RISE OF THE FALL | R.B.

XXX.

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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CHAPTER XXX.

The Slytherin Common Room was in pieces.

As another explosion rattled the castle, Dumbledore yelled, "ENOUGH!"

Josie and Lucius both froze, and turned slowly to face the Headmaster, whom they had not noticed until now. Their wand arms were still raised, and they turned their aims to the Professor.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in realisation as he noticed their foggy eyes and blank gazes, and turned to Reia.

"Get them to my office. Immediately." He ordered sharply, after he disarmed both of the students with a quick wave of his wand, and then cast a charm that made them both fall asleep. Reia ran over and caught them both by their arms.

Realising they were too heavy for her to carry all by herself, she turned to the other presence in the room, aside from Professor Dumbledore.

She knew he was there—with his hand grasping his wand so tightly his knuckles were white, and his face pale.

"Mr. Black," Dumbledore said quietly, "Come."

Regulus made his way out from the shadows and immediately turned to Reia pleadingly and said softly, "Please, Rei. I can explain—I didn't want—I was—,"

Reia glared at him, "Be quiet. Go to Professor Dumbledore."

Regulus fell silent and gave her one last glance—she didn't know what sort of look it was—whether it was anxious, sad, regretful, or guilt—she didn't know.

But she quickly turned away and refused to meet his eyes.

The moment he turned to Professor Dumbledore, Regulus dropped his wand at his feet and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Professor. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I understand...I understand if you have to expel me—,"

"Silence, Mr. Black," Dumbledore said, shaking his head, "I've known for a long time that the majority of the Slytherin students would become Death Eaters, whether willingly or not. I had been hoping...I was hoping that Miss Lupin's influence would change your mind...but I thought wrong, I suppose," He sighed in disappointment and then said, "Accompany Miss Lupin to my office. We will talk there. You are lucky few students were severely harmed, and that they heeded your warning and headed up to their dorms immediately. That was a wise move—I must admit—though it does nothing to excuse your other actions. Now, go. I will fix up the Common Room. Help Miss Lupin take your friends to my office."

Regulus exhaled deeply and said shakily, "Thank you, Professor."

And then he obediently turned to Reia and, without meeting her eyes or so much as glancing at her, he took Lucius and slung his friend's arm around his shoulder, and went out of the Common Room.

Reia followed, carrying Josie, and the moment the portrait of Salazar Slytherin slid shut behind them, she snapped, "Get back here, Black."

Regulus froze, but he didn't turn his head as he said, "Why?"

"Why did you do that?" Reia asked, lowering her voice, "Why did you...join them?"

"Join the Death Eaters? Reia," Regulus sighed in exasperation, "I had no choice! I've explained to you before—and I warned all the students before the worst came—I told them all to go to their dorms, and lock their doors with all the protective enchantments they could think of—I told them to protect themselves! Did you honestly think that the Dark Lord would ever just let me sit around and do nothing? He trusted me to do as he said—to destroy the school as much as we could, starting from the Slytherin Common Room—without putting me under the Imperius Curse. Josie and Lucius had to be put under the curse, Rei! I tried to protect them—but the Dark Lord was speaking through Josie to me—and ordered me to destroy the place! Do you think I had a choice? I convinced him the three of us could do the job—that we could manage without the help of Avery and Mulciber and all the others. He threatened me! He threatened me with everything I had—my friends, my brother, my family, you!"

Reia fell silent.

Perhaps it was true.

Perhaps Slytherins were just as brave as the Gryffindors, if not braver.

They just weren't proud of it—they didn't want to be brave.

But they should be proud of it, shouldn't they?

They continued making their way out of the dungeons and up to the Headmaster's Office in silence.

Suddenly, Reia said, "You should be proud of it, you know."

"What is there to be proud of about me?" Regulus snapped, though his tone was more tired than angry, "I was always my parents' perfect son—the Heir of my family, and the role-model to all of my cousins. But while I stay away from muggles...I don't believe they shouldn't exist. I don't believe them to be filthy. Because we're sometimes muggles too, aren't we? Just...people, trapped somewhere without any magic to help us—and it just makes me appreciate how lucky we are to have wands and to have magic. Because at least we have our magic to come back to. Those muggles—they stand no chance against the Dark Lord. Even those with magical blood sometimes stand no chance. Some problems even magic can't fix."

He still didn't meet her gaze and continued walking, seeming calm, but Reia knew that he was shaking.

They went into the Headmaster's office and gently laid Lucius and Josie on the floor, before Regulus turned away silently and went to sit at the other side of the room.

Reia rushed to catch up to him and seized his wrist, "Regulus."

The boy just sighed and said, "Reia."

"I don't know how hard it is, to be so good under the control of such a bad wizard," Reia said, shaking her head, "I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" Regulus whispered, "I don't do much. I'm useless."

"You are not useless," Reia snarled, "I don't know how you're so good, growing up in such a strict, prejudiced family and turning out to be as good as you are. I don't know how you're so brave, standing up for your friends and peers and protecting those around you even when you have been forced to follow the Dark Lord's instructions."

Regulus sighed and shook his head, "Reia, if I was truly brave, I would've fought to the end and I wouldn't have allowed myself to become a Death Eater in the first place."

He took Reia's hand in his and said, "There's a difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin—even though we are similar in many ways. Gryffindors are brave to their ends—they fight until the end, and fight so hard that even if they don't survive, they know they have done good for the world. Slytherins are brave only to the point that they deem wisest—if us Slytherins believe we won't survive, we won't continue to fight. We're cunning, and ambitious, and in the end we will find a way to get out of what we've failed to fight, however dishonourable it may seem. But to us, as long as we have our goals in mind, we believe we can get out of everything. There's a difference. We are ambitious. They are brave."

Author's Note:

I hope you liked the chapter, do vote and comment to let me know if you did!

Also, I'd like you to tell me if you think my description of Gryffindor and Slytherin is fair--it's just what I like to think the students from the Houses would do/value/believe, and let me know if there's anything I should add or consider.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading <3