...sinking into oblivion...
in medias res
- slipped and stumbled to the ground, hitting his knee on a rock. He winced, pushing himself up and brushing his hands on his pants.
“Is Master Regulus ok?” Kreacher scrambled over to him, ready to fuss about him, but Regulus waved him off.
“I’m fine, Kreacher. Let’s continue, alright?” He gave the house elf a smile, like this was nothing and he wasn’t walking willingly into his death.
Kreacher nodded. “Yes, Master Regulus. Kreacher will lead the way.” He turned back around and continued into the cave, glancing behind him to make sure Regulus wasn’t about to fall again. He couldn’t have one of his master’s getting hurt.
Regulus walked on after Kreacher, his hands trembling slightly. He cursed himself for feeling afraid and clenched his hands into fists, trying to force himself to stop shaking. He didn’t fear the death that he knew was waiting for him. Well, he did a little. It’d be a lie to say otherwise. He knew that he had to this, there was no other choice and he was resolved. The only things he regretted were getting himself into this whole mess in the first place, and never making things right with his brother.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts and trying to make himself appear calm that he hadn’t noticed when Kreacher stopped, and almost tripped on him. ‘This is getting ridiculous,’ he thought to himself. Quickly giving himself a mental berate for his clumsiness, he straightened himself up, making sure he didn’t harm Kreacher as well, and then looked out in front of him. He and Kreacher were on a narrow strip of rock, looking out over a black lake, toward an eerie green glow in the distance.
Regulus took a deep breath to steady himself and looked down at Kreacher. “What’s next?”
“Kreacher will tell Master Regulus how to get the boat.” And Kreacher told him how to find the chain and to tap it with his wand, which he did, causing the spectral boat to rise slowly to the surface. Regulus and Kreacher got into the boat, which began to glide easily and smoothly over the water, toward the island where the glow was emanating. Regulus noticed Kreacher eyeing the water nervously and began to examine it more closely himself. Surely there must be something in there, he thought, and then saw something move under the water off in the distance. He shuddered, dreading to think what it might be, and refocused his attention to the island.
It felt like ages till they finally reached the rock island, and they got out of the boat carefully, both mindful to not touch the water. Regulus shivered slightly. The cave was cold and he was soaking. He felt horrible for dragging Kreacher through this again, but he was the only one who knew - apart from Voldemort himself - what to do here.
He looked at the basin for a moment before turning to Kreacher. “What do I need to do now, Kreacher?”
Kreacher swallowed loudly and, shaking, reached for the basin. “It needs to be drunk. Kreacher will drink it for Master Regulus.” There was a tremor in his voice even as he tried to be brave for his master, and Regulus’ heart constricted.
He put his hand out, keeping the basin away from Kreacher’s mouth. “No, I will drink it.” He carefully took the bowl from Kreacher and balanced it in one hand, reaching into his pocket with the other. He pulled out a locket and held it out for Kreacher, who took it with a look of confusion. “When the basin is empty, I want you to switch the lockets. And then you are to return home. Do you understand, Kreacher?”
Kreacher nodded. “Kreacher will bring himself and Master Regulus back to the Manor.”
Regulus shook his head. “No, you’ll go back by yourself, Kreacher. You have to leave me here.”
The house elf’s eyes widened. “Leave Master Regulus?”
“That’s right, Kreacher. Leave me here. That is an order.”
Tears grew in Kreacher’s eyes, but he nodded anyway. “Yes, Master Regulus.”
“You are not to tell anyone of this night, not even Mother. And you must destroy the locket as soon as you can. Alright?”
More tears formed, sliding down the house elf’s cheeks, but he nodded again. “Yes, Master Regulus.”
Regulus’ expression softened. “It’ll be alright, Kreacher. I promise. It will be better in the end.” And with that, Regulus drank the glowing potion in the basin. He drank, and he felt despair set in on him. Everything that he wished to forget came crashing down on him, and he wanted to stop drinking, but he forced himself to continue, drinking every drop. When he finished, he held the basin out to Kreacher to take the locket and replace it. Then, clumsily as his throat felt as though it was on fire, he placed the basin back and collapsed, unable to move any more. He took deep shuddering breaths and opened his eyes blearily, finding Kreacher still stand there, staring at him in horror.
Then he felt the icy hands of the things that must live in the lake. They were pulling him, dragging him towards the water, and he could do nothing to fight them off. And yet Kreacher was still there, watching him, terrified, clutching the locket in his hand.
“Go…” He managed to rasp out. “Go… Kreacher…” He drew in a harsh breath, his voice all but leaving him, and he wishes he could say more to make Kreacher leave now.
And he still feels those hands, pulling him down, and Kreacher is still there. He knows when he reaches the edge of the water, because it feels like he’s being dragged into a huge block of ice, and he gasps again. Now he begins to fight back, weakly. He has no strength, the potion stole it all, but he has to try, try and get away from these cold, dead hands, and this frigid, black lake. He gives Kreacher one last, pleading look, begging him to leave with his eyes, forcing one last word out of his body, Go!, before he’s pulled into the lake completely. And suddenly, like a shock to his body, his strength returns a little, and he’s fighting more, kicking and moving his arms, trying to stay afloat. He tries as hard as he can, but there are too many, and they’re bearing down on him. He hears a loud crack and he knows that Kreacher has finally gone home, and now he is completely alone, except for the dead bodies that surround him, pulling him, forcing him to join their ranks. He looks up at the ceiling of the cave, seeing nothing but blackness, and he closes his eyes, taking one last breath before he is submerged completely, sinking into oblivion.
