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

Spoken Cruelty

"So..."

Regulus looked at the pile of chocolate in front of him. "What's with the rather large supply of chocolate this time?"

"It might be a while until I see you again," his visitor said. "Lily and I, we have to go into hiding. With Harry."

"That's my brother's godson," Regulus remarked, pushing the pile of chocolate with his finger. He'd become used to the visits from certain people along with the packages sent to him via Kreacher, even looked forward to them even though the happy memories would be sucked out once the visitors or Kreacher left, or a gift disappeared.

Despite the fact the way the Dementors made him feel wasn't as severe as the potion, Regulus did realize it was taking a toll, being that a year's worth of time—for another birthday came around—was a prolonged time to deal with the Dementors. He didn't know how to feel about certain things, deciding simply not to think about them, yet there were times he could not. James nodded his head. "Yes. Sirius is his godfather."

"It's because of this war." Regulus hadn't asked Kreacher if he'd destroyed the locket, but he started feeling tired regarding how long it was taking for Voldemort to be defeated. "This war is tearing everyone and everything apart. That's why..."

"Well, maybe when we see you gain the war will be over."

"That would be nice," though Regulus held in his head self-doubt. James once told him the bags under his eyes were deepening, that he was getting a bit thinner and should take better care of himself, or at least as much as he could here in Azkaban.

Dawlish and the other guards such as Kingsley remained, but he liked Kingsley whom James asked to bring him chocolate if things took so long, but one day Dawlish came. "I don't know the details yet, but your chances of actually getting a proper trial have increased."

"Increased?" Regulus tilted his head. "I don't deserve a trial."

"Be that as it may, I've heard that Voldemort's been defeated."

What he heard felt too good to be true, particularly since in the back of his head Regulus knew that Kreacher might not have destroyed the Horcrux. "That's not possible."

"It is. I'll tell you more later."

Except, the Auror ended up being quite busy after Voldemort's defeat, bringing in all sundry Death Eaters into the prison, so Regulus ended up hearing the details first from the screams of the other prisoners, but what he heard made him curl up in a corner of his cell like a frightened mouse, his mind not wanting to believe what he heard was true.

"Did you hear? Did you hear?"

"Yes. I've heard, Every other prisoner says it. Voldemort..."

"The Dark Lord is immortal roared one prisoner off in the distance, as if to protest anyone declaring Voldemort defeated, yet in Regulus mind, this all seemed too easy, his body tired from his stay in Azkaban as he leaned against the wall, waiting for the ball to drop, the luck of having the Grim not having come to collect his young soul weighing heavily on his mind.

"Who defeated him?"

"Harry Potter."

Regulus hadn't yet curled up in the corner, and instead sprung from his bed to the jail cell door "What do you mean by that? He's just a baby?"

"Only one to ever survive the killing curse," the other prisoner laughed. Said prisoner was brought in for setting off magical fireworks around Muggles, but apparently, that was also keeping the Auror busy and the cells full, but this kind of prisoner was the kind Dawlish preferred placing near Regulus rather than other Death Eaters. "But do you know what else?"

"I'm sure you're going to say it no matter my response."

"Sirius Black betrayed them. Gave up their secret location, so James and Lily are dead."

"Sirius wouldn't. He..."

"As Black as a Black can be they say."

Regulus found himself sinking into the corner, his mind telling him it wasn't true, over and over again because he knew how much his brother cared about the Potters, how he'd replaced him with James, and was so ever happy. He didn't say a word, but placed his hands over his ears, not wanting to hear that Sirius was a Death Eater.

"He can't be. He can't be. He can't be!"

Yet, no matter how much Regulus told himself this, hearing his brother howling not long after they brought him in for killing a bunch of Muggles and Peter Pettigrew, that was what seemed like the truth. He said nothing, tucking himself in, listening to Sirius sing and howl, having gone completely mad it seemed while Regulus folded in on himself, wondering how Sirius could be that way.

Worse, his cell was nearby, what with how crowded things were becoming, but Dawlish came and gave Regulus what looked like an apologetic look. Finally, Regulus found his voice. "Siri?"

Sirius continued singing, ignoring him as he had at Hogwarts once he left the house.

"Sirius."

"Is that you Reggie?"

"Did you really do what they said you did?"

Sirius ignored him and began singing again, yet his words were all over the place and sometimes Regulus wondered if his brother was indeed trying to tell him that he indeed killed the Potters by betraying them to the Dark Lord, yet as his brother said these things, Regulus couldn't help but feel his entire world came crashing down, if not turned upside down.

"You've got a trial coming up," his grandfather said.

"Why? Why am I getting a trial? Sirius didn't get one."

"Sirius. Could we not speak of your brother?"

"He's exactly what you all wanted, so why aren't you fighting to have your heir back instead of wasting your time on me? I don't want to be a part of a family that condones..."

"Could we not speak of the bloody awful thing that..." The man let out a deep sigh. "Well. You're what matters right now Regulus."

"A child has been left an orphan. How does that not matter?" Regulus muttered, tucking his hands into his sleeves, feeling ever so tired. He'd not realized just how tired being in the prison was, but he could see his bones were a bit sharp. His mother would also throw a fit if she saw him. He struggled to eat, even the packages that she sent through Kreacher, which surprised him given the fact he was sure she didn't want to see him, or the chocolate Kingsley brought him. "I just want to go home."

"Good."

"I didn't mean..."

"Regulus, it's time you dropped this nonsense."

"IT isn't nonsense."

"Did you kill anybody?"

"Indirectly..."

"Oh, you mean like Sirius did, because..."

"I would never do that! I...." Regulus looked his grandfather in the eye.

"I was able to get you this trial because people are willing to come to your aide now that monster is gone because they know you don't need to be kept in here safe."

"That's a lie." In so many ways it was a lie, yet Regulus didn't feel like articulating.

His grandfather ignored him. "The public isn't fond of it, but you're backed by Dumbledore, Dawlish, and others, but the point is we're going to bring you home Regulus, but we're not stopping until we do."

Regulus wanted to say the public was right, yet said nothing. His mind still struggled with the idea that Sirius betrayed James.