Jim sat in his room, not really understanding what to do with himself. He'd locked his door with the best spells he knew, not wanting the possible company that may intrude.

Jim's thoughts were all over the place, scattered and unorganised, like parchment on the floor from homework that had taken too long to complete. There was so much that had been revealed, so much that had Jim begging to speak with his brother, begging to understand all that had been said, all that had been unsaid.

There was the overwhelming urge to use his fame and name to go and confront Harry, use his title as 'The Defeater of Voldemort' to walk through the halls of The Ministry and demand access to Harry, to speak with him.

It was a genuine possibility, though his parents seemed to want to keep him as far away from Harry as they could. Jim was of age; therefore, he could do what he pleased. Jim held much sway when it came to people due to his accomplishment, which had now an overbearing weight above it that both Dumbledore and Harry had orchestrated the whole thing, securing a defeat no matter how prepared he may have been. No matter the power difference Voldemort had.

Harry had been on Jim's mind for far too long, even more so, now; now that Harry had confessed more about the nature of the war.

'The Trial had been a disaster' Jim thought. If only they had just sentenced Harry, let him rot in Azkaban with the other Death Eaters. But they hadn't, Amelia Bones had to have questioned him, had to have asked those questions and pried for the truth, but no one had expected the truth. Not a soul.

Jim had to give credit to both Harry and Dumbledore, the way they had conducted both sides with ease, how they had managed to present Harry as such a person, someone with no morals and no inhibitions. Jim couldn't believe all of it was an act, how Harry - even now - still seemed to hold no regret and remorse for his actions.

Harry must have always had that side to him, and with the excuse of the war, gaining Voldemorts trust -among all the other Death Eaters- Harry must have been set free with his task.

But how come no one had seen that side of Harry until it was too late? Had Harry been able to hide it since he was a child? Or was he doing everything he thought necessary, everything to ensure Voldemorts downfall?

Jim pondered the first time he had seen Harry since he'd been kicked out of the house. It had been at The Ministry when he'd foolishly taken the bait that his Dad had been kidnapped... Harry had shown up out of thin air, accompanied by one of the vilest people Jim had ever had the misfortune to meet: Bellatrix Lestrange.

Most of that night had been a blur of them retreating and fighting for their lives. But Jim could recall the initial meeting he'd had with the two as if it had happened yesterday.

Harry hadn't looked like the person Jim had known. Jim had noticed the small changes, the downright deranged and unwavering grin Harry wore, the lack of fat on his cheeks, making him look inhuman, much like Bellatrix had looked, from her stay in Azkaban. Harry had lost most of his colour as well. He'd become extremely pale as if he hadn't seen sunlight in months. He had worn robes of the finest ilk, a trench coat that had swept down to his claves - most likely made out of the finest materials available.

Jim could still hear the mocking laughter of Harry, the way Harry used 'Jimmy' as he had done when they were young as he ruthlessly hunted him and his friends through the different rooms of The Ministry. Harry had brought about such fear in them as he threw nasty curses that intended to kill, laughing like a lunatic as he skipped after them.

Dumbledore had been the one to force a retreat that day, though Harry had stayed till the bitter end. Jim still remembered the way Harry had mocked and taunted Dumbledore. All the while batting away spells that should have put down almost anyone. That had put down Bellatrix and many Death Eaters alike. Now that new evidence arose that Harry had worked under Dumbledore's orders, Jim had initially thought Dumbledore had gone easier on Harry than the others, but upon recollection, the spells toward Harry had been, if anything, even more, powerful than the ones thrown at others.

Throughout the war, Harry had never been subdued, never even looked under pressure. As much as his parents and friends loathed to admit it, Harry was the most competent of the lot. Often many had feared Harry's presence as much as Voldemort's. Often it was seen that death by Harry's hands was even worse than if it had been Voldemorts own doing.

Jim had witnessed how Harry had almost slaughtered Sirius at The Ministry, how he had toyed with the majority of The Order; skipping around like a child at Christmas, merrily torturing all he could, even flirting with anyone that would give him the time of day - and those who didn't. All the while, Harry had thrown nasty spells that had seriously injured or even maimed people; Heista Jones had lost her left arm to such a curse. That did nothing to stop Harry's laughter, though. If anything, it made him laugh harder.

