Upside Down Mirror: A Grim Tale (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Far from Pleasurable

Sirius was far from pleased.

First, he found himself rested from bed in the middle of the night and brought to the Ministry of Magic under the orders of non-other than bloody Moody.

Only, when he arrived, he found himself looking at the heir to the Black family looking like a right mess that would have the matriarch of the family in a right tizzy, probably far worse than one Sirius was ever on the receiving end, which in itself saying something as he could most certainly get Walburga going into hysterics.

There was also the sudden appearance of a cocky attitude. Regulus never snarked back, never did anything which would break the rules the family lived by. Worse, Regulus seemed to delight in finally breaking all the rules he'd been raised by as if suddenly he didn't care anymore. Hearing the rumors, even seeing for himself that Regulus was, in fact, a Death Eater was bad enough, but seeing him like this...

Perhaps this was how the Black family madness decided to manifest itself in Regulus.

Helping the healer lift Regulus up, Sirius couldn't help but notice how light Regulus was, let alone how his head rolled way too easily to one side. Moody led the way and they soon arrived at his office where they placed Regulus into a chair. He watched his brother close his eyes, letting out a sigh. Moody piped up, jamming his cane down with a loud thump which made Sirius jump, yet Regulus didn't react. "So? What did that to you?"

"Not telling."

"And why not?" The healer asked, sounding as if they had the same level of patience for Regulus now as Sirius did.

"The walls may have ears," Regulus muttered.

"I assure you boy," Moody piped up. "This is the one office in the entire Ministry of Magic which won't have any kind of listening spell on it. This eye does not lie."

Sirius watched Regulus open his eyes while looking at the man, but eventually he said, "Infiri."

"Infiri?" The healer seemed furious. "Why would you be messing around with Infiri?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Regulus snarked back, again as if he didn't care.

"Well, I would like to know if there are any other creatures to have attacked you, or spells that you might be under, or..."

"We called it the Misery Drought," Regulus replied. "Didn't think anybody would use that particular concoction, considering..."

"Wait. You actually know how said potion was made?"

"Yes." Regulus' eyes opened, looking at the healer as if they'd asked a strange question, before reciting from memory exactly how the potion was made, but the way he spoke sounded way too much like a child in a candy store for Sirius' liking. The fact Regulus was able to repeat back the ingredients let alone how the potion was made didn't surprise Sirius, given the fact Regulus was good at memorizing anything put before him.

"Are you sure that's correct? That you remembered all the ingredients and the way the potion was put together?" This of course brought on a giggling fit from Regulus, reminding Sirius he'd not seen him smile let alone laugh like that since he was a small child.

"That's a rather funny question."

"Why is it funny?" the healer asked, not at all amused.

"Because he finds it hilarious that people can't remember things like that," Sirius muttered, remember all too well how his parents held that little quirk of his brothers against him. After all, it was Regulus who somehow managed to memorize at the age of four the entire Black family going back six generations as well as coming forward. Where Regulus got the information regarding family trees of the female family members, Sirius didn't know, but it delighted their mother greatly.