— — — — — —
Dumbledore had arrived astonishingly fast, having left Hogwarts for London the moment he received the message.
"Good evening, gentlemen." He nodded to both of them, though his gaze lingered on Sirius. Anyone could see the slump in Sirius' shoulders.
"Can someone tell me exactly what's happened?"
Tom didn't speak, so Sirius, voice raw, told Dumbledore and the newly returned portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black everything about Regulus.
Dumbledore's face softened with sorrow as he looked at the locket Regulus had died to retrieve. Phineas pursed his lips so tightly it made his portrait look even more sour and cutting than usual.
Suddenly Phineas let out a sharp laugh. "You two really should have been sorted into Gryffindor. Risking your lives for a house-elf and a bit of jewelry? That's not cunning serpents, that's brainless lions."
Before Sirius could explode, Phineas turned his back and vanished from the frame again.
"He was a hero," Dumbledore said quietly. "Regulus lived and died by his own understanding of nobility and bloodline. He was a true Black."
"Professor…" Sirius swallowed hard. "Please help me. I want to bring Regulus – I want to bring my younger brother home."
"It would be my honor," Dumbledore said gravely. "I'm fully prepared to leave at once. Tom…"
"I'm going too," Tom said before he could finish.
Dumbledore's brows drew together. He spoke gently but firmly. "Tom, I have great confidence in your abilities. But you really have no need to come."
"He's right," Sirius added. "Tom, just stay home and read your books. With Dumbledore there, we'll be back quickly."
Tom shook his head. "I'm not tagging along for fun. I have a reason I need to go."
"What reason?" Sirius asked without thinking.
"Inferi." Tom moved beside Dumbledore and placed the locket into the old wizard's hands. "I need a large number of them for experiments. Professor Nicolas is aware of this. I plan to take him with us."
Tom admired Regulus' resolve, that one-for-one sacrifice to steal back a Horcrux. But Tom himself wasn't the type to involve himself for sentiment's sake. They already had the Horcrux. There was no real need to visit the cave again.
He did all of this only because he had his eye on the real prize: the lake full of Inferi. Inferi were made from humans, neither living nor dead, a unique existence often used by dark wizards to guard tombs or treasure. They were similar to, but intrinsically distinct from, a zombie.
Tom, however, was after something different: extracting whatever remnants of thought or soul still clung to them. His alchemical creature-creation techniques were nearly perfected. What he lacked was the key material.
"Nicolas Flamel…" Sirius frowned. "The alchemist who made the Philosopher's Stone and lived over six hundred years? But isn't he already…"
"That's the public story," Tom said. "It keeps people from chasing them or the Stone the way Voldemort did two years ago."
"Oh… that makes sense." Sirius nodded, remembering because Harry had once told him about his first-year adventure. Otherwise, with Sirius' academic record, he'd never have known or cared.
"What do you think, Professor?" Sirius said, turning back to the headmaster.
Sirius honestly wanted Nicolas to come. A six-hundred-year-old wizard had experience no one else could match.
Dumbledore agreed. If the task involved Voldemort, the stronger the team, the better.
"All right. Sirius, can you wait one more day? Tom, please return and inform Nicolas. If he agrees, we'll gather here tomorrow at midnight."
Tom nodded and left Grimmauld Place.
The entire time, Dumbledore never once asked why Tom knew about Regulus. The headmaster would interrogate many people without hesitation, but with Tom, he always chose respect. That was the privilege granted by terrifying potential.
As long as Tom and Voldemort stood on opposite sides, that was enough.
---
The next morning, Tom explained everything to Nicolas, who was living with him.
"Extracting the remnants of soul from Inferi?" Nicolas raised his brows. He admired Tom's imagination, though skepticism lingered. "Are you sure Inferi even have anything left to extract? And if they do, will dark-magic-tainted remnants be safe to use in alchemical creatures?"
"How would I know? If I knew, I wouldn't call it an experiment."
"Fair enough." Nicolas chuckled. "Then we'll see for ourselves."
He paused, then added, "Perhaps we should bring Newt along. Strictly speaking, Inferi do count as magical creatures."
Tom blinked, then grinned. "Brilliant idea. I'll go find him."
