Regulus Black, Harry's godfather's brother

Harry first heard about Regulus, Sirius' younger brother, when he was snooping around thanks to his invisibilty cloak.

Sirius was in  hurry to talk to headmaster Dumbledore for something and Harry wanted to ask something of Sirius. So, technically, it wasn't his intention of eavesdropping at first but since he always wander with his family's invisibility now that he had it in possession, why not use it.

Especially to run from those older students who didn't want good from him.

Not that he was bullied, or worse harrassed, but as the only toddler in a secondary school, it's almost deemed to end this way.

Anyway, Harry was talking with Percy, checking on the boy's mentale after the traumatizing experience with a spy rat. The boy was being all stuck-up to put on a front but eventually told him what was his goal was. Working in the ministry like his father but in another department because he wasn't as passionate about muggle than mr Weasley, or in magical creatures like Amos.

Actually, Percy was tempted to work in the department of International Magical Co-operation, seduced in seeing what happens in other countries, but the news showed that the head of the department, Bartemius Crouch, was a criminal for hiding his Death Eater son. The Daily Prophet presumed that the intel must come from Sirius Black since he was convicted at the same time as Bartemius Crouch junior and must have heard of the ploy to free the younger Crouch. Anyway, the aurors seized Crouch manor without warning and found that the convict was kept under an invisibility cloak and curse to avoid insurgences. That was before Hallowe'en. After that, Harry heard from his dad that headmaster Dumbledore got news from the auror Moody, the scarred-man, that Crouch junior would not be sent to Azkaban but used as experiment to find cure for the crucio curse, as he had render some of his victims mad by casting unforgivable curse. From there, Harry got Remy to explain him what the unforgivable curses were and the one Crouch junior was under was the imperius while Harry himself survived the killing curse. Crouch senior would serve six months in Azkaban, though. For deceit and using an unforgivable curse.

Harry had since then wondered if the aurors had found Voldemort's wand that should be going to him.

Back to Percy, Harry knew that children need encouragement at any age (like his dad cheered on him while meeting and riding a hippogriff or serving as middle man when introducing Harry to Aragog, or Remy encouraging him when he first ride a toy broom or to incite him to read big kid's books), so he suggested that Percy gotta be a trainee with someone not actually in the ministry but having a name here.

Arcturus Black, the current lord Black in the death of his son and daughter-in-law, was bestowed the award Order of Merlin, so had his name known in the Ministry. Since Sirius got allowed to go back to the Black's abode sometime after being released he probably got in contact with his grandfather, so he could ask the old man to take Percy under his tutelage to know how the ministry work and even recommend him when Percy will be in age to work. Sirius could do that, it was for his twice removed cousin after all and it wasn't like Percy was in the wrong for taking care of rat Pettigrew, he didn't know.

Anyway, convinced that his own plan was foolproof, he ran after Sirius who had ran into the castle after remembering something and needing to talk to the headmaster immediately covered of his invisibility cloak to not encounter any obstacle. Thankfully, they weren't in the headmaster's office because Harry didn't know the password and wasn't sure if he won't be spotted once in the circular staircase. The two men were in the chamber of reception so no one could hear about what they will be talking as it was near dinner time.

"You said that young Regulus was intented to destroy this artefact?"

"That's what I said, yes. All my life I thought he was killed by his fellows Death Eater because he backed out after getting scared, but he actually defected trying to ruin you-know-who. All for this old house elf."

"Look at the bright side, Sirius. That means your brother did have good heart, he cared for your family house elf, even for your family for making promise to not speak the events to anyone. Now, we have this valuable horcrux that could help us annihilate Voldemort for real."

"You do not think there's only one, do you?"

"You're right, my boy, I do not. I knew this man for some times now, and considering his personality, he thrived for grandeur. I'm not sure what this locket represent but my suspicion is that it's related to Salazar Slytherin."

"I guess the engraved serpentine S in green jewel could be a good hint."