Everything made Jim want to hate Harry. So much of him had wanted to see Harry dead. As he had caused so much pain and devastation. Harry had instilled fear in many and never wavered in a task he was given. But equally, Jim wanted to bring Harry back, hug him and forget everything that had ever happened.

But Jim knew, deep down, that Harry would never do that. From the way Harry had acted during his Trial, Harry wanted to be sentenced, wanted to sit in Azkaban. There was no other reason he'd refused to reveal anything else, no other reason why he'd taunted Amelia Bones about Susan.

None of that mattered, though. Dumbledore was the only one to have had the power to give Harry freedom, and he had died...

Not many had seen Dumbledore's death... No one really, in fact. It had only been Jim, Jim and Harry... Jim had never told a soul how Dumbledore really died, nor had he heard Harry bragging about such a feat.

Jim could relive that moment, as it was ingrained into his head:

It was an odd calm as Jim and Dumbledore retreated from the cave. The weather wasn't calm though, the storm that had raged as they had entered still blowing about, forcing Jim to take care where he stepped, lest he slipped and let both him and Dumbledore fall. Jim chalked the calm he felt from the relief of escaping the cave, managing to live through such an ordeal, no thanks to him... Dumbledore having done all the work, and Jim had to sit back and watch as Dumbledore held off hoards of Inferi.

It wasn't that Jim didn't want to help, just that he was incapable of such magic, something that would prove yet again to be a burden.

Jim took a deep breath breathing in the crisp air that was no longer stale from lack of proper ventilation as the cave had been. There was something off about it... something Jim couldn't quite pinpoint. Jim took a moment to stop, needing a slight break from carrying Dumbledore as far as he had. Jim was holding Dumbledore up, using his body so Dumbledore could still stand, leaving both of them unarmed - vulnerable.

Something - someone - cleared their throat from behind them. And Jim, whilst still holding Dumbledore up, span the both of them around to see who it was.

Harry stood, watching them with a neutral gaze. "I must admit, I'd expected such incompetence from Jim... But you, Albus? you are normally far more observant."

At that moment, Jim had never feared for his life so much, never feared for Dumbledore's life so much. Harry took his wand out of his thick and expensive trench coat. Jim's attention shifted to The Wand. Harry's wand was very similar to Voldemorts own, in looks especially; both bone-white - where Jim had shared a wand-core with Voldemort, Harry had shared the same wood: Yew. The wand was beautiful, Jim had envied the wand when he'd first laid his eyes upon it, whether out of jealousy or awe, Jim wasn't sure.
The core was dragon heartstring, and Jim could still remember listening to his parents talk about it when they thought no one was around, not the wand or Harry, but what Ollivander had said about the wand, and what Harry could accomplish...

Jim jerked his head up as Harry made a noise, Harry hadn't taken a step toward them, nor did he show - other than having them at wand point - much aggression. Only slightly moving his footing.

Harry looked troubled as if there was something else in the balance that Jim had no clue about, something that had troubled the unstoppable force that was Harry was not something to be taken lightly.

Harry swiftly and effortlessly disarmed the both of them, spending just a moment to admire both wands before pocketing them both.

Jim hated to admit it, but Harry, at this moment, was more terrifying than Voldemort ever had been. Jim almost wished to have been cornered by Voldemort, as Harry was far more unpredictable in his actions, far more cruel and unyielding than Voldemort had ever been.

"Albus? Albus? Is something wrong? Are you in need of help? Oh! How the most mighty of men fall..."

Jim was quickly immobilised by Harry, then stuck to the wall, and no matter how hard he tried, Jim couldn't unstick himself. Dumbledore had swiftly fallen to the ground once his grasp on Jim had been taken, falling to one knee as he tried to keep some dignity intact.

Jim felt a tug from his pocket, and the locket - the one they'd almost died retrieving - had soared into Harry's waiting grasp. "What's this?" Harry asked them, inspecting it. "The Dark Lord would be most displeased if he found out about this, you know?" Harry threatened.

