A/N: Thank you to all of my reviewers: We're moving along at a steady pace and should be getting into some good bits.
Declarations of Loyalty
Chapter 3: The Death Eaters
"Bartemius," the cold, high voice of Lord Voldemort rang towards the end of the table where Barty was sitting. "Where is your friend Regulus? I have never seen you without him in your year of service…"
Barty had expected this. "He's dead, my Lord," he said in a strained voice. "I killed him."
Voldemort did not look bothered by this revelation, but a haughty looking blonde woman turned and stared at Barty like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"For what reasons?"
Barty swallowed, shutting his eyes for a moment and struggling to close off his mind. "He thought to betray the Death Eaters, my Lord."
An elegantly dark woman at the front of the table laughed. "Then good riddance."
"Bellatrix," Voldemort said, silencing the woman instantly. "Well, at least you, above all, know that the Death Eaters has no use for traitors. No matter how friendly you are with them."
He nodded, staring at his reflection in the highly polished table. He didn't look like himself.
Whether or not he would ever admit it, Regulus could tell Sirius enjoyed having company. Even if it was just him. After a few days of tense silence, Sirius seemed to finally, reluctantly, give Regulus a bit of trust.
"Regulus! Dinner," Sirius called from the kitchen.
Regulus got up from the comfortable armchair he had been sitting in, reading books that had just coincidentally been in the room he was sleeping in. Books about Horcruxes. He had a very shrewd idea of who had sent them along.
There was never much to talk about at dinner, neither of them had left the flat for a week, and Sirius had not left for much longer.
"Remember that one time, in your fifth year, when James hung Snape upside down and threatened to take off his pants?" Regulus asked, poking at a slightly burnt lump that Sirius called dinner.
Sirius smirked. "Yeah."
"What was the point?"
"Just because."
"That's not a good reason to torment someone, Sirius," Regulus muttered.
"Maybe not," Sirius said, looking a little uncomfortable. "But it's not like anyone got hurt. And Snape always attacked James whenever he got the chance. We were just kids."
"I just don't understand the point of being so cruel," he muttered.
"then how did you make it a year with the Death Eaters?" Sirius asked, looking at him coldly. This was the first time the topic had come up in a week.
"I- uh-…Barty, mostly. He's…a bit more cut out to be a Death Eater than I ever was," Regulus admitted.
Sirius scoffed. "And you called my friends cruel."
He didn't really have a reply for that. He took a bite out of whatever it was on the plate (he could never be sure with Sirius' cooking) to emphasize this. Hoping that his brother would drop the topic when he didn't reply.
"That Barty kid always seemed off to me," Sirius continued leaning back in his chair.
"Really? He seemed fine to me."
Sirius finally got the hint and dropped it. "So do your parents…?"
"They probably think I'm dead too," he muttered unhappily. "If they found out I was alive, we'd all be dead by now."
"Nah, Dumbledore put the best protection on this place," Sirius said.
"When was Dumbledore here?" Regulus said, bolting up straight.
"A couple nights ago when you were in bed," Sirius said, looking at him questioningly.
Regulus looked troubled, the headmaster had been here, but he hadn't spoken to him, or talked to him about the Horcruxes, or anything? That seemed odd.
"He seemed to be in a hurry, I think he had someone to go," Sirius added. "Didn't seem keen on stopping to chat, at least, but he told me that if I had company, you'd have to stay out of sight. Just for safety reasons are something," he mentioned, shrugged.
"Oh, yeah."
They were interrupted by a low fluttering noise, and a silvery-bright phoenix landed on the table between them. It opened its beak and Dumbledore's voice came out of it. "If Regulus would kindly have a meeting with me, Apparate outside of the Hog's Head, I will meet you inside."
"Why does he want to see you?" Sirius asked as the Patronus flew off.
"Never mind that, where can I Apparate?" he said, looking around the flat.
"Just go out the glass doors," he said. "It's the only place that allows Apparition in the flat," he added, pointing. "I'd put on a cloak, if someone were to recognize you," he said in an offhand voice. Regulus nodded and grabbed a black cloak from a hook beside the front door. "I didn't mean one of my cloaks…" he muttered.
"I'll try and be back soon," Regulus said, pushing the glass doors that led out onto a small patio overlooking the city.
He Apparated quickly, and found himself standing under the creaking sign of the Hog's Head pub. He pulled the hood of the cloak up over his head and hopefully low enough to disguise himself a little, and looked around. He saw Dumbledore in a light conversation with the barman. Regulus wondered why they looked so much alike.
"Hello Professor," he muttered, walking over.
"Ah, good," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "Well, Aberforth, I must be off," he said, steering Regulus out of the pub. They walked in silence.
"Are we going into Hogwarts, sir?" Regulus asked.
"Yes," he answered as they passed the gates the led to the grounds. They walked up to the castle and to the stone gargoyle that led to the headmaster's office.
He sat down in the stiff chair in front of the large desk, and Dumbledore took a seat in his large chair. "I have found another Horcrux," Dumbledore said. "And destroyed it."
"Which one?"
"The ring, it was, as you had suggested, hidden in the Gaunt shack, but it had a terrible curse on it," he said, lifting a blackened and shriveled hand. "But due to some very timely action on my part, and a few members of the staff, no permanent harm should be done, other than a rather unpleasant looking hand," he said, touching the tips of his fingers together.
Regulus saw the large ring sitting on the desk between them; the black stone was cracked down the middle. "So that only leaves…"
"Three more, which is why I called you here," Dumbledore agreed. "It is a horribly reckless, senseless task. But I need you to break into Malfoy Manor and steal the diary that you believe is the Horcrux enchanted to open the Chamber of Secrets."
"That's like a death wish, sir!" Regulus exclaimed. "They'll kill me!"
"Do you wish to finish what you started?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
Somehow, Regulus felt a little ashamed of himself. "Yes, sir."
"Do you know where the Malfoy's keep their Dark items?" Dumbledore asked.
"I have a few good guesses," Regulus admitted.
He nodded. "Very well, go in the morning. I wouldn't suggest going home to Sirius tonight, he would be all too enthusiastic to go with you," Dumbledore said knowingly. "I recommend a room in the Hog's Head, but once you're there, do not leave your room. We can't risk having you recognized. My brother will take care of you, he's an Order member."
He did not know what the Order was, nor did he feel the urge to ask. "Alright, sir," he said.
"I will escort you out, I would not want your presence raising the alarm among the teachers," Dumbledore added, more to himself.
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