Chapter 41, Some Crimes Are Worse Than Others

As Regulus was usually with them, Severus rarely had private conversations with Just Heather and Raislen anymore. If there was anything he wanted to discuss with the two older Slytherins, he always had to think it out in advance so that he could share all of his thoughts and have time to get theirs in return before Regulus was finished writing his daily letter to Kreacher. The Monday after their last Hogsmeade weekend, Severus had thoughts about the Lestranges that he expressed in a hushed whisper as soon as Regulus headed out to the Owlery. "What do you both think about the Lestranges?"

"What?" Heather lowered her quill and glanced distractedly up from her homework. "I think Rodolphus Lestrange was right about homework."

"But he follows HIM," Severus whispered. Rodolphus was, in his way, mildly terrifying, but the following Voldemort bit did not serve to soften that opinion. He was decent to Kreacher, though,and did not treat Regulus like a child who was in the way as many others in his place who were a decade older would certainly do. It was indeed a quandary that Severus struggled to express to his friends. "But that's just it. They seem by halves terrifying and decent, so I don't know what to do with that."

Raislen nodded, lowering his history of magic text book. "Situations like this would be far easier were they black and white. It's easy to like a person until you dig deep into their foundational views. When you see how different those views are from yours, it tells you if they are someone you, in particular, can trust. There are some people that no one can trust. Then there are others that some people can trust, but not others, and that's where the views and values matter. To like a person well enough is one thing, to trust them is another. If you can't, it's a game changer. It is never wise to befriend a person you can't trust." Severus considered Raislen's words for several seconds before replying. "And Regulus? We trust him to a degree."

Raislen nodded sadly. "I like Regulus. I think if he knew about your father, he'd even be sorry. I think he could appreciate that your father was far different from the Muggles that persecuted our kind. But he has chosen to cast his lot for reasons with someone who killed a good Muggle and surely would do the same again. Perhaps if Regulus knew who he was truly serving..."

"He is fanatical about Voldemort, though," Severus said. "He won't be listening to anything against his precious Dark Lord."

"Perhaps we will find a way to show him before it is too late," Heather said. "We must just be on the look out for inconsistencies in Voldemort's actions and his propaganda. He's nutters, so I'm sure we can find enough over time. Hopefully we can reach Regulus before he actually signs up. You know, becomes one of them like the Lestranges are. It's too bad, but it's likely too late for them. One can only hope they survive until someone kills Voldemort or puts him away forever, though I'm personally for killing."

"My kind of girl," Raislen said, flashing a proud grin at Heather.

She flipped her long red hair over one shoulder and frowned at him. "Don't start, Raislen," she warned calmly.

"Hey, I didn't call you Heather Toy or anything," he protested, then gave a grunt of pain when her fist shot out as usual, slamming him in the upper belly.

"For a smart bloke, sometimes, you know you can be rather stupid," she told him conversationally.

"I did not call you it. Just saying it should not get me punched! That isn't fair," he wheezed. "Therefore I am not stupid and I resent you saying I am."

"I disagree," she said. "I resent you calling me Heather Toy and you know it. Don't say it. Saying you aren't saying it but still using it could be a slippery slope so just don't."

"I see I didn't miss anything," Regulus said dryly, slipping into the arm chair beside Severus's own. And there went any more opportunity to talk things over with Heather and Raislen without Regulus around, at least for that day. The four began helping one another with homework, which as Heather and Raislen were a few years ahead of Regulus and Severus, always served to advance the younger boys in their studies. Idly Severus wondered if this was always Raislen's plan when he and Heather pretended to want their help.

Then again Severus and Regulus were very well read and magically advanced, so perhaps Heather and Raislen really did feel the two younger boys could help with classes they hadn't even taken yet. Of course he could just ask, but Slytherin to Slytherin, could he truly know if their motives were pure? He knew that Raislen and Heather would never lie to him, but when it came to homework, no one could be trusted!

In the face of Heather's Advanced Astronomy and Raislen's killer Plants assignment for Herbology, all thoughts of Voldemort and his Death Eaters were forgotten. At least until the next morning at breakfast. Regulus's parents always had the Daily Prophet sent to him via owl every morning at his request. While Raislen, Heather and Severus sleepily attended to their morning plates of food, Regulus read and reread an article, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he did.

"So is it good news for once," Severus asked at last. He was not a morning person to put it mildly, so it took him several minutes to wind up enough energy to be at all curious about precisely what had Regulus so worked up at such a bloody early hour. Had his sleep fogged brain been more alert, Severus would have suspected Death Eater activity, but he was not known for his clear head early in the morning. At night, he tended to become more alert and energized no matter how tired he may have been all day. Mornings were his bane.

"Just a bit of victory for us is all," Regulus said excitedly. "The streets are being cleaned of Muggle criminals along with the trash. As if burning witches and wizards wasn't enough, they also do murder and worse on their own. It's disgusting." Raislen reached over to pluck the newspaper from Regulus's hands.

"Wanna share that," he quipped. Regulus grinned, allowing Raislen to read the article without objecting. He did, then passed it silently to Severus. Severus took the paper, scanning the story on the front page. The Dark Mark was chalked onto two Muggle streets in downtown London near the dead bodies of two Muggle criminals and a cluster of dead homeless Muggles. Clearly Voldemort and his Death Eaters wanted to make certain they got the credit for these deeds without a doubt. Severus wondered if the Lestranges were involved. It stood to reason that they were. How did he feel about it?

He thought that over as Heather took the paper from his hands. She skimmed the article before passing it back to Regulus. It only took Severus that long to decide that he did not really care what Voldemort and his lot did to criminals and homeless. They were wastes of space that society was often expected to spend their hard earned money to support and clean up after. In a way, taking them out was better for all involved. Not that he'd ever say that anything Voldemort did was good, but he would not waste energy avenging homeless madmen or drug addicts when more valuable Muggles were being killed too. Those more valuable Muggles like Tobias Snape were who Severus wanted to make Voldemort pay for taking out. Regulus carefully removed the front page of the Daily Prophet which held the story of interest and tossed the rest aside, clearly no longer interested. "This is a good one. I'm saving it for my bedroom wall."

"Your bedroom wall?" Heather blinked at him in perplexed confusion.

"I have all the best of HIS achievements in a collection that I post up on my bedroom wall," Regulus explained proudly. "Looking at them gives me inspiration and motivation to study hard and accomplish great things so that I shall be worthy to serve when it is time." Severus noticed that in spite of his open adoration, Regulus was careful not to speak Voldemort's name aloud. Even though he was proud of his loyalty, it was still illegal.

Severus felt his lips twitching in an ironic smile that he couldn't bother to hide. It seemed Regulus Black had a wall full of horrors in his bedroom back home. How blasted charming. Noting his smile, Regulus returned it, likely assuming that Severus was impressed with his sense of decorating style and dedication. That suited Severus fine, because one day, he would need Regulus to speak a good word for him into Voldemort's ear.