By the time 1985's New Year's rolled around, these were my years resolutions I was listing them out on paper one day:
1. I wanted to look into if Regulus Black was one of the apprehend death eaters on my property or if he was still at large. I want that Slytherin locket or find out if I need Sirius and Kreature involved.
2. I also looked into finding a blood binding spell for my great grandfather's compass.
3. I also wanted to see if there was a way to remove a horcrux from a living being.
4. I seriously want to hunt down Lucius Malfoy.
5. I want to have a baby this year.
6. I wanted to make sure nobody gets paid off for lesser sentences during the death eater trails.
7. I want my yearly Werewolfism potion marketed and Remus on the cure.
8. I want Gen caught up to her 4th year school level after this summer. I want to send her to Hogwarts for fourth year. She would be technically, turning 16 this April and be normally going into her fifth year. She will only be one level behind then. I hope to have he fully adopted by then too.
--
In the second week of January, it was no time like the present to start the ball rolling. I sent a letter of inquiry to Alastor Moody to see if he could send me a list of all the names of the 63 death eaters retrieved from off my property that are residing in Azkaban. I told him I wanted it for my own records being I was involved and would probably be going to the trials.
Two days later I got a response from Mr Moody. He sent me a list of names. I searched through the names and did not see Regulus Black's name. Ok, now I know he is at large. I wonder how I can locate him. I think, as a last resort, I am just going to have to involve Sirius, but I will discuss it with Severus first.
I was in the lab contemplating this dilemma, while working on the Werewolfism compound base separating the chemical compounds and purifying them. I guess it is called multitasking. As I was working, I found the suspected parts causing the scar fading side effects. I just needed to isolate and combine the structure into a formula. I started writing it down and analyzing it mathematically on paper for a viable solution. Damn, I needed a break. I've been down here for hours.
I walk up into the house and find Severus working on spells with Gen in the ballroom. It must be for space, I suppose. Harry is in his room reading his books. Busy little beavers they all are. I go in the kitchen and call Dilly. She pops in.
"Dilly, did everyone eat lunch yet?", I ask.
"No my Lady, not yet. Would you like Dilly to make lunch?" She smiles. She hasn't taken off that necklace since I gave it to her. Actually none of them have. It's kinda sweet. They all seem to wear it all like a badge of pride. They have been keeping their clothes cleaner after I threw about a half dozen pillowcases out and notified them I did it. Hopefully Dilly won't have anymore boogers blown on her clothes again. It kinda freaks me out.
"Yes please. I have been stuck down in the lab so long I needed to take a break. Let me know whenever it's ready dear." I pat her on the head.
After everyone ate lunch, I went back to work in the lab on my formula. At the end of the day I had a salve invented to gradually lighten the scarring effect of a werewolf attack. I showed Severus before I went to bed. He said we can brew it up and test it on a few victims with just scarring, perhaps at St Mungo's. I also wanted to try it with my test subjects and see if it accelerates the effect. Perhaps, then we can turn it over to marketing.
--
Later that night I started talking to Severus. I said,"Honey, I was thinking about trying to find that Slytherin locket. I sent off a letter the other day asking for the list of names of all of the 63 death eaters. I got it back today and Regulus Black wasn't on it. If he's at large, I want to find him to question him about it. I think am going to have to tell Sirius all about me, in order to get him to call Kreature. I need find out from Kreature, the Black's house elf, if he is in possession of the locket. I hope finding Regulus will spare me from telling anyone else my secret. What do you think?" He looked contemplative as we were silent for a while thinking.
He finally said,"I think locating Regulus Black is your best solution first. If he can be controlled to tell you where it is, you won't have to go to other extremes."
"I need that blood binding spell to bind the compass. Only other problem is to find one of Regulus' belongings to hone in on his magic. Same for Malfoy, but I could get access again from that letter he wrote at the Ministry." I told him.
"I have the blood binding spell in one of my books in my library at the house on Spinner's End, I believe. I can go tomorrow to retrieve it." He said.
"Severus, you should move your books here and we can put in more shelves just for your books in the library, so we have them all together. You could bring anything of yours here from there. This is your home now." I kissed him as we got into bed. He wrapped his arms around me. I lay my head on his chest.
"I will pack the books up while I am there and bring them back here. I can go another day and pack up other things. It's been a very different life in the last six months not teaching. At least I did clean out my rooms, potions and personal ingredients storage at the school and brought it all here." He said.
