" Elyan muttered, once again eyeing the mounted house elf heads with distaste.
"Morgana's hovel," the carefree knight answered with a shrug.
Leon and Percival split from the group on the first floor, intrigued by the Black Family Tree. Gwaine and Elyan wandered off on the third floor to explore the multiple rooms while Merlin and Arthur headed up to the topmost floor, pausing in front of the first door labeled SIRIUS. Curious, Merlin pushed the door open and stepped inside, Arthur following in his wake. Little mice scuttled across the floor, rushing into the walls to escape the sudden intruders. Dust covered every surface. A large spider web was draped between a hefty wooden wardrobe and the large chandelier above their heads which had wax hanging from the extinguished candles like yellowish icicles. Papers, broken books, and loose objects littered the floor.
Arthur let out a sudden curse and Merlin spun around to find the king blushing to the roots of his blonde hair, his eyes averted down on his shoes. Confused, Merlin finally noticed why Arthur was now actively trying to shy away from the walls behind them. The warlock had to admit that Harry's Godfather had a lot of nerve; amidst the banners of Gryffindor gold and scarlet were several posters of motorcycles and muggle women clad in nothing but bikinis.
"I think Gwaine and Sirius would have gotten along quite well," Merlin commented, trying to make the whole affair seem like it wasn't that big of a deal. He couldn't fault Arthur's reaction, though. In their day and time women did not go about wearing apparel that displayed every part of their body like in these posters.
"Is this… normal?" Arthur wondered, keeping his eyes averted while pointing to the wall with his thumb.
"In today's world, yes," Merlin answered, putting a comforting hand on the king's shoulder. "The views of what is acceptable have changed dramatically over the ages, Arthur."
"Obviously! Arthur snapped. "I find this blatantly disrespectful! The only man who should be able to see a woman in this way is the husband of said woman. This… this is…"
Merlin sighed. "I agree with you but many you encounter in this time will think differently. Although, you know as well as I that many men in our time would accept this kind of practice too."
"Yes, Gwaine being one of them," Arthur huffed. "I don't want him in this room, Merlin. I can only imagine the idiot trying to find a way to take these portraits back to Camelot and I will have none of that!"
Merlin chuckled. "He'd try to argue by saying that it's art."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "The difference between naked people in art and this is the feelings that are invoked when observing them."
Merlin smirked. "Alright, I'll make sure Gwaine never finds this room – not that he could ever remove the posters."
"What do you mean?"
"They're attached to the wall with a permanent sticking charm," Merlin replied, trying and failing to peel a poster off the wall as an example.
Arthur snorted. "Why would a man want to permanently keep images such as this on the walls?"
"Probably to annoy his parents," Merlin mused. "If you look around Arthur –"
"I don't think I will, Merlin, but thanks for the offer," Arthur interrupted sourly.
Merlin rolled his eyes. "What I was going to say was that if you look around, you'll notice this room is drastically different from the rest of the house. That's because Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor, breaking the tradition of every family member being sorted into Slytherin house. He was the black sheep of his family and he was honestly quite proud of that. He decorated his room this way to make a statement."
"He didn't have to make it so vulgar," Arthur murmured under his breath.
Merlin smirked until movement caught his eye. Amidst the still posters of muggle women and motorcycles was a wizard photograph of four young men, each displaying happy, care-free smiles. Merlin immediately recognized them as the Marauders. A sad smile climbed his face as he observed each of them.
"Who are they?" Arthur asked over his shoulder.
"The Marauders. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew," Merlin answered, pointing at each.
"That's Remus?" Arthur gasped, staring at the much happier young man. "I hardly recognize him!"
"This photograph was clearly taken before their lives were destroyed."
"You mean when James died because of Peter's betrayal?" Merlin looked at Arthur in surprise. The king smirked. "What, didn't think I was paying attention when you told us of Harry's history, did you? Sorry to disappoint you, Merlin, but you're not the only one who knows a thing or two."
