"Well, the full moon has made headlines," said Sirius at breakfast.
"How so?" Asked Remus, glancing at the clock above the hearth. He was expecting Kitty's new desk to be delivered that morning.
"'First Full Moon in All Werewolf Village' is the top headline today." Sirius said. He read the article aloud.
Thanks to mutual efforts from the Werewolf colonies, the Ministry, and the Wolfsbane Potion, Half-Moon Village experienced its first full moon with undeniable success. Over fifty werewolves (all of whom took the Wolfsbane Potion in the week leading up to the full moon) transformed inside the safety of the well-hidden Crescent Valley, where Half-Moon Village is to be built, as part of the new Werewolf Legislation of 1987.
"Officially, these laws and regulations won't go into effect until January," said Ministry Spokesperson Terry Twiffle, "but with the immediate repeal of the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct, there is nothing stopping these people from getting started on their village. Rather than being concerned, the Ministry is actually partnering with the leaders of the colonies to assist in anyway possible. This is the start of a new era."
Remus nodded. "It does sound positive. The Ministry is trying to get everyone on board with this."
"Not a bad thing," said Sirius. "I'd better get going. Mad-Eye has me and Archer on the Nightshade case."
"I hope you find her," said Remus. "She needs to be brought to justice."
Sirius nodded, kissing his boyfriend and bidding farewell to the rest of his family before heading upstairs to the front door. There were multiple reasons he wanted to catch Nightshade. She'd killed at least three people, and turned another into a werewolf. But Sirius was concerned about something else.
With Greyback in custody, convincing people to support the werewolf legislation had been much easier than expected. Sirius had realized it only a couple days after the Wizengamot meeting, but it made sense. With one of the most dangerous werewolves in history off the streets, witches and wizards felt safer.
But now there was another, perhaps more dangerous than Greyback, and if word got out about her, Sirius was certain the people would lose trust in werewolves again. Thankfully, Minister Bagnold had decided that the information should be kept secret. That way, Nightshade wouldn't know they were onto her.
Madeline's return to wizarding society was also confidential until she was accustomed to her life again. She still spent much of her time in Half-Moon Village, but she spent some nights at her aunt's house, traveling through floo powder. With uncharacteristic giddiness, she'd told Sirius she was practicing magic again. It wouldn't take her very long, since it had only been two years, but controlling her magic again wouldn't happen overnight.
Distracted by his thoughts, Sirius nearly passed the alleyway he normally apparated from. He quickly slipped into the space and turned on his heel, appearing in the Atrium a split second later.
"Sirius! Good to see you!"
"Arthur, how are you?" Sirius greeted the older man.
"Fine, fine. How's life as an Auror treating you?" asked Arthur, walking with him to the lift.
"It's good," said Sirius. "Nothing too exciting yet, but I'm only a rookie, so I can't complain."
Arthur laughed. "Not too bad, then. Molly told me your Harry has a sharp mind."
"Aye, he's clever as a whip," said Sirius. "He gets that from Lily, I suppose."
"And the little girl - Kitty?" said Arthur, stepping on to the lift. Except for a few interdepartmental notes, it was empty. "Why, Ginny talks about her non-stop. They've become good friends. And the Muggleborn girl, too."
"Hermione," said Sirius. "Isn't it amazing how she turned out to be a witch, too?"
"Speaking of that," began Arthur. "I've been curious. There are a number of werewolf children, aren't there?"
"Seven, to be exact," said Sirius. "Gilliam's colony had three - Kitty, Merric and Embry. The others only had one or two each."
"Are they eligible to attend Hogwarts like Remus did?"
Sirius could see the sheer curiosity in Arthur's eyes, so he didn't mind explaining. "They are, actually, if they were born a witch or wizard. The two teenagers have opted for private magic lessons in Half-Moon Village, but Merric and Embry are turning eleven this year, and they've decided to attend Hogwarts next school year. Kitty is the only one of the others who has displayed magic. The other two are very young though, just four and five years old."
"That's brilliant," said Arthur. "I remember getting my letter. It was like a dream. I hope they get that feeling when they get their letters, too."
"I hope so, too. They're all wonderful children, and they deserve the same as every other child," said Sirius. The lift stopped at Arthur's level just then, and he bid the Auror farewell as he headed for his office.
Sirius breathed in deeply as the lift took him the rest of the way alone. The trials for Greyback and the others… Half-Moon Village… Nightshade… Horcruxes… Slughorn… Harry and Remus… Regulus and Kitty… There was just so much to worry and think about. How was he going to focus on his work?
