Chapter 30

12 Grimmauld Place, London, 6th January 2012

Sirius watched Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley's leave the house and sighed. Harry looked back at the house and waved at his Godfather. What the hell… Sirius shrugged and walked forward, transformed into the large black dog. He barked happily as he trotted beside Harry, tail wagging and tongue lolling out.

"Oh, for heaven's sake Sirius…" Molly sighed but said nothing more.

"He is technically a free man now," Arthur pointed out.

"Not helping Arthur," Molly frowned.

The kids laughed as Sirius strode forward ahead of them, holding his head up high.

"If I had a rolled-up newspaper right now…." Molly rolled her eyes. "Snuffles!" she gasped, as Sirius stopped suddenly and peed proudly on a lamppost, looking back at her in the eye.

"Snuffles… that's disgusting…." Hermione wrinkled her nose up. Sirius barked and Harry swore it sounded more like a laugh. He couldn't begrudge him his happiness. Ron looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. Ginny was giggling.

"This is why I don't like dogs…" Molly sighed.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long until Sirius arrived back at the dreaded House of Black, after seeing off the children. Sirius sighed as he sat in the old armchair in the drawing-room. He didn't know what to do with himself now. He was a free man, but when he thought about it, was he really? Sirius guaranteed that if he was spotted, he'd be dragged back by Death Eaters, possibly back to his insane cousin, so she could kill him, again. He sat there and brooded over his predicament until a knock on the door roused him from his thoughts. He walked over to the door, wondering who would be coming to see him. In the back of his mind, he wondered if it could be Lupin again, worried he might be having trouble. He opened the door, revealing Albus Dumbledore standing on the doorstep.

"Oh, Albus," His voice was coloured with surprise and confusion.

"Hello Sirius, may I?" the Headmaster replied.

"Of course, come on in." Sirius stepped aside and allowed the man to enter. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, thank you, Sirius," smiled Albus. "I'm afraid this is more than a social call."

"Alright," Sirius nodded. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to ask you about something that was found in your home. A golden locket on a similarly golden chain. There were emeralds set in the shape of an 'S' on its face. Does this sound familiar to you?"

"Never heard of it," Sirius frowned. Albus appraised him sceptically.

"I've never seen it. It's probably something of my mother's," Sirius shrugged. "Why is it so important?"

"The locket was an heirloom of Salazar Slytherin's. It held a curse that I was able to break. Mundungus Fletcher ransacked this house after your death, and one of the things he took was the locket." He continued on, ignoring Sirius's face turning from confusion to anger. "Harry found it a few weeks ago and brought it to me. He knew about the curse and knew it was of utmost importance that I break it right away. I would like to know how it ended up here, to begin with."

"Damn Mundungus…." Sirius frowned. "Albus, I've no clue about the locket. I don't know how it could have ended up here."

"Would it be possible that Kreacher might know?" Albus asked.

"I'm not sure. You could ask him, but isn't he at the castle?" Sirius inquired. "Could have saved you a trip." Sirius frowned. Kreacher was the last thing he wanted to think about at the moment. Now that he knew of the house elf's true treachery. Sirius remembered the panic he felt when he learned Harry and his friends went to the Ministry alone. Not only had Kreacher sold him out, but he also put Harry and the others in danger. Sirius wanted nothing more than to curse him into oblivion, never mind talk to him.

"He wouldn't answer my questions. I'm not his master." Sirius replied dismissively.

"I left him to Harry. He probably wouldn't obey me either."

"Therein lies the trouble, you being brought back creates a problem," Albus mused.

"Thanks," replied Sirius sarcastically, causing Albus's mouth to twitch in a smile. "I suppose you can try. Would you like to bring him here, or will I go to the castle?"

"I think here is easier. If you call him, we can see if you have regained ownership of him Plus he has become more agreeable. Slightly." Sirius appraised him with a sceptical look.

"I'm sure he has… Kreacher?" Sirius called, already ready for this to be over.

A moment passed and a loud crack boomed through the kitchen. There the elderly house elf stood, eyes widening when he saw who summoned him.

