Chapter 29

The Ministry had fallen. There had been no great big announcement of it, probably because there were still skirmishes going on now over two days later. People would regroup and try again, gaining a little ground, but ultimately, the message was clear: the Ministry couldn't help anyone right now. Harry didn't know how many people had died in the end. At Hogwarts, Professor Trelawney had died in the attack, and Dumbledore, while at the Ministry, had his body brought to Hogwarts by a barely walking Kinglsey Shacklebolt. Tonks and Moody had taken the Death Eaters (save one) from the castle away, saying they would find some of the old gaols up and down the country which were used before Azkaban.

It was a stalemate. Voldemort's army had control of the central Ministry hub, had sent out a WWN message to that effect, but people were still trying to get inside it. The school was as secure as it could be, but a few parents had already shown up to take their children away. Harry couldn't see the point; they would be no safer at home. Ginny had taken up the list of people who were missing or already known to be dead, while Mrs. Weasley had clung onto Fred and George ferociously when they finally made it back.

The school had become a Ministry evacuee zone, with a variety of pockets of personnel found in nooks and crannies all over. Still, they were hushed discussions, and Harry didn't have an interest in any of them.

On the morning of the third day of the year, Hermione had met Harry at the front gates of the school and thrown her arms around him. She had heard what had happened, but nothing since then. Harry had let her go to the hospital wing to see Ron and his family on her own terms; whatever was going on with them this year, this was clearly more important. There was going to be a public memorial in Hogsmeade at midday, for Dumbledore and everyone else. The former would be laid to rest at Hogwarts per his request, but the school was being used as an operations base and not ideal for the public to show up. Harry had gone to find somewhere quiet to sit. He could feel the pressure bearing down on him because he was what was left, and because he hadn't acted sooner, maybe...or then again, maybe not.

A large blue carriage arrived carrying Madame Maxime around nine o'clock. Hogsmeade was overrun between overspill and people coming for the memorial, but Harry was glad nonetheless for Hagrid to have someone he was close to. He'd taken it hard.

Harry was startled out of his reverie by a sudden hand on his shoulder, flinching as his hand flew down to his pocket for his wand. However, he dropped his shoulder when he realised it was just Sirius. He blinked a couple of times and murmured, "Sorry."

"For not realising someone was coming up behind you? So you should be." Sirius leaned across the wall overlooking the courtyard. "Did you sleep at all?"

"Did you?" Harry already knew the answer would be the same.

Sirius ran his palm over his face. "Point taken. Most people are heading down in about an hour."

Most people? "You're not going?"

Sirius grimaced. "The castle still needs securing. I've been to enough funerals and memorials to know it's not how I prefer to make my peace, with a hundred lookieloos watching and usually saying nothing that actually means much."

Harry supposed that was true. They could use it as an excuse to attack the castle. "I've never been to one before," he said, quietly. He wasn't sure what to expect.

"You don't have to go," Sirius offered.

Harry thought of everything the Weasley's had done for him: how included Mr. Weasley had always made him feel, how he'd listened to him when worried, tried to include him in everything as if he was one of their own. He thought of Dumbledore, who had been such a big part of his life. He thought of Trelawney, and her warnings the years before.

So he shook his head, "I'm going."

Sirius nodded, as if he hadn't been expecting any other answer. He leaned over, pointing to another few people meandering up through into the school grounds. "Wasn't she at the Department of Mysteries battle?"

Sure enough, it was definitely Luna.

"Yeah," Harry replied. He could also see Seamus, Dean, and Angelina making their way up. Harry wondered if, when Hermione had been asked if she wanted to come up for this, she'd put out a call to the DA. Maybe they'd just heard the memorial was happening and badgered their parents into letting them go.

"I'm going to go attempt to put myself to some use," Sirius told him, patting his shoulder. "Unless you want me to go with you?"

Harry shook his head. "If there's trouble-"

"-we'll attempt to have it tied up before you're back," Sirius said, taking a few steps back. "Be with your friends."

The memorial was a quiet affair, filled with people Harry didn't know for the most part. There were members of the Order there; he could see Tonks's hair from a mile away, there was no ignoring Moody, Hagrid taking up a few chairs already bawling into a large handkerchief, and even the casual resemblance to his brother made Regulus stick out in a crowd. Harry kept his head down, tentatively sitting with Ron. A few people had spoken about Mr. Weasley, so Ron had gone a little red in the face, and unsure of what else to do, Harry just squeezed his arm. He hoped it helped in some small way. He'd seen Ginny with tears on her cheeks, stubbornly brushing them every few moments with vigour but he couldn't catch her eye past Hermione's hair. More people then spoke about the Minister, then perhaps even more on Dumbledore.

