It was close to midnight when Regulus was finally able to return to his room. Climbing the stairs to his landing he was ready to fling his door open, make his way through the dark, and fall asleep promptly. A complication arose when Regulus made contact with a pair of dark eyes at the end of the hall. His cousin Narcissa, her narrow face alive with worry, was anxiously standing sentinel in front of his bedroom door.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Narcissa said tensely. She wore a white poet shirt tucked neatly into a black beaded skirt. The unfashionably long sharp pointed collar around her neck was tied off with a green velvet ribbon as if to keep her head from falling off her neck.
She fit in well enough with the Death Eaters but Narcissa Black was fiercely devoted to her family before all else. Regulus personally admired this quality in his cousin. She’d tried to keep in contact with Andromeda even after their family had blasted her face off the family tree, she never punished Sirius for being sorted into Gryffindor, even now she stood by her fanceé despite the way it made their family look. Narcissa was the only family member that he’d truly considered an ally, she understood how to get by.
He knew she was worried about her bungaling fianceé; what had happened in the Department of Mysteries this week put him in the crossfires of Lord Voldemort’s unrelenting wrath. Regulus didn’t know why she would go to him, just barely above legal wizarding age, for help.
“I don’t think there is anything I can say to him for you Cis,” Regulus made his way to his cousin. There was nothing he could do to help Lucius, he was only a Death Eater on the insistence of his mother, her persistent desire to make sure she held onto the spare if she couldn’t keep the heir.
Narcissa moved aside as he twisted the doorknob and the two entered the room quickly. With a sigh and a flick of his wand the lights in the chandelier began to flicker, the room lit in a low warm glow. Objects cast shadows in the light, flickering ominously. His cousin shut the door behind her.
“Muffliato– Colloportus” she whispered at the doorway, sealing the room off with magic. Regulus felt strangely uneasy, put on guard. Narcissa’s older sister Bellatrix was usually the one that triggered this defensiveness, his other cousin was unruly with a flashy temper. The way Narcissa was acting, twitchy and paranoid, drawing the curtains around the room put him on edge in a different but all too familiar way.
“What's this about?”
“Please Regulus, just let me…” Narcissa trailed off as she muttered spells under her breath around the perimeter of the room. He sat impatiently on his bed, longing to put his head to the soft pillow and sink into a dreamless sleep. Finally it seemed she was done, Narcissa made her way to the bed and sat down beside him.
“The Dark Lord has– chosen me to be the one to tell you. I think it's more a punishment for—” she caught herself and shook her head, “anyway, it's not just about Lucius. It's about access. He has been waiting for you to turn of age.” Regulus felt his stomach twist in knots at the thought of the Dark Lord watching him.
“What does he know?”
Had Lord Voldemort realized it was a mistake taking him on raids? Did he suspect his cowardice? Could He see that Regulus had become more worried as more half-blood and pure-blooded wizards became targets? Stepping back from the action, watching it all from the air. It had become abundantly clear to him after the summer he spent near his side. Lord Voldemort’s intentions were not to protect the Nobility of Pure Wizard Blood, but rather for his own personal agenda.
The Black dynasty had been careful after his brother’s sorting and Andromeda’s disgrace to keep him. They had made sure loyalty meant something to Regulus. At first he’d found it hard to believe the rest of his family could accept the countless wizarding families being destroyed. Those lives being lost. But then he realized they were greedy and scared, and really when it came down to it they were glad to participate. Most of them.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Narcissa said plainly.
“Who does he think I am?” Regulus had waited for this moment for what felt like a lifetime but the beat of his heart betrayed him. Being a Death Eater should have been his dream, and wasn’t it every Death Eater’s dream to earn the favor of Lord Voldemort? His cousin misunderstood his meaning, believing he thought himself unworthy of the honor.
“You forget you are a Black. You mean something to me. To us. That is all he needs to know,” Narcissa looked at Regulus meaningfully, placing her elegant hand on top of his own. Regulus wondered why she went to such extreme precautions only to keep talking vaguely.
