Regulus Never Had to Die / You Can Talk Someone Around by Pressing the Attack

Out of his admiration for Voldemort, Regulus Black became Death Eater at the age of 16. However, as he grew older, he gradually began to doubt Voldemort and his own pursuits, but he never had the thought of quitting.

However, one day later, Voldemort, in order to test the mechanism by which he hid the Horcrux, "borrowed" a House-elf from Regulus, namely Kreacher.

Voldemort led Kreacher to the cave where he hid his Horcrux and set up a series of traps that Harry considered utterly pointless and unnecessary.

The cave where the Horcrux were hidden contained a lake. Voldemort first placed a small, enchanted boat in the lake, ensuring that it could only carry one adult wizard to the center of the lake at a time.

On the small island in the middle of the lake, he placed a stone basin with Slytherin's Locket at the bottom, and then filled the basin with a Potions he had concocted that would cause extreme thirst when drunk.

At the same time, he also set up Barrier Ward around the basin to ensure that the wizard's hands could not touch the liquid; moreover, the liquid could not be separated, scooped out, or drained, nor could it be made to disappear or turn into something else using Transfiguration...

In short, this stuff can only be drunk.

Once you drink all the Potions in the pot, you'll be able to temporarily see the locket in the basin... but it's only temporary because the Potions will replenish itself and fill up again after a while.

As the final act of this scheme, Voldemort placed countless Inferi in the lake and also cast a series of spells in the cave, such as Anti-Apparition Jinx and Anti- Aguamenti.

In this way, when the person who wanted to take the locket was enraged by Voldemort's Potions, he could only drink the lake water, and would inevitably be dragged into the water by the Inferi, dying a violent death without any suspense.

Well, Harry's assessment of Voldemort's series of contraptions can be summed up in two words.

Hehe~

Honestly, these restrictions and mechanisms are exactly the same as those in the novels Harry read in his previous life.

Simply put, when an author wants to kill off a character but has no other way, they forcibly create a series of settings to forcefully confine the plot to a point where the character is destined to die.

Regulus, that's how he sacrificed himself.

Voldemort made Kreacher drink the potion and then left the House-elf on the island to fend for himself. However, Kreacher remembered Regulus's order to go home and, even when he was being held back by the Inferi, he still managed to Apparition and escape.

The simple-minded Dark Lord had never paid attention to the power of House-elf, and naturally knew nothing about it.

After Kreacher returned home, he told Regulus what had happened, which solidified the Black family son's resolve to fight against Voldemort.

So he made a fake locket and went with Kreacher to the cave, intending to switch the Horcrux...

However, he ultimately died there.

Chapter 438 Regulus wasn't originally going to die

"Master Regulus... he ordered Kreacher to switch the two lockets after the stone basin dried... and then he... he... ooh!"

From this point on, Kreacher's sobs grew increasingly heavy and piercing, while Harry and the others listened quietly, waiting for him to recount Regulus's fate in fits and starts.

"He... he drank all the poison, Kreacher switched the boxes... Kreacher, he couldn't move... he could only watch as young Master Regulus went to drink water, and then... he was dragged underwater, and..."

"Poor Kreacher!"

Hermione burst into tears, heartbroken. She knelt beside the House-elf, wanting to give it a hug, but the elf defied orders and refused to let her touch it.

"Oh no! Dirty mud... Ugh!" Kreacher glared at Hermione with disgust, but before he could utter a word, Harry silenced him.

"Kreacher!"

Sirius glared at the sight, but the House-elf was already punishing itself madly, banging its head and even its whole body against the floor repeatedly, as if trying to smash itself into a puddle of mud.

"Stop him... stop him now!" Hermione cried out anxiously, "The way he punishes himself is absolutely cruel!"

"Kreacher, stop..."

Seeing this, Sirius, in a hoarse voice, stopped Kreacher's self-harm. His face was filled with disbelief, as well as deep regret and sorrow.

He had always thought of his younger brother, Regulus Black, as a wretched idiot who readily obeyed their parents and had even become a member of the Death Eater...

Even at school, despite being brothers, their relationship was like oil and water... especially after they were sorted into Gryffindor, their relationship only got worse.

But today he suddenly discovered that the other party was actually a hero... and a hero who had even fooled Voldemort!

This kind of thing...

He looked at Kreacher, who was slumped on the floor, trembling and gasping for breath. His face was covered in blood, snot, and tears, making him look utterly miserable and pitiful.

Sirius didn't blame Kreacher.

Even if he was unreasonable and couldn't accept reality, he wouldn't bother arguing with a slave.

House-elf are creatures with an almost obsessive subservience; they don't even consider the rationality of their master's orders... For example, if Kreacher Regulus him to stay put, he would truly remain motionless.

Then, amidst utter despair... he personally witnessed his master die a violent death!

This is a truly sad fact, and it's not just Sirius feels this way... Harry feels the same way.

Regulus Black was undoubtedly a brave and kind wizard.