"Master Sirius," Kreacher mumbled, bowing absent-mindedly. "You are alive. Kreacher thought…"

"We all know what you thought Kreacher," Sirius spat, trying to keep control at the sight of the creature that handed him over to Voldemort. "Professor Dumbledore and I have some questions for you Kreacher," Sirius asked. "I order you to answer them truthfully. Understand?"

"Yes, Master," said Kreacher, lips moving in no doubt insults. Sirius kept his cool, knowing how important this was to Albus. He was curious as to why. But he knew asking Albus would have no effect.

"Last year, there was a big gold locket in the drawing-room upstairs. We threw it out. Did you steal it back?" Sirius asked. There was a moment's silence, during which Kreacher straightened up and looked at Sirius.

"Yes. Mundungus Fletcher stole it all. Miss Bella's and Miss Cissy's pictures, my Mistress's gloves, the Order of Merlin, First Class, the goblets with the family crest, and the locket, Master Regulus's locket…." Sirius was about to speak, but Kreacher's voice had become higher pitched, close to a wail as his eyes filled with tears.

"Kreacher did wrong, Kreacher failed in his orders!" the elf wailed. He lunged for the poker at the grate, and Sirius snatched it before he could get there. No need for the elf to mutilate himself yet.

"Kreacher! Stay still and answer my questions!" Sirius snapped. "You said the locket was Regulus's. Where did it come from? I've never seen it or seen him with it."

"When Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord, the family was so proud, as he was too, unlike Master… who betrayed Mistress and broke her heart," Kreacher added bitterly.

"Kreacher…" Sirius warned, holding the poker aloft. Kreacher winced but continued.

"Master Regulus was so proud, so happy to serve … And one day, a year after he joined, he came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. And Master Regulus said … he said that the Dark Lord required an elf."

"Voldemort needed an elf?" Dumbledore repeated calmly.

"I don't get it." Sirius frowned.

"Oh yes," Kreacher moaned. "And Master Regulus volunteered Kreacher. It was an honour, said Master Regulus, an honour for him and for Kreacher, who must be sure to do whatever the Dark Lord ordered him to do … and then to c-come home."

"So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord did not tell Kreacher what they were to do, but took Kreacher to Gringotts Bank… to the Black family vault…"

"The Dark Lord placed the locket inside. And then he was gone."

"So, what happened when you got back here?" Sirius asked. "What did Regulus say when you told him what happened?" Sirius never got along with anyone in his family, but he tolerated his brother better than the rest. Sure, his brother ran off and became a Death Eater, but most of him blamed the family he was brought into. Maybe if they hadn't been Voldemort supporting psychopaths, his brother wouldn't have run in, wand sparking and gotten himself killed when he realized he bit off more than he could chew and tried to leave. Could this creature that he despised so much give him insight on his brother.

"Master Regulus was very worried, very worried," croaked Kreacher. "Master Regulus told Kreacher to stay hidden and not to leave the house. And then … it was a little while later … Master Regulus came to find Kreacher in his cupboard one night, and Master Regulus was strange, not as he was usually, disturbed in his mind, Kreacher could tell … and he asked Kreacher to take him to Gringotts Bank, where Kreacher had gone with the Dark Lord …" The house-elf started to cry even louder, sniffling and wiping his snot on his pillowcase clothing. The two wizards listened intently to the house-elf.

"M-Master Regulus took from his pocket a locket like the one the Dark Lord had," said Kreacher, tears pouring down his face. "And he told Kreacher to take it and to switch the lockets …"

"What?" Sirius asked in surprise. What was he at…? He thought. He was loyal to Voldemort. What would have caused him to change his mind?

"He ordered Kreacher to leave without him. He told Kreacher to go home…and never to tell my Mistress what he had done but to destroy the first locket. Kreacher swapped the lockets and watched … as Master Regulus … was engulfed in flame by the dragons…"

"Regulus did a very wise thing," Albus told the elf. Sirius's head snapped towards the Headmaster, realizing his whole childhood of hatred was misplaced.

"Why is this locket so bloody important anyway?" Sirius asked incredulously, voice slightly shaky.

