Emboldened
and they say that fortune favours the bold.
Or an AU in which both Regulus and Sirius Black are one year older than in canon and the changes that come with it, some expected, some not so much.
Disclaimer: Well, I think everyone who reads Harry Potter fanfiction should know to whom the series belongs, and it's not me. Shame really.
A year ago platform 9 ¾ had seemed very different to Regulus. Maybe it had to do with the fact that last year it was not him leaving home, but his older brother. Sirius, Regulus remembered, had been exited when they had arrived, he had barely stayed long enough to say goodbye properly before jumping on the train. Eager to leave, eager for an adventure.
Regulus wasn't.
He wasn't sure whether it was because he did not want to leave home, or because he had seen Sirius when he had returned home from Hogwarts during the holidays. Sirius had never been happy had home, clashed with the rigid rules of the pure blood society and the political games they were brought up to learn. His brother had wanted to make friends Regulus knew, but he came home and told his parents about potential allies. Their mother was happy, their father had frowned and nodded and Regulus had worried.
Hogwarts had not made Sirius happy, it had made him give up and and resign himself to something he never wanted, and that made Regulus wary. And probably a little bit scared as well. Sirius was his older brother, defeated and resigned did not suit him at all.
It did not matter how Regulus felt about all of it however, as no feeling of his would change the fact that he had just said goodbye to his parents and was now collaborating with his brother to get his trunk into the Hogwarts express.
Unfortunately for him Sirius left him and told him to have fun as soon as they had managed to get the trunk inside. Being left along just like that did not help with the uncomfortable feeling Regulus had had all morning.
He wandered through the corridor of the express searching for an empty compartment, he did not find one, he did however find a compartment with only a boy his age in it.
Hesitatingly Regulus pushed open the door and peered inside, the boy looked up from the book he had on his lap.
"Can I sit with you?"
In answer he got a blinding grin and a nod.
Still a bit awkward Regulus stepped inside
"Here, I'll help you," the boy got up and helped him lift the heavy trunk, even with the two of them it was still quite difficult, "I'm James, by the way."
Regulus nodded at him and smiled shyly.
"Regulus."
"Nice to meet you Regulus."
They sat back down and an awkward silence settled over the compartment. James glanced out of the window and then back to Regulus.
"So," James said finally, "You got a favourite quidditch team?"
It wasn't the most original conversation started, but given Regulus love for the sport, one that James apparently shared, it was a good one. They were so engrossed in the topic, that they even missed the train leaving the station.
Their heated quidditch conversation was only halted when the door to the compartment opened and a girl around their age stepped in. Usually that would not really be a reason to stop their discussion if not for the fact that she looked like she would start crying any moment now.
"Are you okay?"
James sounded unsure and Regulus could not fault him for that. At the sound of his voice the girl looked up.
"I'm fine."
James nodded and looked back to Regulus, but they did not continue talking to uncomfortable in the same compartment with the girl that was nearly crying.
A while later the silence was broken when a boy slid open the compartment door and sat down next to the redhaired girl. She glanced at him and then looked back out of the window.
"I don't want to talk to you," she said in a constricted voice.
"Why not?"
"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."
"So what?"
She threw him a look of deep dislike.
"So she's my sister!"
"She's only a-" He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him, James and Regulus however did and they exchanged a curious glance, wondering why someone, someone apparently a muggle, would get a letter from Dumbledore.
"But we're going!" he said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"
The girl nodded, mopping her eyes.
"You'd better be in Slytherin," said the grease haired boy and as the girl nodded slightly, a smile coming to her face, Regulus could not help feeling a bit uncomfortable. He gazed at James who was watching the other children as well, a small frown between his brows.
"Slytherin?"
The other two looked to James, but before the boy could continue Regulus cut in.
"Are you a mud-, muggleborn?"
From the corner of his eye he saw how James eyes widened slightly and focus on the red haired girl as well, the teasing humour that had been on his face before was gone, what was left behind was an intend look. On that settled on Regulus as well, if only for a moment.
