Story: Swallowed by Shadow
Summary: When Harry begins his search for the Horcruxes, a mysterious man appears. Is he friend, or foe? Can Harry finish his task and beat the Dark Lord, or will he be Swallowed by Shadow? HP? HGRW RLNT
Date: 28 May 06
Chapter 6
Regulus Alphard Black
It had been five days since the group of fifteen witch and wizard mix had begun their training. In Harry's opinion, it had gone rather well, considering that none of them had thought that multi-charm-spells (as Ron insisted on calling them) existed before Regulus had come.
"Tomorrow's it, Harry," Regulus said, sitting next to him out by the fountain in his backyard.
The two had recently taken to sitting by the fountain, having late night discussions, after they were done with their training for the day. Harry found he actually liked Sirius' brother, despite the bad things he'd heard about him.
"Tomorrow the last week will either pay off, or none of us will be here to know that it didn't," he said, grinning in a very Sirius-like way.
Harry grinned back for a minute saying, "You look just like Sirius when you do that."
Regulus' grin faltered for a second, but returned. "Thanks," he said. "I miss him."
"So do I," he said. There was silence for a moment, as each of them watched the fountain water trickle down.
Harry couldn't resist, and finally had to ask, "Why did you do it, Regulus?"
"Do what?" the man asked.
"All of it," Harry said. "Why you betrayed Sirius to join the Death Eaters, to start."
The man sighed, and Harry gave him a moment as he collected his thoughts.
"You have to understand, Harry," he began. "My family was made up of dark wizards. Our father taught us the Unforgivables before I went to Hogwarts. We were expected to be Death Eaters, to support Voldemort and commit the atrocities that he has. It's not easy to grow up like that and turn it down--"
"Sirius did," Harry said, his anger getting the best of him.
The man sigh again, saying, "Sirius was a stronger man at fourteen than I will ever be, Harry. But you asked me why, and so I'll tell you.
"When I was at Hogwarts, the only person who would talk to me was Bella. I'm sure you know how she ended up. Because of my friendship with her, Sirius and I stopped being as close, and when she called your mother a Mudblood, we stopped speaking altogether.
"At the end of that same year, Sirius left Number 12. He ran away to go live with your dad. And when he did, our parents turned their attention to me. My father began to teach me even more than the Unforgivables. He taught me dark magic that should never be taught to anyone, much less a teenager. At first, I hated it, I doubted that it was the right choice. Sirius had left, shouldn't I? But then I realized that there was no place for me to go. So I did the only thing I could; I learned. Every time I failed my father's expectations, he would beat me. If I so much as spoke Sirius' name, he would use the Crucius on me.
"By the time the summer ended, I knew more about the Dark Arts than Bella and her friends combined. But that wasn't enough.
"My father had me taken to Voldemort when I graduated. I was the one who had Bella initiated after I had taken the Mark. It was because of me that she took the final step."
Regulus buried his face in his hands, and didn't emerge.
Harry was silent for a minute, and then he asked, "And why did you leave?"
Without raising his face, he responded. "Because I'd had enough," he said. "Because I'd watched too many murders, and I'd done too many myself.
"Voldemort trusted me, though. I couldn't leave and go unnoticed. I had helped him to create his Horcruxes. The only way out for a Death Eater is death, and for me, the only way out was a painful one. But I was willing to do anything at that point, and so I tried.
"During a Death Eater attack, I went to where I knew Voldemort had hidden his Horcrux, and I took it. I replaced it with a necklace I summoned, and wrote a note. When I left that place, I knew that it was my death. I fully expected to die, and to die quickly. So I did the only thing I could; I hid the Horcrux and ran."
"Where did you hide it?" Harry asked, too curious to hold it in.
"In the last place he'd ever look for it; right under his snakey nose," he said with a grin of satisfaction. "I left it in the cave, Harry. If you remember, the Inferi infest the water there. Well, not all of them are loyal to his command.
