Mastermind

Oceans

Warnings: referenced death

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Honestly, I'm convinced the best of me is the worst of me
Believe me, I've tried but I just can't seem to fight
Against the tides and undertow that drag me down
So low beneath the foam I can't feel the sun
I sank to the bottom
I sank to the bottom of the ocean like a stone
Oceans – Frank Iero and The Patience

September 1978

Regulus sits in the living room with James, Sirius, Dorcas, Moody, and Dumbledore.

Dumbledore wanted to do this completely alone with him and Moody, but Sirius insisted on staying, then James insisted as well, and Regulus wanted Dorcas here.

"You've been here for a month, Black, have you made any progress, like you promised?" Moody snarls.

"No."

"Albus, we should revisit the idea of him just being here to spy."

"Shut up, Mad-Eye-Moody," Sirius says lazily. The nickname has caught on quickly among the teenagers. It is safe to say that none of them likes the auror very much.

"You and your aurors tried destroying the locket and didn't get anywhere either. So why would you be in any position to come at me?"

Moody glares at him and Regulus rolls his eyes.

"Maybe instead of talking to me – which you should generally refrain from – you should go and find the other Horcruxes. Finding out how to destroy them is rather useless if Voldemort can hide them in time," Regulus says, eating a piece of lemon cake. – Sirius turned out to be a rather decent baker. He also turned out to be an anxiety baker.

"Do you have ideas where and what they are?"

Regulus pulls a piece of paper out of the jacket he is wearing – he isn't quite sure whether it belongs to Sirius or Remus. He has found it in Sirius' closet but that doesn't mean anything, really.

"As I said, I think there are six horcruxes plus Voldemort himself. I have about nine I think possible: 1. The locket he got from Mother, here, obviously. 2. A golden cup he gave to Bellatrix, summer last year. I suppose it is either in her house, maybe mine, or at Gringotts. She's not a very imaginable person, it won't be a cave and a torture potion. 3. A rectangular thing he gave to Lucius. Possibly a book or a picture. Snake portrait, question mark."

This earns a chuckle from Sirius and Dorcas. Regulus keeps reading.

"If it's a book possibly in Malfoy Manor library. 4. Nagini the snake. Is always around him, probably sleep in one bed. Bestiality, question mark. With all of these I am very sure. Now we get to the theories: 5. A piece of family jewellery that connects him to the pureblood family line he spawned from – allegedly. We already have a necklace, so I'm voting some kind of signet ring. I wrote down: Check family trees of all purebloods, and then I drew a little face that pukes."

Sirius leans over to look at the note and his little sketches. Ha laughs. "Is that a snake topping Voldemort? We truly lost a great artist on you, Reggie."

Regulus holds the paper away from Sirius. "6. Another piece belonging to Salazar Slytherin, question mark. No idea. I would like to know what kind of cup he gave to Bella, it feels very random in the entire thing. 7. A piece of muggle currency. I would do that. We wouldn't find it in this life. I think, however, he is too dramatic for that. He'll choose things with a connection to him. I still wrote it down just in case. 8. A sappy love letter written by Bella to him because it would be funny. And number nine is a picture of Bella sucking Voldemort's ugly toes."