The girl nodded, looking a bit surprised by the question.
"Then you don't want to get sorted into Slytherin."
Regulus made sure to use the voice that his father had used whenever he and Sirius had gotten into trouble and their punishment was being announced, the voice that allowed for no argument.
The redhead blinked, a small frown on her face.
"Why? Sev says that Slytherin is a great house."
James grimaced. But Regulus decided that it was probably better not to let him answer if he wanted the conversation to stay somewhat civil.
"Slytherin is for the cunning and ambitious."
The girl nodded and opened her mouth to say something, she did not look pleased when Regulus cut her off.
"But it has always been strongly associated with the ideal of blood superiority, as Salazar Slytherin himself was said to have been against the education of muggleborn students. A couple of decades ago a muggleborn in Slytherin would have been highly unusual and the recent climate it would be highly... unwise for one with your background to be sorted there."
For a moment there was silence in the compartment and Regulus saw that James had nodded in agreement to his advice, whatever comment he had planned on making forgotten for now.
"Don't listen to him Lily."
The boy spoke up again glaring at Regulus and James in turn, but unlike before his disdain was mostly focused on Regulus.
"They have no idea."
Regulus looked the boy over again, taking in his scruffy appearance and the quality of the clothes. Judging by the boys knowledge of the magical world, faulty as it was, he must have at least one magical parent. It was unlikely that he was a pureblood as the only pureblood family who would dress their children in clothes like that were the Weasleys others at least made very sure to get their children new robes. A halfblood probably and given the fact that he was friends with the obviously muggleborn girl, most likely raised in a muggle environment.
Frankly Regulus was sure that both him and James had a better idea than the boy himself but before he could decide what to say to that statement, thinking on the fly had always been something that was far from his strongest suit, the boy actually continued.
"It's not like they want to get into better houses."
James lifted an invisible sword a wide grin on his face as if to mock the other boy.
"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."
The black haired boy made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him.
"Got a problem with that?"
"No," said the boy, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy."
"Where're you hoping to go then, seeing as you're neither?" James shot back without pausing to think, the grin on his face was no longer quite teasing. Regulus could understand why, even if he suspected that the boy had not intended to insult James father as well as James.
The comment however caused him to snort even if that would not really help him with keeping the peace, as the girl made quite clear by glaring at both him and James in turn.
"Come on Sev, let's find another compartment."
She got up from her seat and walked out without another word or glance back. The boy rose to follow her, but he turned around in the door to sneer at him, Regulus took this chance to speak up.
"You really shouldn't tell her to get into Slytherin."
But the boy, Sev, or whatever his name was simply sneered at him leaving James and Regulus alone in the compartment. They sat in silence for a moment, before James broke it.
"So, mudblood, huh?" James spat the slur like speaking it left a bad taste in his mouth, Regulus cringed. He had hoped, that the other boy had not caught the slip of tongue.
"My name is Regulus Black."
He expected James to sneer or make a disparaging comment, but the boy simply shrugged and held out his hand.
"James Potter."
Hesitatingly Regulus grabbed the offered hand, they shook.
"But you have not answered my question yet."
The young Black took a deep breath.
"Most of my family believed in blood superiority. I didn't really mean to insult..." He shrugged. "It just what muggleborn are called at home."
James nodded. Regulus figured that while the Potter family was known for being rather muggle friendly, James would be educated in other matters as well.
"Fair enough, but..."
Now James grinned slightly, but he looked a little unsure.
"That still does not answer my question. Should I clarify?"
Regulus stared at him, not quite sure what kind of answer the other boy wanted. A heartbeat later James made it clear.
"Do you believe in blood superiority?"
Regulus eyebrows rose, that was not really a question that was asked in polite company. He answered anyway.
"My family does."
James opened his mouth, then he closed it again seemingly thinking.
"You are really good at avoiding questions, huh?"
Despite himself Regulus found that he could not quite contain his blush, especially because James sounded like it was impressive.
