The Bitter Lion (R)

by Guest Tue Feb 04, 2014 6:30 pm

Kreacher apparated himself and his master to the foot of a seaside cliff. The wind blew violently, and Regulus' hair drifted in the breeze like a mermaid's thick, weightless hair in a tide pool. Glancing everywhere, Regulus' eyes caught sight of nothing but water, until Kreacher held his hand, "There," Kreacher said, pointing into, to Regulus, an unknown direction. But Black only did what he was instructed to do. He unsheathed his wand, and illuminated it, casting Lumos. The light revealed a fissure in the cliff, and Kreacher apparated the two there, revealing the antechamber of a sea cave. As Regulus wondered what to do next, he looked down on Kreacher.

Flashback

Kreacher apparated home, bleeding heavily from his ear, and gasping. He was thirsty, plain and simple. As he entered the kitchen, to grab a cup of water, Regulus heard him stumble and break his family's silverware. The man came down from his room, and flew down the stairs, as he turned to see what Kreacher was doing, "KREACHER?!" Regulus shouted for him, as he saw his house elf drag his body towards the sink...

Flashback End

Kreacher grabbed a dagger he kept hidden, and cut open his small left arm. Blood poured out from his wound and fell on top of the rock. The rock suddenly split open, revealing an opening. Kreacher and Regulus go through it, and stand on the last chard of rock before looking in awe at the huge underground lake. Regulus specifically noticed a strange, vivid green glow in the center. With a swift move of his wand, Black tried to summon the Horcrux, but something jumped from the water and deflected his spell, That's likely what we'll have to face to get to the Horcrux... he mused.

Kreacher summoned a chain, and Regulus grabbed hold of it. Firmly gripping it, he pulled it several times all in quick succession, and a tiny boat surfaced. Kreacher and Regulus climbed aboard, and the boat propelled itself towards a small island in the middle of the lake...

Flashback

"He hurt you like that? With no reason?" Regulus asked his eyes widened. He had given water to Kreacher, and his thirst had been satiated. But now, his house elf had revealed that Lord Voldemort had left him for dead, after doing several steps to protect an artifact he left at a small cave inside a cliff. Lord......Voldemort wouldn't do such a thing to protect a simple object..., and then it hit him. Voldemort, the being that was most infatuated with Immortality. How could he achieve it?...Horcruxes!

Flashback End

As the boat traveled towards the island, Regulus peeked into the water, seeing dead bodies floating beneath the dark surface. Inferi... he said, his skin trembling, as Kreacher assured him that while Regulus provided warmth and ligth, as he was using his wand, the corpses would keep away.

Arriving at the tiny piece of land in the middle of the lake, Regulus brought the boat to 'shore', as he and Regulus climbed up to where a dirty white basin was, standing on top of a small pillar, with the same color. Looking inside, Regulus spots a locket, and growls, clenching his fist. He summons a goblet, and prepares himself for the ghastly flavor that green fluid will have. Kreacher tries to stop him from drinking, offering to do it himself. Regulus doesn't allow him, saying it's his turn to show some appreciation of Kreacher. Taking some of the drink into the goblet, he took a sip, and instantly coughed. His entire body started to feel achy, but he continued to drink. Each time he drank, the pain got more and more acute, and excruciating. His chest was burning, and he felt as if something was gnawing at him. Kreacher tried to aid his master, but Regulus pushed him away. He was still able to send one last order, "When I finish this drink, you will take the locket and leave Kreacher...if I ask of you to kill me, don't do it. Simply leave," he said, yelling in pain afterwards...

Flashback

The wind blew the strands of his hair away, as Regulus stood on the astronomy tower. His last year in school, and he had finally understood he was on the wrong side all along. Voldemort's cause wasn't completely right, but Regulus supported it, as his parents would've wanted him to. But his means...harming Kreacher. No more! Regulus'd take no more! His brother and his friends had been right all along, that was not the way to achieve any goal, and Regulus could assure anyone, Voldemort was gonna fall...

Flashback End

Kreacher was already on the boat, with the locket in his hands. Regulus had finished the drink, and he dropped the goblet to the floor, his hands at his chest, as he began to crawl towards the lake. He needed water. He cared not what would happen to him, he simply needed one drop. As his hand reached for the water, he felt bones grabbing hold of him. As he looked down, he was staring down the eye sockets of ten inferius, as they pulled him down.

As he was being dragged deeper and deeper into the lake, he didn't fight it. He simply looked up, no longer seeing anything but darkness. His life flashed in front of his eyes...Walburga, Orion, Sirius, Rabastan, Rodolphus, Mulciber, Lucius, Astra, Vixen, Kronos, Luna, and then....Atticus and his unborn son.

He was in the darkness...alone...no Sirius...no Vixen...no Astra...no kids...The perfect heir of the Black house was now in nothing but blackness...until even that faded, as Regulus' soul left his body. His eyes twirled, and life exited them completely...