"You do not seem surprised it could be such an old heirloom."

"Well, I recently discovered that the Potter's heirloom was one of the deathly hallows, at this rate, nothing could shock me. Bet the other horcruxes are the other lost heirlooms of the founders."

"We both have the same suspicions, then. I can however assure you that Voldemort did not touch Gryffindor's heirloom, the sword is well protected at Hogwarts."

"Somehow, I doubt he would even touch something from Gryffindor."

"That may be right. Now, for the others dark artefacts. It could really well been Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's diadem. Or maybe something to do with Slytherin."

"Why so fixated on this founder?"

"As I said, I know Voldemort for sometime now, he was a Slytherin student and I recently learn that he was a descendant too."

Harry couldn't see much from his hidding place, not wanting to risk to be subjected of human-presence-revealing spell that he was sure the two men knew since they were aware of the Cloak of Invisibility, but the silence from Sirius was suspicious even to him.

"Huh, no wonder he had those kind of ideologies. But the only thing related to Slytherin are him being parseltongue, his famous chamber of secret in Hogwarts and maybe the founder of Ilvermorny."

"Hah, Isolt Sayre, unfortunately, their history came from to faraway, so I doubt Voldemort, Tom Riddle, would waste time about searching about them."

"I mean, he was already struggling in ruling the United Kingdom so I doubt he could have reach the states too. Should we look for the Chamber of secret, then?"

"Ah, I think we should refrain of poking this part of the castle. Last the chamber was opened, a death occured and we do not wish this kind of tragedy."

"Of course, headmaster. Shall we question the descendants of the founders then? I heard the Smithes came from Hufflepuff."

"I'm glad to see you're so reactive, Sirius. And I already did that. The family had also reported that they had lost their family heirloom, a cup, and a locket of great importance. From the testimony I salvaged, Tom was the one who got them."

"Yet, we have the locket with us. How about we look for the last descendants of Slytherin, save Tom Riddle?"

"The Gaunt."

The conversation cut short when deputy headmistress, professor McGonagall, came looking for the headmaster as dinner was being served and that gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid was asking around if anyone saw his son Harry. It's clue for Harry to scamper and reappear from the entrance hall to reassure his dad. 

He shall talk to his godfather after dinner.

 

edited posted 25-12-23

Harry first heard about Regulus, Sirius' younger brother, when he was snooping around thanks to his invisibilty cloak.

Sirius was in hurry to talk to headmaster Dumbledore for something and Harry wanted to ask something of Sirius. So, technically, it wasn't his intention of eavesdropping at first but since he always wandered with his family's invisibility now that he had it in possession, why not use it.

Especially to run from those older students who didn't want good from him.

Not that he was bullied, or worse harrassed, but as the only toddler in a secondary school, it's almost deemed to end this way. Not this time, though, not ever now that Harry had the cloak.

 

Anyway, let's first started by how the day began.

Early morning, Harry was woken in Ron's room, sleeping next to the boy, by the mother. Molly then made all her children up so they could bid Harry goodbye before he returned to hogwarts, Arthur having already gone for work. Ron and Ginny showed their envy in their goodbyes while the twins were complaining about the schedule because never were they force to start a day this early. Harry would have agreed only because he was fearing to not be able to pronounce the Three Broomsticks Inn clearly in his groggy voice, but was saved of the trouble as Remy was picking him up.

Only then did Harry remembered of Sirius.

"He went to tend another matter, muttering something about a house elf," mrs. Weasley told him and Remy after dismissing her children now the greetings were done.

"Must be Kreacher, House of Black's house elf. He did mention having to stop by Grimmauld Place for something."

"Aren't you best friends? Do you not tell everything to each other?"

Molly cut herself out of the conversation seeing as it turned private and gave one last hug to the boy, leaving them alone. Harry took his hand, thinking they will be borrowing someone's else fireplace since they were now locked out of the Burrow, but Remy picked him in his arms instead.