Harry then turned his attention to Dumbledore. "No curse on this one, though, is there?" Harry asked, taunting Dumbledore even further. "What is it you say, though? Death is but the next great adventure? Don't you worry, my dear Albus, you'll soon find out." Harry knelt down and patted Dumbledore's cheek.

Harry's focus shifted to the locket, ignoring Dumbledore and Jim for a time, as he unlocked and opened the locket himself. Harry pulled out a small note and read it: "I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B," Harry snorted. "Isn't that something? The real one is gone. A shame all your hard work was for nought. Wasn't it? R.A.B... R.A.B... Now whom could that be? A Black? Yes... Yes... Regulus? Dear Sirius' brother? What a turn of events, no?"

Harry had thrown the locket back at Jim, falling down at his feet after it hit his face, leaving a small bruise on his chin.

"Now! I'm here to kill Albus... Not for personal reasons, No. But because I don't like Malfoy, what a prick - you think the same, don't you, Jim? - anyway, I'm not supposed to know about this little task of his... But Bella let me in on a little secret, and now I'm here. You know Albus... Bella wasn't too pleased with what went missing from her vault. You needn't worry though, I helped you with that, call it a favour. I'm so kind, aren't I?"

Harry's focus had turned to Jim. "You're lucky Bella likes me... You're lucky I've done things for that woman that no one else could've - would've... Otherwise, that little break in? It wouldn't have happened. The Dark Lord is still unaware of what's missing, and I tell you this now, you better hope you get that locket... The fate of your win counts on it."

Jim was stumped by how Harry knew about that, and Harry, as if he read his mind, answered him: "Jim... You are utterly clueless in this war. If you believe you know anything, you are wrong. Has Dumbledore told you the big secret yet? I think not! No, you are but a clueless little child, your Occlumency is awful. And, if it weren't for The Dark Lord's incompetence, you'd have been ravaged clean by now. I can read you like a piece of parchment. I can see your desires, all those little thoughts of Ginny..." Harry moved toward Jim, getting close and whispering in his ear: "She's a feisty little one, isn't she?"

Jim tried to launch himself at Harry, but his restraints held strong. "You bastard, I'll fucking kill you!" Jim screamed at Harry, to which Harry laughed and spat in Jim's face, casting a silencing charm on Jim.

"You're so violent when you're angry, it's cute, really. Maybe one day you'll be some form of a threat." Harry said as he patted Jim's cheek. " Jimmy... Jim, Jim, Jim, I feel for you, I really do. Ginny is such a nice young girl and I'm sure that she was quite traumatised after what I did to her. But, we both know you couldn't kill a fly... All that rage, all your anger... You'd do nothing to me, child. Nothing. For I am the most powerful sorcerer of our time! Isn't that right, dear Albus?"

Dumbledore had coughed, some blood coming out of his mouth, painting his chin a deep red. "You are indeed the brightest student I have had the pleasure to teach, Harry. It is a shame what you had to become; I once had believed you'd be the one to take up my mantle, but those days have long since passed... I cherished the time we spent together in your early years at Hogwarts. You were such an eager learner." Dumbledore had coughed some more, blood spilling onto the rocky floor. "I hope we shall meet again, as friends. Not enemies." Dumbledore wheezed.

"You will be dearly missed, my old friend... It is such a shame what I have to do, but it does seem your time is short, even with my intervention... I shall not take credit for this one, I don't think... The Dark Lord wouldn't take kindly to it... How I wish this could've been done in a duel, with spectators and you at your best, Albus. You are undoubtedly the superior of you and Tom; I shall give you that."

Jim must have made a face as Harry decided to answer Jim's unasked question.

"Oh? Jim, why'd you look so surprised? Is it Tom's name? Of course, I know... I know all of it. Isn't it funny? That Toms a half-blood himself? Like us? Never mind that; dear Albus here needs to be put out of his misery, and I'll grant him that mercy."

Jim watched in dead silence, struggling against his restraints in a futile attempt at stopping Harry.

Harry turned to Dumbledore and asked: "How would you like to go, my friend?"

