Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. Just borrowing them for a story and my own imagination.

Chapter 14

That night, the dream came.

Mia found herself once again in the meadow—but this time, she wasn't running on four legs. She had hands, feet, breath that caught in her chest instead of panting from a muzzle. The grass tickled her bare arms as she ran, laughter bubbling up from somewhere deep inside.

Beside her, Ban was also in human form, sprinting with the same easy grace he always had, though his long legs gave him an unfair advantage. He grinned over at her as she tried to catch up, his eyes crinkling with mischief.

They weren't running from anything this time. They were just… running. For the joy of it.

Eventually, they slowed, breathless and laughing, until they reached a little stream that wound its way through the hills. Mia dropped to her knees and dipped her hands into the cool water, drinking greedily. Ban joined her, cupping his palms to drink, then splashing a little toward her. She shrieked and splashed back.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Mia felt peace. No questions. No pain. Just the sun, the water, and someone who loved her.

She woke with sunlight on her face and tears drying on her cheeks. But they weren't from sadness this time.

She sat up slowly, blinking against the morning light, the memory of the dream still clinging like morning dew. It was different this time—clear, grounded. The way her feet had felt against the grass… the sense of paws she often dreamt with had been gone. But the feeling of running—the rhythm, the instinct—was still there, deep in her bones.

It stayed with her as she dressed, and all through breakfast, nudging at her thoughts like a persistent breeze.

When Harry finished his toast and Sirius drained the last of his tea, Mia looked up and said, "I want to try Animagery."

All three heads turned toward her.

"I mean really try," she added. "I've had too many dreams where I was running on paws. And not just dreams—memories too, I think. Like muscle memory. It feels… important."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, then nodded slowly. "That… actually makes a lot of sense."

Remus looked thoughtful, already reaching for one of the many books on the shelf. "It's advanced, dangerous magic—but not impossible. You're a powerful witch, Mia. I think it's worth a try."

Harry groaned. "Great. More homework."

Remus smiled and tossed him a worn-looking volume. "Read up. Animagery isn't something you just do. You have to know your own mind inside and out before you even attempt transformation."

Mia caught her own copy with more enthusiasm. "Thank you."

They spent the morning reading and discussing, poring over case studies and magical theory. But by afternoon, the library had shifted focus again—back to horcruxes.

That was when Harry pulled something from the bottom of his trunk—a small, twisted locket and a scrap of aged parchment.

"I've been meaning to show you this," he said, placing them carefully on the table. "It's what we found in the cave. The real horcrux was already gone. This is what was left in its place."

Sirius picked up the note. As his eyes scanned the elegant, slanted handwriting, he went pale.

"R.A.B.," he murmured. "Regulus Arcturus Black."

Harry frowned. "Your brother?"

Sirius nodded, slowly lowering the parchment. "He was a Death Eater. Joined young. But then… something changed. He disappeared just before my parents were killed. I never knew what happened to him."

Remus leaned in, his voice low. "We might find answers in his old room. If the locket was his…"

They all looked at each other, and the unspoken decision was made.

That evening, Sirius and Mia prepared for their trip to Grimmauld Place. It had been abandoned since the fall of the Order's first headquarters, and now—with Snape's betrayal—it was potentially compromised. But they couldn't risk not checking it.

Mia felt a chill as they approached the darkened, imposing townhouse. Sirius's wand lit the path ahead, casting eerie shadows across the ivy-covered bricks.

Inside, the place was cold and dust-choked, the air thick with stale magic. Defensive enchantments glimmered faintly in the corners, pulsing with power.

Sirius muttered counterspells under his breath as they worked their way through the layered wards. "Dear old Moody helped put some of these up," he explained. "They'll fry your skin off if you look at them wrong."

Mia winced. "Lovely."

They reached the upstairs corridor. At the end stood a door neither of them had ever opened.

Sirius hesitated. "I always avoided it. After he vanished, I just… couldn't."

He pushed it open now.

Inside, the room was pristine. Not a single speck of dust. Everything exactly as it had been—books, drawings, old Quidditch posters from Slytherin house. A Black family tapestry hung on one wall.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "This isn't natural. There's no way this place has stayed this clean for over a decade."

Mia's eyes flicked around the room. "Kreacher."

She said the name aloud, and within seconds, the old house-elf appeared with a crack. He blinked at Sirius, then narrowed his eyes.

"Mudblood," Kreacher said coldly, bowing stiffly. "And… the blood traitor."

Sirius snorted. "Nice to see you too, you wrinkled sock."

"Enough," Mia said firmly, stepping between them. She held up the locket. "Kreacher. Do you recognize this?"

The old elf froze. His eyes widened, his lip trembled. And then… he dropped to his knees.

"It was Master Regulus's," Kreacher whispered. "He gave it to Kreacher. He told Kreacher to destroy it, but Kreacher could not."

Mia knelt with him. "Tell me everything."

And he did.

Kreacher sobbed as he revealed the decades old secret that he had kept so close to his heart - Regulus joining the Death Eaters, providing Voldemort with a house elf for some random task, Kreacher drinking the poisoned waters and returning to his master in agony, Regulus finally turning against the Dark Lord, ordering Kreacher to help him retrieve the horcrux, drinking the poison himself and then sending the elf home with one final command: destroy it.

Tears tracked down the deep lines of Kreacher's face. "Kreacher failed, nothing he could do will destroy the locket. Master died alone. Kreacher has tried to punish himself every day since."

Mia gently placed the locket in his hands. "We'll finish what Regulus started. I promise."

Kreacher stared at her, eyes shining. "Mistress is kind. Mistress has good heart. Kreacher will serve Mistress Mia. Kreacher will protect her."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Of course. You hate me, but she gets the loyalty."

"Kreacher loves Master Regulus," the elf snapped. "Not the blood-traitor brother who left!"

But even as he grumbled, Kreacher didn't vanish.

When they returned to the cottage, he came with them.

And for the first time, as he stepped into the warm, tea-scented kitchen of Lupin Cottage, Kreacher didn't sneer at the surroundings.

He bowed stiffly. "Kreacher will serve the young mistress. And maybe… the rest of you."

"If he must."
Author's note: Surprise! I uploaded an extra bonus chapter. Now I really don't know when the next chapter is coming. So...

Please enjoy, and I would really appreciate some feedback, especially since I am still running completely unsupervised. If anyone has tips for acquiring a suitable beta (tall, dark, handsome), I will hand write you a thank you note.