“Cis, are you being watched?” Regulus turned to sit cross-legged, Narcissa’s eyes darted to the window. Her body went limp, like the tight wires holding her up had been loosened.
“Everyone knows that now I suppose,” her eyes refused to fix in any one spot, trying not to look defeated. “I know how eager you were– to join them. I just want you to be careful, Regulus.”
“I’ve been generally careful my entire life,” Regulus cracked a convincing smile. There was no need for his cousin to know how calculated his decision was, how cowardly and self-preserving. To be a Death Eater, to infiltrate Hogwarts and make himself of use. Narcissa’s face managed to find an even more pinched state.
“Not just generally, you must be careful with who you trust these days. Lucius refuses to listen to me, but I need you to hear this before I tell you what I’ve got to say, okay?”
“Okay, I understand–” on her unsure glance he solemnly urged, “I do.” Narcissa looked him up and down as if deciding to trust him or not before continuing.
“The Dark Lord is looking for Marta Farrow. She was Under Secretary for the previous Minister of Magic, remember— her family went into hiding after he…resigned,” the two shared a knowing look. Regulus didn’t know it while he’d been collecting his stupid clippings but the Death Eaters had played a role in the Minister’s resignation.
“That’s it?”
“Of course not you troll. Farrow’s daughter still attends Hogwarts. They believe Dumbledore will keep her safe, they don’t suspect Death Eaters could already be inside.”
“Me.”
“Right, we have you. The Dark Lord suspects they’ve made the house Untraceable.”
“Naturally.”
“He suspects their daughter knows the Secret Keeper’s identity.”
Regulus opened his mouth to speak but it felt like he’d been hit in the chest and stunned with a Langlock spell. Like the day he was caught whispering about Gellert Grindelwald and Freddie Mercury with his brother, resulting in him walking the house for several days without the ability to speak. Unable to utter a word, trapped inside his own mind to fester on the corruptions of his morality. The only alleviation had been to concede, become a mask. Regulus sat a moment, hands folded in his lap. There was no choice.
“What house?” he finally managed.
“Ravenclaw,” Narcissa’s voice was soft, almost shaking.
“I don’t have to… what do I have to do?” he picked up his wand and began to fiddle with it nervously, it sparked causing Narcissa to jump in her seat.
“All you need to do is get her to break, tell you who it is. Voldemort will have them carry out the rest.”
“I can’t break her.”
“Why did you think you were meant for this?” Narcissa pulled away. Regulus didn’t know how to answer. Regulus knew early on that he would have to push away parts of himself to make his family proud, to continue upholding the legacy of the Black family name. Life was complicated though and he soon came to realize that he was meant to ensure their power through the subjugation and death of others. He could tuck it away so no one else could see, but he would know. No matter what, he lived with the memory of everything he’d ever done.
“How am I supposed to respond to you asking me to break someone? Joyfully?” Standing abruptly, Regulus startled his cousin who stood to meet him.
“Actually, I thought you’d have the sense to stay out of it. But you went and got yourself involved, and now you are stuck Regulus. So yes, I’m wondering how you thought you were meant for this.” Narcissa’s eyes spark, her hand tightening around the handle of her wand.
“If I can do it my way–”
“Regulus,” Narcissa’s expression was wary.
“How much time do I have?” Regulus glanced at his watch, it was twelve ten December 28th, his birthday had come and gone.
“He expects it to be done by the end of term,” Narcissa tucked her straight, long blonde hair behind her ears. Regulus thought for a moment.
“Cissy, I will try” his voice was barely a whisper. Narcissa opened her mouth, he continued on, “but I don’t feel right doing all this, at Hogwarts. ”
Narcissa held his head between her hands and placed their foreheads together, a medieval form of affection, one of the very few the Blacks ever used. After a moment she separated, sticking her nose in the air and flicking her hair behind her.
