C556 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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Peter, undeterred by the standoff between an elf and his former Master, offered a charming smile. "Yo, I'm Peter and this beautiful woman beside me is my wife, MJ. We're here to speak to you about Regulus Black."
Instantly, Sirius’s eyes widen at the mention of his brother, who has been presumed dead for a few years now.
The elf's eyes narrowed, suspicion evident in its demeanor. “Kreacher has nothing to say! Leave and take-”
Before Kreacher could finish his sentence, a loud, shrill voice echoed through the corridors of Grimmauld Place. "Kreacher! Who's at the door!?" The voice belonged to none other than Walburga Black, Sirius's mother.
Instantly, Kreacher's demeanor shifted from hostility to adoration as he called back to his mistress, "Young Master Sirius has returned, Mistress, and he's brought along some questionable blood with him."
The mention of "questionable blood" earned a disapproving glare from MJ, but she remained silent, letting Peter handle the situation.
Seconds later, an aged male voice resonated from within the house, commanding Kreacher, “Invite them in.”
However, the mistress of the house wasn't pleased. A loud, indignant screech followed, and a spell came flying around the corner, aimed directly for the door.
Reacting swiftly, Peter swatted the spell aside with a casual wave of his hand before confidently striding past Kreacher and entering the house. Kreacher, shocked by what he saw, grumbled but couldn't defy the invitation that was issued.
Sirius, alongside everyone else’s, reluctantly following Peter, muttered an apology for his mother's typical behavior. He didn't need to see her to know that she was the one who had fired that spell.
Navigating through the dark and dusty corridors, Peter eventually reached a parlor room where an old man sat on a worn-out sofa. Arcturus Black, the head of the Black family, had a dignified aura about him. Next to him sat Walburga, a middle-aged woman with a crazed look in her eyes.
"Arcturus," Albus greeted with a nod, a surprised look on his face. “It’s good to see that you’re still alive and well…” He said, though it sounded more like he was hoping for the opposite.
“Albus,” Arcturus replied curtly before turning his attention to his wayward grandson. “Sirius… I see you still know where your home is. It’s been so long that I thought you’d forgotten the way back.”
“I’m not here because I want to be.” Sirius replied without an ounce of familiarity. “As soon as this business is taken care of, I’ll be on my way.”
“Good riddance!” Walburga butted in, her tone haughty. “If it were up to me, blood traitors like you wouldn’t even-”
Before she could finish, Peter levitated Voldemort around the corner and into the room for all to see. Instantly, the room went deathly quiet as both Black’s recognized who this was, especially Walburga, who was a supporter of Voldemorts since the war began.
"Now that I have your attention.” Peter said as he and MJ took a seat across from Arcturus, harshly dropping Voldemort into the coffee table between them, which buckled and broke. “I'm Peter, and this is MJ. We're here to discuss something important about Regulus Black, not have a family squabble. If you want to argue and fight amongst yourselves, then save it for later."
Arcturus regarded them with a shrewd gaze, his gaze turning to Dumbledore for answers. "Is that?" he queried, a hint of shock in his voice.
Albus nodded. “Yes, he captured him earlier tonight.”
“He.. as in…?” Arcturus asked, his eyes turning to Peter.
“Yes, me.” Peter replied with a smirk, which infuriated Walburga.
Meanwhile, as everyone was talking, Walburga, a fervent supporter of Voldemort's ideals, erupted in rage. Seeing the man who carried all of her hopes and dreams sprawled out on the collapsed coffee table seemed to trigger something in her.
With a furious expression, she pulled her wand and pointed it toward Peter, intent on avenging the apparent humiliation of her beloved Dark Lord. “How dare you! Avada-”
In a swift response, MJ, annoyed by the interruption, leaped out of her chair. She appeared in front of Walburga, delivering a powerful kick square in the stomach. The impact launched Walburga backward, crashing into a bookshelf that shattered upon impact with her body.
As Walburga crumpled to the floor, gasping for air and holding her aching stomach, Kreacher, horrified and enraged, attempted to retaliate. But before he could make a move, Sirius pulled out his wand, holding it threateningly at the elf's head. “Please give me a reason, you decrepit old rat.” He said, more than willing to end the infuriating house elf’s life.
Tension gripped the room, and soon enough, everyone had their wands drawn, poised for a fight. All except for Peter, Albus, and Arcturus, who remained calm and composed amid the brewing chaos.
Amidst the tense standoff, Arcturus, the head of the Black family, bellowed, "Enough!" His authoritative voice cut through the chaos, demanding attention and respect. He cast a stern gaze across the room, his eyes finally settling on Walburga, who had managed to stand, glaring venomously at MJ.
"Lower your wands, all of you," Arcturus commanded, his voice unwavering. Slowly, begrudgingly, the wands were lowered. Sirius reluctantly withdrew his wand from Kreacher's agitated face, maintaining a watchful eye on the elf.
"Now, what is the meaning of this spectacle?" Arcturus directed his question at Walburga, his tone reproachful. "This is not how we conduct ourselves, even in the face of unexpected guests."
Walburga, still seething with anger, straightened herself, refusing to back down. "They have desecrated and disrespected the Dark Lord! Do you have any idea how-"
“I said, enough.” Arcturus spoke, a dangerous glint in his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Regardless of the circumstances, we do not resort to violence within these walls." he reprimanded, turning his attention to Peter. “Now, what business do you have concerning my late grandson?"
