In Harry Potter's sixth year, Sirius Black announced his marriage with great joy and held a grand banquet.
During his recovery, his bond with Remus Lupin deepened, and the two decided to form a family.
Same-sex marriages among wizards were not unheard of, but they were usually conducted in secret. Those involved rarely let the outside world know, and even if they did, the couple would not openly live together—much like Dumbledore and the Dark Lord of the previous era.
Sometimes, love alone was enough.
However, Sirius Black's approach displeased many. He was seen as the hope of the Black family, bearing the responsibility of continuing the bloodline. Since Regulus Black had not yet produced any groundbreaking research results, all hopes rested on Sirius marrying and having children.
But after years of freedom, he stubbornly delayed marriage. Whether it was because he refused to be the head of the Black family or simply did not want to continue its lineage, no one knew.
Now, he had gone so far as to marry a man. This was seen as abandoning the family's hope entirely—another betrayal of the Black name.
When The Daily Prophet reported the matter, they made special mention of Regulus Black, speculating on how the Duke of Black would react. Whatever he did, it seemed unlikely to end well. Everyone waited nervously.
"How dare you announce your marriage without telling me first! You took matters into your own hands because I've treated you too well, is that it?"
Regulus Black was furious. He struck her body again and again, each blow drawing a cry of pain, her muscles trembling and dripping with sweat.
"Low profile! Do you even understand what that means? By doing this, how am I supposed to handle the consequences? You're just asking for a beating!"
He yanked on the ropes, hoisting her into the air, then continued thrashing her without restraint.
"The Black family is ruined at your hands. Tell me, how should I deal with you? Must I beat you to death?"
Regulus seized her face, forcing her to look at him.
"Kill me! I can't take it anymore—just end it for good!"
By then, Rita Skeeter was flushed pink like a boiled lobster, her mind growing hazy. Hours of madness had left her completely undone.
"No matter what I give you, you still won't get pregnant. Was provoking me really worth it?"
Regulus had already lost count of how many times he had stopped himself. Each time, after he poured into her, a few words from her would reignite his fury, and he would thrash her all over again.
"You're considerate, and you know exactly how to rile me up. Such chances are rare indeed."
It turned out Rita Skeeter had planned this all along. She discovered that Regulus Black was most passionate when he was angry. That was when he would force her into every position imaginable and punish her mercilessly—precisely what she wanted.
"Enough talk. That's it for today. Didn't you say you wanted to die? Swallow this—let's see if it chokes you first!"
Regulus shoved her head down roughly.
Later, after both had bathed and lain down in bed, Regulus still had to consider how to handle the matter.
Sirius had paid a large sum to The Daily Prophet to publish the news of his marriage with Lupin. Rita Skeeter was not entirely to blame. Yet this reckless woman took all the responsibility on herself, just so Regulus would punish her.
Now she had been beaten and cursed, but the real problem still remained.
"Tomorrow you'll publish this: Regulus Black sends his blessings to Sirius Black on his marriage, but he will not attend the wedding. Since Sirius failed to fulfill his family duty of marrying a witch and producing heirs, the Black family's assets will not be handed to such an irresponsible man. However, as a wedding gift, I, his younger brother, am willing to let him use the old Black family home for life without reclaiming it. Kreacher, however, will not stay with him—I trust two grown men can manage their household chores."
With that, Regulus gave Rita Skeeter a sharp slap on the backside.
"Have you written all of that down?"
"Yes! Word for word. Should I publish it exactly as you said?" she asked cautiously, not daring to alter his words.
"Exactly. My foolish brother enjoys making a scene—so I'll indulge him this once."
The next day, Regulus Black's marriage blessing appeared as a headline. Its content shocked everyone, yet they found it understandable. With such a troublesome brother, Regulus had already done the best he could.
This solution preserved the dignity of the Black family while preventing Sirius from dragging them down.
"No wonder they call him the Duke of Black. Don't you agree, Wormtail?"
Lucius Malfoy, who had orchestrated Arthur Weasley's death and secured the position of Department Head, now sat in Voldemort's left-hand seat, his status elevated.
Peter Pettigrew, who had once helped resurrect Voldemort, now served as Malfoy's subordinate.
Lucius's pointed question was a warning—since it was Pettigrew who had proposed targeting Regulus Black, this was a reminder not to overstep.
Peter, bitter at heart, knew he lacked power, influence, and looks compared to other Death Eaters. Without achievements, he would eventually be pushed aside, perhaps even barred from entering the council chamber.
He had no way to argue against Malfoy's warning. All he could do was smile weakly.
Meanwhile, the handsome Harry Potter at school read the gossip about the Black brothers in The Daily Prophet.
But that was nothing compared to Hogwarts' own shocking news: Professor Sybill Trelawney was pregnant and could no longer teach Divination. Her replacement would be Regulus Black himself.
After five years as an assistant, Regulus had finally become a professor.
Divination professor at Hogwarts, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry—compared to Sirius, Regulus's accomplishments made Sirius's offense against him seem even more unforgivable.
Regulus had successfully recommended countless people for positions within the Ministry. Every time, his choices had been approved. A one-hundred-percent success rate in politics was nothing short of miraculous.
When high positions opened, while others speculated on who might be chosen, Regulus could point to someone and say, "It's you." His foresight and influence were unmatched. Many regretted not building ties with him sooner—how many opportunities had they missed!
Though Professor Trelawney left her teaching role due to pregnancy, she remained at Hogwarts to prepare for the birth. Before following Dumbledore to the school, she had been a wandering witch—homeless and poor.
"Sybill! I can hardly believe you're with child. You've never left Hogwarts. Did you meet someone in Hogsmeade?"
As an adult, Professor McGonagall asked directly. Out-of-wedlock pregnancy, even in the wizarding world, still branded the child illegitimate and harmed their future status. Yet many wizarding children were born this way, and many of them eventually ended up as fallen wizards in Knockturn Alley.
"Actually… this child is Black's."
Sybill Trelawney answered shyly, leaving Professor McGonagall utterly stunned.
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