The blue mist quickly approached James. Surprisingly, he did not feel fear or panic. Instead, a sense of peace and comfort washed over him as the mist surrounded him, gently caressing his face. Suddenly, the mist took the shape of a majestic swan.
"Potter," said the swan in the most angelic and haunting voice he had ever heard. As calming as he expected it to be, a sense of urgency and pure panic permeated the swan's words.
"I need your help. It's Regulus. I think he's dying and I fear that it's already too late to save him." The voice continued. At the mention of Regulus, James felt his heart drop and his breath stop.
Without a moment's hesitation, James reached out to grasp the swan's outstretched wing.
The world spun around him as he felt the familiar sensation of apparition. The colors of his living room blurred and the fireplace's warmth faded as he found himself in a strange room. He blinked, trying to regain his bearings.
Slowly, the room around him came into focus. It was a beautiful bedroom, full of colors and elegant furniture. But that was not what caught his attention.
Sitting on the bed, clutching a letter with red-rimmed eyes, was Pandora Rosier. James knew her from Hogwarts, not that they were friends by any means. She was sorted into Ravenclaw, a year below him, and had always been a bit odd. She mostly kept to herself, never really interacting with anyone outside her small group of friends. Her friends. Her best friend. Regulus.
James felt his heart clench at the sight of her. She looked utterly distraught, a complete contrast to the calm, serene girl he remembered from Hogwarts.
She must've sent the Patronus, he realized. His heart had dropped when he heard Regulus' name and had yet to stop pounding.
"Regulus is in trouble." Those four words shook James to his core.
"Potter, I need you to listen carefully and do exactly as I say," Pandora spoke slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"We don't have much time. Regulus is in grave danger and I need your help to save him. I can't explain anything right now, it would take too much time. And any second wasted could mean the difference between bringing him alive or dead."
James wanted to ask questions, to demand more information, but the urgency in Pandora's voice stopped him.
"W-What do you need me to do?" Whispered James, his heart pounding in his ears.
Instead of answering him, Pandora turned to the corner of her room. There crouched a house-elf, shaking but not making a single sound. James didn't know how he hadn't noticed it before. He didn't really know what to make of its presence either, having not recognized it as Kreacher, the house-elf Regulus talked about. Who would have thought he'd meet who Regulus said was his first friend in this way?
"Kreacher," Pandora spoke to the elf in a low but firm tone. "Where is Regulus?"
The elf lifted his head, tears streaming down his face. But no words came from his lips. The elf's silence was all it took for a look of pure devastation to cross Pandora's face.
Seeing Pandora's distress, James finally found his voice.
"Kreacher, please, you have to tell us where he is." The desperation in James' voice was palpable. He grabbed the elf's shoulders, forcing him to look up. The house-elf opened his mouth but only small whimpers escaped.
Pandora stepped closer, her eyes pleading.
"Kreacher, can you take us to —"
But before she could finish, the elf suddenly jolted into action, grabbing Pandora's hand, James' hands still on his shoulders.
With a loud crack, they disappeared from the room, leaving behind nothing but the discarded letter on the bed.