The Journal of Regulus Arcturus Black

Chapter 7. Draco Malfoy vs Theodore Nott

I've been asking around for a while in school about horcruxes. Whatever information that Kreacher has provided me is stilted and scarce. He doesn't remember much about the night he was taken to the Cave and forced to drink poison from the Dark Lord. I worry mostly about Kreacher's mind and how he's handling everything.

His work is getting sloppier and Mother seems to notice that too. I think she's planning on mounting his head up on the wall along with our other House-elves and I just don't find myself wanting that. I would very much like to see Kreacher out-live me.

But the horcruxes. Incredibly Dark magic and not many people have access to that sort of information. It was hard enough trying to gain access to the Dark Lord's past in Hogwarts. He was a Slytherin student like me but also incredibly academically achieving. I've been going to Professor Slughorn and trying to slowly ease my way into his good books. I imagine it's already easy because of my involvement in the 'Slug Club' but the pressing subject of Tom Marvolo Riddle is quite touchy for Slughorn. I can see in the way his eyes sort of glaze over in a manner that I think means he's looking well into his past, something's bothering him.

He doesn't like to talk about the Dark Lord.

I believe he finds himself guilty. The reason for such deduction? Well, it was Professor Horace Slughorn, our Head of House, who told Tom Riddle how to create a horcrux. Or at least pushed him in the direction of where to get the information to perform such Dark magic. It took me six months to finally get that information from him. It wasn't hard, once I remembered how jovial he can become once filled with expensive alcoholic beverages.

That, and veritaserum is a miracle worker.

R.A.B.

***

Draco didn't actually think that Potter would create a Defence club to help the students of Hogwarts simultaneously, go against Umbridge's tyrannical ruling and also help them with their O.W.L.s. He only found out that students had gone to the Hog's Head (why would anyone pick such an establishment?) when Potter had decided to attack him in the middle of a corridor.

"I mean really," Draco huffed, wiping away dirt from his robes as he glared down at the short Potter boy. "I have Charms to get you, you absolute dolt!" he took out his wand, muttering a quick lumos and looking around at the hidden room he was dragged into. It was more like a cave, with crumbling brick around them and spider webs all covering the majority of the mortar. "This is disgusting—"

"Look Malfoy, I'm sorry I didn't think you bring you to bloody France—"

"Of course you don't think, it's impossible with someone who obviously doesn't own a brain—"

"Right, will you stop being a prissy tot and actually listen to me for a second?"

Draco felt ready to glare when he thought about it. What the hell is a prissy tot? He remained quiet as Harry started to talk about the Hog's Head and the students that Draco assumed would be at this 'little' club, turned out more had arrived than both boys thought necessary. Draco didn't care and found a spider that was trying to climb up its web much more interesting.

"...then Hermione made this whole speech and she's also got this sort of like- enchanted parchment? We've got names of everyone wanting to be part of the club right? So- Malfoy, are you even listening to me?"

Draco was still staring at the spider, kind of silently rooting for it to reach its little webby home. He blinked, shaking his head when Potter snapped his fingers in front of his face. Draco scrunched up his nose, "Yes?"

"Did you hear a word of what I just said?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "something about an enchanted roll and you needing to find a place to hold these stupid lessons—"