Regulus Black the Potions Master

Capítulo 38

Regulus remained silent, listening to Harry, Ron, and Gina's story, as did the other teachers. All of them were silent, shocked by everything that was happening and what they had been through. A basilisk!

If you think about it, the choice fits perfectly with Salazar Slytherin, after all, the symbol of the house and the wizard's locket is a snake. The basilisk is nothing more than the most dangerous snake in the world, made as an experiment and a powerful weapon. He even understands why he chose a fucking basilisk, but to put it in school?!

"Whoever said Hogwarts was safe" Stevens muttered next to him "deserves to be beaten"

He didn't answer, but he couldn't disagree.

His gray eyes moved away from the boy and landed on Lockhart, the blond man was on a distant bed, still as confused as when he left by the bathroom sink. Now he knows it's because the idiot tried to erase the boys' memories.

Unbelievable. Well, not so much.

Regulus just didn't know whether to be more genuinely shocked by this, or just by how stupid he could be to try a spell of this level with a broken wand.

He wasn't sure how he felt. The children are alive, all of them, so that's great, he's happy about that. Of course, they're hurt and traumatized, but there was no risk to their lives, so he'll accept that as something of a positive.

On the other hand, he feels the revolt bubbling up in his core. First: Fuck you, Salazar.

How could such an irresponsible man have done such a good thing as the school, Regulus wouldn't give the other founders any more glory than they already have.

Second: He can understand the lack of trust Potter and Weasley have with him, it doesn't please him but he understands, he wouldn't trust a Gryffindor easily either, they're children, clever or not, children don't always tend to have common sense.

That said, what was making him uncomfortable, bubbling in his stomach, was the fact that they had asked Lockhart for help. Damned if it backfired, they should have sought help from another teacher.

Filch would probably have been more useful than Lockhart, considering the idiot's involvement in the whole second attempt on the boys' lives.

It took Harry fifteen minutes to finish telling the story, and Pomfrey was about to throw anyone who wasn't injured out of her infirmary when all the teachers started walking away.

"What now?" Stevens asked.

"I'll send messages to the Ministry and the Weasleys," McGonagall said, "I need to call the Weasley brothers. Sprout, how are the mandrakes doing?"

"They still need a few more weeks, but they're growing well," she said.

"We need to inform the students," Flitwick said, "they're too aware of the petrifications and the disappearance to be kept in the dark."

"Right, let's warn the students, as little as possible, but still reassure them" Minerva agreed.

"If you like," Stevens said, "I can pass the warnings on to the Gryffindor boys and fetch the Weasleys, so you can talk to the Minister and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."

"Yes, yes, that would be great," McGonagall nodded, "talk to your houses and meet me in the principal's office."

[...]

"I'm here to let you know of a few updates," Stevens said to the students gathered in the common room, "that your departure this morning has not yet been revoked, so please keep your things packed. The ingredients to cure the petrified students are being procured, and will soon be ready. With that, the curfew is still in force, so I ask you all to remain here until further notice. Having said all that, my reason for being here is to let you know that the missing students from this house, Harry Potter, Ginevra, and Ronald Weasley, have been located.

There was an almost collective sigh from the students. It was clear that there was concern for their housemates. She saw the twins relaxing, and Percy squeezing Oliver's hand.

"They're safe and well, but they're in the infirmary due to some abrasions, and they'll spend the night there, but I assure you that this is more of a precaution than a necessity. That's all," she paused, letting them absorb the information, "Mr. Weasley, Professor McGonagall has authorized the three of you to go to the infirmary to see your brothers, as long as you respect the rules and don't go wandering around the school."

"Yes, of course, thank you, Professor," Percy was the first to say, jumping up on some legs to get closer to her. Soon the twins who were on the opposite side from their older brother also approached, "We'll behave," the last sentence was said with a glare at the brothers. The twins nodded restlessly.

"All right, come on," she said moving away, "your parents will be here soon."

[...]

Regulus climbed the stairs that connected the hall to the dungeons for the second time in two hours, without the weight of worry about a missing child on his shoulders, the way was easier than before.

Although his mood hadn't improved much, he decided to cling to the positives, especially as there were still many things to do and he couldn't just drink.

In his mind, Potter's story repeated itself: the diary was something with great power if it could project someone's memories and especially if it could control others.

Voldemort's diary.

Something personal, which he probably acquired before going to Hogwarts that year, 1943. Would that be possible?

Someone who got hold of items like the Slytherin locket, the Hufflepuff Cup and even the Ravenclaw diadem and turned them into something as evil as horcruxes, would do that with something so personal.

Well, it would make sense, everyone has to start somewhere. And usually that place had a more intimate connection with you than the others. If the diary is a horcrux as he suspects, then he now knows that brazilian poison destroys it and will destroy any other. And they have prey at their disposal in the secret chamber now that the creature is dead.

But then the question, how did it get into Ginny's hands?

It wasn't just any Weasley, that's obvious, but who and why would give it to her of all people? And above all, how to prove it?

If her suspicions about Lucius were right, he'd gone too far, using a child. Not that this is shocking in retrospect, Lucius only cares about one child in the world and that's Draco.

But if it really was Malfoy who started this chain back in Diagon Alley, before school had even started, a new question would arise. How did he get the diary? Would Voldemort really trust Malfoy with something so important?

He handed the goblet to Bellatrix, so perhaps he was able to trust some diners so deeply. Regulus wasn't in the loop that closely, he lent his house elf, Monstro, to the dark wizard, but he hadn't been told anything about what the old lunatic wanted with an elf, nor would he have known if he hadn't ordered Monstro to return after the mission.

So it's possible that Malfoy didn't know what the diary was at its core, but he knew that it would put the students' lives at risk, the proof of which is that he ordered Draco to stay away from the whole thing. He probably didn't know how it would work, but maybe he did.

It doesn't really matter at the moment, the diary was destroyed, the point is that children got hurt, and Lucius knew that would happen, he expected someone, if not, many people to die.

Regulus stopped in the middle of the hall, taking several deep breaths. He had to go up to the principal's office and he couldn't get there huffing like an angry bull, he had to control himself, and not let anyone know that he wants to curse his cousin's husband with the worst unearthly curses he knows.