Overheard Conversations

The holiday is over here in Beaubatonx too, and I wish you were here to have fun with me. As I remember you told me you had a quidditch match, so good luck for you, mon cher, and watch for the bludgers.

I hope you win this game, and I send you a little gift for you to remember me.

Kisses, I'll be waiting for your answer

Amelie.

From inside the pink envelope Regulus took a golden chain where a locket was attached. When he opened it he gazed at a picture of Amelie wearing the blue cap in a side and a note on the other: kissed, Je t'aime mon amour. Your, Amelie.

Regulus couldn't hide his smile as he put the locket around his neck and inside his quidditch robes, leaning dreamily on the wall after. When he left the dormitory a sound of talk called his attention, and he hid behind a tapestry to hear.

"Black and Pettigrew are out, what are we telling Lucius?" Avery spoke angrily to the Carrow brothers, who carried their bats. Alecto, a stout girl, hit the bat on the palm of her hand.

"We could kill them both and pretend to be an accident."

"No, stupid." Her brother, Amycus, snored. "They're surrounded by Potter and his friends. They'd know."

"If Regulus falls from his broom today…" she started answering, but Amycus wasn't convinced.

"We'd lose the championship!"

"Who cares for this stupid championship?" snored Barty, and Regulus froze when they passed through him.

"Barty's right." Avery agreed, and everybody went silent. Regulus got out from the tapestry and started sneaking behind them, trying to overhear anything.

"Ok, Avery. We can make Regulus fall and make it all seem like an accident…" Alecto suggested, and Regulus saw Snape join them.

"You are incredibly witless, Carrow." Snape hissed, and the girl looked disgusted at him.

"Make a plan then, Snape, if you're that good."

"We owe Lucius nothing, Avery, neither to any of the Blacks. If they have a family feud, let them solve. We follow the plan the Dark Lord has done. We have to find out why the newcomers have broken into the Lestrange's vault."

Regulus blood was like ice when he took a parallel corridor and ran to the Main Hall.

"You won't believe what I've heard!"

But when he gazed at the Gryffindoors, he saw something was wrong. He sat curiously beside Sirius, who pointed at Hermione.

"Read it again, Hermione, Regulus is here."

Hermione pulled the Daily Prophet near her and read:

Shopkeeper is found dead

This Friday morning the shopkeeper Abellardo Borgin was found dead in his shop which sold suspicious products, called Borgin & Burkes. The Ministry's squad answered to an anonymous call and found the man's body on the back of the store. Dark Wizards are suspected. Nothing was stolen.

Regulus listened closely to the article, and then completed with what he overheard at the corridor. Harry drank a little of his pumpkin juice and then said:

"Well, now we know one thing."

"Which is-"

"He knows we're after his horcruxes. We must act quickly. "

"The match…" James begun, but Peter interrupted.

"The match is over, James. We're in the finals already."

"I mean Regulus' match, Wormtail."

"My match won't last long, Prongs. I just need you to prevent the Carrows from killing me."

"We'll be prepared." James assured, and Regulus left the table.

They arrived at the pinch where Slytherin would play against Ravenclaw prepared. They'd been relaxed since the Hufflepuff match, and this game would decide who would play against them in finals.

But this time they were more interested in Regulus safety than the game, so they picked the higher placed among the crowd, James, Sirius and Harry holding their wands in front. As the rest of the boys spread within the cheer the girls waited at the end of the field in case Regulus fell.

"Let's start the most important match of the season! Who will confront Gryffindor? Ravenclaw that lost the first latch against them or Slytherin that is having serious internal problems? Let's see!" irradiated Mary, and Madam Hooch entered under applauses. Harry used a binocular to see Regulus, who was escorted by the Slytherin beaters, wondering if they would risk the title just for this."

The whistle was blown, and Harry saw that Slytherin hadn't given up the title, for they smashed the Ravenclaws with faults. A peak upwards showed Yuka flying through Regulus, who guided the broom hardly.

"Come on, Regulus, finish it." James whispered to the air.

The Slytherin players flew across the Ravenclaws, and the Carrows through bludgers everywhere, without even looking. If one of them hit Regulus it will surely seem like an accident, Harry thought. As if the boy's thoughts hit the balls, Regulus had to duck on the broom to escape from one of these bludgers. The game was in slow motion in his head, and Harry stared scared when Regulus raced behind a golden trail, and only emerged when the green students cheered.

The Gryffindors waited for him at the door of the dressing room, ready to congratulate for the game, when Regulus ran out frightened.

"We have to go to the cave now."

"Why?" Sirius asked, but Regulus started running towards the castle. As they followed him confusedly, he spoke:

"I heard Avery saying he got a letter from Bella, Sirius. She said the Dark Lord went to Borgin & Burked, the Lestrange's vault and his birth village, but she didn't know why."

"He found out." Harry deduced. Regulus nodded and they stopped at the castle's doors.

"We need to get there before he does. Let's split."

"I can stay." Emmeline said, followed by the girls.

"I'll go with James, Sirius, Ron, Regulus and Peter." Harry said.

Whilst the rest of them returned to the castle, the boys ran to the Whooping Willow. Before they hit the tree and passed, a group of cloaked figures appeared.

"Where do you think you're going?" one of them asked in a mocking tone. Harry stared at him.

"Go away."

"I think you didn't get it, newcomer." Snape appeared holding his wand. "Avery told you to disappear."

"Shut up, Slimeball." James spit as he withdrew his wand. Snape tried to retaliate, but James' spell threw him away. The others pulled their wands too, and the duel began. When their hoods fell Harry felt uncomfortable to see the seventeen years old Slytherins throwing curses at them.

"Avada Kedavra" Avery cursed Regulus, who ducked to escape.

James, who dueled with Snape, yelled to the others:

"Let's play their game! Stupefy!"

Snape was cast away, falling unconscious on the ground. The sound scared the others, who were knocked by Ron and Regulus.

They glanced at the unconscious lot on the floor and Peter transformed into a rat, pressing the tree.

The boys passed little time inside the tunnel, for they ran as fast as they could towards Hogsmeade. When they reached the other side Sirius and Ron, the only who could apparated, helped the others to vanish.

"Uow." Ron sighed when the cave appeared.