Chapter 28:

Fighting Fire With Fire

Regulus sat in the Slytherin common room alone that night considering what Rebecca had said, "Only crazy people are proud to have a murderer for a son… and that's exactly what you'll become." He hated it but she was right; his family was completely mental. He didn't notice when his friend Lorx sat in the chair opposite him, "how's it going Reg?"

Regulus jumped, "alright Lorx… I didn't see you there."

"The Dark Lord is getting fed up of waiting," Lorx told him.

"Well… I'm working on it," Regulus frowned, he was in too deep.

"I know – Marcel saw you kissing that Gryffindor chick," Lorx smirked evilly, "so when are you going to get the password off her?"

"I… I don't know if I want to get it through her after all," Regulus almost whispered.

"Don't tell me you've got feelings for the blood traitor," there it was again; that word. The word she had used to describe her parents, the word they used to describe his brother…

"No. Of course not," Regulus frowned, "I just don't know how useful she'll be. She doesn't trust me. She thinks I'm a deatheater…"

"Well then, make her think differently of you," Lorx laughed, "it's not that difficult – just lie!"

"How?"

"Tell her that she's right," Lorx thought out loud, "tell her you want nothing to do with us anymore… tell her you don't care if it displeases the Dark Lord… you don't care if he kills you… or if your parents disown you, you just want to be with her."

Regulus tried to find another option, another way to complete the Dark Lord's task but nothing came to mind.

As March came to its close, the sixth years defence students had moved onto their most fascinating subject yet; the unforgivable curses. Professor Lomax had them all transfixed as he spoke quietly from his chair at the front of the class, "the unforgivable curses are the three most powerful and sinister spells known to the wizarding world. First classified as "unforgivable" in 1717, using any of them on another human being, muggle or wizard, will result in a life sentence in Azkaban, unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse. Each of the Unforgivables require a great deal of willpower and sill in order to bring about the effects."

"First there is the torture curse or the Cruciatus Curse… With a simple word, Crucio, I can inflict excruciating pain upon whomever I please… it doesn't not physically harm the victim but causes them to feel pain like you can't imagine; one thousand white-hot knivesm boring into the skin. The Cruciatus Curse was invented during the early middle ages."

"Secondly there is the Imperius Curse which causes the victim to perform the unquestioned bidding of the caster. You could describe it like a trance or perhaps a dreamlike state that leaves you under the complete control of the caster."

"Professor?" Lily raised her hand.

"Miss Evans?" the teacher raised an eyebrow.

"I heard a rumour that the deatheaters are using the imperius curse to try and get spies into the ministry. Do you think the rumours are right?"

"I wouldn't be foolish enough to doubt them," Lomax frowned, "Voldemort – this self proclaimed dark lord might be egotistical but he is certainly not stupid."

"It is not impossible to resist the imperius curse – something I hope none of you ever need to test – for it is extremely difficult."

"Finally there is the killing curse; Avada Kedavra. The victim merely drops dead for no biological reason. There is no counter-curse or blocking spell. We know for sure that Voldemort and his followers are using this spell as the aurors are constantly finding the corpses of wizards and muggles alike who have been killed by this truly unforgivable curse."

The bell rang, breaking the trance that the students had fallen into, "I would like an essay on the three curses and all known defences for next lesson."

The following morning the daily prophet arrived with news of new disappearances. The paper complained that the minister had refused to comment and that Charlus Potter was still missing in action. Bartimus Crouch, the newly appointed Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had a lot to say on the matter; "It has become apparent that the ministry's attempts to manage this problem is failing us. We must step up to the battle field and fight fire with fire. Where they are ruthless and kill our loved ones, we will be ruthless and destroy them in return. Where they are brutal and terrorise our children we will brutally punish them in Azkaban. If need be we will kill rather than capture, if it means saving our children. We will attack first and ask questions later if it means saving lives."

"Wow," Lily frowned, "he sounds angry."

"He is…" James shook his head, "dad shouldn't be away right now; he'd have prevented that from happening."

"I don't get what's so wrong with what he's saying," Sirius replied. "I think we need to get strict on them."

"Perhaps but this is going to cause a man hunt like you've never seen," James frowned, "it's going to bring the war out into the open… the deatheaters will come out into the open too…"

"YOU WIN!" Regulus shouted across the Great Hall towards the Gryffindor table. The whole of the student body watched as he made his way over to Rebecca, "you win!"

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her fervently before hovering his lips over her ear, "I want you to save me."

Everyone watched the scene unfold before them. Sirius couldn't believe his eyes, his brother was kissing a Gryffindor. "What will dear sweet mum say?" Sirius laughed bitterly, breaking the silence.

Regulus heard him and lunged for him, punching him in the nose. Sirius retaliated quickly, hitting him back and hopefully giving him a black eye. Professor McGonagall pushed her passed the students surrounding the two brothers, "Mr Regulus Black, you will make your way to Professor Slughorn's office to receive your punishment. As for you Mr Sirius Black, you will not be playing in this weekend's Quidditch match against Slytherin."

That wiped the superior look off of Sirius' face, "but Professor, we've got to win…"

James rushed forward, "it's the final Professor…"

"I am fully aware of that Mr Potter," and with that she walked briskly away.

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