"So again, do you believe it?"
Regulus floundered for a moment, nit sure if he even wanted to answer a question like that. Somehow he was knew that James would let him get away without answering, especially because given the circumstances no answer was answer enough. It was probably the look in the other boys eyes that loosened his tongue. To James this was not simply a discussion about believed, there was more to it. To James this was personal, and Regulus...
"No, not really."
He spoke before he really thought his answer out, that was something that his brother suffered from far more often than Regulus.
"I'm not really fond of muggles, but I think they should educate muggleborns rather than exclude them... killing them... seems like a waste."
He took a deep breath.
"But you won't really hear me talk about it. I don't want trouble with my family... and my mother is very opinionated."
That was something he had not even confessed to Sirius who had made quite clear, at least at home, that he believed blood superiority to be nonsense, Regulus had always kept his mouth shut not wanting to incur the rage of their mother.
James shrugged, the hard edge in his eyes suddenly gone.
"Okay."
Then he nodded, more to himself than to anyone else.
"Where were we? The falcons match last weekend?"
The abrupt change of topic threw Regulus for a second, but when James turned to him and looked him straight into the eyes, Regulus could see the mischief in them and he found himself grinning.
–
The journey from the platform in Hogsmeade to the castle was a whole adventure in itself, especially since they nearly managed to knocked their boot over when James saw something in the water and leaned over the side to get a better look. Only the quick action of one of the other boys on the boat, a boy who introduced himself as Remus Lupin, saved them from taking a bath in the lake.
The first view they got on the castle was magnificent.
The elation that rose in the students disappeared quite quickly however when they were told to wait in the entrance hall as the tension about the upcoming sorting rose.
"And if I'm Slytherin?"
Even to his own ears his voices sounded weak and Regulus felt himself flushing slightly. James however simply shrugged unconcerned.
"Then your Slytherin and once we get on the house team we will be rivals, though we should still study in the library once in a while."
Regulus head snapped up so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash.
"Really?"
James grinned at him open and honest.
"Sure," he stopped for a moment, the grin fading slightly, "As long as you don't start sprouting pureblood propaganda. It might be more difficult I suppose, but a challenge is a challenge and Gryffindors love challenges."
The grin was back full force.
"And Slytherins are supposed to be ambitious, right?"
Regulus snorted, feeling as if a big weight had been lifted from his shoulders ad for once he did not mind the nasty looks he got from some of the terribly nervous students around him.
He nodded at James to show his agreement, bit before they could talk more the door of the Great hall swung open again and they were lead inside.
Just like castle itself, the great hall too was marvellous to look at. As soon as they started walking again James started talking and Regulus wondered if it was the other boys way of dealing with his own nervousness. He didn't really mind though because the story James told him ( one involving his father and a rather colourful prank), was quite funny to listen to.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending n the viewpoint regulus name was one of the forst to be called.
When it was Regulus time to step forward and try on the sorting hat he was not really nervous instead he was torn. He gazed back to James for a moment before he dared to let his gaze wander over the Slytherin table in search of his older brother.
He was quite sure he had actually managed to find Sirius, but then the sorting hat landed on his head and the question of house Slythein came up, Regulus did something none of his family had expected him to do: he hesitated, because Regulus Black wanted to be James Potters friend.
The friend of the boy who carried arrogance with more ease than even Sirius, who was observant and did not judge people by their family name alone, who had joked with him even after he heard that Regulus might go to Slytherin, who even liked the same quidditch team as him and who had drawn the him into a conversation and made the train ride an adventure full of laughter. He really wanted to be James friend, even if that was not quite what his parents had had in mind for him.
So in that moment Regulus Black wanted to be brave, he wanted to be bold, he was...
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Here we go. I hope you guys liked it. Please tell me what you think, even if you don't like it, consturctive critcism helps a lot any maybe you will like the next piece I write.
Please also note, that some of the text, meaning the conversation between Lily and Snape, is taken from the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, it is changed a little as the POV is obviously different.