Regulus Black: The Boy Who Regrets

Chapter Five

Several years had passed in this fashion. Regulus and Alex remained inseparable and easily held the top two spots for their year in the Slytherin's nightly challenge. The duo excelled in all their classes and managed to join the incredibly exclusive Slugclub, lead by their Head of House Professor Horace Slughorn. Regulus had become the prized Seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch Team. Now that James Potter was no longer at Hogwarts, it was easy for other seekers to utterly destroy the Gryffindor Team with their own Quidditch skills. Regulus had proven himself particularly skilled, as he dominated the pitch over the past season. Because of him, Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup for the first time in five years. He was the pride of Slytherin, and his family could not be more overjoyed. He had managed to convince Sirius that he was just a pawn of their parents, that he truly hated him as well, though it killed him inside to see Sirius' reactions. He had to watch as the hope drained from Sirius' eyes, and the bitterness took over. Finally, Sirius gave up speaking to him all together and the brothers took to ignoring each other. Just one year ago, his brother Sirius finally broke free of the family. He left home, moved in with his best friend, and received a substantial inheritance from their Uncle Alphard. When their mother had found out, she flew into a rage. She waved her wand about, erratic, as she tried to properly unleash her anger. Turning towards the tapestry bearing the family tree, she swiftly blasted their images off of the tapestry in a flash of fire. All that remained when she was finished was a name below a deep, dark scorch mark. Regulus had been heartbroken to see the last image of his brother, which was out in the open in that dreaded house, destroyed before his eyes. Luckily, he had kept his own copy of the last photograph the two took together hidden away in a secret drawer in his room. As he spent a year in the dreaded house alone, Sirius finally free and his mission complete, he found his mind warped. His thoughts started to become startlingly like those of his parents, the sort of thoughts he vowed never to have when he was younger. He recognised the changes after a while, but could do nothing to stop them. He started thinking that blood status was more important than anything, and those who disagreed should pay the price for their disloyalty. He started to think that this man, this Dark Lord called Voldemort, was on to something when he decided that wizards should rise up and rule the muggles. And it frightened him. He could feel the pull of the darkness within him, but he was desperate to break free. He never wanted this fate, but as his mind became more and more twisted he began to think that maybe this was the right path for him. Finally, the time had come for him to join the Death Eaters and serve Lord Voldemort. When he told his parents, they were incredibly proud. His mind was torn. Part of him, the twisted part, was overjoyed at having been accepted into such an illustrious group. The other part of him, the part that held on to the person he had been and the dream he held deep within his heart, was mortified. Here he was, going against everything he had ever held valuable. He was doing exactly what his parents wished, becoming the puppet he had sworn he would never become. What was that old muggle saying about good intentions? That they always end up going astray?

