The Search Is Over,
Chapter 159, Basilisk
"So do you reckon Hagatha and Balthazar wanted Regulus to consider the basilisk because Ariana had one with her," Walburga asked. The necromancer in question was being shown out by Hydra and Loughness so that she would not be late for her own holiday family plans.
Orion nodded thoughtfully. "I wasn't certain. I thought it was more of an interesting coincidence, actually. The basilisk has always been the Little King whether Ms. Dumbledore has one with her or not, after all."
"Don't be snarky, Orion," Walburga snapped.
Kreacher had been staring fixedly into space, processing the meeting with his parents and trying to decide how he felt about it. The strange words from Orion and Walburga caused him to blink at them in confusion as he returned his attention to the hear and now. "Kreacher saw no basilisk, and he should think one would be rather difficult to miss."
He exchanged a glance with Regulus. Both clearly wondered if the parents were alright. What if seeing their old friends had upset them more than anyone knew?
"Hm," Walburga mused. "Do you think no one else saw it?"
"Clearly they didn't," Orion said.
"Unless they're having us on," Walburga speculated.
"Now would hardly be the time, Burga," Orion pointed out and she nodded.
"True enough." Glancing over at Kreacher and Regulus she added, "Why you couldn't see it is beyond me, but Ariana Dumbledore had the specter of a giant basilisk wrapped around her. It was sort of...cuddling her and whispering into her ear. I don't understand Parseltongue, so I have no idea what it was saying."
"I didn't think she did either," Regulus said. "Understand Parseltongue that is."
"Perhaps as a necromancer she understands all spirits," Kreacher speculated. Everyone nodded in agreement to that.
"Sounds reasonable," Orion said, giving Kreacher an approving smile.
"But what was she doing with a basilisk, though," Walburga asked.
"I'm honestly surprised you didn't just ask her," Regulus said frankly.
Walburga frowned, hands moving indignantly to her hips. "My dead friends who accidentally died while attempting to help us place safety wards on this home were here, Regulus. I was focused on them."
Regulus opened his mouth to point out that Ariana and her ghostly basilisk were still here for a few moments after Kreacher's parents had departed, but he didn't dare vex or challenge his mother while she was clearly in a mood. Instead he said, "Well she did speak to Slytherin's ghost, and he had a basilisk or two I believe."
Walburga jerked her head in a nod at him. "Now you're thinking. Only why does she have Slytherin's basilisk? Should it not prefer his company to that of a necromancer?"
Regulus chuckled. "Unfortunately, Mother, I do not have all the answers."
"A pity," Walburga muttered peevishly.
"Did either of you see it," Orion asked when Loughness and Hydra reentered the room.
The twins exchanged a glance. "Probably not," Loughness said.
"See what," Hydra asked at the same time.
"The specter of the basilisk wrapped around Ariana Dumbledore and whispering into her ear," Walburga answered.
"Um, no," Loughness said. "And that's odd, as magical ghosts can always be seen."
"Have we ever seen the ghosts of magical animals, though," Hydra protested.
"Or perhaps she did not wish for us to see it for some reason," Regulus speculated, frowning in thought. "She didn't mention the basilisk, after all. She was eager to tell us that she met Salazar Slytherin, so the fact that she didn't mention having a new ghostly pet is odd to me."
"Shall we ask her about it," Kreacher wondered and Walburga shook her head.
"No. I believe Regulus is correct. I believe she cloaked it from mortal eyes." She gave a satisfied smirk. "Only she can't hide it from other ghosts. I don't think I wish for her to know that, though. If she hasn't already figured it out, perhaps keeping the secret for now shall prove useful."
Regulus wasn't certain that he saw just how. Still he wasn't about to go against his mother if it wasn't absolutely necessary.
"You have Grandmother Hagatha's nose, Daddy Kreacher," Hydra observed suddenly. She gave him a happy excited smile that made her blue eyes sparkle in such a way that caused Regulus to smile too. "I like to know things like that...You know where our features come from." The elf ghosts had been so faint to see that Regulus wasn't able to make out the shape of Hagatha's nose. He gave Hydra a pleased smile. She had good eyes...Perhaps even better than those of vampires...unless she'd used her elf magic.
