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Regulus’s Plan


Everyone in the Order had shown up - Sirius, Remus, Peter, Frank, Ali, Lily, Marlene and Annalee McKinnon , Emmaline Vance, Andy Woodhouse, Jackson Maw, Tobias Clement, McKenna Alliston, Meg Johnston, Jessica Abbot, Marty Brown, Harry Warbeck, Alabaster Jackson, and even, surprisingly to James, Jasper Odair. And they all stared as James came in the room with Regulus Black on his heels, wrapped under the arm of Sirius.

Alabaster Jackson gave James a funny look, halfway between astonishment and questioning. James nodded at him to let him know he knew what he was thinking, but it was taken care of, and he hoped that Alabaster hadn’t told anyone else what he had overheard, and maybe Snape’s little tale wouldn’t spread any further than that. Alabaster nodded back, but he still looked doubtfully at Regulus, whose fingers clung to the hem of his left sleeve tightly and eyes stayed downcast once he realized that everyone was looking at him.

“Everybody, this is Regulus Black, if you don’t know him already, he’s Sirius’s kid brother. He’s in Slytherin, and he’s one of the bravest third years I ever met,” James said. He smiled at Regulus, who had looked up at the mention of him being brave, an eager expression on his face. Nobody had said that to Regulus except for Mraryrose’s medallion, ever. His heart swelled up.

Jasper Odair, who was sitting as far from Lily as he could get, sandwiched between Marty Brown and Harry Warbeck, was the first one to say, “Welcome Regulus.”

Regulus smiled, “Thanks, Jasper.”

Sirius’s arm fell away from Regulus’s shoulder and he frolicked off to go sit with Remus across the room, who still looked rather miserable, leaning against Lily Evans’s shoulder. Lily was patting the curls at his forehead gently and when Sirius sat down on Remus’s other side, she looked at Sirius with concern and Sirius tugged Rey over onto his shoulder and Remus leamed into Sirius instead.

“Alright, lot,” James said, looking around as Regulus awkwardly struggled ot find some place to sit, unsure where he was welcome, and he finally sat sort of beside Sirius, but not quite, leaving a gap incase Sirius didn’t want him there. Sirius seemed oblivious to his brother though, too concerned with Remus to take notice. James continued on, “I wanted to get this meeting together so we could make some plans… See, some of you might’ve got the Daily Prophet the other day when they announced that the standing minister, Bartemius Crouch, has called for a registry of the muggle-borns, including their wands.”

A mixed reaction went up. Some of the people there had already heard about it - like Frank and Ali - and others were reacting properly with astonishment and anger, and then there were a few that looked confused. “So what if there’s a registry?” asked Alabaster Jackson.

“A registry of muggle-borns is practically handing Voldemort a kill list, Al,” said Frank Longbottom, turning ‘round to look at him. “It’s like telling him who to target and where they live and everything. And the wand registration’s just a bloody insult.”

Alabaster looked ashamed, “Oh, blimey, I never thought of that!” He looked around at everyone in the room, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be -” James replied, “It’s alright. That’s what we’re here for. We learn from each other and we grow and we oppose the evil that threatens that sort of environment, yeah?”

A murmur of agreement went up.

Regulus smiled at this - he liked this place already, liked these people, liked James, liked being so close to Sirius. He wished fiercely… and he slid a little closer to his brother, who still didn’t seem to nnotice, his concern still with his boyfriend.

James said, “So the Registry - it’s madness. It shouldn’t happen. Even Dumbledore’s opposing it. According to the news, he’s fighting to keep from releasing student records and information to Crouch for the purpose of the registry. They’re working to force him to do it. Voldemort’s got to be behind this somehow - whether he’s controlling Crouch or he’s got someone at the Ministry that’s working for him or - or something. Something. But that’s what we’ve got to figure out, and we’ve got to find Harold Minchum, our true Minister, who wouldn’t ever let this idiotic rubbish happen.”

“But Minchum was doing idiot things before, too,” spoke up Annalee McKinnon in a snobbish voice. “Getting Minchum isn’t going to solve anything. He’s the reason we’re all stuck in here with dementors crawling about the grounds, isn’t he?”

“Is he, though?” James asked. “We don’t know how long they had him replaced by the fake Minchum.”

“I’m betting since they took the real guards from Azkaban,” Frank said.

“I’m thinking since they returned Lucy Minchum - the fake Lucy Minchum,” James said, nodding to Frank. “That’s when everything started going haywire.”

Jackson Maw said, “Well, it’s all fair and well to peg when they took him out, but how in Godric’s name are we supposed to figure out what they’ve done with him since? He could be dead for all we know… It’s been months.”

“Yes but Voldemort knows how to use people as bargaining tools,” Remus said weakly from the floor.

Frank asked, “He’s probably got him in that blasted hut in the Great North Woods, like he had done with Remus! Probably being guarded by bloody Greyback and his army!”

Sirius said, “But Fenrir Greyback’s in Azkaban now. Thanks to us,” he couldn’t help but add.

“We should still check that cell,” Frank said.

Jackson Maw asked, “Check that cell? How in bleedin’ hell are we supposed to check the cell? What do you suppose we do, just apparate over and be like, oi Greyback’s army, do you lot happen to have a Minister for Magic kickin’ ‘round you don’t need anymore?”

“Well we aren’t going to ask them, you git,” Frank snapped.

Sirius said, “Yeah, don’t be an idiot, Maw.”

