The Black Manor invasion
"I wish you would wake up Siri," Regulus sighed, sitting at the foot of the bed, "being you is so difficult what with being Lord and looking after the kids and you," plural for kids because Hermione was often here, but not today. "You have been asleep for a week now and I am worn out because I could not bear to be asleep when you finally wake, you should not be alone when you do. It is not that hard really, doing your job but I hate you looking so… dead."
"I wish he'd wake up too Uncle Reggie," piped up a little voice from his side and Regulus ruffled his hair, he'd almost forgotten he was there, "he will soon."
"Thanks for the parental advice kid," he said dryly, petting his hair again, "it is exactly the sort of thing I need to hear from you."
He missed the sarcasm in his voice and Regulus was not expecting him to get it, he was only five year old, "you're welcome." There was the sound of a 'crack' downstairs and the two of them froze, listening intently, "what was that?"
Regulus did not answer for he did not want to frighten the tot and though he was still just a tot, he was knowledgeable enough to know good and bad wizards. The two Black brothers had tried to shelter him as kids his age should be but with Sirius Black as his father, doing what he was doing and talking about what he talked about, sometimes it was just not possible, and he knew just how bad some wizards and witches could get. He shared a look with Kreacher who was in the room with them, that crack had sounded distinctly like someone arriving via apparition except that could not be right because the wards, which included being able to find the house in the first place, only reacted to him and Sirius plus any passengers they might be carrying.
The only way a stranger would be in the house was if they were strong enough to overcome the wards, but you needed to have an unlocked core for that and be stronger than Sirius. "It's ok heart," he stroked the black hair by his side, "you stay here and look after your dad while I go check it out," he turned to Kreacher who was looking at him worried eyes, "stay here and look after Harry." He made his way out of the room, across the landing and down the first couple of stairs tentatively. There could not be people here, not unless there was someone from outside of Europe to threaten them, for surely if they were friendly they would not come unannounced. Unless they were being visited from someone overseas something was terribly wrong, the wards surrounding 12 Grimmauld Place were fed magic by the Lord, they did not glitch.
The wards. They were an incredibly strong type of magic; it did not matter if you were asleep or ill because they were tied to your magic lines, your core, your blood. They only failed if you died but the mantle could easily be picked up by another. His breath hitched as another thought hit him, the wards could be exhausted by the person responsible for them being magically exhausted.
He heard voiced, he peered into the living room, there were five of them, he knew them, all of them, they were once he comrades after all, once upon a time he thought of them as his friends. There was Hadrian Zabini, Timothy Avery, Michael Greengrass, he shuddered as he caught sight of Fenrir Greyback and… Damian Hart? He doubted that many knew Damian, Regulus was the one who introduced him to the 'dark side', something he of course regretted, he should have told him to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction and not looked back. They had been alright friends in school, he had been a shy Ravenclaw in the same year as him, intelligent as they all were, but extremely quiet. They had partnered for a couple of projects and just started to bond from there really.
Regulus was also the one who had introduced him to Fenrir Greyback and Damian had been in love with the concept of lycanthropy immediately and ever since. He had started to visit Fenrir by himself and stuck to him like glue, like an adoring puppy and surprisingly Fenrir had not seemed to mind. At meetings Regulus observed that they shared inside jokes and it was obvious to everyone the young lad had done what was thought to impossible, touch the heart of Fenrir Greyback. When Fenrir announced he was going to change Damian one day, though it was not confirmed, nobody was surprised. The werewolf had been calling the young man his cub long before he even talked of biting him – in controlled conditions of course so he did not end up killing him or hurting him too badly. Reg died soon after that so he did not know the full story.
It was going to be hard to fight him, but he only had himself to blame, it was because he only had himself to blame. Poor Damian, he could never say sorry enough, he was nothing but a fool too, a fool of a fool because it had been a fool that led him into darkness in the first place. Fenrir Greyback however was no fool, he had known exactly what he had been doing when he joined with Voldemort, Damian had just been some kid, not really knowing the dangers of the world or the man he called his Lord. The six or so years since he had seen him had not gotten rid of his angelic face and childlike features, his wide eyes twinkling with curiosity and mischief. Damian didn't know, but it had been those qualities that reeled him in when he was twelve and held him fast.
It had been those qualities that drew Fenrir in as well and that was why he liked him and that was why he was calling him his cub mere weeks after meeting him. They had been firm friends, but things changed, Regulus could see that Damian was going to follow his sire, to the grave if he must before any past loyalties he might have held for a past friend got in the way. This was unfortunate, because he really did like Damian Hart, and he was going to have to kill him. He did not want to of course, he did not want to kill any of them, not matter how much they might deserve it. No, he wanted to put that chapter of his life behind him where Regulus death eater was, that man had been killed with the locket he thought he'd successfully hidden.
