Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't make money from this fic.
August 6, 1981 Falmouth, England - Nott Residence
Regulus hadn't expected the silver doe to come so soon after he'd sent his patronus, but he was relieved when it did. It meant he didn't have time to talk himself out of his plan. He took a deep breath as he strode up the drive. He knew this was stupid, but he also knew there was no other way. He wore his Death Eater robes, his wand in its holster on his thigh for easy access. His fingers twitched over it as he knocked on the door. To his surprise, Nott answered it instead of the house elf. He looked confused when he saw him there.
"Black, I thought the Dark Lord gave you a mission?" he asked, letting the man into the house.
"He did, I just left something in his office. Do you mind if I just grab that real quick?" Regulus said, his hand wrapping around his wand handle.
"The Dark Lord doesn't allow anyone in his office while he's not here, Regulus. You know that." Nott admonished.
"Imperio." Regulus murmured, before slipping his wand back into its holster. "As I was saying, Nott, I left something in the Dark Lord's office. I'd like to go get it now."
"Certainly. Rosier's guarding the door, let's just go talk to him, shall we?" he said, with a smile. Regulus suppressed a shudder; he'd never seen this man smile in his life.
"After you." he said, following the older wizard up the stairs. Regulus kept a hand on his wand, at the ready. He hadn't worked with Rosier much, so he didn't know if he'd catch Nott's behaviour.
"Ah, Rosier. Young Regulus here has left something in the room you're guarding." Nott said, almost cheerily. Rosier had been leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, but that approach must have set off red flags. It was enough to make him stand up straight, wand in hand.
"Nott, you know the Dark Lord gave me orders, no one goes in there without him. Not even you." He said, his eyes narrowing. Regulus pulled his wand from the holster.
"He'll just be a second. He's one of us, and I'll be with him, of course." Nott said.
"Sorry, I can't do that." Rosier said.
"Then I'm sorry for this." Regulus said, pulling his wand and muttering the Killing Curse. A flash of green light filled the hall and Rosier fell forward.
"That was a bit excessive." Nott said.
"I've been told I tend to have a flair for the dramatic, sue me." Regulus told the man, stepping over the body and into the room.
Voldemort had chosen this room for his office because of the sheer amount of Dark objects that Nott had kept here. It looked like a museum; the room was large, probably once meant to be a den or sitting room. Two of the walls were devoted to bookshelves. On the third wall hung a large mirror, but Regulus recognized it at a foe-glass. The dark shapes moving in it were ominously close and he turned his attention, instead to an ornate, jewel encrusted dagger mounted on the wall which looked to be hundreds of years old. Below it, there was a glass display case filled with jewelry that looked very expensive, if out of fashion. There was a shelf beside the case, holding all sorts of odds and ends. He paused when he saw a shelf that was devoted to time turners of all different sizes and shapes. But the one that caught his eye was different. It was broken. The jagged edges had blood smeared on them and most of the sand had escaped the glass.
This was why Voldemort was set on finding Hermione. Regulus knew Nott had been working with Rookwood, theorizing about time and how they could potentially use the research to alter the timeline. Regulus had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. They were messing with time, trying to intentionally change it in the same way that Hermione had accidently changed it. He knew that the orders about her currently were to capture her alive, so that must mean they still had a ways to go on their research, but his stomach did flips as he realized that she was in just as much danger, or perhaps, even more, than Lily and James were. He suddenly had the urge to get to Godric's Hollow as quickly as he possibly could. But he paused once more.
This had to be the time turner that had sent her back. Regulus fought the urge to grab it and take it with him. It wouldn't do them any good at the moment, and may make things worse. No, right now, the safest place for it was where he knew it was guarded well, and where he knew he could find it again.
Regulus turned to the desk at the end of the room, in front of one of the large, six-paned windows stood an old, dark desk. The top of the desk was spotless; Voldemort wasn't the type to leave things littered about. Everything was put away before he left the place. Regulus moved to the other side of the desk, his heart beating rapidly. He pulled open the drawer he'd seen the diary in previously, and his heart sunk. It wasn't there. Where was it then?
He looked around the room; there was no way he'd have time to go through all the books on the shelves. It just wasn't possible. Then he remembered something Hermione had told him about her vision.
"The drawer has a false bottom." He said, looking back down at the drawer. Sure enough, with a little pressure at the back of the drawer, the wooden plank lifted up, revealing a plain black diary. Regulus reached into the drawer to pull it out, but dropped it as soon as he picked it up, a burning sensation on his hand. It fell on the floor a few feet away as he cradled his burned hand. He fumbled for his wand with left hand. It felt weird to hold his wand with his non-dominant hand, but he put the thought out of his head.
