Regulus was left a bit speechless at Five's disappearance, and alone to contemplate what exactly had just happened.

Five had not apparated, there wasn't the loud pop that came with it. And Regulus hadn't seen a wand. So this was something else entirely. Once again, Regulus was confronted with power that seemed to exist outside the magic system he'd been raised in. And he had to ask himself: did that matter?

He hesitated a split second. But he'd trusted Kreacher, and Kreacher's magic was different from his.

And what was the worst that could happen? He'd die? Again?

"I'll take the shortcut," he said to Five when he'd gotten over his momentary ideological crisis.

"How does this work?"