“I need you to do this Reg. He’s not happy with Lucius, so do the job. Impress him.”
“And after that?” They stood in tense silence sizing each other up. Neither wanted to reveal how they truly felt about the situation without knowing the other’s opinion. Regulus raised his brows, Narcissa scrunched her nose, let out a long exhale and relaxed her face.
“He expects you to continue on of course.”
“What if… I really preferred a job at the bank and, you know, the occasional call to duty at the Wizengamot?” It was all he could think to say. He knew Evan and Edmund were content to hold their seats in the court. Their positions alone would hold enough influence, they didn’t need the mark. Narcissa glanced at him, their eyes making quick contact, her face darkened. He hoped she would understand.
“Lucius is eager to earn his respect back. I am sure we could find some way to… distance you. If you’re sure.”
“I am,” Regulus responded. His cousin smiled for the first time that night. It was a tight one, quickly returning to a thin line. She patted his arm and made her way around the room, taking down the magical protections. Once she was through, Narcissa turned to Regulus looking far more at ease than she had at the beginning of their conversation. He was glad to know she could be trusted if only a little.
“Oh, Regulus,” she had stopped in front of the door, “Happy Birthday.”
With a flick of her wand a small parcel appeared on his lap then the door closed. He sat there for a while after Narcissa had gone. He opened the small parcel, inside was a blue velvet pouch. Regulus reached inside and pulled out a silver locket engraved delicately on the front, a large silver S surrounded by filigree. The clasp popped open with a click, inside was a small emerald ring. Regulus slipped the band on his left pointer finger before taking it off and placing it on his bedside table.
Regulus thought he’d feel different, grander, but he only felt more exhausted. He had been able to conform, become a different person with every interaction, but the older Regulus got the harder it became to push his own thoughts away. His heart raced thinking about it, if his family somehow realized that he too was a disappointment.
None of the places he could remember in the castle’s walls would be suitable for him to hide a person away. He felt the passage of his throat closing in at the thought of what he might have to do in order to obtain the information the Dark Lord desired and it became significantly harder to breathe. He shook his head angrily and tried to compose himself, inhaling deeply. His heart raced, the mark on his arm tingled. His parents' discipline had taught him the kinds of things he would need. He soothed himself in the only way he could, he would not be nearly half so callous as his parents. He would do the merciful thing and wipe the memory away, he’d seen his father do once, after he’d almost hurt a lone muggle that had wandered through their magical wards. Regulus was accomplished in spellwork, but had never attempted erasing the mind. He knew he would be up to the task.
He returned the room to darkness, smothering his feelings out with the snuffed flames. Narcissa had been more than certain they were being watched. He had gone undetected and now that he was seventeen, he was undetectable. The Trace, a charm the Ministry placed on all underage wizards allowing them to detect magic cast outside of the school was wiped clean from his person. Voldemort would not have easy access, he would begin relying on thoughts and spies. Regulus knew it would come to this.
He needed to take all precautions now, prepare himself in all the ways he could. He decided to research more protection spells like the one Narcissa had used. He would no longer allow anyone, even The Dark Lord, a chance to look inside his mind. Voldemort was a skilled Legilimens, it would be difficult to rival him but Regulus had a natural talent for invisibility.
His family, The Noble and Most Ancient line naturally produced Occlumens. Andromeda and Narcissa never had to learn, the gift of closing off their minds and thoughts had been born with them. Bellatrix was not only a natural, but became skilled at Legilimency as well once she set her sights on becoming one of Voldemort’s Death Eaters.
His own natural talent extended about as far as Sirius, when they were young he learned they could throw an Imperius Curse in a few minutes. Desensitized to the constant commands of their parents shuffling them out of the way to be seen and not heard. Walburga and Orion had never taught them how to close their minds, thoughts held secrets and defiance. He’d managed to conceal them somehow, he knew he could do it intentionally with proper instruction.
