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Chapter 24. 
Summer 1970. 3. 

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Regal is surprised. 
By the welcome he received when 

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he. 
Returned home for the summer of 

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1970. 3. 
He hadn't known what to expect, 

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but with his parents, things 
could always go either way. 

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Luckily, they seemed to be in an
especially good mood. 

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Creature rushed to carry his 
back before he'd even fully 

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stepped through the front door, 
and his mother led him upstairs.

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Her steps brisk. 
But not angry. 

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In his room, he found a new set 
of robes in a pad of textbooks 

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neatly stacked on his. 
Desk for a year of good. 

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Work, she had said, her voice 
flat as usual, but there was no 

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harshness to it. 
No scale or raised brow. 

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If anything, it felt like 
praise. 

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In its own. 
Way, though no smile came with 

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it. 
Wrigglers had nodded, his chest 

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tightening with a strange and 
nervous satisfaction. 

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Maybe, he thought, the summer 
wouldn't be too bad after all. 

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It only took three days, 
however, before boredom set in. 

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Three days before, the weight of
summer pressed in on him, and he

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found himself. 
Opening those. 

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New textbooks determined not to 
let barter get too much of A 

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head start. 
The material was already more 

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interesting than anything they 
had done the previous year. 

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Most of that stuff burglars had 
learnt by the age of 8, but 

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still it wasn't enough to fill 
his days entirely. 

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He revised diligently for hours,
but in between pages he would 

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take. 
Out his quill. 

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And sketch quick lines and 
shapes hidden between the 

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margins. 
It was a secret hobby, one that 

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nobody else would know about, 
and so he kept the drawings 

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brief, like little rewards for a
job well done. 

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When the headaches from long 
hours of studying grew too 

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intense, regulars would take his
broom out for a quick flight, 

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just in case he decided to try 
out for Quidditch next year. 

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He never flew When? 
His parents were home. 

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He wasn't sure how they'd react 
to him wasting time on something

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they didn't consider useful, but
when they were away at meetings 

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or his mother was busy with one 
of her guests, regulars would 

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sneak out into the yard, flying 
circles and practising dives 

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until the air fell too thin in 
his lungs. 

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One time regulars found himself 
unexpectedly invited to one of 

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his parents many clandestine 
meetings. 

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They had mentioned it at last 
Christmas, but it felt surreal 

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when 12 year old regulars sat in
a dimly lit room filled with 

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adults, each engaged in further 
discussions about politics and 

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how to elevate a new contender 
to power the. 

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Gathering consisted. 
Mostly of the same 5 people who 

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dominated the conversation, 
including his father who 

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radiated authority. 
Regulus watched as the room 

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quieted at his father's 
slightest word, the others 

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leaning in as if drinking in 
every syllable. 

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The power dynamics fascinated 
Regulus. 

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He felt both small and strangely
privileged to witness this 

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world. 1 He was told he would 
soon be part of the only other. 

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Boy present was. 
Robert Stand the Strange, who 

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sat next to Belichick's in the 
far corner of the room. 

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Despite being somewhat his age, 
Robiston somehow managed to 

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project an air of importance, 
his laughter echoing through the

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room as he exchanged knowing 
glances with the adults. 

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Regulars. 
Envied that confidence, wishing 

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he could understand the 
discussions around him and 

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contributed something 
meaningful. 

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As the meeting drew to a close, 
the Black family was the first 

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to leave. 
The oppressive atmosphere 

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lingered as they approached back
to Grimoll Place, the familiar 

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surroundings feeling both 
comforting and stifling. 

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Regulus was. 
Bursting with questions. 

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Wanting to ask. 
His parents, what the meeting 

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had. 
Really been about he he 

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understood only half of it, and 
the other half had slipped away 

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as his mind wandered the only 
thing he. 

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Gathered was that? 
This new politician was a 

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promising man, someone poised to
do great things for the 

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wizarding world, and that didn't
sound too bad. 

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He didn't attend any more. 
Meetings after that. 

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Though his days might have 
slipped into a mullet in his 

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routine if not for the letters 
he hadn't expected his friends 

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to write. 
But the first letter came from 

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Barty, only a few days after 
they'd parted at King's Cross. 

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It was full of complaints about 
his father and how much he 

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already missed being at 
Hogwarts. 

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Regulus had agreed with every 
word, though he never wrote that

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down. 
Writing anything bad about his 

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family felt wrong, even when he 
thought it so he carefully 

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avoided any mention of parents 
and stuck. 

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To the rest. 
Of the lettuce content. 