Feeling the familiar banter starting, the warlock couldn't help but grin. "Oh please, if you didn't have me to explain things to you, you would be the stupidest king to ever rule Camelot."
"I highly doubt that, Merlin, seeing as you are the biggest idiot to ever be born in all the five kingdoms."
"At least I'm not a dollophead."
"Better that than a girl's petticoat."
"Cabbage head."
"Buffoon."
"Clotpole."
"You can't address me like that!"
"Why, because you're the king?"
Arthur unexpectedly lashed out and locked Merlin's head in his arm. "What was that, Merlin?" he asked, roughly grinding his knuckles into the manservant's head.
"Ouch! Knock it off, Arthur!" Merlin protested.
Laughing, the king waited for the right moment; he let Merlin go just as he shoved at Arthur's chest, causing the poor manservant to fall comically backwards, his arms flailing uselessly in the open air. Merlin hit the floor and scowled, doubling the king's laughter.
"Ha ha, very funny," Merlin grumbled, glaring at him.
Arthur took one last look around Sirius's room before heading for the exit. "Don't take too long getting back on your feet, Merlin," he teased before pausing. "Then again, take all the time you need. We wouldn't want you to trip and hit your head on something; it would damage the feeble amount of wit you actually possess."
"Turnip head!" Merlin insulted as Arthur disappeared through the doorway, the ghost of the king's laughter ringing in his ears.
Scrambling to his feet, Merlin brushed the dust off his backside and then his hands. He made to follow after his king when something caught his eye. Several papers on transfiguration littered the floor, covered in additional scribbled thoughts from Sirius. A small smile began to spread across Merlin's face as he picked up the note infested papers.
"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, causing the warlock to jump.
Hastily folding the papers and stuffing them in his pocket, Merlin ran out the door. "What?"
"I may have found something," Arthur said, pointing at the door to the next room.
Merlin immediately moved down the hall to examine what had captured the king's interest. The neatly written words on the door didn't seem all that impressive. "'Do not enter without the express permission of Regulus Arcturus Black.' Um… am I supposed to be seeing something significant here, Arthur?"
The king rolled his eyes, exasperated. "The name, Merlin!"
"What about it?"
Arthur pointed dramatically. "Regulus Arcturus Black. R.A.B.!"
Merlin gasped, a sudden thrill coursing through him. "You don't think…?"
"I do," Arthur replied, smug.
"We should tell the others!"
Excited, the two men rushed down the steps, taking them two at a time.
"Wow, where's the fire?" Gwaine called as he leapt out of their way.
"Come back to the kitchen," Arthur ordered without stopping.
Gwaine and Elyan shared a glance before joining them in their descent. "Percival, Leon!" Arthur called when they reached the ground floor. The knights in question looked away from the tapestry immediately.
"Are you alright, Sire?" Leon asked, concerned.
Arthur grinned. "We may have found something. Come on, we need to tell Harry, Ron, and Hermione."
Intrigued, the last two joined the group thundering down the steps. They made so much noise that Mrs. Black's curtains flew open and the foul woman started shouting. Merlin flicked his hand and her curtains shut just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione came tumbling out of the kitchen, wands drawn.
"What's going on?" Harry demanded, concerned.
"I think we may have found R.A.B.," Arthur announced with a prideful smirk.
Hermione gasped while Harry and Ron's jaws dropped.
"Where?" Harry breathed.
"Just now, Merlin and I went to the top floor. There are two rooms up there. One is labeled Sirius and the other Regulus Arcturus Black."
"Of course!" Hermione cried.
"Sirius's brother! He was a Death Eater!" Harry shouted, realization dawning and with it, excitement.
"Was?" Gwaine questioned.
"He's dead. A Death Eater who's dead who has the initials R.A.B.! It all fits! He took the locket!"
"Have you already sent that letter?" Merlin asked, realizing they didn't need to get the Order involved anymore.
"He was just about to when you lot came clamoring down the hall!" Archimedes snapped, said letter still attached to his leg as he flew over and perched on Merlin's shoulder.
