Chapter 36: Seven Horcruxes
Snape was a Death Eater, yet here he was with Albus Dumbledore. Regulus could clearly detect a close bond between the two men. This caused him to look deeper into their minds, not caring at this point if either man noticed. Both were highly skilled wizards so they might. Then again Regulus's own vampiric skills required no magic so perhaps not. A Death Eater slumming with a known do-gooder like Dumbledore did raise questions, but in this case, they were welcome ones. Regulus had always liked Severus, the two bonding over their shared hatred of Sirius back in Regulus's first year at Hogwarts. Albus's mind was currently full of stress and turmoil, which did not reassure Regulus. He moved onto Severus, finding a bit more calm. The quick glance into Severus's mind yielded nothing, though. There was only a smooth blank unreadable surface with the murmur of distant thoughts under it that could not be dis earned. The man had very good mental shields. So Regulus delved deeper... And there it was. Indeed the man had his own reasons for disliking Voldemort, and had never been a true follower. That did give Regulus a bit of a shock. Severus hadn't struck him as the acting sort, but he'd pretended loyalty to the Dark Lord's views very well. Snape had always been a double agent from as young as eighteen years old! Impressive. This did mean that Regulus couldn't share the entire story with these two, though. He would have to leave out the bits involving Orion and the Lestranges. Otherwise, the Lestranges could be put in danger. If Voldemort noticed the slightest shift in Severus's reaction to them, it could be all over and Regulus could not risk that. It was of no matter, though, for what had befallen his father and the Lestranges had no bearing on the fact that Voldemort had made a Horcrux. As that was the reason Regulus was here, the rest could safely remain his own business.
"Well I must say, Regulus," Albus began, smiling warmly. "It is good to see you alive and well. You were always such a promising young man."
"Who made far too many mistakes and errors in judgment," Regulus said. As he spoke, he couldn't help dropping his gaze under the shame of all that his words entailed. Though his spirits had lifted over the past day from feeling he'd struck back even a little at Voldemort by taking out that Death Eater, the current conversation was serving to lower them again. Of course he realized the necessity for the conversation, but it was still depressing nonetheless.
"Most mistakes can be rectified if one has the will to do so," Albus assured gently. "I do wonder, though. Why have you returned at this time in particular?" There was no condemnation on the old headmaster's face, nor on Severus's. Both only studied him with open curiosity.
"We were in your home for several order meetings and had no idea you were about," Severus said. "You should've made yourself known."
Regulus shook his head. "I wasn't there. I have only returned a few days ago. Believe it or not, I've been hiding among Muggles and just heard that Voldemort was back," Regulus admitted.
"But why didn't you return when he supposedly died," Albus asked, expression mildly perplexed.
"And why do you look eighteen years old," Severus practically demanded.
Regulus smiled sadly. "I shall answer the easier of the two questions first. I became a vampire before going to do the thing that would have gotten me killed by Voldemort had I not done so." Regulus saw comprehension flash in Severus's dark eyes and he nodded. "As a vampire, how is it that you are out and about during the day," he asked, and Regulus gave a small pleased smile. He'd always thought well of Severus's sharp mind.
"It's dark and rainy. With the proper spells I can move about when there is no sun. I perfected a few shield spells. Most vampires aren't wizards, so I have a bit of an advantage over them." Severus nodded his silent understanding.
"I plan to give you the entire story, don't worry," Regulus hastened to assure them.
"The answer to your other question first, though. The reason I did not return sooner was...simply that I believed Kreacher did not wish for me to do so." The elf's face crumpled and Regulus drew him into a gentle hug.
"I know...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."
"Kreacher never would've wanted Master Regulus to stay away." "I'm so sorry," Regulus said again. For he and Kreacher it was as though Severus and Albus had faded into the background. The two of them and their emotions filled the room and it wasn't large enough for anyone else. Pain and sadness striking as suddenly as a knife made it hard to care who looked on to witness it. After a moment, he forced his gaze to return to the other two men in the room, though he kept his arms around Kreacher. "All of this will be far more clear after I explain everything," Regulus said. "It started when the Dark Lord...when Voldemort asked his Death Eaters if he could borrow the assistance of one of their house elves for a simple task. He asked for a volunteer and I was excited to rise in the ranks. I knew Kreacher would want to rise in the ranks as well, for we both felt very strongly in favor of what we believed Voldemort stood for. We wrongly believed him to be another Grindelwald."
