Chapter 20
REGULUS BLACK
Regulus had always desired this. The two of them, standing there, face to face.
But he had thought that it would long remain a dream, because Regulus was the perfect son of the family. Quiet. Smart. Docile. That was what his mother wanted of him, and anything else was unwanted and undesirable.
Initially, he had basked in that attention, that affection, for he had been blind to the poison that it came with. The poison and the expectations of servitude that went beyond just filial piety.
Sirius's rebellion had turned that affection into a cage, as he felt suffocated in his very home. He hated them. The Muggle-borns and the blood traitors, not for he believed in the drivel that he had been fed, but because they had taken his brother from him.
His joyous, prank-loving brother, who had promised never to abandon him. He hated them and began to believe her mother's words when she called the Muggle-borns monsters and thieves.
He had gone to that damned meeting to see these monsters for himself. To see the people who had ensnared his poor brother. And yet he had found him there, along with his friends, laughing and joking as the four of them made a fool of themselves and their friends, as Evans gave his little lecture.
He was a Snake, surrounded by other houses, and only a few seconds later, he had recognized the mistake that he had made, and just as he was about to leave, he had called out to him, seeing him even under that invisibility cloak of his.
"Everyone is welcome here, no matter their name, their house, or their blood status," and he had said that while looking straight at the corner where he stood, as he could see through his cloak.
And he could.
After that, he walked up to him, to an empty corner, and stood there against the wall as he spoke into the air.
"You don't have to leave just because you are a Slytherin, or a Blac…" and Regulus had thought it to be a ploy. A scheme to blackmail him.
"What do you want?" he had asked, through grinding teeth.
"Nothing," he had answered.
"I know that you have been told certain things about us mudbloods and blood traitors," and he was aware of the slurs they used for them all.
"Why don't you see if everything you have heard is true or not. We meet here nearly every week, you should come," he had offered, as he moved his hand and cast a wand less 'Lumos'.
"Next time, lose the cloak. I will tell you of a better way…."
That was his first interaction with the boy named Alder Evans, and ever since then, Regulus had learned much about him and the Muggle world. He had learned the truth, and yet that had not rid him of the hate he felt for them.
Not entirely.
"Are you just going to keep staring at me, or are we going to talk?" Regulus thundered, in his cold, calm voice.
"I never knew," his brother began, and the excuse came just as he had expected.
"Did you ever try to find out?" Regulus answered coldly, for he was the younger brother.
"No, but you were always the perfect son. I just thought…" and he scoffed.
"Do you have any idea what your little rebellion did to me? What it did to mother?' Of what I had to endure because of you?" and those grey eyes fell to the ground, as Sirius shook his head.
"I am sorry," and he had thought that he would scream. That he would curse him, and as he walked up to Sirius, he had every intention of doing that.
"Hit me! Curse me! I deserve it," Sirius added, and yet Regulus found himself reaching around him as he hugged his brother and wrapped his arms around him.
"I missed you, Sirius. I missed you so much," his words trembled, and Sirius slowly pulled up his hands as well, as he felt him nod.
"I missed you too, Reggie," and a chuckle escaped his lips as he hugged his brother, and felt himself more at ease than he had in years, and so they separated. He looked him in the eye and saw them glistening as he opened his mouth in some hope.
"Have you read the letter?" he asked, and his brows furrowed as his brother asked.
"What letter?" and Regulus was taken aback, for he had thought that it had been the letter which had brought this change of heart.
"The letter from grandfather," he asked, and his brother shrugged.
"Any mail with the name Black written on it goes straight into the fire," and he should have expected that.
"You damn idiot!" he cursed, as he slapped away his hands.
"HEY!" Sirius called out.
"But I should have expected this of you," Regulus whispered, as he rubbed his head.
"What? We were just getting to know one another. I don't care what grandfather has to say to me," and Regulus was quick to retort.
"But you should care! Even if you don't care about Mother and her politics, this time it's different," he added.
"How?" he asked.
"Grandfather's summoned us all," he told him/
"I am not coming…"
"You have to, Sirius," he added, and he was stunned.
"I have heard that he is rather angry with Uncle Cygnus over the marriages of his daughters, and him aligning us to the Dark Lord's cause," and now his brother's interests was piqued.
"So what?" he asked, and Regulus rolled his eyes.
"He just might dissolve them, especially if there is someone there to badmouth the Lestranges and Malfoys," and who else but Sirius could do that without any fear of retribution.