"It looks like we're not going to need you after all, fickle feathers," Arthur sneered.
Archimedes clicked his beak in agitation. "Fine!" he snapped, "Just remember this the next time you need my help."
"Who said there was going to be a next time?"
Furious, Archimedes took off, smacking Arthur with his wings as he passed on his way up the stairs. Merlin sighed in frustration, rolling his eyes. Before he could demand Arthur be nicer to his owl, Hermione recaptured his attention.
"Harry, what's wrong?"
Merlin immediately assessed that the boy had turned rather pale. "Harry?" he probed.
"The locket," Harry muttered. "It was here."
"What?!" Ron yelped, whipping his head around wildly almost as if he expected it to magically appear.
"Remember when we were cleaning everything out of this place in our fifth year? We threw away tons of dark stuff – one of them being a locket that none of us could open!"
"Are you saying we threw a horcrux into the garbage?! It could be in any rubbage pile in Britain by now!" Ron despaired.
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Hermione mused, thinking. "How many times did we catch Kreacher sneaking things out of the rubbish sacks? I'm sure he must have smuggled a few things from under our noses without notice!"
"Who's Kreacher?" asked Elyan.
"He's a house elf that served the Blacks," Harry answered. "I kind of inherited him along with the house after Sirius died."
"And you think he stole things from you?" Arthur asked, clearly disapproving.
"If he stole the locket this could save us a whole lot of time," Harry pointed out.
"Summon him, Harry!" Ron urged. "Let's find out what that little two-timing snot-nosed – "
"Ron!" Hermione reprimanded.
"What? He is! He betrayed all of us!"
"That doesn't mean you should insult him," Hermione started to argue.
"Both of you, give it a rest!" Harry snapped. "We don't have time for this. Come on, let's go back into the kitchen; we don't want Kreacher's sudden appearance to wake the old hag again."
After everyone had entered, Harry called out Kreacher's name. With an almighty crack! the dirty house elf appeared. His overly large ears drooped down past his pointed chin, his bluish eyes squinting even in the dim light. A ragged cloth covered his body and his thin arms hung limply at his sides. Bowing slightly to his master, he muttered insults under his breath. "Filthy blood traitor is back in mistress's house. Kreacher wonders what he and his nasty mudblood and blood traitor friends are doing, trespassing."
"Oi! Harry owns this place now, you grubby little toe rag!" Ron raged, stepping forward as if to throttle the elf. Hermione grabbed his hand to try and calm him.
Kreacher's glare disappeared as his eyes came to rest on Merlin. To Harry, Ron, and Hermione's utmost astonishment, a genuine look of awe crossed the elf's wizened face and he bowed until his large nose brushed the floor. "Master Emrys," he respectfully greeted.
"Kreacher, I presume?" Merlin answered, deciding that even if Kreacher's actions may not have been seen as noble by some, he didn't judge him for them. He had a better understanding than most of the love one has for a master and the desire to serve those who love you in return. Surprising the others, Merlin sat down on the ground in front of Kreacher and patted the floor next to him.
The elf immediately shook his head, rubbing his knobby fingers together. "Kreacher could never sit down next to Magic itself!" he protested.
"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur demanded.
Merlin shrugged, "Can't two servants sit together and talk?" Harry frowned. Clearly he didn't believe Kreacher to be in the same standing as Merlin. The warlock sighed. "Look, this may be hard for you to hear" – he gestured to Harry – "but Kreacher doesn't like you because you haven't shown him any kind of love or affection."
"Of course I haven't," Harry snapped. "He hated Sirius!"
"And why do you think that is?" Merlin retorted. "Sirius was a great man, Harry, don't get me wrong, but even he had his faults. Kreacher reminded him of the horrors he experienced as a child and therefore he treated him with hatred. It's no wonder Kreacher's loyalties were not with him."
Harry looked outraged but he kept his mouth shut because deep down he knew Merlin was right. Seeing that he was getting through to him, Merlin continued, "When I first met Arthur, he was a prat! The biggest I've ever encountered."
