Chapter 54: The Woes of Regulus Black
What a gloomy night it was for Regulus!
Sirius dragged him from the Shrieking Shack, looking back at his friend, trying in his expression to show how sorry he was for being so careless with the Map, as well as to ensure Remus knew that he didn't plan for his brother to discover his secret.
Regulus was practically frogmarched by Sirius out of the Shack, into the grounds and back up to the castle. He was too shellshocked to do anything other than allow his legs to move in the direction of safety. Of all the things he had expected to see in the passage, a fully-grown werewolf was not one of them.
Lupin is a werewolf, Lupin is a werewolf, Lupin is a werewolf…
The words whizzed through his mind all the way to their location: Dumbledore's office. Sirius knew that the Headmaster would know what to do, even if he did not. He didn't want Regulus to be expelled, nor his best friend. But he wasn't sure if Regulus would be all too willing to hold his tongue like he, Severus and James had done back in first year. His brother was far more prejudiced than the three of them put together.
Sirius, in a hoarse voice, muttered several passwords but none of them worked.
"Messrs Black, what may I ask are you doing out of bed after curfew?"
The two of them turned to see Professor McGonagall marching swiftly towards them, a strict and stern expression on her face that would make the most smug and confident of Gryffindor's heart run cold.
"We're here to see Professor Dumbledore, it's extremely important! Please, Professor! It's about my friend!"
The emphasis of that last word and the fact that Sirius seemed to be holding Regulus up, as he was so pale and inverted into shock made McGonagall's mind click and she turned equally white. Two of her own less prejudiced Gryffindors finding out about Remus was one thing, but a Slytherin from one of the Sacred Twenty Eight was another matter altogether.
"Jawbreaker!"
The password spoken made the gargoyle step politely aside to form the staircase. McGonagall led the Black brothers up to the office.
Dumbledore permitted them entry and looked slightly displeased to see who was at the door.
"Albus…the Black brothers seem to have gotten themselves into a furry little dilemma!" squealed McGonagall desperately.
"Explain yourselves," said Dumbledore in a much calmer tone.
Sirius spoke up first, explaining his side of the story and trying to keep the Pettigrew Map secret. He prayed that Regulus would keep quiet about it.
What he didn't know was that Dumbledore could see into his mind and knew about the Map before Sirius had even reached the point in the story where the Map would even be in it.
"…then I entered the Shack and Remus was cowering away at the sight of my brother, who just shocked but unharmed."
"I don't doubt that Remus would harm the boy in his perfectly sane, human mind. Now your side, Mr Black."
Dumbledore gestured to Regulus with a flourish of his hand to indicate that he was the addressee.
"My side? My side?! You've got a werewolf in the school grounds! A bloody werewolf!"
"Language, Master Black!" snapped McGonagall.
"My family will…"
Regulus almost uttered the famous words of Draco Malfoy, but recollected that he was still an outcast, still the disowned disgrace of the House of Black. Seeing him sadden again, Sirius tried to reach his arm out to his shoulder, but he was rapidly shrugged off. Regulus backed up towards a portrait just over his head.
"What is this about a werewolf attacking one or two of my descendants? Albeit failed descendants," interrupted Phineas Nigellus, the portrait in question.
Regulus winced at those words and didn't look to the portrait out of shame. Sirius, on the other hand, was about to deliver a spat of harsh language for Phineas' brutal frankness towards his clearly distressed brother. But fortunately, Dumbledore spoke for him, only less irately.
"If you keep the peace, Phineas, we shall get to that. Now please continue, Mr Black…from the beginning."
"I…I always believed something was off about Lupin, ever since I joined the Unity that ruined my life," said Regulus spitefully.
Sirius was about to object but Dumbledore raised a hand in warning. McGonagall also seized his shoulder to keep him in check.
"So I've been trying to catch him out with whatever he was doing…especially after he attacked Prince on Halloween last year. Tonight, I saw Lupin with my brother and I confronted them, but Siri made me go back to my common room and passed off a lie about the Hospital Wing…but he drop-"
"You shut your mouth!"
"Silencio!"
McGonagall's spell kept Sirius helplessly quiet as Regulus coldly continued his story.
"He dropped some weird magical map of the castle. I saw Lupin on it with Madam Pomfrey heading for the Willow near the Forest…I saw him go inside and then followed…I came into this room to find a…"
"Thank you, Mr Black," said Dumbledore, and then he turned to Sirius. "Where is this map that you failed to mention to us?"