"I think this is the place," said Regulus, reading a street sign. "Pretty nice neighborhood."
Sirius agreed. The two of them stood on a quiet, cobblestoned street in Warwick lined on both sides with old-fashioned Tudor-era homes that was dead-ended by a park. They made their way past a group of children playing Keep-Away on their way to the fourth house on the left.
"What's with the smile?" asked Sirius.
"I don't know…" Regulus said sheepishly. "These houses are just so… pretty. It reminds me of Crystal Cottage, really, but with less… enchantment."
"Well, I can't disagree with you there," said Sirius in a bemused tone.
"What, so Remus can appreciate beauty and I can't?" asked Regulus in mock offense.
Sirius chuckled. "I never said that. I just didn't expect you to appreciate architecture in the middle of a mission."
"Everything is a mission for you," said Regulus as they reached the house. "We're just going to talk to our old teacher."
"Yes, for a world-saving purpose," argued Sirius. "Which makes this a mission."
Regulus rolled his eyes and knocked on the front door.
"Coming, coming!" called a voice from inside. Sirius stepped in front of Regulus, blocking him from view.
A few moments later, the heavy wooden door swung inward, revealing a large and rather chubby man with gray streaks beginning in his brown hair.
"Well, uh… Sirius Black…" said the retired professor. "This is a surprise, indeed."
Sirius gave him a charming smile. "It's good to see you, Professor Slughorn."
"Please, call me Horace," said Slughorn. "What can I do for you?"
"Well, sir," Sirius began. "I've been trying to reconnect with my old friends and family, and my favorite teachers. Professor McGonagall told me I would find you here. If you've got the time, I was hoping we could catch up."
Slughorn looked flattered. "Of course, dear boy! Come in, come in."
He stepped out of the way, allowing Sirius to enter his home.
"Oh, and I brought a guest as well," Sirius added casually as Slughorn fumbled with the coat closet.
"Ah, the more the merrier," said Slughorn. "Any friend of yours is a friend of mi-"
He'd turned back toward them and finally seen the other guest's face. And for once, Slughorn was speechless.
"Professor, are you alright?" asked Sirius, unable to resist. "You look as though you've seen a Dementor."
Slughorn spluttered. "Regulus Black! But how is this possible? I was told you'd died. Dumbledore told me himself."
Regulus nodded. "As far as anyone knew, I was dead. It's a long story, but a good one, if you're willing to hear it, Professor."
Slughorn looked as though he were on the verge of tears, approaching his hearth, which displayed a number of photos of his former students.
"Professor?" asked Sirius quietly. He and his brother peeked at the photos from over Slughorn's shoulder. THere were two photos in the middle. The first was a younger Lily, probably from Fifth Year, given the prominent Prefect badge on her shirt. The second was Regulus.
The old Potions professor sighed. "I won't deny… I wasn't happy when you joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You had so much potential."
Sirius and Regulus were silent, unsure if Slughorn was talking to them or the photos.
"But when I heard the news… I was distraught." He turned back to them. "You were, without a doubt, one of my most talented students."
"Just like Lily Evans," said Sirius.
Slughorn froze for a moment, his eyes even more sad. "Yes, just like her. She was… a marvel, to say the least. She would have done well in my house. The day she died… everyone else was celebrating the end of the war, but all I could think about was Lily. How could anyone want to hurt such a wonderful woman?"
"Voldemort didn't want her," said Sirius, ignoring Slughorn's flinch. "He wanted her son. He wanted Harry. And she refused to step aside. She stood before the darkest wizard in history and defied him. She was one of the bravest Gryffindors I ever knew."
Slughorn didn't say anything, only nodding.
"Perhaps we should sit down," Regulus suggested. "We do have a lot to discuss."
Slughorn nodded again, motioning to the chairs around the fireplace. He cleared his throat.
"I apologize, Regulus," said the professor. "I don't believe I've said it yet, but I am truly glad to see you. But what I don't understand is why I haven't heard about this. Not a single headline about Regulus Black being alive."
Sirius nodded. "We haven't exactly been telling people. Even the Minister doesn't know yet."
Slughorn looked stunned. "I don't understand. Why are you keeping it a secret? Surely this is wonderful news? Regulus Black is alive!"