None of it seemed very personal.

A fair amount of people opted to take the walk up to the castle, rather than avail themselves of the carriages. Some didn't want to, or couldn't, leave Hogsmeade. Harry could see parents arguing with his classmates, driven through fear of what could happen to them next. Harry didn't have to worry about that; he already knew what would happen next. Voldemort wanted to kill him personally, so he'd try, now that he had a little more time on his hands. There was nothing to be done about it. He'd just have to get on with stopping him before he actually did it.

The thought made him turn around, heading instead towards the Shrieking Shack. He didn't want to walk up with the crowd. He had to think.

It probably shouldn't have been a surprise to find Ron and Hermione standing by the fencing too. Harry didn't know what to say to either of them at the moment. Hermione was facing down being muggleborn when the Death Eaters wanted to kill them, and Ron was grieving, so Harry didn't want to make it about him.

"What now?" Hermione said, breaking the silence.

"Now we fight back," Ron said, hoarse. "We have to, right?"

"Of course!" Hermione cried fiercely. "When school starts, we can reconvene the DA and start planning-"

"I'm not going back to school," Harry said, firmly. Both of his friends stared at him silently. "Too many people have died already. I don't have the time. I – I know, he's coming for me, and I want to get him first."

"So do we," Ron declared.

"But we don't have a lead," Hermione added.

They did, they just didn't know it. It was time to tell them outright. There was no time for being subtle now. It was a race against time, and he trusted them. He knew they'd want to help, but they didn't understand what was happening.

"I do," Harry said. "I know how he's keeping himself alive. He's splitting his soul and hiding it in objects. If we can destroy them all, he can die and be gone for good."

It wasn't a surprise Hermione piped up. "What kind of objects? And how many are there?"

"I don't know how many are left," Harry said. "But I have an idea of what more could be, and it'll be dangerous."

"Because it's been pillows and fairy dust up until now," Ron said, fiercely. "Do you really think we're letting you face him without us?"

"And you never do any of your own research!" Hermione said. "You'll need us, and we want to help."

Harry looked at them both, pledging themselves to horrific danger. Hadn't enough people died for him already? He'd let him return, he hadn't properly killed him in the first place, it all came down to that stupid prophecy...

"I don't know where the prophecy is," Harry said, suddenly. "Neville gave it to Dumbledore."

"Would Neville know where it is?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said. "Harry and I saw it going to Dumbledore, remember? Could it still be in his office?"

"I dunno," Harry said.

"I can check as soon as we get up to the castle," Hermione said. "I'm sure Professor – I mean, Headmistress McGonagall would let me in if I ask nicely. Or Hagrid, too..."

Harry nodded, taking a deep breath. "There's already three down," he added. "The soul parts. They're called horcruxes. Dumbledore destroyed one, Regulus Black destroyed another, and I did one too – the diary."

"That's why he wanted to ask Ginny and I about the diary!" Hermione exclaimed. "So the Order knows?"

Harry hesitated at that. "I don't know who knows," he said. "I said I wouldn't tell anyone, but...it's you, and you've been here so far, you deserve to know what you're getting into."

"But there's a lead," Ron pressed. "On some of them."

Harry nodded. "Regulus thinks he tried to use something of the Founders – a Ravenclaw diadem and a cup belonging to Helga Hufflepuff. I think Dumbledore had some pensieve memories that might have shown where they are."

"I'm sure we could check," Hermione said, then added hesitantly. "Though maybe we shouldn't ask McGonagall, then. If we're planning to take something."

Harry had to agree with that.

Ron asked, "What about Gryffindor?"

"I'm not sure," Harry said. "But Emmeline Vance said that if a Ravenclaw asked the Grey Lady, she might know what happened to the diadem."

"Cho?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. He didn't think she'd want to be involved. "I was going to ask Luna. I saw her come in the gates earlier."

"That's settled then," Hermione replied. "I'll go to the Headmasters office, you go find Luna."

"What about me?" Ron asked. When neither of them answered, instead looking to each other because they weren't sure what to say, Ron's cheeks went red. "Listen, he's just maimed by brother and killed my dad! I'm not just going to sit around!"

Harry nodded. "Well...apparently the Smiths are the descendents of Hufflepuff. I know Zacharias is a pillock, but maybe he mentioned it to Hannah or Ernie."

"Sounds like the kind of thing he'd brag about," Ron said, darkly.

"Then let's get up to the castle before they send out a search party," Harry said. He doubted anyone was going to let him out of their sight for long, but if it seemed like they were still just walking up, then they had a chance to get into Dumbledore's office and maybe talk to a few people before anyone realised they weren't with the others.

With that, they headed out of the cold and into the shack.