If he could have his own way, he would just knock them all out, bind them, get the penseive like he had seen his brother do, make them confess and get them all arrested by displaying them somewhere. If nothing else it would humiliate the minister even more and any remaining death eaters out there with similar thoughts to these five would think again. Better yet, he would knock them out and bind them and just keep them in the basement or something until Sirius came around and he could decide what to do with them. This was his revolution after all, he was so much better at it and seriously it was not like he wanted the responsibility of deciding someone's fate. He wasn't to be trusted with something that serious, he had forgotten about the wards for crick's sake!
One of the first things one learns though when one becomes in adult, it is that you do not always get to do what you want. He'd be the first to admit that not many problems of this kind exist, but there were a few problems that sopped you doing exactly what you wished that could not be solved by a huge pile of money and an unlocked core. The trouble was, he was not sure he could knock them all out and bind them before they hurt someone close to him or found something in the house which really should not fall into enemy hands. He hated to admit it but he had learnt quite a lot from his death eater days, it was not like it would be the first time he had cast an unforgiveable, one thing had to be said in their defense, they sure were fast an effective.
The five in the living room were not going to have any reservations about killing him, so he should have the same mindset for them, it was only logical. Maybe it was just his exposure to Sirius but he found it very hard to think like that, he didn't use to, it was simply survival instincts not to care about your enemy, but he really did not want to kill them. He crept back up the stairs and into the room Sirius and Harry were in, first things first, he needed to get them out of here. When he got back the elf was staring at him, understanding and worry, which was suppressed for Harry's sake, shining in his wide intelligent eyes. He already knew what the brother of his master was going to ask him and I that moment Regulus had never been gladder to have a house elf.
"I need you to get Sirius and Harry out, I don't care where you go but you can't stay here and you can't tell me. We are under attack, I am going to stay and fight them off, at least I'll try, this is our home, our base, it is worth fighting for, and there are some things here we cannot afford for them to find. There are five of them, Zabini, Avery, Greengrass, Greyback and Hart, I forgot to strengthen the wards and now they've found this place." He stopped his frantic pacing and packing the things the three might need for however long they'd be gone and handed the bag to the waiting house elf. "How could I be so stupid as to look over something so essential? I knew I should have gone for Avery and Zabini sooner, the slippery snakes, I am under no illusions they orchestrated this entire thing!"
Regulus broke off his rant in order to reign in his temper, he did not know it was even possibly to speak so fast, but somehow the elf, being an elf, he understood him. Little Harry, sensing the distress of his uncle, climbed into his arms and wrapped his arms around his neck. Regulus responded by holding onto him and burying his face into the crook of his neck. "Uncle Reggie, what's going on? Why do I, Kreacher and Daddy have to go, are we in danger?"
He stifled a sob, because no five year old should ever be caused to ask such a question and ask it whilst knowing exactly to what extent this danger could mean to them. And no uncle should have to look into his five year old nephew's eyes and truthfully answer, "yes," because Harry understood. Regulus watched them go, Kreacher holding a frightened and struggling Harry in one arm against his hip – Uncle Reggie I want to stay with you – and holding onto the wrist of Sirius Black – who of course made no response of his own. Regulus did not allow him what he wanted obviously, it hurt to see him in distress but it might very well kill him to have him stay here. He stared at the empty bed a little while longer before he shook his head left the room.
He was going to wear the invisibility cloak as his spells in that faction were not as foolproof of that of his brother but such an item of clothing got in the way and the wolves could smell him anyway, there was no way to mask that. He felt a another pan of guilt and betrayal or Damian but smirked at the memory such a thought provoked, the very first time he made fire without a wand in order to beat Sirius in a duel – well than can you smell me? He reached the top of the stairs and saw them at the foot of the flight, Hadrian a couple of steps up, Avery and the werewolves just behind him. His eyes locked onto that of Timothy Avery, a particularly vicious man in his experience, he seemed to revel in the torture and killings as much as Bellatrix and the Dark Lord himself.
He had formed some friendships when a death eater. They may have been doing some truly horrible things but they still fought side by side, they were going to bond with each other, it was inevitable. When he left the dark forces, (knowing he was going to die but that was just a sacrifice one had to pay for the greater good, the true greater good, not Dumbledore's greater good and he deserved death anyway) there were a few people he knew he was going to miss, Avery was not one of them. "Ah," said the dark haired man, sneer in place as he looked at the younger Black the way he would look at a rat on a railway, "there's my favorite turncoat." He drew his wand, it practically gleamed, Reg smirked slightly, so he had polished it for the occasion.