When he discovered that Voldemort was merely using them, these Pure-blood Family, he chose to bravely stand up and rebel, even stealing one of Voldemort's Horcrux, even at the cost of his life.

He cherished Kreacher deeply, and when he almost lost Kreacher because of Voldemort, he decided to fight without hesitation... Even at the last moment, he chose to drink the Potions himself, leaving the chance to live to Kreacher.

A very tragic story, and also quite moving...

Harry, however, believed that Regulus didn't have to die.

He could have easily avoided being dragged down by the Inferi by simply giving one order for Kreacher to keep holding him and Apparition immediately after replacing the locket.

Once that Potions is completely drunk, it would take at least a few minutes for someone to lose their mind entirely through thirst, so there's plenty of time to escape.

While it's true that Regulus chose to die to protect the Black family, this speculation is admirable. However, a rational analysis reveals that it's unrealistic.

Because Regulus was explicitly defined as a 'Death Eater traitor' after his death.

Given the narrow-mindedness of Voldemort and his cronies, once they discover Regulus's betrayal, not only will he himself die, but the entire Black family will inevitably suffer brutal retaliation.

Think of Peter Pettigrew, who disguised himself as a mouse and hid for twelve years; his experience is a living example!

Of course, the story of Regulus's betrayal of the Death Eater could very well be a lie fabricated by Kreacher to deceive Sirius, and the Death Eater themselves were unaware of it.

But this raises another question... Why did Regulus insist on replacing a fake Horcrux?

If he really wanted to distance himself from the theft of the Horcrux and the Black family, the best way would have been to just take the locket and leave without putting anything in the stone basin.

The risk of placing a fake Horcrux is far too high. What if Voldemort happens to find time to go back and check, and then uses the fake locket to trace back to Regulus?

It's better to leave the basin empty, so that even if Voldemort discovers the Horcrux is missing, he'll be completely clueless and won't be able to pin it on Regulus.

So, returning to the original question, the reason Regulus died in the cave, besides his own willingness to die, was perhaps more due to Kreacher.

This House-elf is far too obedient to Regulus.

Kreacher experienced everything that happened during this time: being led into the cave by Voldemort, drinking the Potions, and watching Voldemort throw the locket into the basin. He knew exactly what would happen after drinking the Potions, but he didn't tell Regulus all the details.

Because the way House-elf and their owners communicate is simply that the owner asks a question and the House-elf answers, there is never a process of applying what they've learned to other situations.

There were some important details that Regulus was unlucky enough not to ask, Kreacher might not have answered them... even if that detail could have saved his master's life!

What's even more tragic is that Kreacher, when dealing with a master he dislikes—obviously Sirius —will try to find loopholes in the other's orders to annoy his master. But if he's dealing with a master like Regulus who cares for him immensely, he will completely lose all initiative and become like a robot, treating Regulus's words as absolute commands that must be executed without question!

Therefore, in the end, Kreacher meticulously chose to stand by and watch, remaining equally loyal to his master... until he met a violent end!

He witnessed everything in despair and suffered for many years afterward, even to the point that his mind became extremely twisted... But in reality, Regulus also died largely because of him.

Because he adheres to the tenets of House-elf and deeply loves his master, he would never disobey Regulus's orders, not even in the slightest, even if such disobedience might give Regulus a chance to survive!

This story is a tragedy for Regulus, and also a tragedy for Kreacher...

However, the cause of these tragedies was not simply Voldemort, but also the servility of the House-elf and their incredibly distorted and extremely limited values!

(P. S. Here's a brief summary of my opinion: Regulus left a note in the fake locket he left behind. He couldn't be sure if Voldemort would turn around and check it, so leaving such a thing was tantamount to a provocation and revealing his identity.)

So let's put it this way: he asked Kreacher to keep it a secret from his parents, perhaps out of protection for the family, but his 'suicidal' act was probably not.

Sanmiao's interpretation leans more towards the idea that Regulus didn't get the specific results after drinking the Potions, so Kreacher didn't say anything. Then, due to the information asymmetry, Regulus felt he was doomed, which is why he told Kreacher to watch from a distance and not move.

To put it bluntly, Kreacher is different from Dobby. When facing Regulus, he doesn't actively consider any issues. Because in his view, love for one's master should be unconditional obedience...

So that's a real shame, that's all~)

Chapter 439 The Art of Talk: One can use words to feign retreat.

Kreacher's story came to an end, and in the living room of 12 Grimmauld Place, everyone's expression was unusually heavy.

Regulus, only eighteen years old at the time, cast his young life into the depths of that dark lake...

Sirius's breathing grew heavier, his eyes gradually turned blood red, and an uncontrollable ferocity appeared on his face!

"Harry, do you have any medicine that can quickly heal injuries?" Sirius suddenly turned to Harry. "If possible, could you treat Kreacher for me?"

In the past, Sirius would most likely have disregarded Kreacher's injuries, but he had just finished listening to the story and was currently immersed in reminiscing about Regulus, so he was unwilling to harm this loyal servant who was devoted to his brother any further.