The corridor felt strangely quiet as Regulus approached the Defense Against the Dark Arts office - Snape's office. Many were using the school as a haven, but fortunately enough, none seemed to have reason to come this way.

The memorial still lingered at the back of his mind - the haunting memory of Professor Trelawney, the knowledge that the Weasleys had lost their father for good this time, and the jarring reality of this war without Dumbledore. Regulus had never grown close to the man, despite their mutual goal, but Voldemort and the Death Eaters would only grow bolder in his absence.

Many people had died in the Ministry, and it made him sick, knowing with such certainty that Bellatrix was undoubtedly in the center of it. Perhaps he should not have gone at all, when - at minimum - two of his blood relations had killed people on the list of those honoured at the memorial, but he had hoped it might settle his mind.

No such luck, in the end.

Harry and his friends had vanished after the memorial, perhaps to mourn in private. Nowhere was particularly safe at the moment, but of the options, the school was still better guarded than most places. Following up with them could wait, assuming they could be found.

Severus answered quickly, following a brisk knock, and he looked slightly more grim than usual.

"Good afternoon," Regulus greeted politely, though the afternoon was not particularly good, manners aside. "May I have a word?"

Severus made no motion at all for a moment, perhaps thinking it over. "Will the word be sentimental and trite?"

"Were I looking for such conversation, I would not seek it here," Regulus replied, wryly.

With a guttural sigh, Severus stepped backwards away from the door in invitation.

"We should retreat to relative privacy then, since every professor, student, and Ministry refugee seems to want to share their 'finest Dumbledore memory' at length."

When the door was shut securely behind them, Regulus shook his head. "I'm a bit preoccupied with the concerns to come. What do you intend to do?"

"Do?" Severus asked. "Whatever is needed to be done, with or without Albus Dumbledore. What part in particular are you asking about? Unless this is some petty accusation of defection."

"The attitude isn't necessary," Regulus replied, dryly. "It's a legitimate question, and a reasonable one. In case you have forgotten, I care about people on both sides of this war, and you are the only person I know who is on both sides."

"It's as reasonable as you returning." Severus said. "You were aware that Dumbledore was injured. This didn't come unexpectedly. Surely if I were going to, I would have when he was in a weakened state."

There were reasons to wait until a person like Dumbledore was dead before defecting, but whatever the interpretation, Regulus had not come to accuse.

"I never said you were returning to them. If full abandonment was my assumption, do you really think I would just stroll up and ask?" (Or, more importantly, expect an honest answer.) Pressing his mouth to a line, Regulus lifted his brow for a beat before adding, "Dumbledore's death is not inconsequential to either of our situations, whether or not it was inevitable."

There was a beat of silence. "Not inconsequential, no. Just much more difficult. " Severus sighed, deep and guttural. "You, of all people, ought to know that knowing when to keep council is the only way to stay alive. Given your recent company, I have no idea whether or not you would consider strolling up and asking."

"If you are referring to my brother, it takes more than a long-standing grudge to make me change my mind about either of you," Regulus replied, evenly. "Just because he's probably itching to accuse you does not mean I am. My apprehension is rooted in a lack of information, not a negative judgement of character."

"I was referring to the gaggle of gingers, but we can include him for the sake of completion," Severus responded. "What information are you seeking specifically?"

"Your plan, should you have one," Regulus began with a careful tone. "The Order will regroup, but that is not the only subject I am invested in. I worry for Draco and Narcissa, and although my faith in our government has already been shaky at best, I expect problems to arise with the newly forming regime."

"Which would depend on what you know," Severus replied. "You must know something of it, or Dumbledore would not have given you any support at all."

"And my answer to you depends on the same," Regulus replied, wryly. "Are you privy to the subject of Harry and Dumbledore's meetings?"

A beat of silence followed. "I am. Are you privy to the reason why I had the intolerable task of attempting to teach the boy the mental arts?"

"I had my suspicions that the two were related," Regulus said, thinning his lips slightly.

Severus echoed the expression. "Then I imagine you know exactly what has to happen and why that isn't known by the Order at large."

"There is an obvious solution," Regulus said, stomach turning slightly, though he kept his expression even. "But I don't care for it, so I am exploring alternatives."

"There is no alternative, whether you care for it or not." Severus said, blunt as ever. "There never was. This was always going to be the only way."

"So you're an expert on that thing in his head, then?" Regulus lifted his eyebrows, arms crossing loosely. "The details of transference? Every possible way to destroy them?"

"No, but Dumbledore was." Severus snapped back, but he stopped short, closing his eyes for a moment. "I am not privy to his every thought, but if he has found a way around it, he did not explain it to me. He left only instructions of how and when the boy must die, and if that does not happen, that the Dark Lord will rise again."