"Hey!" Arthur protested.
"You changed," Merlin grinned, "but for a while there I considered the reward of being your manservant to be the worst in the history of bestowed honors. Who would want to serve a prince who carried enough arrogance to rival the other royals of the five kingdoms combined?" -Arthur smacked the back of Merlin's head rather hard. The servant merely chuckled, rubbing the smart- "Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that Arthur and I were able to work out our differences and I embraced the purpose of my existence. Kreacher was born to serve the Black family and now you, Harry, as you have inherited him at your Godfather's request. Though I must say I am disappointed but not surprised he doesn't want to serve you after the way you've treated him."
"Sirius is dead because of him!" Harry spat, pointing angrily at the elf who glared up at him in contempt.
"Kreacher played as much a part in his death as you and the man himself did, Harry," Merlin calmly replied. "You should have been practicing Occlumency yet you chose not to master it, therefore allowing Riddle to feed you false information. Sirius decided to disobey Dumbledore's orders and leave to come to your aid. Kreacher decided to interpret Sirius's command to 'get out' as permission to leave the house. Everyone played a part in the catastrophic event that later occurred. Have you even bothered to ask Kreacher if it was his intention all along for Sirius to die that night?"
Harry's face was bright red, his eyes flashing dangerously. Ron looked like he wanted to punch Merlin in the jaw. The knights and Arthur shifted back and forth, clearly uncomfortable, and Hermione was looking at the floor almost in silent agreement with Merlin's statement. The warlock chanced a glance at Kreacher who was still staring at him in admiration.
A pregnant pause rang through the kitchen before Harry let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Kreacher," he bit out, "answer me honestly. Did you intend to kill Sirius when you went to the Malfoys?"
The ugly elf didn't even flinch as he answered, "It was not Kreacher's intention to kill Master Sirius but Kreacher is not sad he is dead."
Harry bristled but kept a lid on his emotions. Ron, on the other hand, let his run wild. "How can you even say that?!"
Kreacher looked at Harry who nodded, indicating he wanted the elf to answer. Kreacher glowered angrily before vehemently speaking his mind. "Master Sirius never cared about Kreacher nor the things that Kreacher loved! He disrespected his family, a family of great witches and wizards! My poor mistress he disappointed constantly as he defied the traditions of his noble house! Kreacher loathed Master Sirius because his conceited ways prevented him from seeing anything else! He never treated Kreacher well like Mistress Cissy and Mistress Bella did."
Harry's face was twisted with anger and bitterness. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he raked his fingers through his unruly hair. "Thank you for at least being honest, Kreacher," he muttered, angrily adding, "Even if it upsets me."
"Perhaps we should go ahead and ask Kreacher about the locket?" Hermione tentatively asked, sensing that Harry was going to need some time to sort through his current feelings.
"What locket does the mudblood speak of?" Kreacher wondered though Merlin picked up a sense of anxiety in the undercurrent of his light tone.
"Don't you dare call her that again!" Harry and Ron shouted at the same time.
"Of course, master," Kreacher bowed before mumbling, "filthy blood traitor that you are."
"Kreacher, you shouldn't speak that way about your master," Merlin gently admonished.
The elf was mortified as his large bluish eyes swiveled around to him. "Master Emrys?"
Merlin smiled sadly. "Though your opinion of Harry may currently be in a bad light, you shouldn't judge him so quickly. Sometimes the masters we hate turn out to be the best we could have hoped to serve." He glanced at a rather miffed king with a warm smile. "Give Harry a chance."
Kreacher didn't look happy at all but he respectively bowed his head to Merlin before looking warily at his master. Harry tried to swallow his prejudice too, deciding to do as Hermione suggested and focus on the possible horcrux. "Right, Kreacher, two years ago when we were cleaning out the house, we caught you attempting to steal several things from the rubbish piles."
"Kreacher does not deny it," the elf replied, folding his paper-thin arms.
"Did one of those happen to be a locket?" Harry pressed, trying to keep calm though, like everyone else, his heart was hammering in his chest.
