The Search Is Over,
Chapter 101, Taking Care Of Business
They made small talk throughout the end of dinner with no more mention of the Hallows. Kreacher served caramel cream fudge cookies for dessert.
"These are amazing," Harry groaned after his first bite.
Kreacher gave a pleased smile.
"I think I'm going to live on these now," Kereston declared as she reached for another. As they ate, Kereston and Harry spoke of her work at the Ministry and her impressions of the Aurors as Harry was curious.
The two had never officially met as she'd been a year ahead of him at Hogwarts and in Slytherin so they had no reason or particular desire to speak. Kreacher and Regulus sat quietly, content to let the other two guide the conversation. For his part, Regulus was already mentally compiling a list of the people he would write as soon as Harry left. His plan of action involved a emergency meeting at Grimmauld. He would ask anyone to come whose skills and wisdom could best help to sort this situation and hopefully find the resurrection stone before someone who did not need to possess it found it instead.
He would write Severus and Mag, Albus, Millicent and Wolfgang, Gellert and Blaise, Raislen and Heather and the three Lestranges. Most of the group may not like them, but Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan were as smart and skilled as anyone else on Regulus's list and deserved respect for that.
So what, they'd made the same mucked up choices Regulus himself had, but if his friends believed he should not be condemned for his choices, neither then should the Lestranges, especially considering what had been done to them. It occurred to him then that many of those who would be present at the meeting had no idea what had been done to them, so that may present a bit of a problem. No one else on his list was a fan of Voldemort, and the Lestranges had been his top supporters. With a little explanation, the others may go easier on them, but it wasn't right to tell others what he did not feel it safe to divulge to the three Lestranges. If he couldn't fix them, telling them they were a little broken may do more damage, so that was off the table. He'd just have to convince everyone to behave in their presence with sound logic and a little hope.
He was drawn from his thoughts when Harry stood to go. The platter of cookies was empty, leaving Kreacher, Kereston and Harry with the vaguely sleepy and contented expressions that only the utterly stuffed could manage.
"Thanks so much for having me, Regulus," Harry said warmly.
Regulus stood and clasped the young man's shoulder.
"And thank you for sharing your knowledge of the resurrection stone with me."
Harry nodded, his face falling a little.
"I'm just sorry if I did the wrong thing with it."
"Don't worry yourself over it," Regulus said.
"I doubt anyone will ever find it," he lied.
Harry's expression cleared, though, just as he hoped it would and the young man gave him a grateful smile.
"That's what I thought, but your concerns did get me thinking...and I hope we're both right."
"If not, it is just one of those twists of fate that are very difficult to struggle against," Regulus said.
Now he was being completely honest.
"Sometimes things are so ingrained into the pattern of the universe that it's difficult to turn the tide. You had the right intention by wanting that thing out of circulation. It may have its own spell to keep that from happening, or perhaps fate itself would intercede but I'll do what I can to attend to it."
Harry's shoulders slumped in relief.
"You'd do that?"
Regulus nodded.
'It's the least I owe the world for my mistakes," he said, meeting Harry's eyes.
Harry hesitated for an instant before speaking.
"That's good of you, but I really don't think you made any unforgivable mistakes. You are sorry and that's more than many can say. I doubt, for example, that people like Crouch JR. or the Lestranges could ever find it in themselves to be sorry. In that I believe you are more of a rare bird than you know."
Harry's mention of a rare bird caused Regulus's gaze to drop to Mortis, who sat contentedly on Kreacher's lap preening his feathers. It occurred to Regulus to hope Kreacher hadn't given Mortis a bloody cookie. The elf was horrified when Dora fed the phoenix snacks, so likely he hadn't, Regulus decided.
"You'd be surprised," he said of the Lestranges, and left it at that.
"Thank you again, Harry, and don't be a stranger."
Harry promised to keep in touch. Regulus and Kreacher walked him out, Kreacher still holding the black phoenix.
As soon as the door had shut behind Harry Kreacher was talking.
"Why did Master Regulus encourage that boy to keep in touch?"
Regulus shrugged.
"Because I saw no reason to be unkind to him. I doubt he shall keep in touch often."
"It may be useful to be aware of anymore trouble he causes," Kereston said darkly as she joined them in the front hall.
"Wow, but Severus was so right about him! Incompetent and bloody stupid!"
Regulus wanted to tell her not to be so hard on the boy, but as Severus would certainly say worse when he arrived to the meeting, he didn't bother.
"I need to write everyone about meeting here tomorrow for dinner so we can see what is to be done about locating the stone," Regulus said.
"Good," Kereston said, nodding enthusiastically.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not at the moment, unless you can get your hands on a niffler?"
It'd occurred to Regulus that with the nifflers love of bright and shiny things, perhaps having one searching the forest for the stone could turn it up faster than other methods.
"Oh that's a good idea," Kereston said.
"I'll ask around at work tomorrow where one can be acquired."
Regulus nodded, then headed to the library to jot off quick notes to everyone that there was a situation involving the resurrection stone, and that he was calling a group conference about it the next night at 12 Grimmauld Place and dinner would be provided.
