Thanks to all of you who took the time to review my story!

AN: chapter betaed by Miette and dstone12, thank you :)

Kreacher was afraid. Master Regulus wanted him to remember what the bad Wizard had done to Kreacher before making him forget and leaving Kreacher burning inside and alone on the island. Kreacher had almost died. He did not want to remember more of this awful day. But Master Regulus had saved Kreacher. He had taken care of Kreacher until Kreacher was healed. Master Regulus had asked Kreacher to forgive him for not protecting Kreacher and for failing him as his Master. Master Regulus was a good Master, always had been since Kreacher had been assigned to watch over him and the other-who-should-not-be-named.
Master Regulus wanted Kreacher to remember but he did not want to order Kreacher to remember because it might hurt Kreacher. So Master Regulus was going to ask his wizard friends for help and Kreacher had to come with him but Kreacher did not want to because Master Regulus had trusted the bad Wizard too, enough to lend him Kreacher and enough to be branded by him and now there was a spot of blackness on Master Regulus' arm which scared Kreacher. But Master Regulus had asked Kreacher to trust him and Kreacher was a good Elf and he loved Master Regulus who could have ordered him to come with him to meet the other Wizards but had only tried to convince Kreacher the other Wizards would help Kreacher.
Kreacher did not want to doubt Master Regulus but most Wizards did not care about helping House Elves, especially when they were not their own. His Mommy had explained to Kreacher that he had to be a good Elf if he wanted his Masters to care for Kreacher, and even then, only Master Regulus and Mistress Walburga truly loved Kreacher. Mistress Walburga loved all the Elves of the House, she loved them so much that when they died, she had their head stuffed and hung on the hall wall so they would always be remembered by the House of Black. Kreacher liked to sit beneath his Great-Ma's peaceful stare, bathing in the feeling of half-remembered stories told with warmth and amusement. Mistress Walburga was not completely right in the head but that was not her fault, it was because the House of Black was not right either and Kreacher was lucky Master Regulus was not yet affected by his House unbalance.
Kreacher had heard Master Regulus said he would save the House of Black. Kreacher was proud of his Master Regulus and he did not regret one moment not belonging to Master Orion even though he was the Head of House. Master Regulus would be the best Head of House one day if he stopped trusting bad Wizards.

Kreacher trusted Master Regulus so in the end, he agreed to go meet with Master Regulus' friends. All of Master's friends were branded with at least one àmoi, and all the àmoi shined brightly which meant these Wizards' House Elves considered them good Masters. Kreacher was feeling a bit better.

Master Regulus explained to his friends that he was looking for a way to make Kreacher remember without hurting him and asked them for advice. They spoke for some time but Kreacher had a hard time focusing on the conversation because Masters' friends were intriguing. One of them had the same kind of black spot than Master Regulus. He did not look much older than Master Regulus and Kreacher felt sad for the Wizard who had also been tricked by the bad Wizard. The other two were free of this blackness, but both possessed a far more interesting particularity. They each had a Familiar. It was proof of great power and wisdom and Kreacher felt glad his Master was friends with such Wizards.

His attention was called back to the Wizards' conversation when Master Regulus called his name.

"What can Kreacher do for Master Regulus?"

Master Regulus gave him his special smile then kneeled at Kreacher's height. It was not proper but Kreacher secretly loved the few times Master Regulus had done so.

"Severus proposes to call for his House-Elf and ask her if she can help you. He believes she may possess qualities other House Elves do not and which could help you."

Kreacher hesitated. He did not want another House Elf to judge him for being afraid of remembering. But it would be worse if Master Regulus asked one from their own House.

"Kreacher agrees to meet with Mister Severus' Elf," he answered firmly.

He barely had the time to worry about what was coming before the other House Elf was here. Tuei from Line Zawia. Was she not from House Caspian? She was confusing, and Kreacher felt his eyes widen even more as the other Elf began speaking in Great-Ma's special language. She used her entire body as well as her empathic sense. She spoke so quickly he had trouble following her questions. He had not spoken this way for a long time. Master Arcturus had not liked when Great-Ma had spoken this way to the other Elves and Mommy had been eager to please Master Arcturus.

He tried to answer her as best as he could but he knew he was rusty and awkward. He felt her disappointment. He felt her anger. But she was not angry at him.

"Tuei!"

Kreacher looked up as Tuei's Master got up to stand between Tuei and Master Regulus. Why was Tuei angry at Master Regulus? The bad Wizard was the one who deserved her anger.

Kreacher listened as Tuei's Master talked to her. As she told him Kreacher was one of the lost Elves, and what did she mean by this? Were there other House Elves who had lost their memories to the bad Wizard?

Kreacher blinked as Tuei slowly walked toward him until she was close enough to put her hand on his own. Once more she talked to him in Great-Ma's language.

I can help you, nalowale. If you will trust me.

You want to make me remember.

You have forgotten much. Much more than what Lord Voldemort took from you.

Kreacher looked the other Elf in the eyes. They spoke of knowledge and wisdom. They spoke of a common history he had no memories of. He should remember if he had forgotten something so important, like he knew the bad Wizard had stolen something from his mind.

Will it hurt?

Of course. But less than never remembering.

Her eyes were kind. He could feel her desire to help and her sorrow for his ignorance.

He nodded slightly and she smiled.

Kreacher closed his eyes. He sensed the Magic build up inside her, he sensed Tuei creating a link between them, giving him information which anchored into his mind as if it was always meant to be here. He remembered rules, implicit and explicit. He remembered power... power his Line had long forgotten. He remembered his Great-Ma's stories.

Kreacher felt his mind expand then stumble upon a black box. He frowned and pushed the box. It did not budge. Kreacher could make his mind come around the box but it felt wrong so he pushed and pushed until the box exploded. All at once the memories of that day came back to him. Kreacher recoiled as he remembered the pain and the darkness but Tuei's gentle and strong presence bolstered him, helping him stand his ground.

They were not worse than his memory of the burning pain inside him and the deep insatiable thirst which had led him into the cold embrace of the inferi and would have killed him had Master Regulus not called for him.

Kreacher breathed deeply and opened his eyes to Master Regulus' hopeful face.

"Kreacher will tell Master Regulus what he remembers of his day with the bad Wizard."