Regulus' life chapter 4

I am no coward

Regulus followed McGonagall down the corridor trying to look extremely bored. The brisk woman stopped infront of a stone gargoyle.

"Wand pastels" she uttered clearly and to Regulus' amazement, the stone gargoyle jumped aside to show a spiralling staircase, the stern woman ushered for him to go before her so he stepped onto the spiralling staircase and started to climb.

By the time he had got, to the large heavy oak door, he felt quite dizzy, the Professor reached over Regulus and knocked on the door to have it opened straight away "In" she ordered, so he obliged.

Regulus stood in the corner of the room trying to make himself as small as possible Why does the floor never swallow people that need to be swallowed, and where's devil snare when you need it?

"Mr Black, can you explain?" the headmaster said calmly a twinkle behind his half moon spectacles

"With what, sir?" Regulus stepped out of the corner slightly

"Why Professor McGonagall has found you being rude to other students and a member of staff?"

"Oh, well, the kid addressed me as 'Sirius Black's brother'; I can not have some one addressing me as if I belong to me traitorous brother, so that I dealt with as I have been taught. Then that Professor sprang a question on me when he had clearly lost me and I just lost it, sir, Montell had already annoyed me, so I just lost it. I apologise for my actions sir, sometimes I cannot control my temper, I am afraid; I have the Black temper, sir"

"I shall take five points from Slitherin. You will serve a weeks worth of detentions for your actions; I do not appreciate that kind of behaviour, especially from a first year, you're detentions will be seven o clock every evening with me. I believe you are due a detention with professor McGonagall, if it is ok with you Professor, he shall serve that with me as well"

"That is fine headmaster"

"Good, now, Regulus you are to stay here with me as I would not like you disrupting your class again, you will return to your common room, then return to your class like you would"

"Yes sir" Dumbledore nodded his eyes twinkling in the very annoying way that they did.

"Minerva, you can get back to what you need to do, I can handle it from here"

"Of course Albus" so the Professor turned on her heel and left the office, Regulus now looked around the office, it was circular (this was obviously one of the towers). There were many weird silver instruments on crooked stools.

"Regulus?" Dumbledore said slightly amused at the ore on the first years face

"Yes?" Regulus snapped back to reality in an instant at hearing his name

"Do you like them?"

"Like what, sir?" Dumbledore gestured at the silver instruments "What are they?"

"You will find out, in time and when I believe you are ready. Now, I know you have already explained what happened. However, is there anything to add? I saw how tense you were at the sorting and how you did not know when it was your name that had been called"

"My brother had been sorted into Gryffindor only a year before, how would you have felt if you had a reputation to keep up? A family name to uphold. I am the Black heir, if I was put in any other house; that would have been it for our family, one of the most ancient families left in the wizarding world, Salazar; our family was one of the first families to set foot in this school"

"I know, Regulus, it must be a very large responsibility, you are eleven years old, you should not have this wait on your shoulders. If you want to escape, you can, if you want to talk, you can. I have seen students in your situation, brake down"

"Well, those people were obviously weak, Professor. I can assure you now, I will not become like that, yes, I can be arrogant, yes, I can be a bit stiff and nervous, and that is how I deal with things. I tense up"

"Ok Mr Black, but I mean it, if you have any problems; feel free to pop in for a chat. Now, that is all, go strait to your common room, and no detours" Regulus nodded and left the room to jump down the spiral stairs.

He crashed head first into someone "Watch it!" Regulus snarled, only to look up and see a boy identical to himself, Sirius, his brother. His black hair had fallen into his eyes, which gave him the look that all girls died to look at him, and which was the reason he already had, had so many girls.

"Look, as we are in the same school, we are going to see each other, I would prefer it if we pretended we didn't know each other, alright little bro.?"

"I am of no relation to you"

"Believe what you will"

"I know what is true" Sirius shrugged and walked in the opposite direction to where Regulus was going, which he was pleased for, he did not want his brother saying that he was following him.

Back at the common room, he collapsed onto the green sofa that he and Sophia had lay on only the night previous. The presentation of his body did not matter to him. He was alone in the common room, and the headmaster had practically called him a coward.

He heard the portrait open, but it did not register in his brain that people were coming into the common room. He felt a weight on his thighs and then the weight shifted to lean on his chest.

Regulus opened his eyes to see brunet hair; it was Sophia. Regulus stroked her hair in greeting and so she would acknowledge that he knew she was there. Then he closed his eyes again.

"Regulus?" Regulus could feel her hot breath on his face

"Hmm?"

"What happened when McGonagall took you out of the class?"

"Oh, she just took me to the headmaster, he gave me a weeks worth of detentions and took another five points off of Slitherin and he also called me a coward"

"You're not a coward Reg."

"I know; I am not like the others in this house. Some people in this house are complete cowards and not to mention worthless of this race. I am a Black; my family was one of the first to enter this school. I have to be strong; I am the prince of this house. There is no room for cowardice" Sophia nodded and then rested her head on his shoulder. he will crack one day Sophia thought to herself sadly.