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I have a hard time to believe that Walpurga would have approved of Regulus leaving school early. The Blacks are a traditional family and it is a matter of pride for the descendant of a former headmaster that their children finish school properly. According to Sirius and Kreacher she cared for him and 'Death Eater glory' or not, she is neither a Gryffindor to push her son into battle nor as mad as Bellatrix. I also think Sirius and Slughorn should have mentioned it; Sirius with disgust 'The little idiot dropped out of school to join Voldemort' and Slughorn with regret.
In my imagination Regulus took the mark on or shortly after his 17th birthday which is the earliest time he could have done it without risking to disappoint his mother and continued school. Actually Voldemort had no need for half-trained wizards and Regulus no need to earn his position; he was born to it.
The acounts of when the reign of terror started to reach the public have IMO taken with a grain of salt. They all come from active resistance fighters (Order members), political opponents (known blood traitors) and their relatives. When Molly talks about people eloping and Arthur about the fear to come home and find a dark mark over the house, this might refer to their close circle. Active oppositional people are the first to know and the first targeted.The ordinary wizards on the street don't too get panicky as long as only selected people they don't know or care for are targeted. BTW we don't have any idea how the ordinary wizards looked on the OotP; they might have thought their activities only made things worse.
My timeline has the trip to the cave after Regulus left Hogwarts in 79, when he was fully available to Voldemort. I agree with esmestrella that Kreacher's words hint to a very short period between the first trip and Regulus' death. Kreacher seems to have stayed in the cupboard for the whole time. It makes sense to me that Voldemort secured his horcruxes, before he started his killing spree.
On a side note, all killed Order members are on the photograph i.e. known to Peter Pettigrew. He could have been the source for the death list.
In my imagination Regulus took the mark on or shortly after his 17th birthday which is the earliest time he could have done it without risking to disappoint his mother and continued school. Actually Voldemort had no need for half-trained wizards and Regulus no need to earn his position; he was born to it.
The acounts of when the reign of terror started to reach the public have IMO taken with a grain of salt. They all come from active resistance fighters (Order members), political opponents (known blood traitors) and their relatives. When Molly talks about people eloping and Arthur about the fear to come home and find a dark mark over the house, this might refer to their close circle. Active oppositional people are the first to know and the first targeted.The ordinary wizards on the street don't too get panicky as long as only selected people they don't know or care for are targeted. BTW we don't have any idea how the ordinary wizards looked on the OotP; they might have thought their activities only made things worse.
My timeline has the trip to the cave after Regulus left Hogwarts in 79, when he was fully available to Voldemort. I agree with esmestrella that Kreacher's words hint to a very short period between the first trip and Regulus' death. Kreacher seems to have stayed in the cupboard for the whole time. It makes sense to me that Voldemort secured his horcruxes, before he started his killing spree.
On a side note, all killed Order members are on the photograph i.e. known to Peter Pettigrew. He could have been the source for the death list.