Newt agreed to Tom's request without the slightest hesitation. He brought Tom into his little pocket world to pick out a few magical creatures.
Dumbledore, Newt Scamander, Nicolas Flamel… not even Grindelwald had ever faced such an overpowered lineup. Voldemort's little trap had somehow summoned this entire team together, plus an even cheat hitter: Tom.
---
By midnight, everyone had gathered at twelve Grimmauld Place.
Seeing Newt there too, Dumbledore was visibly delighted.
Having two of the biggest names join from the start reminded him of the days he stood against Grindelwald. It felt almost familiar.
Sirius had invited Lupin as well.
"..." Lupin's expression was heavy. He barely remembered Regulus.
Back in school, the boy had been two years below them, and Sirius was always arguing with him. The year they graduated, Regulus joined the Death Eaters. Not long after came the news of his death.
Back then they all assumed he'd died in some Death Eater raid. Too many people were dying to keep track. No one ever imagined he had died resisting Voldemort.
---
Swoosh—!
The sound of waves filled the air. Dark water slammed against black rock below. Tom and Dumbledore stood atop the coastal cliff, the salty smell of the sea sweeping up with the wind and circling around them.
Dumbledore's beard whipped around like braided rope. He had to hold it down to preserve at least a bit of dignity. Tom, on the other hand, looked untouched. Every gust that reached him split harmlessly to either side under the pressure of his magic.
Watching the old man wrestle with his hair, Tom couldn't help asking, "Professor, why not use magic?"
Dumbledore smiled, pulled out a ribbon and tied up his hair and beard. "Magic is convenient, but if you rely on it for every little thing, you stop feeling like a real person. Your instinctive reactions slow down. You develop a dependence on power."
Tom snorted. "You aren't sending me hidden messages there, are you?"
"Not at all." Dumbledore shook his head. "Everyone lives differently. I'm just sharing a thought, not trying to influence your choices."
Tom shrugged. "Well, I prefer using magic. That's what wizards should do. Why study magic if you don't use it?"
Their philosophies couldn't have been more opposite. Dumbledore constantly restrained himself, wary of the arrogance power could bring.
Tom embraced the opposite. Since he had power, he'd claim the benefits that came with it.
For now, the conflict wasn't serious. They already had enough enemies. Grindelwald and Voldemort were threats Dumbledore needed to confront with his full attention.
Compared to those headaches, Tom's attitude felt like harmless adolescent rebellion.
...
After a few minutes, a carriage pulled by two winged horses landed behind them. Newt helped Nicolas down. Sirius and Lupin followed.
"This is the place?" Sirius climbed to the highest point of the cliff and looked around. "I don't see any cave like Kreacher described."
"Kreacher!"
With a snap, the house-elf appeared. He trembled as he pointed toward a section of the rocky coast. "Here, master. There's a crack there. Kreacher went inside… but Kreacher can't remember. Kreacher is useless!"
"Stop. That's enough. Leave the rest to us."
Sirius ordered him to stop punishing himself. Ever since learning the truth, Sirius had been unexpectedly patient with him.
Dumbledore took only a moment to assess the sea below. "The tide is covering the entrance. We should wait. Another half hour and it'll be low tide."
"Albus, would it kill you to consider an old man's sleep schedule?" Nicolas grumbled. Standing out here on a cliff for half an hour… what if his bones crumbled? He was mostly brittle at this point anyway.
"Tom, don't listen to him. Just get it done."
Dumbledore smiled awkwardly. He didn't try to stop Tom and instead watched with real curiosity, eager to see what he'd do.
"A bunch of lazy old men," Tom muttered. They had a team of legendary wizards here, and somehow the underage one still had to do the work.
"Professor, if someone reports me for casting spells outside school, I'm going straight to Grindelwald tomorrow."
Then he raised his wand. A burst of icy blue magic shot toward the churning sea where Kreacher had pointed. Frost spread in an instant. The surface froze solid, the water level sank, and a long, narrow crack in the rock appeared at the base of the cliff.
Sirius stared at the frozen waves. "That's insane."
Lupin said nothing. He was shocked to say anything.
He just wanted to ask: Was he supposed to teach Tom Defense Against the Dark Arts?
.
.
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