"Painless, if you would," Dumbledore asked, rising to his feet on shaky legs - remaining defiant. Even in death.

Harry nodded, raising his wand as he spoke: "Avada Kedavra"

Jim sagged against the damp wall as he watched Dumbledore drop unceremoniously to the ground with a heavy thud, glasses snapping at the bridge and falling just in front of him.

Harry bent down, ignoring Jim, fixing Dumbledores shattered glasses, before gently - with practised precision - turning Dumbledore onto his back and placing them back on his face. With a wave of his hand over Dumbledores face, the blood vanished, his skin regaining some colour, making Dumbledore look ten years younger. Dumbledores clothes dried and a shield shimmered slightly over Dumbledores hollow frame. Harry gave a pregnant pause as he just stared down at Dumbledore, his face showing real emotion for the first time that night.

Jim watched Harry bend down and whisper something in Dumbledore's ear that Jim couldn't quite hear before standing up and turning his attention toward Jim, features once again indifferent.

"Now... What to do with you?" Harry clicked. "Hmm... You know, brother, I think I'll let you go. You're not mine to kill, but I don't think I'll bring you to Tom. You've been given a mission, and I'll let you continue that until your dying breath... First, I must say, Snape might be someone to have a chat with. You'll find he's full of surprises - The Dark Lord may trust him, but that trust is misplaced." Harry gave Jim a wink. "I fear, I have other matters to attend to; Bella is waiting for me..." Harry pulled out Jim's wand and threw it at Jim's feet.

Harry turned away from Jim and whistled out into the vast ocean raining pittering down onto the crashing waves. Fawkes appeared in front of him with a plume of fire, steam cascading off of the beautiful bird.

"Fawkes... I truly am sorry, but as you know, it was what needed to be done. Would you be kind enough to return Albus to his chambers? No one can know of what happened here; Albus died in his sleep, not by my hand."

Fawkes sang his song before vanishing with Dumbledores corpse.

"Why?" Jim blurted out, not realising Harry had lifted the spell.

"Why what, Jimmy?"

"Why let me live and not take me to Voldemort?"

"Why should I? Do you want to?"

"NO! But... I'd thought you'd do that to please your master." Jim stated.

Realising that was the wrong thing to say, Jim squirmed in his place as he saw the look of utter rage that came across Harry's features. Harry raised his wand toward Jim, his shaky hand levelling it at Jim's face before he stopped and lowered it slightly.

"My master?" Harry hissed, coming over and slapping Jim across the face. "Know this, Jim! I have no master! I am not some puppet that Tom controls! You have no clue of anything, no clue of who I am, my role in anything!"

Jim's own anger flared at this, ignoring the pain in his cheek, he screamed: "Then tell me! Tell me why you've done everything you have! You left us all so you could run errands for Voldemort! I deserve to know why you became such a fucking coward!"

Harry didn't answer straight away, looking at Jim with narrowed eyes before he smiled brightly, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll tell you if you win this war, how about that? Now, I really have to go: There are things I have to do. I have a life outside of all this murder and torture, you know?"

With that, Harry disappeared, not before releasing Jim from the wall, making him fall to the floor with a thud.

Jim groaned as he thought back to that, it was so obvious now, Harry had spared him for a good reason, given him a clue about someone that Jim would never have known to think of, given Dumbledore the gracious death that he had deserved and made sure he wasn't credited for the act.

More and more, when Jim thought about it, Harry's role in everything became clear. But something still nagged at Jim, something that he'd never know the answer to until he got to talk with Harry. Privately.

Getting up from his bed, grabbing a pair of shoes from the floor, Jim apparated to the Ministry's entrance, walking with purpose toward the holding cells. Jim went through all checks and procedures, handing in his wand before being patted down and searched. He was escorted - after some convincing - to Harry's cell.

Jim found himself standing outside Harry's holding cell, an Auror standing slightly behind him, waiting for nothing. Preparing for what may face him, Jim slowly entered the heavily guarded cell.

The first thing Jim noticed was that Harry was standing up, pacing the width of the cell. Harry looked distraught, ready to rip someones head off.