"Reggie dropped it in the Shack…it's still there. Remus will likely bring it out in the morning."
"Very well. I shall see Mr Lupin upon his rise from the Willow in the morning and confiscate this map of yours. I shall need to examine its properties and the severe risks you have made to the castle via its…admittedly ingenious…creation."
Sirius nodded grimly, saddened at the Map that he made in Peter's name was to be taken away for his own clumsiness and stupidity. He was also worried at how Remus would act towards him as well.
"Detention for you both for being out after curfew. Together. With Hagrid. I'm sure he'll have many chores for you. They will last for a week after dinners."
Sirius nodded, but Regulus looked flabbergasted.
"What about the beast?!"
"That's Mr Lupin, young man," said Dumbledore in his polite but firm voice.
"He's a threat to us all! He must be expelled and detained!"
"Not at all, Mr Black. You see, there is a new potion known as Wolfsbane. Professor Slughorn brews it regularly to keep Mr Lupin sane. He becomes a werewolf still, yes, but his human mind remains intact. Why do you think that he didn't attack you in the passage you followed him into? He's no more dangerous than a dog or a cat in his current form."
"He's still a werewolf!" retorted Regulus.
"As you well know, but nobody else does. Which is how it's going to remain!"
"W-what?!"
"Under no circumstance are you to repeat to anybody what you have witnessed this evening, Mr Black. If I find out that you have told anyone of Mr Lupin's personal condition, then I will have no alternative but to expel you for direct disobedience toward me and for ruining another student's life irreparably."
"That…but…THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
This childish outburst broke both Sirius and Dumbledore's hearts. The former was upset at how his brother must be feeling; betrayed and let down. The latter was feeling hypocritical at forcing Regulus to suffer the same lack of resolution as he had Severus Prince in another universe, or at least, his alternate self did. But he did note in his mind some distinctive differences in the circumstances and used them to fuel this decision.
One such difference was that nobody was maliciously intending for Regulus to die or get bitten in this incident. It was a multitude of mistakes and events that led to it, and Regulus was never sent to his doom. Another difference was that unlike the Remus of old, this werewolf was tame, safe and of sound mind. He never would have harmed Regulus in any way. The remaining difference was that he was not alone. If Regulus didn't let this come between him and his brother, Sirius would support him and help him keep the secret of Remus safe.
"I am sorry that you see it in this way, Mr Black. But I assure you that your brother here and Messrs Potter and Prince share the same burden as you must carry. You are not alone in this endeavour. You will all be able to deal with Mr Lupin's secret together. Just don't let this pull you apart. From what I hear, you have enough familial strains as it is."
Regulus felt disgusted that Dumbledore would use his personal disownment to try and stop him from telling the whole school that a werewolf was being housed in the confines of Hogwarts Castle. But to his despair, he knew that the old man was right: he couldn't afford to lose his brother and condemning Remus would assure that. Sirius couldn't bear to lose another friend after what happened to Peter.
"You win…Professor," he sneered coldly, "but you just wait. Unity indeed…all you care about is the protection of your beloved Gryffindors. Slytherins like me always draw the short straw around here."
He turned crossly to his brother.
"And you wonder why I was afraid to leave my family! Why I hate being a disowned disgrace! Why I lean to darker prospects than you do! Sod you all!"
He ran out of the room, shoving McGonagall aside.
"Well, really!"
"Let it go, Minerva," said Dumbledore forlornly, "the boy has been through enough tonight."
McGonagall looked as though she heartily disagreed with that statement, but her respect won out and she reobtained her stiff upper lip.
"Thank you, Professor," whispered Sirius meekly. He looked deeply ashamed. "I'm sorry-"
"I know you are, Mr Black," replied Dumbledore, "but I think your priority right now is to look after your brother. I wish for you to head straight back to your dormitory and then as I have said, play out your punishment as instructed in due course. Minerva, I would like for you to follow Master Black and ensure that he returns safely to his common room and stays there. Inform Horace of what has happened, will you?"
The following days were a disaster for Regulus.
He found out that the only punishment that Remus seemed to endure was surrendering the Pettigrew Map to Dumbledore. No detentions, no expulsions, no nothing.