"The locket is a very important piece of the puzzle into bringing down Lord Voldemort," Albus said simply.

"How? You mean actually killing him?"

"I am not too sure yet," Albus lied easily, looking back down at Kreacher. "But I believe Regulus knew the truth and worked undercover to bring him down from the inside." The words hit Sirius like a brick wall. His stomach dropped. "He was a spy?" Sirius's voice was hollow as he slumped down in one of the kitchen chairs. "Oh, Merlin…" The poker fell from his hands with a sharp clatter.

"So, you brought the locket home, and you tried to destroy it?" Albus asked, getting back to the task at hand.

"Nothing Kreacher did, made any mark upon it," moaned the elf. "Kreacher tried everything, everything he knew, but nothing, nothing would work … So many powerful spells upon the casing, Kreacher was sure the way to destroy it was to get inside it, but it would not open … Kreacher punished himself, he tried again, he punished himself, he tried again. Kreacher failed to obey orders, Kreacher could not destroy the locket! And his Mistress was mad with grief because Master Regulus had disappeared and Kreacher could not tell her what had happened, no, because Master Regulus had f-f-forbidden him to tell any of the f-f-family what happened…" Kreacher was wailing again, rocking back and forth, looking tortured.

"Kreacher," Albus spoke calmly. "We have found the locket and managed to destroy it. Regulus did not die in vain. Your mission has been completed. You may go back to Hogwarts now if you like."

If it was possible, the house-elf sobbed even louder and wailed, sinking to the floor. He disappeared with another crack.

"I don't believe it…." Sirius ran a hand over his face. "Regulus was against Voldemort this whole time… I never knew."

"I realize this may be hard to hear," Albus replied. "I'm sorry Sirius. Thank you for helping me get this information. But there is one more thing I must discuss with you."

"What else would you want from me?"
"I'm sure you know by now, the truth about the Ministry battle." Sirius nodded and Albus continued. "Sirius, Kreacher gave that information to Narcissa and Bellatrix because they treated him better than you did yourself. He was feeding them information about not only you, about the Order, for months because he did not like his current master. If you treated him with kindness instead of hatred, he might not have betrayed you."

"I know," Sirius nodded and sighed. "You don't know what that elf was like. He was as twisted as my family. Just another reminder of how mad they were. I know he wouldn't have done it if I was nicer to him… I'll… I'll try."

"That is all I can ask for Sirius."

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

January came bearing slightly warmer weather than December had brought. Dean was in his and Sam's room in the staff quarters going over their class plans. The past couple of days were tough on the three Winchesters. The brothers were still barely talking to their father, but it had got slightly better, only contributing to the proof that they loved their father dearly. Things were struggling along. Dean and Sam, after some discussion, decided to share a room and give their father the other. After all, what was sharing a room to them? Nothing they weren't already used to. They had grown up in the same room all their lives. Sharing a room was partly for their comfort, and also due to the fact that neither son wanted to sleep in the same room as their father. 'Why do I have to give up my room?' Dean scowled. Sam asked him if he really wanted to share a room with his father, and it shut Dean up quickly.

Dean had been feeling worse and worse since John's arrival. He was happy to have his father back of course, yet the nagging in his head never stopped. His father gave his life for him. It brought a wave of grief so intense that it threatened to push Dean over the edge. He fought with severe depression since his teenage years but never said anything. He just sat back and drank until his mind went numb. Booze had been the answer for years. What was it that Bobby said only a few months before? Just because it kills your liver doesn't mean it's not medicine. How true that was. It numbed the pain and the fear of whether he was going to make it another day. It was a constant battle. They never knew when they would die, not that anyone did of course, but they had both died multiple times at this stage, so the blackness of death did not hold any peace.

Dean's eyes peeled open to the sunlight streaming in the window. He became aware of a knocking on the door that joined to their father's room. Great… He pushed himself out of bed and pulled the doorknob, revealing his father.

"Thought you two would be up by now," John noted.

"Wha…?" Sam mumbled, sitting up. "Dad?" he wiped his hand over his face. Usually, Sam was the first up, but he'd spent most of the night, even after Dean gave up and went to bed, planning the first lesson back after the Christmas break the next day.

