Harry Potter had received a Nimbus 2000 from Professor McGonagall, and for quite some time, he was surrounded by students admiring it.
It was the latest and fastest flying broomstick in the wizarding world—a perfect complement to Harry becoming a Seeker.
The only one displeased was probably the platinum-blond boy from Slytherin—Draco Malfoy.
The Nimbus 2000 had elegant lines and a polished sheen. Its handle was made of mahogany, and its long tail was composed of neatly bundled, straight twigs. The words "Nimbus 2000" were emblazoned in shimmering gold at the top of the broom handle.
Though it wasn't the legendary Firebolt, the name Nimbus 2000 was still quite respectable. If memory served right, it would eventually be wrecked by the Whomping Willow.
While enjoying his breakfast for the new day, Regulus Black admired the broom from a distance while silently ridiculing it in his mind.
Lately, things had been relatively uneventful, and his work as a teaching assistant had gradually gained the approval of Severus Snape.
Aside from secretly moving the Vanishing Cabinet from the Room of Requirement to... the Room of Requirement again, Regulus had managed to retrieve the Marauder's Map from Filch—thankfully, before it ever fell into the hands of the Weasley twins.
He had gone directly through the secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack, then Apparated back to the ancestral home.
"Kreacher!"
As soon as Regulus Black returned home, he was greeted by his loyal house-elf.
"Master, you're back! Would you like Kreacher to prepare lunch for you?"
Kreacher hadn't expected his master to return at this hour. Hadn't the master said he'd be working at Hogwarts long-term?
"Kreacher! I'm back for something—take me to the old house of Morfin Gaunt."
"Kreacher knows, Kreacher knows where that place is."
The house-elf reached out and grabbed Regulus Black. After a swirl of dizziness, they arrived at an estate surrounded by lush greenery.
At the center of the property stood a four-story building, with no visible artistic value—but unquestionably ancient.
The walls were covered in moss, many tiles on the roof were missing, revealing the rafters underneath. Around the house grew dense nettles, tall enough to reach the windows. The windows themselves were tiny and coated in thick layers of long-set grime.
It looked like a regular decrepit old house. The only thing that hinted at its wizarding origins was a dead snake nailed to the door.
Regulus Black had come to find a Horcrux—but everything had to be done cautiously, leaving no trace.
Voldemort would return here someday, and Regulus had no intention of giving the Dark Lord a reason to hunt him down.
At the edge of the estate was a small shed housing an old Muggle man tasked with watching over the property.
Before treasure hunting, Regulus didn't forget to hit him with a Stupefy.
Then, cautiously, he began his search of Morfin Gaunt's old home—methodically combing through every room and passageway.
With the help of his built-in panoramic map, the house had no secrets left to hide. Any place protected by magic stood out like a beacon in the night, drawing Regulus's attention like a moth to flame.
At last, in a room that appeared to belong to a woman, he discovered Marvolo Gaunt's ring—hidden in a false bottom of a vanity. This black gemstone ring, a fusion of a Horcrux and one of the Deathly Hallows, finally fell into Regulus Black's hands.
Now, he had three Horcruxes: Slytherin's locket, Ravenclaw's diadem, and Marvolo Gaunt's ring.
The remaining Horcruxes were Tom Riddle's diary, Hufflepuff's cup, Voldemort's beloved snake Nagini, and Harry Potter.
The diary was kept at Malfoy Manor—retrieving it would be near impossible unless, like in some fanfictions, the owner helped stage a theft. Otherwise, there was no way to get to it.
That place was permanently guarded by the Malfoys. Maybe he could pay them a visit—as a relative.
Hufflepuff's cup, on the other hand, was likely stashed in the deep vaults of Gringotts by his own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.
As for Nagini—Voldemort's beloved pet—the timeline hadn't yet reached the Goblet of Fire, so it was unclear whether she had already become a Horcrux or was still just a magical serpent.
Even if Regulus could get his hands on all the Horcruxes, he still couldn't use or manipulate them for now.
Besides the immense dark magic they contained, each one held a fragment of Voldemort's soul—along with his memories and thoughts. These were extremely dangerous objects. Mishandling them could lead to being possessed himself.
At present, Regulus Black simply stored the Horcruxes away in his [Titan Belt of the Horadrim]. They emitted not the slightest trace of dark magic and had no adverse effect on anyone.
When Regulus Black returned, he saw Harry Potter familiarizing himself with the rules of Quidditch under the guidance of team captain Oliver Wood.
He also noticed Severus Snape striding straight toward him—clearly intending to question where he had disappeared to. But how could he possibly tell him the truth?
"Harry Potter's father was a Seeker too, wasn't he? I saw James Potter's name on a trophy in the awards display room."
Regulus turned and looked outside the castle, where Harry was currently training with Oliver Wood.
Snape had fully intended to interrogate him—where he'd gone since last night, what he'd done.
But Regulus had easily deflected him with just one sentence. Yes—Harry Potter had a natural talent for flying, just like his irritating father.
"I've never liked Quidditch. Too rough, and too easy to get injured. Though, no one's been hurt at Hogwarts for years now. I remember there were deaths in matches long ago."
Once again, Regulus silenced Snape with his words, and walked away with ease.
That remark was both a warning and a threat—it all depended on how the listener chose to interpret it.
However, after that conversation, Severus Snape's surveillance of Regulus Black became noticeably more relaxed.
Every time Regulus returned from an outing, Snape would simply toss the day's work to him—without any questions about where he'd been or what he'd done.
This, strangely enough, left Regulus feeling a little disappointed.
The old bat really was impossible to talk to.
Not that Regulus Black was someone who liked to wander aimlessly—he was from a noble wizarding family, and having no money was nothing short of pathetic.
The Black family hadn't produced a known member in over a decade—it was practically like the family had been wiped out.
Their formerly controlled industries had either been seized by the Ministry of Magic or fallen into the hands of distant relatives.
It wasn't impossible to reclaim them, but it would take time and effort—and some losses were inevitable.
Lately, Regulus had been running to the Ministry of Magic so frequently, it was as if he worked there. He had to deal with lawsuits, check all the documents, and haggle endlessly with Ministry officials.
In the wizarding world, the judicial system either moved at such lightning speed you couldn't react in time—or dragged on so painfully slow it left you speechless.
Regulus wasn't particularly attached to those family assets, but the work still had to be done. The lawsuits had to be filed.
As someone who had once been a Death Eater, this was a way to clear misunderstandings—and to act like a normal person.
"Hagrid! Today's Halloween."
Regulus Black, seemingly in good spirits, stopped the passing Hagrid.
"Yes? Is there a problem?"
Hagrid was aware of Regulus Black's background—his past as a Death Eater, not unlike Severus Snape's—but he remained wary of him. He frowned slightly when stopped.
"You're such a big guy—you must have quite the appetite, huh?"
Regulus gestured toward Hagrid's towering figure as he spoke.
Hagrid braced himself—thinking the next words might be insulting. So what if he was a half-giant?
"For Halloween, I've prepared a gift for you. A cow—for roasting. I'm sure you'll like it."
Before Hagrid could respond, Regulus turned and walked away. Then he looked back.
"I've reclaimed part of the family estate. Be happy for me. It's Halloween."
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