September 1
September 1, 1972 started with a row. It happened at breakfast, and no one was surprised. After all, even the Rosiers, who were only visiting for the summer, knew that anytime Walburga and Sirius Black were in the same room for more then ten minutes there would be trouble. Regulus and his father had perfected the art of staying out of the crossfire long ago, and when Phronsie Rosier, Regulus' best friend, was around to laugh with him, the constant screaming matches were even mildly amusing. However, when Regulus himself was the subject of the row, it was more difficult to ignore.
And he had been the subject of nearly every argument all summer. It was almost enough to make Regulus regret he was finally going to Hogwarts. Because, of course, the reason Sirius and Mrs. Black were thinking about Regulus now was because he was starting his first year, and at the beginning of first year, you get sorted. Mrs. Black was determined that Regulus would be sorted into Slytherin. Sirius was equally adamant that Regulus should be a Gryffindor. Neither had bothered to remember the fact that were the sorting hat to listen to anyone on the subject, it would be Regulus, not them. Of course, the arguments had really been just thinly disguised repeats of the same quarrel they always had- Slytherin vs. Gryffindor, purebloods vs. everyone else, Black vs. not.
The row at breakfast was the same as all the others, except for the fact that everyone was participating, everyone being Mr. and Mrs. Black, Sirius, and all four Rosier children. Mrs. Black, as usual, started it.
"Obviously he'll be a Gryffindor. He's decent, unlike the rest of the family. And he hates all of the boys who will be in his year in Slytherin." Sirius declared loudly. "You can sit with me and James and Remus and Peter on the train, Reggie." He added.
"Regulus may not be very forceful about his views but he has entirely proper ideas about dignity and purity. He won't go disgracing the family by messing up his sorting. And he most certainly will not sit with you and you mudblood friends on the train!" Mrs. Black shrieked.
"And what's so terrible about Slytherins?" Clio scowled at Sirius.
"Regulus will get along just fine with the other boys in his year. As a Black, he'll be treated with respect and deference by all of them." Giles added. Giles was going to be a seventh year, and had never been anything but nasty to Regulus. Phronsie, the youngest Rosier, who was Regulus' best friend, had told him stories about Giles that made him want to be a Gryffindor just to avoid him. Regulus had a gift for avoiding things.
"He won't want to sit with you on the train in any case. Your friends are all uncouth louts. Mudbloods." Ariadne said scornfully. She was going into fifth year, and her only talents seemed to be looking pretty and flirting with future husbands.
"Don't call them that, you- "
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, DO NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE, OR YOU WILL NOT GET ANY MEALS FOR A WEEK!" Mrs. Black roared.
"I'M GOING BACK TO HOGWARTS TODAY, YOU OLD HAG, SO I'LL EAT WHAT I WANT!" Sirius shouted back.
"I'LL JUST PUNISH YOU WHEN YOU COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!"
"I WON'T COME FOR CHRISTMAS!"
"OH YES YOU WILL!"
"MAKE ME!" Mrs. Black smiled nastily.
"Oh I won't have to. You see, you may be an incorrigible blood traitor, but you do love your brother, and since he'll be a Slytherin and will know better then to talk to you during school, you'll have to come home for Christmas if you want to see him before summer. And you will, I know very well that he's the only reason you came home the last two years." Regulus was impressed. Usually his mother wasn't given to logic- fanatical rages were more her style. Sirius was floundering in the face of her sensible argument- Sirius was capable of matching Mrs. Black shout for shout, but he too, was not inclined to logic. Regulus would never dare tell either of them, but they were really quite alike.
"Well… he won't be a Slytherin. He hasn't got the right personality. Right, Dad?" Regulus winced. If Sirius was bringing their father into it, then he really couldn't think of anything to say. Sirius ought to know that Mr. Black would never stand up to his wife. Mr. Black lowered his paper slowly and carefully regarded both of his sons.
"Well, he'd do better in Slytherin then Gryffindor, although I think he's a better fit for Ravenclaw." He said thoughtfully. "Isn't it time for you lot to be going? Don't want anyone to miss the train." Then he raised his paper again, signaling the end of his willingness to participate in the conversation. Everyone stared at him in shock for a few seconds before they realized he was right about the time and a mad scramble for trunks and owls began.
By far the most amusing part of the whole affair was that as they rushed around, both Sirius and Mrs. Black could be heard muttering "Ravenclaw…Ravenclaw…of all the ideas…" in the exact same tone of utter incredulity.
Mr. Black's shocking statement only managed to keep Mrs. Black quiet for a limited time. By the time they reached platform nine and three quarters Regulus was highly entertained by the fact that Sirius and Mrs. Black were taking it in turns to slander Ravenclaw in his ear, instead fighting over Gryffindor vs. Slytherin with each other. However, he was quite sick of the other things his mother was saying, especially the bits that involved entreating him to ignore his brother completely at school. Sirius, at least, was not asking that Regulus ignore their mother, although to be fair, it probably hadn't occurred to Sirius that anyone would need encouragement to do so.
In the end, Regulus was quite glad to be rid of both of them, and as soon as Sirius was distracted by the arrival of James Potter, he slipped down the train with Phronsie to sit in an empty compartment. He flopped down onto the seat and sighed.
"Merlin. They're all mad. Complete lunatics. How I came out of a family like that I shall never know. At least I'll escape them at school."
"What if you're a Gryffindor?" Phronsie suggested, eyes twinkling mischievously.
"I won't be." Regulus shook his head emphatically. "I don't have the right personality for it. I'd love to be a Ravenclaw, but I'll probably end up in Slytherin- I'm too willing to pretend to be someone I'm not to be anywhere else. But it doesn't matter- mother will be delighted, but she won't be there."