At mention of Grindelwald, Severus choked slightly on a laugh. Regulus paused, arching dark brows and Severus shook his head, gesturing for him to continue. Perhaps Severus did not agree with his comparison, Regulus thought, shrugging slightly. "He took Kreacher in a boat, across a lake to a cave. He needed his help to hide a locket, but this help nearly killed my elf and best friend." Regulus's expression hardened as Kreacher hid his face against his shoulder. Rubbing his back, Regulus hugged him close, seeking to comfort as best he could. As he did, he couldn't help reveling in the warmth radiating off the elf's body. Though Kreacher said that Regulus did not feel overly cold, he found himself noticing Kreacher's warmth far more now that he was a vampire. With a small sigh, he forced himself to continue the story that would probably always be uncomfortable to tell if he and Kreacher lived for thousands of years. "He made Kreacher drink a potion that gave him a vast amount of mental distress simply to test his hiding place, then nearly drowned him in the lake which happened to be full of bloody Inferi! He intended for Kreacher to drown, but before Kreacher left I made some casual remark about how he should do whatever the Dark lord required, then come home. He remembered that and came home to me in the midst of drowning." Regulus's voice broke and his eyes filled with tears as his expression twisted into one of abject misery. Regulus had really believed, or wanted to believe, that he could talk of this without bloody breaking down again in front of people! He gave Albus and Severus an apologetic look as he and Kreacher clung together. Regulus lowered his tear streaked cheek, pressing it against the elf's head.
"Was it a Horcrux, Regulus," Albus asked gently, and Regulus's head shot up as shock flooded him.
"How did you know?" As Regulus spoke, Kreacher shifted in his arms to stare up at Albus as well. He was in just as much shock as Regulus to hear that the old headmaster was also aware of Voldemort's deepest secret.
"Because I've already destroyed a few of them. I fear there are seven."
Regulus stared in horror. "No," he breathed. "If there are that many, I hardly struck a blow at all," he realized. "I did all that...put my and Kreacher's lives at risk, ruined everything we had, everything we were looking forward to for nothing...or nearly nothing," he corrected himself bitterly.
"One Horcrux will definitely matter in the end. It would mean the difference between life and death for Voldemort. What you did certainly wasn't a waste, Regulus," Albus assured gently.
"Truly," Regulus challenged.
"You appear to have the situation nicely in hand. You would have discovered this particular Horcrux if Kreacher and I had managed to stay out of it." He and Kreacher exchanged a silent look. Misery filled Kreacher's eyes and horror was in Regulus's. "If I had only stood aside and allowed Lucius Malfoy to offer up his stupid elf."
"Stupid Dobby," Kreacher huffed. "Yes, stupid Dobby should've gone into that lake and drank the potion instead. Then it could've been he who felt like such a bad elf. A worthless despicable elf."
"Discovering the Horcrux yourselves woke you both up to who Voldemort is and now you are better for it," Albus soothed.
"Better," Regulus demanded incredulously. "We've both been miserable for over fifteen years!"
Albus gave Regulus and Kreacher a sad smile. "For that I am deeply sorry. It is an effect Voldemort seems to have on many."
"What are you going to do now," Severus asked Regulus.
"I came to help, so anything I can. I thought Albus would know where I could do the most good in the fight," Regulus answered readily.
Severus nodded.
"If you thought Kreacher didn't want to see you, what made you seek him out first?"
The elf in question straightened and glared at Severus in open defense of Regulus. "KREACHER thinks that Severus Snape should keep his long nose out of the business of Kreacher and Master Regulus," he said haughtily.
"I am simply trying to understand what happened, as it somehow feels off," Severus explained. "I don't believe that you're lying, Regulus. I just don't understand why you wouldn't even try to talk to Kreacher, to convince him to forgive you for whatever you feel you did to garner his dislike."
"I came to see Kreacher first before coming here because...now that I'd come back, I had to try," Regulus said. "I missed him every day. I grieved the situation every day. I stayed away to keep my family, Kreacher included, safe when Voldemort still lived, and even afterward, as I said I thought Kreacher didn't wish to see me. After all I'd done, if this was his wish, it was the least I could do no matter how much it hurt me. As I saw it, I deserved any pain I got, after all."
Kreacher cringed, each word Regulus spoke seeming to act as a verbal lash to the elf. Regulus hated that this truth hurt the only person he loved, but it was the truth and Severus and Albus deserved to know.
"How could Kreacher not wish to see Master Regulus," the elf asked, face crumbling.
"Because, Kreacher!" Regulus was unable to keep the honest, raw frustration from his tone. His own face was a mask of open misery that he'd carried far too long to hide well. "Because I was an idiot whose loyalty to the wrong person nearly got you killed! Gods, I ruin everything I touch, and I nearly got the one person I loved most killed because of my choices!"
