Chapter 3
Staring up at the Malfoy manor from behind a tree made Regulus feel a bit ridiculous. How was he meant to know when they left? He knew the appointment was around 2:30 based on Kreacher's spying but what if they were running late and were still inside? He glanced back to his wrist watch and saw the time was 2:34.
“Stay here Kreacher hide till I get back okay?” Regulus said before Kreacher nodded and apparated into the nearby tree. He moved quickly and quietly as he headed inside the garden door on the side of the house. Thankfully passing through the wards with no problems.
I guess removing a dead person from the wards is a little bit unnecessary, all things considered.
Shutting the door as quietly as possible to not catch the attention of any house elves he crept further into the sun room and to the door into the house. Which thankfully wasn’t locked. He entered the house glancing around quickly to make sure no one was around, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw he was alone and heard no one in the nearby halls. He pulled his hood further over his head fearing being seen.
He made his way around the hall peering around each corner to make sure there were no house elves walking by. He checked each room he came across for anything that stood out to him or looked out of place from the past times he has been here visiting Narcissa. Unfortunately he came up with nothing. He had to be quick so he was gone before Narcissa and Lucius got back.
He was looking through the library on the second floor when he heard it. The sound of heels clicking on the floor.
They are back already?!
He looked around for a hiding spot quickly cramming his way into a desk cupboard. He heard the door to the library open and the clicking heels leisuring through the bookcases. Whoever was walking around was humming to themselves. He could hear the sound of nails tapping on the bookcases. Narcissa must’ve gotten home sooner than he thought. He thought he’d have at least an hour or two to look but glancing down at his watch the time was only 3:13.
“Ah ha! There you are.”
Wait… what is she doing here?!
He heard Bellatrix laugh to herself as she flipped through pages of the book she grabbed before snapping it close, a sound that made Regulus flinch. He listened as she walked back out the door letting the door slam behind her. He waited a few minutes before scrambling out of the cupboard. He had no idea Bellatrix was here. If he had he wouldn’t have come at all. She was the most dangerous Black in this generation. Her fuse was short and her temper on cracking ice. The smallest push would send her over the edge and she went after you till your blood was at her feet and you were begging her to stop and she’d do all with a wicked grin on her face. He knew from personal experience. No one was safe from her fury. So why was she here? Surely not to help her pregnant little sister. That would be too kind of her. He’d have to be more careful walking around now that he knew she was here.
Creeping around the house more carefully than before, jumping at every sound he heard and dreading he would hear the clicking sound of her heels on the floor. He came across the second library in the house and slipped into the door glancing around at all the books he had to skim at. He walked down the aisles of the bookcase trying to feel the same darkness he felt around the necklace. He paused every time he felt darkness but nothing was as dark as the necklace.
While walking his foot caught on the rug sending him crashing to the floor. He felt his heart stop. If Bellatrix was nearby she definitely heard that. He rushed up and behind a bookcase to hide and held his breath fearing hearing heels on the floor. He heard nothing. Unless she was hiding waiting for him to come out.
He crept out from behind the bookcase and looked at the lip he caught on. It looked less like a lip and more like something hiding under the carpet. He knelt down and pulled the rug up. He saw a small panel that hadn’t been closed properly.
Could it be?
He tossed the carpet out his way and pulled the panel up. Inside sat some items. But the box caught his attention. It had the same darkness as the necklace. Opening the box he saw a plain book. He pulled it out and flipped through it and saw blank pages.
Why this? What's so important about it?
He flipped it over and saw the engraving. Quietly to himself he mumbled “Tom Marvolo Riddle? Whose that?” He slipped it into his bag and quickly replaced it with a dark figurine from his family home Kreacher found in the attic so no one would notice the lack of dark magic, though in this house it seemed everything emitted dark magic. Just as he closed the panel he felt the tip of a wand press against the back of his head.
“And just who are you?” Her voice was icy, a coldness he didn’t know it could reach. He only heard her voice be loud and dark. But never cold.
“Well? Gonna answer me?” She pressed her wand harder against the back of his head.
“Well, Avada Keda-” Without thinking he grabbed the rug and threw it at her. The heaviness of the rug caused her to fall back and hit the bookcase causing a shelf to break and multiple books to fall off and hit her. Regulus got up holding his bag and hood over his face as he ran. He heard her scream and heard the spell she threw his way.
“Avada Kedavra!” He hunched into himself the spell hitting the wall where his head had been. He slammed the library door shut behind him sprinting back towards the stairs. He heard Bellatrix throw the door open and a bang he could assume was the door hitting the wall with the force she used to throw it open.
He rushed to the sunroom door hearing Bellatrix running after him.
“Crucio!” He slammed the sunroom door shut causing the spell to hit the glass making it shatter.
He rushed across the grass back to the tree Kreacher was hiding in. Kreacher wasted no time grabbing Regulus and apparated away. The last he saw was Bellatrix's face of rage and she ran out into the garden wand raised to throw another spell at him.
Well that could have gone better.
When he and Kreacher got back home Regulus collapsed to his knees shaking. That was a close call.
“Master Regulus!” Kreacher started to fret over him.
“I’m fine Kreacher, just fight or flight.” He took a shaky breath and leaned down the press his face into his knees. He felt Kreacher's hand rubbing his back which he appreciated.
“My own cousin almost killed me.” It didn’t surprise him it was Bellatrix but it was still a shock to his system. You’d think he’d be used to almost dying growing up the way he did and after his experience in the cave but it still upset him every time. He never did react well to death. He remembers being heartbroken when his Great Aunts Lycoris and Dorea died. He also remembers being punished severely for crying. He remembers crying alone in his pillow when his parents declared Sirius was dead to the family. Aunt Dorea always said he was like her. Gentle hearted and loved bigger than this family allowed.
“Hopefully sneaking into the LeStrange house will be easier.” Regulus sat up and shook his hands out to get rid of any more nerves he had.
“Alright let's put the book with the locket.” He walked downstairs into the basement pulling out the loose brick in the wall where he’s hidden the locket and slips the book inside putting the brick back in place.
“I might need to find a new hiding place. I’m not sure that spot will fit much more. Kreacher, do you know if there is a box of some sort at Grimmauld Place that hides dark objects?” Regulus said inspecting the small hide away spot.
“Kreacher is not sure. Kreacher will look.”
"Thank you Kreacher. Now onto figuring out how to sneak into the LeStrange manor.”
And he knew just the way to do it.
He ran from Potter manor, one of his prizes tucked into his bag and the other covering him. He would hopefully be long gone before anyone finds out what was taken. When he was far enough away he quickly yanked the cloak off, stuffing it into his bag and apparating away. He breathed a sigh of relief when he appeared in his parlor room with both his stolen goods. Thankful he was close enough to Sirius that the wards let him through. He hoped they wouldn’t be too missed in the time it took him to return them.
“Ummmm, guys?” Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked over to James.
“What is it Prongs?” Sirius asked, seeing the serious look on James face.
“Well…. I asked my parents and they said they didn’t,” James said with a look of concern on his face.
“Didn’t what James?” Remus said all three of them were getting worried.
“The invisibility cloak and Marauders Map is gone.”
All four of them stared at each other.
“Oh shit.” Remus, Sirius, and Peter said in unison before all four of them freaked out.