Regulus Black was a loyal follower of the Dark Lord. Or rather he had been. After what he was planning, there would be no more pretense of loyalty. His mind had finally come to realize that his brother had been right from the beginning. Their family was twisted and broken and Regulus himself was now twisted and broken too.
I’m so sorry Sirius, he thought as tears filled his eyes, the realization he would probably never see Sirius again breaking through his weak barrier.
He had hesitated for a mere second when the Dark Lord came for Kreacher, afraid of what would happen to his long standing friend. The Dark Lord had promised Kreacher’s safety, but it was hours before his house elf returned and in a state so near death that it had been the final wake up call for Regulus.
Kreacher had told him everything. And it did not take long to uncover the Dark Lord’s plan to immortalize his cruelty in the world forever. It took even less time for Regulus to decide that he would bring the Dark Lord down, even if it meant he would fall with him.
And so he began to plan.
He documented everything Kreacher had told him of this cave that the Dark Lord had taken him to and the potion he had been forced to consume. He stole the Black locket to use as a replacement. He wrote his note, wanting the Dark Lord to know exactly who it was who had brought about the end of his plan.
He was as prepared as he could ever be.
________
It was now the 31st of December 1979, and Regulus Arcturus Black stood ready to face down his death. Kreacher stood trembling at his side in the foyer of Grimmauld Place.
“When you are ready Kreacher,” Regulus spoke softly, “Apparate us to the cave, please.”
The house elf looked at him with a terrified look. “Kreacher will do whatever Master Regulus wishes, but Kreacher begs Master to reconsider.”
A flicker of doubt sparked in Regulus’ mind, and in his moment of weakness, he thought of Barty. Of his lover’s dark eyes and days of echoing laughter and stolen kisses. Of the future they would never—could never—have. And for a moment, he wanted to turn back and pretend he knew nothing.
But then he thought of Sirius.
Sirius who had never been afraid to stand for what he believed in. Sirius who had taken on beating after beating for Regulus in their young age. Sirius who had pled with Regulus over and over again to “just come with me, I can keep you safe”, and the heartbroken, hopeless look on his face when Regulus had scoffed and turned him away.
I will make you proud, he thought, determined. Forgive me Sirius.
And so, with his mind made up, he ordered Kreacher to take him to the cave.
________
A large gust of wind knocked Regulus slightly off balance as Kreacher apparated them to a massive rock in the sea. Regulus recognized the place as the Cliffs of Moher. The entrance of the cave loomed ahead, a dark hole in the side of the cliff walls.
Entering the dark abyss, Regulus was met with a large wall obscuring the cave behind it. “How do we get in?” he asked Kreacher.
The house elf stood trembling beside him, eyes wide with a traumatized look. “A payment in blood,” he squeaked out.
He should have known.
Steeling himself, Regulus made his way to the wall, pulling his wand out and methodically creating a cut on his palm. Pressing his wounded hand to the wall, he smeared his blood on the jagged stones, hissing slightly at the pain.
The wall began to crumble away until they stood in front of a doorway into the dark cave. Regulus hesitated. Was he really doing this? Betraying the Dark Lord, his family, his best friends. He thought of when Dorcas had joined the Order, the betrayed looks on their friends' faces. It would be so simple to turn around, apparate home and pretend he knew nothing.
But no.He would see this through, even if it would cost him his life. There was no redemption for Regulus in the land of the living. Perhaps this final act would be enough in the land of the dead.
Steeling himself, he made his way into the cave, Kreacher trailing behind him, his fear palpable. Regulus raised his wand again, aiming at the top of the cave. “Lumos maxima,” he said quietly, as if the Dark Lord would hear him if he spoke any louder.
A giant lake covered most of the cave, an island visible in the middle of the water. There was an apparent dark presence within the cave and Regulus felt a sense of deep dread sinking in his bones. “What now?”
Kreacher pointed below the surface of the water. “Master must summon the boat from the water,” he answered.
Regulus caught sight of a chain barely visible below the surface of the opaque water. He reached a hand out over the surface and concentrated his energy into drawing the dingy boat to the surface. It was barely large enough to carry the boy and his servant, but they got in, Kreacher trembling hard enough to shake the boat. It floated on its own towards the island, and Regulus swore he saw something moving under the surface of the water, following them.
The boat tapped the side of the crystal island, and Regulus dismounted. A basin stood in the center holding an unknown liquid, a small shell sitting on the ledge.
