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 7 The Lone Black
So Voldemort had put on one last protection. One last spell to make sure that no one could ever destroy his Horcrux.
As Regulus watched in horror, everyone of the witches and wizards in the circle fell prey to some dark spell, visible only by the green light that hit them. But not him.
He felt the Dark Mark burn fiercely, but that was all. Being a Death Eater saved his life, and he knew it.
He watched as the green light began to gather about the Horcrux again, and he knew it was going to release the Killing Curse again.
There was nothing he could do to stop it, either. He knew that even if they were all conscious and alive, he couldn't stop it. There was no way to stop a Killing Curse.
Bending down, he checked for a pulse on Harry, and found one. It was faint, but it was there.
Regulus turned back to look at the Horcrux, and saw that it was still gathering a green glow around it.
Why doesn't it release it already? he asked himself quietly. That's more than enough power to kill one person.
Then it hit him.
It's not a one person curse! This IS the explosion we knew would happen, an explosion of the Avada Kedavra!
He didn't know what to do. He could break the circle and get them out, but what good would it do if the circle was broken? They would die just the same.
Regulus searched the room, looking for some way to get them out. He didn't care if he lived, but he wouldn't let the Order die because of him.
All that was left in the circle were some of the Bird-Patroni-Shields. Looking at them, he understood why Harry and, presumably, the others hadn't died. The Patroni had stopped most of the Killing Curse, at the cost of themselves.
Knowing that he still didn't have a chance, he raised his wand anyway. He was NOT about to watch them die. Maybe he couldn't apparate or Portkey them away, but he'd be damned if he did nothing.
He knew that he shouldn't be able to cast a Complexio Incantado alone, but he didn't care. Harry needed him.
Taking a deep breath, he began the incantation that he had never been able to do. When he finished the Horcrux, it had required only a single spell. This time, it would take much, much more.
Desperately he tried to think of a happy memory as he watched the green glow spread, but there was nothing. He had always been an outcast, a disgrace to his family, until he became a Death Eater, and there were no happy memories there.
He raised his wand, and tried to think of being accepted into the Death Eaters. Maybe it wasn't an extremely happy memory, but it was all he had.
He cried the incantation, and watched. From the tip of his wand emerged a puff of white smoke, and he knew he'd failed.
A memory flashed across his mind of ruffling Harry's hair, after Harry had said, "Sirius would be proud to call you a brother."
"He'd be proud of you, too, kid," he said, as a warm feeling he had never felt before spread throughout his body. The lone Black smiled, and raised his wand again.
"COMPLEXIO--EXPECTO/FINITE INCANTATEM/RELASHIO/IMPERVIUS/EPISKEY/PATRONUS--INCANTADO!" he cried, pouring all of his strength into the spells and adding Protego as a non-verbal charm.
At first, he thought he had failed again, but then a white light shot out the end of his wand, followed by a silvery lion.
Regulus stared in absolute shock as the Patronus turned and winked at him, before running forward on huge, padded feet and jumping straight onto the Horcrux.
Dropping to his knees in exhaustion, Regulus last image was his Patronus being hit by the overpowered killing curse. Then he, too, was claimed by blissful darkness.
Harry's first thought waking up was, Where's my pillow?
He was lying on a hard bet that felt suspiciously like concrete. Feeling around, he discovered that he really was lying on concrete.
Why am I sleeping on a concrete floor? he asked himself. And why is everything so dark?
He looked around, or rather, tried to. His head spun as he tried to move, forcing him back down.
OK, not sitting up then, he said. But why can't I see?
A moment and much struggling later, Harry finally opened his eyes.
Oh, that'd do it, he thought, surveying his surroundings without moving.
All of the others appeared to be in the same state as him, though he noticed that a couple of them were starting to stir.
Very slowly, he forced himself into a sitting position, resisting the urge to vomit with some difficulty.
What happened? he wondered, trying to remember. After a moment, the feeling of being hit by some spell returned to him, and he remembered.
His head snapped to the stool where the Cup of Hufflepuff lay, his mind spinning painfully.
When his head stopped spinning and the pain died down, his eyes focused on the cup. Or what was once the cup.
In its place lay the four smoking pieces that once made up the artifact.
Harry smiled happily, until he heard a groan from his side.
Turning, he found Regulus lying on the ground, his eyes focused on the ceiling, and his hand rubbing his forehead.
"Reg!" Harry croaked, his voice hoarse from all of the casting.
