Severus Snape: The Half Blood Prince

*(61) The News

Let's just say that their tea got cold by the time they took another sip.

•~Sophie's Dream~•

As Sophie's mind gradually emerged from the depths of her vision, she was immediately struck by a pungent and eerie smell that surrounded her. The air was coarse and heavy, carrying a distinct mix of saltwater and the unmistakable scent of death. It made her nose tingle, and she felt a bizarre sensation as if her very senses were trying to detach from her body. The scent of salt permeated her thoughts, conjuring images of a room, perhaps a hidden chamber with secrets concealed within its walls.

Amidst the fog of her senses, she could hear the sound of writing. It began as scattered scribbles, gradually picking up pace until it transformed into a determined and rapid tapping, as if someone were urgently putting their thoughts onto parchment. Then, with a final flourish, a signature was added, and the noise ceased. Her eyes slowly opened, and her gaze fell upon the figure before her – Regulus Black.

He repeated the message out loud to himself, and Sophie found her ability to move returning. As she walked forward, she saw him holding a parchment with a profound message. "To the Dark Lord - I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. -R.A.B."

With utmost care, Regulus folded the parchment into a small square and slipped it inside a locket – the very locket that once belonged to Tom Riddle's mother.

As he moved away, Sophie followed, though not in a corporeal form. She was now merely a presence, unable to interact with the world around her. The air remained filled with the metallic tang of iron and the lingering scent of salt, the atmosphere turning rancid and oppressive.

Step by step, Sophie attempted to reach out to Regulus, but her insubstantial form rendered her powerless. She became a silent observer as they arrived at the cave, the place of Inferi. Her voice was lost, and words eluded her, but she could do nothing but watch as a numbing sensation enveloped her being.

One by one, Regulus consumed the potion concoction held within the crystal pillars. He struggled and gagged, trying to resist, but he managed to keep it all down, not letting a single drop escape his mouth.

He released the shell, and the locket trembled in Kreacher's hands. Regulus staggered down the crystal structure, desperate to quench his insatiable thirst with the lake's water.

Sophie longed to call out, to reach out to him, but she was voiceless and limbless, a mere figure of consciousness without the ability to intervene. Her throat felt heavy with the weight of unspoken regrets. She tried to make a connection with Regulus, but her efforts were in vain, and she could only watch helplessly as the decaying corpses of past wizards rose from the water to claim him. Without even taking his last breath, he was dragged into the lake, his lungs filling with the poisonous water.

Kreacher followed his master's final instructions, placing the fake locket within the crystal well and concealing the real locket on his person. With a swift twist of elfin magic, he apparated away, dutifully carrying out his master's orders.

As the water rippled and bubbled, a haunting voice emerged, speaking the words, "Find the others."

The haunting images gradually faded into oblivion as Sophie's body was gently shaken awake by the black-haired man she loved, pulling her back to reality.