Disclaimer: While there are some aspects of the Harry Potter story and universe I will be attempting to maintain, this is an AU-story and as such I will be taking liberties with them both.

"Speaking aloud."

"Speaking aloud while emphasizing a word."

"Thinking silently."

§Parseltongue§

Regulus Black III

Chapter 14

1994

There were very few things that could disrupt Regulus' emotional control, one of which was his grandparent's disappointment and disproval. Unfortunately, Regulus had been on the receiving end of both over the holiday, so by the time he returned for the second term he was understandably depressed. Of course, to any passerby he appeared to be his normal self, but that didn't really alleviate how dreadful he felt on the inside. His grandparents accused him of betraying the family and all it stood for by writing the book on Salazar Slytherin; their business associates and relatives had apparently bombarded them both with questions asking what nonsense had gotten into their grandson's head. Regulus' actions had been unforgivably embarrassing and shameful, according to Walburga. Perhaps a small part of Regulus knew that this would happen, but he disregarded it, thinking his grandparents above all else would believe in what he had written and why he had written it. Regulus was so focused on the glory of leading a new era for witches and wizards, so tempted he was at the recognition and power that the opportunity presented, that he disregarded the possibility of alienating himself from his family. In his mind, the book would have only further undermined Riddle's support, and Regulus knew that in order to accomplish such a task that the book needed a credible author. Purebloods wouldn't have given the book an ounce of consideration if it had been written by a complete unknown. They would have most definitely investigated the author's credentials and if one piece of information was out of line, the book would have lost all value. At least, that was Regulus' justification, which was certainly not without merit, but a tiny voice in the back of his head couldn't resist saying that it was merely an excuse for the fame and glory. Regulus hadn't even given a new alias a second thought, didn't consider that a believable and thorough alias could be made to pass pureblood-inspection, for once he had allowed temptation to dictate his actions, rather than tempering it with his keen mind.

Regulus had received a letter from his uncle over the holiday. Regulus already felt dreadful enough with how estranged he and his grandparents were becoming and didn't want to exacerbate it by establishing correspondence with someone whom his grandparents disowned. Regulus kept the letter in his family blood trunk, unopened.

On the bright side, Draco appeared to be avoiding Regulus and instead took out his anger and embarrassment on younger students. Apparently Draco only antagonized and provoked Potter when Regulus was nowhere in sound nor sight, and truthfully Regulus didn't particularly care enough to reprimand Draco over it after the fact. As far as the student body was concerned, Regulus had kicked Draco to the curb and no longer associated with him, so it was quite reasonable to assume that anything Draco was responsible for wouldn't blowback onto Regulus. Speaking of which, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had their rematch after holiday. Regulus didn't attend the match, the incident with the dementors on the Quidditch field a bit too fresh in his memory. However, apparently Draco and his gang had attempted to embarrass Potter by dressing up as dementors to scare the Hufflepuff Seeker off his broom, and instead were attacked by a white mist before Potter caught the Snitch and Hufflepuff won the match. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint had lost points and received detention. Regulus was beyond livid to hear that Potter had managed to cast a Patronus Charm, a spell he had been attempting for the better part of a year. Thankfully, the goodwill Regulus had gained with the rest of the school hadn't taken a noticeable hit as a result of his housemate's poor attempts to heckle Potter during the Quidditch match. It seemed that by and large, most of the school had taken what Regulus said in the Daily Prophet interview to heart and were attempting to give Slytherins the benefit of the doubt. Hufflepuff had also managed to narrowly defeat Ravenclaw and were set to face off against Slytherin for the House Cup. Regulus' thoughts were preoccupied more with his anger and depression than to care enough to watch the other houses compete in Quidditch, he instead opted to focus on his studies and maintain his time-consuming correspondence outside of school. Regulus knew that Slytherin would win the House Cup so long as they neutralized Potter's attempts to grab the Snitch, and Potter was the only way Hufflepuff could win.