"You are forever giving people grief," Hadrian remarked, leaning against the banister, calm smile forever in place, "you Blacks do not even have the decency to stay dead when you are killed." Reg supposed he could relate to that, he was a bit like their very own Dark Lord in that aspect. "I see you are protecting your big brother," Hadrian continued, "how noble of you."
Regulus narrowed his eyes, they knew he was hurt, that was the only reason why they would risk a mission like this and knew the wards would allow them through after all. "Tell me Hadrian, how do you know he needs to be protected."
The five before him exchanged amused looks and quiet inside joking comments. 'I told he would be too busy looking after his brother to read the paper' – Hadrian. 'I thought our luck was too good to be true when the wards let us through, he has not tied himself to them' – Avery. Fenrir said nothing and Damian answered him, "you have your blogger to thank for that."
Regulus' jaw clenched and his eyes hardened, but he forced himself to rein in his anger; he could go and kill Rita later, right now he had a bunch on intruders to deal with. "Well I am afraid you are out of luck gentlemen, Sirius is not here."
"You are lying!" Fenrir let out an almighty growl, he was more beast than man, Regulus fought the urge to tease him by casting a muzzle into place. He hated that mutt; for turning Remus, for ensnaring Damian and stealing his attention and being the real reason he fully turned to the dark and well, because he was a cunt. A glance at how Michael Greengrass rolled his eyes showed him he was not alone in his assessment. He watched as Hadrian Zabini, anything but a hotheaded like his compatriots, placed a hand on his arm to placate him.
"I do not doubt you," Hadrian remarked, "there is very little we could have done to hide our arrival from a powerful wizard such as yourself. The smart thing to do would be to get your nephew and brother out of the house. There is one thing however I do not understand, not even you could defeat all of us, you are many things but you are not an idiot an you are not arrogant or vain, you are not one to make misjudgments and pretend to be capable of things you are not." His eyes narrowed in suspicion, "so one asks oneself, why are you still here?" He took another step closer to him, "You are too smart to die for useless pride and you certainly have the money to get another house even if this one has such good memories, so why did you not run… Reggie?"
Regulus did not miss the jab that was made to Sirius, even if he was not here to appreciate it in person. Regulus himself was the one to blame for the death eaters to know of the poor relationship between Sirius and their mother and it seemed he was not going to be allowed to forget that now even if their brotherly bond was stronger than ever over recent trials and tribulations. He had said it out of spite and childish anger at hos big brother abandoning him and running to the Potters, he had been too scared and too loyal to follow him, it was something he regretted. He disregarded the snarky barb, "we would have come for you all eventually, separately, but you would have been ours, why not make it today? You save us the trouble of tracking you each down."
"I don't expect you to answer me," Hadrian smiled, "I am you enemy after all. You are a big threat to us, not as much as your brother, but still a big threat, we'll just have to make do with you for now." The final word was punctuated with a 'stupefy' and Regulus rolled out of the way before throwing up a shield and retaliating. He was not his brother, he did not know how to make a shield which absorbed the spells thrown at it, and even if he had the ability he would not make one which deflected the spells when in his own home. "I wonder just what it is you are protecting if it is not what is left of your family, well I suppose it doesn't matter in any case as you will die soon. I simply cannot allow you to be alive any longer, and this time Reggie, you will stay dead."
"What makes you so sure Hadrian?" Regulus started to walk towards them slowly at a steady pace, pretending that the shots fired at him repeatedly had no effect on him, they did, but a lot can be hidden behind an easy smile. "In fact what gives you the right to dictate when I will live or die at all?" He let out a bark of laughter, yes his shield would not hold up forever but there was one thing they had not taken into consideration, this was his home turf, and the effect of that meant everything. "To kill me, you first must catch me." He sent them a wink and in the blink of an eye he was invisible, he jumped high into the air and somersaulted to land behind the group, noiselessly.
"Damn it all," Michael snarled before snapping his head at the two young men who were yet to turn into the beasts they were, but night was fast approaching, "Greyback, Hart, find him!" On any other day the older of the two beasts would have questioned a man several years his junior and not even a member of the fallen lord's inner circle giving him such an order in such a tone, but in this instance he chose to ignore the misgive. This time he simply signaled to his cub and the two men put their noses to the air, searching for the scent of their enemy. Just like Sirius, their senses in their humanoid form were almost as sensitive as their animal form, the situation was severe but it did not make the sight of two grown men sniffing the air like that any less amusing.