Kreacher shuffled back and forth on his feet. "Yes," he admitted.
"Do you still have it?" Harry asked eagerly.
Large tears suddenly welled in Kreacher's eyes and the elf let out a wail. "No! Kreacher failed and now everything Kreacher was asked to do cannot be done! Kreacher is a bad elf!"
The poor thing looked around wildly, almost as if he was searching for something to punish himself with for said failure. Recognizing this behavior, Harry immediately ordered, "I forbid you to hurt yourself, Kreacher. Just tell us what you mean. How did you fail?"
"Master Regulus told Kreacher to take the locket back home and destroy it," the elf howled. "Kreacher tried and tried but no matter what the locket would not break! Kreacher would have to repeatedly punish himself for not fulfilling Master Regulus' orders!"
"Wait, how did Regulus even find out about the locket?" Harry asked, confused.
"T-The Dark Lord told Master Regulus that he required an elf so Master Regulus sent Kreacher, ordering him to do as the Dark Lord asked and then return home. The Dark Lord took Kreacher to a terrible cave with a lake." The elf shuddered and a shadow crossed Harry's face, his eyes filling with a dark understanding. "There was an island in the middle of the lake with a basin in the center. The Dark Lord made Kreacher drink all the potion in the basin. Kreacher's insides hurt and burned… he saw terrible things… he cried out for his Mistress to save him but the Dark Lord only laughed and made Kreacher drink the potion until it was gone. Then he placed a locket inside the basin, refilled it with potion, and sailed away in a little boat, leaving Kreacher behind. Kreacher was so thirsty… he went to the island's edge and drank from the lake… Dead hands came out of the water and dragged Kreacher under the surface…"
"How did you get away?" Harry whispered.
Kreacher looked confused. "Master Regulus told Kreacher to come home."
"But how did you escape the Inferi?"
"What's Inferi?" asked Elyan.
"Dead bodies bewitched by dark magic to do one's bidding," Merlin quickly explained. Ignoring the appalled look on the knights' faces, he turned to Harry. "Harry, Kreacher's magic isn't the same as yours. It's bound to obedience and therefore gives him the ability to apparated and disapparate in places witches and wizards can't. Since he had done as Riddle asked he was able to return home like Regulus commanded him to."
Harry considered this a moment. "It would be beneath You Know Who to consider what a house elf is capable of compared to a wizard… Right, so what did you do when you came back, Kreacher?"
"Kreacher told Master Regulus everything that had happened and Master Regulus was very worried. He ordered Kreacher not to leave the house. Then, a little while later, he came to Kreacher in the night and told him to take him to the cave where Kreacher had gone with the Dark Lord."
Harry guessed what happened next, envisioning the horrible scene of the darkened cave, the creepy boat, and the ominous potion in the middle of the tiny island. "He made you drink the potion, didn't he?" he said, disgust riddling his tone.
Kreacher shook his head, openly weeping, and then Merlin knew. "He drank the potion himself?" he asked sadly. It was something he could see Arthur doing; always feeling it was his responsibility to take out whatever threat came to those he loved.
The elf wiped at his eyes, nodding through his thick tears. Hermione gasped and her hands covered her mouth.
"M-Master Regulus took a locket from his pocket like the one the Dark Lord had placed in the basin," Kreacher stuttered. "He told Kreacher to switch the lockets after the potion was empty…" the elf was sobbing so much now that he was retching. "He ordered Kreacher – to leave – without him. He told Kreacher to never tell his Mistress what he had done – and to destroy the first locket! He drank the potion and Kreacher swapped the lockets. Kreacher then watched as Master Regulus was dragged beneath the water… and…"
Hermione was openly crying. Ron looked troubled, Harry was beside himself, and the knights appeared both disgusted and disturbed by the tale. Merlin could only imagine the horror and pain Kreacher had experienced. If that had been Arthur…
Merlin was suddenly grateful that though he was Arthur's servant he was still capable of disobedience. If part of his destiny was to follow Arthur's every order, the man would have died a long time ago and Merlin would have had to stand back and helplessly watch it happen!