Barty Crouch Jr. had made another appearance in Hogwarts the evening after Hufflepuff's victory over Ravenclaw, much to the surprise of most of the students. The vigilante had actually managed to break into the Hufflepuff dormitory and made an attempt on Potter's life with a dagger. The school had been searched and once again Crouch had escaped. Throughout the next day, everywhere Regulus went he saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Barty Crouch Jr; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the wall to mouse holes. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard the entrance to the Hufflepuff dormitory, apparently pacing the area as a group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.

In the classes he shared with her, Granger was looking increasingly stressed, exhausted, and more than a little sad. She was taking even more classes than Regulus and who knew how much her advanced homework compounded her already busy schedule. Regulus had frequently heard Weasley teasing and insulting her, both in front of her and behind her back. Potter attempted to lighten her spirits and support her, but Regulus could see that the effort was only mildly improving her feelings. Of course, Regulus didn't really sympathize for her as his responsibilities were likely far more demanding and time consuming, if she was as brilliant as everyone said she was, then busy classes and an annoying redhead shouldn't be a problem for her. At least, that was Regulus' opinion on the matter. He only took notice because he sat next to her in Ancient Runes.

Pansy had taken another social hit at lunch one day when Daphne publically threatened her to stay away from Draco. Of course Draco had sided with Daphne, as they were set to be married after they came of age, and as Pansy was becoming more and more of an outcast not only in the school but her own house, Draco certainly didn't want to associate let alone support her because his social standing was growing increasingly precarious.

The day of the Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin had arrived much sooner than expected, with everything that had been keeping Regulus busy it seemed like the time just flew away as he sat in the Great Hall for breakfast. As the Hufflepuff team entered, the entire school bar Slytherin applauded. It seemed to be most of the student body's opinion that Hufflepuff had so much momentum going into the match that Slytherin would finally taste defeat. His housemates had booed and hissed as the Hufflepuff team walked by and Regulus paid no one any attention, opting to rather eat a good meal before the game.

After breakfast, Regulus along with the rest of the team had left the Great Hall for the Quidditch locker rooms. They all gathered around as Flint prepared to give them a pep talk, but Regulus spoke up first, "The only way they win is if Potter catches the Snitch, you stop Potter and they don't stand a chance," Regulus said to the team.

Flint looked miffed at Regulus usurping his authority as Captain and Draco looked angry for the indirect insult at his skill as a Seeker, Regulus didn't care about their feelings, Regulus simply wanted to win.

"We'll play like we always do, Regulus. Win at all costs," Flint said with a sneer directed at him.

"And there's no way Potter will get the Snitch before me, Black," Draco added as both Draco and Flint exited the locker room as the rest of the team followed.

"Oh that's right, Flint doesn't believe my book…so he's taking it out on me at the risk of losing the cup," Regulus thought with exasperation as they arrived at the center of the field, the Hufflepuff team standing opposite of them before Madam Hooch asked the team captains to shake hands.

Most of the school, including the commentator seemed to be on Hufflepuff's side, united in their desire to see Slytherin lose. Flint and Diggory looked like they were trying to break each other's hands before Madam Hooch told everyone to mount their brooms.

"Three…two…one…" The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Regulus felt his hair fly around wildly as he kicked off and soared into the air before catching the Quaffle after all the Chasers made a mad dash for it.

"And it's Slytherin in possession, Regulus Black of Slytherin with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Hufflepuff goal posts, he's got the Hufflepuff Chasers on his tail. Argh, no…that's ten points for Slytherin, they now lead ten to zero," the commentator exclaimed, his bias rather obvious.

Almost immediately after Regulus had scored, Flint had smashed into a Hufflepuff Chaser nearly knocking the girl off her broom. The crowd booed at Flint who was issuing insincere apologies, claiming he didn't see her. Hufflepuff smartly refrained from retaliating.

"Penalty shot to Hufflepuff for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser!" Madam Hooch said for all to hear, much to most of the school's delight and the Slytherin crowd's displeasure.

