The Search Is Over

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Great Honor

"Alright, Prats," Bellatrix said. "I'm going to call The Dark Lord now. I'll go outside so that we won't wake Aunt and Uncle when he arrives to collect his books." They'd read through the stolen books for precisely twenty minutes with Bellatrix continuously glancing up from hers to eye the clock. Regulus knew she was right to do so. The Dark Lord hadn't told them not to look through the books, and he hadn't said he was in a particular hurry to have them but none of them wished to risk his displeasure. It simply wasn't worth it.

"I'll come with you," Rodolphus said, rising to his feet. The other three murmured their agreement, carefully closing their books as they followed Bellatrix outside. Handing Rodolphus her book she pressed the Dark Mark on her arm with a finger as Kreacher flooded the neatly manicured front lawn with light. The Dark Lord apparated directly in front of Bellatrix in a surprisingly short time. Perhaps less than a minute after she'd pressed her Dark Mark. He was as put together and presentable as a man heading off to afternoon tea rather than one being disturbed in the middle of the night, Regulus noted.

"We have your books, Lord," Bellatrix breathed eagerly.

"All of them," he asked, arching dark brows and they all nodded eagerly. Regulus, Rabastan, Bellatrix and Rodolphus each presented the Dark Lord with a book and he accepted with a gracious nod, making a stack in his hands. "Good work," he praised. "That was fast! I am pleased. You are all quite efficient and gifted. As I suspected you are even more so as a team. We will meet again soon." Everyone basked in the Dark Lord's praise as if it were the sun on a cold winter day, but it only felt natural to do so. He was their liberator, after all. They all bowed low, and he apparated away.

"Well that was a good night's work! Let's go to the Hogshead for drinks," Bellatrix suggested eagerly. "We can celebrate our success!" Rodolphus and Rabastan agreed readily, but Regulus wasn't in the mood to be out around a ton of people. He really just wanted to be alone with Kreacher, so they could talk over the books and their mutual impressions of the Durmstrang library.

"You lot have fun," he said with a smile. "Kreacher and I will just have a night in."

Bellatrix choked. "I just bet you will. Nasty pigs."

Regulus blinked in consternation, but before he could protest the three apparated away. Regulus and Kreacher went back inside and directly to Regulus's room. "Well, what did you think of the library," Regulus asked eagerly as soon as he closed the door behind them.

"It was very impressive," Kreacher said. "Kreacher only wishes we could've remained longer."

"As do I," Regulus agreed with a nod. "But why didn't you steal any books? Didn't you see any that you found interesting enough," he asked, going to sit on the edge of his bed. With a flick of his wand he conjured the book he'd stolen on dark charms and hexes from downstairs to his hand.

Kreacher frowned. "Because if Kreacher got caught the sort of trouble he could get into would be...special he thinks. He fears he would be punished even more severely than a wizard caught for the same crime."

Regulus couldn't comment. While it hardly seemed fair or reasonable to punish an elf more, he did not know for a fact that it wouldn't be the case. He had never heard of an elf being caught for a crime. "Well if we're ever stealing books again, just give me whatever book you want and I'll steal it," Regulus told him with a grin. If he couldn't reassure his friend that the law would not be unfair to him, he could simply commit the crime instead.

Kreacher simply stared at him for several seconds before replying. Eventually he raised a hand to trace Regulus's cheek bone with the tips of his fingers. "Beautiful kind Master Regulus," he murmured. "Truly he is unlike anyone else."