"I took over the magical bonds around a single one of them, and told it to wear the necklace before I ran. He never discovered it. Of course, he never discovered that I had taken his Horcrux, either.
"I was running across London, when Bella finally caught up to me. We dueled, and I lost. She asked me why, and I told her, I tried to persuade her to come with me. But by that point, she was too far gone. She fired the Killing Curse, and it should have hit me. But it didn't.
"Some good-Samaritan Muggle knocked me out of the way, for reasons I'll never understand. Unfortunately, the Muggle couldn't get out of the way himself, and her curse killed him. I was enraged. I couldn't believe the happy look on her face while she killed a man, a man who had saved my life. I didn't even have time to go for my wand, I just rushed her.
"I think she was too shocked to react in time, and I hit her, hard. We fell down and I started punching, biting, kicking, whatever I could. Sometime during the fight she fell unconscious, but I didn't stop. I didn't even notice, I just kept punching. I took out all of my anger at my parents, at Voldemort, at everything on her.
"When I realized that she was unconscious, I thought she was dead. But she wasn't. I checked her pulse, and she was till alive. Strangely, I was glad. I didn't want to kill her, I never had.
"A man I had never seen came to us then, and started to ask me questions, but I didn't answer. I couldn't even hear what he was saying. Despite that, he pulled out a wand and healed Bella, then burned the corpse of the dead man and cast another spell on her. Later, he explained to me that he had modified her memory to make her think that she had used Incendio to kill me.
"He took my shoe and used it as a Portkey. Before I even realized what was happening, he had taken me back to his house.
"The man was my uncle, Alphard Black. I'd heard of him once, but only once. He was blasted off the family tree, the same as Sirius, for not turning out 'the right way'. He's the man who taught me how to perform a Complexio Incantado. Together, we retrieved the Horcrux, and destroyed it.
"He died on the last layer, because he couldn't cast an Unforgivable. I could, though, and so I did. I couldn't save him, but I could destroy it. By the time I had, I'd given up on life. I wanted nothing more than to die. But Alphard had other plans.
"He left me a note, telling me that he knew he wasn't going to make it through, but that he was ready to die. He said that when he saved me, he had completed his job here. Now it was my turn, to pass on the favor, and the magic.
"I left the country for awhile, to try and get away. But it didn't work. When I heard Voldemort had returned, so did I. I found out a week later that my brother had died fighting against Bella, and I've been watching you since then."
There was silence for a few minutes, as Harry absorbed it all. So Regulus had been almost forced into being a Death Eater, but he'd made the right choice in the end.
"Regulus," he said finally. "You made a mistake. But what you did against Voldemort back then, and what you're doing now…Sirius would be proud to call you a brother."
He looked into Regulus' eyes, and saw unshed tears in his eyes.
"Thanks, kid," he croaked, ruffling his hair. "You know, he'd be proud of you too. Getting a Horcrux is no easy task."
"Yeah, I know," Harry said, smiling. "I know."
An hour before they were set to face the Horcrux found the fifteen witches and wizards sitting at the kitchen table, stuffing their faces and laughing boisterously.
"--So then, the guy tells me, 'I've been dealing with dragons since I was born, I know they don't breathe fire!'" Charlie said through tears of laughter.
"Hey, Harry," Ron said quietly. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Harry looked at his best friend and nodded, standing up and walking outside with him. "Be right back, guys," he said.
They walked past the stairs and living room, out the door, past the bushes that lined the front of the house, and kept walking.
"Ron, what gives?" he asked as they reached one of the fountains and Ron showed no signs of slowing down.
"Well, err," he scratched the back of his head and blushed deeply. "You see…I don't know if you've noticed…But…"
Harry raised an eyebrow at him, prompting him to continue.
"Hermioneandmearegoingout," he said, in a rapid fire mutter.
"Er, say again?" Harry asked, amused at his friend's nervousness.
