School and Theme: Mahoutokoro: Trackleshanks Locksmiths
Main Prompt: Regulus Black
Additional Prompts: 2) A Turncoat
3) A wedding
Year: Exchange students standing in Year 5
Word Count: 1392
A/N: Killing and Death Warning
Sirius Black stepped into his room at Twelve Grimmauld Place on unsteady legs. His hands shook as he held a tattered journal that had belonged to his late brother Regulus Black. Sirius had wondered what had happened to his brother for many years ever since Regulus had disappeared just before James and Lily had gone into hiding. It was a time in Sirius' life in which he had made two very big mistakes. Trusting the Rat to keep James and Lily safe, and not looking for his brother when he disappeared. Regulus may have been a Death Eater, but the last time Sirius had seen him he had changed. Regulus was nervous, almost paranoid and looked desperate. Sirius had seen the helplessness in Regulus' eyes, exactly like a man finding out all he had believed in was nothing but a lie. Sirius slid down the door as he closed it, sitting on the floor.
The journal in Sirius' hand could have the answers that he was looking for, at least about his brother. All Sirius had to do was find the courage to open it and read the entries. Sirius swallowed hard as he remembered the look Regulus had given him before his younger brother had Disapparated away that last time. Sirius breathed a deep sigh to clear his thoughts. Summoning all of his Gryffindor courage, he opened the journal and began reading.
To the person who
finds this Journal (I hope it's you, Sirius),
My name is Regulus
Arcturus Black. I am writing this to leave a record of what I have
discovered in case of my untimely end. Because the things that I have
found will surely guarantee that I will die if I am discovered. My life
has been one lie after another by both family and friends from my time at
Hogwarts and onward. The concept of blood purity is a lie! The leader of
the Dark is a fraud! My whole life has been a lie. But I am getting ahead
of myself. This is how it started:
I was cleaning my family's
house after my dear mother had passed away when I discovered a locked box
belonging to my father. Nothing I tried would open the lock, so I took it
to the locksmith in Knockturn Alley, Trackleshankes. The problem was I didn't
know he was a loyal Death Eater.
Trackleshankes deciphered how to open the lock within a few minutes. A blood offering
from myself or Sirius and the imprint of one of the Black Family signet
rings. This was not what started my desperate anxiety, that came from
what we found inside.
Several hundred documents about a person named Tom Marvolo Riddle were stacked on top of two
books that I had noticed were missing from the library of Grimmauld
Place. I thought it odd these would be in a locked box from my father
until I read through some of the documents and saw the titles of the books.
By themselves, the
books looked innocent enough. A yearbook from 1947 of Hogwarts, and The Arts Moste Dark.
To anyone not associated with my family the
second book would be enough to warrant alarm, but as the Blacks are mostly
Dark, it came as no surprise. What was surprising, however, were the
marked pages in each book. In the yearbook was a picture of a handsome young
man by the name Tom Marvolo Riddle. Head Boy, Slytherin, academically intelligent,
first in his year overall. Nothing seemed amiss. Oh, how wrong I was.
In the Dark Arts
book, the page that was marked told of an ancient way to protect your soul from
death. Even if your body is killed, you will live on and be able to make
a new body to resurrect yourself. The only catch to split your soul is that
you must commit cold-blooded murder after purifying the desired object in the
blood of an enemy.
After reading some of
the documents, it seems my father was on very good terms with this Tom Riddle
until he returned the book to my father. Riddle had told my father that
he had everything he needed to proceed further. He had already tested the
spells required when he was younger. All the book my father had lent him
was to confirm he had performed it correctly years ago. That had shaken my
father and sent chills down my spine. To kill in a fight during a war is
one thing, to kill someone in cold-blood for personal gain…That is a step too
far. My family may be Dark, but some of us still have some sense of morality
It was then that I
realized Trackleshankes was looking at the documents as if he was angry.
He had turned to me asking what was this blasphemy I had discovered. I didn't
think. I acted. I cut him down like he was nothing but a livestock
animal. Merlin, forgive me, I killed him to escape with the devastating
truth. I gathered the documents and books, leaving through the back of
the shop.
I returned to
Grimmauld Place, vowing to never open the box again, but my conscience wouldn't
let me just leave it be. I had to know the whole story. Merlin, help me,
I found the truth. Tom Marvolo Riddle created at least three Horcruxes to
become immortal. Founders, preserve me, I found out what happened to Tom
Marvolo Riddle.
I read through the
night. Tom Riddle disappeared for a time, but when he reemerged, he was a
different man, with a new name, a new face. My father retraced this
man's, this "Dark Lord's", movements before he arrived here in England. For all
his faults, my father was a very smart man. He did this to prove a
personal theory but hid the truth from everyone. Tom Marvolo Riddle became
Lord Voldemort! But my father didn't stop there, he was curious as to why
Riddle had done these things. Merlin, help us all!
Riddle is hiding his
true blood status from all of his followers! I found that his father was a
Muggle. His mother was little more than a squib. His family on his
mother's side are or rather were, the last descendants of Slytherin, but they
are all dead. His father had a family after he left his mother, but they
were all found dead in their manor years ago.
I have been able to
track down one of these accursed Horcruxes in a cave on the coast. I am
supposed to be going to a wedding for one of the other Death Eaters, but I fear
if I do, I will not leave there alive. I feel helpless. My choice to turn
on Riddle has put my life in jeopardy. There is no other way. I must follow
this lead to the end, and hopefully, weaken Riddle enough for the Order of the
Phoenix to find this journal, find the other Horcruxes, and end Riddle for good
before he destroys the country and the world.
Sirius, my brother,
if you read this, please, forgive me. I was so wrong to believe in the
archaic ways of the Death Eaters and our family. If I had been able to
give you this journal the last time I saw you, I would have. But Malfoy and
Dolohov were just too close to me to safely hand it to you. If you read
this journal, my brother, ask Kreacher about the Dark Object. He has orders to
tell you and only you of what we have done to help stop the "Dark Lord".
I must end this here. Kreacher and I are leaving for the coast. I fear I may
have already been discovered as a traitor. Be safe, my brother. And please,
find a way to end Riddle.
Sirius leaned his head back on the door as the tears streamed down his cheeks. He had finally discovered what had happened to his brother. Regulus was a turncoat, and it had cost him his life. The information in the journal and the documents from his father were the keys to ending this endless war with Voldemort. No. Tom Marvolo Riddle. But that could wait for just a little while, now was the time to grieve. Grieve for his brave Slytherin brother, Regulus Black.