Watching Over Our Nation

Prologue: The Cave

Life was not what it used to be these days. And everyone knew it, felt it, experienced it.

The War was full on them, affecting all of Wizarding Britain. Including a group of young people, just out of school.

Everyone had to pick a side and if they hid so they wouldn't have to, they had to be prepaired to be found and be forced to make a choice sooner or later.

The young adults knew this all too well and so, they made their choices.

Many decided to fight for what was right and joined an underground army called The Order of the Phoenix. Most of them were Gryffindors. Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and James and Lily Potter were some of these people.

Other people chose to fight with the power hungry group. Some chose for themselves, like Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr., Evan Rosier and Regulus Black.

Or had they? Not all of them.

Regulus Black, younger brother to Sirius Black hadn't really chosen it, that much he was sure of now. And he knew Evan's father forced him just like his had. Barty never really had a father to teach him anything and so, he felt only the need to stay with his friends, rather than remain loyal to his family.

If Regulus was truly, completely honest with himself, he quite envied the people who'd managed to get out of this hell hole. Andromeda, Uncle Alphard, after his death...

And Sirius.

Regulus had his chance, when Sirius asked him to come and leave with him, but he hadn't done it. He'd felt like he had to stay, so Sirius could leave. Truly leave.

But now, he was going to fix his mistake, he was following his brother out that door. He had a set plan.

He'd realised his mistakes and he'd searched for a way to take his Master down, even if he himself wouldn't live to enjoy life after.

Life had never really been very enjoyable for Regulus Black anyways.

Regulus had often wondered about his own death in moments when he didn't feel like thinking of life. At least now, he would have some control over his death. The ending was in sight finally.

As he apperated into the cave, that cave of doom, he wondered about all of the people he cared about. He thought of Barty, his best friend through everything. Of Evan, whom he'd never fully considered his real best friend, but who also never held this against him and remained loyal. Of Pandora, the one person who really, fully understood him. Of James, with a pang of hurt, because that never worked out the way Regulus wanted it to.

And of course, of Sirius, the one who, though he hated his little brother and left him, was still his brother. And had once been the one person to protect Regulus.

He had cared once.

Regulus shook his head with a determina- tion that surprised him most of all. He had a job to do and he couldn't be distracted.

He tuned out all the people, all the deep feelings, all the memories, happy and sad. Focus.

He took one shaky breath, did not dare look behind him, to the world he was most likely to never see again, and stepped into the darkness. He'd got to the place he knew he had to be. The horcrux.

"Revelio," he tried it, just to be sure, but could have guessed that was never gonna work.

There was a suspiscious-looking substance in a bowl. At the bottom of which Regulus Black knew the horcrux to be. He tried some more advanced spells on the bowl, but in vain. He knew what had to be done.