Ten years ago, Regulus Black and Marlene McKinnon fled the wizarding world and were presumed dead. Now they've returned in time for their adopted son, Harry Potter, to start at Hogwarts. The potion left by Voldemort in the cave had long lasting consequences, however, and Regulus begins to teach at Hogwarts while Severus Snape works on a cure. Can they save him in time, while also hunting down horcruxes and destroying them before Voldemort can return?
Telling Healer Wainwright and the other healers they were moving turned out to be the most time consuming piece of the process. Arrangements were made through Dumbledore and the school's nurse to continue his treatments, with a portkey to their offices in the case of an emergency that Poppy Pomfrey couldn't handle.
Before the end of the first month, Remus had located them a small home in Hogsmeade. The younger boys would have to share a room during the summers, but neither seemed to mind. The prospect of attending Hogwarts had all three boys soaring through the days, and they weren't protesting much.
Their first meeting with Dumbledore after Reg's acceptance of the position started tense. Remus had become a close confidant to both Marlene and Regulus since the week he'd stayed in their home, and had agreed to stay with the boys so they could head up to the school and discuss everything with the headmaster.
Regulus was tired by the time they'd made it to the headmaster's office, and sank gratefully into the armchair Dumbledore conjured upon their arrival. After that, though, the three of them sat in silence. It was Marlene who finally broke it.
"You asked us here, headmaster. What is it you want to discuss first? Harry's placement, or the horcruxes?"
"As always, McKinnon, your bluntness is such a charm," a voice said from the corner, and Marlene's head snapped over to see Severus Snape standing there, arms crossed over his black robes. He raised his eyebrows. "Surely you looked around the room and noticed me here before letting out that very dangerous information."
"As always, Snape, your resemblance to a bat in a dungeon is such a charm," Marlene mimicked. "What is he doing here, headmaster?"
"Ah. Regulus, Marlene, Severus, I see you all remember each other. Actually, Marlene, Severus is here as a favor to you both." He looked over at her husband. "Severus will be the one managing most of your potions while you reside here."
"Healer Wainwright has already sent over the recipes they use," Snape said.
"Why him?" Regulus demanded. "Madame Pomfrey is in charge of my care while-"
"Your care, yes, but I have my Potions Mastery, and despite being this castle's nurse, Poppy does not have hers. The potions your healers have had you on cannot be brewed by the average potioneer, and unless you want to pay to have them shipped here, I am your new best friend."
In Slytherin, there had been a hierarchy of death eaters-to-be. Lucius Malfoy had recruited Severus Snape, and it was he that brought Regulus to his first meeting. While Regulus had later admitted to Marlene that while logically he knew Severus wasn't really to blame for what ended up happening to him, there was a part of him that did blame the other Slytherin. Hearing that it was this man who would brew his potions -
"I suppose it would be rude to decline such a generous offer," Regulus said dryly, and Snape smirked.
"Quite."
Marlene could only roll her eyes at the ceiling. "Headmaster, is there anything else you need us for? I'd like to get home before it's too late, and there are quite a lot of stairs to climb."
"When you're ready to leave, you're welcome to use my floo."
"No thank you," Regulus said. "Like my wife asked, headmaster, was this all?"
"No, actually. Severus, perhaps now they've arrived you would like to sit down?" Snape shook his head. "In case you were worried, Marlene, Severus already knew about the horcruxes. I confided in him last year, when I found this." A ring clattered onto the table, and all eyes in the room landed upon it. "A strong compelling spell was on it, and the only reason I was able to fight it was something you had said, Regulus, when you came to see me."
"I had been poisoned earlier that day and was trying to get you to listen to me during that meeting, headmaster, you'll have to refresh my memory."
"You told me of the compelling curse he'd used on you, the first time you'd done harm." Regulus sat in his chair, as still as a stone. "You said it wasn't an imperious curse, and it was nearly impossible for you to fight it."
"I managed."
"Yes. Because I knew to expect anything, I was more prepared then I otherwise would have been. It was a good thing, too. Voldemort left a ... nasty surprise for anyone who dared to put the ring on." He nudged the ring with his wand.
"The curse would have killed him within a year at most," Snape informed them. "He's lucky he survived."
"Indeed. When Remus came to me and told me that he'd found the two of you, and Harry, alive and well, I insisted I accompany him. I had to speak with you Regulus. Voldemort handed you the horcrux?"
"No." His tone was clipped. "He took my house elf with him, Kreacher, to a cave that was filled with inferi. I'd ordered him to come back to me, and Kreacher was a very loyal house elf. So he did. And he told me everything, about the poison and the locket. He said Voldemort was going on and on about how Kreacher should be honored, because he was enabling him to be immortal." Regulus paused, swallowing hard. "I knew about horcruxes because my father had spoken to me about them. The Black family has always been aligned with dark magic. I put it all together and made Kreacher take me back to the cave. He wanted to drink the poison. I refused to let him, and I drank it myself. It..." He trailed off, staring blankly at the wall. "It makes you relive every bad thing that happened to you, every bad thing that you've ever done, while your magic core attacks itself. The pain is worse than five cruciatuses. I tried to get water, because it makes you unbelievably thirsty, and that's when the Inferi attacked."
Marlene watched Snape's eyes flick to Reg's scars. "Kreacher was brave," she said, and Regulus gave her hand a thankful squeeze as she took up the narrative. "He managed to swap the lockets. He left a fake behind, and brought Regulus to me. He was barely alive at the time, and Kreacher didn't tell me he'd been hurt until it was too late to save his life. It took us months to destroy it."
"How did you?" Dumbledore asked eagerly. "As you can tell, this horcrux is still active. I'd like to change that as soon as possible."
"A basilisk fang. It cost us nearly a thousand galleons. They're very rare," Regulus explained. "But be warned, Headmaster, that horcruxes will fight back." Dumbledore furrowed his brow, and Marlene explained.
"When we got the locket open, a shape came out of it. I think it was the piece of Voldemort's soul, trying to fight back, to defend itself." Snape looked disgusted. "It - it attacked us both, tried to possess Regulus before I managed to get the basilisk fang and stab it." Her eyes burned as she recalled it. "It was horrible, headmaster, and I'd imagine that the other horcruxes will try and attack us too."