"Harry?" the man replied quietly, lowering his hand. "Did we do it? Is it gone?"
"See for yourself," he said brightly, helping the man to sit up.
As Regulus looked on at where the Horcrux had once been, he forgot about the pain and smiled brightly.
"We did it, Harry," he said quietly.
"Yeah, we did it because of you," Remus said, as he, too rose.
The three sat in silence for a moment, looking at what they had done, each smiling brightly.
Then Hermione woke up, and Harry turned to her.
"Harry," Remus said slowly. "You're bleeding, come here."
"It's nothing," Harry said, feeling the back of his head, just before he passed out from blood loss.
He thought he vaguely heard someone call his name, but he couldn't tell for sure as he collapsed back to the concrete floor.
"Is he going to be alright?" Remus asked.
"Yes, Remus," Madame Pomfrey said quietly. "He is going to be just fine. I've healed the wound and given him a blood replacement potion that should have him up and running in no time at all."
"Thank you, Poppy," Remus said. "I know you're busy at the school--"
"Nonsense," she said, smiling kindly. "I could never be too busy for my favorite furball."
Remus grinned at her use of the old nickname she'd used back when they were in school. "Thank you, anyway," he said.
"Anytime, dear," she responded. "But now I must be going. There are a couple of potions left with instructions to help him get back to full health as quickly as is possible on the night stand. Good bye, dear."
A moment later she was gone, leaving Remus alone in the hallway outside of Harry's room. When he collapsed, Regulus had immediately broken the circle and helped Remus to get Harry to his room while Minerva went to contact Poppy.
The rest of those who had stayed to destroy the Horcrux were relatively fine. Those with small scrapes and bruises were quickly healed by Poppy when she arrived.
To everyone's surprise, one of their Complexio Incantado's had had a larger effect than they had originally realized.
Bill Weasley, savaged from the Battle of Hogwarts by a werewolf, had been fully healed. All of his scars, which Poppy had originally deemed irremovable, had simply vanished.
In celebration of the destruction of the Horcrux and the restoration of Bill's visage, Molly had proposed a large party for all of the Order members, as soon as Harry had fully recovered and the others had had some time to rest.
"How is he?" Remus heard a voice ask softly. Snapping his head up, he saw Canopus coming toward him.
"Harry will be fine, according to Madame Pomfrey," he said.
The other man nodded, and sat next to him on a bench that had been summoned in front of Harry's room.
The two sat in silence for awhile, before Remus turned to him. "Who are you?" he asked.
The man raised an eyebrow, and began to say something, but Remus cut him off.
"Before you try to lie again," he said, "know that I know your name is not 'Canopus'. Though the selection was rather peculiar, considering that 'Canopus' is the brother constellation to 'Sirius'."
The man looked him in the eyes for a moment, before sighing. "You want to know who I really am?" he asked. "Then take a look." He waved his wand, and his glamours dropped.
Where the blonde stranger had been sitting just a moment before, now sat a man that Remus vaguely recognized.
"I am Regulus Alphard Black," he said, staring into Remus' eyes as if daring him to doubt that fact.
Remus bolted from the chair as though it were on fire and had his wand out in a second.
"You're a Death Eater!" he said, aiming the wand at the man.
"No, Remus, he was," said a quiet voice from behind him.
Turning, he saw Harry leaning against the doorframe.
"You knew?" Remus demanded, keeping his wand trained on Regulus.
"Yes," Harry said quietly. "But he asked me not to tell, because he was afraid of your reaction."
"So you listened to him?" Remus demanded. "To a Death Eater? To the man that betrayed your godfather?"
"You're right," Regulus said. "I did betray him, and I did join the Death Eaters. But I also destroyed a Horcrux before, and another now."
Remus lowered his wand an inch or so, but didn't drop it.
"Remus, listen to me," Harry said. "He has committed crimes, and he's admitted to committing them. But now he's on the right side, and he helped us. He saved our lives, Remus. Forget about whatever past you two had, it's done now.
"I forgave him for his mistakes, because he's paid for them, by turning against Voldemort, and by helping us. He's done something that no Death Eater has ever done before; Turned away from Voldemort."
"But he went to him in the first place!" Remus shouted. "He murdered people, Harry!"
"Lower your wand, boy," Mad-Eye growled, coming up the stairs. He stepped in front of Regulus, directly in Remus' line of fire.