"Harry?" Jim asked tentatively, slowly showing his hands to Harry, showing they were empty.

Harry's gaze fixed upon Jim, unmoving. Harry looked distressed, his right eye twitching whilst both were puffy and slightly red. Jim could see the bags under his eyes and the faintly broken posture of Harry; Jim could see the way Harry was trembling slightly, the way Harry seemed ready to pounce.

"Jim?" Harry whispered.

"What happened to you?" Jim found himself blurting out, to the surprise of Harry.

"What happened? What happened? You have no clue of anything, Jim! I-I..." Harry looked like he'd say more, but only a hollow breath came from his moving lips.

"I came here to talk to you... You promised you'd explain to me if we won the war."

"We?" Harry whispered before he looked past Jim and stopped for a moment. "What do you want to know?" Harry asked.

Harry sat on the metal bench that resided on the back wall and watched Jim intensely.

"Why?" Jim asked simply.

"Why? Now isn't that a loaded question... Many reasons, I guess, but what one do you want to hear?" Harry's teasing voice returned, but it no longer inspired the same feelings as it once had, now Jim saw through the facade, saw that Harry was scared, alone. All out of options.

"All of them, I want to understand why you became what you did," Jim said simply.

Harry perked up a bit, leaning forward ever so slightly. "How'd you get Mum and Dad to let you come? I'd thought they would be against you seeing me."

"They don't know I'm here."

Harry raised an amused eyebrow. "They don't? Jim, a rule breaker? Never!" Harry clapped his hands together, giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Answer the question."

"Fine! I did promise, after all." Harry hummed as he tapped his fingers on the bench. "First, Jimmy, I must say I cannot tell you everything. We are short of time - I doubt you'll ever know the full truth, Jimmy, there is so much to say. I've likely forgotten more about this war than you even know."

"I don't care for the ins and outs of the war, Harry. All I want to know is why you did what you did. Nothing else matters to me."

"Huh... Well, isn't that a surprise! The first reason, you know... It was for your protection, well, the whole family, really... I knew - back in my early Hogwarts years - that Dumbledore was the 'leader' of the light. So, as you know, I approached him. When I said I'd do anything, promised that man I'd do as such, I meant it..."

Harry gave a long pause as he stared up at the ceiling, not meeting Jim's gaze for the first time since he'd entered.

"When I first said that... I hadn't imagined what Dumbledore would ask of me. I just knew that I would be able to do it. He'd never asked much of me during my Hogwarts years, just kept me close and moulded me into the fearsome warrior I became. That all changed in my seventh year. Dumbledore approached me in the summer, telling me that he had a task for me, one that I'd never come back from. I jumped at the opportunity, wanting to help in any way I could. Until..." Harry trailed off.

"Until what?"

"Until... Until Dumbledore told me I was to become a part of Tom's ranks... Using Snape as my entrance, the night you were abducted, we went, and I was given my first task - to prove that I was worthy of being among them. Tom wasn't aware of how close I was to Dumbledore, so he didn't think it necessary for me to become a spy - Snape had filled that role anyway. No, Tom wanted me to prove that I had what it took to become one of them, so I had to do things... Things that make my skin crawl... I can't say, Jim - I really can't."

"So you did all that you did because Dumbledore asked you to?"

"No. No, most of what I did, I did of my own accord - you mustn't forget that - I didn't have to do half of what I did to gain Tom's trust. I am the monster I was made out to be, Jim. As I told Bones, I don't deserve forgiveness for being with Dumbledore. I don't want forgiveness. I know that I am irredeemable. I fully expected to die before the end of the war. I became more and more reckless in an attempt to fall at someone's hand, did things that should have killed me... But I lived. That was what kept me different from him, kept me from becoming him."

"Becoming Voldemort!? Voldemort was - is - the most horribly vile man that has walked this planet, you couldn't have become anything like him!" Jim said vehemently, though he didn't know how much of it he believed himself.

"What you must understand, Jim, is that I've been trained by both Dumbledore and Tom, to the point, Dumbledore - in the later years - was unable to put me down; Tom was unable to put me down. The only man alive that has a chance would be Grindelwald, and he has condemned himself to the same fate as me." Harry sighed. "Trust me when I say this: If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be."