He would need to be careful, arm himself with knowledge. The rest of his holiday Regulus spent plotting what secret rooms in the castle he could use to his benefit, searching the study library for any spells that would assist in the sealing and protection of an area. He’d found plenty of simple spells like muffliato, and others that he’d learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he had more interest in Occlumency. Narcissa had shown him things, tried to teach him when they were in school together his first year, her sixth before N.E.W.T.S and family invaded her life. He'd learned a little, he knew enough. He couldn’t burden her with this, but he did need help. The reading was too convoluted and complicated, it was as if the person themselves had no experience and was writing from a simply theoretical position. Entirely unhelpful.
After reading a particularly dense passage Regulus put the book down. He just needed a teacher, someone who he could trust, or who would trust him. Who would not get him in trouble. He certainly couldn’t go to his Slug Club friends, though they would likely be more than adept at researching and putting the magic to practice.
Dwelling on what he couldn’t control would do him no good, he would focus on the magic he knew he could learn on his own. He would wait until he was back in the safe embrace of Hogwarts before he began the enterprise in earnest. In the meantime he would keep his nose to his books, N.E.W.T.S. were notoriously difficult and Regulus was still taking a full course load. Transfiguration and Ancient Ruins wouldn’t matter if he was dead though, and the weight of the Ravenclaw girl sat on his chest like a heavy book. It felt hard to breathe just thinking about if he failed. But he’d managed it, by the end of break he’d read up on patronuses and entrancing enchantments and had even started an essay on animangi.
His final dinner at Grimmauld Place had been spent in silence. He could barely put the fork to his mouth sitting in the presence of his parents. He felt more under supervision than usual since the mark had been seared into his skin. The knowledge of all his things and Sirius’ own belongings stored safely away in his trunk burned a hole in his mind but Regulus managed to keep his countenance serene, eager even. His parents had the utmost confidence in his successful execution of The Dark Lord’s commands. He found when returned to his room he could not sleep, the anxiety he had on returning was mixed with his own excitement to leave the claustrophobic darkness of his parent’s home.
King’s Cross was buzzing with muggles as Regulus made his way to the barrier between the worlds. His parents had decided he was old enough to get there on his own so he’d apparated to a designated area and made his way alone. As he approached the entrance to platform nine- and three-quarters he spotted a rather large black dog from across the station staring directly at him. He advanced closer to the brick wall and glanced back at the dog who was still looking at Regulus almost deliberately. He thought it was peculiar, definitely, but amusing as he effortlessly passed through and arrived on the platform with time to spare.
After putting his trunk away, Regulus found the compartment populated by his school mates. They still sat in the unnatural split, Evan and Edmund on one side and Victoria, Pandora and Darren filling the other. He took a seat beside Edmund, who pushed over from the window to make room. His friends had been in the middle of discussing their breaks. Once Regulus had settled they began their questioning.
Regulus had managed to cling to the small group, skirt around questions of loyalties and obligations and focus on school. He knew he should have kept to himself, he was better off alone, but Regulus had never learned how to be truly by himself. Even if this distant friendship was all he could ever achieve. Their families belonged to the sacred 28, their blood pure enough for his mother to approve despite their lack of direction or interest in reshaping the wizarding world in the Pure-Blood image.
“Birthday went well then?” said Darren. Regulus nodded. They had been fed up with not being allowed to send letters at home and made sure to give him small gifts on the last day of term that he could leave behind. Now of course he had his brothers highly confiscatable records in his trunk and his parents were none the wiser.
“Yea,” Regulus said. He never talked about his family with his friends, they didn’t need to know more than what they already did. “Father bought me a new broom.”
Edmund lit up, jumping into Regulus’ face.
“Nimbus, Cleansweep?”
“Neither, Wind Weaver” Regulus said smugly.
“Bloody hell, you’re lying!” Exclaimed Evan, “I thought you were done with Quidditch after school?” He’d be dying to use the Flyte and Barker, his family was strictly Shooting Star which had begun to fall off in quality.
