True to his word, Wolfgang sent a large stack of books on earth magic over to 12 Grimmauld the very next day. To Regulus's pleasure and satisfaction, Kreacher actually left off on his...training the elves so that they could pour over them together.
Some of the books were in English while others were in Old English, German, Latin or ancient Greek. Thanks to translation spells, it wasn't a problem. For Regulus, the problem was not knowing what they were looking for and hoping they would recognize it when they found it.
As Kreacher seemed rather confident that they would, Regulus didn't concern himself too much as he always trusted in the elf. They'd had the books for a few days, when Mag and Severus came to visit. Kreacher and Regulus were curled together in their favorite armchair in the library reading a text in Old English concerning the buildings and magical structures constructed by earth wizards. The current chapter was on Stonehenge. It was purported to have been used for several functions from astrological rituals to weather magic.
"Do you think elves could've built it," Regulus asked and Kreacher shrugged.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps goblins. Though Kreacher has only seen them care about metals, they did build Gringotts, and it is stone."
A throat clearing from the doorway caused them both to look up. Piper stood, nervously twisting at the hem of his tunic.
"There are guests at the door. A Mag and Severus Snape. Should Piper show them in and shall he bring tea or wine?"
"That's odd, we didn't even hear the door-chime," Regulus said.
"We must have been more engrossed in our reading than I thought!"
"Stormy was looking out of the window when they arrived, so he opened the door before they rang," Piper explained.
"Yes, Piper should show them in," Kreacher instructed benevolently.
"He may ask them if they would prefer tea or wine and if they have room for snacks. Piper may serve what he feels suitable if they do."
The elf nodded, bowed and left.
Regulus slid a book mark shaped like a coiled basilisk with emerald eyes between the pages before closing the book they were reading.
"We'll get back to it before bed if there is time," he said, bending to kiss Kreacher's cheek as he reached across him to place the book on the small round table beside their chair.
"Sounds good," Kreacher nodded.
Piper led Mag and Severus in then and departed to bring their drinks as Regulus and Kreacher rose to greet them.
""What's the occasion," Regulus asked with a warm smile.
"Oh we were just in town to visit my parents so thought we'd drop over," Mag said.
"I've done a bit more digging into the potion of despair, for what it's worth," Severus said as he and Mag took a seat on the sofa across the room.
"I say for what it's worth, because my findings, though likely accurate, aren't particularly helpful in any direct way that I can see. I have come to the conclusion that one of the ingredients which gives the potion its bright green color is a powerful psychedelic plant.
When taken in high doses, though, the experience is generally quite unpleasant and the hallucinations that are induced are always very disturbing. It isn't one of those that one takes for fun.
Taken in an even larger dose, it can be deadly. I also discovered another herb that was likely included which would've been responsible for causing you to drink from the lake itself as it strongly induces a nearly violent thirst."
Kreacher and Regulus nodded almost as one. That thirst was certainly what one could consider violent. One had no choice, literally, but to satisfy it at once.
"Perhaps the psychedelic herb is the reason you weren't thinking clearly enough to resist the lake water...ur or to allow Kreacher to help you there in the end as well," Mag said, glancing away in obvious discomfort for mentioning such a sensitive subject.
Regulus nodded, then grinned.
"Any help explaining my insane stupidity there at the end would be greatly appreciated," he admitted with a chuckle.
The smile slid from his face quickly enough, though, giving way to a melancholic sigh.
"I still can't believe I unknowingly handed Kreacher over to someone that bloody evil in the name of glory and prestige for both of us."
"Kreacher agreed willingly and he wishes Master Regulus would stop forgetting that," the elf nearly growled.
He glared into empty space to avoid glaring at Regulus, and as always Regulus felt like an utter git for upsetting the one he loved most in the world.
"I think I just retro expect myself to have had a better innate judgment of character. If I'm so bloody brilliant, I should've picked up something about him. Hell he was hardly human, and nearly a demon so you'd think someone in the least discerning would've caught at least a bloody hint of that!"
"You'd think so but apparently he was that good, at least before he broke his soul apart even more and turned into that demonic snake looking thing that returned in the nineties," Mag said.
