Upside Down Mirror: A Grim Tale (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Innocence

At the moment, things forgotten became remembered.

Specifically, Moody remembered how he suspected Regulus of knowing something important but brushed having to gain the trust of the youngest member of the Black family aside when news erupted in the wizarding society of Voldemort's fall, the only survivor of the monster's last bout of cruelty being the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter.

His mind, and everyone's mind quickly turned to round up the other Death Eaters, but making sure that Regulus Black was treated fairly by the law and released. There was no way he was going to let the boy rot in Azkaban, the place which was the safest place for him while Voldemort was alive, but he and Dumbledore acted fast in regards to helping Arcturus secure a trial, as did the Auror Dawlish.

Watching the silver-grey eyes of the youngest Black dart around the room, looking specifically at the journalists before his eyes rolled and he vomited violently which in turn made Walburga scream which meant she needed to be escorted out, her husband going with her to try and calm her down, but Dumbledore approached Regulus so that the only thing heard was Dumbledore's three sentences. Everyone heard the first thing Dumbledore said, but then he became quiet, attempting to calm the boy.

Whatever Regulus told Dumbledore, Moody could tell upset the man, surprised him even, but then he turned to the judge after rendering Regulus unconscious for the boy's good. "I'm going to ask that the journalists be asked to leave and the minister be summoned. It's of utmost importance."

Those journalists of course didn't like being escorted from the trial, but the judge said to them, "This trial is just a formality, as we've already heard the evidence against the prisoner before we got to this level of formality, but we're passing a verdict of not guilty by reason that he's done nothing criminal that the courts know of, yet was a minor the majority of his time as a Death Eater, but we've also reason to believe that Regulus Black doesn't fully understand that his actions are not criminal."

"Arcturus, I believe that you have a House Elf named Kreacher?"

"Yes. Bloody thing knows what Regulus got up to the night before he turned himself in, but won't tell anyone in the family because Regulus ordered him to do so."

"Could you possibly order the House Elf to tell Moody, me, and the minister when she gets here the details? I know you'll not be in the room with us when he does so, but I'll have you come back in when we finish speaking with him and let you know precisely what your grandson's been up to."

"This won't..."

"No. I do not believe so."

They then headed into a room and Moody found himself interrogating a House Elf while the Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold watched. He didn't think the House Elf would tell them much, given the fact he looked at the three of them as if he were looking for some kind of loophole, but then Dumbledore said telling them would help Regulus, and the House Elf folded, making for what was the easiest interrogation.

The House Elf told of how he'd been made to test the security of the cave, only to return because his dear master ordered it. He told of how Regulus completely expected to die, but Kreacher remembered an order from Walburga which preempted the order Regulus gave to let him die. The locket they retrieved, he'd not been able to destroy it as his master wanted, but that was when they had Arcturus come back in and Dumbledore repeated what the House Elf told him, before saying, "The locket is a Horcrux."

"A..." The Minister of Magic closed her eyes.

"Then you know what that object is?"

"Are you telling me that the child who willingly turned himself into the Ministry for being a Death Eater was able to discern that Voldemort created a Horcrux, something that can allow him to come back after he was defeated and he set out on his own..." The woman sighed. "Vote of incompetency my ass. That boy I'd argue knows full well what he was doing when he was doing it. What he carries with him is a child's guilt."

"Is there anything in the Ministry that can destroy this object?"

"I'll get back to you on that one Dumbledore, but if you could keep that Horcrux locked away at Hogwarts until something is thought of..."

"Yes indeed, but we need to speak with Regulus now."

They went to another room, where Regulus waited and Dumbledore gently reinnervated the boy. Moody watched the boy place a hand on his forehead, letting out a groan. "My head hurts."

"Why did you keep all of that to yourself? Why didn't you come to anyone in the family with such information? It could have changed the war?" Arcturus stated.

Regulus flinched, then looked at his grandfather. "I..."

"Dear boy, you shouldn't have had to taken that on by yourself," Millicent Bagnold shook her head.

"I'm a, was, a Death Eater." Regulus looked at his hands. "Isn't that what you wanted. You, father, mother?"

"Now who told you that?"

"Bella," Regulus clucked his tongue. "Siri even. He..." He hugged himself, a whimper escaping. "He betrayed the Potters. He, I never imagined. He..." His eyes closed. "I need to talk to him. When I go back to Azkaban."

"You're not going back there," Arcturus Black said. "Your trial verdict is not guilty. Do you understand what that means, Regulus?"

"I'm a Death Eater."

"As I said," the Minister of Magic sighed. "A child's guilt."

"I'm not a child! Don't underestimate me."

"You mean like Voldemort did?" Moody added to the conversation.

"Regulus Arcturus Black, we are most certainly not underestimating you, but you're underestimating yourself. You are and have always been a good boy, unlike..." Arcturus let out a deep sigh, turning to the minister. "Can I have a favor, so my grandson can have some peace of mind in regards to his brother, though to be honest I don't know how much that would actually help?"