Title: who lives, who dies (hope bleeds, strength quakes)
Team: Falmouth Falcons
Position: Seeker [Beater 1 Stand-In]
Prompt: Song - The Brave Danny Flint
[Suggested themes: disguising oneself,
wanting to fit in with a group, maintaining a secret,
secret identity, someone who bad things
repeatedly happen to, mistaken identity,
something going right until the very end, tragedy]
Summary: Regulus' plan went off without a hitch, and he managed to prove Sirius and his mother wrong. But, at the worst possible moment, something happens and life proclaims that no longer shall Regulus succeed.
TW: Character death; hallucinations; psychological torture; mentioned injury; mentioned decaying bodies (Inferi)
Regulus wondered if Sirius would be proud of him; if his brother would smile at him, just a little bit even, and tell him that what he was doing was good. Regulus readjusted his grip on Kreacher's hand, going through the dark cave. He could do this; it would be alright.
The power that rolled off of it was intense, a dense fog of black, and Regulus took in a shuddering breath. "Let's do this."
Kreacher wasn't muttering as the elf led him through cautiously, his ears wriggling from nervousness. Regulus could understand the feeling, as his own heart was beating rapidly against his ribs in an attempt to break itself out. He took a deep breath of stale, humid air.
Water dripped down from the ceiling of the cave, the decisive, echoing plinks resounding in his ears like a scolding from his mother. His Dark Mark tingled as though knowing what he was doing was forbidden, traitorous, and Regulus carefully layered his Occlumency shields over his mind.
What he was doing was traitorous. It was betrayal to a madman who cackled like his insane cousin and inflicted pain on any who dared question him – he was no Lord, because Regulus knew what a Lord was and that was not it. A Lord, a true one, would not be so mad as to attempt to escape death and tear his soul to shreds; to even think of it showed a lack of reasoning despite being whole-souled.
Regulus worked his jaw as he came toward a stretch of water, leaning forward the slightest bit to catch sight of what could be lurking in the water. It could not be this easy–though perhaps it could be. He stretched out his magic, scraping his magic across the water lightly.
It hit something, a coil of magic that spoke of disillusionment, and Regulus hummed. It was a boat, he found out soon enough: a rickety boat that seemed like it would fall apart in a single second if not for magic. He spared it a quick glance and clambered into it, helping Kreacher get inside without rocking the boat.
Regulus pushed the boat across, turning his head swiftly when his eye caught a glimpse of something murky. He peered into the water, frowning when he saw nothing. Strange…
The boat hit a bit of land, an island if it could be called that, and Regulus clambered out on shaky limbs. There was a bowl in the middle, and he approached cautiously.
Regulus let his eyes flutter close when he saw what was inside. This was the potion that Severus had been working on, creating tirelessly for 3 months, and Regulus knew what it did. Severus had shared the notes with him, allowed him to help in a few of the less vital stages, and now here it was.
He twisted his magic slightly and pointed his wand at it. "Depulso." The Banishing charm struck the potion, but nothing happened. There was likely a ward over it and Regulus didn't have the time nor resources to wait.
He let out a humorless chuckle and transfigured a stone into a cup. "Kreacher… I want you to feed this to me. No matter what I say, do not stop. I will likely not be in my right mind."
"Master Regulus–"
"No, Kreacher." He snapped. "You will feed it to me and you will not stop for any reason. Do you understand me?"
Kreacher's ears wiggled again, and he nodded. "Kreacher be understanding."
"Good."
Regulus pulled his Occlumency shields as tightly as he could, hoping that they would lessen the effects of the potion. He would get out of here, take the horcrux back, and destroy it. The Dark Lord would be mortal once more. He took the note out of his pocket and rubbed the edge with the pad of his thumb. He could do this.
He opened his mouth for the first cup of potion and swallowed, going lightheaded almost immediately. Whispers started up but he batted them away, not allowing them to make it past his shields.
Kreacher kept feeding Regulus and he kept his eyes closed, ignoring the loud whispers and the hallucinations that would likely appear the moment he opened his eyes.
Regulus drank another mouthful.
"Reggie!"
His eyes flew open. "Sirius?"
