Written for the Time for a Challenge HPFC forum. Characters: Regulus Black and Mad-Eye Moody; prompts: secret, window, elegant; Restriction: Write a character you've never written before (excluding the two mains). In my case, that would be Horace Slughorn. Hope you enjoy!
Summary: Professor Slughorn is having a spot of trouble with Regulus Black and his career session in Regulus's fifth year. He enlists the help of Minerva McGonagall, who thinks that a visit with celebrated Auror Alastor Moody will do the trick.
Attempt #1: Where Slughorn is Quite Flustered
"So, Regulus, my boy, have you anything in mind in what you'd like to do after graduation?" Professor Slughorn asked Regulus Black jovially. It was Regulus's fifth year career meeting and judging by the look on his face, Regulus would rather be anywhere else in the world besides Horace Slughorn's office.
"No," Regulus answered briefly.
"Are you sure? Nothing has ever crossed your mind?" Slughorn frowned.
"Nope, nothing," Regulus said.
"Well, what would you like to do?" Slughorn tried again.
"Nothing," Regulus said, shifting ever so slightly in his seat. He gripped his left arm guiltily – he, along with a few other Slytherin boys, had pledged their service to Voldemort over winter vacation, and he had branded them with the Dark Mark. Being a Death Eater was his secret, and if anyone ever found it…he'd be dead.
"Well, your marks are fantastic," Slughorn examined the records. "You could probably choose any career you wanted and excel at it." Slughorn gave Regulus what he thought was a winning smile. Thought was the key word in this sentence.
"But I don't want to do anything," Regulus grew impatient with his bumbling professor. "I have no plans for after Hogwarts." Liar, he thought to himself, rubbing his left arm subconsciously.
"But you're such a bright young lad," Slughorn said. "You could do many great things. Of course, if you're nervous about Ministry work, I could always give you a recommendation."
Slughorn was a daft old fool, Regulus knew. He came to all the wrong conclusions. "I don't think, so, sir," Regulus said, departing his chair. "I'm leaving."
The door slammed behind Regulus as he left the office. Slughorn frowned. Regulus was a tricky boy, but surely he'd come around eventually, correct?
Later that night, dinner was served in the Great Hall. Slughorn was, as usual, seated next Minerva McGonagall, the transfiguration professor. Maybe she'd have some advice on what to do about his problem with Regulus?
"Minerva," Slughorn began.
"Yes, Horace?" McGonagall asked, wiping her mouth with her napkin.
"I had a spot of trouble with young Regulus Black in our career session," Slughorn told her.
"Really?" She raised her eyebrow. "What kind of trouble?"
"He doesn't have any ambition to be anything," Slughorn says. "He kept telling me he didn't want to do anything and ended up excusing himself from the premises."
"Hmmm…" McGonagall pondered the situation. "I'll talk to him, see what I can do." What she didn't add at the end of her sentence was 'Maybe Black needs a semi-competent teacher to help him along.' Not that there was anything wrong with Horace, of course. He was just slightly full of himself.
Attempt #2: Where McGonagall Has More Difficulties Than Expected
"You wanted to see me, professor?" Regulus asked, sliding open the door of Professor McGonagall's office. He sincerely hoped no one had found out about his status as a Death Eater…well, if it had been found out, then Crouch, Snape, Avery, and Mulciber would be in here as well. At least there was that small comfort.
"Yes, Mr. Black, I did," McGonagall said as she poured two cups of tea. "Please take a seat. Sugar?" She indicated to the tea cups.
"No, thank you," Regulus declined.
"Now, Mr. Black, Professor Slughorn has admitted to me that he has had some difficulties in your career session with him," McGonagall began to explain.
Regulus groaned silently. Not again…
"Judging by your facial expression, you do not wish to continue on this topic," McGonagall took a sip from her mug.
"No, I don't," Regulus said shortly.
"And why not? Surely it's not your grades that are the problem. You are an excellent student."
"I just don't, alright?" Regulus was growing quite impatient with the teachers of this school. All of them kept prying into his personal business…bloody fools. He hoped that whenever the Dark Lord was done killing off the Muggles and Mudbloods, he'd start on idiotic Hogwarts professors.
"Now, Black, don't say that," McGonagall frowned. "You're a Slytherin, aren't you? One of the main traits of a true Slytherin is ambition, which, if you are telling the truth in that you want to do nothing after graduation, you are not."
"No, I have ambition, I simply choose to apply it to things other than job applications," Regulus said. He truly hated his transfiguration professor at this moment.
"Mr. Black, I do not think you understand," Professor McGonagall set down her tea.
"Oh, I understand plenty," Regulus stood up and gave an exit nearly identical to his departure from Slughorn's class.
