The Search Is Over

Chapter 101

They made small talk throughout the end of dinner with no more mention of the Hallows. Kreacher served caramel cream fudge cookies for dessert.

"These are amazing," Harry groaned after his first bite.

Kreacher gave a pleased smile.

"I think I'm going to live on these now," Kereston declared as she reached for another. As they ate, Kereston and Harry spoke of her work at the Ministry and her impressions of the Aurors as Harry was curious.

The two had never officially met as she'd been a year ahead of him at Hogwarts and in Slytherin so they had no reason or particular desire to speak. Kreacher and Regulus sat quietly, content to let the other two guide the conversation. For his part, Regulus was already mentally compiling a list of the people he would write as soon as Harry left. His plan of action involved a emergency meeting at Grimmauld. He would ask anyone to come whose skills and wisdom could best help to sort this situation and hopefully find the resurrection stone before someone who did not need to possess it found it instead.

He would write Severus and Mag, Albus, Millicent and Wolfgang, Gellert and Blaise, Raislen and Heather and the three Lestranges. Most of the group may not like them, but Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan were as smart and skilled as anyone else on Regulus's list and deserved respect for that.

So what, they'd made the same mucked up choices Regulus himself had, but if his friends believed he should not be condemned for his choices, neither then should the Lestranges, especially considering what had been done to them. It occurred to him then that many of those who would be present at the meeting had no idea what had been done to them, so that may present a bit of a problem. No one else on his list was a fan of Voldemort, and the Lestranges had been his top supporters. With a little explanation, the others may go easier on them, but it wasn't right to tell others what he did not feel it safe to divulge to the three Lestranges. If he couldn't fix them, telling them they were a little broken may do more damage, so that was off the table. He'd just have to convince everyone to behave in their presence with sound logic and a little hope.

He was drawn from his thoughts when Harry stood to go. The platter of cookies was empty, leaving Kreacher, Kereston and Harry with the vaguely sleepy and contented expressions that only the utterly stuffed could manage.

"Thanks so much for having me, Regulus," Harry said warmly.

Regulus stood and clasped the young man's shoulder.

"And thank you for sharing your knowledge of the resurrection stone with me."

Harry nodded, his face falling a little.

"I'm just sorry if I did the wrong thing with it."

"Don't worry yourself over it," Regulus said.

"I doubt anyone will ever find it," he lied.

Harry's expression cleared, though, just as he hoped it would and the young man gave him a grateful smile.

"That's what I thought, but your concerns did get me thinking...and I hope we're both right."

"If not, it is just one of those twists of fate that are very difficult to struggle against," Regulus said.

Now he was being completely honest.

"Sometimes things are so ingrained into the pattern of the universe that it's difficult to turn the tide. You had the right intention by wanting that thing out of circulation. It may have its own spell to keep that from happening, or perhaps fate itself would intercede but I'll do what I can to attend to it."

Harry's shoulders slumped in relief.

"You'd do that?"

Regulus nodded.