The Search Is Over

Chapter 116

Leaving Kreacher to find Kereston, Regulus went up stairs to write Dora. He was excited to tell her that Kreacher was at last a night walker as many vampires called themselves. Mortis kindly offered to take the note, and Regulus smiled in appreciation as he passed the scroll into the phoenix's claws. He recalled how enchanted Dora always was when anything magical suddenly happened around her. The appearance of Mortis would surely brighten her evening.

"Would you mind waiting a moment to see if she has a reply," Regulus asked and Mortis trilled, indicating that he would wait. He vanished, leaving Regulus alone in his bedchamber. Rising from the small desk that he'd never bothered replacing with anything more substantial, he decided to find Kreacher and Kereston while awaiting Dora's reply. As he guessed they'd be, the two were in the library.

"Kereston will never believe what Mistress Walburga was most angry about," Kreacher said excitedly as Regulus entered the room.

"It is not at all what Kereston would suppose, Kreacher is certain."

Kereston leaned forward eagerly as Kreacher waved Regulus to the sofa at his side. The elf's round blue eyes were sparkling happily over the fact he had a good story to tell.

"She was very, very angry that we never informed her of what was happening before everyone attacked the Dark Lord. Why she has another, better plan sorted that she believes would have taken care of everything far more safely. Kreacher thinks she is probably correct."

Regulus listened as Kreacher summarized their visit with Walburga and Orion. Kereston was properly shocked at Walburga's near acceptance of Kreacher and Regulus's relationship and impressed by her plan to remain under Voldemort's radar.

"I wonder if she guessed he couldn't be killed due to the Horcrux," Kereston mused thoughtfully.

"It's the only reason I can think of for why she wouldn't have thought just killing him as Orion wanted was the best idea."

"That's a brilliant conjecture, and likely true," Regulus complimented, impressed.

He was frankly disappointed that he hadn't considered as much himself yet. In his defense his main focus, both mental and emotional had simply been on being with his parents at the time.
"I definitely plan to ask her when next we meet," Regulus said.

"If it's true, it means she's got a good grasp of how Horcruxes work," Kereston said.

"Better than the rest of us, at least. That's impressive. Both of your parents really knew their stuff, and I can tell where you get it from"

The fact she was able to see his parents for the great people they were made Regulus like the little blonde even more.

"Thank you," Regulus told her with a warm smile.

Hearing Kreacher recounting the conversation to Kereston reminded him of something else he intended to ask his mother about.

"Mother said something else that I found very intriguing," he said.

"I wanted to ask her about it, but there was so much to catch her and father up on, and as they wanted to know everything...at once, I didn't dare digress. Then later of course it slipped my mind."

He sighed.

"There is always next time, though. It concerns her comment about elves being like fae," he said.

"When I defended our relationship to her, do you recall," he asked, turning to Kreacher who nodded slowly.

"Kreacher did notice that. Like Master Regulus he found the comment intriguing and curious, but so much was going on that he didn't remember to ask how Mistress Walburga reached her conclusion."