Upside Down Mirror: A Grim Tale (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Biding Time

"If you are correct regarding your assumptions, then we've got a task ahead of us getting the youngest Black to trust us. As I told you, he wasn't willing to trust the head of his house, so it won't be easy."

Moody knew the words Dumbledore said to be true even without the man said as much. Dawlish reported back to him, with nothing to report beyond the fact he honestly didn't believe that Regulus belonged in there. Eventually, he decided to check in on the boy himself, given the fact, Dumbledore didn't, like him, think using Sirius was a good idea, not even an approachable idea, given what Dawlish told him regarding how the one-time Sirius visited him left the boy.

Not long after he headed to Azkaban, thinking nothing spectacular would happen while he was there, no progress towards that goal of finding out exactly what the youngest Black knew that might help them win in the war against Voldemort. He'd not expected a man to come flying out of the open cell door, but as Moody approached, he recognized the man wasn't one of the Auror selected to guard Regulus.

In fact, Rockwood wasn't an Auror at all, but an Unspeakable.

Glancing over at the cell, he saw Regulus lying on the ground, unconscious while a House Elf stood there, looking at the man, firmly stating that nobody was allowed to harm his master, but Moody quickly brought Dawlish in so they could move Rockwood to an interrogation cell where Moody could interrogate the man. The man glared at him. "So, you're a Death Eater."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was simply here to interrogate the prisoner."

"Really?" One of Moody's eyebrows went up. "You don't have the authority to do so. After all, you're not a member of our department."

"You're not supposed to question what an Unspeakable does."

"Now why would an Unspeakable have any interest in young Regulus Black there?" Moody asked. Even more interesting, though, was the fact Regulus called the House Elf to him, meaning he could at any time escape if he so wanted, but the information that a House Elf was involved was enough for Moody to tell the House Elf he should leave, for his master's safety to which the creature quickly complied, being that the master's safety was foremost.

Dawlish, as such, didn't know about the House Elf having shown up, but Rockwood did and something told Moody he couldn't let that get back to Voldemort or his followers in any shape or form, so he obliviated Rockwood's memory, under the premise of protecting Regulus, or so he told Dawlish. He would later relay back to Dumbledore the oddity of the House Elf showing up.

"How are you feeling?" Moody asked softly, so none of the nearby prisoners could hear him.

"I'm okay," Regulus stated.

"Rockwood almost killed you, boy, yet you're saying you're fine."

"I saw a Grimm, so I expected to die young."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I should be dead. After all, I saw a Grim. No matter Sirius telling me he was the Grim to be cruel, I know I am meant to die young. I don't know why it wasn't that day or today. Perhaps it is so that I am forced to see that this war goes on and on, right, with no end in sight, despite, well, everything."

"I saw that you summoned your House Elf here to Azkaban."

"I did?" Regulus looked at him confused.

"Yes. You did."

"Who knows? Kreacher isn't going to get in trouble for that, is he?"

"Why would he?"

"Well, for starters, if the family knew he could help me escape, they would badger him to help me escape even though I gave him the order not to help them."

"That's interesting."

"Not really. Kreacher is a very obedient House Elf, but he's only ever disobeyed my order once and that was because maman's order trumped mine."

"No. I mean, interestingly, you could have escaped from here at any point you wanted, but you haven't. You are dead set on torturing yourself, aren't you, my boy."

"I should be dead," Regulus stated. "I knew that person wasn't supposed to be there, that the Dark Lord sent him. He tried saying he was going to interrogate me, but Dawlish always introduces me to any new Auror. He tried saying he had the authority as someone from the Department of Mysteries, but there shouldn't be any interest in me as you don't know."

"Don't know what?"

"I'm not telling."

"Black's are quite stubborn, aren't they."

"Yes. We are. Sirius is the worst though."

"I have to agree with you there, my boy. But you called the House Elf?" Moody watched a frown spread across Regulus' face. "What?"

"I didn't mean to. I mean..." He looked at his lap. "I did mean to as I called out his name. I was likely scared, even though I knew I would be dying, I should have died. It's scary like it was the last time."

"You mean your time with the Infiri?"

"Yes. I wouldn't have summoned him though. I'd caused him to be hurt before. I don't like Kreacher getting hurt. He's a very good House Elf. He really is, though sometimes he thinks otherwise. Please don't tell anyone. Actually..."

"I made sure Rockwood's memory of the events was obliterated, but we need to keep a better eye on you if Voldemort is trying to have you killed." Moody paused, then asked. "Regulus, did Rockwood say anything to you?"

The young man tilted his head. "Did he say anything else?"

"He knew I'd defected, or so he said so. He might have just been pulling my leg though. I didn't tell anyone what I was doing that night, the night before I turned myself in. Well, that's not quite..." Regulus stopped, shaking his head. "Anyways. It's no surprise he wants me dead, so we'll leave it at that."

"There's a leak, possibly more than one. After all, most think that Regulus turned himself into being the youngest Death Eater ever, but he noted almost nobody knew what he was up to that night. Perhaps the House Elf knows. He said that Kreacher obeyed all but one of his orders, so that is possible. Also, someone leaked the fact he'd shown up like he did at the ministry, which is why it ended up in the papers as it did."