"Episkey." He murmured. One of the basic healing spells he'd picked up from Hermione. The spell eased the pain and lessened the swelling, though he'd still need some medical attention later. He switched his wand back to right hand and used it to cut a wide strip of fabric from the bottom of his robes. He used the fabric to pick up the book, carefully, this time, just in case it was still able to burn him. When it didn't, he breathed a sigh of relief and , after ensuring it was securely wrapped in the fabric, placed it into the inside pocket in his robes. He started back towards the door when he felt a prickle of magic in the air. He looked about the room, noticing some of the objects were starting to shiver where they sat. A book flew off the shelf, Regulus just barely ducking past it. Two more followed the first, and soon, books were flying towards Regulus from all over the room. One hit the window with such force, it broke it, flying out into the yard. Regulus backed up, trying to duck out of the way of the flying books. There was no way he'd be able to get to the door in this barrage of literature, and he paled when he heard the sound of steel being drawn from a sheath. The ornate dagger he'd been admiring earlier had pulled itself free of its mounting and was now flying at him, shining ominously.
"Protego!" He shouted, and the shield charm kept the enchanted objects at bay for a time, thought he knew it wouldn't last long. They were beating it down even as he tried to think. He had to get out of there. He couldn't make it to the door, but the window…
"Confringo!" he shouted, turning and pointing his wand at the broken window, clearing a nice, Regulus-sized hole in the window. He rushed to the sill, looking down to the ground three stories below.
"Alright, Reg, how do we get out of this without dying? Cushioning Charm? That sounds like the best bet I've got." He said, looking back over his shoulder as the dagger and books started to crack his shield charm.
"Okay. This is easy." Reg said, "Just a quick drop, to a soft landing. You dove further in Quidditch. Okay. Let's go!" He said, pitching himself from the window as a book broke through the shield charm.
"Molliare!" He shouted, pointing his wand at the ground, "Arresto Momentum!" He turned the wand on himself, slowing his descent so that he landed on the Cushioning Charm softly. He scrambled to his feet as the books and dagger followed him out of the window. He made a made dash for the apparition point, throwing curses over his shoulder as he went before disappearing in a pop at the property line.
Godric's Hollow - The Field
Hermione stood in the wheat field behind the Potter house, a nervous energy radiating through her. Her fingers traced the outline of the diadem that was hidden in her robes. Dumbledore had given Sirius the Ring to hold. Lily wore the Locket tucked under her shirt. Severus, she knew, still held the Cup. And Regulus- they hadn't heard from Regulus, and that made her nervous. They had to have the Diary for this mission to be a success.
She felt Sirius's hand on her shoulder, heard the soft pops of other Order members and aurors appearing a short distance away, but she knew they wouldn't be joining them at first. Her heart beat fast as she saw James and Lily drop the invisibility cloak.
She glanced up at Sirius. He nodded, their eyes locking for a moment before they both turned back to listen to James and Lily.
"Well you see, we brought some friends." Lily said. That was their cue. Hermione and Sirius walked out of the field first, joining their friends, wands drawn. Frank and Alice were next, forming a line of the six most wanted witches and wizards.
"You've concentrated every person I need to kill in one area. How considerate?" Voldemort smiled cruelly.
"You won't be killing any of us today." Sirius spat.
"And who's going to stop me? Six mediocre witches and wizards? One of whom is a Mudblood? I think not. Avada Kedavra!" He threw the curse at Lily, she dove out of the way, colliding into Hermione on the way.
"So you've got reflexes. Good. this should make for an interesting fight." Voldemort said, taking a step forward.
"Expelliarmus! Fall back, to the clearing!" Frank ordered, and the six of them cast shield charms before backing into the wheat field. Hermione knew they were just leading Voldemort away from the little town, to prevent property damage and innocent deaths, alike. They got to the clearing and turned, spreading out along one side of it. Voldemort appeared at the edge of the field, seemingly unhappy to have to chase his prey.
"So I ask you again: what are six mediocre wizards going to do against the greatest wizard of our time?" He asked.
"I believe that title belongs to Albus Dumbledore." James said.
"Oh and where is your precious Dumbledore now? He's sent his pawns to die for him in battle, what a surprise. He always was an advocate for the Greater Good, as long as it didn't mean risking his life."
