The Search Is Over,
Chapter 104, Nifflers To The Rescue!
"I had no idea that Harry would choose not to keep the stone," Albus said.
His tone was calm and reasonable, but it served to soothe no one present.
"Now may we have dinner," Rabastan asked.
"We may as well eat while we sort this shitstorm, assuming it can be sorted."
Regulus nodded.
"Of course."
He rose and led everyone into the dining room where Kreacher already had dinner laid out on the table, kept at a perfect temperature with a warming charm. Everyone complimented Kreacher on the meal as they seated themselves.
Regulus tried not to feel too out of place being the only one without a plate of food in front of him at the table as he could not eat. It wasn't as if he could toss a deserving victim on Kreacher's clean table and sip from their wrist, dragging out his meal while everyone else ate. The mental image of the horror that would surely be on the faces of most of his guests were he to do such a thing was enough to turn his stomach. Not to mention leaving a live person on the table to sip on to emulate the enjoying of mortal food would be as horrifying for him as anyone else.
He fit into this group just fine without needing to dine with them. His longing for Kreacher's food had nothing to do with physical hunger, and he knew it. It had to do with bonding with Kreacher, and he knew that he still had that as well. Soon enough Kreacher would be a vampire, and would no longer be eating his own cooking either.
"So you continue to give worthless idiots the benefit of the doubt until this happens," Severus said, cold accusing gaze on Albus.
"Have you finally learned yet?"
"No Severus, I will not insist on seeing the worst in everyone as you do," Albus retorted, frowning in exasperated annoyance.
"I have tried to tell you more than once what that does to a person. It kills the soul a little each day one chooses hate."
Severus's look was doubtful to say the least, but he made no comment, turning his attention to the meal instead. Looking relieved, Albus did the same.
With a sudden and uncomfortable sharpness, Regulus remembered Mortis's warning that he was killing his soul just before he returned to Kreacher. Did he hate himself for his own mistakes? Where Severus lashed out at others, not hating himself at all, did Regulus lash...inward?
He glanced over at the phoenix, who sat on his perch of oak near the table. The perch had a crystal food dish attached to it, wide and flat in the shape of a miniature tray. It was currently full of smaller portions of the same meal everyone else was having. Kreacher was always a healthy cook, except perhaps on the holidays, so the elf deemed his food suitable for the phoenix to ingest. As if sensing Regulus's glance, the black bird raised his elegant head and nodded once.
Self reflection done and confirmed by his phoenix, Regulus gladly returned his focus to the current problem at hand.
"I was hoping that together, we could sort a way to retrieve the stone," Regulus said.
"I don't want it and I don't recommend anyone else use it, but we need to keep it safe. I had a few ideas, but wanted to run them by everyone else for improvements or additions...or perhaps they won't work at all. We tried looking in the forest for it last night, Reynaldo, Kereston's acromantula, kindly offered to try and help as eight eyes are better than two. It seemed worth a try but we had no luck."
"He told me," Kereston said, glancing up.
"It's nice the two of you got to know each other. I wasn't sure you'd be interested in him so...I let him keep to himself as he is at times wont to do."
She gave Regulus an almost shy smile that made him wonder if perhaps he didn't appear as friendly as others. He'd ask Kreacher about that later, he decided. While not particularly brimming with friendliness, he certainly didn't wish to come across to loyal companions as unfriendly.
"Reynaldo is grand fun and he's welcome anywhere in this manor at any time. He said he has trouble with the stairs, so tell him if he needs to make webs, as long as they're off to the side where we can see them and not get stuck, it's not a problem."
Kereston smiled again, nodding.
"Thanks, Regulus," she said warmly.
He smiled back, nodding.
"My first idea, and perhaps the one most likely to work involves getting nifflers and setting them loose in the forest to find the stone," he said, directing his attention back to the table at large.
"I spoke to Kereston about trying to acquire some for us, but I wanted to see what the rest of you thought of the concept."
Albus brightened, smiling proudly at Regulus.
"I always knew you were a gifted boy! That is a wonderful idea and a grand use for nifflers who usually make themselves quite a bother when it comes to stones and jewelry and most anything else if it is small and at all shiny."
