Chapter 28

I've noticed reviews have declined a lot recently, I suppose it's because of the fewer updates… so here's another chapter!

Enjoy!

Greenfell Manor

As soon as Hermione opened her eyes she got up, got dressed and left her bedroom, running for the stairs to take herself downstairs as fast as she could. It felt good to finally sleep in her own bed again, but there was someone she couldn't wait to see, and he was here, in this house.

Last night Regulus returned to the Three Broomsticks, to stay there for the night and keep an eye on Harry, letting Kiwi take Hermione home.

She got to the bottom of the grand staircase and walked fast down the corridor, but turning around the corner she collided with a force, going at the same speed as her, making her fall to the floor. She turned her head to see the blonde boy she was so eager to see, sitting on the floor clutching his arm.

"Draco!" She exclaimed loudly, making him jump slightly in surprise. He barely manager to turn his head to look at her when she threw herself at him, not waiting for the both of them to get up off the floor.

"Careful cousin, Regulus will be upset if you suffocate him to death now after it took us so much time and effort to tame him." Klaus grinned, leaning on the wall.

"Granger! You lying, two-faced, wicked, you… You! You have a lot of explaining to do!" He managed to choke out, stuck in her tight embrace.

"It's good to see you again." The not-so-muggleborn witch said, letting go of him. Klaus offered his hand to help them up offs the floor. It turned out, everyone including house elves, was away that morning so the three went down to the kitchens, and settled for the simple peanut butter jelly sandwiches.

"I can't believe you've been lying to everyone all this time about something so big. You're a bigger liar than I thought you were. Does Potter know?" Draco Malfoy was in her kitchen, eating muggle food and laughing about her secrets. Hermione found this situation quite unbelievable.

"Well, what do you think?" She asked rhetorically. It was rather obvious that Harry nor the others knew anything about her family's nature. For now, at least.

"I think that they are all going to lose their shit, and I want to be there to witness it." He told her happily. "Potter and I have so much to talk about, when will I see him?" Draco did not want to see Potter for the sake of it, of course. Harry was still very much in the dark about Hermione's long and ongoing friendship with his sworn enemy, and Draco wanted nothing more but be the one to deliver the happy news.

"Never, if this is what you're planning. If Harry, or Ron, or the Order will find out about anything, it will not come from you." She decided.

"Whatever. One day soon, you will have to tell them and once you do, the rest of your thick tower of lies will come crashing down." He smirked at his sandwich.

"And the thought of that makes you so happy because?"

"Well what else is there for me to entertain myself with? All I do all day is study and practice. I've done significantly less of that when I was still at Hogwarts. I think I study more these days than even you."

"Poor you, I can't imagine how unhappy you must be. Shall I let Regulus know? I'm sure he will find something more fun for you to do."

"No, thank you. I am very happy!" He glared at her.

"How long will you be staying, cousin?" Klaus asked with a grin, coming to sit at the table with them.

"Just a few more hours. I need to repack my luggage and go back to the Three Broomsticks. I will stay there for one night, to keep an eye on Harry. Regulus wants to take him back to the Grimmauld Place tomorrow morning. I will be going with them."

"Why can't Regulus stay with him for another night?"

"He's got something to do." She said, before taking a bite of her sandwich.

Greenfell Manor

"The kid's in bed. I've got the candles." Klaus came inside Claudius' study holding two black candles with druid runes carved into them. He went to fetch them from the special vault where they kept them, and made sure Draco was soundly sleeping. Regulus and Claudius will be going on a little trip and Klaus will be making sure the channel was open long enough. Or so was the plan.

"Excellent, we're ready." Claudius exclaimed as Regulus finished drawing the druid runes in a circle on the floor. He took the candles from Klaus and passed one to Regulus who sat down facing him. Klaus sat between them, inside the circle. He set a silver bowl with water before him.

"Where are we going?" Klaus asked suddenly, earning himself a character building slap from his grandfather.

"Nurmengard Castle." Regulus provided. "Somewhere in the Austrian Alps."

The Nurmengard Castle, functioned as a wizarding prison. Originally built by Gellert Grindelwald to hold his opponents, it also served as the base of operations for Grindelwald and his followers. Ultimately, it was used to imprison Grindelwald himself after his defeat by Albus Dumbledore in 1945. The old wizard had some information Regulus needed, and he needed them now. They couldn't afford to wait and risk the enemy outrunning them.