"That's where you're wrong, Tom." Dumbledore said, strolling out of the field behind Voldemort. "You see, I came to understand that there are things in life much worse than death, an idea that you have never been able to wrap your head around."
"Nothing is worse than death, Dumbledore. You've gone mad in your old age." Voldemort snarled.
"You're wrong, Tom. We all know there are other ways of destroying a man. One way in particular it seems you've committed no less than five times." He said, as calmly as though he were commenting upon the weather. Voldemort sent a flash of green light at Dumbledore who deflected it a nonverbal Stunning Spell, the two jets of light fizzling out in a barrage of multicolored sparks. "Perhaps the rest of our friends should show themselves? Perhaps then you will realize how badly you are actually outnumbered here, Tom?" At his words, the rest of the Order and Aurors poured out of the field, surrounding Voldemort.
"Indeed, it seems we are left waiting for one more," Dumbledore said, looking around. "So why don't you tell me, while we wait, Tom. What drove you to split your soul five times over? Were you really that afraid of death that you'd condemn yourself to a fate worse than death in an effort to become immortal?"
"I am afraid of nothing." Voldemort said. "Not you, nor your little army." He said, pulling up the sleeve of his robe and pushing the tip of his wand into his dark mark. "You see, I have an army of my own."
Moments later, Death Eaters began to appear next to Voldemort, popping up left and right.
"If it's a battle you want, Tom," Dumbledore said, "It's a battle you'll get."
Hermione raised her wand, and the curses began to fly.
Regulus apparated in the field, as he was instructed, but he was dazed and disoriented when he heard shouting and saw that, just a few feet away, fighting had broken out. He wasn't too late, though. He made his way to the clearing, pulling his wand and ensuring the Diary was still in his pocket.
He stuck to the edges of the field, trying to find Severus. He didn't know if he'd gotten the cup, yet. He spotted Hermione and Sirius, battling Bellatrix Lestrange, and for a moment he felt a little sick. Bellatrix was his cousin, he'd grown up with her. And here, she was battling his brother and sister-in-law. Throwing Killing Curses at them. The battle seemed to slow down. He noticed every detail; Lucius Malfoy was battling James, while Lily took on Mulciber.
His chest tightened. Mulciber was known for his brutality. He'd knocked Sirius around like it was child's play last year. He watched Lily battle him, ducking and dodging spells and throwing her own hexes a couple times. He watched as Mulciber got more and more angry, his attacks becoming more violent, and suddenly, the Killing Curse on his lips, his eyes went wide, and he fell forward. Severus stood behind him, his eyes meeting Lily's for a split second before they both turned away, moving on to the next battles. Regulus smiled; it was great to see Severus protecting Lily openly.
His eyes scanned the crowd again, this time looking for Dumbledore. He knew all the horcruxes were here, he just needed to be sure Dumbledore was in place to enact his plan. He spotted him duelling Voldemort himself, the two wizards in the center of the fray. Regulus breathed a tense sigh of relief. The plan was going great, thus far. Just a bit more to go.
He ducked out into the battle, thankful that both sides believed him to be with them. He weaved through the fighters, through the bodies on the ground, as he made his way to the center. The others, Hermione, Sirius, Severus, and Lily, caught sight of him as he went. He saw them fighting their way towards the main part of the battle. Regulus caught Dumbledore's eye and nodded to him drawing his wand as the others finally closed in, watching the fight between the leaders carefully.
"Ah, young Regulus Black, you've finally joined us. I daresay you had an adventure getting here?" Dumbledore asked calmly, blocking spells and throwing a hex in Voldemort's direction before the Dark wizard stopped to look at the new arrival.
"Quite," Regulus said. "I was attacked by about a hundred books and a rather fancy dagger, burned by another book, then had to jump out of a three story building. I don't think I'll look at a library the same way ever again." he said, scrunching up his face. "But I got it."
"Nicely done." Dumbledore said, returning his attention to Voldemort. "You see, Tom, Regulus here is responsible for finding two of your horcruxes. As you said earlier, I am quite the proponent of the Greater Good. It wasn't until I grew up a little, though, that I realized that in order to achieve a Greater Good, you must have help. These people, these mediocre witches and wizards, have been defying you for longer than you even realize. Come, now, Tom, I believe it is time for us to end this." Dumbledore said, drawing himself up to his full height. He wordlessly conjured a thick rope of flames, which transformed itself into fiery phoenix.
