the last verse ; harry potter [2]

nine ; kreacher's story

R.A.B
War is no mans preferred game.

Her feet took her to the door where the golden nameplate glinted in the sun.

Regulus Arcturus Black

"Diana?"

Harry Potter had just exited from the room across the way, a piece of paper held gently in his hand. He watched her as she stared, the name searing into her brain.

"R.A.B.," she mumbled. She then added, "Regulus Arcturus Black--"

"Harry! Diana!"

Ron and Hermione came panting up the stairs, relief evident as they saw the two in the hall. 

"You scared us half to death!" breathed Hermione. "We didn't know where you went!"

"Look at this," muttered Harry. He, too, stared at the golden sign and soon, the four of them, mouths agape, peered wordlessly.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," muttered Ron.

"R.A.B.," finished Hermione.

"Regulus was the one who stole the real Horcrux," muttered Diana.

And like a lock clicking into place, memories from previous conversations flashed in her mind: Dumbledore, telling her that Regulus Black had a plan, a secret plan, something he was sure would begin the demise of Voldemort. Regulus, forced into the Death Eaters' rank, finally choosing what was right instead of expected. Regulus Black, finally trying to make his brother proud--

"Diana."

They watched her worriedly as she turned to them.

"We we're just saying how Harry found a letter from Lily to Sirius," said Hermione quietly. "What do you have?"

She was pointing to the paper in Diana's hand, and she handed the letter over to the other three to examine.

"This pin is bloody awful," he murmured as he looked at it with disgust. "Ugh."

"So Regulus stole the real Horcrux and hid it," said Hermione. "Where do you think it might be? Whether he'd manage to destroy it or not, he'd want to keep it hidden from Voldemort, wouldn't he? Remember all those awful things we had to get rid of when we were here last time? That clock that shot bolts at everyone and and those old robes that tried to strangle Ron; Regulus might have put them there to protect the locket's hiding place, even though we didn't realize it at. . . at. . . "

They looked at her. With one foot raised half-way and her face dumbstruck, she stared at the wall in silence, her eyes drifting out of focus.

". . . at the time," she finished in a whisper.

"Something wrong?" said Ron.

"There was a locket."

"What?" they said. Surely Diana would remember a locket.

"In the cabinet in the drawing room. Nobody could open it. And we. . . we. . . "

Realization passed over Ron and Harry's faces, but Diana still didn't understand. "Wait, I don't remember--"