Edmund Nott and Evan Rossier had been assigned as his dorm mates in their first year, though they weren’t close until they started Quidditch. Regulus had been one of the youngest players in Hogwarts history to join the team when he earned the spot of seeker second year. They had taken notice of that, the two were fanatically obsessed with brooms and Quidditch. They hadn’t realized that all the time he’d been avoiding the common room, avoiding them, Regulus had been flying. There was only so much time he could spend lurking in the boathouse or stargazing from the astronomy tower. The air was where he really belonged.
The pair joined the team in third year, desperate for some of the attention Regulus rebuffed and despised about the sport. The beater chaser duo cared about who could execute the coolest moves, they fed off the entertainment of the crowd. Each match became a performance. They had become well liked by the school, barely tolerated by the team.
They too came from families connected to the Dark Lord. Both parents though seemed content with their sons just carrying on the Pureblood line according to the boys. Regulus had been grateful for their desire to distance themselves from the politics of their families. With Evan and Edmund it was only Quidditch. They were the perfect distractions.
“Reg always gets what he wants, you know that” Darren interjected, “I’ll bet you get offers this term too.”
“Oh absolutely,” Victoria waved a green papered letter in the air, “I know I have, thanks to our grand leader Sluggy,”
Victoria Fawley and Darren Parkinson had been inseparable since their sorting, their partnership was tumultuous, as were most things with Victoria Fawley. The pair had introduced him to Pandora Lestrange from Ravenclaw in Slug Club second year, though now they were cousins through marriage.
“McGonagall and Slughorn sent letters to me inquiring about Curse Breaking courses after graduation. They don’t understand I can’t do that with you know–” Pandora’s sweet irish accent rang like bells as she shared a wide eyed look around the compartment. Of course they knew, her family would abhor Pandora working a day for the ministry without signing away her left arm as well.
“Well we know either way, you’ll become the most prolific spell inventor of our time–” started Darren
“By– thirty,” Victoria interjected with a sharp grin. Pandora pushed into her shoulders playfully.
“Knock on wood, immediately, all of you,” Pandora urged. Without hesitation, they all find a bit of the compartment, so used to the little superstitions it barely registered.
“So what will they have you do?” Victoria turned her attention decidedly back to Regulus, “They must know they’re letting all this natural talent go to waste.”
Regulus knew they were aware of his family’s expectations of him even if he never spoke of them out loud. Victoria would never outrightly say it, but they all knew well enough the involvement of his family in the war. Especially now that Pandora was involved in the Black family affairs. They knew how cunning and ambitious he was, for a long time he’d spoken of nothing but becoming a part of something great. He suspected they knew he’d chosen his allegiance, they just had no idea how far Regulus had already gone.
Most Pure-blooded families aspired for the same elite protection, the thrill of power, and more had joined the fold. Pandora was now a distant cousin connected by marriage, Bellatrix and Rodolfus Lestrange had been married their fifth year. He remembered even then how differently she was treated.
The Lestranges had been involved with Voldemort since the beginning. Her mother married for love and had the sense to shelter her daughter from what she could not keep from her step-sons. It wasn’t that Pandora really knew any more about him than the rest of the world, but something about her friendship was special. She tried her best to associate with everyone, she wanted to be a neutral force in the world. A balance to the disharmony she saw within her own household.
Pandora’s sorting had been a difficult one, her own mother belonged to Ravenclaw and had no stake in the dark politics of her husband’s family. Her ambition and cunning had made her a strong candidate for Slytherin though and even Slughorn had taken notice as her potions professor. In the end, her wild eccentricity and her pursuit for knowledge suited her best to the blue and silver House. In Pandora Regulus had found his one true friend.
She smiled at him encouragingly from across the compartment before her attention was stolen away by a third year sliding open the door to hand them their invitations to Slughorn’s compartment. Evan sniffed haughtily at the emerald green lettering addressed to the quartet.