"Then I heard even his most loyal weren't feeling quite as charmed."
Regulus nodded in agreement, thinking of the Lestranges.
"Thank you, Severus," he said.
"Even if not directly useful at this moment, it's still nice to understand even some of why things happened as they did as a consequence of that potion."
Severus nodded.
"I'm glad to help. I just hoped to figure out the entire bloody thing by now," he said, openly frustrated, dark gaze full of thwarted exasperation.
"What are the two of you reading," Mag asked curiously, green gaze on the book that rested on the table beside Kreacher and Regulus.
"It's one of several that Wolfgang is lending us on earth magic. This particular one focuses on buildings and monuments and such that were constructed with magic. It covers anything from Stonehenge to the Egyptian pillars and pyramids."
"Stonehenge is an interesting one," Severus said.
"I'm always so bloody annoyed at the idiots who insist it was built by Merlin when it's far older. I'm sure he did put it to good use, though," he added with a dry chuckle.
Regulus explained why he and Kreacher were suddenly so interested in earth magic as Severus and Mag listened thoughtfully.
"When you're finished combing Wolfgang's books, you should consider asking Griphook what he knows," Mag suggested.
"Goblins work with earth magic very strongly as far as I understand and they're likely as related to the fae as are the elves."
Kreacher and Regulus exchanged an eager glance. It seemed to Regulus that they'd missed the bloody forest for the trees on that one. It was at least worth investigating.
"Thank you, Mag. We will certainly do that!"
She smiled as Piper returned with a tray holding two cups of steaming tea.
It gave off an orange aroma that anyone who could actually drink it would surely find pleasing.
"You'll have to let me know if he has anything useful for you on the matter," she said, then turned to thank Piper.
Kreacher watched the tea service with a skeptical expression. Regulus dropped a hand to his shoulder, hoping to distract him, because Piper looked extremely nervous as he poured under Kreacher's hard gaze.
"Will there be anything else," he asked after carefully replacing the tea pot in the very center of the tray as Mag and Severus took their cups.
Kreacher shook his head, wordlessly waving Piper out.
"When you arrived, I was speculating to Kreacher whether the elves could've built Stonehenge," Regulus said.
"They could very well be so good at earth magic, that such wouldn't be a problem or even take them very long. I can't help but feel they did great things before the enslavement. For me the fact they are set to doing something as basic and limiting as house keeping these days seems demeaning and I can't help but wonder if there is a reason for that.
If they were once greater, the curse to enslave could've made them only fit for less. Of course this isn't true but for all we know the curse could've effected wizards as well, so it would never occur to them that elves could and should do more."
Regulus fell silent, realizing that he may have been babbling. When he became extremely fascinated and excited by a topic, he could really sink his teeth into it and so make progress in leaps and bounds. Only if others weren't as interested, they could...possibly find it dull. Mag and Severus were both leaning forward in interest, though, so this didn't seem to currently be the case.
"I hope you are able to discover more," Mag said.
"So much of import is lost to history."
"Or changed by evil politicians over the ages who alter facts for political gain," Severus said, a disgusted twist to his thin lips.
"Sadly such things never change...not even if you give humanity thousands upon thousands of years to see to it."
Kreacher remained silent on the topic, twisting his hands in his lap. Regulus turned in their shared chair to regard him directly, because it was always odd at the very least when Kreacher was quiet.
"Are you alright?"
Kreacher shrugged.
"Just the more Kreacher thinks on it the more unsettled he is, but it's probably nothing."
His tone was nearly halting, and it took him a moment to meet Regulus's gaze.
"The potential magnitude of the situation is unsettling, so your reaction is normal," Mag assured Kreacher and he smiled, his hands relaxing.
Lifting one, he slid it into Regulus's as talk turned to how Mag and Severus's classes were going at Durmstrang.
The four friends spent a pleasant evening together. As far as Regulus was concerned, there was never too much good company and stimulating conversation among intelligent minds. As it happened, he and Kreacher did not have time to read more of their book before bed, as the hours before sunrise were taken up with more...physical pursuits once the two were alone together in their bedchamber.