"Gebiede ic þone feorhberend þære ealdaþ æ. Cume her, pin scinnlæcan." The three began to chant over and over again. The candles in their hands lit up. Klaus closed his eyes and placed his hands in the bowl. Soon the runes on the floor, the candles and the bowl, began to glow and just like that Claudius and Regulus were gone.

Claudius and Regulus opened their eyes. They were in a tower.

They took the stairs and went even higher up till they reached the top, with a single cell.

"It's locked." Regulus said, pulling in the door knob.

"Of course it's locked. It is a prison, you know. What would be the point if the door was unlocked and I could just walk out of here." Annoyed voice came from inside the cell. Regulus moved closer to the opening in the door that was shielded off with bars, and looked inside. There was a man inside, sitting on the ground.

"Are you Gellert Grindelwald?" Regulus asked.

"Who's asking?" A voice replied with apparent curiosity.

"A student of Albus Dumbledore. He passed away and I need your help, Sir to find something of his."

"Dear old Albus, so his time has finally come." Gellert chuckled. "Yes, I have read about it, in the newspaper. Quite the dramatic end. What is your name, student of Albus Dumbledore?"

"Cyprian Wenlock."

"Interesting." Regulus heard him say quietly...

"Well, it was nice of you to visit Cyprian, but I'm afraid I won't be able to help you. I haven't seen Albus in many years." Grindelwald added after several seconds of silence. Regulus was getting a feeling that the wizard knew he wasn't Cyprian from the way he said the name as if mocking his caution. Was it possible for him to know Cyprian? Regulus thought it was unlikely, given they would have very little chance to meet, but he wouldn't put it passed him. Grindelwald was once a very great wizard indeed. But Regulus couldn't tell him who he was, even if he wanted to.

If Voldemort send his men to question Grindelwald, Regulus was safer with him being unaware of his identity. So instead he gave him a name that would send them on a foolish and hopeless search for something unattainable.

Cyprian Wenlock was a young wizard and a lover of Vampires. Regulus met him once in a dark and shabby alley in Ireland, when running Dark Lord's errands. He was mostly unknown to the public but to those who knew him or of him, he was known as the Vampire's servant. He preferred a term 'trader' but to Regulus he was just a smuggler who lived and worked for the creatures of the night. The same creatures that Voldemort was now forging an alliance with. So, if the Death Eaters went after Cyprian, it would stir things up between Voldemort and Vampires.

"But you knew him better than anyone else. You would know where he would hide something of great value, knowing his end was near."

"Albus was always very secretive. Whatever it is you're looking for, if it is as valuable as you're saying, you will never find it. Albus took all his most important secrets to his grave."

"His grave, is it?" Regulus whispered turning to look at Claudius who got the same idea. "Thank you, Sir." He said into the darkness, but received no reply. Claudius took him by the wrist and they disappeared.

Once Regulus opened his eyes again, they were standing in front of the White Tomb. Dumbledore's final resting place

"How big and grand." Regulus commented in a semi annoyed tone.

"Now is not the time for bitterness." Claudius told him and walked up to the large grave. "Come, help me move it."

Regulus closed his eyes and focused on the grave before him. "Min strengest miht hate þe tospringan" He chanted and his eyes glowed gold. The thick and heavy block shook as it slowly moved.

Once it was out of the way, Regulus and Claudius moved to uncover the sheets, where they found the corpse of the old wizard.

The Elder Wand in his cold hands.

12 Grimmauld Place

"Harry's gone!"

One phrase, however alarming, was able to put the entire household on their feet.

It has been three days after Harry was taken from the station by his aunt and uncle. Tonks went this morning to check on him, but after confirming with his aunt, she realised Harry was gone and quickly went back to the HQ to inform the rest of the order.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Sirius stood up immediately, with a terrified look on his face.

"He never made it home. His aunt said he didn't turn up at the station so they figured 'he was with us freaks and failed to inform them'." Tonks explained.

"But where could he have gone? He got off the train with Ron and Hermione." Arthur added.

"What if he got kidnapped? What if they have him!" Sirius began to panic. His grandson was gone for three days and they only just noticed. They were too busy with the ministry and looking for potential allies, how could they have let him just disappear like this?

"We must go and look for him! Poor child, what if something bad happened to him!"

"Calm down Molly, Sirius, if they had him we would have heard about it by now." Arthur said to his distressed wife and Harry's godfather.

