Dysfunctional

47 - Before the Storm

Harry inspected the heavy locket in his hands. So this was it - this was the locket that contained a fraction of Voldemort's soul.

He tried to prise it open, but it remained firmly shut. He pulled out his wand and tried Aberto and Alohomora, but nothing worked. Well, it wasn't necessary to open the locket to destroy it beyond repair. He placed it on the floor and tried 'Incendio'.

The metal did not even tarnish.

He tried every spell, jinx, and hex he knew, but nothing seemed to produce any sort of damage on the shiny gold surface, let alone the locket. Maybe he should ask Sirius for a way to destroy this thing.

He slipped it into his pocket, wondering what Sirius was doing. He could have followed him, but he knew Sirius had needed to be alone right then.

He looked around Regulus' room, hoping to find something, exactly what, he wasn't sure. How had Regulus found out that Voldemort had hid his soul in the locket? Dumbledore had told him that Voldemort would never have divulged it to anyone, not even his closest Death Eaters. Regulus must have been exceptionally brilliant at such a young age.

The belongings in the room gave an idea of what sort of a boy Regulus might have been. He had definitely been fond of Quidditch. Harry guessed he had played Seeker and there were several books about Quidditch including a very early edition of Quidditch Through The Ages and several more about the Appleby Arrows, which seemed to be Regulus' favourite team. Harry spent a significant time going through the books about the Arrows before he remembered what he had been doing.

More books on Transfiguration surfaced from the depths of the drawers, and under a pile of old robes under the dusty bed was a box with the same neat lettering as on the door: Property of Regulus Black. DO NOT TOUCH.

He couldn't help but snort at Regulus' pretentious writing. The revelation from Kreacher had completely changed his opinion on Regulus as a person, from being the Death Eater-brother of Sirius to one of the most courageous boys Harry knew of.

He pulled out the box and blew off the dust when the sound of the front door opening echoed faintly through the silent house. Abandoning the box, he stood up and rushed out of the room, sure it could only be his godfather.

Harry had had no idea how much his brother had meant to Sirius, for he had never spoken to him about his family, other than the brief introduction Sirius had given him on the first day he had set foot into this house.

He didn't know how he was to approach him - he had no clue on how to comfort someone, always having been the one needing comfort that was seldom provided.

He did know that Sirius always held him close during the few days after their visit to his parents' grave and he had found some semblance of peace in Sirius' embrace just three nights ago, when he had learnt of Dumbledore's death.

Harry thundered down the stairs calling out, "Sirius?"

What Harry saw instead was a flash of black robes disappearing behind the door that was slammed shut again, as if someone was hurrying out.

"Sirius, wait!"

Harry reached for the front door, pushing it open, and he froze in shock.

It wasn't Sirius but Snape, who was glancing behind him as he tried to run away.

"You!" shouted Harry, pulling out his wand and firing several Stunning Spells in quick succession, rage coursing through him in mere seconds at the sight of his loathsome face.