"We did, when we were kids. But after the war, and him being falsely imprisoned, we've been drawn apart for quite some time and it's not an easy fit to find back our landmarks. Besides, it was also a tight topic to talk about the Black family as Sirius never really liked any of them."

"But they have a lot of money. Even if he doesn't like any of the Black, he could have use their money to do a lot of thing. Funding shelters for magical creatures, providing their needs and a more viable settings or help you find a job where the schedule would allow you more leaves. Or something similar for the Weasleys, the children did say they liked to be able to spend more time with their father."

Remy stared at him for a long time that Harry thought he's been seen through. That somehow, despite missing Sirius about few moment according to mrs. Weasley's words, Remy knew that Harry made Sirius pay him to spend more time with Harry.

"I suppose you're right, money could do a lot of thing. In fact, Harry, your father helped me financially a lot after we graduated Hogwarts. Even during the war, before I had to go oversea. The Potters were also quite load and I'm sure they would be really proud of your thoughts of improving creatures' well-being."

"Amos certainly did agree! He was considering sending a letter to the Black's head and try to move them by mentioning how Sirius' name having been cleared could mellow the old man."

"Right, the Diggorys did live close. But, I have my doubts about Arcturus Black having a change of heart just because Sirius was proven innocent. He certainly didn't show any emotion when another Black was sent to Azkaban."

"Yeah, but Bellatrix married to the Lestrange family. And she was more his cousin Pollux's grandchild than his."

"You know what, Harry? I'm not going to start this conversation with you. How about we go to Hogwarts in this instant?"

Harry shrugged against Remy's built chest, ready to jump down from the hold. "Sure, are we about to borrow the Diggorys or the Lovegoods' fireplace? How about going to Luna's? I think she said her dad's working from their house, we could bid them goodbye before I go back, although I obviously already did my greetings to Luna and Cedric last night, but it's always a pleasure to chat with Luna!"

"I'm afraid we're not going to do this. I'm sure your new friend is lovely and their family would easily let us borrow their fireplace, assuming they would be awake at this hour, but we're not about to use the floo network to go back."

"We're not? Then, how?"

Remy smiled sweetly at him, tightening his grip on Harry. "Grab tightly on me, could you do that?"

Harry's heart start thumping wildly in his ribs and he mirrored Remy's smile, except more widely, and fulfilled the demand before feeling his stomach being grab from the inside and his whole being warped.

 

After experiencing the side-along apparition for the first time, Harry was describing animatedly the incredible sensation to an really open-ear Remy. He was so focused in his task that he didn't notice they weren't passing by the same alley his dad and him passed to go from the magical school to the wizard village.

Sure, it could also be because Remy didn't apparate to the inn, or not even close, but Remy was just confidently walking into a shop that was just opening. The Honeydukes sweet shop. Inside, he also confidently went into the chocolate shelfs and grabbed himself a handful of the sweet bars and distracted Harry by asking him if he wanted one too. Harry nodded, thinking that he could share some with his dad too. After they paid and made a show of leaving the shop, Remy put them under the disillusionment charm without a word fast enough so they could sneak back in the shop without having to open the door and attract attention. Though not being asked to, Harry was smart enough to know he should keep quiet, and they crossed the shop so fast they're in the cellar about the same time the door opened for new customers.

And that's how Harry got to know the first secret passageway that lead inside Hogwarts.

Remy told him, in hush but excited voice, that him and his father and Sirius and someone else whose name shall not be named ever again used to sneak out the castle by this passage especially as they could easily shop their load of sweets first thing first. He also told him there were other passages too, and they had all of them mapped in an enchanted parchment that was unfortunately now unavalaible, but with Sirius now in his life again, Remy promised him that he will get to know each of them.

"With you too because you're also be there more, right! Oh, drop me there, Remy! I had to talk to Percy right here!"