Regulus let them search, he was not intending on holding back or sparing them, they deserved to feel his wrath for even daring to hurt his brother, he wanted to make them pay for their crimes, he did not move… let them come. Fifteen seconds passed before the two men, confident in their scenting were rushing towards him. As the game was up, he became visible to the small crowd once more and waited until the two were almost upon him before dropping his shield. He knew from experience the two would prefer to attack with their bodies instead of magic. They were not expecting to meet no barrier, Regulus moved like lightning. Fenrir got a swift kick to the stomach which sent him careening back, growling in shock and pain, Damian got a swift punch to the jaw and he tumbled after his alpha.
He grinned at the stunned looks he was receiving; it would be entirely irresponsible of him to not know how to fight. His smile was an open invitation; he had his shield back in place for when the barrage of spells from the other three came towards him. Some of them he sidestepped, some of them he took, he recognized most of the streaks of color, mostly red or colorless, he could not be sure as he did not catch the words of the wand movements, force strikes and stunners. They would not use the more inventive and painful hexes and curses, and that included the unforgivables of course until his shield was down, until he could actually feel them. Why for a death eater it was practically a crime to let a perfectly good 'crucio' go to waste on some mere artifact or a wall.
For a while, Regulus teased them. He was a lot more powerful than they were although he was not sure if his power surpassed their conjoined abilities. It did not matter either way because this was his home turf, and they had made a grave mistake targeting him here. His core was tied to the magic of the house, it took but the merest twitch of will and practically no energy to apparate around the room, never going more than a few paces at a time, and never staying in one place for more than a few seconds. The death eaters were getting more and more frustrated with every passing minute, not just because it would seem they were outmatched, but because their enemy was making it look so easy. So much so it appeared, to them, he was not even taking the battle seriously.
Was he but teasing them? Yes. Was he enjoying it? Yes! They were presumptuous fools to attack him in his own home and would now pay the price. Even the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray his core sang as he danced around them, trying to ignore the damage being caused around him and wondering if he had the magic spare to cast a protection charm over some of the Black belongings that were inevitably being caught in the crossfire. He smirked, they would try to kill him even more and they knew what trivial things were occupying his mind while they attacked him. And leave us nothing but sorrow and pain for promised joy. It would seem that it was not just he but he very magic that was reveling in the red hot blood pumping, ferocious, animalistic nature that took over in battles.
He was no death eater, he had not been when he died and he did not intend to restart now. His heart he was sure had once been as hairy as the one the warlock in his favorite story by Beetle the Bard sported, as had the heart of every death eater and the Lord they so revered. Avery, Zabini, Greengrass, Greyback and Hart were all heartless or hairy hearted bastards, even if one of them was also a mindless fool. He on the other hand was a changed man – but he missed the fights. "Lose your temper and you lose the battle," he laughed tauntingly as he darted and apparated around the room. It was a childish if enjoyable game he was playing. Disappearing to appear sitting on the banister and waving at them only to disappear as a spell was cast at him to materialize behind the perpetrator.
He was, perhaps, having far too much fin in echoing Sirius' previous teachings to his enemies. Hadrian seemed to take his words to heart, if the self-appointed leader of this group needed to be reminded of any teachings at all. The calmest yet the most dangerous amongst them, he did not give into the jibes and lash out at what was, the next moment, but empty air. He put his hand on the forearm of his friend, Timothy Avery, by far the most wound up of all the death eaters occupying the grand hall. Timothy had been a mentor of such to Regulus when he first entered into the Dark Lords services, he knew Avery was no less dangerous than his silver tongued friend, but the man had a hotheaded streak he liked to exercise that got him – and those unfortunate enough to be on his team – into more unnecessary trouble than any of them cared to remember.
"Calm yourself my friend," Regulus heard Hadrian whisper, having sheathed his own wand and watching the Black with narrowed eyes, "you are but wasting your energy, it is what he want. Hold up that shield of yours and wait, he'll slip up, then we'll get him." He had expected Zabini to catch onto his plan; they were all Slytherins here, notorious planners, and the caramel skinned death eater had always been the sharp one, but he was not correct in all the aspects of his speech. He was Regulus Arcturus Black, he had been trained by his brother, Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black and most powerful Warlock in Europe. He was fighting to protect his brother, his nephew, his life, his friends, his house, and their cause and revolution. With such ridiculously high stakes hanging in the balance, he was not going to 'slip up'.