The Chaser that Flint had crashed into flew forward to take the penalty, "Come on, Heidi!" the commentator had yelled into the silence that had descended on the crowd. "Yes! She's beaten the Keeper! Hufflepuff and Slytherin are tied, ten to ten!"

The crowd cheered and Regulus was not happy.

"Hufflepuff in possession, no, Slytherin in possession…no, Hufflepuff back in possession and it's Malcom Preece for Hufflepuff with the Quaffle, he's streaking up the field…that was deliberate!" the commentator bellowed.

Montague, one of their new Chasers for Slytherin that Flint had chosen to replace Adrian Pucey, apparently going more for size than skill, had swerved in front of Malcom and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed hold of his head. Malcom cartwheeled in the air, managed to stay on his broom, but dropped the Quaffle.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Malcom had put another penalty past the Slytherin Keeper.

"Twenty to ten! Take that, you dirty, cheating…" the commentator yelled.

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way!"

"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!"

Regulus was livid, at this rate Hufflepuff would win on penalties alone all because of Flint's strategies, strategies of which Regulus had completely ignored because Regulus never resorted to cheating, only a person who lacked confidence in their ability would resort to such tactics, and Regulus was completely confident in his ability to defeat anyone on any team.

After Regulus had torn into Flint about his tactics, Regulus managed to easily take possession of the Quaffle and was now soaring toward the Hufflepuff goal posts. He had to swerve abruptly to the right as a Bludger came streaking past his ear, hit by…his own Beater?

"Did I see that right? Peregrine Derrick just tried to hit his own Chaser with a Bludger!" the commentator said, surprise evident in his voice.

The second Bludger nearly hit Regulus' elbow if he hadn't managed to avoid it, this time Lucian Bole, Slytherin's other Beater tried to hit him too.

"I don't know if there's a rule against what they just did…" the commentator stated.

Regulus' face contorted in anger, "Fine, I'll drag all your sorry arses to victory whether you like it or not," he thought as he sped and swerved past the opposing Chasers while avoid the attacks of all four Beaters.

"Twenty to twenty, boy can that Regulus Black fly!" the commentator said admittedly. When every Beater was trying to hit you with a Bludger, apparently that demanded respect, even if begrudgingly.

Regulus flew up to Flint, "Stop being an imbecile, we need to focus on Potter!"

Flint only sneered before flying off, though the commentator seemed to notice their less than friendly disagreement.

"Flint and Black don't seem to like each other very much. It's Heidi Macavoy with the Quaffle heading for the Slytherin goal posts!" the commentator roared with excitement.

The remainder of the game continued in similar fashion. Regulus would manage to steal the Quaffle, and without assistance from his teammates would cross the field avoiding the attention of all four Beaters, and score. When Regulus was open to score or advance the Quaffle further down the field, neither Flint nor Montague would pass him the Quaffle. When Regulus was swarmed by all three of Hufflepuff's Chasers he saw no mention of his fellow Chasers to pass it. And since Regulus was the best Chaser on that field, most of the game he was literally scoring all on his own. There was rarely a spare moment when he wasn't dodging Bludgers or avoiding Hufflepuff Chasers, but slowly Regulus was able to increase the lead for Slytherin.

By the time Regulus gave Slytherin a one hundred point lead, however, it seemed the free reign Flint had given Potter finally caught up with them. Regulus had just stolen the Quaffle and was on his way to make another ten points for his team when he heard from the commentator that Potter just made a desperate dive and after the whistle was blown by Madam Hooch and three-fourths of the school erupted in elated and frenzied cheers, Regulus already knew they had lost. Regulus had thrown the Quaffle with all his strength at an unsuspecting Flint and it struck the Captain of Slytherin square in the back of his head. He unfortunately managed to stay atop his broom, and as tempting as it was to pull out his wand and begin cursing the idiotic Chaser, Regulus had enough control to reel in his anger.