Ron took a deep breath and said, slower this time, "Hermione and me are going out."
"Oh," Harry said, feigning shock. "When did that happen?"
Ron's eyes appeared glued to his shoelaces as he said, "I told her how I felt in the graveyard, when I thought we were going to… you know."
"Yeah, I know," Harry said.
"Well, seeing as we didn't…you know," he said. "Hermione made me go for a walk with her to, er, how'd she put it, 'talk about our feelings' or some rubbish."
"And how'd that go?" Harry asked.
"Oh, it went…alright," he said, blushing again. Harry knew he was hiding something, but he didn't want to force him to tell him something embarrassing. Yet.
"Well, good for you, mate," Harry said, smiling.
"You mean, you're not mad?" Ron asked, looking up at him.
"Mad?" he asked. "Why would I be mad?"
"I…I don't know," Ron said, his face revealing his obvious relief. "I just thought…I don't know."
"Well, I'm not," Harry said. "I'm happy for you, mate."
"Thanks!" Ron said, beaming brightly.
The two friends turned and walked back to the mansion, each wondering if anything would matter in a couple of hours.
"Is everyone ready, then?" Regulus asked, once again disguised as 'Canopus'.
The Order members all nodded and he continued. "Alright, then let's get started.
"First, I want to cast a circle, so that if something should go amiss, the house, and for that matter, the block will be protected."
The others watched as he did just that, sprinkling salt in a circle around the Horcrux, then humming something as he ran a blade sprinkled in water over it.
There was an electric hiss then a shield went up all around them, and a five-pointed star appeared on the floor with the Horcrux in the center.
"Ritual magic," he said, in response to their questioning faces. "Very few of us practice it any longer, but that's beside the point.
"Harry, Tonks, Remus, Hermione, Mad-Eye and Filius, if you would please," he said. "Harry, a Patronus, Tonks, Impervious, Remus, Protego, Hermione, Finite Incantatem, Mad-Eye, Relashio and Filius, Avis."
The others nodded and took their positions. A few seconds later, and a flock of Bird-Patroni-Shields were summoned.
"Just a precaution," Regulus said, moving on. "It's time to take out the first layer. Everyone, cast Accarlo, please."
All of the gathered did, and Regulus continued. "Now, as you've found out, this layer is a simple Protego charm that has been strengthened by the Impervius spell.
"Kingsley, Minerva, Arthur and Hermione," he said. The four stepped forward as called. "Kingsley, Deletrius, Minerva, Evanesco, Arthur, Expelliarmus, and Hermione, Finite Incantatem again."
The four stepped forward with Arthur and Minerva in the middle, touching wands.
"On 3, then," he said. "1, 2, 3!"
"FINITE DELETRIUS/EVANESCO/EXPELLIARMUS/INCANTATEM!" rung out as a rush of red light rushed forward, hitting the Horcrux.
Immediately, the red coloring around it flared, forcing everyone who was looking to turn away. Then, the red disappeared, replaced by blue, to their magic-sensitive eyes.
"Charm," Regulus said immediately. "Probably to wipe the mind of the caster…Alright, let's continue.
"Mad-Eye, Fred, George, and Filius," he said.
"Mad-Eye, Diffindo, Fred, Impervius, George, Relashio, and Filius, Avis," he said, reminding them all of their parts.
"Ready?" They nodded. "On three… 1, 2, 3!"
"DIFFINDO/IMPERVIUS/RELASHIO/AVIS!" they cried, sending a flock of white birds at the cup.
Some charm or another lashed out at the birds, trying to destroy them, but George's Relashio sent it right back at them, while Fred's Impervius protected them. Finally, their flight ended as they ran head on into it, and the blue flashed, before disappearing like the red before it.
This time it was replaced by a solid black.
"A life-drain spell?" he guessed. "Er, right, we didn't practice this one, so listen close.
"Harry, Remus, Tonks, we're going to cast Patroni. Minerva I need you to cast Episkey and Filius, the Cheering Charm."