Once in the library, he settled himself at his father's old desk and set to work at once.
"I could try to look if you'd like?"
The small rasping voice spoke from just behind his chair, nearly causing him to start. He whirled at vampiric lightning speed to find a small acromantula gazing up at him with all eight of its eyes. It stood about knee high and actually struck Regulus as cute.
"Where did you come from?"
"Upstairs. I sleep in Kereston's room with that stupid cat of hers. I'm going to slip and eat it some day. Maybe even tonight. I hate its stupid hair balls, and it smells. She lets me sleep on the bed, but it always gets up there too and I hate its stupid purring sounds because they keep me awake."
As the acromantula spoke, it glanced around covertly with two of its eyes just to make sure Kereston wasn't about to hear this announcement.
Regulus vaguely recalled Kreacher mentioning something about Kereston having a few pets, but as he never saw them, Regulus had quite forgotten. Admittedly that wasn't like him. It must be the depression. Where the hell were those goblin healers?!
"Are you hungry," he asked.
"No. Why?"
"Well, because you want to eat the cat."
"No, I want to eat the cat because I hate it. I ate cereal earlier. I like cereal."
"Why don't you eat with us?"
"Because I'm too heavy for Kereston to carry like she used to and too small to reach the table well so it's easier if I eat on the floor. She just brings my food upstairs. I sort of listened to the dinner conversation from outside the dining room, though. I was curious about Harry Potter and now I am not."
Regulus's lips twitched. He got the distinct impression that the spider may politely agree with Severus.
"What's your name," he asked.
"Reynaldo."
"Nice to meet you, Reynaldo."
The spider waved a leg in acknowledgment.
"Thanks."
"How long have you been with Kereston," Regulus asked, curious.
"Nearly as long as I can remember," Reynaldo replied.
"She got me from a dark wizarding pet shop in Knockturn Alley when I was small enough for her to carry in her arms like the baby I was."
It seemed the spider grinned fondly. At least his mouth opened and his eyes gleamed happily.
"I can try to look for the stone in the forest if you like. I have a lot of eyes, after all. If someone could get me there and wait or return in an hour or so, I could try to find the resurrection stone for you."
"Oh! I appreciate that," Regulus said.
"Thank you. I can certainly take you to the forest and wait for you there as well."
"Great. Shall we go now?"
Regulus nodded.
"I just need to see if Mortis will send all these letters off for me, and do you need to ask Kereston before you leave?"
"I should at least let her know where I'm going, but I shouldn't think I should have to ask," Reynaldo said.
"I'll go talk to her while you send your letters off. We'll meet back here?"
Regulus nodded and thanked the spider again before going to find Mortis. He found the phoenix keeping Kreacher company while he tidied up the kitchen from dinner.
He passed the letters to Mortis.
"If you'd take these, I'd be eternally grateful," he told the phoenix, who rolled his eyes, then vanished.
"Reynaldo offered to help me look for the stone in the forest. It may be a long shot, but as he said, he has eight eyes. Want to come along," he asked Kreacher.
Kreacher nodded.
The two returned to the library where Reynaldo was practically giggling with impatience.
"Can we go now? Quickly," he asked.
"Sure?"
Regulus shot him a questioning glance.
"Kreacher, can you just apparate us so we don't have to leave this room," Reynaldo asked.
His casual question indicated to Regulus that he already knew Kreacher well enough. Regulus supposed their interactions had happened during the day while he slept.
"Very well," Kreacher shrugged, reaching one hand to Regulus and the other to Mortis, apparating them all into the Forbidden forest.
"What was the hurry," Regulus whispered.
The forest was dark and cold. Regulus didn't have trouble seeing, but he was sure Kreacher did.
"Can you see," he asked Reynaldo, realizing that he had no idea how well the giant spiders saw in the dark.
"The hurry was that I just ate the stupid cat and wanted to be out of there by the time she found it missing. She was in the bath, so I left her a note. She taught me how to read and write just after I learned to talk...And yes I can see in the dark."
Regulus took a moment to digest all that. While it was interesting that Reynaldo could read and write and fortunate that he could see in the dark as it meant he'd have a chance of spotting the stone, the cat snack thing was probably going to matter to Kereston.
"Do we need to know about the cat?"
"Of course not. I never said a thing! I never ate the cat either. It just vanished. Who the hell knows where it wandered off to."
"Got it," Regulus said firmly.
No way was he getting in the middle of that.
"Besides," Reynaldo added.
"It's not as if cats don't eat other things. Food chain, baby. Now I'll be right back, going to scope things out."
As Reynaldo scurried off into the underbrush, Regulus scooped Kreacher up into his arms in an attempt to warm him.
"I should've had you dress more warmly first," he said apologetically, pressing his cheek into Kreacher's as the elf twined his arms around Regulus's neck.
"We could make things interesting right up against that tree," Kreacher muttered into his ear.
"That would warm Kreacher nicely."
Regulus let out a breath as his body responded to Kreacher's suggestion. That would be fun. Reynaldo should be gone for quite a while too...The forest was rather large, after all.