Chapter 2: Regulus Reacts
After spending a whole night being berated by his banshee of a mother (it certainly felt like at least a whole night) and wondering how his brother managed to zone her out, Regulus Black decided to sleep and wait until next morning to ask questions.
He eventually woke up to the sound of his favorite house elf Kreacher. "Master Regulus, Mistress Walburga requests your presence at the living room immediately." Kreacher told Regulus.
"Tell her I'll be going as soon as I change my clothes, Regulus." Regulus ordered the elf.
"My Mistress said "immediately", Master Regulus!" Kreacher replied and then used his elf magic to make the change quicker.
Knowing better than that to keep his mother waiting once she demanded his presence, Regulus quickly went where requested. "Good morning, mother."
"Good morning, Regulus." Walburga greeted back. "Have you read today's Prophet?"
"Not yet, mother." Regulus answered. He'd make a comment on how unlikely it'd be for him to have already read it but he was too afraid of her reaction.
"Your blood-traitor brother was arrested." Walburga happily commented while showing Regulus a newspaper headline reading 'SIRIUS BLACK ARRESTED'. "Serves him right for betraying our family and joining the light side."
Shocked by this news, Regulus read the Prophet and found out that his brother was accused of betraying the light side to Voldemort; killing Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles; and ordering the deaths of his own wife and daughter. "Can you believe it, Regulus?" Walburga asked in amazement. "In spite of everything he did for the light, they genuinely believe that blood-traitor would do any of those things. As someone who raised him, I can tell the worst he might have done was finding out Pettigrew was the real traitor, killing him in revenge, and those filthy muggles were merely caught on the crossfire."
"And even that he's likely innocent of." Regulus commented.
"What makes you say that, Regulus?" Walburga asked out of curiosity. While disappointed by the fact Sirius wouldn't kill muggles on purpose, she believed her proposed scenario.
Regulus then pointed at a line from the Prophet story on Sirius. "It says here all they found of Peter Pettigrew was a finger, mother." He commented. "It's possible that Pettigrew caused that explosion and left that finger behind to make people think he's dead."
"Very creative, son." Walburga complimented him. "If I thought your brother was really a Death Eater, I'd be using it to get him free. Do you think Pettigrew also killed the McKinnon girls?"
"I think it's quite unlikely, mother." Regulus answered. "He's not the next in line for the McKinnon title and fortune."
"Regulus Arcturus Black, you're not suggesting Alastor Moody is behind the deaths of your niece and her mother. Are you?" Walburga asked in amazement.
"Mother, while there's a chance Moody being made lead investigator on the case in spite of his motive is merely a case of the Ministry's anti-Black bias being used against a Black who neglected to make the proper connections, do you really think the idea of Alastor Moody being the criminal mastermind more ludicrous than the idea of Sirius being the one?" Regulus asked.
"I see your point, son." Walburga commented.
"Perhaps we could accuse Moody so it would distract him from chasing Death Eaters whose crimes no escape goats like Sirius were arrested for, mother." Regulus suggested, knowing she wouldn't defend Sirius for Sirius' sake.
"Let's wait and see, Regulus." Walburga replied. "There's also the risk your foolish brother says something that contradicts that possibility during his trial."
"I'm going to the Ministry to find out when it'll take place, Mother." Regulus offered.
After breakfast, Regulus went to the Ministry's Headquarters and, to his surprise, found out his cousin Andromeda Tonks née Black was also there. "Regulus? What are you doing here?" She asked.
"I'm here to find out when my brother will be tried, Andromeda." Regulus answered. "What about you?"
"I'm also here to see Sirius but what do you care?" Andromeda accusingly asked. "Last time I checked, you're one of those who avoided talking to him because he refused to follow the Black Family's dark tendencies."
"Sirius and I weren't on speaking terms lately but he's my brother." Regulus argued. "Is it that odd that I care about him?"
"Yes." Andromeda bluntly answered. "But I'll give you the benefit of doubt while I talk to Crouch. Just be quiet and no tricks."