"If you weren't so petty and thick in the head this wouldn't have happened!" Regulus had screamed over the crowd as Flint glared at him.

Regulus huffed angrily before flying away from his teammates toward the locker room, the sooner he was back in the castle the sooner he could escape the chanting and cheering for Hufflepuff. However, as he headed toward the locker room he couldn't help but overhear some students talking amongst themselves.

"And Malfoy's got a Nimbus 2001!"

"I know! Now everyone knows who has talent and who just has money!"

"Slytherin only won in the past because of their brooms, how bad do you have to be to lose on Nimbus 2001s when your opponents have brooms that are decades old!"

"I know! The Slytherin team is just awful!"

The laughing and condescending tone didn't alleviate Regulus' anger as he stormed into the locker rooms. He quickly showered and left for the castle, completely ignoring his teammates. Although he took small solace in overhearing Professor Snape belittling and insulting Flint for his foolishness and costing Slytherin the Inter-House Quidditch Cup. And unless Hufflepuff lost a hundred house points, or Slytherin gained a hundred house points, Slytherin had also lost the House Cup. Indeed it was a terrible day for Slytherin, but as Regulus headed for the dormitory he knew that no one could blame him. Regulus alone had managed to give Slytherin a substantial lead despite all his obstacles. As his initial anger slowly burned away, he idly wondered about the disparity in brooms between the house teams. It certainly wasn't something Regulus had thought of before, but now that he thought of it he got a bad taste in his mouth. He didn't need a superior broom to win, and he didn't want anyone else thinking it's the reason why he won, he didn't need to handicap his opponents. As he thought more and more about it a plan slowly began to grow in his mind and quickly began writing a letter.

The dirty tactics hadn't made Slytherin house look any better, and Regulus realized that he had never congratulated the Hufflepuff team on a good game. Despite the fact that Regulus believed they only won because of Potter and Flint's stupidity. But Regulus certainly didn't want the school to think him a sore loser, or to put him in the same category as Flint. Regulus didn't need to play dirty to win, as such Regulus swallowed his pride and the next day approached Diggory at the Hufflepuff table, in the Great Hall, in front of everyone.

As Regulus drew closer to Diggory, it felt like the entire Great Hall was vacant because of how silent everyone had become. Diggory and those sitting near him hushed upon seeing him. Diggory looked up at him with a small bit of apprehension and a large part of curiosity.

"Good game, Diggory," Regulus said clearly before extending his hand.

Regulus heard gasps of surprise, that was mildly amusing, and Diggory was certainly not expecting Regulus to do what he just did, but moments later a smile spread across Diggory's face and his larger hand grabbed Regulus and he shook it.

"You too, Black," Diggory replied sincerely.

Regulus gave a curt nod and before he walked away he heard clapping up ahead of him. As he looked up he saw Dumbledore clapping, a smile etched on his face behind his long white beard and not long after the rest of the staff followed suit. Diggory soon followed suit, which prompted the rest of Hufflepuff to begin clapping as well. Soon the entire school was clapping save Slytherin who were looking at him like he had grown a second head. Regulus eventually left the Great Hall for the library, feeling as though he had restored some of the goodwill he had built up for the house of Slytherin and also improved his own image for the rest of the school. The entire staff seemed to have taken Regulus' public display extremely well, none more than Professor Sprout, who had told him privately how proud she was of him for his respectful gesture to her house. This of course had made Regulus think about the similarities between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, as far as what the school thought of their houses. Slytherin was thought to hold nothing but dark witches and wizards. Meanwhile, Hufflepuff was thought to be a house for leftovers, a house for those who were unworthy to be in any of the other houses. By and large the two houses were vastly different in many areas, but they both didn't have the respect of the school, unlike Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. For Regulus to give the house the proper respect for their victory likely wouldn't have been as appreciated had any other house won the Inter-House Quidditch Cup.

