The Search Is Over,
Chapter 162, Muddled Ancient Memories
"Why do we need Ariana Dumbledore," Kreacher asked.
Regulus gave him an incredulous look. "Because! Bloody windows don't shatter themselves, and my parents aren't that good yet. They'd like to be, I am sure, but as it is, they can barely lift a chess piece. It clearly takes loads of effort. The chess pieces literally quiver in the air when they lift them, so they won't be breaking glass any time soon."
"So Master Regulus believes it was Kreacher's parents," the elf asked reluctantly.
"Clearly," Regulus said. "We were just speaking of them when it happened." He was impressed that they could not only hear them from the other side, but could also shatter a window from there as well. Elves were impressive magical forces to be reckoned with. It was no real surprise to him that Kreacher's parents were as powerful even when no longer of this world. Kreacher was frowning darkly at the wooden window frame with its few shards of jagged glass jutting from the edges. "Mummy? Father,? Where are you?"" Regulus used an amplifying charm that allowed his voice to carry over most of the manor as he called out.
"Attic," Walburga shrieked back. "Looking through some old things. What do you need?"
"Um... I'm not sure," Regulus called back. "Could you come to the library to look at something?"
He didn't feel like shouting all over the house for the other elves to hear that Kreacher's parents had probably shattered the window, after all. Kreacher gave him a grateful look, and he forced a smile. He hoped Kreacher's parents, if this had been them, had at least discovered some useful information, and that they weren't just expressing frustration with their child, because that wouldn't help anything.
"What in the world did you two do to the window," Walburga demanded. "And why haven't you repaired it?" Regulus and Kreacher turned nearly as one to see her and Orion hoovering in the doorway. "It was so odd not sneezing from the dust in the attic," Walburga continued. "I think that may have made me feel more dead than anything else." Regulus felt a sudden pang. His parents were having this... this half life because of him. Was Ariana right in her certainty that it wasn't wise to keep them here? "Get that look off your face, baby. Mummy didn't mean it," Walburga chided. "Now, the window?"
"Yes, Kreacher should fix it, he supposes," Kreacher muttered hastily. "He just thought he should perhaps leave it for Ariana Dumbledore to see."
Regulus nodded. "Yes. I think you should."
"Ariana Dumbledore," Walburga asked. "Why ever would she need to see it?"
"Because it wasn't us who broke it," Regulus replied gravely. "We were talking, and Kreacher's parents may have come up, and the window sort of rattled and shook, then did that," he concluded, gesturing vaguely at the empty window frame then around the room to the shards of shattered glass.
"Hm," Walburga murmured. "I never knew those two to be violent, but perhaps they only wished to gain your attention. Yes, calling on Ariana does seem like the wisest idea."
"I shall write her now, then," Regulus said. He glanced at Kreacher and when the elf nodded, he hurried across the room to the desk. He quickly found a quill and parchment. He was as brief as possible when explaining the situation to Ariana, concluding by asking her to come right away. Of course he offered to pay whatever she required to do so on such short notice. He felt badly for potentially disturbing her, so it was the least he could do. As he wrote, the room was silent. Kreacher and his parents did not move or speak as they waited. Once Regulus had rolled the note and tied it with a bit of green twine, Kreacher called Stormy to deliver it to Ariana at The Hog's Head. As soon as Stormy vanished, Kreacher began to pace. He was clearly agitated. The fact that he wasn't muttering to himself concerned Regulus more than anything could've. "What's the matter, Love? Other than the obvious, of course." As he spoke, he rose from the desk to put a hand on Kreacher's shoulder.
"Kreacher has no idea what to say to them. He still feels as free as he did when he spoke to his parents previously. Though he considers himself to be extremely free, his parents clearly do not, and he sees no point in speaking to them if they shall only be displeased with him." Kreacher's sullen tone perfectly matched the baleful glare he turned on the library's empty shell of a large front window. Regulus cringed, hoping that if the parents in question were still listening, they wouldn't see fit to break anything else.
"I'm sure something has happened," Walburga said. "Explosive anger isn't at all like Hagatha or Balthazar."
"That's because they weren't here long enough to meet Sirius," Orion quipped, making everyone laugh. At least momentarily, the laughter served as a balm to ease the tension in the room. Kreacher even relaxed a bit, going to sit in one of the chairs closest to the fireplace. Currently it held no logs as the weather was warm enough. Soon the children would be home for the summer. Regulus found himself looking very forward to spending more time with Hydra and Loughness. They were growing up so fast. Fortunately, Ariana returned with Stormy after only a few minutes. She wore a perplexed, concerned look on her face. "I see," she said, staring at the window. "They did impress me as being very strong spirits, but this sort of display is an unusual ability indeed. Very fascinating! There is clearly much I do not understand of elves and their abilities. Elf spirits are apparently quite powerful." She turned away from the window then to smile a greeting at everyone. "Forgive me. Hello! It is good to see all of you. Walburga, Orion, you are looking well and nicely tethered if I do say so myself." She chuckled.