"Wouldn't say you quit all together teaching your now educating our little girl so she can catch up to where she should be. She seems to be refreshed well enough in her first two years, don't you think?" I said.
He chuckled,"She is moved up to third year on several main classes already, especially potions. I never had such an eager child to learn. She is a very smart girl." I was so proud of how well he was doing with Gen.
"She has the best father to teach her than she ever had. I knew right off she was a brilliant girl. Just her survival was amazing. I hope we can get her caught up so she can go to Hogwarts after summer. She will be only a year behind then starting fourth year. Unless, you think we can get her accelerated to sixth year by next year. She would be back on track then, but request Dumbledore to let her to take her fifth year OWLS before summer next year? Do you think we can do that or would she want that?" I said.
"We can ask her how she would want to do it? It's her life she is making up for." He was right. We need to talk with Gen in the next couple days.
"Severus, when we get the spell tomorrow, we will do this blood binding spell together, ok?" I kissed him.
"Always, goodnight, my love." Sleep came quickly for both of us.
--
The next day Severus came back with quite a few crates of shrunken down books and salvaged potions, ingredients and instruments from his old house's lab and bookshelves. I helped him organize the books in the library in the manor. We then went to the lab and started combining ingredients and potions once again. It will be nice to have it all in one location now for both of us.
Later we sat down and he went through his book showing me the blood magic spells it had in it. Blood magic was considered Dark magic according to the Ministry of Magic. We both decided on the one that would work best for the compass to restrict its viable use to my genetic blood lineage.
I prepared my blood, the compass and everything needed for the spell. Severus walked me through it so there would be no mistake. I laid down the compass on the table, put three drops of my blood on its face, did the incantations the wand works and cast the spell. It was quite complicated, but it worked. I had Severus hide in the house somewhere and I did a location spell with an item of his and it truly led me right to him. Very nifty and useful compass. I even had Severus try to find me with it. It didn't work for him. We got the compass to work only for me now. Malfoy's day were definitely numbered now.
Now, to get an item of Regulus', or to get that locket from Kreature. The next trick for me to find it without tipping off anyone of who I am really, if possible. It's not like I can just walk up to Sirius and say, 'Hey, do you have anything your brother once owned?' or 'Hey can I have a chat with Kreature?'.
I would have to do a lot of explaining or lie a hell of a lot. It's also not like Walburga Black will invite me for tea or something either. I wish I could call Kreature outright and ask him a few questions, but that isn't going to happen either without Sirius getting involved. Damn think, think, think…….
I guess I could just owl Regulus a message to meet me somewhere, but he may think it's a trap if he's in hiding. After Malfoy running off and me getting all 63 of his buddies captured, that wouldn't be viable. Humm…. I need to discuss this with Severus he is always helpful.
After talking about my angles, I was trying to reason it all out, then Severus said, "Arianna, perhaps we must involve Sirius. You can tell him you found out through Cassie before we sent her back under Veritaserum. We will tell him, she said that Regulus has a horcrux in his possession of Voldemort's and you want to destroy it." He is just brilliant. It skirts the whole, 'How do you know?' issue. I kissed him and ran to get paper to pen a note to Sirius and owl him to come here.
--
The next day Sirius came by at my request to the manor and I took him to the sitting room with Severus. I said,"Sirius, Severus and I have a problem only you can help us with. We have been sitting on some information passed on from our encounter with Cassie before I returned her to Malfoy manor. It has got my hands tied, because I'm not able to get access to something to stop Voldemort from coming back."
"What is the problem, Arianna?" He asked curiously.
"I found out that your brother Regulus is in possession of one of Voldemort's horcruxes. I have been working on collecting and systematically destroying some others I have discovered for the last two years." I said. To say he was looking shocked would be an understatement.
"How many have you found?" Sirius asked, surprised.
"So far, Severus and I have destroyed four. This one will be the fifth, Salazar Slytherin's locket." I replied.
"Ok, how can I help?" He said. That was easy.
"I have in my possession an enchanted compass that can locate anyone by their magical signature. I am the only one who can use it, because I am a Blackthorne. All that's needed is an item that belongs or belonged to the person. Do you have anything that belonged to your brother, Regulus?" I asked. He was thinking.
"No I don't. Perhaps I can get Kreature to give me something of his. Kreature hates me though and I don't see him just doing what I ask, but I can call him here." He said.