Professor Snape had held him after Potions and informed him that he didn't hold Regulus responsible for Slytherin's defeat, and had promptly informed him that Flint had been not only been demoted from Captain, but also removed from the team. Of course, this was Flint's last year so ultimately it didn't matter with regards to next year, but the message itself was appreciated by Regulus.

It also seemed like Flint and Draco's attempt to embarrass him on the Quidditch field had backfired. The entire house of Slytherin had casted Flint and Draco out as if they were lepers. While Regulus hadn't convinced the entire house of the validity of his book, he had at least gained their support in every other regard.

After the excitement of Quidditch had died down, the entire school seemed to remember that final exams were soon approaching and everyone began to study with every free moment. Granger had occasionally joined him in the library when seating was limited, she had told him that what he had done in the Great Hall was a kind gesture. He resisted the urge to disregard her compliment and had simply given her a short thanks before returning his attention to studying. Regulus was actually slightly concerned for Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes, not because he thought he wouldn't pass, but rather he recently discovered that Granger was at the same academic level as him for both classes. Needless to say, Regulus felt a bit more pressure than usual to earn a perfect grade, lest he get second place in either class for the year.

One of the more interesting exams for class was an obstacle course of sorts from Professor Lupin for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Regulus found he rather enjoyed the task and couldn't help but appreciate Lupin's efforts, especially given their history of professors in the subject, he was admittedly the best one they'd ever had since Regulus started at Hogwarts.

Regulus had snuck into the library past curfew to get a few more hours of studying in for Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes, determined to make sure that Granger didn't outperform him, he didn't want his grandparents to look at him with any more shame. He could have studied in the dormitory but the sounds of sleeping students was rather distracting, not to mention there was a nice breeze outside that he could enjoy with an opened window at the library, something that would be impossible in the dungeons.

By the time he felt that he had sufficiently studied for both exams it was well past curfew. Regulus had packed away his books, closed the window, and disillusioned himself. For the past year, Regulus had opted to rely on his magic for concealment rather than the Invisibility Cloak he had taken from Potter, rationalizing that he could use the practice for such an advanced spell and that it would be quite beneficial for the times he needed to remain hidden and didn't have the cloak on hand. He placed a silencing charm on his feet and began making his way back to the Slytherin dormitories, wary of any patrolling prefects, professors, or Filch.

As he rounded a corner he heard the footfalls of someone running and it certainly caught Regulus' attention. The footsteps grew louder and louder until whomever they belonged to ran past the corridor Regulus was standing hidden in and briefly as the moonlight touched the person's face Regulus instantly recognized who it was: Barty Crouch Jr.

Recognizing the opportunity this presented, Regulus quickly and silently chased after Crouch through the castle. The vigilante was fleeing toward the Forbidden Forrest and the longer strides of Crouch was making it impossible for Regulus to gain on him. In just a couple more seconds, Crouch would have made it to the Forbidden Forrest and been all the more difficult to catch up with. Therefore, Regulus quickly slowed his running until he was able to stop altogether, took careful aim with his yew-wand, and silently launched a stunning spell at the fleeing Death Eater. The scarlet red spell was almost blindingly bright in the night as it raced toward the unsuspecting back of Crouch until it struck true and the man fell unceremoniously to the ground, unconscious. Regulus let out a breath he had been holding and slowly walked toward the prone body, his disillusionment charm dissipating as he tried to catch his breath from the mad sprint he had just gone through and eventually stood before Crouch.

However, before Regulus could even ponder his next move, an all too familiar cold creeped up his spine. They were so close to the Forbidden Forest that Regulus hadn't even thought about the dementors that patrolled along the lake which was so close to where both he and Crouch were at. Regulus cursed at his recklessness and his eyes tried to sweep across the surrounding area to determine where the dementors were coming from so he could plan a strategy to get out of this mess. Unfortunately it looked as if the dementors by the lake had somehow managed to inform the dementors everywhere else that there were two wizards present to feed from and Regulus was being approached on all sides by at least one hundred of the cursed creatures.