Regulus Black//Harry Potter//1145
- slipped and stumbled to the ground, hitting his knee on a rock. He winced, pushing himself up and brushing his hands on his pants.
“Is Master Regulus ok?” Kreacher scrambled over to him, ready to fuss about him, but Regulus waved him off.
“I’m fine, Kreacher. Let’s continue, alright?” He gave the house elf a smile, like this was nothing and he wasn’t walking willingly into his death.
Kreacher nodded. “Yes, Master Regulus. Kreacher will lead the way.” He turned back around and continued into the cave, glancing behind him to make sure Regulus wasn’t about to fall again. He couldn’t have one of his master’s getting hurt.
Regulus walked on after Kreacher, his hands trembling slightly. He cursed himself for feeling afraid and clenched his hands into fists, trying to force himself to stop shaking. He didn’t fear the death that he knew was waiting for him. Well, he did a little. It’d be a lie to say otherwise. He knew that he had to this, there was no other choice and he was resolved. The only things he regretted were getting himself into this whole mess in the first place, and never making things right with his brother.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts and trying to make himself appear calm that he hadn’t noticed when Kreacher stopped, and almost tripped on him. ‘This is getting ridiculous,’ he thought to himself. Quickly giving himself a mental berate for his clumsiness, he straightened himself up, making sure he didn’t harm Kreacher as well, and then looked out in front of him. He and Kreacher were on a narrow strip of rock, looking out over a black lake, toward an eerie green glow in the distance.
Regulus took a deep breath to steady himself and looked down at Kreacher. “What’s next?”
“Kreacher will tell Master Regulus how to get the boat.” And Kreacher told him how to find the chain and to tap it with his wand, which he did, causing the spectral boat to rise slowly to the surface. Regulus and Kreacher got into the boat, which began to glide easily and smoothly over the water, toward the island where the glow was emanating. Regulus noticed Kreacher eyeing the water nervously and began to examine it more closely himself. Surely there must be something in there, he thought, and then saw something move under the water off in the distance. He shuddered, dreading to think what it might be, and refocused his attention to the island.
It felt like ages till they finally reached the rock island, and they got out of the boat carefully, both mindful to not touch the water. Regulus shivered slightly. The cave was cold and he was soaking. He felt horrible for dragging Kreacher through this again, but he was the only one who knew - apart from Voldemort himself - what to do here.
He looked at the basin for a moment before turning to Kreacher. “What do I need to do now, Kreacher?”
Kreacher swallowed loudly and, shaking, reached for the basin. “It needs to be drunk. Kreacher will drink it for Master Regulus.” There was a tremor in his voice even as he tried to be brave for his master, and Regulus’ heart constricted.
He put his hand out, keeping the basin away from Kreacher’s mouth. “No, I will drink it.” He carefully took the bowl from Kreacher and balanced it in one hand, reaching into his pocket with the other. He pulled out a locket and held it out for Kreacher, who took it with a look of confusion. “When the basin is empty, I want you to switch the lockets. And then you are to return home. Do you understand, Kreacher?”
Kreacher nodded. “Kreacher will bring himself and Master Regulus back to the Manor.”
Regulus shook his head. “No, you’ll go back by yourself, Kreacher. You have to leave me here.”
The house elf’s eyes widened. “Leave Master Regulus?”
“That’s right, Kreacher. Leave me here. That is an order.”
Tears grew in Kreacher’s eyes, but he nodded anyway. “Yes, Master Regulus.”
“You are not to tell anyone of this night, not even Mother. And you must destroy the locket as soon as you can. Alright?”
More tears formed, sliding down the house elf’s cheeks, but he nodded again. “Yes, Master Regulus.”
Regulus’ expression softened. “It’ll be alright, Kreacher. I promise. It will be better in the end.” And with that, Regulus drank the glowing potion in the basin. He drank, and he felt despair set in on him. Everything that he wished to forget came crashing down on him, and he wanted to stop drinking, but he forced himself to continue, drinking every drop. When he finished, he held the basin out to Kreacher to take the locket and replace it. Then, clumsily as his throat felt as though it was on fire, he placed the basin back and collapsed, unable to move any more. He took deep shuddering breaths and opened his eyes blearily, finding Kreacher still stand there, staring at him in horror.
Then he felt the icy hands of the things that must live in the lake. They were pulling him, dragging him towards the water, and he could do nothing to fight them off. And yet Kreacher was still there, watching him, terrified, clutching the locket in his hand.
“Go…” He managed to rasp out. “Go… Kreacher…” He drew in a harsh breath, his voice all but leaving him, and he wishes he could say more to make Kreacher leave now.
And he still feels those hands, pulling him down, and Kreacher is still there. He knows when he reaches the edge of the water, because it feels like he’s being dragged into a huge block of ice, and he gasps again. Now he begins to fight back, weakly. He has no strength, the potion stole it all, but he has to try, try and get away from these cold, dead hands, and this frigid, black lake. He gives Kreacher one last, pleading look, begging him to leave with his eyes, forcing one last word out of his body, Go!, before he’s pulled into the lake completely. And suddenly, like a shock to his body, his strength returns a little, and he’s fighting more, kicking and moving his arms, trying to stay afloat. He tries as hard as he can, but there are too many, and they’re bearing down on him. He hears a loud crack and he knows that Kreacher has finally gone home, and now he is completely alone, except for the dead bodies that surround him, pulling him, forcing him to join their ranks. He looks up at the ceiling of the cave, seeing nothing but blackness, and he closes his eyes, taking one last breath before he is submerged completely, sinking into oblivion.
Regulus Black//Harry Potter//1145