At just 16 years old, Regulus Black held the prestigious title of the sole heir to the Black Manor and was also a member of the notorious Death Eaters. With an aura of fear surrounding him, he possessed immense strength and, above all, a sense of detachment. The true mark of a formidable soldier is the sacrifice of one's humanity, and it was this very sacrifice that made people tremble in his presence.
From a sheltered disappointment to a cherished gem within his family, Regulus reveled in the luxurious embrace of his parents' pride. They gleefully shared his accomplishments with the entire world, basking in the glory of their son's achievements. Despite all the success he had achieved, there was an overwhelming sense of emptiness and sorrow within him. The person he had always counted on and cherished, his brother Sirius, had now distanced himself and disapproved of the person he had transformed into.
It was indeed true, Voldemort was anything but good and the group he had become a part of could be described as a kind of cult. However, their actions were driven by a noble purpose. Muggles were polluting and distorting the magical realm, imposing their own customs and disregarding ours, leaving our traditions to be merely recorded in history books and recounted by elderly wizards and witches from afar. What they was doing was for a good cause.
Why couldn’t Sirius comprehend that?
No longer were his parents unleashing their fury upon him, resorting to physical violence or casting curses at every misstep he took. Instead, they had transformed their attitude towards him. They now embraced pride, treating him as their beloved son rather than an adversary. Finally, they showered him with the attention he had always yearned for, fulfilling Regulus' deepest desires.
Gone were the days when Sirius had to comfort his brother as he wept, tending to his injuries and cleansing his bloodied back after each brutal whipping. Regulus was finally free from the torment inflicted by their parents, and it was undoubtedly a positive change. Their parents even avoided provoking Sirius, aware that it would only bring out the worst in Regulus. With everything seemingly in order, why did Sirius refuse such?
Regulus grew to despise Sirius over time, perceiving his distance as abandonment and harbouring deep resentment towards him. Similarly, Sirius felt the same way. Their interactions were filled with hurling hurtful words and even resorting to casting curses at each other on certain occasions. The brothers, who were once incredibly close, had now become strangers, with a lingering ache in their hearts whenever their eyes met.
Regulus grew bitter, the achievements he once enjoyed boasting about, the attention his parents finally bestowed upon him made me feel sick and sticky. He felt embalmed in his own grief and anger, like he was free falling into a never ending abyss. He yearned for a warmth he could not have but the only way he could now was forward, even if it was with his head looking back into the past he once had with his brother, Sirius. Of course, regulus would never admit to such, but if you looked beyond those hollow pupils, you could see the teen reminiscing about the times he was lovingly cradled into his brothers arms as he whispered soft words, lulling him into a dreamless sleep.
Perhaps, there was a chance that Sirius experienced the same pull as Regulus did, even if it was just a possibility it consoled him. The world came crashing down when Sirius abruptly vanished, leaving no trace or warning behind. Regulus was left utterly forsaken, with no hope of reconciliation.
It had turned out that Sirius had left and was now living with a friend. Maybe it would’ve been better if Sirius had just been kidnapped, at least then regulus would then have an excuse to bring him home, but no, Sirius had left on his own accord. He didn’t want saving, and he definitely didn’t want to see regulus ever again.
After that incident, their parents completely disregarded Sirius. It was an unwritten agreement among them to never bring up his name again. With an heir like Regulus, they saw no reason to pay any attention to Sirius. Regulus could feel his heart strings fraying in the most painful ways. It was an injury no one could heal. That no one could see, not even himself, but he could feel it choking him. He wanted to scream and throw up, cry and smash everything up.
So he did just that, only it was Sirius’s room he unleashed his fury upon. The room his brother decorated so lovingly with the pictures they drew together, the portraits that hung on the walls and on the bedside cabinets of them holding hands and giggling in their youth were now destroyed. All that was left was a little teenage boy curled up into a ball, sobbing in the midst of all the chaos he he caused.
Anything that Sirius had left behind in that room was gone, except for the sobbing mess of his once beloved brother.
Regulus obliterated any trace of his brother's presence in the house, eradicating photographs that captured their love for each other. Even their family tree tapestry no longer bore Sirius's face or name, as their mother had burned it. It was as if Sirius had never existed at all.
Regulus found solace only in the water he conjured, drowning in his own conjured depths. Each day was an indistinguishable repetition, attending death eater gatherings, consuming meals, sleeping, and waking up to do it all over again. The monotonous cycle seemed to stretch endlessly, inflicting unbearable torment. With Sirius' departure, a fragment of Regulus went along with him, leaving behind an intense longing to reunite with it.
Maybe In another life he could have the same courage as Sirius to just up and leave without being tied down. But even after all this time he was still the same afraid and fragile little boy as all those years ago.
Regulus held a glimmer of hope that Sirius was leading a fulfilling life, yet secretly, he yearned for Sirius to experience the same level of misery that consumed him.
The longing for his parents' attention has faded, to the point where he would even welcome their physical abuse if it meant experiencing any emotion other than overwhelming mental distress.
