Written for the QLFC Procrastination Thread Boot Camp
Prompt: Tapestry (13)
Level: Hard
Character: Regulus Black
/
The Black family tapestry was imbued with blood magic and family magic. Every time a member of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black was born, their name would immediately appear underneath a line connected to their parents. The tapestry traced the Black family's lineage all the way to the fall of the Roman empire, when the first known Black had fled.
The names of every single Black was on there, though the tapestry didn't show all people with Black blood, because that would be practically everyone in the Wizarding World and perhaps even some in the Muggle world. Grandchildren of those whose surname was Black (though they had different surnames) showed up on the tapestry, though that was the extent of it.
The tapestry would eventually mark the line of Narcissa Malfoy, previously Black, daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black, up to her grandson Scorpius Malfoy. The tapestry didn't show the families of those who had been burnt off (which signified disownment), though the names of those who were disowned still showed up - it was their pictures that became a black smudge.
As of the summer of 1975, the only people who had been burnt off the Black family tapestry in recent generations were Marius Black for being a squib, Iola Black for marrying a Muggle (Bob Hitchens) and Cedrella Black for marrying a blood-traitor (Septimus Weasley).
It was a completely normal summer's day. Or at least as normal as it could be in 12 Grimmauld Place. Orion Black was in his study, Walburga and Sirius Black were shrieking at each other, and Regulus Black was watching from the sidelines, as usual.
All completely normal.
But though they might not have known it at this time, this day represented the fall of House Black: the disownment of one of its two heirs.
"Filth, blood traitor, scum!" Walburga screamed. "Shame of the house of my fathers!"
"Oh, shut up!" Sirius shot back.
"Associating with filthy mudbloods -"
"Don't call Lily a mudblood!"
"Blood traitors -"
"I don't bleeding care whether James is a blood traitor or not -"
"Dirty half-bloods!"
"Shut up about Remus and Peter, you ghastly old woman!"
"Shame of my flesh, shame on the House of Black!"
"I couldn't care less about whether you or the oh-so-noble House of Black think that I'm a shame -"
Sirius ducked to avoid a flying plate. It shattered on the wall behind him, and he winced as a particularly sharp piece hit him in the back. Regulus was smart enough to silently cast a Shield Charm, though he flinched as one of the pieces embedded itself on the Shield's surface.
Smash! A millennia-old family heirloom - one of the glasses with the Black crest carved on it - went zooming towards the wall next to Sirius. He threw himself to the ground and cast a Shield Charm to avoid it, before standing up again to face his mother.
"Serving the Dark Lord would make you better, you worthless son of mine!"
"I don't bleeding want to serve a insane old -"
"Crucio!"
A chilling scream was sent into the air as Sirius landed back on the floor, writhing in agony. Sweat crawled down his face, making his pale skin shine slightly. Regulus stared, his whole body freezing.
"Do you agree now?"
"No!"
With what looked like a great effort, Sirius scrambled up, his whole body still shaking with tremors. "You know what?" he bellowed, managing to keep the shakiness out of his voice. "I'm totally done with all of you! Go to hell!"
No! No! What was happening?
He ran to the front door, Walburga chasing him through the house, Regulus at her heels. The door shot open with a bang, and Sirius Black took off through the street beyond.
Walburga's eyes burned with fury. She slammed the door shut with a force unbecoming of a pureblood woman, and marched through the Black townhouse, heading straight for -
The tapestry room.
She entered it, Regulus still trailing silently behind her.
"Incendio!"
Regulus watched, his heart skipping more than a few beat, as Sirius's face became a black smudge - a stain on the Black family.
"There," his mother panted. "Serves him right!" she roared, so loudly that Regulus jumped and scrambled back through the open door.
/
On August 21st, 1979, the death date of Regulus Arcturus Black stitched itself into the tapestry, right after Regulus took his last breath.
I'm sorry, Sirius. Forgive me, please.
/
On the 18th of June, 1996, as Sirius Black's body went through the Death Veil, his death date appeared right under his birth date, and the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black fell.