Disclaimer: No. I don't own this.
Notes: Contains HBP spoilers. Dedicated to Distorted (Disty) because she's funneh.
"Regulus, dear, come to the table now."
Why does she still treat me as a child? Can't she see I've grown? I want to get out of this stuffy building, with Kreacher bowing and worshipping me like I'm a god. Regulus sighed quietly to himself as he made his way to the table. He was sixteen, and tomorrow he would return to Hogwarts for the summer term. After that he would be free to leave, his seventeenth birthday quickly approaching.
"Now, I've asked Kreacher to pack your case for you," stated Mrs Black, smiling adoringly at her son.
"It's no bother, mother. I can do it myself." I'll be packing it again in the morning.
"No. You should not have to work when we have House Elves to do it for you."
An ancient old House Elf, her green skin wrinkled and dry, her bulging eyes bloodshoot, approached the table. She carried a plate of food unsteadily to the table, and placed it in front of Mrs Black.
"I am going to have to dispose of that Elf," sighed the old lady. She had indeed been old when her first son came along, and now was too old to have any children at all. Her husband had died shortly after Regulus's birth.
An owl flew into the kitchen bearing a message, and perched politely to one side while waiting for Mrs Black's attention.
"I'll get it, mother," said Regulus.
"No, no dear. Kreacher!" yelled Mrs Black. A second later the nasty House Elf appeared and took the letter from the owl.
"For you, my dear, kind, loving mistress," mumbled the Elf adoringly, bowing and scraping at her feet as he held up the parchment. Mrs Black opened it, ignoring Kreacher as she read.
"No!" she gasped, putting the letter down and clasping her hands to her heart.
"What is it, mother?"
"Your Uncle Alphard has died! Worse, he has left everything to… to… your brother," exclaimed Mrs Black, her voice fading into a whisper.
What? Why would Uncle Alphard leave everything to Sirius? It's me has his name! I always knew he was a blood traitor, just like those others, thought Regulus. And now Alphard was dead – the uncle who had had great fun with his nephews. Narcissa and Bellatrix would probably have received the news too, through their father probably.
"That's… strange," commented Regulus carefully.
"It's not strange! It's traitorous! Foul! Despicable! That scum shall never walk in this house again so long as I or any true Black lives!" yelled Mrs Black. Her face grew wilder, her eyes wide and fierce.
She is getting worse. I wish Sirius had not started this, Regulus thought. One day she will die of her madness, or she will be placed in St Mungo's.
"Mother," he said aloud. "It is time I went to do my homework."
"Nasty blood traitor…" muttered Mrs Black in such an uncanny likeness of Kreacher that the young Black almost fled from the room. He didn't do his homework, however; he had already finished it earlier in the week. Regulus lay on his bed, thinking about getting back to Hogwarts and seeing all his friends again.
Bellatrix said she'd be coming to talk about something. She told Cissy. She said Cissy and I should go, and our friends we could trust. Our friends who shared our beliefs. Regulus knew that Bellatrix was a Death Eater – she and her husband Rastaban. Having Bella as a Lestrange was strange, but she was still family. I wonder if Lucius will be there, then Cissy'll definitely come. Strange that he professes our beliefs, though I've never seen any evidence he's a pureblood. Then again, even Severus was only a half-blood – though he is a Prince at heart. We can't help our parents.
"Kreacher has come to pack for master."
Regulus sat up straight in bed, shocked out of his thoughts. The House Elf was standing by the door, creepily staring at him with an expression of adoration on his face. Inwardly, Regulus winced.
"Right. Then pack. And don't forget Advanced Potions this time!" snapped the Black.
"As master wishes," replied Kreacher, bowing as he got about his work. Regulus sighed. He had lost concentration, and even if Kreacher hadn't been there it would have been hard for him to get back to his line of thought.
Just one more Quidditch match and we'll have the cup in the bag. Regulus was one of the Chasers in the current Slytherin Quidditch team. They were doing well, and this would probably be the second year in which they won the cup.
I wonder if Duncan managed to pick up the stuff from Zonko's. He smiled suddenly to himself. Those Gryffindors wouldn't know what had hit them!
"Kreacher has finished packing for master."
"Fine. Tell Orwicke to wake me at nine tomorrow."
"Yes, master." The House Elf left with a pop, and Regulus glanced at his gold wristwatch. It was only eight o'clock, far too early to go to bed. He summoned some parchment and a quill, deciding to write.
Regulus was clutching on to the neck of a large Hippogriff as it swept headlong through the air. Below him the countryside swept past, and ahead in the distance he could see a large house on a hillside. He knew he was headed towards it.
"Master Regulus! Master Regulus!"
Regulus opened his eyes. "Orville!"
"Time to be up, master!"
"Thank you, Orville. You may go."
Regulus scrambled out of bed and changed into the Muggle clothes his mother hated but that he had to wear to go to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. He opened his suitcase and repacked it, removing some of the more ugly items that Kreacher had placed in there – like the Hand of Glory. As soon as he could, Regulus knew he would sell it back to Borgin and Burkes. Why had his mother ever bought it?
"Breakfast is ready, master."
Why? Why Kreacher? I want to kill that Elf! His mother seemed to return the Elf's affections completely – Kreacher had come from Mrs Black's side of the family. Clenching his fists together, Regulus pulled a light cloak on and walked downstairs.
"Good morning dear," simpered Regulus's mother as he entered the dining hall. "Did you have a good night's sleep?"
"Yes, mother." He tucked into his breakfast – a wonderful meal of fried eggs, toast, bacon, sausages and, best of all, hash browns! He was always given a meal like this before he went off to Hogwarts. Sirius never had been. Regulus had never been jealous of his older brother – the blood traitor – and he doubted Sirius was ever jealous of him.
"Kreacher, take Regulus's bags downstairs."
"Yes, mistress," replied the House Elf, a look of creeping servility on his face. Regulus looked at his watch again. They would leave at about ten fifteen, in another half an hour.
"I'm just going to my room, mother," said the dark-haired boy, standing up. Mrs Black nodded curtly, and Regulus left and headed upstairs.
"Accio book!" From the bookcase on the far side of his bedroom came a book entitled Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes. Regulus flipped to the content page and selected a chapter to read. It was his favourite book for finding new spells to test out on Gryffindors.
"Good morning, master Regulus." The cool voice of Phineas Nigellus radiated out from the portrait on the wall, and Regulus looked up.
"Phineas," he replied in the same tone. "What are you doing here?"
"Keeping an eye on you, master Regulus. You do know that I could report you for rulebreaking."
"All Slytherins fight all Gryffindors. It's common knowledge, Phineas," snorted Regulus.
"Not in my day. There was a stubborn peace. It's only been in your generation that the war has really kicked off."
"Gryffindors are blood traitors and mudbloods," muttered Regulus.
"That's a rather generalised view, you know. Some of the old families have always been in Gryffindor."
"Oh, shut up!"
"Kreacher has come to tell master Regulus that it is time to leave."
"Thank you," growled Regulus, his temper tested almost to the limits. He stood up and shoved the book back into the bookcase then headed quickly downstairs, pulling his cloak off. He only really wore it so his mother didn't have to be confronted with Muggle clothes all the time.
"Have a good term," said Mrs Black, pecking her son on the cheek. Regulus just managed to resist the temptation to twist away.
"Yes, mother. Kreacher will look after you. Goodbye."
With that he picked up the handle of his trunk and pulled it out of the front door.
"Goodbye dear!" called Mrs Black, earning her some strange looks from a pair of Muggles walking their dog. Regulus turned to wave rather reluctantly, then turned out of the square towards the tube station.
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