Regulus absentmindedly thought back to Dumbledore's request not to use Fiendfyre, but he didn't have that much of a choice, and perhaps the commotion would alert someone who could help him out of this mess. Regulus waved his wand in purposeful movements and as the incantation left his lips so too did the blazing fire which had encircled both Crouch and Regulus in a protective whirlwind. The heat was unbearable but needless to say it was preferable than letting the dementors within arm's reach. The dementors tried to swoop in from the opening above them but the flames aggressively lashed out at the approaching creatures, causing them to float away. Regulus wished it was raining like it had been when he last used the spell, it might have made tolerating the flame less taxing. Unfortunately, Regulus couldn't push the flames further outward to push the dementors back and create more space between Regulus and the flames, as the Forbidden Forest was too close and would surely catch fire, and the lake would create a small opening for dementors to glide through, as such he was relegated to standing in the small eye of the firestorm. The heat was consuming up the air, making it increasingly difficult to breathe as sweat was pouring down his face. Regulus was growing fearfully aware that he couldn't maintain the Fiendfyre indefinitely and the chances that a sleeping student or staff member took notice of the firestorm near the lake was not guaranteed.

As such, Regulus was surprisingly caught off-guard when a dementor daringly flew through the flames and passed right by him, feeding off his happiness and breaking his concentration enough that the Fiendfyre ceased, allowing the other dementors to swarm him. The extreme heat he had endured not a moment ago made the normally cold and icy feeling of the dementors twice as uncomfortable as they encircled him. Regulus felt frozen both inside and out, it was so cold it was painful, as though he was getting burned with ice. His breaths became short intakes of air as the cold made it painful to inhale. His eyes dried up from the cold making it uncomfortable to blink. It felt like the mucus in his nostrils had frozen altogether and his teeth chattered. His thoughts were abruptly overtaken with the shouting matches he had with his grandmother, they seemed to replay over and over in his mind, the shame and embarrassment his grandparents had felt toward him drowning all of his thoughts. Regulus was so consumed with the dreadful thoughts he hadn't even noticed that he had fallen to the ground, now laying on his back, wand no longer in hand.

He looked up into the previously starry night sky with a full moon to only see darkness, as the hundred swirling dementors had blocked out the light they were so vast in number. One of them had come up from the bottom of his vision and as it retracted its hood it didn't even seem to register in his mind what was happening. He felt like he was drowning and wasn't trying to save himself, so consumed he was with the sorrow and misery his mind had become. The dementor drew ever closer to his face until the gaping hole where a mouth would have been had clamped over his mouth, the scabby and decomposing flesh a mere afterthought as Regulus felt as though his very essence was being forcibly removed from his body. He began to lose feeling at the bottom of his feet which crept up along his body, soon he felt nothing in his legs. The numbing feeling had crept up to his chest and suddenly he could no longer feel the previously racing heart that had pounded under his flesh. He felt both numb and consumed by the experience by the time the sensation had moved along his neck. The smallest part of himself that had yet to be taken was seemingly fighting with all its might to remain within, as though it was holding on with mere fingertips while the dementor tried to pull it away with two hands. His very soul was screaming in fear, screaming in defiance, screaming at him to not give in to despair, but he simply ignored the pleas and cries. The rest of his soul had given up, it had been consumed by apathy. In mere moments the last bit of his soul would be unable to hold on any longer, its cries were filled with panic and desperation. He was feeling both the apathy the dementor had instilled in him as well as the defiance the remainder of his soul was acting upon, simultaneously, all at once. The part that was fighting, also felt the apathy, and the apathy felt the fighting. He was forced to feel a part of himself being indifferent to losing his soul while at the same time struggling to hold on and not let the dementor end his very existence. It was torment beyond description, to know that you were dying and most of yourself had been forced to accept it, given only enough strength to realize that your death was imminent. And just before he was lost forevermore, his sense of self and feeling was abruptly forced back inside, like a stretched piece of rubber shooting back to its original state. He was suddenly whole again, but the memories and feelings of what had almost occurred were left behind, and he was taking giants gulps of air as he was struck by a disabling feeling of anxiety. He rolled to his side, body and hands trembling as a cold sweat drenched his body. He miraculously managed to pick up his wand and sit up, just in time to catch the sight of a very bright translucent stag running in circles around him; a corporeal Patronus. It didn't take very long for the dementors to flee the scene, having been driven away by the Patronus Charm. The cold and hopeless feeling evaporating with their retreat. Regulus was still beside himself as he did his best to regain a semblance of control over himself, but his body was in shock. He tried to stand up but stumbled and fell not a moment later to the damp grassy ground below. The panic eventually became too much to bear and he drifted off into unconsciousness.

