Harry Potter and Death's Mystery

Chapter 1

Cold. That was all Regulus Black felt. The coldness of the rock on his back, penetrating his dampened shirt, and the coldness of the breeze hitting his sopping figure.

He groaned, and sat up, attempting to rub his arms to create any form of heat. His arms wouldn't move fast enough, almost as if they hadn't been used in years. 

He attempted to stand, but he stumbled with every step, his legs seemingly incapable of working properly. He managed to make his way up the rocks he had been lying on, ramming into a basin that he used to prop himself.

If he hadn't been holding the basin, he would have collapsed as all the memories flooded back to him. The Horcrux. The Locket. Kreature. He managed to look inside the basin, and to his surprise, it was empty, no poison, no locket, not any replica. Just the basin itself.

Regulus slowly let go of the basin, and stood up straight. Despite the fact that he was cold and soaked, the air seemed relatively warm for a day in December. In fact, he distinctly remembered there being ice in the water. It was clear, too clear for his liking, seeing as he could see the corpses of Inferi just below the surface. 

He took off his shirt, and rung it out, a waterfall pouring out of it. He flung the shirt over his shoulder, and slowly made his way to the water just opposite of the cave entrance he could see in the distance. 

Fortunately, the boat was there, just as he remembered it, and he clambered on. His heart rate was returning somewhat to normal, as he got out of the boat, and made his way to the entrance of the cave.

He doubled back as soon as he stepped outside, the sun temporarily blinding him. He allowed himself to adjust, before jumping into the water, and swimming to the nearest rock, so he could survey his surroundings better. He tied his shirt around his waist, and the water was much warmer than he imagined it should have been.

He climbed on the rock, heaving, and laid down on it, the rock surprisingly warm from the sun.

"There's a guy on that rock!" Regulus heard a voice shout. He was so groggy that the voice seemed muffled. "He looks dead! Is he dead?"

He didn't register the fact that a small tourist boat pulled itself to a stop next to him, until he heard a different voice yell, "You! On the rock!" 

He looked up, but quickly collapsed at the effort.

"I think he's tired!" shouted the same voice as earlier. Regulus slowly was able to pinpoint it. It was coming from a girl, with a distinct American accent that seemed as if shouting were her only volume.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," responded a boy, with a similar accent to the girl's.

"I think we'll need to help him." The man from earlier stated. "We'll need volunteers." He heard a couple people volunteer, and soon after he felt himself being picked up, and placed on what felt like a deck of a boat.

He sighed from relief as a towel was placed gingerly on his body, and he sat up, rubbing his eyes and surveying his surroundings.

A girl was kneeling next to him, a look of concern etched on her face, and a few towels perched on her arm. "He's awake!" The girl exclaimed, and he recognised the voice as the American girl who was shouting before. Her loud tones caused his arms to fly up to his ears.

"I think you're too loud, Ruby," the boy said, and Ruby nodded, stood up, and held onto the bar with her free hand.

"Are you okay?" Ruby's voice was still loud, but it wasn't the same shout it had been. When Regulus spent most of his energy nodding, she went on. "What were you doing there, anyway?"