A Black Twilight Zone: A Different Choice Explored
By Kittyhawk09
Many authors have tried to capture the nature of the relationship of Sirius and Regulus Black. The feelings of brotherly-love, anger, betrayal, bitterness, and eventually regret have shaped their relationship in many authors eyes. J.K. Rowling barely introduced their relationship except for the sole purpose of being brushed aside in the grand scheme of things. Both brothers had a purpose: Regulus started the horcrux hunt. Sirius gave Harry a brief family and helped resurrect the Order of the Phoenix. However, if these brothers were freed from the plot or even the universe they were created for, they would have the opportunity to make different choices. Like The Twilight Zone, we will explore what could happen if a different choice was made. A simple choice: Gryffindor or Slytherin? We will start with three scenes which a letter written for each. Each letter reflects its universe and the choice that was made. Our first universe is one you may recognize and so off to the Slytherin Common Room we shall go…
"Oi, Black, lights off soon", a voice said.
"What are you doing", chimed another. "Writing home to Mummy?" The boys snickered and laughed at the small figure beside the table.
The boy in question ignored the voices, but instead picked up his quill, dipped it in ink, straightened his posture, and began to write.
What he wrote was as follows.
Dear Mother and Father,
I'm sorry I was late in sending this letter. I hope you are in good health. You can be proud to know that the hat placed me in Slytherin, as you said. I have been spending this week getting used to being at Hogwarts and making friends with the boys in my year. I have been working hard and I excel at Charms and Potions. I continue to work hard in Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts, though I don't do all well as Sirius. The professors are constantly compare my performance with his.
I remain you son with love,
Regulus A. Black
The boy laid down the quill and sighed heavily. He rolled up his finished parchment and slid off the chair.
He walked coolly past the boys his age and walked into the first year's dormitory. After making sure he was alone, he flopped down on his bed and groaned again. He wished that Sirius was here and that they could talk. "He wouldn't want to talk to me anyway," the boy groaned. "Not as long as I'm in Slytherin. I knew he wanted me in Gryffindor with him, but I couldn't be. I'm not meant to be a Gryffindor. I need to be a Slytherin."
Regulus yawned and curled up on his bed.
"I'm sorry Sirius," he whispered to himself sleepily. "I'm not as brave as you."
Meanwhile in another Hogwarts, another first year is sitting don wto write a letter.
"Reggie, we need to be leaving the Common Room. Lights go off soon."
The black-haired speaker waited for his brother's reply. After he received none, he walked over to the other boy and peered over his shoulder.
Sensing the presence, 'Reggie' glanced up over his shoulder and smiled at the face. "I'm almost done Siri", he replied. "I'm putting the finishing touches on a letter to Mother and Father."
The younger boy turned back to his task contentedly while his companion gaped at the relaxed air. "Regulus, you picked now to write your letter!" 'Siri' exclaimed. "I had mine sent days ago."
The other boy shrugged in return. "I wanted it to be as complete as possible."
Silence followed, after a while Siri considered putting his brother in a full body bind and dragging him to his room by force. His schemes were interrupted by an abrupt, "finished" and he watched Reggie straighten up from his relaxed position.
"Let me see it", and after Reggie's vain protests and a couple "Stop it, Siri's" , he was able to wrestle the parchment out of his brother's hands.
He read as follows.
Dear Mother and Father,
I am in Gryffindor with Sirius! I know you originally advised me to be in Slytherin, but I think that if me and Siri say together then he would stay with us. I was afraid he would stay away from me if I was in Slytherin and he wasn't. I can tell you all about what happened. You see I was asking for Slytherin, but as soon as the sorting hat brought up Siri, it suggested Gryffindor instead. The hat said I needed to encourage my bravery so I could balance out my ambition. It also offered me Hufflepuff, but I knew you would never allow me to go there. Siri was really proud of me. He introduced me to his: James Potter-Sirius' friend from the station, Remus Lupin-a boy who studies a lot-, and Peter Pettigrew-a boy that follows them around a lot. Siri even allowed me to sit with them at the sorting feast. I have been working hard. Are you still proud of me?
With love,
Regulus
When he was done reading, the older brother was concerned. "Of course they won't be proud of him," the boy thought. "He should be expecting a howler or worse."
His thoughts were interrupted this time, by a call by the prefect for "lights out". He looked down and saw that the parchment had been snatched out of his hand. Reggie had snatched the parchment out of his hand abruptly and was already to the common room door. "Night Siri", he called as he raced off to bed.
"Night Reggie," he managed to say with some difficulty. "Maybe he should have been in Slytherin," he thought aloud.
Disregarding the thought with a shake of his head, Sirius Black left the Gryffindor Common Room.
Our final letter is from a very different world and is written by a very different boy.
"Tough luck Black", a voice called over to the figure at the desk. "You didn't know your brother was a blood traitor."
The boy at the desk stiffened and turned a cool eye over to the speaker. "He is not a blood traitor and even if he was, that would be none of your business Lestrange".
"Black, you know that Gryffindor pure bloods become blood traitors, so why deny it?"
The boy at the desk bitterly laughed to himself at the irony of the statement. "You have not idea, Lestrange," he said to himself. However out loud, he only said, "He's still my brother", in a dangerously low tone.
"Not for long", Lestrange replied with a mocking air. The Slytherin then turned to go while calling over his shoulder, "Good luck, Black". Then he left the room leaving the other boy alone to compose his thoughts.
"Why, Regulus?" The boy groaned. "Why would you choose Gryffindor?" He punctuated his outburst by striking the table and making his ink wobble.
After a moment he recovered, picked up his quill, and started his letter.
Dear Mother and Father,
I hope you are in good health. I regret to inform you that Regulus did not get sorted into Slytherin, but is now in Gryffindor. What should I do? The boy winced at his obvious ingratiating attempt and then steeled himself to sign the letter. I remain your faithful son and heir,
Sirius Orion Black
With a final flourish of his name, the letter was done. After resisting the urge to destroy the letter, confront his brother himself, and shake the fool vigorously, he chose to strike the desk again.
"I didn't choose this life, for you to mess it up, Regulus", Sirius snarled. However it was half-hearted and overwhelmed by the events of the evening, he felt a catch in his throat.
"I'm sorry", he whimpered. "I'm really sorry", and with that the former Gryffindor cried.
AN: That's it. Please REVIEW and PM me with your thoughts. Should I write more like this? How possible to you think the universes were?
What did you think of The Twilight Zone?