Jim stood in silence for a long moment, staring into Harry's dull eyes. Jim hoped the longer he stared, the more he would hate Harry, be able to leave, disown Harry for all that he'd done, for all he could still do. Jim found himself unable to do such a thing, unable to see Harry as much more than a broken man, with a tattered soul. Jim was unable to do anything about the pity he felt for Harry. Nothing but see Harry as the older and infallible brother he had been for so many years - unable to make mistakes, could master anything he set his mind to. So passionate and considerate and would frequently jump in the face of danger for others.

Now, Harry sat as only a slither of who he'd once was. But, that was enough; enough to want to help Harry, keep him from ruining his life any more than he already had.

"Jim... There's something that has been bothering me recently... I'd forgotten - well not forgotten - it merely slipped my mind due to recent events... You'd forgive me for that, wouldn't you? Anyway, a conversation I had earlier jolted my memory, and now, I can't get it out of my head, not until I ensure its safety. As you may well imagine, it's something very, very important - to me, at least."

"What is that."

"Now, I need you to give me your word that you'll not tell a soul of this, no one can know, not even Mum and Dad, not even Ginny or your little friends. But... If you do, there will be no one to stop me from finding you, no protections as Dumbledore gave you. I will stop at nothing to rectify that... mistake. Do you understand?"

Through Harry's threat, Jim studied Harry, watching as even when Harry threatened him, his eyes started to regain life.

Speaking tentatively, "I promise."

Harry's eyes lit up some more, a genuine smile spread across his face. Harry took a deep but shaky breath. "There's something in Malfoy manor, something of utmost importance, something that I trust no one with."

"Okay... And?"

"I need you to retrieve it."

"Could you tell me what I'm supposed to be taking? What could be that important to you that you need me to get when you are about to be shipped to Azkaban for the rest of your life."

Harry took a long moment for himself before he spoke up. "Do you remember when I told you and Dumbledore that I had done a lot for Bellatrix?"

"Yes? What's that got to do with anything?"

What Harry said next would remain with Jim for the rest of time, often looking back as an older, wiser man, wondering what would bring about such sick devotion toward a woman. A question which answer would illude Jim for the remainder of his long and fruitful life.

"Now... You must know that what I had to do was the only way, Jim. And I mean it. Dumbledore told me of The Cup, how you believed it was in her vault. I knew that I had to gain her trust, Jim, I had to do something so above and beyond that, she would look at me as she did Tom - gain her unwavering trust... There were just two things Tom was unable to give... Just two... Tom was never able to love Bellatrix, Jim, never able to hold her at night, show her true affection, gratitude; I gave her such, I gave myself to her... Lying and manipulating her to the point she was oblivious to it being all fake - being so caught up in my own lies, I'm not sure what was fake anymore... That's beside the point... But, Jim, everything I did wasn't enough."

Harry looked to be a million miles away, eyes growing soft, features returning to their once unblemished state, "Nothing was enough... So I gave her something - Dumbledore thought me foolish, Snape mocked me, but I knew it was the only way to win. Bellatrix is infirtle, Jim... The inbreeding of The Black's tainted her, she may have looked the part, had one of greatest strategic minds of the last century, but inside she was a monster that lacked the function of a healthy human. So... I fixed her."

Jim's mind raced as he sought to piece out what Harry meant, fixed her? How could he fix someone?

"I performed old magic, Jim. Things lost to time for that woman. It became an obsession... With my ego fueling my every move, wanting nothing more than to show her how great I truly am! I went mad, Jim, completely insane... Not just my usual persona but something far, far worse... But! In that madness, in those sleepless nights, lines began to blur - borders were crossed; sacrifices made. In those nights, I did things that ripped apart my soul. In these nights, I became what I so dearly feared; but, with those nights coming to a close - something came into my life that changed everything for me - Bellatrix and I welcomed into the world: Perseus Black, our son."

oooooooooooo

I took the part of Regulus' letter straight from the Harry Potter fandom website. To my knowledge, it is a direct quote from the books, just thought I'd mention it.