The Search Is Over

Chapter 89

Regulus and Kreacher traveled for nearly four months, and it was glorious! It was just as both had imagined it would be back in their younger days when in Regulus's last years at Hogwarts, they'd eagerly planned to roam the world together. It was a relief to find that time hadn't robbed them of this pleasure. Regulus had feared that years of depression and grief on both their parts would've made it too difficult to regain the fresh interest and exuberance of youth. Even before ridding himself of the foul water from the black lake, he had been wrong, and being wrong had never felt so wonderful!

As they still had no news from Griphook, they assumed the healers still had not returned to the UK. They weren't meeting up with Dora until they were ready to visit the healers, so they just went straight to 12 Grimmauld. Though it had been beyond wonderful to travel, the warm familiar comfort of home felt just as good. Kreacher's two boggarts appeared to greet them as soon as they stepped into the front hall. The first was a clean shaven, twig thin little thing that came a little past his knees with short black hair, a very long pointed nose and little black eyes. He wore a rumpled old fashioned dark suit and always put Regulus in mind of a grim brownie with sharper features, though he'd only seen brownie illustrations in books.

The other was as short and also humanoid but more burley, and completely covered in long bristly brown hair. He growled happily, butting against Kreacher as the elf laughed and patted his head. As the burly boggart was completely monopolizing Kreacher's attention, Regulus gave the thinner sharp nosed one a faint smile. To his surprise the odd little thing smiled back, nodding briefly.

Regulus's mum had frequently bragged that the Black family along with their close associates were among the very few wizards to ever see a boggart's true form, but Regulus had his doubts. These two looked nothing alike. To him, they didn't even look like the same species. He had a theory that the boggarts could change their shape to some degree at will, unrelated to the fears of anyone. Kreacher on the other hand had his doubts. He believed for a boggart to have such power, it would have to have access to far more magic than they got here at 12 Grimmauld. Instead he felt the two looked enough alike to be the same species, only like some humans, one was by far hairier and stockier than the other. It was Kreacher's power that kept the boggarts from tormenting anyone in the home with their worst fears. He could talk to them in a way that made them listen, and they seemed to enjoy being his pets.

When Kreacher had finished warmly greeting both of them with pats and crooning words of fond praise, he began unpacking their trunks. As usual, he firmly waved away the offers of help from Regulus. The unpacking was expedient, as were all things that the deft elf turned his attention to when it came to household tasks. Items flew about putting themselves where they belonged when Kreacher pointed a casual finger at them. Of course Regulus couldn't do as much unless he charmed each item first to always return to where it belonged. Instead he'd have to walk about the manor attending to each thing at a time, putting it away by hand. Apparently, according to Kreacher this was shamefully tedious at best and a crime at worst.

Regulus wandered upstairs, dodging the occasional robe or tunic that sailed past him on its way to their shared wardrobe. He'd considered going to the library to read a bit instead, as they hadn't read much on their travels due to having more active things to do while out and about. Though he was pleased and even comforted by the feel of home, his mind wasn't settled enough to focus on a book just yet. His head was still happily in the clouds of their journeys and experiences away from home. He wandered around the room, idly running his fingers across the desk, then a bedpost, grounding himself in the sensation of being home. From time to time he found himself dodging things as they flew in to put themselves away, and he smiled. At that rate, Kreacher would be finished and at his side soon unless he decided to eat something first.