Truth about Regulus

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"Go ahead, Kreacher," Black said, finally releasing Kreacher and letting him collapse.

"After the unfilial master escaped, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord," Kreacher began, his thin, dry legs trembling at the mention of Voldemort.

Sirius's frown deepened.

"About a year later, Master Regulus found me and gave me a task. He said the Dark Lord needed an elf," Kreacher continued, shuddering as if recalling a terrible memory.

"Master Regulus told me it was an honor to serve the Dark Lord. He instructed me to follow the Dark Lord's orders and then return home," Kreacher said, his voice trembling.

"What did the Dark Lord ask you to do?" Sirius inquired urgently.

"Kreacher followed Master Regulus's instructions and went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord didn't tell me anything but took me to a dark cave by the sea," Kreacher said.

"It was a large cave with a big lake filled with black water."

Ethan and Sirius exchanged glances, feeling a chill run down their spines.

"The Dark Lord and Kreacher took a small boat to an island in the middle of the lake," Kreacher continued.

"On the island was a stone basin full of potion. The Dark Lord commanded me to drink all the potion."

"My God, Regulus," Sirius murmured, his voice filled with anguish.

"Kreacher drank the potion as instructed. It was terrible. It felt as if my insides were on fire with every sip," Kreacher said, finally breaking down. He squatted on the ground, hugging his knees in pain.

Sirius watched silently, his anger and concern evident, but he held back from pressing Kreacher further, waiting for him to regain composure.

After a while, Kreacher managed to continue, but his voice was strained. "The pain was unbearable. I asked Master Regulus for help and begged the mistress, but no one came. The Dark Lord just laughed and made me drink the entire potion."

Sirius's face turned pale, and his fists clenched, shaking with fury. Though he despised Kreacher, hearing of Voldemort's cruel treatment stirred deep anger.

"After Kreacher drank the potion, the Dark Lord placed a pendant box into the now-empty basin, filled the basin with potion again, and left Kreacher alone on the island," Kreacher continued, his voice shaking.

"Gosh, Kreacher, how did you get back?" Sirius asked, his concern evident.

"After drinking the potion, Kreacher was parched and climbed to the lake's edge to drink. But then, a multitude of dead people appeared in the black lake, and Kreacher was dragged into the water," Kreacher recounted, trembling violently.

Ethan sighed, feeling sympathy for Kreacher despite the elf's harsh treatment of him. What Kreacher had endured was genuinely horrific.

"That must have been the Inferi!" Sirius muttered through gritted teeth.

"But how did you manage to escape?"

"Master Regulus told Kreacher to return home," Kreacher replied, his tone stiff.

Sirius looked puzzled. "But how did you manage to get away?"

"Master Regulus told Kreacher to go home," Kreacher repeated.

"I understand that, but how did you survive?" Sirius asked, growing anxious.

Ethan interjected, "Kreacher must have used a Disillusionment Charm."

"The supreme law of a house-elf is to obey their master's orders," Kreacher continued stiffly.

"Master Regulus commanded Kreacher to return home, so Kreacher did as ordered."

"So, after returning home, what did you tell Master Regulus?" Sirius pressed.

"What did Regulus say?" Sirius asked, his nerves fraying. The answer to this question was crucial for him to determine whether Regulus had fully aligned himself with Voldemort.

"Master Regulus was very worried about Kreacher. He carefully examined me and then instructed me to stay hidden in the house," Kreacher said, his voice trembling.

Sirius let out a sigh of relief. In his view, Regulus's concern for Kreacher suggested he hadn't completely succumbed to Voldemort.

"After that, Kreacher remained hidden until one day, Master Regulus returned," Kreacher continued.

"Master Regulus seemed very troubled and asked Kreacher to take him back to the cave."

At the mention of the cave, Kreacher began to shake uncontrollably.

"Kreacher and Master Regulus took the boat to the island again. Master Regulus…" Kreacher's voice faltered, and he started to tremble more violently.

"He made you drink the potion again?" Sirius's voice grew dark with dread.

"Ah!" Kreacher screamed, suddenly rushing toward the poker stuck in the ground. He yanked it free and attempted to stab himself with it.

"Enough! What are you doing?!" Sirius yelled, rushing forward to wrest the poker from Kreacher's grasp.

Despite Kreacher's age, he fought fiercely, and the struggle between him and Sirius looked almost surreal.

"Master Regulus drank the potion himself!" Kreacher cried out, tears streaming down his face.

Sirius froze in shock, his grip loosening. Kreacher, unable to maintain his hold on the poker, fell backward. He scrambled up, determined to continue his self-destructive act.

Seeing Kreacher's distress, Ethan stepped in, taking the poker from Kreacher's hands. With a decisive motion, he broke it in two and discarded the pieces, ending Kreacher's futile attempts.

Sirius stared at Kreacher, his face pale and eyes red with emotion. Regulus's decision to drink the potion had struck him deeply, leaving him grappling with the gravity of the revelation.

"What else did Regulus do?" Sirius asked, his voice trembling as he fought to control his emotions.

The revelation that Regulus had endured the horrifying potion himself left Sirius shaken and desperate for answers.