"Thank you," Walburga said, practically preening.
"Shall we get to summoning your parents then," Ariana asked Kreacher, who nodded nervously. It seemed that at Ariana's question, his former anxious mood had quickly returned. "If they say it wasn't them, we'll have an entirely new problem," she added with a frown.
"Kreacher nearly forgot," the elf said suddenly. Turning to Ariana he asked, "Does Ariana Dumbledore know if spirits are able to send dreams to the living?"
Ariana nodded thoughtfully. "Some say that they can, though I have never experienced it myself."
"What if Kreacher's parents attempted to contact him through a dream first," the elf muttered. "It was a few weeks ago, the last time Kreacher and Master Regulus took their day's sleep in a cave." He shook his head as if to clear it, but in fact he was trying to remember instead. "The dream was passing strange, and Kreacher did not at all like the feeling it gave him even upon waking. Perhaps this is why he forgot the dream directly."
In this most strange of dreams, Kreacher felt as though his movements were not precisely his own. Instead it was as if they were, at least partially, controlled or guided by some other. Kreacher vividly recalled how his hand opened at random pages of a tome called Ancient Witchcraft and Wizardry. It appeared to him through the pages of this dream book that throughout early history, some sorts of Kreachers were well established as guardians of the various bodies of water. They had somewhat less than human bodies, closer to those of water trolls, with blue, green and black coloring resembling that of the various seas and oceans. Eventually, Kreacher read, these various Kreachers acquired a kind of auspicious nature.
Their appearance became associated with heralding a treasure found, perhaps because they were themselves guarding such treasures. Of old temples, of knowledge, of magical power, and as ever, of gold. Upon awakening from this strangest of dreams, Kreacher wondered if his own mind was playing tricks on him. After all, he and Master Regulus had both suffered greatly from a certain unmentionable body of water, and if creatures were truly known to guard water, well that could be an impossibly painful irony of sorts.
To add to his doubts, Kreacher always considered himself unique. He never heard of any other House Elf sharing his name. Could Kreachers indeed be a forgotten species, or a product of his imagination? He knew not, but at least, if his own mind conceived such an illusion that failed to spare his own feelings, it must have felt equally judgmental towards poor Master Regulus. In another part of the same dream, Kreacher experienced reading a strange glossary of magical terms and of names. The glossary conveniently opened itself to the page where various analyzings of Master Regulus's name were conducted. This dream glossary seemed to suggest that Master Regulus own initials could be translated as the word 'slave' in Russian.
If Kreacher could have a fight with somebody who was responsible for his mind producing such images, he would've had it out with them right there and then, without any interest in delivering mercy. Kreacher could only hope that his parents would not send such bizarre messages to him. For he still would not know to which end or how he would even use such dubious revelations, regardless of what was meant by them.
"Kreacher?" He glanced up to see his mother hoovering in front of him looking a bit larger than life as did his father at her side. So engrossed had he been in his recollection of the disconcerting and unpleasant dream that he hadn't even noticed Ariana summoning them.
"Kreacher is sorry. He was... He was recalling a dream that he had the last time he and Master Regulus slept in a cave. Kreacher was trying to do what his parents wished him to do, and it is hardly his fault if he failed. If parents sent him such an unpleasant dream as punishment, Kreacher... Kreacher..." He didn't even know what he would do or feel, but it certainly would not be pleasant, as at present, his ire was quite beyond words.
"Of course we did not," Hagatha told him. He was relieved to see the worried frown crossing her face. Relieved that she had not sent him the dream.
"That is not to say that someone else did not," Balthazar interjected, exchanging a look of concern with his wife. "There are enemies, remember. Old powerful enemies that are as yet hidden even from us for the most part."
"The dream either came from them or from Kreacher himself," Hagatha added.
Kreacher bristled. "Kreacher would never send such strange and foul tidings to himself," he insisted. "Kreacher likes himself very much. He..."
Hagatha cut him off. "Kreacher's own memories can speak to him in dreams. As these memories would have been from very long ago, they may feel strange. In dreams, we seek to impart information to ourselves. If the dream felt unpleasant, it is only because Kreacher recalled unpleasant times that may repeat themselves. Perhaps he should tell us of this dream." The suggestion was a clear command, so Kreacher did so at once, recalling both parts of the dream in as much detail as he could. He avoided looking at Regulus as he spoke, uncomfortable with the rab slave reference. Oddly, it was Regulus who spoke first.
"I suppose it's accurate, Kreacher. You don't have to be offended for me." He shuddered. "I suppose I was a slave to Voldemort even if I was unable to see it at the time. Surely all Death Eaters were, literally taking his bloody brand! And then I was a slave to my own anger and thirst for vengeance even if such was justified. Ironically, I even signed my name as R.A.B, slave when writing him of what I had done." He gave a bitter laugh. "Whoever the dream came from, friend or foe, they spoke the truth.""