The two sides of his school life came together in fifth year through Evan’s insistence. He'd demanded the Slug Club members Regulus met with so often allow them to join in on their library study sessions. It became increasingly clear his jealousy of the whole club was wrapped up in one person.
Despite having stated many times to have sworn off the whole concept of love and matrimony after her brother’s own marriage, Pandora longed for a companion. Though Darren and Victoria always bickered and made each other jealous, even they were loyal to each other to the end. Pandora was not content to be an object to behold, she desired a true equal partnership, Regulus had been glad to fill that position. He had no interest in love himself, he was too scared of it.
Evan had other ideas, he wanted her approval, her admiration. So despite their protests he enlisted Edmund in his attempt to gain her favor. Each practice, every game Pandora attended, Evan and Edmund would utilize their time on the pitch to perform for her instead of play. They became the bane of the forth year beater Ludo Bagman’s existence for the season as they continued to receive penalties for their productions. It had become his mission to rid the team of players who dishonored the sport.
So when Ludo had been selected to Co-Captain the team sixth year so Lucinda Talkalot could focus on her O.W.L.S. Bagman’s first act was to dismiss the pair after their first match of the season. It was then things began to change, once they had stopped trying so desperately for her attention their company became more bearable. It had taken convincing but in the end Pandora admired the creativity of the spellwork, Evan had created something she could love and that made her want to love him.
After changing into their robes the three Slug Club members–Victoria, Pandora, and Darren swiftly left their seats. Pandora pat Evan patronizingly on the shoulder as he winged about not being special enough to attend.
Slug Club was an exclusive social club started by head of Slytherin house,Horace Slughorn at the beginning of his tenure at Hogwarts as Potions Master. Invitations were extended to his favorite students, often members came from powerful families or were extremely talented in their own right. Regulus knew Slughorn saw each student as a prize that he had collected, a trophy he could display on his shelf, and he was glad to be one of them. The professor had a knack for selecting the very brightest stars from the bunch, he knew greatness and power when he saw it. It had confirmed what Regulus had been told his whole life, he was special, he was meant for something great. He was all too willing to accept his place.
Regulus was grateful for Slug Club, his head-of-house’s indiscriminate appreciation for talented wizards had allowed him to extend his social circle beyond the selections his parents would have made. Talent was power, and though he’d still stuck to the pure-blood crowd to be safe, he couldn’t stand kids like Barty Crouch Jr. or Quentin Mulciber. He was friendly with Severus Snape for a good while, they’d bonded in potions and he’d had a muggleborn friend- Lily Evans. Snape had been a bossy, nosy, obsessive companion though and Regulus quite liked his privacy so he’d left him for Quidditch when he made the team. It seemed Lily Evans did as well after his fourth year, she’d joined James and his brother’s band of over-inflated delinquents, missing Slug Club meetings and leaving Severus in the hands of the Death Eaters.
A thought dawned on him. Who better to teach him than the head of Slytherin house, Horace Slughorn? Slughorn, who would be so eager to earn the favor of Regulus, who had become a rather elusive fixture of his large collection since his induction into The Dark Lord’s army.
He would bide his time then, make himself scarce and wait for the professor to be absolutely desperate for his attention. He decided to stay in the compartment with the two boys, his friends would let him know when the meeting would be held. He would make his move at the New Year Slug Club gathering.
Regulus thought he would quite like to learn more about blocking off his mind before having to interact with the aspiring Death Eaters that suddenly stomped through the door of their compartment as they approached the Hogsmeade station.
Prefect Corban Yaxley loomed in the doorway with a sneer on his face, Barty Crouch Jr. in tow. Crouch looked as if he conducted volts of electricity, he was twitchy where Yaxley was smooth waters. Regulus raised his eyes to them, bag in hand. They didn’t let him pass.
“I’d like to speak with you quickly Regulus,” Yaxley said blandly, “exit you lot.” He jerked his head to Edmund and Evan who quickly found their belongings and nervously looked at their friend.