"That sounds a lot like giving up and letting a child take the fall," Regulus responded, his tone tightening slightly. "Even if Dumbledore had a plan, there's no indication that it is still in motion, and that is not good enough for me when there are still possibilities to explore."

"They have been explored, Regulus. There are many secrets within the Order, more than you know. The boy knows what the prophecy says, and how this will end. " Severus told him. "Do you think I am pleased about sending a child in to be slaughtered? If being lazy and magically mediocre with the impulse control of a niffler in Gringotts were grounds for death, we would lose half the magical population. I cannot always prevent deaths, sometimes I can only choose between two terrible things, and I have trusted Dumbledore's choices when those moments have arisen. I am putting my trust in Dumbledore now, as he requested of me. Are you unwilling to do the same?"

"I trust that he was doing what he thought was best, but I have sworn off going along with unexplained plans without question," Regulus countered, firmly. "He was brilliant, but if he knew everything, my brother wouldn't have rotted in prison for over a decade. Without a thorough list of every alternative he attempted without success, I cannot assume he found - much less tested - them all."

"Perhaps Dumbledore did know," Severus said simply. "Your brother made his own bed by choosing not to take on the responsibility of Secret Keeper. If not for that act of cowardice, then Potter would not be marked. I imagine you don't think it's any better if he did know and simply chose not to do anything about it because it wasn't a part of the plan he had for the way the boy had to be raised. This has been a plan in motion for over a decade."

Regulus crinkled his nose in distaste. "If anything, that scenario convinces me even more that the alternatives have not been given proper attention."

"What alternative do you imagine hasn't been explored?" Severus asked.

"I intend no disrespect, but if you are adamant about following through with Dumbledore's sacrifice plan, then I would like to continue exploring these on my own terms," Regulus replied. "You know well that the spread of information affects its security, and this is obviously sensitive information."

"Meaning there is an excellent chance we'll end up repeating each other or undermining each other," Severus pointed out.

"None of the current plans involve sacrificing Harry, so there oughtn't be any redundancy," Regulus pointed out, though he knew he was overstating the 'plans' a bit much, considering they had little more than theories to work with. "Undermining is a possibility, but unlikely, without knowing what to target."

"Then it seems I know a little more than you," Severus said. "As I already know the next target."

"I was referring to theory-testing as the targets you would theoretically be undermining." Regulus lifted his brow. "What target are you referring to?"

"A specific target," Severus replied, dryly. "There was a specific order to their destruction, which I learned the second to last of."

"I would assume the order of destruction would require Harry to be last." Regulus couldn't tell if Severus was bluffing, but this was the closest he had to whatever Dumbledore had known, even if it seemed like Severus had been kept at least partially in the dark too. It was a risk, but: "If there is an order, I suppose you know what they all are?"

"Only the last two," Severus admitted.

"Which are…?" Regulus probed.

"I thought we weren't sharing information," Severus said, evenly.

"The difference is that you were asking for information you have stated that you don't intend to help with, because you will be carrying on with Dumbledore's plan," Regulus said, matter-of-factly. "Quite separately, I have been hunting these things since before Harry Potter was even born, so cross-checking with my own list is beneficial to both of our plans, and it is ultimately information that I am more equipped to act on than you are in your current position."

"Unless it is the same plan up until the involvement of Potter, in which case we will both end up doing the same things." Severus heaved a sigh. "This is idiotic. If there is a plan that will work that is not Dumbledore's, I am not opposed to it - if you will admit that if there is no alternative found, we must consider the idea one doesn't exist."

Regulus pressed his mouth to a line. Technically, there was no limit placed on the number of incorrect theories they could explore before admitting defeat - and for the chance of some progress on a stale research front, he could settle for a technicality. Severus was not someone who seemed to have Harry's best interests in mind, but he did seem like someone who still wanted Voldemort dead, so at least he was unlikely to rat out that part of their situation. Regulus and Emmeline could act as barriers on Harry's behalf, in the meantime...

"In that case, I am open to the idea of some collaboration."

For a moment, Severus looked like he may argue it. "Dumbledore did not believe he would make others after he attained his current form. After realising his own fragments were being lost without his knowledge, he believed the Dark Lord will decide to gather those remaining fragments close to him and to those who follow without question. However, Dumbledore has been pushing Potter towards Horace of all people because he wanted something that he was unwilling to part with. Horace has notoriously turned the Dark Lord down many times, yet lives to tell the tale. If this is like Lucius's guardianship, he may have something of his former student that he doesn't realise is significant."