"I made some changes," John announced walking in past Dean, a scroll in his hand

"You what?" Dean asked. "Well come on in then…." He asked as he got up.

John immediately went to the table and sat down. Dean and Sam got out of bed and approached him, sharing a glance. This is bound to be fun, the look seemed to say.

"Wait, are those my lesson plans?" Sam asked as he looked at the scroll.

"They are," John replied. "I looked over them. This 'viewing memories' stuff isn't going to work."

Sam looked over the scroll. Crossed out words with scrawled paragraphs in the margins were littered all over the page, with some entire paragraphs struck through. Sam's organized lesson plan now looked like anarchy.

"What have you done?" Sam nearly growled.

"Sam and I stayed up all night doing that," Dean looked at his father with hard eyes. "And what's that 'memory stuff won't work?' crap?"

"These kids need more hands-on experience." John frowned.

"That's what the training classes are for," Sam snapped, looking over the scroll. "You changed everything. Half of this is outdated lore."

"What do you want us to do? Throw them into the Forbidden Forest and say 'may the Force be with you?' Dean rolled his eyes. "Or drag a demon into a class of thirteen to seventeen-year-olds? That'll go over real well Dad."

"Our lesson plans are fine," Sam agreed with his brother. "You're back five minutes, and now you wanna take over?"

"McGonagall said she wanted me first. I'm just trying to help you." John's expression hardened.

"Well, you're not." Dean snapped. "Our way works, and it doesn't put the kids in danger, but they see what has to be done first hand. Trust me. They're traumatized enough."

"These kids are in a damn war. Even we don't know everything about it. Some of the students have had family killed, been pulled out of school. Their lives ruined."

"Sam don't even bother," Dean scowled and turned on his father. "You don't fucking get to tell us how to run our classes. You're on thin ice with us as it is. Don't push it, asshole."

John's eyes were wide with shock before they turned to anger.

"Who do you think you're talking to, boy?" John's voice was cold as he stepped closer to Dean.

"Get the fuck out of my face," Dean glared. "If you know what's good for you. Look, maybe in time things will blow over, but back the fuck off for five goddamn minutes and see if that'll happen before you try to take over!"

"Dean's right," Sam added. "For once just back off. We've had time to simmer down about some of the crap you pulled, but you being back blows it right back up again. We don't need your help with the classes. Not only that, but we know a lot more than you think, more than you've found out."

"Fine. At least let me sit in on your class."

"No," Dean snapped at once. "Absolutely not."

Before John could answer, Dean's phone started ringing.

"We're not done here." Dean glared at John as he walked into the other room to take the call. "Hello?" he greeted, angrier than he meant.

"Hey Dean," the voice of Bobby Singer sounded through the speaker, sounding tired and stressed.

"Bobby, are you okay?" Dean picked up on his tone. Sam came through the doorway and Dean pressed the speaker button.

"What's going on Bobby?" Sam asked.

"Case went bad," Bobby replied. "Rufus is dead."

"What?" Dean's eyes were wide as he looked at his brother. "No… this isn't happening. What the hell happened?"

"We found some new creature. Khan Worm. It gets into your head and controls you. Rufus and I went looking for it after a string of deaths. Ran into your grandpappy and one of your Campbell cousins." Dean and Sam looked at each other.

"I hope you kicked Samuel's ass for us," Dean replied. "After everything that bastard did."

"I know, I know," Bobby replied, thinking of Samuel's betrayal, handing the brothers over to Crowley in return for his daughter's resurrection. "That's not everything. Samuel and Gwen are dead too."

"Shit…." Both brothers didn't know how to feel. "Do we need to come home?"

"No, It's-"

The line disconnected suddenly, causing a shiver of panic to pass through them. Suddenly Bobby Singer appeared before their eyes, the phone still raised to his ear.

"What in the hell…?" Bobby asked, his eyes wide. He lowered the phone slowly. "Where in the hell am I?!"

"You're in Hogwarts…" Dean replied. "How, I haven't a clue why…"

"What happened?!" John burst in. "Bobby?"

"Balls…" Bobby sighed.