"Maybe he's with Hermione? They were together last time I saw them." Ron suggested. He was much calmer than the rest for some reason. He only hoped his friends didn't set off to look for the Horcruxes without him. Harry was talking about it few weeks ago, but Hermione seemed to be against it.

"Surely Hermione would have told us if that were the case." Remus concluded. Hermione was the sensible one, if Harry was last seen with her, then surely the boy was fine.

"Not if she couldn't. Not if Potter was in danger and she had to get him away to safety." The Order turned to see Regulus, leaning against the door.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked exasperated.

"I just got here, thanks for asking brother." Regulus said as he took a fresh glass of pumpkin juice Ron just poured for himself, right out of his hand and took a sip of it.

"Hey! That's mine." Ron protested, but Regulus paid him no attention. He moved to sit down the table away from him

"Get yourself another one Cinnamon Roll. I'm thirsty. It's been a long morning." Regulus huffed. Cinnamon Roll became one of the nicknames he created for Ron. It was because his hair was crimson and he looked like a Cinnamon Roll, Regulus caught him stuffing in his mouth once. He turned to Sirius, who was watching him intensely.

"Look, brother. I appreciate that asking you to stop being, well you, is a bit of a stretch but we're a bit busy here so if you would kindly get out and let us…" Sirius was saying, too worried about Harry in that moment to even think what his younger brother might have been up to.

"Harry's upstairs, Hermione is helping him unpack." Regulus cut him off, earning the undivided attention of the entire room.

"What?"

"What do you mean he's upstairs?" Remus asked with his brows furrowed.

"Go, check." Arthur told Ron quietly. His youngest son quickly got up and sped upstairs.

"I told you, we only just got here. I've been busy, and unlike yourselves, I've made sure your wonder boy was safe." Regulus drawled. He got up and moved to look through the cupboards. "Have you anything to eat? I'm starving." He said.

"How did you know where he was?" asked Tonks.

"Let's just say a secret source told me the enemy is aware of your super-secret plans of moving Harry to a safe house. So, I warned Hermione, and it's a good thing I did, because there were Death Eaters at the station that day. Hermione, acted fast and brought Harry to a very safe place I told her of, where Harry spent the past three days, very safely I might add. But, well done for noticing he was gone at all! I was beginning to think you lot stopped caring about the poor boy."

"Come here you…!" Sirius threw himself at him brother but Remus moved in front of him to restrain his friend and calm him down.

"Sirius, stay calm!"

"Why didn't you inform us sooner?" Molly asked distressed.

"Like I said, I was busy." Regulus grinned at her, which suddenly turned into a sneer. "I made sure he was safe, you should be thanking me, not blaming me for the fact that you were unaware for three days, that he never made it home."

"Why didn't you tell us through? Why did you only warn Hermione?" Sirius demanded, the adrenaline that came with worry for his godson was slowly leaving his body.

"Why would I tell you anything? Not one of you trusts me enough to let me out of this house without constant surveillance." He said, making them feel somewhat guilty.

Regulus was glad the Order gave up their watch over him after that conversation. It was going to speed things up a little, if their focus snapped back where it should be.

And Regulus would snap it back into its place alright.

Earning Potter's trust was a good move, as seeing how Harry interacted with him since the day he helped him open the snitch, everyone became much less wary of him.

Everyone except Ron.

Ron wasn't as gullible as the rest; he could see through the thick layer of lies Regulus Black shielded his true, evil-self with.

He tried very hard to make everyone else see the devil for who he really was, but they refused to listen, too brainwashed, too busy. So, Ron chose to back away and keep his distance.

Tactical retreat, nothing more.

Let the enemy come to you...

And the enemy did come knocking on his door, sooner than he expected. Regulus sat down to a game of chess with him, one evening. In the presence of the others.

To Ron's great shock and disappointment, Regulus turned out to be a worthy opponent. And a conceited one too.

"You're good but I am better. Do you know why I'm better? Because I use my other talents to make sure I win instead of relying solidly on myself. Having a talent is not everything, in a game there's not just one path we can take so how can you rely one one talent to get you through the game. You need to have more than one option, but it's okay if your one talent is all you have because that's all you need. Your one talent is enough to grow and expand."

Pompous… Overbearing… Patronising…

The words kept rushing through Ron's mind as Regulus was giving him a lesson of his life.