"Do you think I could talk to him on my own away from you if you call him? I may be able to get him to tell me more without you around being you don't get along? If you would, I want you to call me Arianna Blackthorne-Gaunt too when you introduce me, so he won't be offended and will know what houses and lineages I am aligned with." I said. He thought about it and agreed.
"Ok, let's see what you can do with him. I have never gotten anywhere around him. You can be quite charming in the ways you are around others. I would be curious about how it works for you." He smiled. "Kreature!" Next thing you know Kreature popped in my sitting room.
"Master Sirius called Kreature?" He muttered hatefully.
"Kreature, this is the Lady Arianna Blackthorne-Gaunt she wishes to discuss a matter with you. Treat her respectfully because she is a nice person." He was all bossy and mean.
"Kreature knows the pureblood Blackthorne and the pureblood Gaunt families. They are a very ancient and good lineage to have in one person. What can Kreature do for the noble house of Blackthorne and Gaunt?" He said.
I offer my hand to Kreature and say, "Please, can we talk in private, my dear Kreature?" He hesitantly takes my hand.
"Kreature likes how Lady Arianna talks to him." I walk him to the salon, close the door and sit down.
"Kreature, I realized that you are a good house elf and very loyal servant to the Black family. I respect that would never dishonor or bring any kind of shame to you. I am needing to know if you received a locket as a task from your master Regulus. I want to help you complete that task if you have?" Kreature looks at me trying to size me up. I still had his hand and I kept patting it. I look at him kindly.
"What would you do with the locket if Kreature had it?" He says skeptically.
"I would help you to destroy it." I state it sincerely. He looks surprised but wary.
"If Kreature had such a locket, how could Lady Blackthorne-Gaunt destroy it?" He asks critically.
"I can create and control fiendfyre, it's in my bloodline." His eyes got huge.
"Kreature has the locket master Regulus asked him to destroy recently before he went into hiding when Lord Malfoy went into hiding. Kreature tried to destroy the locket, but could not." I smiled at him.
"I know they are very difficult to destroy. Will you let me help you complete your task? You're a very good elf for trying to help your master do this." I patted his shoulder. Poor old guy.
"Kreature likes Lady Arianna. Kreature will be right back." He popped out. A few minutes later he popped back with the locket. He held it out to me. I took it from him and stuck it in my back pocket. I leaned down and got on my knees and hugged him.
I said,"Thank you Kreature, you are a very honorable house elf and a true credit to your kind. You can rest now, sweet elf. I will have it destroyed by the end of the day." I kissed him on the head. He blushed shyly.
"Lady Arianna is a noble and kind lady. She treats Kreature with respect." I patted on him and took his hand and we walked back to the sitting room.
When we got in the room Severus was gone but Sirius was there alone. Sirius said,"Was he kind and helpful to you?"
"Kreature likes Lady Arianna, she treats Kreature kindly, unlike others." Kreature said looking through narrow eyes at Sirius.
"Kreature was very sweet and quite helpful." I got down and hugged him again. "Thank you my friend. Take care of yourself please." I patted his old cheek. He smiled at me and popped out. I stood up. Severus walks back in the room. I pulled the locket out of my back pocket. Sirius gasped.
"He just handed it over to you, just like that and that quickly? He never acted like that even to my mother." Sirius said, shocked.
I giggled and said,"That's because I treated him well and talked to him kindly and very respectfully. He responded suspiciously at first, but he soon realized I wasn't trying to harm anyone."
"You have a way of charming every kind of creature or person. I really shouldn't be that surprised." He said chuckling.
"Thank you for helping me get this damn thing so I can destroy it, Sirius. I couldn't have done it without your help." I told him. He smiled, stood up and gave me hug. I walked him to the door.
"I'll be heading home. I'm glad to help you get rid of it that vile piece of dark magic. See you soon." I closed the door and sighed.
I turned to Severus. "You ready to go destroy this now?" He smiled at me and kissed my forehead.
"Yes,my love. Let's get ready and collect the raft. You really handled that quite, decisively. It always astonishes me the ease of your reasoning and how you communicate with others. They practically fall over themselves to help you or you befriend them. You are one of a kind." He said earnestly.
"And all yours." I said back and went to the bedroom.
Before the sun went down that day the fifth horcrux was completely and irrevocably obliterated on our little rock island in the mountains.
I really would like to know if you all like it or have constructive criticism in reviews. being it's my first story I ever wrote it helps. Just no mean people because, MEAN PEOPLE SUCK!