Chapter 1
Ever since Regulus was born, an unrelenting chill had gripped his very soul. It was not simply the absence of warmth but a consuming frost that spread through his veins, encasing his heart in an icy prison. Each breath felt like inhaling shards of glass, each heartbeat a struggle against the encroaching cold. Sometimes the frost brought a numbing relief, a shield against the harshness of his world. But more often, it left him feeling hollow, yearning desperately for a warmth he had never known. He wished on every star in the Black family tapestry that he could be normal. Not the twisted normalcy of the Blacks, which was more like a chilling void, but the true warmth and simplicity he sensed existed beyond the confines of his family's dark and oppressive world.
Regulus' first accidental magic occurred when he was just six months old. His brother Sirius, a year older, had crawled into his crib to soothe his crying after the loud noise of Kreacher's apparition startled him. Sirius, with his warm touch and bright spirit, was the closest thing to comfort Regulus had ever known. By an unlucky chance, their mother Walburga decided to visit her newborn that day, a rare occurrence indeed. She was already in a foul mood as one of her social tea parties had apparently gone haywire, her frustration a storm brewing behind her cold eyes.
Catching her heir in such a vulnerable position, comforting his younger brother, was just the excuse she needed. She yanked Sirius by the hair and threw him to the ground with a venomous snarl. As Sirius cried out, she taunted, “Soothing your brother won't do you any good. Soon you will realize what it takes to be the heir,” and with a cruel flick of her wand, slashed his Achilles heel.
Regulus, startled by the abrupt and violent removal of his brother, sobbed in terror and confusion. As he watched Sirius cry, the cold within him intensified. It was as if he had been plunged into an ice bath, the chill seeping deeper into his bones. Rather than fighting it, he let it consume him. The ice spikes grew and extended, cutting and breaking everything inside of him, until his small body could no longer contain the magical eruption.
As Walburga raised her wand again, the icy magic burst out of Regulus, sending their mother crashing into the wall. Everyone stood in stunned silence, the only sound the warbling of a protective bubble around Sirius. Sirius looked at his little brother, Reggie, with a mix of awe and fear, then glanced at Walburga. Dread flooded him as he glimpsed the furious expression she wore.
Walburga stormed over to the crib where Regulus lay, her eyes blazing with anger. But instead of striking him, she did something nobody expected. She picked him up, cradled him against her chest, and whispered, “You will be my little king.” Her voice was a chilling promise, and Regulus felt the weight of her words like a crown of ice settling on his brow.
As the years passed, Regulus's relationship with Sirius grew more complicated. Walburga's favoritism towards Regulus only served to deepen the rift between the brothers. Sirius, always the fiery rebel, clashed with their mother's rigid expectations, while Regulus, ever the dutiful son, buried his true feelings beneath layers of frost. Yet, despite their differences, a bond persisted, fragile and strained, but unbroken.
Regulus excelled at Hogwarts, his academic prowess surpassing even his family's lofty expectations. By his fourth year, he had achieved perfect scores in all his subjects. The professors, recognizing his potential, offered him the unprecedented opportunity to take his OWLs early and advance to his sixth year. The news reached Walburga quickly, and she demanded he accept, seeing it as a testament to the Black family's superiority.
Secretly, Regulus saw it as an opportunity to reconnect with Sirius, who was now in his sixth year. The chance to bridge the growing chasm between them, to prove that despite everything, they were still brothers. Little did he know, this decision would set off a chain of events that would change everything.