“We’ll wait for you by the carriages,” said Edmund, with a snap from Barty they edged into the hall and filed out with the rest of the school.
“Deserve a swift hex in the face if you ask me” Barty seethed.
Barty was the dangerous sabotager, snide and prideful. His father had expected him to turn out this way, when they were friends Barty had told him proudly. Father and son could not have been more dissimilar, but there was never one without the other. Holidays were spent under a watchful eye, a commanding voice. It was not just a rebellion, Voldemort was Barty’s freedom. Regulus had tried to be the same way once. In a way, he still was.
This world his family spoke of, the careful words of older recruits, had shaped them both to question authority. He’d listened to others tell them that to be magic was the most pure, perfect, measure of worthiness. Regulus liked being the most powerful, it made sense that he, who was smarter, stronger, and full of magic would be more important to preserve. Barty Jr. clung to this idea as well, but he saw one could be made less or more. To Regulus magic seemed to be in everything, it was written into theory. For Barty, anything below him, anything that stood in the way of creating a world for those “better” people to be, would be obliterated with relish.
Regulus witnessed this first hand that summer when Crouch performed the Cruciatus Curse on a small half-blood child that had begged for their parents’ lives. He remembered the shrieking laughter of his cousin Bellatrix, and her husband Lestrange, mixing with the child’s. Barty’s wild eyed silence, his joy as they all relished the power had turned his stomach. Domination and power gave them magic and might. Regulus could only stare in horror, the epiphany of the paradoxical propaganda washing over him, magic was not enough in their eyes to be worthy. He didn’t even have a Dark Mark yet, he couldn’t while he remained the son of Barty Crouch Senior.
“Crouch, don't be silly, Regulus may have other friends beyond our small circle. We must make advantageous relationships and bring more awareness of the Dark Lord’s mission.” Yaxley delivered confidently, he was clearly quite pleased with himself. Regulus wanted to join his friends, he certainly wished he hadn’t ignored Slughorn’s invitation which sat in his cloak pocket next to his wand. He wondered if he would be able to get to his wand if this was some kind of threat.
“What did you want to discuss please, Yaxley,” Regulus held his own. He would not allow these boys to intimidate him. Yaxley gestured to Crouch to put his wand away, they all settled.
“I know the Dark Lord has asked you for help.” Yaxley and Crouch shared a smug smile before turning to Regulus.
“How exciting.”
“You better take this more seriously Regulus, you have no right to-” Barty started to reach for his wand again, Regulus dug into his own pocket and held onto his own wand. Yaxley wordlessly disarmed his companion.
“I’m sure Regulus is taking whatever he has been asked to do very seriously,” Yaxley smiled at Regulus, “We wanted to offer some help, our experience could be valuable.”
“If you weren’t told to assist, I don’t think the Dark Lord believes I need you. And I rather prefer to do my work without admirers,” Regulus stared into Yaxley’s eyes daring him to argue. Regulus had earned some kind of new power when he’d become the youngest member allowed into the fold, allowed to be marked. The boys hadn't been interested in him since he’d been asked to join the Slug Club. Their resentment spurred them, they couldn’t care less about assisting Regulus, they desired Voldemort’s recognition.
“That’s rather vain of you don’t you think? No one is invincible, little prince.” Yaxley’s face hardened, “You’ll need help one day, and there will be a price.”
He opened the compartment door as Crouch sneered, licking his lips. Regulus’ friends stood in the frigid night air in front of a horseless carriage. Victoria held Darren’s hand, their bodies practically connected while they stood with Edmund and Evan. Pandora sat inside the carriage speaking with the new Ravenclaw Prefect, a tall boy with long white hair so similar to his cousin’s fiancee it almost startled him. The fifth year, Lovegood, had kindly kept the carriage back for them. Regulus noticed Evan' concerned glances toward the carriage from the platform. Once he’d joined them, they fit themselves inside and rode up to the castle.