Or perhaps that was just his own imagining, but that seemed to be the way good intentions worked; they always got someone hurt. Sirius intervened whenever Regulus was in trouble, and all it did was get Sirius hurt. Regulus hurt Sirius to save him, and in the end he ended up becoming someone he despised. He thought about the possibility of escaping this fate as he awaited the inevitable marking. This evening he would gain the Dark Mark, forever marking him as one of many serving a man who was powerful and incredibly dark. He tried to cast his fears aside as the moment grew closer. This would have to be a secret. Alex would be devastated if he ever found out. Alex was against all of this blood purity and blood supremacy nonsense. Each second that passed felt like an eternity. Regulus was terrified of what was to come. War was coming, and Regulus hoped it would end with those he cared about still alive and well. He hoped that he could find a way to escape the darkness before it was too late. If not, then he would be glad to trade his own life for Sirius, Alex, and Kreacher. Resigned to his fate, he rose from his chair at his desk, silently walked down the stairs, and left the house. He travelled on to the secret location, a cave hidden in the mountains, and prepared his mind for what was to come. He stepped into the cave, letting the dark and twisted part of his mind take over as a safety precaution. He knew that the Dark Lord, as his followers called him, was very adept at reading the minds of anyone around him. He could easily route out fear and desperation, easily discovering all lies no matter how skilled the person was at deception. He steadied his nerves and walked into the light of the cavernous room. Inside were many figures, cloaked in black, lining the walls as a mass of shadow in a room of light. In the centre of the room was the Dark Lord himself, proudly standing as the leader of a massive army. He was just one man, but he was incredibly imposing. He knew how to intimidate, and he was proud to be feared. Regulus figured that Voldemort preferred being feared to being loved. Perhaps that would be his downfall. But Regulus ignored such thoughts, as he could not risk angering someone who would gladly kill him in a heartbeat. Instead, he took on a regal gait as he walked past the first layer of Death Eaters. Voldemort smiled a wicked smile and said "Ah, Dear Regulus Black. Here to take the final step into proving his loyalty to our cause. Come closer, and take your place among our ranks." Regulus stepped closer at the invitation, stopping when Voldemort gave the signal. "Now, there can be no turning back. Once you agree to this, you must remain loyal to me, and the cause. If you have any doubts, now is the time to leave." This was a trap. Those who made it this far and dared to show hesitation were destroyed for their lack of loyalty. Regulus bowed his head and said "I have no doubts, my lord. I proudly accept all responsibilities that come with serving this wonderful cause. I humbly ask that you allow me the honour of serving you forever more." The part of Regulus that was not absorbed by darkness cringed at the thought of serving the darkness, but there really was no other option at this point. He had to keep his parents happy, obey his new master, and hopefully keep Sirius and Alex safe.

Voldemort smirked at Regulus' answer, pleased that he would have yet another loyal follower from the illustrious House of Black. Bellatrix, Regulus' cousin, had joined the ranks of the Death Eaters a few months before. She was one of the most loyal Death Eaters to ever join the ranks. Voldemort assumed the other members of the family would be just as willing to obey. He gestured for Regulus to step forward and took his left arm. Rolling up the sleeve of Regulus' cloak, he touched his wand to Regulus' forearm. At first, there was nothing. Then there was a dark green glow, and Regulus' arm began to burn. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying not to collapse to the ground from the pain. His vision went white, all sights and sounds faded as he dug his heels into the ground. He awoke from the haze to applause and the slight burning sensation that remained. He looked down at his left forearm to find the dark mark, its skull and snake proudly interconnected, laying there on his skin. Though there were no actual scars or burn marks, there was still pain left from the process. He resisted the urge to rub the mark in an attempt to ease the pain. He offered up a proud smirk as the other Death Eaters congratulated him in joining their ranks. Voldemort warned him to be ready to head the call whenever he was needed before disappearing. Regulus took the long route home, preferring to walk quite a while before apparating. Along the walk, he thought about all that had happened in his life. His childhood was far from ideal, but at least he had had a brother who loved him. As he grew, the two of them grew apart. Their parents began to favour Regulus, who acted like the perfect son they had always wanted. Sirius, on the other hand, chose to be himself rather than continuing to follow his parents' wishes. Then Regulus found himself at Hogwarts, with an incredible best friend. He found someone who, somehow, managed to see past his mask and properly get to know him. Then he made the vow to save Sirius. He had to suffer through every second of the pain that came with the act, but it was all worth it to see Sirius free from that dreadful house. The family called it a home, but it was only home to the previous generations who sought to be there. Both Sirius and Regulus sought freedom from that house, to find a place of their own. Regulus hoped that the home he would find in the future would be one that could reunite him and Sirius, and help them start anew without all the drama of their family and their past tying them down. Then he found his mind twisted, damaged by the life he had chosen. A sacrifice he was willing to make if it meant achieving his dream. And finally, this whole Death Eater mess. He had heard about this mission from his cousin Bellatrix. He thought it was ridiculous, but brought it up to his parents to see what they thought. They were thrilled to hear he was interested. He felt mortified. But he had to follow through; he couldn't disappoint his parents now. He had a plan to reunite with Sirius. He even had a location picked out. But he could not even being to enact the plan until this war was over. He made a vow to find a way to achieve his dream, regardless of what he had to do to make it happen. He would help to end this war, for Alex and Sirius. But for now, he would serve the lord he had sworn allegiance to, and do his best to protect those he cared for.