Chapter 48, And Don't Forget My Dog, Fixed And Consequent

"Looky what the boys found, Aunty," Bellatrix crooned sweetly. The six of them had just arrived back from their shopping trip to Borgin and Burkes. Walburga and Orion were pouring over the newspaper while sipping glasses of wine in the parlor. "Sadly the rest of us did not find anything that intrigued, but the boys did find themselves something very interesting to play with."

"Actually, we can't take the credit," Regulus drawled, grinning from his now curious parents to Bellatrix. "Bella has the real sharp eye for such things. It was she who spotted them. So if you're impressed, you have her to thank."

Severus had to bite his lip to keep from exploding into laughter. Bellatrix wanted to see Mr. and Mrs. Black lose it, but she never said that they had to lose it on Regulus and Severus specifically. Regulus was just as Slytherin as his elder cousin. It did not hurt to remind her that age had nothing to do with cunning. "Well let's see," Mrs. Black said. She gestured imperiously to the brown paper parcels that Regulus and Severus both held.

Regulus unwrapped his. "Severus and I got the same thing," he said. "There were actually four in the shop but none of the Lestranges wanted one, so now there are two left."

"Are those real," Mr. Black asked, staring at the bones through speculatively narrowed eyes.

"It's Knockturn Alley, Orion," Mrs. Black snapped. "Of bloody course they are real! How disgusting! Apparently Borgin and Burke cannot trouble themselves to clean their items before they set them out for sale. How shameful!"

"In their defense, the price was low," Severus said, trying not to smile. He was pleased to be able to return some of the spending money to his mum. Nothing else in the shop had drawn his interest.

"Not to mention, those disgusting bits of flesh or whatever may have magical significance," Rabastan speculated. "You know, like for whatever spells or potions require the flesh of a dead man instead of just the bones."

Mrs. Black shuddered. "That is disgusting. Regulus, whatever you use those bones for, do not do it in this house. In case it goes wrong, we don't want this place haunted more than it already is. I shall not tolerate ghosts that aren't family. One never knows what trauma ghosts bring along with them depending on how they died."

"Also do not get yourself expelled playing with your new toy at Hogwarts," Mr. Black warned."Of course Hogwarts is where you shall have to play with it, but when doing so, do not get yourself expelled."

"Yes father," Regulus said. "I may not even use it. I may just read the book and stash the set away for a just in case situation. Or I could read the book then gift the bones to Sirius next Christmas." He snickered. "It would be the first and last Christmas gift I would give him. In truth the gift would be to myself, for seeing his face would certainly be priceless!"

Bellatrix snickered appreciatively. "I am curious about the book, though, so you shall both give us your thoughts after you have read it."

"Sure," Severus said."While the bones are rather disgusting, I am curious to read up on what they can actually be used for."

"Well get them out of here," Mrs. Black said, gesturing Regulus away. "I do not wish to look at them anymore." She made a face. "Put them away in your room until you can take it to Hogwarts. And Severus, don't you dare forget yours."

"I won't," Severus said. "But how is it different than the troll foot umbrella stand?" He could not help asking.

"The troll foot was actually preserved and crafted into a useful item with a properly foreboding esthetic," Mrs. Black replied. "Not to mention it is clean, and there is no rotting flesh hanging off it. Now get them out of here."

"Yes, right away, Mum," Regulus said, turning toward the door. "Thanks for taking us out," he added to the Lestranges. "It was most definitely an experience."

Bella cackled. "Indeed it was. Severus, don't forget to fill us in on your Mum's reaction."

Severus shrugged as he followed Regulus from the room. "Sure."

"Kreacher must go see to the evening meal," the elf declared once the three of them were in the hall. Severus and Regulus spent the next few hours pouring over their new books in order to discover all the dark uses for human bones. They apparently had uses for protection runes if one ground them up and put them into the ink used to draw said protection runes. If you ground them up and brewed them into a potion that included other delightful delicacies such as graveyard dirt, you could command the spirit attached to the bones for twenty-four hours.

Severus and Regulus both decided that they weren't interested in any spirit servant enough to drink bones and graveyard dirt. No way! There was another potion, though, requiring equally disturbing ingredients to be ground up with the bones including a used coffin nail. If you had someone else drink it, the ghost to whom the bones belonged would haunt that person for a day. While Severus thought it would be grand revenge with which to torment the Gryffindor Gang of Gits, finding the ingredients and brewing the complicated potion was just too much effort. The gits simply weren't worth it. There was a spell that allowed the ghost to whom the bones belonged to lead one to buried treasure, but only if said ghost happened to have some treasure hidden. If they did not, the spell still drained the magic from the bones, rendering them useless.

