Chapter Text
Regulus Black was surprised to find himself alive.
The water had been cold, and the touch of the infiri colder as they dragged him to the bottom of the lake. He’d closed his eyes waited for the end. The worst part was he didn’t have any strong emotions about dying. His life had been short and mostly pointless. As he’d been dragged into the water he’d tried to twist the dial on the time turner still clutched in his hand, but he didn’t think it had worked. It was so, so cold. That was the last thought as he sank.
His return to awareness hurt. He heaved out his lunges. Vomiting water onto the ground as he gasped for breath. It hurt so badly and all he could do was roll sideways and clutch his stomach as he took another breath.
‘Are you ok.’ A concerned voice somewhere above him. He opened his eyes to see Sirius’s best friend James Potter staring down at him, his face scrunched in worry. He was kneeling beside Regulus. It was dark around them, pale wand light the only illumination.
‘I thought I was dead.’ He mumbled softly, his brain stumbling over the words. Perhaps he was dead and this was a hallucination.
‘You were in the water. We pulled you out.’ James was still speaking, nervously, glancing up at someone else.
Regulus twisted his head to where James was looking. Dumbledore stood there, outlined softly by wand light. What was the old bastard doing here?
‘Regulus, what a surprise to see you here.’ Dumbledore made it sound like they’d bumped int each other in Diagon Ally, not a cave filled with Inferi.
‘Regulus?’ James asked in confusion.
‘Sirius’s younger brother, Regulus Black.’ Dumbledore answered. And there was something very wrong because James Potter knew who Regulus was. Not well perhaps, but he knew him from multiple quidditch games. Games where Sirius had cheered on James, but never his little brother. Regulus felt weak and shaky. His arms trembling as he levered himself up.
‘James?’ He asked uncertainly, searching his face. Except it wasn’t James staring back at him, but a poor imitation. He had James’s glasses, and his wild black hair but his eyes were green instead of warm brown. Wrong, he was wrong. He wasn’t James.
‘My name’s Harry.’
Regulus looked at Dumbledore, hoping for an explanation.
‘Regulus Black, meet Harry Potter.’ Which didn’t make sense, because how could this boy be a Potter? Regulus was sure James Potter didn’t have a brother, or cousins. He was an only child, from pair of only children. Regulus searched the boy’s face, looking for answers but he didn’t find any in that wide stare. The boy seemed just as confused as Regulus.
‘Do you know Sirius?’
Regulus snorted. ‘He’s my brother.’
‘Oh, he never talked about his brother’. That hurt, although Regulus tried to clamp down on the emotion. Why would Sirius mention his brother. They hadn’t talked to each other in years, and their relationship had been strained for years before that. Really, Sirius liked to pretend he didn’t have a family at all, simpler that way. But who was this boy to Sirius? Regulus’s brain wasn’t working very well after coming out of the water. He was starting to shake from the cold and his skin stung from multiple cuts where the infiri’s nails had drawn blood. He didn’t trust Dumbledore, but anything was better than going back in the water. He decided to leave the puzzle of Harry Potter until after they were safe.
‘There’s Infiri in the water’ he forced out between shaking teeth. ‘They dragged me under when I tried to drink the potion.’
Dumbledore nodded as if this didn’t surprise him at all. ‘Voldemort has protected this place very well, no matter though. I assume as long as we stay away from the water we will be fine. Now Mr Black, I know we all have a lot of questions for each other, but I suggest we retrieve the locket and leave this place before we discuss them any further.’ He waited for Regulus to say anything, but it sounded sensible, so he just nodded mutely.
It was only when Dumbledore bent over the bowl of magical potion that Regulus remembered what was around his neck. The locket. If Dumbledore drank the potion and retrieved the locket, he would quickly realise it was a fake. Regulus couldn’t risk that happening, but he didn’t want to hand over the real locket either. He didn’t understand what was going on, and he didn’t trust Dumbledore. His mind was fogged with the after effects of the potion, and almost drowning, and the mystery of the boy who was James but not James.
He didn’t realise he had reached up to clutch the locket. It was a reflex to make sure it was still safe. The boy noticed though, and Regulus’s plans turned to dust.
‘Professor, I think he’s already got the locket’ Harry was looking in confusion at Regulus’s chest and Dumbledore swung away from the basin, a beaker of liquid already in his hand.
‘Ah Black, care to enlighten us?’ His voice was light and friendly, but Regulus heard the undertone that made him shiver. Regulus looked up at both of them from where he was slumped on the ground. He could lie, but what would the use be?
‘Looks like I beat you to it old man.’ He bared his teeth in a smile of the cornered wolf.
‘Thank you Black. You’ve saved me the trouble of drinking that vile potion. Shall we get out of here and continue this conversation somewhere a bit more congenial.’
‘Do I have a choice?’ Regulus wasn’t sure why he was baiting the person who had saved him from a lake filled with Inferi. They were probably his only way out of the cave. Something about almost dying had stripped away Regulus’s usual knack for survival, for knowing when to hold his tongue and play the long game. Blame it on the potion, or the boy.
They got out of the cave alive. Nobody touched the water and the Inferi didn’t stir, instead staying as shadows under the water. Regulus slumped in the bottom of the boat, stomach churning, lungs hurting, skin bruised from the inferi. Harry sat watching him the whole time, his eyes wide in his face. Regulus wanted to ask him who he was, but he didn’t have the energy. Instead, he closed his eyes as they glided through the water. He had to hope Dumbledore could defend them against anything the Dark Lord might send their way. Regulus had lost his wand in the water, and the boy didn’t look like he knew much. Wet about the ears Regulus thought with contempt. In his mind Harry was a boy, even though they were probably the same age. The only difference was Regulus had left his childhood behind a long time ago. They disapperated from the entrance of the cave. Dumbledore side-along apperating the both of them. Regulus was in no state to argue with him.
They arrived at the gates of Hogwarts to find the Dark mark was hovering in the sky.