Regulus was quickened by his mother up the stairs into the second drawing. She avoided the first and Regulus later found out it was because Sirius was there having a screaming match with their father.

Sirius. He missed his brother.

He hated this place because that is where He always was when he came. The hallway into the drawing room was colder than any pool of water in the arctic. It had remained that way. He watched as the double doors opened.

There he was sitting in the grand armchair, his father was more proud of than his sons. His eyes fell on the white circular face, with red eyes that were void of any and all emotion.

A mask.

The Dark Lord was sat draped in black, his presence darkening the room. His eyes flashed slightly behind his mask. A slight hiss echoed from above him and his eyes dared to go above him.

A large green snake bigger than the arm of the chair before him was wrapped around the centrepiece chandelier above and he vaguely remembered wondering how it had gotten there.

"This is the boy?" His voice was eerie and low. Regulus suddenly had the violent urge to jump out the window.

"Yes, my Lord. Regulus Arcturus Black III." Regulus was sure he was looking straight at death. He heard the door close behind him and didn't dare to look back. His mother had abandoned him.

The Dark Lord stood, and suddenly with no warning Regulus was on his knees, his head feeling like it was being forcefully split into 8 halves. He saw his memories flashing behind his eyes.

Sirius's first argument with their father

Sirius' first argument with their mother

Sirius getting crucio'd on both accounts.

Watching Sirius redecorate his room with Gryffindor posters covering every litter bit of green.

Sirius getting crucio'd for that as well.

Every single memory unfolded out for the man before him. Every embarrassing thought, every personal moment laid bare before him. Humiliation filled his blood, heat rose to his face.

"No ounce of rebellious spirit...that's good, that's good." Regulus was out of breath. He tried to stand, his legs shaking slightly. His vision was dizzy. "Your brother however…"

"Hold out your hand." It was not a request. Regulus held out his wand hand, a wave of nausea came over him, he -on instinct- was about to switch arms when the Dark Lord's wand met it.

A flash of white hot sizzling pain pooled over the surface of his arm and under his fore-arm, flooding his entire arm, his vision blanked, and his knees lost feeling.

Screams emerged from his throat as a black smudge of ink gushed out of his skin tattooing the image of one of the worst things he'd ever seen. The skull came first, void of eyes before opening its mouth and a snake came out like a tongue.

The sight scared him.

He screamed even after the wand had been removed, he screamed as the image on his fore-arm moved and wiggled as though to get comfortable.

He screamed as he fell to the floor. He screamed till he couldn't scream anymore. His voice was gone, his eyes were red, and his entire arm was in pain.

The Dark Lord raised his wand and Regulus flinched. The snake dangling dangerously low, slipped onto the wand trailing down till it rested comfortably on his shoulders.

Without a sound the Dark Lord moved out into the halls before disappearing into smoke and disappearing into the night sky leaving a limping crying regulus black on the floor behind him.

Regulus' eyes open slowly, his nightmare was vivid but his reaction was not. He was slightly back to his old self. He shuffled trying to get out of bed when he felt warmth beside him. He hadn't had this in a while.

He glanced and there was James Fleamont Potter and his son, Harry James Potter cuddling into him. The similarities were seamless, he realised he hadn't really looked the two over when they first came.

They had showered and changed into cleaner clothes, their hair no longer littered with sticks and leaves.

The messy jet black hair, their mouths slowly hanging out, a soft snore. The domestic nature of everything made him smile.

"I'm sorry for just dumping all that on you."

James shook his head. "Better now than later."

Harry nodded his head although Regulus was sure he had no idea what was being talked about.

"Can I see it?" Regulus nodded off at Harry. James turned to Harry and murmured something in his ear. The boy slowly went into a corner and started to count. James held out his hand and Regulus took it, a question in his eyes. "Hide and seek,"

"What on earth is that?" He asked as he followed James out the room, leaving Harry counting in the corner.

"You'll see."

"So we just hide and Harry comes to find us."

James nodded. "Should give us enough time for the gory bits."

Regulus nodded. Right.

Best just rip off the band-aid.

Regulus yanked up his robe sleeve, expecting the look of disgust and anger and pity but when he looked at Janes he saw none of that, he saw…wonder.

"You survived…this."

Regulus nodded. His vision began to blur. He'd already cried before James already; he wasn't going to do that again in this broom closet.

"When did you get it?"

"After graduation."

Yes. James had shoved him into a broom closet. He said he wanted it to be a tad easier for Harry to find. James reached out a hand and stopped.

"May i?"

"Unfortunately it would send a message to The Dark Lord and compromise all four of us. Next time."

James nodded.

"The Dark Lord has these items. In the old tongue they are called horcruxes. These are objects which contain pieces of the creator's soul so if something were to happen to the creator they wouldn't die, not in the sense."

"Why haven't I heard it before?"

"Because it's some of the Darkest magic ever done." Regulus ran a hand into his hair, a habit he'd learned from the man in front of him. "It's rarely ever a success. Some die before completing the final task of it."

"What is the final task?"

"Murder and Sacrifice."

"How do you know all of this?"

"The Black family has eons of information at their fingertips."

"So all this time you've been hiding you've been finding these Horcruxes." Regulus nodded. "And how many have you found?"

"One. There are six."

"Do you know what they are?"

"A locket, a diary, a snake but the other three no."

"And you destroy the locket."

"Yes."

"Do you know where he's hidden the diary?" Regulus shook his head.

"I'm trying to find more about his past but so far it's been the hardest thing ever."

"I think I can help with that."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." James nodded. "His father was one of the damned people he sought to eliminate, he might have even been the cause of it all."

"He's the last of the gaunt line."

"Merope's kid different he is from his mother. Rumor has it she betrayed her family in the worst way after her father died, an affair with a muggle man - Tom - Her brother went insane and was put in Azkaban after killing the guy and his family.

Regulus stayed quiet and so did James.

"I think I know where to find the next horcrux."

The door to the closet rattled and a euphoric Harry stood in front of them, surprisingly standing beside him was the house-elf Kreacher who had turned his nose up slightly when the' guests' had arrived.

It seems Harry had roped him into helping him search for baba and his baba's friend, Kreacher had tried to get him to say the Master but it had been futile. Regulus knew deep down: Kreacher wasn't mad, intact he was happy at the newcomer.

The Potter's were a lineage of pure bloods and he had no problem with them, he almost didn't get mad after finding out Harry's mom was a muggle-born.

Harry mumbled something into James' ear. The latter's eyes widened and he looked over at Regulus.

"The game has ended and Harry would like a prize." Regulus nodded. What could a toddler honestly ask for that would stump him.

"A group hug."

Without even thinking Regulus nodded his head and James and Harry swarmed him giving him a group hug, Harry somehow including even Kreacher who was not known for such affection. He wouldn't admit it but he likes it.

"Kreacher, are you ready for more babysitting?" The elf grumbled but ultimately agreed.

"Where are we going? James fumbled with his new cloak that Regulus had got him.

"Where else after the conversation we just had."

The House Of Gaunt.