"No point in that one," Regulus grumbled. Not at all one for gambling, Severus nodded his silent agreement of his friend's assessment.

"I think we should just trade these once we return to Hogwarts," Severus decided. "A few Slytherins will be interested for sure, and we only require two."

Regulus's face brightened. "There's an idea! I like it."

Before more could be said, the door to Regulus's room burst open. "Are the Lestranges gone, prats?" Sirius glowered around the door frame as he spoke.

Regulus sighed. "I really need to do something to fix that door so people can't come in unless I wish them to," he commented to Severus, ignoring Sirius completely.

Pushing the door open further, Sirius stomped inside. "Are you going to answer me, or must I drag the information out of," he trailed off, eyes widening slightly at the sight of the open boxes of human bones sitting between Regulus and Severus on the floor. "God, the two of you disgust me," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Then get out," Regulus suggested. Reaching into his box, he plucked out a bone and chucked it at Sirius, who dodged back, lip curling in a silent snarl.

"We do not know what the Lestranges are doing," Severus said. "You shall just have to come to dinner and find out."" He had understood them to be going home when he and Regulus headed upstairs, but it was more fun if Sirius was left to wonder.

"This is truly the summer of hell," Sirius proclaimed as he headed toward the door. Don't worry, though. You will both pay once term begins."

"Of course we will," Severus said darkly. "It is far easier to make more skilled wizards than you pay when you have more less skilled wizards to help you out. Safety in numbers and all that."" Sirius's only reply was a hate filled glare as he slammed the door shut.

"I hate him so very much," Regulus said, voice shaking slightly as he glared daggers at his closed door. Severus suddenly found himself awash in sympathy for Regulus's plight. He hated Sirius as much as anyone could hate anyone, and of that he was certain. Regulus had to live with the git, though, and thus be exposed far more. With that in mind, Severus did not see how Regulus did not literally explode with hatred. Then Severus considered that he had Grandfather Prince at home, so perhaps it was the same. He may get away from the old man at Hogwarts, but he had the gits there, just as Regulus had Sirius at home and at school.

"I understand," he said, and Regulus grinned.

"I know you do. Because of your grandfather and all. I'm sorry that you have to live like that, but it's nice having someone around who gets it. Of course Kreacher gets it, but he can't attend Hogwarts."

Oddly enough, Severus found himself smiling back, because it was nice to have someone around who indeed got it. It was only a pity that said person was so loyal to Voldemort. Every time Severus saw that ragged collage of newspaper clippings on Regulus's wall, it made him feel a bit ill.

It was unnerving to truly like and respect someone who you believed would never listen to you about a certain thing, perhaps the most important thing. It would be dreadful if Regulus got himself killed in Voldemort's service. Or if some day he and Severus had to fight one another when Severus was at last ready to make his move against the so called Dark Lord. He could only hope that Regulus would see the light before it came to that. He was smart, after all. When Regulus's bedroom door opened again, both he and Severus turned toward it with dark expressions. It was only Kreacher though. "Sorry," Severus muttered.

"Sirius just came calling, so we thought it was him returning for round two," Regulus said darkly.

"How was the book," Kreacher asked. "It is time to eat."

"It's rather nasty," Regulus said with a chuckle. "We have both decided to trade ours to other Slytherins at school. I shall tell you about it after dinner, or you can read it if you like. I know Mum and Dad shan't want to hear about it at the table, it's that disgusting!" As he spoke he rose from where he'd been sitting at his desk to read. "Shall we go with you to tell Sirius that it is time to eat?"

Kreacher nodded, smiling. "That would be nice."

"Severus made him wonder if the Lestranges are still here," Regulus said gleefully. Severus closed Regulus's door once all three of them were through it, and they walked together to Sirius's room.

"Food is ready if you want it, Dog Breath," Regulus called. That was the second time Regulus had called him that, and Severus snickered.

"Does he not clean his teeth well, then," he asked as they headed downstairs.

"Oh it's not about that," Regulus said. "Don't you know, then?" He turned to give Severus a look of true surprise.

Severus shook his head slowly. "Apparently not, because I have no idea what you are on about."

"Sirius's Animagus form is a dog. I suppose because his name represents the dog star. He is very similar to a dog though. You know the sort that's always barking and barking at nothing important until you just want to put it down so that it will shut up."

Kreacher grinned. "Our family, we aren't exactly dog people," the elf told Severus.

Severus chuckled. He'd never wished to be an animal, but the art was a difficult one. He truly had not believed Sirius intelligent or disciplined enough to learn it. "What about you," he asked Regulus. "What animal do you turn into?"

Regulus made a face. "No."

"Master Regulus is above such things," Kreacher clarified haughtily. The three hurried into the dining room then, because Sirius's feet could be heard on the stairs.