Immersed in the dark path of a Death Eater, he found temporary solace, but it wasn't long before everything unraveled. Voldemort's sanity shattered, leading him to embark on murderous rampages, sparing no witches or wizards. His followers were not exempt from his merciless wrath as he waged a war against both the magical and non-magical realms. He had even gone as far as to try and kill his house elf Kreacher after he had made a mistake.
It was undeniable, Sirius had been correct all along. Voldemort, a deranged and immensely formidable individual, posed a grave threat. Regulus was acutely aware of one crucial fact - he had to intervene before the madman's murderous rampage claimed countless lives. Voldemort harbored no intentions of ruling or altering society; his sinister desire was to eradicate humanity entirely, to wipe the slate clean and begin anew. As one of Voldemort's devoted followers, there were certain advantages, but being as unhinged as Voldemort himself had its drawbacks, like excessive bragging. He took great pride in discussing his immortality and even revealed the secret behind it.
He talked about horcruxes, explaining that each time you take a life, a fragment of your soul breaks free. To preserve it, you cast a spell and encase it in an object that will remain intact for centuries to come. His words were filled with an unsettling mix of fascination and triumph as he discussed it. The act of taking a life had transformed him into an unrecognizable and monstrous creature, both in appearance and in the depths of his soul. The eerie nature of his transformation was as disturbing as it was repulsive.
Deep within the rugged cliffs of Moher, a secret cave lay concealed, whispered only in hushed tones by those who dared to speak of it. Voldemort, the embodiment of darkness and evil, had woven a web of powerful spells around this treacherous sanctuary, ensuring that no living wizard or witch could venture inside unscathed. However, amidst the looming threat, Regulus Black saw a glimmer of hope. He understood that this perilous journey could be his last, but he was willing to sacrifice everything, even his own life, to put an end to Voldemort's reign of terror. Regulus stumbled upon the hidden cave effortlessly, thanks to Voldemort's drunken like boasting ramblings that inadvertently revealed its whereabouts.
As he approached the entrance, an unsettling feeling washed over him, for the cave exuded an aura of death and devastation that could be sensed even from a distance. The sight of it sent shivers down his spine, as if the darkness itself was alive and pulsating with malevolence. As Regulus cautiously made his way into the mysterious cave, his boat swayed with the gentle rocking of the water, while the dimly lit lamp flickered in response to the eerie breeze that filled the air.
Inside the cave, the atmosphere was heavy with an unmistakable sense of malevolence. Amidst the entangled rocks and narrow passages, a small island emerged, adorned with a peculiar raised bowl. The bowl emitted a mesmerizing blue glow, casting an ethereal light on its surroundings. Within the bowl, a strange concoction of murky dark blue and greenish hues swirled, captivating Regulus's attention and filling him with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. With a sinister grin that sent shivers down his spine, Voldemort had already divulged the crucial information to him - the chalice held the key to revealing the hidden horcrux. However, the Dark Lord's cryptic words left Regulus with an unsettling feeling.
Despite his suspicions about the enigmatic liquid, Regulus realized he had no alternative but to take a leap of faith. Summoning his courage, he reached out and lifted the chalice to his lips, bracing himself for the unknown.
Regulus's agonising screams reverberated through the vast expanse, reaching the ears of those miles away. The cave walls seemed to amplify his desperate pleas and anguished wails, creating an eerie symphony of torment. It felt as though his entire being was engulfed in flames, as if he had been soaked in gasoline and set ablaze, while simultaneously enduring the excruciating pain of being stripped of his skin. Amidst the cacophony, his brother's venomous words seemed to encircle him, piercing his soul with their hatred. The spiteful voices of his parents echoed relentlessly in his mind, intensifying his suffering.
Despite the overwhelming agony, he forced himself to swallow the liquid, suppressing his screams even as he gasped for air, all the while enduring the relentless berating from his family, who saw him as nothing more than worthless. After enduring what felt like an eternity of excruciating torment and being mercilessly stripped of his flesh, the agony that had consumed him began to wane. Consuming every last drop, he had imbibed the elixir, only to witness a remarkable transformation within the bowl before him.
A captivating emerald green locket emerged, emanating an aura so sinister and malevolent that it sent shivers down Regulus' spine.
In that moment, he could almost sense the desperate pleas and desperate struggles of the unfortunate soul trapped within his horcrux, yearning for liberation from their eternal prison. Regulus's face was drenched in a torrent of tears, cascading down without any respite. In this very moment, he had accomplished something truly commendable.
Amidst his exhaustion and vulnerability, his mind was consumed by a single question: Would Sirius, his beloved brother, be filled with pride at his actions? However, everything abruptly came to a violent stop when his hand closed around the locket. The cave trembled with fear, and the water churned with an insatiable appetite. From the depths, a chilling presence emerged.
Voldemort had been mercilessly slaughtering innocent lives, transforming them into monstrous beings to form his own devoted army. Their limbs contorted in unnatural angles, their pallid skin contrasting against their grotesque, contorted faces. They growled at him with an indescribable haunting noise that sent shivers down his entire body. Regulus felt his legs give way as he witnessed the horrifying sight of hundreds of these abominations rising from the murky depths. With their elongated arms, they frantically struggled to climb up, their desperate attempts met with little success. Regulus, overwhelmed by fear, let out a piercing scream, desperately calling for Kreacher.