Regulus accepted the fact his cousin knew the laws better than he did. "Okay, cousin." Inside the building, they noticed the nasty glares were more than the usual hostility they're used to seeing from non-Blacks. 'Do they really think Sirius is guilty or are they just brownnosing?' Regulus thought. Andromeda then told the receptionist she and Regulus were there to see Bartemius Crouch Senior. Wanting the Blacks to be dealt with as soon as possible, Crouch welcomed them. "Regulus Black and Andromeda Tonks, I wish I could say I'm surprised at seeing the both of you together but, considering how Sirius Black deceived us all, it shouldn't be as much of a surprise." Crouch commented with a sneer. "What can I do for you?"
"When will Sirius be tried?" Andromeda asked.
"It won't be necessary, Ms. Black. Mrs. Tonks, I mean." Crouch answered.
"Oh, when will he be released?" Andromeda hopefully asked.
"Released? After everything he did?" Crouch asked with a laugh. "He'll rot in prison forever!"
"But you said a trial wouldn't be necessary." Andromeda argued.
"That is because the evidence against Sirius Black is so overwhelming there's no need to waste time with this mere formality before sending him to Azkaban where he belongs." Crouch arrogantly commented.
"How dare you?" Regulus was too shocked and outraged to care about Andromeda's advice. "The evidence is not overwhelming and, according to the law, the Ministry cannot make any accused criminals rot in prison without allowing them a chance to plead innocent in a trial!"
"The evidence is overwhelming and the law you invoke is unlikely to have the necessary support to work on Sirius Black's favor." Crouch spoke like one of the smug snakes Gryffindors generally called Slytherins.
"The deaths of my niece and her mother are being attributed to my brother on the word of someone who inherited a fortune with them." Regulus protested.
"Alastor Moody has good reason to believe Athena and Acquila Black were killed by Death Eaters on your brother's orders." Crouch stated.
"And which reason did he present?" Regulus defiantly asked.
"I cannot tell you." Crouch somewhat sadly answered.
"As the accused's brother and a victim's uncle, I have the right to know everything held as a reason to deem Sirius' guilty." Regulus protested.
"I know that." Crouch argued. "The reason I cannot tell you is that I don't know it myself. Minister Bagnold took over the case and is keeping all data regarding the case in a need-to-know-basis."
"And you, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, don't need to know?" Regulus asked with skepticism. "Don't you find it suspicious? What if Bagnold and Moody are on cahoots?"
"Given your family's record, Sirius Black is obviously guilty and you should be ashamed of yourself for trying to pin the blame on an Auror like Alastor Moody." Crouch commented.
"My brother is an Auror who constantly risked his life to stop Death Eaters and yet you refuse to doubt his supposed guilt." Regulus protested.
"It doesn't absolve his from his crimes." Crouch stated.
"Speaking of crimes, I want to see the records regarding the other charges against my brother." Regulus said. "I'll see Minister Bagnold about the deaths of Athena and Acquila later."
"Several witnesses saw Sirius Black pointing his wand at Peter Pettigrew when the explosion happened." Crouch stated.
"Did they check his wand for spells?" Regulus asked.
"There was no need to." Crouch arrogantly replied. "He was the only wizard at the crime scene when the Aurors arrived."
"But not when the explosion took place." Regulus argued. "Was Pettigrew's wand checked for spells?"
"Technically, it should so I guess I cannot officially hold your question as grounds to deem you vulnerable to defamation charges but you should be ashamed for trying to make an escape goat of Peter Pettigrew." Crouch answered. "I'll see to it that Sirius Black will never have a chance to talk his way out of punishment."
"Andromeda, you know what to do." Regulus commented.
"Yes, I'm walking off this case." Andromeda replied to Regulus' shock.
"Andromeda, how can you?"
"How can you make up those stories to help your Death Eater brother?" Andromeda asked in outrage. "That you cannot make up anything better shows that Sirius Black is unquestionably guilty! Goodbye!"
"I am still protesting!" Regulus stated after Andromeda left.