"Who else could it be Reggie?" Sirius grinned at him, his smile toothy and his eyes gleaming. "Who else would be dragged here to comfort you because you just weren't strong enough?"
Regulus took a stuttering breath. "No – no that's not— I am, I promise. I'll do this and—" Something touched his lip, low mutters broke his concentration, and Regulus turned away.
"Master be seeing things – he ought to not be drinking this, but Kreacher can't disobey good, honorable Master Black. You be drinking this, Master Reggie, seeing your brother."
Sirius laughed. "Drinking poison because you can't feed it to the elf? That's what he's for, remember? I guess dear old mother's lessons didn't stick – you're still too soft."
"No, I'm not—"
"Yes, Regulus, you are. You didn't come with me when I left, too weak to get out of there; you didn't escape when they pressured you to join the Death Eater's, again too weak; and now you can't even give an elf a potion and save your own mind. You're just a pushover."
"No, Sirius," Regulus sobbed. "I'm not, I promise."
"You're a disappointment and you know that – at least I had the guts to embrace it. You? You tried to please everybody and now you're nobody."
Regulus cried, pushing the cup away from his face. "No! I don't want anymore, Kreacher. I'm not weak, I won't be weak—"
"Master not being weak, and Master should not be saying that, no, he should not. Master be drinking the last cup so that bad Master Sirius be proven wrong."
Regulus blinked as an edge nudged his lips. "Come on, Reggie. Drink it. Drink the potion. You want to be strong, do you?"
He did, he wanted to be strong so bad, to prove to Sirius that he wasn't a disappointment – he was good.
Regulus swallowed, choking on the liquid, and panted.
"You betrayed the Dark Lord."
Regulus whipped around at the change of voice. His mother glared down at him, her eyes boiling.
"No – I was trying to fix him, Mother. I promise-"
"You betrayed the Dark Lord! You came here with the intent to destroy part of his soul…" she snarled at him. "I birthed two traitors. I don't have any good sons."
Kreacher tugged on his shirt, pulling Regulus, and he tugged back. He was strong, he was a good son, he was something. He had to prove it to Sirius, to his mother – Regulus gasped, spluttering as cool liquid washed into his mouth, and he swallowed convulsively.
He shuddered and coughed. "Kreacher?"
"Master be hallucinating and talking to peoples not there. Kreacher had to do something."
Regulus shuddered again, wrapping his arms around himself. "Thank you, Kreacher... Do you have the Horcrux?"
Kreacher nodded and held it out. It was a locket. Regulus pointed his wand at it. "Geminio." A fake locket clattered onto the ground and Regulus grabbed it.
He flicked his eyes to the water, knowing that there was something in there. A murky thing floated to the surface and Regulus looked away. Don't panic, he thought as he pried open the fake locket and stuck his note in there. He stood and tossed it into the basin.
"Let's go, Kreacher."
Regulus climbed back into the boat and closed his eyes, feeling too exhausted to row the boat despite the elation that was dancing inside of him. He'd done it. He got the horcrux, he could destroy it and keep trying to find the other ones–
"Master Reggie!"
At Kreacher's cry his eyes snapped open just in time for him to see a peeling and rotted hand clamp onto his arm. Sharp brittle nails bit into his skin and blood welled up. Regulus pulled back, pointing his wand at it. "Incendio!"
Fire tore from his wand and Regulus lurched back, the boat rocking dangerously from more than just Regulus's actions. Horror encased him. There were more of them.
Regulus stared at the undead clawing at the boat and swallowed. His arm was bleeding sluggishly from the deep gouges and the skin around it was grey. Inferi were created through blood infection or ritual. There wouldn't be enough time to stop them from tipping the boat over, and Kreacher couldn't apparate both of them out until they'd exited. The wards wouldn't allow Regulus to leave and it would take too long to fight through the Inferi. The infection would have spread too far to be stopped.
Regulus swallowed. "Kreacher go."
Kreacher shook his head frantically. "Master Reggie—"
"Kreacher, go! That is an order! Destroy the locket and keep the secret."
Trembling, Kreacher nodded, and Regulus looked down at his arm again. His entire forearm was grey, and it was spreading.
The boat rocked again and Regulus swallowed.
"How strong am I now, Sirius?"