"You support him too, Mad-Eye?" he asked. "What happened to constant vigilance?"
"When you lot took your naps," he said, "my eye watched him. He cast a Patronus, and used it to destroy the Horcrux and save our lives, again. I think that's enough to warrant hearing him out."
Remus stared at Mad-Eye for a moment, before lowering his wand. "Alright," he said. "But only if you give up your wand."
Regulus didn't even hesitate to pull it out and throw it to Remus, who stuffed it in his waist band.
"Thank you," Regulus said as the four walked down to the kitchen and assembled the Order.
When everyone arrived, Regulus stepped out and said, "I fear that I owe you all an apology. I have posed as a man you knew as 'Canopus'."
Gasps went around the room before he continued, "My real name is Regulus Black." More gasps. "I was a Death Eater, as most of you know. But I turned my back on it, and on Voldemort."
He told his tale grimly, and when he finished, there was absolute silence. Everyone was afraid to speak, and no one knew what to say. Looking around the room, Regulus had the feeling that the wizards were considering the best way to get rid of him.
"I say we wipe his memory and throw him off a bridge," Sturgis said quietly. Several nods accompanied this.
"So you changed your name and appearance," Tonks said quietly, "to help us?"
The man nodded, and the group rustled. He knew that he was literally on a wand's tip. Any push too hard would knock him to his death.
"Isn't that what I do everyday?" she asked, smiling.
Eyes snapped to her, and she continued. "Come on, people," she said. "It's not a big deal. Yeah, he lied to us. Yeah, he was a Death Eater. So? He's here now, and he's helped us. Did any of you know how to destroy a Horcrux before he came? Did any of you even know how to get through the FIRST spell layer?" she demanded.
"Did you?" she asked, pointing at Sturgis Podmore, who hung his head. "Or you?" she demanded, pointing at McGonagall.
"Why, of course not, child," she said quickly. "But no one is denying how much he helped us--"
"Then why are we here?" Tonks asked fiercely. "Look, maybe you don't like the choices he's made in the past, but he saved my life, and yours," she gestured to Minerva again. "If that's not good enough to be in the Order, then what the bloody hell is?"
There was silence again as Tonks' comments stirred the thoughts of everyone there.
"He still lied to us," Remus said quietly.
"And so did Dumbledore," Tonks supplied readily. "He lied to us about Harry, and he lied to Harry. But we still followed him."
"That is hardly comparable, child," Minerva said, her lips drawn taught.
"And why not?" Harry demanded. "Dammit, they both lied to us, and both so that they could help us. Why is it different? What, because Dumbledore was older? What?"
No one answered his question, but after a moment, Sturgis asked, "Why shouldn't we wipe his memory just to be safe?"
To everyone's surprise, it was Hermione that spoke up.
"Because Dumbledore wouldn't have," she said simply. "The Order of the Phoenix was founded by him, and I think we should carry on in his memory. Albus Dumbledore believed in giving second chances. He gave a second chance to Dung, to Snape... Why shouldn't we give one to Regulus?"
"And look where that got him!" Sturgis said. Before the words had cleared his mouth, Harry had drawn his wand and taken aim.
"Don't you dare insult Albus Dumbledore in my house!" he said through clinched teeth. "Rather or not they turned out to be his best decisions," he continued, lowering his wand. "He did make them. And he told me once, that the power 'the Dark Lord knows not' is friendship. Friendship, born from trust. I'm extending my trust here and now, to Regulus, and for him my door is always open.
"If you don't like that," he said, his eyes turning back to Sturgis. "Then you may leave."
Sturgis stared right back at Harry, and they bored into each other's eyes, each unwilling to give in to the other.
Minerva cleared her throat quietly. "Although Potter may not have followed the most diplomatic path," she said, eyeing his drawn wand, "his point, and that of Mrs. Granger, is correct. Dumbledore would have granted him a second chance, and I believe we should, as well."
A few of the Order members nodded, but a few remained impassive.
"We shall take a vote, then," Minerva said. "All in favor of allowing him into the Order, raise your hand, please." She counted quickly. "And those in favor of modifying his memory?" Only Sturgis raised his hand.
"Then it is decided," she said, turning to Regulus. "Welcome to the Order--"
She was interrupted as Sturgis' chair scraped against the floor and he stood. "I'll not be threatened by some teenager," he said, walking toward the door.
No one made a move to stop him or join him. Anyone who wanted to leave was welcome to go unharmed. But then, he made a mistake.