Finally, with the chaotic atmosphere subsiding, Peter gestured toward the unconscious Voldemort, addressing Arcturus, "Let's get down to business. We can’t kill him since he's made multiple horcruxes."
The mention of horcruxes sent a chill through the room. Even Walburga, who had revered the Dark Lord, was taken aback. The notion of splitting one's soul seemed to be a line Voldemort had not hesitated to cross, leaving Arcturus visibly perturbed.
Arcturus, his brow furrowed, asked with a hint of disbelief, "Horcruxes? And you think there’s one in my house?"
Peter nodded, replying, "I don’t just think, I know." He shifted his attention to Kreacher, continuing, "Regulus Black gave it to Kreacher before he died."
All eyes turned to the old elf, who seemed surprised that someone knew about the item Regulus had entrusted to him. Arcturus directed his inquiry to Kreacher, seeking confirmation of Peter's claim.
With tears welling up in his large eyes, Kreacher affirmed, "Yes, Young Master Regulus left Kreacher some things, but Kreacher didn't know it was a horse cuck(Horcrux). He didn't tell Kreacher what it was, but he did say to destroy it."
Infuriated, Walburga demanded an explanation from Kreacher. "Why would my son entrust you with such important belongings? Why not me?"
In a somber tone, Kreacher began recounting the events of 1979, pointing at the sleeping Dark Lord in the center of the room. "He borrowed Kreacher from Master Regulus and took Kreacher to a cave…." The room listened in stunned silence as Kreacher revealed the harrowing experience.
…
In 1979, under the looming presence of Lord Voldemort, a fateful encounter unfolded between the dark wizard and Regulus Black. The air thick with trepidation, Voldemort declared to Regulus that he required a house-elf.
In a swift and seemingly selfless act, Regulus promptly offered up Kreacher, stating that it as an honor for his loyal elf to serve the Dark Lord.
Transported to a foreboding Crystal Cave, Kreacher found himself subjected to Voldemort's sinister plans. The malevolent wizard compelled the elf to consume a peculiar potion from a basin, after which he placed a silver locket within the emptied vessel. A locket which held a portion of his soul inside.
A mysterious sequence unfolded as the locket vanished beneath the inky potion, which seemed to magically reappear in the basin.
Meanwhile, the elixir wreaked havoc upon Kreacher, inducing nightmarish delusions, agonizing stomach pains, and a relentless state of dehydration.
Voldemort, satisfied with his success, departed, callously leaving Kreacher to fend for himself. The elf, desperate for relief, attempted to drink from the nearby lake, only to find the undead Inferi, lurking in the water below, awaited their chance to claim the life of whoever came near.
Yet, Voldemort, blinded by his own arrogance, remained oblivious to a crucial aspect of house-elf magic. Unbeknownst to the Dark Lord, Kreacher possessed the ability to apparate out of locations where wizards and witches were powerless.
Leveraging this unique magic and unaffected by the enchantments that bound the cave, Kreacher managed to teleport to safety, dutifully following his master's command to "come home when he finished his task."
In a twist of fate, Regulus Black revisited the ominous Crystal Cave after hearing about it from Kreacher upon his return. He suspected Voldemort of making a Horcrux, and asked himself what would his brother, Sirius do? And so, he set out to destroy it without the Dark Lord’s knowledge.
Determined, Regulus drank the potion himself and directed Kreacher to replace the horcruxed Locket with a convincing replica. With a heavy heart, he commanded Kreacher to return home and destroy the presumed "real" locket, unable teleport out with his loyal house elf.
In the closing moments of his presence in the cave, Kreacher witnessed the haunting image of Inferi hands dragging Regulus into the watery abyss as he tried to quench his never ending thirst. The loyal house-elf, burdened by the weight of his master's secrets, departed as instructed.
However, fate intervened, as Kreacher found himself unable to fulfill his masters final command. Despite relentless attempts, he was unable to destroy the locket.
…
The revelation struck a chord, especially with Walburga and Sirius, who had believed his brother to be just another Death Eater. ‘He actually tried to fight against Voldemort…’ Sirius was shocked, saddened, and pleasantly surprised.
Tears welled up in Walburga's eyes, grief washing over her as she realized the true fate of her son. Sirius, too, was moved, understanding that Regulus had been a hero who sacrificed himself to thwart Voldemort.
Kreacher, concluding his tale, added, "Master Regulus ordered Kreacher never to tell anyone about what happened…"
Arcturus, though visibly affected by the revelation, maintained a stoic composure. "This is grave news. We must deal with the Horcrux, and ensure Voldemort is dealt with… permanently."
Surprisingly, Walburga didn’t have any complaints or arguments to make. Her favorite son was dead, and Voldemort was to blame. Although they shared the same ideals, she just couldn’t bring herself to advocate for him anymore.
As emotions swirled in the room, Peter turned to Kreacher, "go get the locket and I’ll destroy it for you." Peter said as he thought, ‘I probably shouldn’t mention the fact that Regulus could have survived if he wasn’t such a suicidal idiot. All he had to do was order an elf to drink the potion again…’
A/N: 1900 words :) 2/4 done ✅ Can I just say that I never understood why Regulus didn’t just make Kreacher drink the potion and teleport home again… He sacrificed himself for no reason at all. It was completely pointless. I wonder if JK Rowling noticed this plot hole later on too?