HP Midnight Light

- August 1978, 8 - Black House

"Kreacher is back." The house-elf said weakly, looking up at him with big bloodshot eyes, "Master Regulus wants Kreacher to come home, so Kreacher is back."

Regulus stood up abruptly from the armchair, and when he saw the condition of the house-elf, Regulus' face gradually paled.He looked down at the dying elf on the ground: "Kreacher, your mission has been completed." He heard his voice trembling, "Now I ask you to rest."

"Yes, Master Regulus." The house-elf replied hoarsely, and he bowed deeply with a struggle, then staggered back and crawled out of Regulus' room.

"Wait a minute, Kreacher." Regulus couldn't bear to find a bottle of potion from the drawer, "Drink it, it will make you feel better. I want to see you after you recover, and understand the matter go through."

"Thank you, master, for the gift. Master Regulus is such a good man. It is an honor for Kreacher to serve him. Master Regulus has the noble temperament of a mistress." The house elf almost cried bitterly, he was tall Holding the potion that Regulus gave him, he muttered to himself, "And Master Sirius, that annoying, ungrateful bastard..."

Kreacher's voice faded away, and Regulus heard its pattering footsteps going downstairs.He closed the drawer restlessly, which caused a shock to the table arrangement.A photo frame fell on the table, and Regulus picked it up. It was a group photo of the Black family that he took during his school year.The people in the photo should have given him disapproving looks with a sudden shock.

Regulus stared at the photo.Sirius focused his eyes on the opposite of everyone else's, as if he was destined to run away from home sooner or later.Kreacher's words unexpectedly reminded Regulus of Sirius, and a feeling between boredom, sadness and joy filled his heart.

"Regu." Someone knocked on the door.

Regulus quickly put the frame back in place, and his father, Orion, pushed the door open.

"Father."

"The Ministry of Magic gave me some tickets for the Quidditch World Cup." Orion handed him an envelope. "There are seven tickets in total, enough for you and your teammates to go together. I wonder if you are interested?"

If it was the old days, Regulus would definitely take it over.But today he is not in the mood: "Thank you for your kindness, father. But I don't really want to go out."

Orion didn't insist, he folded the envelope and threw it into the trash can, then looked at his youngest son who was obviously not quite right: "What happened, Lei Gu?"

"It's nothing." Regulus quickly replied, "I just don't want to go far."

Orion saw through his excuses at a glance.But he didn't continue to interrogate, but grabbed Regulus' left hand and slowly rolled up his sleeve. Regulus struggled a bit, but Orion stopped him with his eyes.The Dark Mark clearly appeared on Regulus' left arm, and the father and son were silent for a while, as if they had seen the Dark Lord himself.

"Does it hurt?" Orion traced the shape of the Dark Mark with his fingers, and Regulus unconsciously shuddered:

"It's healed, Father." Bai Xian healed the wound very quickly, but Regulus would never forget the pain of cutting flesh when he branded the mark.

"You know what that means, Regulus?" Orion asked in a low voice, looking into Regulus' eyes, who blinked:

"I know, father."

"You have to be loyal to the Dark Lord." Orion said in a whispering voice, "You can't back down, you can't be afraid, and you can't regret it, understand?"

Regulus did not answer this question, his eyes moved from his father's face to the door: "Mother."

Walburga had appeared there silently at some point, and she had already heard the conversation between the father and son.Now she approached her son slowly, looking down at the Dark Mark on his left arm as well: "You should feel honored for this, Regu. Not everyone can get this honor." Not waiting for Regul As he reacted, Walburga continued to ask, "What did the Dark Lord ask Kreacher to do? I almost thought he was going to die."

"The Dark Lord didn't say, and I didn't have time to ask." Regulus replied, "Kreacher—"

"—preparing lunch downstairs. Thanks to the Dark Lord for his kindness, otherwise it would not be easy to find another elf." Walburga said lazily, she reached out and stroked the back of her son's neck, "You do Well done, Rhaegu. Never forget that you are the noblest and oldest Black—the Dark Lord should know that only Black is his rightful servant."

Regulus' eyebrows were knitted together because of his mother's words: "No second minister?"