He felt just as outcast and without justice as Severus had done all those years ago. On top of that, he abhorred having to spend detentions with Sirius and Hagrid. The former tried everything he could to try and heal the new rift between them, and the latter did all he could to brighten both of their spirits…by taking them into the Forest to help him hatch some Acromantula eggs…eggs that he refused to say where he had acquired nor reveal what he intended to do with them. The sight of the foul creatures inside the hatched eggs made Regulus' skin crawl, whilst his brother merely whispered the word, "Wicked" recurrently. Hagrid also forbade the two boys from confiding to their friends of what they had been doing during these detentions, which made Regulus feel even more angered at having to keep another Gryffindor's secret.
The biggest blow of all was Melody.
Though she was sympathetic to Regulus being traumatised and spiteful as he had apparently, according to rumours, suffered a life-threatening encounter which his brother saved him from, she found his behaviour too much. When he snapped at her for getting involved in something she had no control or even knowledge of, it led to an argument.
"Well, if you just told me what you had seen, what you were in danger of, and what you were even doing in the grounds after curfew that night, I would be able to help you!"
"You can't help me! And those who could have helped me have let me down!"
"What does that even mean?"
"JUST SHUT UP, MEL! YOU CAN'T HELP ME! JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT, YOU DAFT MU-!"
He received a sharp smack to the face that made him lose balance and fall to the floor in a dazed shock.
Melody shook with tears and walked away from him.
Regulus was inconsolable and silent at the loss of his relationship with Melody, the girl he renounced his Dark ways for, the girl whose love he cherished had instigated the loss of his parents.
The only person he was able to feel the slightest inkling of companionship with was Andromeda and he was currently only able to communicate with her via owl post. She was sympathetic and slightly suspicious as to why he simply had to keep what had happened to him a secret, when it was plain for anyone to see that nothing would have made her cousin happier than to tell the whole school and beyond.
Regulus was not the only one who was depressed by what had happened.
Remus was uncommunicative with Sirius since he had handed the Map in to Dumbledore as soon as he rose from the Whomping Willow Tunnel.
He had not only lost the object that was kept as a namesake and honorary memorial of sorts for Peter, but he also felt hurt by Sirius' severe and almost fatal carelessness. He didn't believe that his friend had let Regulus obtain the Map on purpose, especially considering the lengths he had taken to ensure that he didn't learn about his lycanthropy. However, he did believe that Sirius was careless and reckless and despite his best intentions, failed to stop his brother from learning the truth.
Everywhere Remus went, he was on edge. He was terrified, despite Dumbledore's kind reassurances, that Regulus would spill the beans and he would be detained, reviled and dragged to a cell in Azkaban, either rotting there without magic for the rest of his days or worst, euthanized in the most inhumane way possible, demanded for by the Black family, no doubt.
The werewolf refused to speak to Sirius. The elder Black was feeling just as miserable for letting down his younger brother and one of his best friends too. Severus and James tried at different times to reconcile the friends but it was no good.
Severus asked after Regulus too, but Melody was suddenly attending the Union meetings alone and was too stubborn to speak of the matter that had ended their relationship. Nobody else in Slytherin were any the wiser to Regulus' plight, and Sirius was having about as much luck communicating with him than he was with Remus.
After hearing Sirius' side of the story, and Remus' less detailed one (which was filled mostly with a sleepless night of fear in the Shack) Severus felt deeply unhappy for his Slytherin comrade. He was practically suffering the same fate he had done long ago: being faced down by a werewolf, being told by the highest authority to keep his mouth shut and on top of that, losing the Muggle-born girl he loved.
Severus decided that he was going to speak with Dumbledore after classes on Friday evening, two days from now.
He wanted to make it clear that he did not wish for another Slytherin to fill in his boots and that he, Dumbledore, would have to do something about Regulus' misfortunes or he himself will.
He wasn't sure what yet, but he was nevertheless determined to save Regulus from sharing a similar fate to his own, or worse from destroying himself by joining Voldemort after all.
Severus also decided he would take advantage of this visit to have another catch-up and updating session with Lily Potter. He went on to Transfiguration, little knowing just what was in store on Friday.
A/N: Firstly, I deeply apologise for the length of time it took for me to write this chapter. Secondly, I am also gravely sorry for how short it is. It doesn't seem worth the wait even to me. My only excuses I have are several personal issues going on in my life right now, including losing my job and currently hunting for another one. My inspiration has also been lacking, but recently, I have maintained some ideas for the upcoming chapters, and I hope you will all like the events to come.
Please review and follow! Thank you all for reading!