When he regained consciousness he felt warm, and he felt cozier than he ever had in his entire life. He heard sound, muted voices murmuring nearby. He cracked his eyes open and was almost blinded by sunlight. He blinked several times, his eyes trying to adjust to the light, until the scenery came into focus.

A woman was sitting next to his bed, he suddenly realized that she was holding his hand, and a man was standing beside the woman with a hand on her shoulder. It was his grandparents. His grandmother's eyes were red, she looked like she had been crying. His grandfather's face was contorted with obvious worry. It was emotionally overwhelming to see them, to know that they cared, to know that they still loved him. His vision had begun to blur once again and it wasn't until he felt drops trail down his face that he realized he was crying. Regulus hadn't cried since he was six years old, but it seemed like the aftereffects of…whatever he had gone through, had put him in a very emotional state. He heard his grandmother gasp and then squeeze his hand, she noticed he had woken up.

"Regulus…c-can you hear me…do y-you know who I am?" Walburga had asked, her voice filled with barely restrained emotion as fresh tears began to well up in her eyes.

He tried to reply but he noted with a grimace that his voice was painfully dry, and so he nodded his head, causing Walburga to let out a small sob of relief.

"I'm…" he rasped out, the sharp pain halting his voice as he tried to speak.

"Don't talk…don't…you've been unconscious for three days…nurse!" his grandmother said, trying to make him save his strength.

Regulus weakly tightened his grip on his grandmother's hand to get her attention, "I…m…sar…ee" he half spoke, trying to place emphasis on certain parts of the words while using his lips for the rest to try carry his message across.

"You did nothing wrong…it was those wretched dementors…" Walburga started before Regulus squeezed her hand again.

"Th…boo…k," he rasped out, causing Walburga's lips to thin.

"I…" he tried to explain, but the tears wouldn't stop crawling down his face, it was making it difficult to see and concentrate. They were interrupted however by the arrival of Madam Pomfrey, who quickly began casting spells over his bed to check on his health. She handed him a glass of some potion, telling him to drink it. It burned going down his throat and it hurt to swallow, but it made it easier to speak.

"Crouch…" Regulus said a bit more clearly, though his throat still felt dry.

"It wasn't Crouch," his grandfather finally spoke. "The man you had chased was using Polyjuice Potion to only look like Crouch."

"Then…who?" Regulus replied, trying to sit up, Walburga helping him.

"Peter Pettigrew," Orion answered. "He has been arrested and is currently in the custody of the Aurors at the Ministry of Magic awaiting trial."

"The…dementors?" Regulus asked.

"Back at Azkaban where they belong," Walburga replied.

"Who…who saved me?" Regulus said after managing to sit up, wiping his face of the tears that had thankfully stopped.

"Harry Potter," a new voice replied, and as Regulus looked toward the door of the Hospital Wing he saw Headmaster Dumbledore standing there with a warm smile, relief evident in his features.

Regulus looked down at his hands, now weakly clenching the bedsheets, a frown on his face, before he released his grip and his face returned to a more pensive expression. He couldn't really muster up any anger, at himself nor Potter. Regulus much preferred being saved by Potter than damning himself to whatever that dementor had attempted to do to him.