"Which one of the people behind the Dark Lord is not inextricably linked with us?" Walburga said in a firm tone. She noticed her son's tightened brows, and she couldn't help but slow down her tone a little. "Are you worried? What, Regu?"

At the same time, she and her husband exchanged a calm look.

"I was just wondering..." Regulus' throat moved, "How long will I have to wait."

"It depends on what you're waiting for," Walburga asked rhetorically. "The Dark Lord's trust? The Death Eaters' respect? The day you get out of Hogwarts? Or the Burstrod girl?"

"Maybe both." Regulus' eyes wandered.

"It seems that you really like that girl." Walburga saw through her son's thoughts, and she said calmly, "But Signus' trick caught you, didn't it?"

"Do not--"

"You've let me down, Regu. I thought that a mere Bolster could do nothing to you." Walburga's attitude became a little domineering, "I didn't expect him to distract you with only one girl."

"That's not true, mother..." Regulus cast a look of help at his father.Orion patted him on the shoulder and motioned him to sit down on the chair: "It's yours, and it will be yours sooner or later."

"You're worried that Bulstrode is playing tricks on you, aren't you?" Walburga asked again in a soft voice, Regulus nodded hesitantly, she squatted down and squeezed his cold hand, staring at Looking at her son who has made her proud since she was a child, "Then you have to let him know that there is absolutely no possibility for him to tease you."

"Mother?"

"Bost used his sister to deal with you, why don't you follow suit?" Walburga patted Regulus' hand lightly, "Once a person like him is hit on a weak point, he will It hurts a lot."

"You mean to let me start with his wife or... mistress?" Regulus asked uncertainly.

"Unless you have a better idea."

"I did," Regulus replied. "Edmund Parkinson said something against Signus on his own last year, and I just overheard it... and then I told Signus. Now it seems It's time to add fire."

"Before adding more wood, make sure you're not playing with fire***," warns Orion.

"Mother," Regulus said of another matter, "Kreacher's current situation is not suitable for housework."

Walburga showed an incredulous expression: "It's a house-elf, Regu! This is its inherent duty."

-Five days later, August 8th -Burstead Manor

Margaret poured a fragrant tea into the cup: "This is a spice from South Africa, I hope you like it."

"How are you doing recently?" Edmund glanced over the teacup and looked at Margaret on the opposite side. Hearing his question, she calmly handed the second cup of tea to Regulus, and then Only then slowly put down the teapot:

"Everything is fine. Olivia is teaching me how to make muffins, which are much harder than potions!"

Edmund laughed, and Regulus couldn't help smiling.Signus was late, he should have been home half an hour ago, but something seemed to hold him back.Regulus' heart was pounding, and he secretly glanced at Edmund, who was asking where Margaret got the fragrant tea from.Knowing that this was a rare opportunity, Regulus put down his teacup and complained inadvertently: "Signus has been really busy lately."

"Yes, Mrs. Bulstrode is very worried about his health." There seemed to be something wrong in Margaret's words, but she didn't notice, "Signus has been very busy, especially recently."

"After all, besides the Dark Lord, Signus has to deal with so many people." Edmund echoed with a smile, "especially some of them are quite difficult."

Regulus' eyelids twitched, and Edmund was looking at him with a smile.They all knew where Signus had gone.Facing Edmund's prying gaze, Regulus answered calmly: "Indeed. Signus is a celebrity in front of the Dark Lord, and you should be proud of him, Margot Lite." He looked back at Edmund fearlessly, and the latter curled the corners of his mouth in an invisible way and then looked away.

"Of course." Margaret keenly caught the movement at the door, "I think Signus is back."

Sure enough, it was Signus who opened the door.He looked tired but still full of energy. He nodded briefly to them and bent down to kiss Margaret on the cheek: "Thank you, Maggie."

"That's what I should do." Margaret got up and gave Signus the seat, "I'll bring some snacks in later."

"Let Olivia send it. She and Regu haven't seen each other for a long time." Signus said thoughtfully, "Take a good rest, Maggie, you've been reading late lately."

Margaret smiled and left the lounge.Regulus had a panoramic view of Signus's performance without a trace, and he couldn't help but hastily picked up his teacup to hide his strange expression.As an insider, he couldn't believe how Signus managed to spend the night with Catherine Shafik while still being considerate of Margaret.This doubt made his stomach queasy, and Regulus put down his teacup hastily.

