origami. . . REGULUS BLACK

sixteen.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A Soldier Born To Die
June 3rd, 1979.

An abandoned house near Somerset was where Professor Slughorn was potentially hiding. Professor McGonagall had been kind enough to share the information. Mallory and Regulus stood in front of the door as his eyes ranked the old house while his hand clenched his wand–Mallory, on the other hand, was pushing the front door lightly.

"Oh what is that smell?" He whispered with a frown.

Mallory chuckled, "Dragon blood," she told him. "Professor Slughorn?" Mallory called out for him, entering the living room that looked as if someone had battled in the there. Taking her time to look around, she chuckled, noticing a photograph. His favourite students were lining up for a group photo and she could not help but to chuckle at Regulus's face. "Look at that chubby face," Mallory teased as he groaned, stealing the frame from her hands.

"It's ridiculous. Why would he keep this?" Regulus muttered.

Mallory shrugged, looking around as a smirk drew on her face, noticing the armchair, "Look who it is."

"That is an armchair, Mallory."

"No, no, Regulus. That is Professor Slughorn," she replied with a chuckle. As soon as she finished her sentence, their Professor's head popped out and soon he was standing on his feet with ridiculously large pyjamas. "Well, hello Professor."

"Mallory," he breathed out. "You've always been clever," he complimented, though could not help but shriek at the sight of Regulus Black in his living room. "My, my, Regulus Black. I thought you were dead."

"It would take a lot more to kill me, Professor," he reassured.

"Are you here to recruit me?" Professor Slughorn queried, his face now paler than before. "I hid because your death eaters friends were looking for me."

Regulus hummed, "I know."

"And, Mallory..."

Mallory smiled softly, using her wand to tidy up the place, "No worries, Professor. We've come here because Vo–" she stopped, seeing his face. "You-know-who is making Horcruxes. Well, we believe so."

Professor Slughorn gasped lightly, roaming around his living room as he bit his lower lip trying to ease his shaky hands, "You see, he used to be a very shy and good boy. Tom was–he was very intelligent for his age and we had dinner once, you know the usual dinners I hold with students, and he asked me a very disturbing question."

"He asked you about Horcruxes, didn't he?" Regulus said as he nodded.

"Well, he asked me how to make them and when I told him no wizards had managed to survive, he got really defensive and I've never invited him again," he whispered. "It was very scary. How do you know he's making some?"

"He used my house-elf, Kreacher," Regulus mumbled. "Took him to a cave and left him there to die but he managed to escape. He said there was a pendant hidden."

"Merlin's beard," their old Professor mumbled, rubbing his face tiredly. "Is Albus Dumbledore aware of that?"

"Not yet," Mallory said. "We wanted to see you before to tell if he could have been making them."

Professor Slughorn's lips formed a thin line as he watched them both, "I'm afraid that he has and perhaps multiple. It wouldn't shock me. He was a very brilliant boy," he told them. "But go to Hogwarts and ask to see Albus. He'll know what to do."

"Alright, thank you."

"Please, be careful Mallory," he pleaded softly and she nodded her head. "Regulus, it was lovely to see you."