He made to pick it up and Kreacher threw himself in front of Regulus. “Master mustn't drink the horrid potion,” he pleaded. “K-kreacher will drink it instead,” he stuttered.
“No,” Regulus said firmly. “I will not subject you to that again, Kreacher. I will drink the potion. You must make sure I drink it all. The locket has to be destroyed. Promise me,” he said. “Promise me that you will replace the locket with the fake and take the real one far away. Even if you have to leave me behind, you will take the locket and leave. The locket is the priority.”
Kreacher was shaking his head aggressively, even as he agreed verbally. Taking a shaky breath, Regulus dipped the shell into the liquid and took his first drink.The potion burned on its way down his throat and he could feel its effects taking place, his mind turning against him. Hand shaking, he took another mouthful and collapsed to his knees. “Kreacher,” he rasped, handing him the shell.
The house elf took the shell and filled it again, putting it to Regulus’ lips, pleading with him to take “just one more, Master Regulus.” Regulus shook his head, his mind twisting and his body wracked with pain. He saw his mother standing above him, eyes cruel and empty. Kreacher brought another shell full of potion.
Regulus shook his head, “No more, please please no more. I’m sorry Mother.”
Tears ran down his face as he took another mouthful of the potion, and he saw Sirius this time, standing over him, telling him he hated him and that he was no brother of his. Barty laughing and telling him he could never love someone as broken as Regulus. And as Kreacher brought him the last of the potion, Regulus was ready to beg for death, for it would be a mercy. Anything to end this misery he lived.
But that was the last of the potion and as Regulus sat on the ground, body trembling, mind slowly returning to him, Kreacher peered into the basin to see the locket sitting at the bottom.
“Water,” Regulus rasped. “I need water.”
Kreacher scrambled to fill the shell with water from the lake, but as soon as he was back the shell was empty and Regulus understood that there was no part of this cave that was meant to work with him.
Standing shakily, Regulus stumbled to the basin and pulled the locket out. “Kreacher,” he called to the elf.
“Yes, Master Regulus?”
Regulus handed him the real locket. “The replacement please.” Placing the fake into the basin, he stumbled his way back to the edge of the island, Kreacher trailing behind him, and made to reach his hand out to summon the boat again. But the potion had left him weakened and he stumbled and fell, his arm falling into the water.
For a moment, time seemed to stop.
And then he felt something latch onto his arm and drag him towards the water. A frightened yell escaped him and Kreacher yelped for him, grabbing Regulus’ leg and pulling him away from the water. Regulus watched horrified as a horde of inferi crawled up the side of the island and suddenly he was being pulled by multiple.
“Kreacher, get out of here!” he managed to call out, struggling uselessly against the hold of the undead.
“Kreacher can’t leave Master Regulus,” the elf pleaded sadly.
“Go home Kreacher. Speak to no one of this. That’s an order!” Regulus screamed as the inferi submerged him halfway in the water.
Making a mad grab for his fallen wand, he watched as Kreacher disappeared before frantically casting fiendfyre. The inferi balked at the flame and Regulus managed to get onto the island, gasping for breath. But the fire was difficult to control and Regulus too weak to control it. As his own spell turned on him, Regulus realized he had two choices: be consumed by the flames of his own spell or drown with the inferi.
Facing death, he began to cry in earnest. He had known it would come to this, but in that moment, Regulus wished he had never come to the cave. As the fire lapped closer and closer, singing his clothes and burning his skin, Regulus made the split decision. He leaned over and let his body fall into the water.
Immediately the dead grabbed his body, dragging him down, down, down. His instincts kicked in and for a moment he fought back, kicking and thrashing against the hands that held him, holding his breath, eyes staring at the murky view of the flames above the water.
I don’t want to die yet, he thought desperately.
Flashes of his brief life flew across his mind. Sirius laughing, Sirius holding him through the nightmares, Barty’s smile, Dorcas’ laugh, Pandora dancing, Evan’s jokes. Sirius, Sirius, Sirius.
And then he stopped fighting and his senses dulled as he released what breath he had left, gasping, his lungs filling with water. Maybe Sirius would be proud of him now. Maybe Barty would understand.
And as the world went dark, Regulus found himself at peace. He had done what he never thought he could do. He had made the right choice. And now he could rest.
Regulus Arcturus Black closed his eyes.
And they didn’t open again.
~~~~~~~
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.