It was peeking through the trees, Hogwarts’ pointed towers pierced the sky which had turned a lovely purple as stars began to twinkle. He cursed Astronomy, his whole family in the sky. He spotted Sirius, the brightest star twinkling above them all. His brother had really turned out to be much the same. Regulus thought about his own fate: would he aspire to his name?
In the Entrance Hall, Peeves, the school Poltergeist whizzed overhead gleefully laughing above three second year girls who’d been stuck together with a large wad of taffy. Regulus scoffed at the silly little things, his group tittered in agreement.
They entered the Great Hall and the Slytherins made their way over to their seats. Evan steered them toward the far end of the table, away from Yaxley, right across from Pandora at Ravenclaw. McGonagall led the second year girls, now unstuck, to their seats then promptly took her own. The hall went silent as the Headmaster rose.
“Greetings,” said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon frames, “for some this will be your last term.” The older students smiled back at their Headmaster and several Slytherins cheered mockingly.
“Wonder what he’s going on about this time,” Victoria murmured. Regulus agreed, Dumbledore had not left the students out of the war, his cryptic propaganda for world peace was something his parents brought up often. They hadn’t forgotten the connection to Grindelwald and made sure Regulus wouldn’t either, Dumbledore was a hypocrite at the best of times.
“I want it to be known to students old and new. Help will be given at Hogwarts, to those who deserve it. In dark times like these we must protect the things we hold dearest, and remember this– you are not alone.” Dumbledore continued looking into the eyes of the student body. Regulus thought he felt the bright blue eyes of his headmaster staring through him for a moment, he turned away from his gaze. Another way to make students a part of it, to be good so they can deserve the help given.
“Deserve it?” Darren hissed darkly under his breath. Victoria frowned and placed a hand on his elbow.
The Bloody Baron had begun pacing the entryway as Peeves cheekily whined in the hall. Dumbledore cleared his throat “With that being said- tuck in!”
With a flourish of his wand the school began to feast. Regulus took some chicken, potato and broccoli but could barely put the food to his mouth. He struggled to take even a small bite as Evan and Darren ate ravenously. Instead, he turned his attention to the Ravenclaw table, where he could just overhear a small group of girls.
“Do you think he was talking about Julie?” a girl said.
“Shh, she’s right there…” Regulus couldn’t see who the girls were talking about, their heads were huddled together. One had beautiful curls, she turned slightly.
“It’s about being there for each other girls, Hogwarts is all of us too.” He was stunned for a moment at the curly-haired girl’s observation. Leave it to the Ravenclaws to analyze. Victoria and Darren sat across from him discussing Defense Against the Dark Arts. Their newest in a long line of professors, a former vampire hunter, had been so impressed at the end of last term when they presented their shield-like patronuses.
“It was ten points each, and we’d been working on it for about the whole term!” Victoria boasted. Darren smirked, they’d kept it a secret until Edmund and Evan had noticed the hourglass was full at dinner on their return.
“Unfair, you’ve had a head start and didn’t say anything?” Evan accused.
“Jealous,” Victoria snorted and waved her fork. Darren put his arm around her proudly.
“All her,”
“You should see my patronus now,” she teased darkly. Regulus chuckled at the astonished looks from his friends. This is why they weren’t in the Slug Club. He was though, and he couldn’t seem to work out a memory happy enough to produce a full patronus yet. Magic was getting harder to accomplish once you had to involve memory and feeling into it.
After dinner the Slytherins descended to the dungeons and reentered the common room with the password, Pure. Victoria stayed in the main room, chatting with Darren and a few other Slytherin girls while Regulus, Edmund, and Evan returned to their dormitory. A large gothic window submerged under the lake took up a majority of the far wall. The Lake was pitch black by the time they retired to their beds that night. Edmund drew the curtains and settled into his four poster. Regulus was opposite him, along the wall of the window. He drew his curtains around himself and cast several protection spells. Then he fished out a book on patronuses and began reading by wandlight.