"Are you okay, Regu?" Signus certainly noticed his abnormality.

"It's just that I'm not used to this kind of tea. Please don't take offense, Signus." Regulus said with a wry smile, and Signus laughed:

"It's really hard to enjoy the smell at first taste."

"Let's talk about business." Edmund crossed his legs and leaned on the sofa. "It is conceivable that Rozier must be very anxious now."

"She will definitely make a big move at Hogwarts, and I will trouble you then, Regulus." Signus glanced at Regulus, "But Hogwarts is too small after all, and she will No matter how hard we struggle, we can't make big waves. The important thing is that we should cooperate from the inside out, so that Rozier and his daughter cannot complement each other."

"It would be naive for Rozier to rely on that dark magic team to win her a place in front of the Dark Lord," Edmund pointed out. "I personally suspect that she has other tricks. There is one more important thing." The thing is... Regu, you must find a way to prevent Cornelia from forming an alliance with others."

"I've been in touch with Nott, Crabbe and Goyle. I couldn't get in touch with Snape... As for Crouch, I haven't written to him, but I'll try to get in touch with him next term."

"I wonder what old Crouch's face will look like when he knows the way his son is going," Edmund sneered.Signus signaled Regulus to continue:

"Aren't you going to win over those girls?"

"That's exactly what I want to say, Signus, I suspect Cornelia will approach them first." Regulus said, he noticed Edmund's sudden concentration from the corner of his eye, "Although Cornelia disdains to be with them, after you proposed the 'source of life' plan, I guess she might use it as a cover to persuade those girls to stand with her, so that she might pass them to control them."

The voice fell, and no one spoke.Signus' gaze at Regulus inevitably became more and more serious, but Regulus' performance was impeccable, and he seemed to be waiting for the two "senior" to comment on his speculation.In the end it was Edmund who broke the silence:

"I'm not sure if Cornelia would actually do that, but it's always good to be cautious."

Regulus smiled faintly: "Exactly. I'd rather plan ahead than be cornered."

"Hogwarts will be your home stadium next semester, Regu. Many people are looking forward to your performance. According to the current situation, not only will you not disappoint them, but you will also impress them." At this time Olivia knocked on the door, and she brought in a plate of delicate pastries. When her gaze met Regulus, Olivia's eyes flickered.Signus naturally noticed: "Go and talk to Ollie, Regu. Edmond and I will continue chatting for a while."

"A couple." After Olivia and Regulus left, Edmund commented.

"That's right." Signus looked at Edmund, "Speaking of which, have you found your girl?"

"Of course." Edmund picked up a piece of cake and looked at the brightly colored cherries on it. "I have the patience to wait. This must wait until a perfect opportunity..."

Margaret watched Regulus and Olivia sitting side by side by a flower bed. She spent some time observing this couple who were not going well. about her own past.Margaret stopped just in time before she got too lost in the past. She lowered the curtains and went back to the desk to finish the letter.

"...From their expressions, I guess there is something hidden between Parkinson and Regulus that I don't know—maybe it's a shared secret, maybe it's a tit-for-tat—I don't know if it's related to the Dark Lord Or the Death Eaters. Another thing to note is that Regulus looked a little odd, he was extra cautious and careful, maybe something happened. I'll try to keep track of the situation."

She folded the letter and put it inside an envelope, then carefully sealed the seal with wax.After she drew her wand and cast a series of spells, Margaret called the owl.

"Go ahead," murmured Margaret as she watched the inconspicuous owl fly off the ledge.

- March 1978, 8 - Bath

Hyacinth found Arabella Figg's residence almost without any difficulty. Not long after she rang the doorbell, the door was opened.It was an ordinary-looking woman who opened the door. If she hadn't known her identity in advance, Hyacinth would have thought she was a Muggle through and through.

"Hello, Mrs. Figg." Hyacinth held out her hand, "I'm sorry for taking the liberty to visit, but your nephew, Mr. Spencer Barnold, gave me your address."

Hearing his nephew's name, Mrs. Feige froze for a moment: "Please come in."

Fifteen minutes later she was sitting in Mrs. Figg's living room explaining what had happened.