"I hope you fare better than your coward godfather," he said.
Before anyone could stop them, Harry, Remus, Tonks, and Mad-Eye each raised their wands and cried out a hex. Regulus had automatically reached for his own wand, but found nothing there. Remus still had it.
The form of a dancing ferret with its back and front legs locked together separately was blasted out of the kitchen, and into the living room.
Without a word to anyone, Harry strode after him.
When he reached the ferret, he aimed his wand directly at its head.
"If you ever insult my godfather again," he said, his voice dangerously low. "I will make you wish you were never born."
With that, he blasted the dancing ferret out the door with a banishing charm, and turned back to the Order.
The moment he was back in the door, Ron asked, "Who wants pizza?"
Harry smiled contently as his godfather's brother strode up to him and plopped down next to him by the plain fountain. After Sturgis had been thrown out, Remus had returned his wand, though the man refused to look Regulus in the eye. Harry knew there were old wounds between the two that would take time to heal.
"What's up, Harry?" he asked.
"The stars," he replied smartly, earning himself a smack on the back of his head.
"Ow!" he cried indignantly. "Who said you got to hit me?"
"I did," Regulus replied.
Harry snorted loudly, saying, "Well, that explains it!"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" the older man demanded.
"Oh, nothing," Harry said innocently. "The fact that a maniac, run away Death Eater who's a member of the Order of the Phoenix supports something shouldn't mean anything at all."
The two chuckled quietly, and went silent for a while. It was a comfortable silence, and Harry didn't mind it much.
"So, what are you gonna do now, kid?" Regulus asked, breaking the silence.
"I don't know," he replied. "I suppose I'll go try and find the rest of the Horcruxes." There was a sadness in his voice as he said it, and Regulus knew he didn't want to.
For a moment, he pitied the boy who lived. It couldn't be easy to be destined to kill the most powerful Dark Lord in existence. He pitied that the boy would never have the chance to live a normal life, and he knew that it was what Harry wanted more than anything.
"You know, kid," he said quietly, "you're not the only one who's against Voldemort."
"Yeah, I know," he said, but his tone didn't sound convinced.
"Listen, I've been thinking," Regulus said.
"You can think?" Harry teased lightly.
"Yes, Harry, I can think," the man replied. "But that's beside the point."
Harry waited for him to continue, but when he didn't, he asked slowly, "Regulus, what is the point?"
"What?" the man asked. "Oh, right, the point is...that...I forgot."
Harry hit the man's leg playfully. "Reg!"
"Oh, right, that point," he said, pretending to remember. "Well, I figure, you've gotta face Voldemort, right?"
"Yeah," Harry said, his voice a near whisper. "So?"
"So," he responded, "maybe you and me should get some training in before then."
Harry was silent for a moment, and Regulus was afraid the boy didn't want to spend time with him.
"I'd like that," Harry replied, looking the older man in the eyes. "But only if you promise to grow a brain before then."
Regulus grinned in a very Sirius like way and said, "I suppose it's fair that one of us have a brain, at least."
Harry smacked his leg again, warning, "Be careful, old man, or I'll hex you."
"Oh, I'm soo scared," he said mockingly. "A lil' teenager is gonna hex me! Remus, save me!"
Harry rolled his eyes at the man's antics, casting the nonverbal Stinging charm.
"Ow!" Regulus cried, jumping up.
Harry laughed as the man began to sit back down, only to be hit again.
"Harry, I'm warning you!" he threatened.
"Oh what are you gonna do, old man?" he asked, laughing.
Before he could take the words back, Regulus drew his wand and cast "Rictusempra!"
Harry immediately tried to stop laughing, but found he couldn't. Invisible hands began tickling him in his most ticklish spots, relentlessly.
He cried, "Make it stop!" as Regulus laughed at him.
"Protego!" he cast through fits of laughter. The spell immediately lifted, being reflected back at the caster.
Regulus doubled over laughing, and Harry wiped tears of laughter from his eyes, before turning to laugh at Regulus.
The man was convulsing on the ground with tears streaming down his eyes, crying, "No, not there!"
When the spell finally faded, Harry and Regulus sat together, fully content.
I could get used to this, Harry thought as Regulus ruffled his hair.
A.N.--OK, enough fluffy-ness. I promise, there's more next chapter, though I hate to put it there.
Review, or I'll never post again! Yeah right, like y'all can get rid of me that easy!