3. Hogwarts Again

When they finally pulled into the station at Hogsmeade Regulus, Damien, and Amelia already had their trunks in hand and were waiting by the train doors. When the train came to a stop, the jumped out and made their way off the crowded platform to an empty horseless drawn carriages. They got to the first one in line and set there trunks under their seats. When they got in, Damien and Amelia start to fight over who would get the window seat.

"You got it last year!"

"No I didn't, you did!"

"I want to see the castle!"

"That's too bad because I got here fir-"

"Would you two just shut up!" snapped Regulus.

Regulus was surprised that he yelled and when he looked over to his friends, they both looked back at him with puzzled looks. Damien gave the seat to Amelia and just sat next to Regulus. With a cautious tone, Damien asked.

"Something wrong mate?"

"I don't know, something's just not right… I have a bad feeling about all of this. Coming back to school with all the commotion over Voldemort. How can one man dim the spirits of the whole school? It's not right, I'm telling you…"

"I know what you mean" said Amelia, "but I think it's an improvement. Now that all the first and second years finally shut up, we can actually get some peace and quiet."

At that Amelia and Damien laughed but Regulus found it disturbing that just one person could cause all this panic. In a way, he envied the fact that Voldemort had such power over people that he had never even seen. Voldemort had the kind of attention and power that he had never had.

His thoughts were pulled away from Voldemort when their carriages stopped and it was time to enter the castle. They made their way up the stairs and through the entrance to the Great Hall where Peeves was trying to steal Dumbledores' hat and was shooting ink pellets at the crowd. Any other teacher would have yelled at him, but Dumbledore just smirked and with a flick oh his wand, made him go away. Dumbledore was another odd fellow in Regulus opinion. He possessed such power, and yet refused to do anything with it. He contended to be a simple school headmaster. If Regulus had that kind of power, he would make a difference. He would command respect. He would show people that he was not just Sirius' little brother, but that he was Regulus Black, just as good a wizard as any if not better.

Again, his thoughts were stolen from him as Dumbledores' voice boomed out over the now full Great Hall.

"Welcome back! I know you are all weary from your travel, I'm sure I would be, so I'll keep this short. We have tightened security over the holiday so that no one may wander the grounds after dark due to current circumstances. Anyone in the halls at night will have to provide a teachers note. If you are found to be breaking these rules, the punishment will be, unfortunately, most severe." At this he looked around and surveyed the crowd with the wizened look he wore so well.

"But now is not the time to talk of restrictions and penalties. No, now is the time to meet and greet friends after returning from your, no doubt, joyous holiday."

Dumbledore clapped his hands and food appeared and filled the trays on the house tables. Everyone started to help themselves and Regulus made sure to take plenty. He had forgotten to eat on the train and didn't want to go to bed hungry. He looked up at the staff table, in between devouring his treacle tart and fudge, and saw that the silence and uneasiness had carried on to the teachers as well. The only one who seemed not to be worried was Dumbledore, who was laughing at a joke that Nearly-Headless Nick just told him. When he nudged Amelia and showed her, she turned to him and said.

"Reg, you've got to lighten up. They're just busy eating is all."

He considered this for a second but soon forgot about it as Damien was seeing how many first years he could get with his tripping hex. Pretty soon they were both rolling in their seats with laughter and barely even noticed when the time came to retire to their common rooms. When the call came out that it was time to go back to the common rooms, Regulus got up and made his way back down the path to the Slytherin common room and spoke the password.

"Floberworm."

The entrance appeared and Regulus and his fellow Slytherins entered. He was just about to make his way upstairs when he remembered that he forgot his trunk in the great hall. Perturbed as he was, he had to make the trip back to get it. He climbed out of the entrance and started to make his way back up to the great hall. He crept along as quietly as he could, not wanting to be found in the hallways without a teachers note on the first night back. Right as he was about to turn a corner, he heard Dumbledore and a mans' voice he recognized as Barty Crouch's talking sternly.

"He is to be taken seriously. You saw what he was like, Dumbledore. You know what he can do. All he needs is to get enough support and enough people to do his bidding."

"You are correct in assuming that he can do it, but will he? I've known Tom since he was a child, before he started to use that ridiculous name. Even he deserves the chance to turn around. Whether he does or not depends on his own choices."

"Dumbledore, I believe you are wrong with this. I believe we must do something about" and here Crouch took a deep breath "Voldemort" as he suppressed a shudder "before he has the chance to get rooted in the hearts of the people that might support him. You know there are enough people that believe the muggle-borns have taken over and don't like it. All he has to do is talk to the right people."

"Again, it is their choice to make and theirs alone. Ministry interference at this point would only anger them and turn them more towards his cause."

At this, Crouch seemed to understand that he could not make Dumbledore see things his way. The two said goodnight and Dumbledore walked back towards his office while Crouch walked towards the door with a disgruntled look on his face. Before Dumbledore turned the corner at the end of the hall, Regulus could have sworn that he looked directly where Regulus was just hiding.

Regulus shrugged this off and hurried past this night meeting spot and got his trunk from the great hall. He then ran back down to the common room as fast as he could. He didn't even remember saying the password to get in. He had so much on his mind. He ran down the stairs and got ready to go to sleep and climbed into his bed.

Voldemort was so much of a threat that Dumbledore and the whole ministry was worried about him? How could one person pose a threat to the whole magical world? Was his threat about getting rid of muggle-borns not so far fetched after all? This man had power. And he was looking for followers…

What Regulus wouldn't give for that kind of power… That kind of respect…