"Perhaps so," Regulus said with a thoughtful tone. More than likely, it was Slughorn's memory that was the focus of their pursuit. Harry had been working with Dumbledore to hunt horcruxes, and those memories had pointed to Hufflepuff's cup. That meant Dumbledore had not gone into specific details about the horcruxes with Severus - just enough for the basic awareness of what they were and what they did. "Another string to tug."

"But I may not," Severus replied. "The balance of information and disinformation is extremely delicate and what I know always has the possibility of being known by the Dark Lord."

Pensively, Regulus nodded. "An ongoing concern - especially when the Dark Lord accessing that information could be so damaging. As fond as I might be of secrets, I do not keep them just for the entertainment value."

"Nor I," Severus replied. "I do have other concerns to attend to. With the loss of Ministry control at Azkaban, many of my students lives are about to become much more difficult."

"Indeed." Many lives across the wizarding world, including Regulus's own, were about to be more difficult, and Hogwarts may or may not be able to fend them off if they tried to strike again. It was an unsettling thought. "I have my own matters to attend to as well, so I will leave you to it."

"Be careful not to die again, Regulus." Severus replied. "I don't think as many people will attend the second funeral."

"No, I imagine not. You take care, too," Regulus said, and without further exchange, stepped out into the corridor, fighting off the sting of Severus's words.

Uncomfortable, but probably true. Checking in on Draco was probably foolish when Draco was among those who would not care if Regulus dropped dead, but as long as there was a threat that Draco himself may drop dead, Regulus simply couldn't shake it.

A trip to the map - then hopefully, a trip to his cousin's self-dooming son.

There was no point in putting it off any longer.

As the lone Slytherin left in Hogwarts, Draco had enjoyed having run of the common room and the dorm room, but with the Dark Lord in control of the Ministry, it was time to leave. His trunk was already packed and ready to go. With things how they were, he wasn't sure he'd be back – one way or another. It was doubtful the Dark Lord had more use for a student now that he was in control of the Ministry, so he may simply not need to come back. There was also the matter of a dead professor and a smashed prophecy, so he may not be returning anywhere at all because he would soon not be alive to do so.

The thought filled him with an icy fear, so Draco trampled it down as far it would go.

It wasn't a foregone conclusion; yes, he didn't retrieve the prophecy, but it had also been destroyed, which meant that the bird brains also had no access it either. That may count for something. Once again, he cursed his own spectacular failure to get anything remotely useful done to redeem his family name, but moping about would change little.

There was good news still: Azkaban had been liberated as of the morning, which was both reported on the WWN to whines of the remaining students, and much more reputably sourced, he'd heard from Avery an hour or so ago. His father would be home, Draco thought. It wasn't the homecoming he'd wanted for him, but...home was better than Azkaban, wasn't it?

While Draco remained at school, he was both in trouble and not in trouble. The trouble lay lurking; it would require being addressed, but nothing could happen to him here as of now. It wasn't just about him, was it? He would never forgive himself if his failures caused pain to his family now. Sooner or later, he would have to face the mess. It was with this grim resolve that he stepped out from the common room into the corridor and found himself almost colliding with a body who thought it appropriate to linger in dark hallways.

"Watch where you're standing!"

It was his mother's cousin Regulus again, turning to look at Draco with an arched eyebrow. "Usually, such exclamations come from the stationary person who gets run into while standing in an empty corridor, but in good grace, I will let that pass. I understand the past few days have had their challenges."

Surely there was somewhere else blood traitors could gather that wasn't in his line of sight. "I thought your lot left already," Draco said. He'd definitely seen some of them out in the quad making their way away from the school earlier.

"My lot?" His brow lifted slightly more. "I am not bound by some invisible string."

"What, it's just a coincidence you showed up the same time as the phoenix lot, then?" Draco asked, skepticism dripping from his tone.

"I suppose you never leave the side of your friends, family, and comrades?" Regulus looked pointedly around the deserted corridor, then back to Draco with his brow still slightly lifted. Before a response could come, he added, "Truthfully, I wanted to check on you before you returned. Your persistent impoliteness has not gone unnoticed, but I am still invested in your safety - and in your mother's."

"Why?" It seemed completely stupid to worry about something happening when it was bound to.

"Because I care more about my family than I care about Bellatrix's unflattering narrative about me - and infinitely more than I care about the Dark Lord's self-obsessed agenda," Regulus replied, crossing his arms loosely. "I cannot force you to accept my help, but before you leave here, I want to make certain that you understand there are options beyond 'scrape and scramble to please the Dark Lord' or 'get murdered'. Personally, I found both of them ill-befitting."

"That's an easy thing to say when you don't have anything to lose," Draco huffed.

"Easy? There was nothing easy about it," he countered, more firmly. "All I wanted was to restore a bit of calm and dignity to my family after the embarrassment of my brother leaving, but..." A pause, a glance around, and then: "But that strays well into conversation that is perhaps inappropriate for the current setting."