"But they're so cute," Mag protested as Severus made a face.
"We are never getting a niffler," he proclaimed as he fed the large white owl that he and Mag always took with them a bit of roast chicken from where the bird sat on the back of his chair.
"Oh Alright," Mag said with a disappointed sigh.
"Kreacher always said his dear Master Regulus is the most brilliant," Kreacher said, puffing up with obvious pride.
"He can solve anything!"
"Go ahead and insist that Kreacher is even smarter so we can move on," Severus told Regulus testily.
Regulus grinned.
"You just did it for me, so we can indeed move on. You're in an especially good mood tonight, Severus. Is there anything you'd like to talk about," Regulus asked pleasantly.
Severus scowled, just as Regulus knew he would.
"Potter and his stupidity that seems never ending even after I've finished with the torment of teaching him is enough to ruin a mood, but thank you for asking," he replied sourly.
"So just in case the nifflers don't work what was your other idea, Regulus," Bellatrix asked.
"A location spell, but I had doubts that it would work," Regulus said.
"If it were that easy to claim the Hollows, they wouldn't be so difficult to obtain. I was hoping if someone who had once possessed the stone were to perform the spell, though, that the stone would perhaps recognize them and so respond. As such, I would've suggested that Albus attempt the location spell with the rest of us linking and adding to the potency of the magic. I have a book on linking, though I'm sure most if not all of you already know how," he said with a slightly apologetic look for stating the obvious.
He was in above average company after all, even if what he considered the basics did go over the magical heads of most other wizards.
"I have a feeling that the Hallows have protections set against such spells, even when cast by former owners, but it certainly won't hurt to try if the nifflers fail," Albus said.
Regulus nodded.
"I was thinking the same. I was also hoping the rest of you could brainstorm some other things to try if my ideas fail."
"Goblins are also a worthy consideration," Mag said.
"They have different methods for locating enchanted objects from what I understand. Griphook told me that Gringotts hires those goblins who have a particular talent for sensing valuable items to track down rare bits for the bank, and I should think the resurrection stone fits that bill," she said with a slight smile.
"What's to stop the little buggers from keeping it for themselves, then," Rabastan wanted to know.
"Because it isn't theirs," Mag said simply.
"If you pay them for a job, they will do it to a fault. They are honest. Even if their moral code differs from that of wizarding kind, they certainly do have one."
Rabastan nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"So first we try nifflers, then the location spell, then the goblins," Regulus asked, and everyone nodded their consent.
"Then if none of that works, it's back to the drawing board, so do continue to ponder the matter everyone," Kreacher said.
"How long does Kereston think it will take to get some nifflers to use for this?"
"Hopefully I can have them in two days," Kereston replied and Regulus smiled in relief.
"I shall write everyone when Kereston has the nifflers. Should we all go to the forest to supervise them in their search," he asked, glancing around the group as he spoke.
"That's probably a good idea, difficult as keeping track of the little bothers will be," Severus agreed darkly.
"Perhaps your owl and Mortis could fly overhead and keep a watch from the sky," Regulus suggested and Severus nodded.
"Good idea."
"Indeed," Albus agreed.
"I'll bring Fawkes along with me to lend a wing...or two as well."
He chuckled and Regulus smiled, glad to feel the general mood lightening a bit. It made the concept of fixing the situation seem far more possible somehow.
"Why aren't you making an issue of the fact that we're here," Bellatrix burst out suddenly, gaze fixed on Dumbledore.
"Bellatrix," Regulus groaned.
He'd been quite content to leave well enough alone.
"Well, Regi, it was going to drive me mad! You know he was one of the first glad to see the likes of us locked away in that demon hole they call a prison!"
"True enough," Rodolphus murmured with a slightly amused expression.
"Bella, you know I hate it when you call me that," Regulus murmured in way of protest, frowning at his cousin.
"Because everyone deserves a second chance, and it appears that you three want one," Albus told Bellatrix.
Bellatrix blinked.
"Well then."
She looked as if she'd say more, but merely gave Dumbledore a tight smile instead.