"Well, I don't care what house you're in as long as it's the same as mine." Phronsie smiled at him, then changed the subject abruptly. "Did you look at any of our books?"
Regulus shrugged. "I read them" Phronsie scowled.
"And of course, now you've memorized them. I think a photographic memory should be considered cheating."
"Well, the inbreeding has to have some advantages- the looks, the brains- because it certainly has disadvantages. Just look at Mother and Bella. They're barely sane. And I bet it wouldn't take much for Sirius to go the same way." Phronsie laughed, and they spent the rest of the train ride reminding each other of all the things Sirius had done as a child which might prove his impending insanity. At one point, Regulus was telling Phronsie about an incident involving Bella's wedding, Filibuster's wet-start-no-heat fireworks, a live pig, and, Regulus suspected, a fair amount of wine. Just as he finished the story, Sirius himself walked in.
"Reggie, I just came to check on you…" he trailed off and stared at Phronsie, who was giggling helplessly. "What's up with her?"
"I can't imagine." Regulus said, face carefully expressionless. Sirius looked skeptical, but shrugged it off.
"Well, Reg, you'd best be getting changed, we're almost there. And just remember- "Sirius hesitated, running a hand through his hair. "I know I've been really pushing Gryffindor, but…er…just…you can always come to me. I mean, it doesn't matter what house you're in. I'm your brother and if you need me all you need to do is ask." Sirius, who had grown remarkably red during this speech, exited the compartment hastily while Regulus and Phronsie were still staring at him.
"That's the nicest thing he's ever said to me." Regulus said weakly, still staring at the place where Sirius had just been standing.
"Maybe he isn't an example of the disadvantages of inbreeding. After all, it must have taken a great deal of rational planning for him to acquire a live pig at his cousin's wedding." Phronsie suggested seriously. They looked at each other for a second, then burst into laughter. When they finally pulled themselves together to go get changed, Regulus paused.
"You know, I always wondered where he got that pig. Father did too. I know for a fact that he spent a good hour of the time Mother thought he was lecturing Sirius just trying to find out. As far as I know, he never told."
"I bet he'll tell you if you make Gryffindor." Phronsie grinned.
"Oh well." Regulus shrugged. "I guess I'll never know, then."
By the time Regulus and Phronsie had finished changing, the train had pulled into the station. As they trudged down to the lake where Hagrid was waiting, each of Phronsie's siblings stopped them in turn to wish them good luck in the sorting. Regulus barely listened, though- he was too busy worrying about the pouring rain and howling wind.
Regulus hadn't noticed the storm starting on the warm, dry train, but by the time they had reached Hogsmeade station the wind and the rain had worsened considerably, and when Regulus found out that they were expected to get into small wooden boats and cross the raging waters of the Black Lake, his good mood vanished. Regulus climbed into a boat with Phronsie and two boys he didn't know.
Regulus was sure there was some sort of spell to pull the oar less fleet of boats across the lake, because he certainly noticed when it broke and their boat spun off into the waves. The other boats went on ahead, and left them all alone in the middle of the raging lake, with the boat steadily filling up with water.
"We could use our hats to bail." One of the boys suggested, eying the rising water nervously.
"Bail?" Phronsie asked, looking as confused as Regulus felt. The boy took off his hat and scooped some water out of the boat.
"Like that." Regulus and Phronsie looked at each other in amusement. Some of the ideas muggles came up with to substitute for magic were ingenious. This wasn't one of them. Muggles. He thought. The boy noticed their amusement.
"Well, I'll admit it seems a bit pointless, but do you have any better ideas?" he asked, annoyed. Regulus opened his mouth to reply scornfully about ineffectual muggle ideas, but suddenly the other boy groaned, leaned over the side and threw up. This proved to be too much for Regulus' already queasy stomach, and he barely managed to make it to the side himself before he followed suit. And nearly pitched out of the boat as a particularly large wave hit them.
"Thank you." Regulus said hoarsely to the boy who'd grabbed his robes and kept him in the boat when he finally got his breath back. The boy nodded anxiously. They were a sorry looking lot, Regulus thought ruefully, looking around. The boy who'd thrown up looked horribly green, Phronsie looked horribly cold, and the boy who'd suggested bailing just looked scared. Regulus imagined he probably looked worst of the lot.
"I suppose we could try the bail thing. If no one's got any other ideas." Phronsie said unenthusiastically. The other boys nodded, and they all took off their hats and began scooping water out of the boat.
Regulus was the one facing backwards, so he was the last one to see the wave. He only turned around in involuntary response to the looks of gaping horror on the others' faces. It was enormous, foaming white on the edges, and Regulus knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was going to swamp their boat. In silent accord, all four first years put their sodden hats back on and held on to the side of the boat. Then the wave hit.
Regulus was surprised to find that he wasn't underwater, he was in the air. Apparently the wave had not drowned the boat, it had sent it flying. Regulus was relieved for a moment, until he looked in front of them and realized that they were not going to land in the water; they were going to land on shore. The very rocky, painful looking shore. Regulus opened his mouth to warn the others, but they must have noticed his expression, because they all turned to look before he could say anything. Turnabout is fair play. Regulus thought grimly. And then he ceased to think at all, because as he hit the ground, he was aware only of pain, and then blackness.
This is going to be a novel length fic about Regulus, mostly canon. I'm not sure about ships yet- seeing as Regulus is only eleven, they don't really matter at the moment. I'll try to update as much as possible, but it took me a week to write this chapter, and a lot of my plans are for later. If there's something from the era you'd like included please let me know. I'm not British, so I apologize for any American expressions. My Regulus is partially inspired by the Regulus from Loki Mischeif Maker's fics, which are wonderful. And yes, the name Phronsie is stolen from the wonderful book Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. Please review!