@jegulus-microfic March 13 Word count 599
They stood outside the ruins of the small. Regulus wasn’t sure how to describe it. Shack? The wood was rotted, the roof was barely there, and the door was gone completely, leaving the doorway open and gaping.
They’d decided Evan, Barty, Lily, and Pandora would stay behind. Having eight people apparate to the same broken-down dwelling would look suspicious if anyone saw them. Regulus had wanted to go on his own, but Remus needed to come with him, and where Remus went, Sirius followed, and then James had demanded he be allowed to come as well. So he and Sirius stayed under the invisibility cloak.
“Right,” Regulus spoke to his companions. “I believe we are looking for a ring. The Gaunt family apparently prized this thing and refused to sell it even when the family fell into ruin. He and Remus cast a few revealing charms, checking that they wouldn’t be cursed if they crossed the threshold. They couldn’t find anything, so they tentatively stepped inside. Nothing happened.
It took them less than fifteen minutes to locate the ring. It was hidden beneath the floorboards in the largest room. They’d only found it when James’s foot had stood on it just right that it creaked. Regulus and Remus had used their charms again and couldn’t find anything guarding it. He pulled the floorboard up and plucked the gold box from the gap underneath.
He ran his hand over the cool, smooth lid. It was emblazoned with an emblem that he’d only recently been able to identify as the Gaunt family seal. He waved his wand over it, and the lid popped open. Nestled in an emerald silk scarf was a small black ring. It gleamed in the dim light, making Regulus shudder as he looked at it. He couldn’t believe it they’d found another Horcrux.
Remus took it from him to look at and passed it to James and then Sirius. Regulus stood. “Right, let’s get it back to Evan’s, and we can—SIRIUS DON’T PUT IT ON!!!!” Sirius stopped dead in his tracks. He’d taken the ring from its box and was halfway to slipping it onto his finger. Regulus took the ring from his brother, sticking him with a glare before he placed the ring in his hidden pocket where it would be safe.
He removed one of his rings and transfigured it to look like the Gaunt ring. He replaced it in the box and carefully returned it under the floorboard. They left the home of the once proud Gaunt family and apparated back to Rosier House.
This time, Barty was happier to see them. He’d been pacing, his hair stuck up where he’d nervously run his hands through it.
“Oh, thank you, Merlin, you’re alright.” He rushed Regulus and showed an uncharacteristic amount of worry for his friend. Even more surprising was when he dropped Regulus and wrapped his arms around Remus. Remus, taken aback, lamely patted him on the head.
‘There, there, Crouch. We’re fine. We literally just walked in there and took it. There wasn’t even a repelling charm.” Barty leaned back so he could look at Remus’s face.
“You’re kidding, right? That’s so anti-climatic. Salazar Ball’s, Voldy is an arrogant prat. Imagine being so up yourself you don’t think anyone’s going to figure out who you’re real family is.”
“Quite. We still need to figure out where the rest of them are. I’m still trying to track down where Riddle went after he left Hogwarts.” Regulus addressed the room. Evan pulled out a roll of parchment.
“Actually, we’ve been doing some digging.”