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But he had asked him about 
flying, about what he had been 

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studying, and Regulus found it 
easy to respond to those things.

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A more formal letter arrived 
from Astrid shortly after, 

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complete with the picture she'd 
attached of her with her family 

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in Spain. 
Regulus had known Astrid would 

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write. 
She had even asked him before 

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the term ended if it would be 
all right. 

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But it felt. 
Strange, nonetheless, to hold a 

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letter in his hands, as if 
receiving it made their 

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friendships something more 
official. 

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He read it in secret. 
Making sure no one else. 

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Saw sometimes regulars and 
series. 

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Would cross paths in the house, 
usually on the way to the Owl 

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ry, but that changed after the 
mother after their mother 

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intercepted a letter from James,
predictably. 

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She was furious that Sirius is 
still in contact with that 

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Potter whelp. 
Their father got involved this 

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time, and regulars could hear 
the lecture clearly from his 

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room even though the door was 
shut tight. 

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The Potters are not your 
friend's son. 

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Orion's voice boomed. 
They may want you to think they 

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care about you, but I can assure
you they do not. 

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People like them are determined 
to stamp out the way of life 

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that our family has spent 
centuries protecting. 

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They would see your cower before
muggles suppress your magic for 

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what they consider the greater 
good. 

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They would see our communities 
polluted, our children's minds 

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poisoned. 
Sirius was no longer allowed to 

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use the Owl Ree after that, 
their already strained 

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encounters dwindled into a kind 
of silent truce. 

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They would pass each other 
occasionally in the halls, their

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eyes catching for just a moment 
before they looked away again. 

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Sometimes it was hard to tell 
whether the brief. 

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Glances had anything? 
Like forgiveness, or if the 

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resentment lingered just beneath
the surface every now and then. 

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Regulus thought he saw confusion
in Sirius's eyes, like he didn't

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understand why his little 
brother still made the effort. 

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And Regulus didn't quite 
understand it either. 

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He wasn't sure what it was that 
made him try. 

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Maybe it was the fact that no 
matter how angry he was in 

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Sirius, he couldn't fully let go
of the brother he'd grown up 

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with. 
He told himself that it was only

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natural to care for Sirius, 
that's what brothers did. 

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So he left clean bandages 
outside Sirius's door on nights 

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when he heard him moving about 
restlessly, knowing the 

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punishments the mother could 
inflict. 

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He pretended not to notice when 
Sirius defaced 1 of Orion's 

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prized books in a fit of rage. 
He even snuck into Sirius room 

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one night, slipping in to bed 
beside him, saying nothing, just

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lying there until Sirius's 
breathing steadied and he fell 

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asleep. 
The next morning, they acted as 

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though it had never happened, 
and yet Regulus's own feelings 

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were more tangled than he could 
admit. 

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Every time he tried to reach 
out, every time he did something

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kind for Sirius, the anger still
cement, still cement beneath the

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surface. 
He remembered how series had 

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ignored him at school, how he'd 
laugh with James instead of with

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instead of with his little 
brother. 

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He thought about the time series
had ruined their parents plans 

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for fun, not caring that it 
would be regulars who had to 

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explain it. 
It was confusing, and he 

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couldn't help but think it was 
all serious fault. 

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The week of the betrothal 
ceremony, however, Regulus found

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himself sparing the extra 
sympathy for his brother. 

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He knew their parents believed 
they were doing what was best, 

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but they thought they were 
preserving tradition and 

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securing the family's future. 
But there was no way around the 

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fact that being forced to marry 
your cousin was objectively 

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awful. 
Sirius was livid, of course, and

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for once, Regulus didn't blame 
him. 

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He tiptoed around Sirius the 
entire week, sensing his 

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brother's foul mood, feeling the
storm brewing in the space 

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between them, ready to erupt at 
any moment. 

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On the morning of the ceremony, 
Sirius woke up looking like a 

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ghost. 
The lively spark that usually 

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danced in his eyes had been 
snuffed out, leaving them cold 

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and distant, void of any of the 
usual fire. 

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His skin was ashen, paler than 
Regulars had ever seen it, and 

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his whole body seemed to sag 
with the weight of what was to 

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come. 
It was unsettling. 

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Regulars had never seen his 
brother like this before, and it

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scared him more than he cared to
admit. 

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But all the while, Nessus's 
plan, well re missus plan, 

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really kept turning over in his 
mind. 