"Fiendfyre," Regulus said in awe, holstering his wand as he fumbled for the diary in his inside pocket. He pulled it out and a flash of green light zoomed toward him, only to be countered by a flash of red from behind him. Frank Longbottom had his back, and Reg threw the Diary into the air, where it was caught in the mouth of the flaming bird, before it dissolved to ash. Voldemort stumbled back a bit, the heat and the loss of his horcrux putting him off his guard for a second. Regulus pulled his wand again and sent a Stunner at Voldemort, trying to distract him while the others threw the horcruxes they held into the Fiendfyre's maw. Sirius caught on and helped his brother out, distracting Voldemort with a flurry of spells as Lily, James, Frank, Alice, and Hermione joined in. Severus reached into his robes and withdrew a small golden cup, launching it into the air where the phoenix swooped it up, destroying it as well.
He joined the fray, Voldemort barely aware that one of his supposedly most loyal followers had just destroyed his horcrux. Regulus shot another curse at Voldemort, watching Hermione pull out the diadem. She launched it into the air, like a frisbee, but was forced to dive sideways to avoid a curse. The phoenix caught the diadem in it's claws, breaking into small chunks as it was destroyed.
Sirius pulled out the Ring, waiting for the phoenix to swoop by again. The flaming bird was soaring above the clearing in a wide, figure-eight pattern, bathing those below in a golden light and a wave of heat. Dumbledore was controlling the bird's path, directing it with his wand. He even used his other hand as a means of keeping the bird under control. The rest of those gathered around the Dark Lord were throwing curses, keeping Voldemort off of him while he worked.
Sirius tossed the ring into the air as the phoenix swept by, the metal charring before starting to crumble. He dodged a jet of light and Lily pulled the Locket from around her neck.
"YOU? Lily Potter, a Muggleborn, wearing the locket of the great Salazar Slytherin? My ancestor. A locket which holds a piece of my soul. How dare you?" Voldemort shrieked indignantly.
"Oh, I dare to do more than just wear it, Voldemort. I dare to destroy it!" She said, but suddenly, she screamed out in pain, victim of a Cruciatus Curse from behind. James and Hermione whipped around, leaving the two Blacks and the Longbottoms to distract Voldemort. Bellatrix Lestrange had been responsible for the curse, and Hermione and James fought her off as Severus went to the aide of Lily.
"Take the Locket, I'll be fine." She said, panting. "Destroy the last horcrux."
Regulus watched as he did as she asked, taking the locket from her.
"How fitting. The man who betrayed his best friend now turns to bite the hand which fed him. Once a traitor, always a traitor, they say. And you had such potential."
"Shut. Up." Severus said coldly. "I used to think Muggles were all horrible because of the way my father treated me growing up. How could anyone treat their child like that? But now that I'm grown, I've come to see that it doesn't matter whether or not you have magic, some humans are just evil. And I decided I would never be like that." He said, holding the locket up. "I decided to fight for the light."
He threw the locked into air, the phoenix making one last pass over his head. It caught the piece of jewelry in it's beak, before coming round and hovering above Dumbledore, flapping it's wings to remain upright.
"Now then," Dumbledore shouted over the roar of the flames and the flapping of wings. "I believe we've reached an impasse. How would you like to proceed?"
"Avada-" Before the second word would leave his mouth, the phoenix swooped down onto the man, producing a horrible stench. Regulus had to look away as he heard the man let out an almost inhuman scream. When the screams stopped, the flames dissipated, the phoenix shrinking away and snuffing itself out in a poof of smoke.
A profound silence that hung over the clearing like a fog. No one could believe it was really over. Regulus stared at the pile of ash that had once been the most powerful Dark Wizard of their time, and he felt at peace. It was over.
He heard a distant pop, that pulled him out of his head, then another. All around the clearing, Death Eaters were fleeing. Some of the aurors had cornered some and taken their wands already, and still others surrendered themselves willingly. Regulus didn't care. He search the field, eyes landing on his brother, across the way, and he took off at a sprint, grabbing him up in a hug.
They did it. They were alive. He and his brother were alive and well, he had a sister-in-law that was safe, and all of their friends had made it through to the end of the war untouched.
Almost. His mind flew back to Peter. It had only been a day, not even a full twenty-four hours, since his funeral. A funeral that had made so much of their plan possible. Peter had truly died a hero.
"Reg," Sirius said, hugging his brother back fiercely. When had he started crying? "It's over. We can be a family again."
"Finally." Regulus said, pulling back from his brother and looking at all the faces of those gathered around them. He hadn't expected to make it. He hadn't expected anyone to make it. The euphoria he felt was unparallelled as he looked from face to face.
It was done.