To Regulus's surprise, Hagatha gave him a smile of approval. "It is good to see that our Kreacher indeed chose a wise companion for himself. If only Regulus continues to exercise that wisdom. If only Kreacher listens to his own, they may be able to turn things around."
"So did parents name Kreacher after... other ancient guardian beings called Kreachers," Kreacher asked.
Hagatha shook her head. "No. Your name has many roots, but we intended it to be a variation of a dark unicorn, a constellation creature to fit into the Noble And Most Ancient House Of Black. Your name is a mix of various meanings. We were so excited to have you, and we just knew what a special baby you would be. Not only because you were ours, but because of the wonderful family in which you would be raised to serve. Many a night Balthazar and Hagatha sat in the parlor with Orion and Walburga, excitedly talking of baby names." She chuckled. "Walburga was so envious that Hagatha got herself with child first." She gave Walburga a fond smile that made the other ghostly lady wipe at her eyes with the sleeve of her dress.
"So Kreachers who guard bodies of water are not real," Kreacher asked.
Balthazar shrugged. "If they are, we are unaware. The more I think on it, the more I believe Kreacher may have gotten this dream from his own rather symbolic bits of ancient memories."
"But how is Kreacher to know what it all means," he asked, frowning in frustration.
"Likely it was not literal," Hagatha said. "Perhaps Kreacher himself was an ancient guardian and Regulus a slave the first time they were lovers, when they were originally cursed. Kreacher shall have to continue to seek."
"Why are parents so mysterious all the time," Kreacher demanded peevishly. "They provide no help, yet continue to make impossible demands of poor Kreacher."
"Because we do not know the answers," Hagatha replied. "We only know a need for Kreacher and Regulus to discover them."
"Did you shatter the window," Walburga asked. There was no accusation in her voice, only curiosity, and Regulus felt himself envying the spectral elves. If he and Kreacher had shattered the window, as she'd initially believed, their certainly would have been far more accusation than curiosity.
"Maybe." Hagatha drew the word out slowly, glancing self consciously away from Walburga. "We know that we should not be looking so often, but it is hard."
"We are sorry," Balthazar murmured, but his gaze was fixed on Kreacher. "We are sorry that we are unable to make Kreacher understand. His resentments of us are in the way to what he needs to do and we regret this."
Regulus found himself wanting to defend Kreacher in this, whatever it was. "We have both tried, Sir. Truly we have. I have read of all the kings history has to tell of, and Kreacher has attempted to study and connect to nature, but we have reached no grand revelations."
"It is not grand revelations that Kreacher and Regulus should seek," Hagatha said, frustration in her voice. "It is instead a far deeper level of self realization that they must both reach."
"Well this sort of help that you give isn't working," Regulus snapped suddenly. He couldn't help it. The frustration had become too much. As soon as the words left his mouth, he flushed and lowered his head. "I am sorry. I understand that I am not at all what you wanted for Kreacher and that I do not deserve him."
Kreacher drew in a sharp breath, casting a look of horror at Regulus before looking in something close to excitement at his parents. While Regulus's words were despicable, the elf would not mind in the slightest if his parents decided to turn their displeasure on Regulus and give Kreacher a momentary respite. Even with this in mind, however, it was difficult for the elf not to open his mouth to defend Regulus. Before he could, though, Regulus continued to speak.
"My self realization is that I ruin everything I touch. It's almost embarrassing to look back at my proud younger self." He let out a harsh chuckle as he shook his head in open self disgust. "I actually thought I had it all figured out. Kreacher and I were going to do something great for the wizarding world."
"That would be nice," Hagatha murmured. Walburga chuckled.
"We shall try not to watch so much, and thus we shall not become frustrated with Kreacher's resentments," Balthazar promised. "We are sorry about the window."
"It is quite alright," Walburga assured. "We were only concerned that something had happened."
"Something will happen soon. Their are stirrings beyond the veil, but we cannot predict them," Hagatha said. The anxiety in her tone caused Regulus to shiver. She smiled at him and nodded as if he'd got it right.
"What if," Regulus said suddenly as the idea struck him. "What if the basilisk connection is more literal? I've never tried to become an Animagus. Perhaps because Sirius did, but so did Bella. I suppose I just didn't have time. I don't know, but I could try now. Now I have plenty of time, after all." He looked hopefully to Hagatha who smiled, nodding. "And Kreacher as well," Regulus asked.
"Certainly Kreacher as well," Hagatha agreed before both ghosts touched Kreacher's cheeks and faded away. In a sense, Regulus thought it was nice that they hadn't said goodbye directly. It made it less final somehow.
"I shall never get used to spirits just being able to leave without me," Ariana said, giving her head of red curls a baffled shake.