"Think of it as a level up. Who do you think is going to win? A person with a level 1 card or a person with a level 3 card? If you're going into the fight with a level 1 card assuming your opponent has a level 1 card, you might as well yield because your opponent will always have lvl 2 card, because they expect they are smarter than you and they will always have another card up their sleeve.

Without backup, you're leaving the outcome to a chance, and that's how you lose if you're unlucky with your opponent. You must always keep all your cards close to you and use them at the most opportune moment. But first, you must find them, invite them to the game and make sure they stay in your sleeve and don't go switching sides. And how do you make sure that doesn't happen?" Regulus asked.

Ron didn't understand why Regulus was talking to him about cards when they were playing chess, but nevertheless the meaning behind the message was received. Ron was a tactician, he couldn't dismiss Regulus' logic.

"Come on, think Cinnamon." Regulus rushed.

"You need to be in possession of something they want but they don't have." Ron replied, glaring at him intensely.

His head was spinning.

"What do we have that you want but don't have?" He asked, and saw something change in Regulus' eyes. A sparkle, like the one that used to show in Dumbledore's eyes. Ron hated himself for the comparison. He saw Regulus' eyes wonder across the room to where Hermione sat with Sirius and Remus.

Of course…

"My brother." Came the reply.

What?

"Not Hermione?" Ron furrowed his brows in confusion.

"No, she's already mine." He heard Regulus say slowly in an amused tone.

"Well I like Hermione too." Ron challenged.

"Weasley, I find Draco Malfoy a more solid competition."

"But he's dead"

"Exactly." Regulus smirked. "Checkmate."

No…

Ron's blood boiled.

That arrogant, slimy git…

Oh, how Ron couldn't stand him!

Grimmauld Place - September

'Dark Mark Sparks Panic'

'Death Eater Numbers Grow'

'Muggle Family Murdered'

The headlines in the Daily Prophet were enough to call an Order meeting. Kingsley and Moody arrived with even worse news of the strength, support and allied forces Voldemort collected over the summer.

And on top of that, the public opinion turned against Harry so significantly he was declared an Undesirable No1, closely followed by Sirius, the Undesirable No2. Harry, Ron and Hermione have not returned to Hogwarts for their final year. There were more important things to do now than study, not to mention it was too dangerous. The ministry took control of Hogwarts, and the Ministry was controlled by Death Eaters. McGonagall has been forced to vacant the position of Head Mistress and was returned to her previous post as the Transfiguration professor. Severus Snape was granted the position of the Headmaster.

Regulus of course took his chances to suggest and even insist on using dark magic, but to Ron's great surprise, the resistance and opposition to that idea was lesser than he expected.

"Well of course we're underprepared! Look at everything we've done for the past couple of weeks. The order has been on a wild goose chase, looking for the remaining Horcruxes while suffering with lack of numbers and terrible disorganisation." The Order was discussing the next best course of action. Things were becoming rather heated.

"We have enough numbers, it's just that the Order has simply been wasting time for the sake of trivial tasks." Regulus drawled, turning a page of the newspaper.

"And pray tell dear brother, what exactly is it that you have been doing with all free your time?" Sirius asked

"Hmm, let's see; I borrowed an identity and attended a secret meeting, I kidnapped someone, I tortured for information, faked a death, I babysit quite often. I broke into a school, and prison, and a tomb. I stole from a dead person and, ah! I saved Harry from your poorly designed plan, which has been intercepted by the enemy." Regulus dished out, leaving everyone at a loss for words.

"Forget I asked." Sirius shook his head, not understanding a half of what he just heard.

"I think you forget that we are fighting a war here. Your personal feelings on the matter must come second to our survival."

"I don't understand how can we possibly fight for our cause, using our enemy's methods." Said Molly.

"Well if you wish to understand, you must first come out of your prejudice and listen. Do you not see the tight spot we are in? We don't have a choice anymore!" Regulus insisted.

It was true, they were in a tight spot.

But not tight enough to reach for such barbaric methods!

Or so Ron thought, before the Order launched an attack on the Malfoy Manor.

The Order decided to look for the remaining Horcruxes at the Malfoy Manor, because Moody's trusted contact claimed they were hidden in its dungeons. Regulus insisted it was impossible, that Voldemort wouldn't have hidden them there. He told them it was a trap, and Ron wished they had listened to him because Arthur, Sirius, Tonks and Remus barely escaped with their lives. Moody, Mundungus Fletcher and three Aurors that Moody bullied into coming on this mission were not so lucky.