"Be careful, Black." Crouch threatened. "If you insist on a trial, your brother's other crime will become known."
"If you had any reason to believe Sirius to be guilty of any unknown crimes, they wouldn't have remained unknown." Regulus defied Crouch.
"If I had my way, it wouldn't but Dumbledore believes this one is too heinous to become publicly known." Crouch grumbled at Dumbledore's forgiving nature. "Of course, since you have the right to know everything he's been imprisoned for, I can tell you your brother betrayed the Potters' locations to You-Know-Who."
"My brother would never do it!" Regulus angrily exclaimed. "You'd better present your evidence!"
"Sirius Black was their Secret-Keeper." Crouch said. "Nobody else could have revealed their location."
"Do you have any proof that he was their Secret-Keeper?" Regulus challenged Crouch.
Crouch handed Regulus a file. "These are the records of your brother's case. All reasons to believe him guilty of crimes other than his role on the deaths of Athena and Acquila Black are listed here. You may read them now or you may pay one Galleon as a fee to take a copy with you."
"I'll read them here, thank you very much." Regulus accepted the first offer and read the files. "I still believe my brother to be innocent. When do I get to talk to the Minister?"
"Right now." Minister Bagnold replied as she suddenly entered Crouch's office. "Regulus Black, I've got word that you're questioning your brother's guilt but I was under the impression your cousin Andromeda Tonks was with you."
"Mrs. Tonks accepted Sirius Black's guilt and left, Minister." Crouch respectfully explained to his boss.
"I, on the other hand, am smarter than her." Regulus commented. "I have two questions. One, what evidence do you have to link my brother to the deaths of his wife and his daughter? Two, when will he be tried?"
"It's not hard to figure out considering everything else he did." The Minister commented.
"Everything else he was accused of doing and the evidence against him on those crimes say nothing about this new accusation, Minister." Regulus argued. "Now when will he be tried?"
"He won't and there's no use trying to convince Dumbledore to help." Bagnold bragged. "The Chief Warlock told me his forgiveness doesn't extend to traitors like your brother."
"If you really believe Sirius to be the one who ordered the deaths of Athena and Acquila, why don't you use Veritaserum to make him tell who carried the deed?" Regulus defiantly suggested.
"Good idea." Crouch commented to the others' surprise.
"Whose side are you on, Crouch?" Minister Bagnold asked.
"The side that approves the use of Veritaserum on Death Eaters." Crouch answered.
"Do you have any idea of what it'll take to convince the Wizengamot to force Sirius Black to submit to Veritaserum?" Bagnold asked.
"Who said anything about forcing?" Regulus asked in reply. "Knowing my brother, he'll willingly subject himself so you'll no longer doubt his innocence."
"Nice try, Black." Bagnold replied. "You're probably hoping we'll take your brother somewhere the remaining Death Eaters will be able to break him from."
"I see I'm wasting my time here." Regulus commented with a frown. "Goodbye."
After leaving the Ministry Headquarters, he's surrounded by reporters. "Mr. Black, any comments on your brother's crimes?" One of them asked.
"The evidence is so weak an eventual trial will lead to his acquittal." Regulus stated.
"Even the evidence to the deaths of Athena McKinnon and her daughter?" Another reporter asked.
"Especially that one." Regulus stated. "The lead investigator had a financial motive to kill them. Goodbye."
He then went back to Grimmauld Place, where he told his mother about Crouch, Bagnold and Andromeda. "So, they won't even give Sirius a trial and Andromeda is too stupid to challenge his guilt?" Walburga asked in amazement. "Let this be a lesson on what happens when a Black rejects his dark origins."
"What about the plan to implicate Alastor Moody?" Regulus asked.
"Forget about it, Regulus." She ordered. "With your brother out of the way and his daughter dead, you'll eventually become Lord Black as it should have been."
"Yes, mother." Regulus replied while wondering whose help he could seek. While he wasn't sure if Dumbledore was really ok with Sirius' trial less imprisonment but he wouldn't risk letting Severus Snape catch him helping his brother.
End chapter.