Bang, the door slammed. Professor McGonagall sighed. Regulus Black would be a tougher case to work out than she originally predicted.
"Alastor, it would really be a help if you would come talk to him."
Professor McGonagall was on official business to the Ministry of Magic – she was a member of the Order of the Phoenix after all. But this particular instance had nothing to do with the Order. It had to do with her problem with Regulus Black. She was presently pestering celebrated Auror Alastor Moody to see if he would come talk some sense to the boy.
"Don't have time," Moody grumbled as he stomped into his office. McGonagall, of course, followed him. "Lots of Death Eater raids, have to go help out."
"Alastor, just one hour," McGonagall tried again. "Come up to Hogwarts, have some lunch, and talk to Mr. Black. I'm quite worried that he'll join He Who Must Not Be Named after Hogwarts, and talking to you might convince him otherwise."
"If his mind's already made up, it's made up," Moody sat down in his chair. "Nothing I say or do can change it."
"What if I talk to your supervisor, get you a day off for this?" McGonagall said.
Moody raised his eyebrow at her. "I am my supervisor."
"Then just come up for an hour or so," McGonagall said exasperatingly. "Regulus Black would make a formidable foe. Come and talk to him now, and maybe we won't have to face the threat he might give us in the future."
Moody gave her a long, hard look. "Thirty minutes. Just so long as you stop bothering me while I'm trying to work. "
McGonagall smiled at him. "See you Saturday after next."
Attempt #3: Where Moody Places the Seeds of Doubt
"Sit down," Moody said as Regulus Black entered the empty classroom McGonagall had given him to work on the boy. Moody looked the boy over. He had the dark hair, the grey eyes, and all of the elegance that being a member of the Black family brought upon you.
"Why am I here?" Regulus asked. He knew that McGonagall had wanted him to talk to Alastor Moody, and that it had something to do with his failed career sessions, but that was all. He also knew that Moody was one of the best Aurors in the business that wouldn't hesitate to kill him in a second. Because of this, he had a glamour charm on his Dark Mark – just in case.
"You are here because your professors seem to have a problem with you," Moody stared him hard in the eyes. "Why is this?"
"Because I don't want to do anything outside of Hogwarts," Regulus said. He tried to hide it, but he was quite nervous to be in Moody's presence.
"Are you sure about that?" Moody gazed at him.
"Yes," Regulus sighed. It looked like Moody was repeating all of McGonagall and Slughorn's mistakes.
"What about following Voldemort? Ever thought about that?"
Regulus gave a start. Moody had figured him out that quickly? "You – you use his name?" he said to cover up his mistake.
"Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself," Moody said. "And you have thought about it, haven't you?"
"I -," Regulus stammered.
"I can see it in your eyes," Moody said. "Come here."
"What?"
"I said, come here," Moody said impatiently. He got up out of his chair and moved towards the window to their right, gesturing for Regulus to follow him.
"Look out the window. What do you see out there?" Moody said when Regulus had joined him.
"Erm – the Hogwarts grounds," Regulus said.
"But who do you see out there?" Moody asked.
"Students," Regulus said, unsure where Moody was going.
"Did you know that one in every three wizards is a Muggle-born?" Moody said as if he was carrying on a normal conversation. "That means if Voldemort had his way, a third of the magical world would be gone."
Regulus swallowed.
"It also means that one third of your classmates, the people you've grown up with, played with, and befriended will be dead to you if you join him. Also, many people will fight against him. Your older brother, for instance."
Regulus tried to keep his head. How on earth did Moody know about Sirius?
Moody gazed at him. "If you join the Death Eaters, your brother will be trying to kill you."
Regulus unstuck his throat. "Sirius wants to kill me anyway.'
"No, he doesn't," Moody said. "He may hate you and what you stand for, but he doesn't want to kill you. It would break his heart to kill you."
If you're such a genius, how do you know this?" Regulus snapped. This old fool had no idea what he, or Sirius, for that matter, thought.
"Personal experience," Moody glared at him. "It also means that you will have to try and kill him."
Regulus clenched his hands into fists. He really did not want to think about killing Sirius. He may be a Gryffindor, but he was his older brother.
"See?" Moody gave him a ferocious grin. "Maybe now you'll think before joining the Death Eaters."
Moody took this as his exit line. He stomped out of the classroom and didn't look back.
But Regulus stared out the window for a long while watching the students. He, of course, knew he couldn't go back on the Dark Lord now – it would be suicide. Moody may have thought he made a difference, but he really didn't, Regulus knew. He was a Death Eater.
But Moody had made a difference. That day, Moody planted the seeds of doubt in his mind. What if? What if?
Eventually, these what if's grew stronger – until Regulus left the Death Eaters entirely.
So, really, Moody made a pretty big difference.
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