"It was a trap." Sirius exclaimed in pain from his wounds that Molly was tending to. Hermione took care of Remus whose wounds were much more fatal. Tonks and Arthur escaped with many scratches, bruised and one broken arm.

"You don't say." Regulus stood in the bloodied kitchen with his arms crossed. He was annoyed. They went and nearly got themselves killed when he explicitly told them to hold it off until he could confirm it was safe to go – which he was sure, it wasn't.

"We got caught at the Eastern tunnel entrance." Tonks told them.

"The Easter entrance was sealed off 5 years ago. You would have known that if you waited for me to return from the Greenfell Manor. I said I was going to check with my source if it was a trap, but I also went to fetch a map of the Malfoy Manor so we could discuss this madness with a bit more to go off."

"You have a map? How on earth do you have an entire map of the Malfoy Manor?" Sirius asked through clenched teeth as Molly just applied something to his open wound that caused a strong burning and a very painful sensation.

"Draco Malfoy drew it for me." Said Regulus.

"Oh he did, did he? And you can contact the dead because you were once, you know, dead, too?"

"Stop it Ron. Regulus, now is not the time for jokes." Harry told him, looking at the injured suicide squad with worry and regret.

"I'm not joking. Here." Regulus pulled out a folded piece of paper and unfolded it as he placed it on the table.

"I told you I've been busy. Oh, and Draco is alive, I faked his death." He told everyone who was conscious and paying attention. Nobody had the strength anymore to as much as scold him. Regulus was a wild card they could never hope to control.

"And, where is he?" Harry asked. He didn't know how he should react to the revelation that Malfoy was in fact alive and that Regulus kept it from them for this long.

"Greenfell Manor."

"With Claudius? You have Malfoy staying in a muggle house?" Tonks exclaimed surprised. She never met her cousin but she heard enough about Malfoys to be sceptical about such arrangement.

"Did you know about this?" Ron turned to Hermione, who didn't look surprised at all.

"I did. Regulus told me shortly after we found out about his death." She confessed. Ron was about to explode with rage but a dark figure entered the room.

"Severus, you're here." Regulus turned the new arrival.

Severus arrived with a lot of blood-replenishing potions and other useful things. But he wasn't amused at not being informed about the meeting

"I don't understand why wasn't I consulted on the matter?" Severus drawled, once they all sat around the table, drinking tea. Remus was the only one not present, as he was still unconscious.

"It seems not much has changed since our school days. My brother and his merry band of hot-headed Gryffindors think they are above common sense and know better than those more knowledgeable around them." Regulus told him, and no one dared to speak up in their defence, not even Ron himself.

"Thank you for coming as quick as you did, if you were a few minutes late, I fear we could have lost dear Remus." He heard some huffs and sighs. Regulus smirked. They seemed to be just as uncomfortable with the turn of events as Severus was. It mustn't have been easy, choosing to assist in saving a life of a man who used to be a part of the circle of bullies Severus had to endure back when they attended Hogwarts.

"I hope this wasn't the only reason you had for making me come all the way here." Snape glared.

"Of course not Severus, I need you to arrange a meeting, between myself and my dearest cousin Narcissa."

"Any other requests?" The Head Master hissed. Regulus seemed to consider something for a few seconds before leaning forward slightly, his grey eyes landing on Severus.

"Regarding your last message… I want you to stop spying for the Order. The Carrows are soft in the head but they're observant. We can't risk them suspecting your loyalty to the Dark Lord."

"I understand."

"Why would the Carrows start suspecting anything now?" Asked Harry.

"I suppose the Dark Lord isn't pleased with the way I run things." Severus drawled.

"Oh he's pleased. He's just always been looking for a way to swiftly get rid of the Carrows without killing them. By sending them to Hogwarts he's killing two birds with one stone. They're your problem now and not his." Regulus told Severus, who groaned in discontent.

"He's sending them to Hogwarts? What for? To spy on you?" Harry asked and Severus turned to him and the rest on the Order, looking around the table, locking eyes with each person one by one.

He figured Regulus failed to share the news with the rest of the club.

"The two new Professors of Defence Against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies, have been dismissed by the Ministry last night. They will be replaced with Amycus and Alecto Carrow." He told them, and watched their faces twist into a mix of anger and fear for the students of Hogwarts.

Pretty eventful chapter I think.

Just you wait for the next one haha…

That's all for today, thanks for reading!