And he could see that mind racing, as Sirius considered his words.
"I don't know Regulus. I don't want to deal with mother and father again…."
"Do it for me," he spoke up.
"Do it for my forgiveness. Do it because it will give mother a head…."
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ALDER EVANS
Just because Alder chose not to speak of it did not mean that he had forgotten or forgiven Lucius and his friends for what they had done to him. For half a year, he had read the paper, and every week he would read of a dozen or so muggles dying mysteriously in their homes. The papers would write about it for a few days, and then they would be lost.
The Prophet would treat them like a footnote, pushing them away to the corner of a back page if even that.
But he read it all. And saw it for what it was. Voldemort was training his men. The unforgivable demanded more than just magic. They required malice and a complete disregard for human life.
As hateful and evil as Malfoy and his ilk may be, few of them had such malice and disregard for life to cast such magic with, with little to no remorse. This required training, careful and methodological training to remove any and all hints of hesitation and goodness from them.
Where these magics became nothing to them, and the human suffering at their hands nothing more than a sack of meat and blood.
He was using the muggles to train his army, and the wizarding world was happy to turn a blind eye to it, even though many saw it for what it was. They probably thought it was a harmless joke, or a prank, for that was the consideration muggles were worth.
But no more.
Alder was but a student, and though he enjoyed some influence because of his Club, he could hardly do anything about it by himself. Even if he were to name the culprits, the Aurors would not be able to lay a finer on Malfoy and his ilk, for they were the pure blood gentry.
He would need help, and he knew the perfect person to ask.
So, a few letters later, the Headgirl now stood in front of him, with her big, round glasses, and that rather tidy blonde bun of hers. She was in her final year and was one of the most feared people within the school.
"If you are here to hand in another resignation, you can take it up with McGona…"
"No," he cut in, as he stopped Amelia mid-sentence.
"I have long come to terms with the fact that I am not getting out of this disaster," and she nodded.
And she raised a brow and adjusted her glasses.
"So, what is this about?" Alder leaned against the wall.
"Your brother's an Auror, right?" and she nodded.
"Yes," and his smile must have shown.
"If you are looking for a reference, I don't do that. You will have to…"
"Why do you always presume so much about me. Let me finish," he retorted, and the girl rolled her hands.
"Then be quick about it. You don't have to give me a whole story. Tell me what you want?" and that was why she was still single, or at least to his knowledge she was. However, he did not know the truth.
"I want your brother to arrest Malfoy and his friends the next time they go on one of their hunting trips," and that shut her up, as those orbs blinked owlishly for a few seconds, as she gawked out.
"Did you just say that you want to help my brother arrest Malfoy and his gang?" and he nodded.
"Yup," he answered, exaggerating the 'P' as the girl took off her glasses, and took a deep breath.
"And why would he do that?"
"Because they are killing people, and I know Edgar Bones has been trying to do something about it for some time," and she raised a brow.
"And this has nothing to do with the fact that you have just recently had a rather public feud with Malfoy and his gang?" and he shrugged.
"I won't deny that the incident did not add to the motivation. But I am not going to let them murder innocent muggles without any repercussions," and now Bones was interested.
She did not answer immediately, as she continued to rub her rather squarish chin.
"How?" she finally cut through the silence as he smiled.
"The next time they leave for one of their expeditions, I will give you a tip that you will need to pass on to your brother. I will give you the location, and the rest I leave up to him," and then he could catch them in the act, making it nearly impossible for them to scurry their way out of trouble then.
"Let us, for a moment, think that I agree to do this for you. How will you even know which place they are going to target?" and he shrugged.
"You leave that to me. Just tell me, are you in or are you out?" and she refused to look away, as silence hung in the air.
"I know that you and Malfoy have had a spat, but these are serious matters. These are very dangerous people. I don't want to see you getting into trouble for just simple revenge," and he shook his head.
"It's not about revenge. They are killing people, Bones. And that needs to be stopped," and he was firm in that.
"You can help me in that, or I will look for another way," and that lit a fire in that gaze.
"Sure then," she agreed as she offered her hand.
"Get me the tip, and I will get it to my brother," and with that, they shook hands, as an unlikely alliance was formed.
.
.
.
And later that night, three of the Maurauders gathered in the secret classroom as they waited for their helper, and Alder walked into the room as he rubbed his hands and announced seriously.
"Now who here is ready to become an Animagus…."
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