If talking with Percy was the perfect excuse instead of explaining what he meant by his saying, so be it. Besides, it didn't hurt to really check on the boy. He may have instructed him with a matter-of-fact attitude, Bill and Charlie agreed in saying that could be a facade to hide his true feelings.

So Percy's mentale after the traumatizing experience with a spy rat was better than expected. The boy was, as expected, being all stuck-up to put on a front but eventually told him that he didn't have time to brood around since he did find his dreams like Harry wished for him. Working in the ministry like his father but in another department because he wasn't as passionate about muggle than mr Weasley, or in magical creatures like Amos.

Something his dorm mate found boring as all damnations. Oliver Wood then went into a long diatribe about how Quidditch was life and honour and vital to enjoy one's life. He said that seeker position was certainly important because it put a term to the match and could make the leading team win with a consequential score or tie justly, or optimistically saved the opposite team but that the keeper position was a good because the it kept the quaffle from scoring against his team. And Oliver Wood was determinated to be recruit next year in this position, whether the actual player was still in the position or not. Percy sent an imploring look to Harry for the tenth time during the whole conversation and cracked when Wood started to mention his brother Charlie as according to his stats or other ways, Charlie Weasley will be the next Gryffindor Quidditch captain.

Harry also took pity in him and bidded goodbye to the Quidditch enthused boy, who then had a scuffle about Quidditch again with a Slytherin boy of their age, Flint Harry thought it was his name. Then, to help soothing Percy's mood, he asked more about his ambition in working in the ministry of magic. Percy said of being tempted to work in the department of International Magical Co-operation, seduced in seeing what happens in other countries.

Unfortunately, last news showed that the head of the department, Bartemius Crouch, was a criminal for hiding his Death Eater son. The Daily Prophet presumed that the intel must come from Sirius Black since he was convicted at the same time as Bartemius Crouch junior and must have heard of the ploy to free the younger Crouch. During the three months before meeting Sirius, aurors had seized Crouch manor without warning and found that the convict was kept under an invisibility cloak and a curse to avoid insurgences. In the aftermath of the case, Harry heard from his dad that headmaster Dumbledore got news from the auror Moody, the scarred-man who warned them all to not trust everything that was said in the Daily, that Crouch junior would not be sent to Azkaban but used as experiment to find cure for the crucio curse, as he had render, with fellow Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange, some of his victims mad by casting the unforgivable curse so many times. From there, Harry got Remy to explain him what the unforgivable curses were and the one Crouch junior was under was the imperius while Harry himself survived the killing curse. Crouch senior would serve life sentence in Azkaban, for deceit but mostly for using an unforgivable curse. How the tables have turned. Harry had since then wondered if the aurors had found Voldemort's wand that should be going to him.

Back to Percy, Harry knew that children need encouragement at any age (like his dad cheered on him while meeting and riding a hippogriff or serving as middle man when introducing Harry to Aragog, or Remy encouraging him when he first ride a toy broom or to incite him to read big kid's books like the Chronicles of Narnia), so he suggested that Percy gotta be a trainee with someone not actually in the ministry but having a name here.

Arcturus Black, the current lord Black in the death of his son and daughter-in-law, who was bestowed the award Order of Merlin, hence having his name known in the Ministry. Since Sirius got allowed to go back to the Black's abode sometime after being released he probably got in contact with his grandfather, so he could ask the old man to take Percy under his tutelage to know how the ministry work and even put in a good word for when Percy will be in age to work. Sirius could do that, it was for his twice removed cousin after all and it wasn't like Percy was in the wrong for taking care of the rat Pettigrew, he didn't know it was an unregistered animagus.

Anyway, convinced that his own plan was foolproof, Harry didn't cease to bother Remy for the rest of the day to be warned if Sirius show up so he could share his amazing idea in helping another's life goal. He was starting to feel like a messiah, in fixing everyone's life, next he's going to use the Black's money to accomodate all the magical creatures that his dad and him loved so much. He's going to change the world.