"Well, you see, sir, not everyone sees Regulus as you do," said Sirius. "You see him as a victim of Voldemort." Slughorn flinched at the name again. "But most see him as a follower, a Death Eater. He's a criminal in the minds of many. He has to prove his innocence before we can reveal his identity."
"But why would you come to me?" asked Slughorn.
"Well, sir," said Regulus. "We need your help."
The room had been silent for some time. Sirius and Regulus, sitting next to each other, watched their former teacher mull things over in his mind. They'd spent the better part of an hour retelling the events that had led to Regulus' transformation into a werewolf.
Slughorn sipped his tea, his eyes full of sadness. "I never was fond of Crouch, Jr."
"Nor was I," said Sirius.
Regulus huffed. "Yes, I needed reminding that I am terrible at choosing friends. I knew he was different, but I didn't think he'd ever hurt me."
"Don't be too hard on yourself, dear boy," Slughorn said. "You couldn't have known what would happen. It's no more your fault than it is the Giant Squid's."
"I never thought one of my closest friends would betray me, either," Sirius said, sighing. "And I still feel like there was something I could have done."
"But there wasn't," said Regulus. "There was nothing you could do!"
Sirius stared at him, cocking his head and raising his eyebrows.
"What are you looking at?" asked Regulus, confused. Sirius merely leaned back and waited. Finally, it clicked. "Oh… right… There was nothing you could do… There was nothing I do…"
They turned back to Slughorn, who was now shaking his head.
"I know what you're doing," Slughorn said. "And it won't work on me."
"Professor, we really need your help." said Sirius, knowing they had to tread carefully now. "You were his teacher, his head of house. You knew him."
Slughorn shook his head. "Knew him? He had several teachers, who all knew him well. Minerva and Filius were his classmates. Plenty of people knew him."
"And of all those people," Sirius began. "He chose to go to you about something. Something important, that could help us defeat him."
"He's already been defeated!" cried Slughorn. "Lily's sacrifice-"
"Weakened him," said Regulus. "But only a fool would believe he was truly gone."
"How can you know?" asked Slughorn, his voice wavering.
"Because we've found proof," Sirius said. "We've found a horcrux already, and we've destroyed it."
"Then it's over," said Slughorn.
"You know as well as I do that that's not true," said Sirius. "In fact, I think you know that more than I do."
Slughorn huffed stubbornly. "Why can't you just leave it be?"
"Why can't I leave it be?" asked Sirius, a coldness in his voice that had never been there before. "Why? You want to know why I can't let this go? Why I will never stop hunting Voldemort?"
Slughorn grimaced at the name.
"I'll tell you why…" Sirius stood up, hovering over the cowardly professor. "Because he's a monster who has destroyed countless lives. He killed my best friends. He tore my family apart - Remus, Regulus… Peter."
He spat that last name out. "Let me tell you something, Professor. I didn't spend the last six years of my life in one of the worst places on Earth just to haggle with you over a seemingly meaningless thing that happened fifty bloody years ago. But Dumbledore believes it's important, and I have good reason to believe him. We need that memory."
Slughorn said nothing while Sirius stopped for a breath, collapsing back on the couch. Regulus laid a hand on his shoulder and the Auror relaxed for a moment, watching the flames dance in the hearth.
"Every second we sit here, doing nothing," Sirius said, in a lower voice. "Is a second that he gets stronger. He could return at any moment and continue from where he left off."
"Where he left off…" repeated Slughorn.
"He was after Harry, Professor," Sirius continued. "He wants to kill him, and when he returns, that will be the first thing he goes after. He wants Lily's son dead. She gave her life for him. Because she knew this was bigger than her, than all of us."
At Lily's name, tears streamed from Slughorn's eyes.
Regulus leaned forward. "Without your help, Professor, she'll have died in vain."
"There…" Slughorn said, shaking his head again. "There must be someone else."
"There is no one else," said Regulus. "Only you have the information that can help us."
"You have to be brave, Professor," said Sirius. "Like Lily was."
Slughorn had stopped shaking his head, sitting quite still for a few moments, and then, quite suddenly, began to nod.
"Alright," he said quietly. "I'll give you the memory, the real memory… but please, when you see it, don't think poorly of me."
"We won't, Professor," Sirius promised, as Slughorn stood and retrieved a small vial from a cupboard. Slowly, he placed the tip of his wand to his temple, and drew out a long blue wisp-like string.
"Thank you, Professor," said Regulus, accepting the vial.
Slughorn nodded, not meeting either of their eyes. "I… hope it helps."
