5 Years Later
Reyna shivered as the boat she was in drew closer to the rocky island. A silver wolf proudly sat at the edge, fighting the despairing atmosphere. The little boy beside her looked around, his curiosity piqued.
"Why are we going to Azkaban, Mom?" He asked, peeking over the edge of the boat.
She smiled down at him, pushing back a wave of grief. It hurt, even after five years, to look at the boy without being reminded of Regulus. He looked exactly like his father. "We're visiting your Uncle Sirius, Gabriel."
He looked up at her, his grey eyes wide,"But don't you have to be bad to be in Azkaban?"
Reyna looked at the guard on the boat with them, and chose not to be completely truthful, "Mistakes can be made, sweetie."
Reyna held Gabe as they walked into the ruin of a building, shielding his ears with a spell from what other prisoners were yelling out as they passed their cells. Finally, they let her in a room with Sirius. She was forced to stay back so many feet, so that the Dementors could keep him controlled, but let Reyna and Gabriel immune to their powers.
Sirius looked up from staring at the floor, and his mouth twisted into a grim smile seeing Reyna, "I wondered who would bother visiting the murderer of two of his best friends, and Lily."
She studied him, noting there was no crazed look in his eyes before speaking, "You and I both know that never happened."
Sirius looked at her, shock written across his face," How do you know?"
Reyna pulled Gabe back as he started to leave the safety of his mom's patronus," Sirius, we used to be good friends. I know you would never do that."
She hesitated," And I learned about Pettigrew too late. Besides, no one would listen to me, considering…"
Sirius stared at her, unsure if she truly believed it or not, when he finally noticed Gabe. He blinked, his heart thudding. It couldn't be..."That's...Regulus's?"
Reyna nodded, smoothing the boys hair, "Yes, this is my son, Gabriel Romulus Johnson, your nephew."
Sirius propped himself up, "Why doesn't he carry my last name? I know you and Regulus married."
She smiled bitterly, "Yes, we had a small Muggle wedding. This doesn't count in the eyes of many Wizards, especially your family. They won't even acknowledge me as Regulus's wife, much less acknowledge Gabriel as their grandson. Raises too many questions about me."
He nodded, his face still gaunt, but a small hope kept him alive. Gabriel and Harry both gave him a reason to try to figure out how to be the first wizard to escape Azkaban; they gave him sanity.
Eleven Years Later
"Gabriel!" Reyna called, exasperated. In the seventeen years since Regulus had died, her face had become more worn, slowly losing the youthful look she had always carried, as lines increasingly became more noticeable.
Stress had worn her out, and it was a rare day that she went anywhere. The Wizarding world hated her for marrying a Deatheater, but she never once regretted her decision. She only felt terrible, knowing her son had the same treatment, and it only grew nastier as reports of the Dark Lord returning had circulated.
Gabe ran down the stairs, skidding in front of his mom. He truly was a carbon copy of his father at this point, and Reyna still couldn't keep grief from squeezing her heart horribly whenever she saw him. It only grew worse each day, as Gabe neared the age Regulus had been when he had died. He was proudly wearing his Head Boy badge he had received in the mail that week, and was glowing with pride.
He had been sorted into Ravenclaw, as his mother had before him and immediately began vying for the position. She guessed it was the ambition he had inherited from his dad; Reyna never even cared for honor, or recognition. She simply wished to learn.
"Yes, mum?" He asked respectfully, looking at his mom's tired face.
"I need you to give something to Dumbledore when you get to Hogwarts, Gabe. I think it is beyond time that he has been informed."
Gabe watched her sit down shakily, before plopping down on a chair across from her room. He never understood how, as his mother never really worked. But they had plenty of gold, and such, and a nice house. The chair he sat in was slightly uncomfortable from being unused, and he winced a little, hoping this wasn't a long talk. Maybe one or two visitors came to their house frequently, and less so since his Uncle Sirius had died a year ago. Gabriel had never been close with his Uncle Sirius, but he knew his mom had been, and his death stole some more of his mom's life, it seemed.
"What do you need me to tell him, mum?" Gabriel was an oddly respectful boy of seventeen, and rather mature. He had learned from an early age that his mom was rather frail, and he hated to hurt her. She always looked so vulnerable, and he could never bring himself to lose his temper at his mom, unless it involved his dad, since she never told him much about his father.
Reyna gathered in a breath, and looked at him," It's a secret, of…Voldemort's."
Gabriel's grey eyes widened, hearing the name. He knew his mom never cared to give him the respect of calling him the Dark Lord, and insisted that it was just silly to refer to him as You-Know-Who or, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but it still sent shivers down his spine whenever he heard it.
He frowned slightly," Why would you know a secret of…his?"
His mom pushed back her hair resignedly," I didn't discover it. Your father did."
He blinked, his heart jumping; his mom was full of surprises this morning. Would he finally be told about his father?
She picked up an old journal, and handed it over to Gabe, who stared at it in awe," This was your father's. I had to hide it, as the Ministry did not quite like me because of who your father was, Gabe, but I think it is safe to finally give it to you."
He traced the letters R.A.B. on the front, listening as his mom continued.
"I want you to read the journal, no matter what I say today. Do you promise me that, Gabriel?"
He looked up at his mom. Why wouldn't he read it? What was his mom about to unleash on him? He nodded. Slightly hesitantly, but it was obviously good enough for her, as she started talking once more.
"Gabe, your father was a follower of Voldemort, that's how he discovered the one thing that could defeat him. That is why he is no longer living," her blue eyes brimmed with unshed tears," He turned on Voldemort, and died for it."
Gabe's heart stopped at her words. He suddenly felt a cold dread sweep through him as his life made much more sense. He narrowed his eyes at the journal in his hands, his body tensed with hatred. His father was the reason for all the years of being made fun of cruelly, never having a true father figure, never having a normal life, and the reason why his mom was so sick. He didn't think it was possible to have as much hate for one person as he did for his father right now.
He slowly let his eyes meet his moms. It was the first time he ever was disappointed in her. She had married someone knowing what their beliefs were. Why would she do that? All the years of feeling sorry for her because the world hated her disappeared. She deserved it.
"What was the secret?" he asked coolly.