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It had to work. 
They'd been careful, they'd 

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planned every detail, and if 
everything went as expected, 

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then Sirius would be OK again. 
Just before the ceremony was 

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about to begin, and Sirius still
looked like he was halfway in 

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the grave, Regulus reached out, 
gently taking his brother's 

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hand. 
It'll be OK, I promise, just 

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wait. 
He whispered. 

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Sirius barely registered the 
words. 

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His eyes were fixed on Assessor 
standing ahead of them. 

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In her gown, Assessor didn't 
even look like a real person 

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anymore. 
Draped in elaborate lace and 

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silk, she seemed more like a 
character from a tragic tale or 

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an old family portrait. 
The fierceness in her gaze 

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betrayed the finality of what 
was coming. 

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Their uncle was already 
speaking, droning on about the 

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sanctity of tradition, the 
importance of the family's 

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legacy, and hard times ahead. 
Regulars, meanwhile, tried to 

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discreetly dry his sweaty palms 
against the fabric of his dress 

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robes, his hands shaking as he 
waited for the scissor to make 

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her move. 
And then she stood up. 

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We have to stop this at once. 
She didn't shout, but her voice 

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was clear and sharp, cutting 
through the ceremony like a 

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knife. 
The crowd fell silent, the 

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tension in the air growing thick
and oppressive. 

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Regulus felt his heart stutter 
in his chest as he shot a quick 

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glance over at Series. 
His brother's eyes widened in 

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shock, mirroring the expressions
on the faces of the rest of the 

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Black family. 
For a brief second, their eyes 

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met, and Sirius couldn't help 
but crack a small, disbelieving 

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smile. 
Though he tried to suppress it 

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and wasn't over yet. 
Missus's father was the first to

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react. 
He stepped towards his daughter,

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hissing under his breath. 
What do you think you're playing

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at? 
But Missus, I didn't flinch. 

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Her chin remained high, her 
expression unwavering as she 

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leaned closer to her parents and
whispered something. 

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Regulus had no idea what she 
said, but the effect was 

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immediate. 
His aunt fainted right there, 

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collapsing onto the lawn with a 
soft thought. 

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The murmuring in the. 
Crowd grew louder. 

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Whispers swelling into a 
cacophony of speculation, 

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Regulus watched as his mother 
stormed forward, her fury barely

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contained. 
She demanded to know what was 

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happening, her voice sharp and 
venomous. 

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I made an unbreakable vow. 
Necesa declared, loud enough for

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the entire gathering to hear. 
Her voice didn't waver, her gaze

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meeting while Burghar blacks 
with cold defiance. 

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What then? 
Mother spat, her tone dripping 

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with venom. 
It wasn't a question, more like 

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an accusation. 
I vowed to marry Lucius Malfoy 

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as soon as I finished my notes. 
The air seemed to freeze. 

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Regalus's heart pounded so hard 
he thought it might burst out of

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his chest. 
The sheer audacity of it left 

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him both terrified and 
exhilarated. 

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Necesa. 
Perfect, composed, rule abiding 

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Necesa had done the unthinkable.
She had defied their family 

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publicly. 
For a moment, everything was 

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00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,440
silent, as though the entire 
world held its breath. 

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And then chaos erupted. 
Everyone started shouting at 

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00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:04,720
once. 
His uncle tried to restrain his 

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mother, who looked ready to 
hurl. 

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Hex's unnecessary bright flashes
of light filled the air as 

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curses were thrown, mostly by 
enraged relatives unable to 

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control their tempers. 
Regulars courtside of their 

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third cousin accidentally 
knocking off Great Aunt 

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Aladora's hat with a stray jinx,
sending her flailing about 

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00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,840
trying to retrieve it. 
Through the mayhem, Sirius 

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00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:30,360
managed to slip away from the 
centre of attention. 

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00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,280
He darted through the chaos and 
found Regulars ducking behind a 

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00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,720
nearby statue for cover. 
The two of them peered out from 

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their hiding spot, watching 
their family members scream and 

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curse at each other. 
Did you know? 

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00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,200
Sirius asked, his voice still 
tinged with disbelief. 

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00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:52,160
He was still pale, but his eyes 
had regained some of their old 

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00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:54,360
fire. 
Regulars nodded. 

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00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:59,120
Mrs. He wrote to me last night, 
told me not to tell you, said we

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00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,200
couldn't risk giving anything 
away, but I told you everything 

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00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,720
would be all right. 
It wasn't entirely true. 

