INFERI (REGULUS BLACK)

33

"Oh no," Lenora quickly jumped off the sofa. "We need the hurry."

All three of them quickly apparated to Knockturn Alley.

"Where were you three?" Orion thundered. He was standing outside a pub, situated in a secluded corner of the Alley. "You know these are dark times. Be punctual, lest you want a bunch of aurors to try and find your dead bodies."

"Sorry Father," Regulus apologised stiffly. "You know how Evan is."

Orion nodded curtly. "Good to see you Lenora."

She smiled back.

"You said you had something important to discuss?" Regulus asked.

"In the pub. It's not safe to talk outside like this. Especially with Dumbledore on our tail." Orion entered the pub swiftly, the others rushed to follow.

Inside it was dark, damp and dinghy. There was a suspicious smell floating about, quite like rotten meat. There was not many patrons inside. The crooked old bartender gave Orion a fur-raising smile, showing his misshapen, rotted teeth, before pointing towards a door. Orion ignored him, and sat down next to a hooded figure. "Tell them."

The person raised their hood. An old woman, with silvering hair, sat in front of them. The thing that unnerved Regulus was that while she looked old (her wrinkles and hair surely said so, along with her bent back and warty nose) there was this uneasy feeling that this woman was not who she seemed.

She smiled, quite humourlessly. "We meet after 15 years and your first words are 'tell them'?"

"We can talk about this later," Orion said irritably. "It's important for them to know."

The lady gave him an appraising look, before turning towards them. Regulus recoiled at bit at her sight. He didn't trust her. Lenora caught on to his behaviour, and gave his hand a tight, reassuring squeeze.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," she smiled. "A pleasure to meet you at last. You look a lot like your mother."

Sirius stiffened. Regulus was extremely miffed. "I surely don't think so."

"Sirius Orion Black. You look a lot like him," she jerked her head towards Orion. "Just less uptight."

Orion made an incomprehensible noise. "Will you stick to the topic?"

"Fine," she faced Regulus once more. "The Dark Shadows are after you. It's up to you to save yourself and about...a few million lives. Oh, and Voldemort has changed the diary and the cup's location. Just thought you ought to know. Before doing anything stupid." She quickly stood up and disapparated with a pop. A note fluttered down onto the table.

Orion

I expect our talk to occur in a few hours.
My place.

AE

"What a woman," Sirius muttered, staring at the note. "Are all old ladies like that?"

"She's not old," Orion said abruptly. "She's a metamorphangus. She's about my age."

"What was she talking about? Me being hunted down by dark shadows?" Regulus asked, aghast.

"I guess you are being hunted down by someone very dark and powerful. I received an owl from Edward—" Orion was rudely cut off by Sirius.

"Who's Edward?"

"The time traveller, Teddy. He told me they'd encountered a few shadows, searching for Regulus Black. They were not nice."

"I'll go with him," Lenora volunteered.

"No," Orion said firmly. "He has to do this himself."

Regulus had turned quite pale, but swallowed determinedly. "Fine. I leave tonight."

Orion nodded once, and disapparated.

Sirius was quite sure his brother didn't want to go alone. Orion did say that no one is to go with him, but what he doesn't know can't actually hurt him...
With a determined smile, Sirius apparated to his 'room', and started to pack his bags.