"It's all your own idea?" Mrs. Figg looked her over.

Hyacinth nodded: "Maybe I'm too impulsive, but——I think this idea is worth a try."

"It's a good thing to have an idea. But I don't understand what it means, Miss White." Mrs. Figg shook her head, "No one can predict where the Death Eaters will attack next, even if we warn, Muggles We can't take any precautions against this. Who can escape the death curse." She smiled wryly.

"It's not meaningless, Mrs. Figg." Hyacinth had been prepared for a long time, and she put away the several daily prophets she brought, "Death Eaters didn't attack Muggles randomly—you see , they prefer to attack those who have connections with the wizarding world. For example, this family, I checked the information, their house was once rented by a family of bitch wizards; The magic riot, so the memory was modified by the Ministry of Magic... I used to think that the Death Eaters were killing Muggles at will, but in fact they only attacked those who had little connection with the wizarding world. I think they might use the The target turned to the family of the hemp seed wizard, the family of the half-blood wizard... Mrs. Figg, you understand what this means? The Death Eaters believe that magic is paramount, and one day anyone but a pure-blood will be their attack object!"

Mrs. Figg quickly scanned the documents: "Where did you find these, Miss White?"

"Various places." Hyacinth shrugged. "The Death Eaters vowed to eliminate dissidents, and you and I are also on their list. If they really expand to that point, the Death Eaters will sooner or later Come to us, they'll kill your family, torture you, destroy everything you hold dear—"

Mrs. Figg glanced at the photos at home with a pale face: "I always thought things weren't that bad..."

"It's true now." Hyacinth admitted, "But we can't wait for them to find a way."

"So, what do I need to do in your plan, Miss White?"

Hyacinth realized that Mrs. Figg's attitude had softened: "Do you know any other Squibs?"

"There are a few." Mrs. Figg nodded, "but not all of them are local."

"It doesn't matter," said Hyacins. "Can you visit the people who live here and tell them what's going on? I hope more Squibs will join this project. What we will do It's not complicated, you just need to pay attention to whether there are any abnormalities around. Death eaters are also very cautious. They will set up spots in advance to avoid being attacked by Aurors, so if we can find clues in advance, maybe we can save some people s life."

"That's all we have to do? Observe whether there are any traces of Death Eaters in the community?" Mrs. Figg seemed suspicious, "Most of the squibs know each other's identities and have contact information. If you want to find out It’s not difficult for more people.”

"That's what I want to remind you, Mrs. Figg. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I want you to choose your targets carefully and make sure that they and their families are on the side of the White Wizard and voluntarily participate in the fight against the Death Eaters." In action." Hyacinth explained, "Once you find something abnormal, try to pass the news to your family members in the magic world, and then they will pass it on to the Ministry of Magic, Aurors or other people who can make decisions hands."

"Are you sure this method will work? I mean - the message won't be ignored? It won't be intercepted in the middle? I'm sorry, Miss White, I'm not a coward. It's just that we don't have magical powers. For Death Eaters Saying we're no different than Muggles, they're trying to kill us like an ant."

"Dear Mrs. Figg, this matter itself is risky enough. I admit that the situation you mentioned may happen." Hyacinth confessed, "But personally, I can't do it." Stay out of it—that's probably one of the few things I can do when my wizarding and Muggle friends are hanging by a thread." She went on, "Unless you don't mind Death Eaters torturing them, believe you I also know their methods very well.”

"I have a few good friends." Mrs. Fig said suddenly, "They will definitely be willing to join. But not everyone is willing to risk their lives for this kind of thing, so...you don't care how many people we can unite?"

Hyacinth breathed a sigh of relief: "I only care about how united you are, Mrs. Figg."

"I will return the news to you as soon as possible, Miss White."

"Thank you, Mrs. Figg."

The author has something to say:

Note:

1. According to the original book, Kreacher was taken away by the Dark Lord in the second half of 1979, which is a year earlier.The date of Regulus' death remains unchanged: 1980.

2. See Chapter 1977 of Volume 10 for Regulus' informant on Signus.

3. Both Regulus and Walburga are very kind to Kreacher: the former cares about it, and the latter assigns it to do housework.Personally, I think being sent is an honor in the eyes of the house-elves.

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