Kreacher's hands balled themselves into fists at his sides. "Kreacher believed in the Dark Lord just as much as Master Regulus," the elf proclaimed. "Kreacher never blamed Master Regulus for what the Dark Lord did. Kreacher just wishes Master Regulus had never left him. That is all." The elf's voice shook, and though he was obviously struggling not to cry, the tears stood in his eyes. The two clung together for a long wordless moment in which Severus and Albus both looked away uncomfortably. For his part, Albus hastily reached for a bag of candy as an obvious distraction. When he offered Severus a piece, the other man accepted, seemingly for something to do. Regulus could see from the confusion on Severus's face that he still did not comprehend the explanation Regulus had given. He'd told the truth, though, and he had nothing better. If Severus couldn't understand it, however, he supposed he could not blame him. That much misery distorted a person's thinking. He supposed it was good that Severus had not suffered enough to be aware of that.
"If you tell me how I can help, I will do whatever you like," Regulus said, turning to Albus, one arm still protectively keeping Kreacher against his side.
"As long as it doesn't put Master Regulus in danger," Kreacher interjected firmly.
Severus's lips twitched. He'd obviously noticed who was in charge. Regulus nodded, giving Kreacher a tender smile. "Yes, of course."
"Well, for a start, I would like you to take over Severus's lessons with Harry Potter," Albus said.
"The boy to whom Sirius left my home, yes," Regulus asked a bit more tartly than he'd intended. He really needed to do something about getting his home back, and it galled that he may have to wait for Voldemort to die for that to be safe.
"Filthy blood traitor wizarding trash with equally trashy friends," Kreacher elaborated helpfully.
Severus smirked in agreement. "Worse than that, intellectually challenged," he added dryly.
Albus frowned. "Untrue."
"My house," Regulus asked and Albus sighed.
"I must ask you to leave that be until Voldemort is dead. We need you to be an ace in the hole, as it were, Regulus. We don't want Voldemort discovering that you're alive. You can remain with Kreacher somewhere safe. I will procure something suitable. When this is over, I'm sure Harry will gladly return your home to you. He is a very decent, good hearted boy." Severus snorted and Albus shot him a frown of open disapproval. "For at least the fifteenth time, Severus, Harry isn't James! I wish you'd let the past go as it only hurts you."
Severus's eyes widened as he shook his head in open incredulity. "Really, Albus? We're doing this again when you haven't forgiven your own brother yet? At least Potter and I aren't related."
"Aberforth hasn't forgiven me," Albus snapped while Regulus blinked in confusion and chose not to ask. "Harry Potter has many faults of his own. Kreacher has seen many of them," the elf shared, helpfully turning the topic back to the matter at hand.
"What is it that you want me to teach him," Regulus asked hastily.
"Severus was working with him on Legilimency and Occlumency with moderate success." Severus frowned and Albus hastened to continue before he could interject. "Of course this is no fault of Severus's, but he and Harry have so much animosity built up over the years that Harry simply can't relax enough with him to open himself and properly learn. I recall vampires having the natural capacity to read minds and block their own. I have heard that their abilities are even stronger than those wizards who are highly skilled in Legilimency and Occlumency as are myself and Severus. This means your qualifications are excellent. If you can train Harry, it will greatly help his chances in destroying Voldemort."
"Wait, why is he destroying Voldemort," Regulus asked, confused. "I assumed it would be you...Or an army."
"There is a prophecy," Albus said.
"I have things to do so I'll leave you to explain that," Severus told Albus, standing hastily to go. "There is someone else you may want to meet, Regulus and due to recent events he's here enough," Severus said. "His name is Wolfgang Adler. He's a dark wizard from Germany who has been systematically taking out Voldemort's Death Eaters to weaken the ranks. Many of us have been working with him, lending whatever skills we can to the effort. He isn't trying to pick up where Voldemort leaves off, just to be free of him. He, like many dark wizards who haven't followed Voldemort, feels that at times one must fight fire with fire, and darker means with darker means. I'm sure he'd very much appreciate anything you would be willing to contribute."
"I am interested," Regulus said carefully. "Who else is working with him other than yourself?"
"WestCraven, Boxwood, Bulstrode...People like that, darker wizards who never stood with Voldemort."
The names that Snape dropped belonged to dark wizards who had attended Hogwarts with Regulus, many a few years ahead of him. Regulus gave a slight smile, pleased at the idea of more support from fellow dark wizards against Voldemort, who had definitely given dark a bad name. "That sounds good. Thank you for telling me."
Severus nodded and swept from the room without another word.
(Dear Reader,
If you enjoyed seeing Severus and Albus, and would like to read more of what they were up to this year, check out our full Severus Snape novel Knowledge Is Power. also uploaded here among our other stories.