"What happened after that Kreacher?" Merlin prompted, seeing as everyone was too appalled by the turn of events to speak yet.
"Kreacher returned home," the elf sniffled. "He did as Master Regulus asked not telling his family what happened to him but… Kreacher couldn't destroy the locket, Master Emrys, no matter what he tried! So Kreacher decided to keep it safe. He smuggled it from the trash and hid it in his cabinet but then… Mundungus Fletcher! He stole it! He stole everything Kreacher saved!"
"That no good, son of a – "
"Ron!" Hermione gasped in warning.
Ron glared, huffing indignantly. Harry also swore under his breath.
"Isn't Mundungus that shifty bloke we met with the rest of the Order?" Gwaine asked.
Merlin nodded. "He's a notorious crook."
"Why is such an impudent man working for the Order?" Arthur asked, clearly disapproving.
"He owed Dumbledore for getting him out of a few scrapes in the past," Harry answered, glowering. "I should have known that he'd stolen the locket! The git didn't waste any time ransacking this place after Sirius died!" He kicked the nearest table leg and shouted in frustration. "For all we know he could have pawned off the locket months ago along with those silver goblets!"
Arthur's eyebrows furrowed. "Then there's only one way to find out if that's true or not. We need to interrogate the man himself."
Harry paused before nodding curtly. "Kreacher, I have a job for you."
"Yes master?"
"I want you to find Mundungus Fletcher. Bring him back here the second that you do – he's as slippery as a slug so don't waste any time snatching him. Knock him out flat if you have to."
"Kreacher can cause him bodily harm?" the elf wondered with a gleam in his eye.
"If that's what it takes to bring him back, go ahead," Harry replied in all seriousness. "This is really important, Kreacher. We want to finish what Regulus started – er – to ensure that he didn't die in vain. Can you do this for us?"
The elf blinked a few times before nodding. Harry seemed to struggle for a moment before making up his mind about something. Pulling out the fake locket, he handed it out to the elf. "Um, I want you to have this… I'm sure Regulus would have wanted to give it to you as a token of gratitude… "
The elf let out a strangled sob and his small hands numbly accepted the supposed heirloom as if it were made of precious gold. The poor thing went into a spastic fit, bawling for a good thirty minutes before calming down enough to regain his strength and place the locket delicately in his little cupboard.
"I don't know whether he's crying out of gratitude or sorrow," Leon muttered to Gwaine.
"Probably both, mate," he replied.
Kreacher stepped away from his cabinet and bowed low to Harry, Ron, and Merlin. He eyed the knights curiously and looked a little unsure of how to show respect to Hermione until he finally settled on giving them some kind of strange salute before disappearing with a crack!
"You know, Merlin, the more I see the behavior of those creatures, the more grateful I am that you don't display that amount of devotion," Arthur opined.
"To be honest with you, Sire, one of the best things about not being a house elf is being able to disobey anything you ask me to do that I find stupid," Merlin grinned.
"So you're saying then that you find everything I ask you to do as such – since you never do as you're told."
"Well, prats are known for demanding stupid things," Merlin shrugged.
"Shut up, Merlin!" Arthur retaliated, smacking the back of his head. The knights openly laughing while the trio looked on, amused.
Merlin merely grinned, rubbing the back of his skull.
Alright! So no Death Eaters can get into Hogwarts. How angry do you think Old Voldie is going to be? Heh heh. Did you like my version of Kreacher's tale? Let me know!
PS If anyone was offended by Arthur's reaction to the bikini posters in Sirius's room that wasn't my intention. Considering the time period in which Arthur is from, I wrote his POV dependent upon how a person would react from that time. Not to mention Arthur is a pretty noble and honor-bound guy. He doesn't strike me as the type who would have approved of that type of decor for himself - though we all know Gwaine would have been all for it. XD See you guys soon! Drop me a note, if you feel so inclined. :3