I do not own Harry Potter. J. does that. This is AU but hopefully not too much.
Whispers resonated off the stone walls of the great hall. The silence had turned steely cold in a matter of minutes. "I thought the Black's where always in Slytherin." "Do you think he acts like his brother?" "Will he get a howler?" "Have you seen his face."
The students and teachers alike strained to look at the first year sat on the sorting stool. He was outraged, if they could see his ears, steam would surely be coming out of them.
Regulus Black was furiously arguing with the dammed hat, and all it would do was to repeat the same thing over and over. "One day you will choose where you go, but you are not ready for that. Yet." What the hat was talking about he could only guess. The hat must have eaten Dumbledore pills. He was a loony too. McGonagall was making her way swiftly over, he had sat there for a good 5 minutes, and he deliberated on what to do. His family motto; always pure, was the thing his parents taught him before he could say his first spell, his family, what would they do he had only one choice.
As he stood up he saw his brother now a second year, although his parent's hated Sirius, they were still close, all his stories where incredible. They were similar even from a young age; they could think and talk the same too. That was before Hogwarts, once as close as Syltherin and Gryffindor but that was in the past now. His brother hurt his mother, he couldn't do the same. A hopeful look was in his brother eyes, even though he had Hogwarts his little brother was always his best friend. Regulus had to remain loyal and to save his mother from heart ache so without second thought he turned to the green part of the room instead of the red one. The room stayed deathly quiet.
Sirius would not even look at his brother but he glared daggers at the Slytherins who quietly welcomed his brother into the fold. As the teachers regained their composure the sorting continued but the students kept glancing towards Regulus to see if it was a joke, but they were disappointed as he tried to stay composed with a strained smile.
1978. Last year Sirius had left school and disappeared with the Marauders, they were probably trying to save the world like always. As the morning sun crept through the small dungeon windows, Regulus repeated his morning mantra, he used it to remind himself every day, otherwise he would be in a snake pit alone.
"I am Regulus Black and I am no Gryffindor." "Cunning, Ambition, Determination, Resourceful, Achievement, Intelligence." "I should not be Reckless, a pointless Heroic, Arrogant."
His Brother's disappearing weighed heavily on his mind and he hated it, he looked to the Dark Arts. It soothed the pain but with every newspaper it brought more deaths. Regulus kept everyone to anyone else it would look like a fascination with Voldemort but really he was looking for his brother. It was alleged there was an Order; his brother would have to have joined.
Every time Regulus was home his mother pressed him to follow Voldermort's beliefs, how a true wizard aligned to such a man would bring honor to the family. Regulus had no choice, his mother was his life although her views where strange to him he loved her and would do anything to save her. He dived straight in, his cousin Bellatrix was already a faithful servant and she was proud to present him to the Dark Lord. As a Black he was given the mark without any hesitation, Voldermort needed influential people if he could rid the world of wizards who were not pure.
During his last year Regulus learned to become more Slytherin. Soon it was time to get the mark many other Syltherin's where joining, but Regulus could not understand why he joined. Sirius still weighed heavily on his mind. Sirius would never do this; he was friends with muggle borns. Regulus in truth saw no problem. He used to crush on one of Lily Evans muggle born friends while at school.
School came and went, his association with Voldermort was becoming shakier, and he was alone in a world, hours of planning and murdering woman and children where spent. They where cowards, all the Slytherin's seemed like they were still at school nothing changed, but Regulus had to remebr to think to seem calm to not show emotion but as time passed and he saw more killings it became harder.
1978 he turned 18. Just 18 and he was in war, on the wrong side, his life constantly flashed in his mind all the mistakes he had made, an empty feeling in his heart was steadily increasing it had been there for 7 years but was growing larger. He still looked out for Sirius, he saw him laughing with his friends, having fun, letting loose, Regulus caught himself wishing they could swap places. It soon dawned on him he didn't want this. He couldn't be what his family was. He would end the wrong in the world; he would destroy Voldermort the one who forced him to turn into a monster.
"You died." A ghostly voiced cut through nightmares. Voldermort, horcruxes, underground lakes, kreacher and a locket swam through his mind. In slow motion, jumbled up in confusing order yet it made sense. The world around him was grey, just a grey infinity. A white mist to his right swirled like fog but it was also dense, solid. The mist was neither a ghost or human but more heavenly than anything on earth. It did not look like it could sin.
Regulus tried to ask why he was here but the heavenly figure waved away questions before he faded into the grey world his voice barely above a whisper caused Regulus to collapse." You are ready."
A younger happy version of himself was in the great hall. Seeing as he was only happy once there he guessed this was before he was to be sorted. He had a bounce in his step as he headed to the stool. Regulus knew what happened next, he would be sorted into Gryffindor but head to Slytherin. Nearly everyone forgot he was a Gryffindor. He did too for a time being. The younger Regulus had just stood up; when he declared he would never be a Gryffindor that he was a Slytherin. The heavenly voice overlapped his memory. "Regulus black is no Slytherin, he is a Gryffindor. He is brave, loyal, and intelligent."
His life in Slytherin was a lie. Regulus Black was a Gryffindor. He was proud to be a Gryffindor. He was more of a man than those in Slytherin; they ran and followed a master. Regulus knew what to do almost instinctively, he was not scared, but this time it would be right.
"I am ready."
Whispers resonated off the stone walls of the great hall. The silence had turned steely cold in a matter of minutes. "I thought the Black's where always in Slytherin." "Do you think he acts like his brother?" "Will he get a howler?" "Have you seen his face."
The students and teachers alike strained to look at the first year sat on the sorting stool. Regulus was beaming, he tore the hat of his head and ran towards his brother. The boys hugged Sirius finally got his little brother back. The Gryffindor's awed and the brothers quickly stopped. Sirius led the cheers the room once quite was filled with rowdy Gryffindor's, Sirius the loudest was dancing on the tables; embracing his best friends and a rather annoyed Lily, who like be able to breathe but was secretly happy for him, when his brother's name was called he became deathly quiet. McGonagall was making her way swiftly over trying to stop Sirius from striping on the table. A week's worth of detentions stopped him short, plus the 3 months detentions cleaning toilets for kissing her stopped his little show which many of the girls were starting to enjoy.
Regulus sent one message to his mother.
"I am loyal, brave, intelligent and most importantly a GRYFFINDOR.
P.s Sirius sends his love."