Draco rolled his eyes. Was there a point to discretion, even now? Curiosity peppered it's way in, so without leaving the point there and risking another ill-conceived confrontation, Draco backed into the common room again and waited for a moment to see if he would take direction any better nonverbally.

When they were both inside, Regulus spared a brief glance around then started for the corner furthest from the staircase. It wasn't until they were both seated in the stuffed chairs that he spoke again.

"Though I'm sure it does not seem like it, I do understand your perspective - more than you realize, I expect. I tried for two years to smooth out the chaos my brother left in his wake, and I was furious with him for years. Joining the cause seemed like the fast track to righting everything that was wrong, but the reality of that commitment is far more complicated, especially when it starts threatening the family you joined to protect," he continued, mouth pressing to a line.

"No matter what, there's a threat." Draco hissed at him, quietly. Threat of status, threat of muggles, threat of being torn down into the drudges. "At least I can do something about this one."

"Yes, you can," he replied, evenly. "And it doesn't have to be throwing your life into the service of someone who would murder you and your parents without a second thought if it suited his agenda, or if he decided you had outlived your usefulness. I'm not saying you have to be friends with Harry - I absolutely loathed his father - nor take up his cause. All I'm saying is you don't have to throw your life to the Dark Lord's mercy. There are more than two options."

"Potter doesn't have a cause, unless you count stalking me." Causes were noble things, not debasing yourself and associating with the riff raff. Still, it wasn't about Voldemort - it was about his family. "The Dark Lord wants you dead, doesn't he? And Bellatrix, she does too."

"They do, yes," Regulus replied, his tone hardening. "The Dark Lord wants me dead because I've outlived my usefulness. I'm no longer willing to do whatever he says without critical thought, because I realised - around your age - that this isn't about protecting purebloods, it's about using us. It's about convincing us he cares about our bloodlines and traditions when he doesn't care at all. I do believe he hates muggles, but he doesn't care that I'm a Black. He doesn't care that you're a Malfoy. What he cares about is that we use our power to pave the way for him. Whether we act out of a lust for power or a fear of punishment or a drive to protect our families, in the end, we sacrifice ourselves to secure his rise, at the risk of our lines dying out forever."

Regulus's expression pinched slightly as he took in a steadying breath and added, "He would kill you and your parents without a second thought, and I have a problem with that. When he threatens everyone in your family except for Bellatrix, who prioritises him over her own blood, then supporting him is no longer family loyalty."

Draco bristled; he wasn't stupid, he knew that no one was getting rid of muggles for nothing, and he wouldn't redeem his own family name without getting his hands dirty. "Don't you think I know that?" Draco demanded. "The alternative is having everyone want you dead, tearing my entire family apart or worse, being branded as traitors. It hasn't worked out any better for you, has it?"

Regulus was pointing a finger at him now.

"And that is where they get you: Making you believe that standing up to Voldemort is the problem - the thing that makes you a 'blood traitor'." He retracted his finger into a fist that returned to his lap, then continued, voice unwavering, "People only want you dead because the Dark Lord tells them to. Before he showed up, Society would just gossip for awhile, stop talking to you, stop inviting you to parties, but no one tried to murder you. He is the problem, warping us so that we are killing witches and wizards - sometimes pure ones - on his whim, as if that is a completely reasonable punishment for disappointing him or getting in his way. The fact that standing up to him is grounds for a disrupted family, but him dangling your own murder over your head is not, just proves that he doesn't deserve your devotion."

Regulus shifted slightly, then added with a firm, even tone, "And I happen to like the way my life has turned out. It was a devastating choice to make at the time, and it is painful, knowing that I upset my family, but I don't regret the choice. Clearly, even staying in his service isn't a guarantee of safety, so there is only so much we can do. Might as well do it freely."

Draco felt a flush in his cheeks, but whether that was embarrassment or anger he wasn't sure. So many humiliations happened at the moment, it was hard to tell one from the other. "I freely choose to put my family first, and I am. I've got a train to catch, so if you want to keep arguing, you can go do it with the Merlin portrait over there,"

"I'm offering perspective, not argument, but it's your choice, in the end," Regulus said, shaking his head as he stood, hand still resting on the back of his chair when he spoke again. "You're in a dangerous position that is only going to get worse when the Dark Lord figures out what happened, and I would like to see you live through it. You don't have to like me, but try to remember that."

"You're arguing about whether you're arguing!" Draco insisted, irritably. "No one likes people who do that." Except when he did it, of course, but he always had a really good point to make. Not vague threats he already knew.