Even so... Sirius still harbored deep resentment towards Kreacher.

"No problem." Harry nodded immediately upon hearing this, and then took out a series of medicines from his ring, both for internal and external use, and forcibly applied them to Kreacher.

However, while he was doing these things, Kreacher was quite uncooperative, keeping his lips tightly closed and constantly twisting his body.

Seeing his state, Harry simply stopped bothering Sirius to order him around and instead blasted the House-elf with Petrificus Totalus.

"Harry ...he's really pitiful, I think we should be more forgiving towards him." Hermione seemed a little reluctant to speak up.

"Hermione, you saw it too. He's very hostile towards me and refuses to cooperate with my treatment. He won't listen to anything I say." Harry sighed helplessly, his expression turning serious. "Right now, like my godfather, I desperately need Kreacher's help, so I have to heal him as quickly as possible."

Harry knew Sirius very well; he knew Sirius was the kind of guy who, once he set his mind on something, would completely lose his ability to think and would have to get it done immediately, no matter what...

To put it bluntly, it's recklessness.

Sirius's forehead clearly displayed the words, "I'm going to recklessly go find the corpse."

Harry would wholeheartedly 'agree' with Sirius's request, after all, Regulus was his own brother, and now that he had been soaking in the dark lake for over a decade, of course he had to retrieve his body as soon as possible.

So Harry worked even harder to treat Kreacher, completely disregarding his own physical limitations, until he was so exhausted that he collapsed to the ground, his forehead beaded with sweat.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Sirius asked anxiously as he saw the situation.

Hermione, who was nearby, rushed to Harry's side with great concern and carefully examined his body.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I just suffered a minor injury while removing the fragments of Voldemort's soul, it's nothing serious."

Harry hugged Hermione comfortingly, but his face wore a weak yet righteous expression as he said, as if forcing himself to stay strong, "Godfather, I'm really alright... Once Kreacher has rested a bit, we'll set off immediately! That's your brother, and I'll bring him back for you no matter what!"

"Harry, what are you talking about?" Sirius glared at him and refused. "If you had a problem, why did you refuse to say anything? Besides, this is my own business. I should have gone with Kreacher in the first place. Why did you come with me? Hermione, you take this kid back to his room to rest right now. Moony, you stay here and watch over them."

Upon hearing that Harry was unwell, Sirius became extremely anxious, while Lupin, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.

Something's fishy about this.

It's quite possible that Harry was injured while removing the Horcrux fragment; but the fact that he didn't mention it earlier or later, but rather at the exact moment when Sirius was about to explode in anger and act impulsively, makes his motives rather intriguing.

"No! We can't wait any longer!" Harry seemed to get angry when he heard that Sirius didn't want him to go with them. "Regulus is a true hero. How can I let him stay at the bottom of that dark lake any longer? Besides, it's teeming with Inferi. You can't handle it on your own, and you might even get trapped! Only with my abilities do we have a chance to bring Regulus home!"

"This..." Sirius hesitated noticeably upon hearing Harry's words.

According to Kreacher, the bottom of that great lake was teeming with countless Inferi... Finding his brother's body under those circumstances would be no easier than finding a needle in a haystack.

But if Harry were to come along, his unique water magic would undoubtedly make their actions more secure.

But Harry was just injured, how could I...?

"Godfather, don't hesitate!" Seeing the hesitation on Sirius's face, Harry acted as if he didn't care. "Right now, nothing is more important than finding Regulus! I think Kreacher has rested enough, so let's set off immediately... Anyway, the rest of the trip, like Godric's Hollow and the Lovegood family, isn't that important, so let's just cancel it for now."

The situation in the living room was strange. Sirius was clearly eager to act impulsively, but the more anxious Harry seemed, the harder it became for him to make up his mind.

Was it really appropriate for me to rush over there so impulsively?

The Horcrux is fraught with danger, and having Harry with him would undoubtedly maximize the chances of success... But must he really be in such a hurry that Harry has to drop everything and go on this adventure with him?

And... even while he was injured?

He has no skills of his own, yet he relies entirely on teaching his son, and he's always causing him trouble... Isn't he being a terrible godfather?

"Padfoot, I think we should think this through more carefully," Lupin said, seizing the opportunity. "We're facing Voldemort's traps; going straight there now is too hasty. Besides, Harry is injured and has a lot to do during the holidays, so he doesn't have much free time. I think we should wait until summer vacation, when everyone is fully prepared, before we go. We can also tell Headmaster Dumbledore about it; he'll definitely be willing to help once he knows about Regulus."

While patiently trying to persuade Sirius, Lupin was secretly watching Harry, and couldn't help but admire Harry in his heart.

Lupin knew his old friend's temper better than anyone else; he initially genuinely believed that no one in the house could stop Sirius, that stubborn mule.

Unexpectedly, Harry played a game of feigned retreat, prematurely unleashing all of Sirius's pent-up frustration, causing Sirius to hesitate and ultimately choose to give up.