James waved his hands before Maw could reply or any other insults could be tossed about. “Guys, guys -- I dunno how we check. That’s why we’re here, to plan and figure out how we go about looking for the Minister. Obviously there’s some serious complications to just showing up and looking about. Anywhere that Minchum would be in likely to be dangerous for us to just go and have looks at, really. So -- so c’mon, any ideas?”

There was a ringing silence as nobody spoke, everyone glancing around at each other.

Regulus raised his hand.

Sirius noticed this and he looked around at his brother.

“What is it, Reg?” James asked.

“I have an idea,” Regulus said tremulously. Everyone was looking at him again and he felt really nervous. He cleared his throat, “House elves.”

“House elves?” scoffed Jackson Maw, “What the bloody hell good would house elves be?”

“They can disapparate on and off the grounds of Hogwarts - none of us can,” Regulus said, “For starters. And also they all seem to know each other, like my elf Kreacher knows all the Malfoy elves, and the Malfoys have an elf that’s related to half the kitchen elves, and those elves all have families and --”

“Families?” squealed Emmaline Vance, “There are house elf families?”

“Oh yes, where else would they come from?” Regulus asked.

“I’ve never seen a house elf family before,” commented Jackon Maw skeptically.

“You wouldn’t, would you?” said Marlene, glancing back at him, “The house elf industry is all twisted. House elves aren’t kept together with their families except for the purpose of breeding, making more house elves, that is. The agencies keep mating pairs of particularly good house elf bloodlines so that they can produce the elves that are in demand. The stronger, the better, the more money the agencies make.”

“That’s sick,” whispered Emmaline, her eyes wide with disapproval.

Regulus nodded, “House elves are greatly mistreated by wizards and they deserve so much better, they’re so good.” He said, then, “But my elf, Kreacher, he’s the best. And he knows loads of the elves of the Death Eater families. He could ask about, find out where Minchum is for us, and - and once we know, then we could plan how to - to get him back.”

James was beaming at Regulus with pride -- and, even more importantly, so was Sirius. He reached up a palm to his brother for a high-five. “Good one, Reg,” he said.

Regulus felt like gold had filled up his veins. It meant so much to him to hear his brother say those words to him.

“Yeah, good job, Regulus,” agreed James. “House elves are a perfect answer. It’s stealth enough that it may not even be noticed by any of the Death Eaters or Voldemort, and we get the answers we need without anyone being in danger.”

“As brilliant as your brother, you are!” Frank said, giving Regulus the thumbs up.

And so it was decided that Regulus would call Kreacher and the house elves would help them to find out where Harold Minchum was. But - and they all agreed on this - it needed to be done in a delicate manner. Regulus had to talk to Kreacher without Kreacher knowing that his orders were anything but a curiosity of Regulus’s, so that if Kreacher were commanded to give information he’d know nothing to give. Regulus, therefore, was to figure out the best way to ask Kreacher without raising suspicion.

“We’ll meet back here next week,” James declared.

Everyone got up and started to leave - Jasper Odair and Harry Warbeck were the first two out the door. James understood, couldn’t blame him, really. Jasper was brave for coming at all - James wouldn’t have done if the tables were turned.




That night, late, Regulus wrapped his fingers ‘round his medallion in the dark and he sat up and glanced around, made sure the other boys in the room were asleep, and he rolled out of bed. He pulled on a bathrobe over his pyjamas and he took his wand and he snuck out of the dormitory and onto the landing. He checked the common room to be sure it was empty of any other boys and he snuck down the stairs and out the door. He ran down the corridor and past the Potions classroom, past the stairs up to the Great Hall, down to the boat docks and he stood on the pebble-strewn shore there and he cleared his throat. “Kreacher!” he called.

With a crack, the elf appeared.

“Kreacher is here for his Master Regulus,” Kreacher greeted him, bowing low, his eyes sleepy. Regulus felt bad for waking the elf up - but this was the most important thing he’d ever done in his entire life and he needed the elf’s help.

Regulus’s voice was low. “I have a very important command for you Kreacher.”

“Anything, Master Regulus, Kreacher will do anything his Master asks of him.”

“First off, you can’t tell anybody anything at all about what I am about to ask of you.”

“Yes Master.”

“Kreacher, I need you to find Harold Minchum,” Regulus said. “He’s the Minister for Magic and the Dark Lord has been keeping him for many months and I need you to find out where he is, if he is alive or dead or injured, and how they are keeping him. I need to know every detail you can possibly find out about Harold Minchum’s whereabouts and who’s guarding him and when and how and everything like that. But nobody - including Harold Minchum himself - is to know that you’re doing it. And you’re to report only to me, and only when nobody else is around.”

“Yes Master Regulus,” Kreacher replied, bowing, “Kreacher will find out everything he can about the Minchum man, and he will keep his Master’s secrets.”

“Very good, thank you Kreacher,” Regulus said.

“Anything for Kreacher’s Master,” Kreacher croaked.

“Now… now go back to bed and get some rest,” Regulus said. “And take some of your tonic I gave you so your bones don’t ache, Kreacher.”

Kreacher looked up at Regulus with loving, glowing eyes, and he smiled, “Yes Master, Kreacher will do that. You are a good, and kind master, Master Regulus.” There was sadness in Kreacher’s eyes and Regulus wondered what sort of abuses his mum had been putting the old elf through. “Thank you, Master Regulus,” the elf said.

Regulus nodded. And with a crack the elf had disappeared, leaving Regulus alone in the dark once more.

Or so he thought.