"'No one' is a bit of an exaggeration. After all, there are people who like me just fine," Regulus replied, lifting his eyebrows. "But you have a train to catch. I wouldn't want to keep you from it."

"Then stop going on!" Draco huffed.

He was getting his things and leaving. That was the end of it. He had responsibilities to face and no amount of skirmishing with undesirables was going to change that.

As a rule, there had never been much in the way of constants in Sirius's life. For the most part, he didn't mind that; it kept things interesting. However, running around Hogwarts again brought with it shards of memory, just flashes of no time in particular, because somehow, every time, he'd been running around the school: Late for classes, detentions, even quidditch from time to time. Mostly trying to catch up with James and his teenage energy. He didn't want to linger on the thought that James hadn't had the chance to grow out of that. Instead, with a strange mix of happiness and bitterness, he realised about half-way to the corridor in Gryffindor tower that he was still running around after a Potter, if a smaller one.

Thankfully, he caught one of the Gryffindors (or formerly so) leaving the common room after Dumbledore's funeral procession had returned. After verifying Harry had shown up after disappearing off to come up by himself, it was coming towards the time when everyone would need to leave. There was no word yet on whether the school would re-open with McGonagall, but he wasn't a complete idiot. He knew better than to ask right now. He hadn't wanted to go and get Harry before it was time to go; he didn't want to crowd him so much he seemed overbearing. Harry was having time to deal with things with his mates, and he deserved that.

However, the Hogwarts Express waited for no man or beast, and it would be leaving soon enough. Despite some worries about there being an attack on the train on the way back, it had more protection on it than most methods, and there also had to be a showing of support that they weren't beaten just because the Ministry had stalled.

He wasn't expecting the sudden head swivel from the group in the common room as he popped in, but most of them were people he just didn't know well. He'd heard bits and pieces of who they probably were, but he was still relieved to see Neville as someone he could at least name by sight.

"Harry in the dorms?" he asked.

"No," Neville said, shaking his head. "I think he went to go find Hermione."

Hermione, who, now faced with the possibility of restricted access to the restricted section, was probably attempting to see if she could charm half of the library to fit into her bags. "If he comes back, remind him the train is leaving at five whether he's on it or not."

Stepping out of the portrait, Sirius dodged a dirty look from the Fat Lady (he'd apologised!) and instead, went in search of the other wayward wanderer. Despite being in relatively close quarters in the castle for the last 2 days, Sirius had barely seen his brother. He'd checked in quickly when the arrivals were over, but he'd been sitting with Vance, and more and more, that had begun to feel like interrupting. Sirius was trying not to feel badly that Regulus was finding it easier to get his life on track, even making huge changes and rolling along with them. He wasn't actually as rigid as he liked for people to think.

However, Sirius knew for a fact that Vance had already left to go to medical check up with Hestia, and if Hermione was attempting to pilfer half the library, chances were that Regulus was in his own dungeon stomping grounds. The theory seemed to hold weight when Sirius saw him emerge into the corridor, moments after an extremely blonde blur flitted past him in a distinctly Malfoy manner.

"I see your attempts at socialising him are still going well," Sirius said.

Regulus looked at him with a wry press of his mouth, and after a little huff, shook his head. "I'm trying. He still does not seem to like me very much."

"You don't know what he's thinking. Isn't it against The Rules to show favour if you don't get anything out of it?" Sirius had to fight the smirk that was threatening to bloom on his face at the memory of having to realise that one himself. "Just because he's being a little prick with you, that doesn't mean he hates you - it can mean the opposite, and he's not alright with showing that. You've been around people who wear their hearts and minds on their sleeves too much. You're rusty."

"He's going to get himself and Narcissa killed. I don't know how many times I have to say it before it sinks in." Regulus huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Obviously, I know how this works, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating."

"There's only so many times you can go to him." Sirius shrugged. "How many times have you tried to hammer it home now?"

"A few. I am making a very solid case, yet he stubbornly refuses to heed the obvious warnings…" Regulus replied, shaking his head. "I recognise that the decision must be his own, if it's going to mean anything, but this is far more difficult than it has to be."

"I, for one, am relieved," Sirius declared. From Harry's description, he'd been expecting a sniveling kid who'd run at the first sign of trouble. He kind of looked like that too, but no one can help their genes. "If he'd jumped at a chance to slip out and escape all consequences to save his own skin alone, I'd say he was just as opportunistic and likely to stab you in the back as his father. It's more character than I'd give your average teenage Death Eater."

Regulus nodded, slightly. "I suppose so. I just don't want to lose the opportunity to reach them… Lucius being out of prison may complicate things."

"Is that why you pulled him to one side during the incursion?" Sirius asked.