"My exams?" Regulus said, for some reason they didn't feel as important as before, but he didn't want to sit there in silence with his thoughts.

Dumbledore was now standing at the foot of his bed, "You have been allowed to take them once you've recovered, however long that may take." Dumbledore paused, seemingly considering his next words before saying, "I am sorry to ask you this so soon after waking, but the Ministry and I need to know what happened."

"Now see here Dumbledore…" Walburga began, the telltale signs of her about to scream and shout evident on her face before Regulus placed his hand atop hers, halting her in her tracks.

"It's fine, there isn't much to say," he said, trying to appease her before he looked back at the Headmaster, "I was studying for my exams in the library after curfew, on my way back I saw Crouch…Pettigrew…running down the corridor. I chased after him to the grounds and…" he said, halting in his tracks as the memory of the dementors came to the forefront of his mind.

Dumbledore seemed to sense it and raised his hand to halt his explanation, "That will suffice. I will leave you now with your family," he said before giving a polite bow and leaving Regulus alone with his grandparents, Pomfrey also giving him some privacy by going back to her office.

"I…" Regulus began but stopped, trying to find the words for what he was about to say. "I don't regret writing the book…but I'm sorry that it's divided us," he said, not wanting to meet their eyes, worried at what he might see.

There was silence, and fearing what they might say Regulus simply continued to speak as though trying to delay what he believed to be inevitable, "I love you both more…more than anything, if you just read the book…and if you still want to hate me…" his voice became slightly choked up before he cleared his throat, "…I will accept it."

There was a moment of silence that felt as if it had lasted for hours until his grandmother spoke, "Regulus…we don't hate you…we just," she paused in thought before continuing, "...we simply…disagree."

Regulus knew she was being rather generous with her words, likely due to the circumstances that finally brought them together, noting it bizarre that it took a near death experience at the hands of dementors to make him and his grandparents talk about their feelings.

"Please…read the book…you might not agree with it…but you'll at least understand what I'm trying to do. I…I don't want to lose either of you…you're the only family I have…well, and Kreacher," he said with a small chuckle, causing a small smile to appear on his grandmother's face, while the corner of his grandfather's lips only turned up ever so slightly. Walburga nodded and they sat there in silence, a silence that was far less uncomfortable than it had been throughout the year. It felt like a great weight had been lifted off Regulus' shoulders and despite his encounter with the dementors he felt immensely better than before.

Prior to the end of term feast, Regulus had recovered well enough to take the exams he had missed, thankfully he had earned perfect marks, quite the achievement considering what he had been through. The ride home on the Hogwarts Express was a silent one as Regulus was left alone with his thoughts. After arriving at King's Cross, before meeting with his grandparents to go home, Regulus made a slight detour toward a pair in the opposite direction. Their backs were facing him as the two conversed with one another before Regulus cleared his throat. They both turned around with equal expressions of surprise by his presence.

"Thank you, for what you did, Po…" Regulus began before he corrected himself, "Harry."

The boy looked at him, rather shocked before smiling and nodding his head, "It was nothing."

"No…it was far from nothing," Regulus admitted, trying to inform his classmate just exactly what he had saved Regulus from without actually saying it. Potter seemed to get the message as his face appeared to somber before he nodded.

Regulus glanced at the man standing beside Potter, many emotions flicking across the older face, seemingly a million words just begging to escape the man's lips. Regulus met his gaze before giving him a polite nod, "Sirius."

Regulus then abruptly turned around and walked away from them, missing the shocked expression on his uncle's face. Regulus' brush with death had given him a different perspective, made him realize the important things in his life and the second chance gave him the opportunity to not live with regrets. Regulus didn't want to lose his family, and alienating Sirius for the same reason Regulus and his grandparents were at odds didn't particularly make sense to him. It would take a lot of work, trying to form a semblance of a relationship with his estranged uncle, but there was no time like the present.