In a flash of blinding light, the house elf appeared, causing the monstrous creatures to emit a guttural and horrifying growl, their grotesque forms illuminated by the sudden burst of brightness. Regulus let out a cry of relief, his voice echoing through the room as he tightly grasped Kreacher's trembling hands. "Hurry, Kreacher! I need you to duplicate this locket as fast as you can!" Regulus urgently commanded, his words filled with a sense of urgency. With a mix of fear and hesitation, Kreacher replicated the locket, his hands shaking slightly. Regulus swiftly placed the fake locket into the bowl and turned to Kreacher, his words rushed and filled with desperation. "Take us back home, Kreacher!" he pleaded.
The menacing monsters were drawing nearer, their grotesque forms piling on top of each other in a relentless pursuit. Surprisingly, these monstrous creatures displayed an eerie level of intelligence, making their pursuit all the more terrifying.
Kreacher's face drained of color, a look of sheer terror etched across his features as he delivered the shocking revelation to Regulus. The cave, it seemed, was ensnared by an unfathomably potent spell that rendered any human incapable of escaping its clutches, regardless of their magical abilities. Regulus felt a chill run down his spine as he realized the gravity of the situation. He had been so consumed by fear and panic that he hadn't even considered using his wand, only to now discover that his magic was utterly useless against this formidable enchantment. It was a costly oversight that he was now forced to confront head-on.
Time seemed to freeze in its tracks, leaving Regulus in a state of suspended animation. It was as if his consciousness had detached from his body, swirling in a dizzying whirlwind of thoughts. The realization that his life was about to end here hit him like a ton of bricks, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to simply accept it. Regret washed over him, a tidal wave of missed opportunities and unspoken words. Above all, he longed to apologize to his brother, to convey the depth of his despair without him, to express the love that had never wavered despite the passage of time. But fate had dealt its hand, and Regulus found himself unable to fulfill these heartfelt desires. It was his own choices, his own misguided heroism, that had led him to this sacrificial fate, unbeknownst to him until now.
Regulus was well aware of his duty, and despite his trembling hands and tear-streaked face, he summoned the courage to carry it out. "Kreacher, go without me! Destroy the locket and keep this a secret!" Regulus commanded, his voice filled with desperation. Kreacher looked at him, utterly bewildered, longing to have perished alongside his master or at least stayed by his side until the end, but he was powerless to do so. "Farewell, Master Regulus Black," Kreacher whispered, his eyes welling up with tears as he witnessed Regulus give him a sorrowful smile before vanishing into thin air. Regulus found himself alone in the dimly lit cave, surrounded by a multitude of creatures relentlessly gnawing on the rocks at his feet.
The eerie atmosphere only heightened the impending doom that awaited him. As he knelt in defeat, a glimmer of hope caught his eye - a small square slip of paper and a quill. It was a thoughtful gesture from Kreacher, his loyal companion, who had left these items behind for Regulus to find solace in writing his final words.
Despite his tears and weakened state, Regulus managed a pitiful smile and a weak laugh. Kreacher had been by his side since birth, practically raising him, and for that, Regulus was immensely grateful. In this moment, he realised that knowing someone would eventually learn of the sacrifice he was about to make brought him a sense of peace.
To the Dark Lord - I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. - R.A.B
The reverse side of the parchment contained a heartfelt message written in French. Addressed to his beloved brother Sirius.
To my beloved brother Sirius, I don’t know if you will ever read this but I want you to know how sorry I am. I truly regret everything I said to you out of anger, this was my first and last attempt to try and find your forgiveness. It seems I’ve failed in even that as I now face death. I want you to know that I never stopped missing you after you left, and that I never ever stopped loving you, even now. - REGGIE.
Regulus carefully folded the parchment, ensuring it was neatly tucked into the locket. With a sense of caution, he placed the locket back into the bowl. The menacing monsters were now scratching at his shoes, their desperation palpable. As Regulus took a step back, he suddenly found himself forcefully pulled into the depths of the water. The monsters let out a piercing shrill, triumphant in finally capturing their prey.
Regulus's agonizing screams were stifled beneath the merciless water, his desperate pleas for help drowned out by the horrifying reality of his impending demise. As the monstrous creatures sank their razor-sharp teeth into his defenseless body, his lungs filled not only with the suffocating water but also with his own life-giving blood. Limb by limb, they tore him apart, leaving behind nothing but a vast expanse of crimson, a haunting testament to the brutality of their feast. When the crimson tide eventually subsided, there would be no trace remaining to indicate that Regulus had ever graced that fateful spot.
Regulus held a different belief system, one that didn't include the concept of heaven or hell. However, deep down, he cherished the hope that when his brother eventually passed away due to old age, they would reunite in some form. Despite his lack of faith in the afterlife, the bond between the two brothers was so strong that Regulus couldn't help but yearn for a future where they could be together again, even if it meant transcending the boundaries of his own beliefs.