"Did you use magic to see her more clearly," he asked.
Hydra looked startled. "I...I didn't think about it that way, but now that you mention it, perhaps I did. It was instinctual, though."
"When Kreacher and I were studying any text on the fae that we could find, I read that fae folk can see magic and spirits more clearly than other magical folk," Regulus said. "That supports what mother then Griphook said about elves and goblins being fae to some degree."
Kreacher nodded, looking pleased. "Kreacher saw his mother's nose as well, so it must be so."
Walburga frowned. "Well if elves can see things wizards cannot, the system isn't foolproof. None of you saw that basilisk, after all."
"Necromancers can still hide some things even from us, as it is their field, I think," Loughness speculated.
Kreacher nodded. "So it appears."
Regulus didn't have to look into Kreacher's mind to know that he was still mulling over what his parents had told him even while actively participating in the current conversation. Regulus was as well. Idly he wondered if Hagatha and Balthazar were as wise when still alive or if one only gained that much wisdom in death. His parents didn't seem overly changed, but Kreacher's parents had traveled to another level of the spirit realm. Did this serve to evolve them more? "Were Hagatha and Balthazar much changed," he asked, looking to his parents.
Orion and Walburga exchanged a glance. "Well...Not so much their personalities, but they clearly knew more. They have learned much from...not being here anymore," Orion said. He swallowed and glanced away, still a bit fragile from the exchange with his former family elves.
"Kreacher wishes to thank Hydra for doing this for him. It has been the best Christmas gift ever." As he spoke, Kreacher rose and drew Hydra into a gentle embrace. Hydra blinked back tears as she embraced him in return. Though he hated to miss being a part of such a sentimental family moment, Regulus took the opportunity to explore what Kreacher's parents had said of him and basilisks. How much of a little king was he? Taking advantage of the fact his parents were distracted by the family moment, he was ready to find out. Lunging forward toward Walburga, he caught his mother's gaze. Using his full vampiric skill, or rather trying to, he said, "Scream Mudblood as loudly as you can."
Walburga blinked. "Why?"
Regulus sighed, shoulders slumping. "With anyone else, because I said so would have worked...Literally it would've. Apparently I can't use my vampiric skills on ghosts, though."
"I never thought you could," Walburga said, blinking at him with a perplexed frown on her face. "Are you quite well, Regulus?"
He sighed. "Yes Mother. I am fine. I just...Well Kreacher's parents seem to believe I am some little king with the abilities of a basilisk so I wanted to see how far it would go. Obviously I can vamp humans, be they wizards or Muggles, but I would be quite surprised if our future enemies will be human. With that in mind, I thought that testing my skills on others to see how far they go would be wise. Apparently they don't go very far though," he concluded morosely.
"I don't know why these future enemies can't be human, though, Daddy," Hydra objected in true Ravenclaw fashion. "Humans are the worst, after all. Just look at all they've done to the world and to one another. Voldemort was sort of human...Sort of. For all we know your abilities could've worked on him." Hydra's tone was soothing, but her concept merely caused Regulus more frustration. What if he could've vamped Voldemort into offing himself after making him spill all his secrets and he'd simply never tried?
That frustration would be too much to live with peacefully. Granted he'd had plenty of reasons for not trying, I.E the death of his father, the near death of Kreacher, the mind twisting of the Lestranges and so on, but still. Vampire mind control was one thing that had never been attempted on the soulless freak.
"Probably not Voldemort," Walburga said, and Regulus felt oddly soothed. "He had the Horcruxes, after all, and we still don't know all the forms of magic that Horcruxes interact with and how."
Hydra nodded at her grandmother. "Very true. Hopefully our future enemies haven't made Horcruxes then."
Regulus gave his daughter a smile, because that hope was a valid one. Few were twisted enough to muck about with their own soul.