Chapter 10

Becoming a member of the Order was, for the Marauders, everything Dumbledore had predicted and more. The work was tiring, and not only was there the extreme risk and grave danger, there were the lies and the family ties.

It was not easy for any of the Marauders to lie to their families. Telling their loved ones that they were in the Order could put their families in even more danger. Sirius, who cared nothing about putting his parents in danger, loathed having to lie because he wanted to see the look of fury on his father's face.

Becoming a spy for the Order was something that Sirius found quite easy. Only his family knew that he loathed Death Eaters and the Dark Arts. Other Death Eaters gladly welcomed him. He was invited to their gatherings and secret meetings, all the while passing information to the Order.

Everyone was convinced that, because of his pureblood background, Sirius was sincerely willing to become one of Voldemort's followers. The only thing that Sirius really dreaded was having to be branded with the Dark Mark. What would he say when it was time? The less enthusiasm he showed in receiving the Mark, the more suspicious his companions grew.

At last, he was invited to attend a meeting where a new Death Eater would be admitted. Voldemort himself would not be present since the new comer had not yet proved his value and was still of little importance.

They met that night on the ruins of an old farm. On the property there was an abandoned well. It was said to retain magical properties connected to the Dark Arts and it was here that the new Death Eater would suffer his "baptism." The new comer was made to lower his body into the well and hold himself up with his arms as the Dark Mark was branded into his flesh.

Sirius was welcomed by a Death Eater, and as he approached the gathering, his eyes fell on the new comer struggling to hold himself up on the brink of the well: it was his brother, Regulus.

Sirius halted, "Regulus!"

"Yes," said the Death Eater beside Sirius, clapping him on the back. "Looks like your brother's beaten you to the punch! He's been ready to receive his Mark for weeks! Oh! And here's another set of new comers --" the Death Eater gestured to a young man, who was entering the grounds with another young man who's hair was so blonde it was practically white. "Sirius Black, I believe you know Lucius?"

Lucius Malfoy lifted a pale eyebrow, "Black and I are mildly acquainted. I married his cousin last Fall."

Sirius pulled what he hoped was a sincerely pleasant greeting, but his smile was more of a grimace than a grin, and Lucius frowned at him curiously; his cold, gray eyes dancing.

"And," continued the Death Eater who had a hand clapped on Sirius's shoulder, "This is Severus, Severus Snape."

Sirius's heart beat a fast tattoo as he met the cold, black eyes of his old school nemesis. Snivelus, of all people, knew that he loathed the Dark Arts and would take the greatest pleasure in unmasking him -- maybe even in killing him.

A slow smile twisted Severus's thin lips, "Black, I believe we've met . . . once or twice."

Sirius smiled back, hating Snape. He knew already his cover was blown. Why not get in a few insults before he was discovered and killed?

"Yeah, yeah, we have. You'd lost something, remember? It might have been your pants . . . you never did take good care of your clothing, Snivelus."

Snape's face went from cold and smirking to drastically violent. He pulled his wand and jabbed it at Sirius, while at the same time, the rest of the Death Eaters crowded round, trying to stop an inevitable duel.

"What's going on here!"

"Wands away, you morons! You want the Dark Lord to hear about this?"

"This is a good way to get killed, Severus!"

But Snape was yelling for everyone to hear, "He's one of them! He's one of the Order!"

The rest of the Death Eaters turned upon Sirius. They were frantic to know if they'd been set up. Were there more of the Order around? Some of them, as if anticipating a fight, ran through the grounds with their wands drawn.

In the uproar, Sirius managed to hex Severus in the face. He dodged through fiery, red hexes and curses; jinxing Death Eaters over his shoulders and yelling in triumph when he heard their cries of shock and pain. At last, he reached his brother and managed to pull him from the well. Regulus seemed to be in a towering fury and shoved him off.

"Reg --"

"You're in the Order!" Regulus cried in disgust.

Sirius stared at him helplessly as together they dodged behind the well to avoid the curses of the other Death Eaters. A duel had broken out between Lucius and another Death Eater. One had accidentally cursed the other. Sirius and Regulus zigzagged across the grounds in the chaos and ducked into the ruined farm.

"You're a Death Eater?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Reg, why did you -- how could you --"

"How could I what?" asked Regulus roughly.

"Be so stupid!" Sirius burst. "I told you not to let Dad --"

"Dad is dead!" Regulus spat furiously. "You'd know that if you ever came around to find out sometime!"

Sirius took a deep breath. Hearing such news, no matter how much he despised his father, had been a shock.

"I know I haven't been the best brother --"

"Ha! Biggest understatement of the year!" sneered Regulus.

"Will you just listen to me!" Sirius cried, almost shaking his brother as he grabbed his shoulders.

Regulus brushed him off, "Why? Why should I listen to you? You never listened to me. I needed you!"

They stared helplessly at each other and then ducked as more fiery hexes shot toward the barn.

"Reg, please rethink this --" Sirius muttered as the two of them crouched together in a rickety horse stall. "Dumbledore can save you -- we can make it seem like you were dead, and Voldemort would never --"

"It's too late," Regulus said gruffly. "I'm in too far -- anyway, what do you care?"

"I'm your brother, you idiot!" Sirius snarled.

Regulus glared at him sideways, "Are you?"

There careful footsteps approached the barn.

"They went this way -- Come on!"

Regulus peeked through the wooden shafts of the stall. "They're coming this way," he said in a low voice to Sirius. "You get out of here, I'll distract them."

"No," Sirius shook his head, "You're coming with me."

Regulus turned to him angrily, and it was shocking to see the hard profile of his jaw. In Sirius's long absence, Regulus had become a man and it was a man that shook his head and squeezed his older brother's shoulder now.

"No, Sirius. It's too late. I'll try my best to get out, but I won't get you killed doing it." He stared at Sirius with his soulful eyes and Sirius knew that there was no persuading his brother otherwise.

"I told you not to be an idiot," Sirius said fondly yet with the slightest trace of contempt.

Regulus smiled, "I know, but I'm not like you, Sirius. I tried to be, but I -- I couldn't stand up to them!" His eyes grew wide momentarily and he peeked again through the wooden shafts. "Now's your chance! Hurry!"

Regulus shoved Sirius away, but Sirius clasped his arm momentarily.

"Good bye, twerp," he said, ruffling his brother's hair.

Regulus laughed bitterly, "Good bye, dog breath."