Though it will wait as he had to run after Sirius first, who had barged into the castle after merely greeting him and Remy in dad's hut. If Remy wasn't in the least touched by the cold play, much focused in eating his chocolate bar with a relieved demeanor, Harry was fully offended and went after the man with his invisibility cloak. Sirius said something about remembering something and needing to talk to the headmaster immediately, so covered of his invisibility cloak to not encounter any obstacle, Harry scrambled on his short legs (compared to the adults ones, not that he was actually short for a seven years old) to keep up on his godfather's steps. Thankfully, they did go in the headmaster's office because Harry didn't know the password and wasn't sure if he won't be spotted once in the circular staircase. The two men were in the chamber of reception so no one could hear about what they will be talking as it was near dinnertime.

"You said that young Regulus was intented to destroy this artefact?"

"That's what I said, yes. All my life I thought he was killed by his fellows Death Eater because he backed out after getting scared of the cruelties, but he actually defected trying to ruin you-know-who. All for this old house elf."

"Look at the bright side, Sirius. That means your brother did have good heart, he cared for your family house elf, even for your family for making it promise to not speak the events to anyone. Now, we have this valuable horcrux that could help us annihilate Voldemort for real."

"You do not think there's only one, do you?"

"You're right, my boy, I do not. I knew this man for some times now, and considering his personality, he thrived for grandeur. I'm not sure what this locket represents but my suspicion is that it's related to Salazar Slytherin."

"I guess the engraved serpentine S in green jewel could be a good hint."

"You do not seem surprised it could be such an old heirloom."

"Well, I recently discovered that the Potter's heirloom was one of the deathly hallows, at this rate, nothing could shock me. Bet the other horcruxes are the other lost heirlooms of the founders."

"We both have the same suspicions, then. I can however assure you that Voldemort did not touch Gryffindor's heirloom, the sword is well protected at Hogwarts."

"Somehow, I doubt he would even touch something from Gryffindor."

"That may be right. Now, for the others dark artefacts. It could really well been Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's diadem. Or maybe something to do with Slytherin."

"Why so fixated on this founder?"

"As I said, I know Voldemort for sometime now, he was a Slytherin student and I recently learn that he was a descendant of his too."

Harry couldn't see much from his hidding place, not wanting to risk to be subjected of human-presence-revealing spell that he was sure the two men knew since they were aware of the Cloak of Invisibility, but the silence on Sirius' part was suspicious even to him.

"Huh, no wonder he had those kind of ideologies. But the only thing related to Slytherin are him being parseltongue, his famous chamber of secret in Hogwarts and maybe the founder of Ilvermorny."

"Ah, yes, Isolt Sayre, unfortunately, their history came from too faraway, so I doubt Voldemort, Tom Riddle, would waste time searching about them."

"I mean, he was already struggling in ruling the whole of United Kingdom so I doubt he could have reach the states too. Should we look for the Chamber of secret, then?"

"My boy, I think we should refrain of poking this part of the castle. Last the chamber was opened, a death occured and we do not wish this kind of tragedy this time again."

"Of course, headmaster. Shall we question the descendants of the founders then? I heard the Smithes came from Hufflepuff."

"I'm glad to see you're so reactive, Sirius. And I already did that. The family had also reported that they had lost their family heirloom, a cup, and a locket of great importance. From the testimony I salvaged, Tom was the one who got them."

"Yet, we have the locket with us. How about we look for the last descendants of Slytherin, save Tom Riddle?"

"The Gaunt."

The conversation cut short when deputy headmistress, professor McGonagall, came looking for the headmaster as dinner was being served and that gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid was asking around if anyone saw his son Harry. It's clue for Harry to scamper and reappear from the entrance hall to reassure his dad and Remy who got his snack time cut short because of his stunt.

He shall talk to his godfather after dinner, since Remy and dad were really worried about him.