Death Eaters

Chapter 31: The Burrows

Here we were, at the Burrow— the beloved and somewhat chaotic home of the Weasley family. I had to admit, it felt more than a little awkward when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley welcomed us inside, their smiles warm, but their eyes filled with questions they didn't dare ask aloud. After all, they knew now. Knew that Mattheo and I were... his. His children.

The atmosphere inside Ron's cramped, cluttered bedroom was thick with unspoken thoughts. Mattheo, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I sat cross-legged on the creaky wooden floor, the faint smell of treacle tart lingering in the air. We spoke in hushed tones—finally discussing the very thing we'd been avoiding for far too long.

I began carefully, "After doing a tad bit of research into who R.A.B. Might be, I have to assume he's somehow related to your Godfather, Harry— Sirius Black? The 'B' surely stands for Black. It can't be a coincidence. I mean... it all fits, doesn't it?"

"Then what would the 'R' and 'A' stand for, though?" Ron asked, frowning in confusion. He looked completely stumped.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," Harry Potter said, his voice steady and his expression grave.

Everyone— myself included, turned to him at once, a flicker of shock crossing each face.

"R.A.B is Sirius Black's brother. Regulus Arcturus Black."

"How can you be sure of this, Harry?" Hermione asked, her voice edged with worry and her face etched with concern.

"Before Sirius died, he mentioned some named Regulus. He was his brother. Their relationship was... complicated— strained, even. Sirius rejected his family's obsession with Pure-blood supremacy, and because of that, they disowned him. The Blacks looked down on muggles and half-bloods, and many of them, including Regulus, ended up joining the Death Eaters to serve Voldemort,"

As Harry was telling his story, Ron jumped in, unable to hold back the questions running through his head.

"So this means-"

Harry snapped, "Can you just let me finish?"

"O-oh, sorry. Go on," Ron muttered, realizing he'd broken everyone's focus. He fell silent at once.

"After Sirius ran away, the Black family turned their favor to Regulus instead. Their opposing beliefs and the pressure from their family drove them both apart— until Regulus's death, which, as it turned out, an act of quiet heroism that revealed a very different side of him. The only problem is, Sirius didn't tell me what it was."

"Do you think this person... R.A.B, had something to do with the real locket being lost?" Hermione said, frowning slightly in thought.

"Maybe he did have it..." Ron added, "like, he was trying to get rid of it but messed it up. Maybe that's why he died— he tried to destroy the locket, and it all went wrong."

"Nah, I don't buy that. He died because of some stupid locket? Come on. You've got to think bigger than that," Mattheo said, his brows drawn together, eyes sharp with focus.

Ron frowned at him. "Yeah? Then what do you think happened?"

Mattheo looked at him and raise a brow, his fists clenching at his sides. But after a moment, his expression softened, and he exhaled slowly. "Look, all i'm saying is— we shouldn't be focusing on how Regulus Black died. The real question is, where did he hide the locket? Who did he give it to?"

Everyone glanced at each other, faces blank, minds spinning over where the locket could be. But then I looked at Harry— and it was like a light bulb had just gone off in his head.

"What if Kreacher knows something about the locket? What if... he knows where it is?" Harry said slowly, the idea forming as he spoke. "I mean, he's been with the Blacks for— what— over a century, hasn't he?" As the words left his mouth, everyone's expressions shifted. Realization was spreading fast.