Chapter 15
Harry Potter received a Nimbus 2000 from Professor McGonagall, and for a long time, he was surrounded by students.
This could be considered the latest and fastest flying broom in the wizarding world, and it was the best addition for Harry Potter to become a seeker.
The only unhappy person was probably Draco Malfoy, the platinum boy from Slytherin House.
The Nimbus 2000 has beautiful lines, is glossy, with a handle made of mahogany, and a long tail made of neat, straight twigs, with the words 'Nimbus 2000' stamped in golden letters at the top of the broomstick.
'Although it's not the other one, the name 'Nimbus 2000' is still pretty good; I remember it would eventually be destroyed by the Whomping Willow.' While having breakfast on a new day, Regulus admired the broom from a distance while internally complaining.
There hadn't been much going on lately, and his work as an assistant had gradually gained recognition from Severus Snape.
Aside from moving the Vanishing Cabinet from the Room of Requirement to the his chamber, Regulus had only retrieved the Marauder's Map from Filch, and fortunately, it hadn't fallen into the hands of the Weasley twins yet.
He directly passed through the secret passage of the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack, then apparated back to the old mansion.
"Kreacher!"
As soon as Regulus returned home, he saw his house-elf waiting to greet him.
"Master, you're back! Do you need Kreacher to prepare a special lunch?"
Kreacher didn't expect his master to return at this time; hadn't he said he would be working at Hogwarts?
"Kreacher! I have some matters to attend to; take me to Marvolo Gaunt's old house first."
"Kreacher knows, Kreacher knows that place."
The house-elf grabbed Regulus Black's hand, and after a whirl, they arrived at a mansion surrounded by green vegetation.
At the center of the mansion stood a four-story building, which didn't seem to have any artistic value, but it was definitely old enough.
The walls were covered in moss, many tiles had fallen from the roof's edge, revealing the rafters inside. Dense nettles grew around the house, reaching up to the small windows, which were caked with thick layers of old dirt.
The seemingly ordinary old house only revealed its wizarding identity by having a dead snake nailed to the door.
Regulus Black came here to search for Horcruxes, but he had to be careful to leave no trace.
Voldemort would come here again in the future, so Regulus Black didn't want to be hunted by the Dark Lord later on.
At the edge of the mansion was a small house where a Muggle old man lived, responsible for guarding everything here.
Before treasure hunting, Regulus didn't forget to hide his traces well.
Then, he carefully searched Marvolo Gaunt's old house, thoroughly rummaging through all the rooms and secret passages.
With the help of a built-in panoramic map, there were no secrets left in this old house; the magically protected spots were as bright as stars in the night, drawing Regulus Black's interest.
Finally, in a room that seemed to belong to a woman, he found Marvolo Gaunt's ring from a compartment in a vanity—a black gemstone ring that combined Horcrux and Deathly Hallow, finally falling into Regulus Black's hands.
Now, Slytherin's locket, Ravenclaw's diadem, and Marvolo Gaunt's ring—three Horcruxes were already in hand.
The other Horcruxes included Tom Riddle's diary, Hufflepuff's cup, Voldemort's pet Nagini, and Harry Potter.
The diary was stored in the Malfoy house, and finding it would be as difficult as climbing to the sky, unless, like in other fanfics, the family cooperated to stage a theft; otherwise, it would be impossible to retrieve.
That place was long guarded by the Malfoy couple; perhaps he could visit as a relative.
Hufflepuff's cup should be stored in Gringotts' underground vault by his sister, Bellatrix Lestrange.
As for Voldemort's pet Nagini, since the timeline hadn't reached the fourth book, Goblet of Fire, it was still uncertain whether it had become a Horcrux or remained an ordinary magical pet snake.
Even if he could obtain these Horcruxes, Regulus still couldn't use or take advantage of them at the moment.
Inside them, besides containing powerful dark magic, there are also fragments of Voldemort's soul, which include Voldemort's personal experiences and thoughts. These are very dangerous things; if handled improperly, one could even be possessed.
Currently, Regulus is just keeping these Horcruxes stored away in his Belt. They do not reveal a trace of dark magic and will not have any negative effects on anyone.
When Regulus returned, he saw Harry Potter familiarising himself with the game rules under Quidditch captain Oliver Wood.
Regulus saw Severus Snape rushing towards him, clearly intending to question him about his whereabouts during his disappearance, but why would he tell him the truth!
"Harry Potter's father was also a seeker, right? I saw James Potter's trophy in the trophy room." Regulus turned to look outside the castle, where Harry Potter was training with Oliver Wood.
Snape clearly wanted to interrogate him about why he had disappeared since last night, where he had gone, and what he had done.
But he was distracted by Regulus's words; yes! Harry Potter also has a talent for flying, just like his annoying father.
"I've never liked Quidditch; it's too rough and too easy to get hurt. But it's been years since anyone got hurt at Hogwarts, right? I remember there were records of deaths in past matches."
Once again, Regulus silenced Snape with his words and leisurely left the place.
This statement carried both a reminder and a threat, depending on how the listener interpreted it.
However, through this conversation, Severus Snape's surveillance of Regulus became much lighter.
Every time he left and returned, Severus Snape would just directly assign the work to Regulus.
He showed no interest in questioning his whereabouts, which disappointed Regulus somewhat.
The old bat really is hard to communicate with!
Regulus was not someone who liked to wander aimlessly; as a member of a noble family in the wizarding world, being without money was very sad.
The Black family had not had a member appear for over ten years, almost as if they had been wiped out.
The family-controlled businesses from before had been confiscated by the Ministry of Magic or fallen into the hands of some relatives.
It wasn't impossible to get them back, but it would require time and energy, and of course, losses were unavoidable.
During this time, Regulus Black's visits to the Ministry of Magic were almost like working there, with various lawsuits needing to be verified one by one, while also having to negotiate and bargain with the Ministry.
One must know that in the wizarding world, the judicial system either moves at a speed that leaves people unable to react or drags out the process to a point of utter frustration.
Regulus didn't actually care much about these businesses, but things still had to be done, and lawsuits still had to be appealed.
As someone who was once a Death Eater, doing this could eliminate misunderstandings and allow him to appear like a normal person.
"Hagrid! Today is Halloween."
Regulus seemed in a good mood as he stopped Hagrid, who was passing by. "Yes! Is there a problem?"
Hagrid knew about Regulus Black's situation; his experience as a Death Eater was similar to Severus Snape's, but he still remained wary of him, frowning in response to being stopped.
"With your size, you must have a good appetite!" Regulus Black gestured towards Hagrid's height.
Hagrid thought that perhaps the next thing Regulus would say might offend him; what's wrong with being a half-giant!
"For Halloween, I'm preparing a gift for you—a barbecue. I believe you will like it." Without waiting for a response, Regulus Black turned to leave, then looked back,b vnm "I got back a piece of the family business, be happy for me! Today is Halloween."