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00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:09,960
Regulars hadn't known for long, 
but he thought it better to to 

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00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,640
keep the peace. 
He didn't want to ruin the rare 

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00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:17,280
moment they were sharing this 
fragile threat of unity that had

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00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,760
formed between them. 
Luckily, Sirius didn't seem to 

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00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,560
question it. 
Instead, he laughed, a real, 

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00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,120
genuine laugh, and regulars 
couldn't help but join in even 

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00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,120
as their great aunt frantically 
tried to retrieve her hat from 

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the grass. 
They laughed together, huddled 

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00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,240
behind the statue as to betray 
the ceremony crumbled round 

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00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:46,480
them. 
Regulars had hoped that once the

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00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,360
betrothed ceremony was over, 
Sirius might return to him, that

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00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,440
they could go back to being 
brothers, talking like normal 

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00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,640
people again. 
But that hope quickly faded, 

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00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,320
leaving him feeling hollow and 
confused. 

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00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,720
In the days following the 
ceremony, it was almost as if 

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00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,160
things had worsened. 
Regulars sensed a change in the 

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00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,640
air. 
Sirius was distant, like a 

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00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,080
shadow slipping away from him, 
and regulars couldn't grasp what

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00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:14,120
he had done to deserve this cold
treatment. 

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00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:18,240
Or maybe it was simply then. 
Sirius felt free now, no longer 

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00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:21,400
tied down by family 
expectations, and didn't need to

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00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:23,560
bother keeping regulars on his 
good side anymore. 

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00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,000
Whatever the reason, the rift 
only grew wider, leaving 

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00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,800
regulars alone in his room for 
the remaining days of summer. 

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00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,560
He stopped even trying to catch 
his brother's eye in the in the 

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00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:41,400
halls, retreating into his 
solitude as the final week 

276
00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:43,720
before returning to Hogwarts 
ticked down. 

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00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:45,760
Regulus was startled. 
When his parents. 

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00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:47,360
Called him into his father's 
study. 

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00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,720
They stood before him, looming 
and ominous, as if he were 

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00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:53,560
awaiting his sentencing in a 
courtroom. 

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00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,280
He had grown accustomed to these
moments of isolation with his 

282
00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:01,040
parents, his father's steely 
demeanour, his mother's 

283
00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,840
simmering anger. 
But it didn't make it any less 

284
00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:08,200
intimidating. 
We just wanted to remind you to 

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00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,440
behave this year. 
His mother began, her voice 

286
00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,880
clipped and demanding. 
Highest grades in all classes, 

287
00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,240
and I expect extra praise from 
all of your teachers. 

288
00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,360
His mother. 
He replied, his voice barely 

289
00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:26,000
above a whisper. 
Good, turn around. 

290
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,760
She commanded, reaching for her 
want resting on the polished 

291
00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,600
desk. 
Regulus's heart raced at the 

292
00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,560
sight. 
No, wait. 

293
00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,480
He began instinctively sensing 
the danger. 

294
00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,960
He focused on her wound, 
clenched tightly. 

295
00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:44,360
In her hand. 
Dread pooling in his stomach. 

296
00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,400
What had he done this time? 
Or rather, what had serious done

297
00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:54,040
to provoke her wrath? 
Do not talk back to me, Regulus.

298
00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,520
This is simply a reminder of 
your duties. 

299
00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,760
Her voice rose sharp and 
furious, her eyes flashing with 

300
00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,720
venom as she extended her arm. 
You must understand the utter 

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00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,440
importance of your obligations. 
Turn around. 

302
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,920
Panic flooded regulars as he 
shook with fear, knowing exactly

303
00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:17,040
what was coming. 
He hesitated, but knew he had no

304
00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:20,240
choice. 
Reluctantly, he pulled up the 

305
00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:24,319
leg of his trousers, exposing 
his skin, and turned away from 

306
00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:27,839
her as he braced himself for the
strike. 

307
00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:32,160
Tears pricked at the corners of 
his eyes, a mix of pain and 

308
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:36,600
helplessness. 
He didn't scream this time, he 

309
00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:38,720
had learned that would only 
provoke her further. 

310
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,400
Instead, he bit his tongue, 
determined to endure. 

311
00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,640
Each strike felt like a Thunder 
clap echoing through the quiet 

312
00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,800
study, each blow a reminder of 
the expected behaviour he would 

313
00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:55,520
have to uphold. 
He closed his eyes tightly, 

314
00:17:56,040 --> 00:18:00,880
trying to retreat into his own 
mind, wishing away the pain as 

315
00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,400
he repeated silently to himself 
what he needed to do to make 

316
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:05,120
them proud.