The six lined up, with Harry in the center, flanked by Remus on one side and Tonks on the other.
Harry thought of the happiest memory he'd ever had; His first kiss with Ginny. The same warmth as always filled him, and he smiled as he raised his wand.
"1, 2, 3!"
"EXPECTO PATRONUS!" came the cry, as Minerva and Filius cast nonverbal spells.
A very strange thing happened then. Instead of a Patronus coming out of their wands, a blindingly brilliant light came out in a large wave. Harry thought for a moment that they'd made a mistake, but then he realized they hadn't.
From the tips of their wands shot a sight Harry never expected to see; The Marauders. All of them, in their Animagi forms, strode toward the Horcrux, letting out waves of white light that left Harry feeling tingly and the happiest he could ever remember being.
Then they hit the Horcrux, and the dark light spread outwards, before disappearing as those before it.
A purple light appeared this time, and it took a moment before Regulus said, "It's the Impervius."
He thought for a moment, trying to think of a counter, but found he didn't have to.
"Transfiguration, Diffindo, Finite Incantatem, Reducto and Incendio," Hermione said quietly.
Regulus looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, you heard the girl.
"Minerva, Mad-Eye, Hermione, Bill, Charlie, and Fred," he said.
When they lined up, he said, "At least we prepared this one. Minerva, transfiguration, please, Mad-Eye, Diffindo, Hermione, Finite Incantatem, Bill, Reducto, Charlie, Incendio, and my additive, Fred, Impervius."
"On 3, then," he said. "1, 2, 3!"
"FINITE DIFFINDO/REDUCTO/INCENDIO/IMPERVIUS/INCANTATEM!" they cried. A piece of thread Minerva had pulled from her robes transformed into a shooting spear with a steel shaft and a flaming diamond point.
It hit dead center on the Horcrux, and the purple flared and disappeared as the rest.
To everyone's surprise, what replaced it was pure white.
"Dammit!" Regulus said immediately. Everyone turned to stare at him. "I didn't prepare you for this."
They all exchanged glances with each other, but Harry spoke up, "You did this once alone, didn't you?"
"Yes," came the reply through tight lips. "But then it was different, I had just lost a friend."
Harry nodded. "And now you've lost a brother."
Everyone looked at him strangely at this revelation, but he continued, "The three of us can do this."
Regulus looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you even know what to do?" he asked.
"I'm assuming I summon a Patronus in the opposite way," he said. "Right?"
The man nodded, and turned to Remus. "Can you cast the same?"
Remus thought for a second, and Harry prompted him, "Come on, Uncle, just think of Sirius and summon a Patronus."
Remus' lips twitched slightly, and his jaw set grimly. "Alright."
The three wizards stepped up, and put their wands together. Each of them took deep breathes, focusing their minds.
Harry and Remus each replayed the scene at the Ministry, when they had watched Sirius' murder. Harry followed it with the memory of watching Snape kill Dumbledore. Rage boiled unchecked to the surface of each of their faces as they imagined killing Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape.
Regulus thought back to the man Bellatrix had killed, the man who had saved his life. Then he thought of his uncle, who had saved his life again.
"On 3," he said, his voice filled with negative emotions. "1, 2, 3!"
"EXPECTO/AVADA PATRONUS/KEDAVRA!" they cried, and a black light shot from the end of their wand. A moment later, a figure crawled out, and Harry belched in shock.
There flew a black Phoenix with deep green eyes and an aura of green light that could only be the Killing Curse.
Gasps echoed around the room as the Phoenix flew forward, forcing all of those in the room to remember their worst memories as it flew forward, straight at the Horcrux.
In a blinding flash, the Phoenix collided with the Horcrux, and an explosion rocked the house.
Harry's last thought before he was Swallowed by Shadow was, We failed.
A.N.--And so you hate me, with good reason.
REVIEW