Probably the most popular theory. I think I've already read a fic about it. But it's really not easy to be original all the time. And besides, I wanted to write something about how I imagine Regulus.(1) You see… He's not evil. He's not even stupid… He's just… I don't know… Well, this is slightly exaggerated, I guess, but you see what I mean…

(1) I think I like him. He's an interesting character. Probably because we don't know anything about him…

3. Decisions

Regulus stared at the Dark Mark on his arm. Then he looked up at his name on the family tree, in shiny gold thread. Why was he sitting here in the middle of the night when he should be sleeping? Well, he was not quite sure of it himself. But he couldn't sleep and he just felt that he needed to think about things tonight. He had never really been sure of anything in his life. Quite pathetic, he knew, but he just wasn't good at making decisions. He admired people like his cousin, Bella, people who really believed in their cause… Hell, even his crazy brother! His decisions might have been crazy, but at least he had made some. Regulus had never really made any. He merely did what he thought he should do. What he thought other people expected of him. He was a perfect son. He had been a good student. He never argued with his friends, because he didn't think his own opinion is that important.

He looked at the Dark Mark again. Bella had talked him into joining the Death Eaters. That hadn't really been his decision either. Right now he thought it should have been. 'What is the point really,' he thought 'if I never really wanted it?' He looked at the tree again. Well, at least he was still on it. He hadn't been burned off for speaking his mind too loud. He hadn't spoken his mind.He hadn't had to leave the house because Mother was making his life hell. He hadn't given her a reason.He looked at the small dark spot on the tree, where his brother's name had been a few years ago. Now the name wasn't there any more. Regulus didn't call him be the name even in his thoughts, because Mother didn't want him to talk about him… (But then, why was he calling him his brother?)

Well, he was not there. He had made his decision. And Regulus's decision had been made for him. He thought for a moment about how different the decisions had been. But then, it was a war and you just had to pick one side. There were only two paths for the Black boys to choose from: the dark spot on the family tree, or the Dark Mark on the arm…

XXX

Another night. Once again he was wide awake, sitting in front of the family tree. 'That's it,' he thought 'I'm thinking too much.' Something was happening. Something was changing.

'I really am thinking too much,' he said to himself 'And it is too late for thinking now. I have… My decision has been made. There are only two paths to choose from. And I just don't like the other one.' But he couldn't force himself to believe that he liked this one. If it was up to him, he wouldn't choose at all.

XXX

Another night. It's always like this. When people begin to think too much, things start to happen to them. And now they were after him. He knew he was going to die. 'So much for making decisions,' he thought. He had finally made one. Apparently, not a good one. At least, the Dark Lord didn't like it.

But thinking has its advantages too. You can have an idea. And Regulus suddenly realised that he actually had one. He had thought there were only two ways, but now he saw a third one. He made his second decision very quickly. He stood up and took out his wand. A few seconds later another date appeared next to his birth date. It looked quite convincing. He went to his room to pick up a few most important things and left the house…

XXX

Something moved in the darkness. He looked around and understood. A Death Eater! So he had been right. Well, he had always known that he couldn't just leave. But for this one moment he had thought he could escape. Disappear from here and start a new life somewhere else. But now his hope was gone.

'Well,' the man said to him 'That's a surprise! I was worried I'd have to wake everybody up…'

Regulus knew that voice. For a moment he thought it was funny. The other man was wearing a mask, but it hardly made him more difficult to recognize.

'Snape?' he said.

'Who cares who I am? You know what I'm here for, don't you?'

If he wasn't about to die, Regulus would laugh. He knew Snape's little secret. The situation was just too absurd. And yet, here they were, two traitors, standing there in the dark street with their wands in their hands. If the Dark Lord knew he had sent a spy to kill him…

There might be hope after all, he realised. He could try. He didn't have much to lose after all.

'Yes I know,' he said 'But are you really going to do it?'

Snape hesitated. To people who didn't know him he usually seemed mean, cruel, maybe even evil. And it was true that he wasn't really a nice man. But he just hated killing…

XXX

November 1st 1981…

The man known as Stubby Boardman stared into the space in front of him, thinking. A lot had happened recently. He had not had much to do with it, but he had known people who had. He wondered where they were now, what they were doing, what they were feeling. The Death Eaters, whose leader had disappeared and the Order members, whose friends were dead. He had known he didn't like either side. And he wasn't on anybody's side any more. He didn't really care, for him it was just another pleasant evening with Doris…

But was it really?

Something caught his eye. It was a very old photograph. Two dark-haired boys waved at him from the photograph, the older one dressed in red, the younger in green. He liked this picture. In the picture the two boys were brothers. In real life they were a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, and later a Death Eater and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. They hadn't spoken to each other for so many years. They had chosen different paths.

'What's the matter?' Doris asked

'I'm just wondering what my brother is doing,' he told her.

XXX

The boy in red was no longer a child, of course. He wasn't as cheerful as he had once been either. He was furious. He had just lost everything. He was looking around, searching for the person who was responsible for this. He didn't really know what he would do to him. He would decide when he'll find him. He was much better at making decisions than his brother. Although maybe sometimes he should think about them a little longer… Or in a better time… Half an hour before, not twelve years after…