The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was filled with an air of anticipation as the Professor Rakepick announced they would be studying boggarts that day. Regulus Black sat at his desk, his mind swirling with memories he wished to bury deep within himself.
As Rakepick explained the properties of boggarts and how to confront them, Regulus couldn't shake the feeling of dread settling in the pit of his stomach. He knew what his worst fear was, and he dreaded the moment he would have to face it.
He remembered the first time he encountered the boggart of Grimmauld Place. His mother had stood before him, her eyes ablaze with fury, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Regulus Black," the boggart-Mrs. Black shrieked, her voice piercing the silence like nails on a chalkboard. "You are a disgrace to the noble house of Black. A disappointment, a failure!"
When the time came to confront the boggart, Regulus stepped forward reluctantly, his heart pounding in his chest. As the wardrobe creaked open and the boggart emerged, he braced himself for the sight he had long dreaded.
But it wasn't his mother's scathing words or his father's disappointed gaze that greeted him. Instead, the boggart transformed into his brother, Sirius.
Regulus felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared at the apparition before him. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Sirius was supposed to be his ally, his protector, not his worst fear incarnate.
"Regulus" the boggart-Sirius sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You're just like them, aren't you? A coward, a disappointment. You'll never be anything more than a pawn in their game."
Regulus felt a surge of anger rise within him, but it was quickly overshadowed by the crushing weight of his brother's words. He had always feared disappointing his family, but to hear those same sentiments echoed by Sirius, the brother he had once looked up to, cut deeper than any curse.
"You're not my brother," Sirius continued, his voice echoing in the silent classroom. "I have a new brother now, someone who's actually worth something. James’ kind and joyful and everyone love him. Something that you’ll never be!"
The name hit Regulus like a physical blow, his chest tightening with a mixture of betrayal and hurt. James Potter, the Gryffindor golden boy, had stolen his brother away, leaving Regulus alone in the darkness that had consumed his family.
"You should have been that took the curse" the boggart-Sirius hissed, his voice like ice against Regulus' skin. "You stood by and did nothing while she tortured me. You're just as guilty as she is."
Regulus felt as though the ground had fallen out from beneath him, his legs threatening to give way beneath the weight of his guilt. He had known, deep down, that he was culpable for his brother's suffering, but to hear it spoken aloud, to see it mirrored in the twisted form of Sirius himself, was almost too much to bear.
The memory of that night haunted him, the sound of Sirius's screams echoing in his ears, a constant reminder of his own failure to act. He had stood by and watched as his brother suffered, paralyzed by fear and indecision, unable to find the strength to intervene.
As Regulus stood frozen in the grip of his fears, to lost in the illusion, Barty moved to stand in front of him, shielding him from the onslaught of the boggart.
The boggart, sensing a new target, shifted its form once more, taking on the visage of Barty's father. Mr. Crouch's stern expression bore down on them, his voice dripping with disdain as he berated his son for bringing shame upon their family name.
But Barty was not about to let his father's words hold power over him any longer. With a steely resolve, he raised his wand and cried out "Ridikulus!"
In an instant, the boggart-Father Crouch began to choke, his words turning to incomprehensible gurgles as his form contorted in a grotesque parody. Seeing an opportunity, Evan stepped forward, his wand at the ready. With a swift motion, he cast a spell of his own, sending the boggart hurtling back into the depths of the wardrobe where it belonged.
Regulus's heart pounded in his chest as he slumped back to his seat at the back of the DADA classroom. The encounter with the boggart had left him shaken, his thoughts a turbulent whirlwind of fear and self-doubt.
Hours later, Regulus sat in the dimly lit Slytherin common room. His fingers traced absentminded patterns on the cover of the book lying open in his lap, but his thoughts were far away, lost in the tumult of emotions swirling within him. It was only when a group of timid first-years approached him, their eyes wide with apprehension, that he was roused from his reverie.
"Um, excuse me, Regulus?" one of them ventured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Regulus blinked, turning his attention to the young Slytherins before him. "Yes? What is it?"
The first year shuffled nervously, exchanging hesitant glances with his companions. "There’s someone asking for you."
Regulus didn’t bother replying, cornering the page where he was before going to see who was requesting him.
When he arrives, the cold air immediately bites into his skin, but he didn’t even notice as he took in the sign of his brother standing before him, his expression uncharacteristically uncertain. Regulus felt a pang of apprehension, unsure of what to expect from his estranged brother.
"Sirius," he replied, his face carefully blank.
Sirius shifted uncomfortably, his eyes avoiding Regulus's gaze. "I know we haven't talked much lately," he began awkwardly. "But your… friends, came to see me and told me what happened earlier."
Regulus felt a surge of embarrassment wash over him at the thought of his private struggles being shared with Sirius. He opened his mouth to dismiss him, to brush off the conversation as nothing more than a momentary lapse of control, but Sirius intercepted him before he could speak.
"Regulus, wait," Sirius said, his voice firm but gentle. He stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on Regulus's shoulder and meeting his eyes with an intensity that took Regulus by surprise. "I just wanted you to know... you're my brother. That will never change. And whatever happened that night... I don't hold it against you. I love you Reggie, I always have, and I always will."
Regulus felt his breath catch in his throat, his heart constricting with a mixture of disbelief and longing. He had yearned for these words for so long, but to hear them spoken aloud, to see the sincerity shining in Sirius's eyes, was almost too much to bear.
"Sirius..." Regulus whispered, his voice choked with emotion. He reached out tentatively, his fingers trembling as they brushed against Sirius's hand on his shoulder. In that moment, surrounded by the comforting warmth of his brother's presence, Regulus felt a glimmer of hope stir within him – a hope for reconciliation, for forgiveness, and for a future where their bond as brothers would triumph over the pain of their past.