For a beat, Regulus looked at him, then replied, "That is part of it. Were you watching the map, I suppose?"

"Working on the new one," Sirius confirmed. That both was an answer and wasn't, but he had an idea of what the real answer was. "Checking to see if he was part of the attack?"

"I was looking for Dumbledore, in respect to the Ministry attack," Regulus replied, mouth twisting slightly downward. "But I ended up checking on Draco instead."

Communication within the Order still was as fractured as ever. Probably more so now, but to point out some people knowing things and others not would cause Regulus to put his back up about the possibility of being excluded from things. This was apparently different to when Regulus himself did it; that was containment and protection.

However, now wasn't the time for a bitter internal monologue about double and triple standards. "It would have been suicide to go up against Dumbledore, the whole staff, and even some of the students. You don't really think Voldemort is that desperate to find a way to kill this kid, do you?"

"You think it would be less suicidal to go against Dumbledore and the Auror department at the Ministry? I didn't know Hogwarts was under attack at all when I was looking for Dumbledore - or that he wasn't here," Regulus said, rolling his eyes slightly. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been looking for him."

"I didn't mean Dumbledore, but I'm thrilled to hear your impulse control is improving." Not to mention the tendency towards self destruction, but running to a Death Eater probably indicated some of that remained very much in fact. "It was a Death Eater attack - why were you worried about what could be considered one of the few people who wouldn't be in danger from that?"

"I didn't know there was a Death Eater attack at Hogwarts when I saw Draco either - and he appeared to be surprised by the Dark Mark, too," Regulus said, his posture a little stiffer. "Regardless, my concern for his well-being isn't new. Opportunities to communicate those concerns are limited, as it is."

"I'm not questioning why you're worried about him. I'm questioning why you're worried about a Death Eater during a Death Eater attack." That was the door of Stubborn beginning to screech it's way closed, right there. "Because if it was a surprise, and he's not just a good actor, then isn't this an example of what you were saying before about treating pureblood and not indiscriminately?"

"I do think the surprise was genuine. As concerned as I am, I can recognise he likes to boast, and not being warned about something like that is not something he seems likely to boast about," Regulus replied, shaking his head. "I have no doubt that it's an example of Draco's blood meaning nothing to the leader of his preferred cause, but he still does not want to hear that."

"Which brings me back to my point," Sirius said, ducking his head. "Do you believe he's in danger from the others, or were you just checking because you care?"

"Both," Regulus replied, then thinned his mouth. "Though I'm sure she does not care to hear from me, I'm considering reaching out to Narcissa when next I find some parchment. Perhaps she will take the situation a little more seriously."

Sirius simply raised his eyebrows, barely containing a much needed smile at the bad joke. "I'm sure she's enjoying a touching reunion with her husband, assuming he's not dead. I didn't think to ask."

"Touching, perhaps, but potentially inconvenient," Regulus said with a soft huff. "It may be callous to say, but it would have been an easier point to make if the imprisoned Death Eaters were still in Azkaban."

"It was bad enough when Bellatrix did it," Sirius scrunched his nose up at the idea. "Another impressive feat of mine completely ruined by Death Eaters. First being an animagus, now Azkaban. What's next, are they going to try and map Hogwarts too?"

"Let's not give them any ideas," Regulus replied, dryly. "That would make things undeniably worse."

"I promise not to mention it during our weekly coffee mornings." It was a serious point; it was easier to say that Lucius Malfoy deserved the book thrown at him when said book had already been thrown. Narcissa would not take a stand that would doom her husband, because it was obvious she still loved him, even from where they were standing. Sirius supposed all things considered, he couldn't fault that instinct.

Bellatrix was the wild card. Historically, pitting blood against blood had never gone well, and he didn't know enough about their internal dynamic to make any guesses as to what either would do when push came to shove.

"He'll throw them the Ministry," Sirius said, after a beat. "He doesn't want it. He wants to act with impunity, but he doesn't want the corner office or the prestige or the gold. He tosses it to his followers because it means nothing to him and nets him their loyalty in return."

"It is-" Regulus began, his expression pinching, "-so aggravating."

Bellatrix wouldn't want it. The Lestrange brothers were a possibility; both had things to prove. But would there be riots over former inmates? "He could try to go a bordering legitimate route and give it to someone who isn't a confirmed Death Eater but absolutely fucking is one," Sirius suggested. "Like Yaxley or Avery."

With a groan, Regulus rubbed his eyes. "Are you trying to give me a headache?"

"Of course not" Sirius waved him off. "I didn't mention Mulciber or Bellatrix!"

"More people who want to murder me. You're not helping."

Personally, Sirius thought that helped a little.

Then again, Regulus had never liked being the centre of attention if said attention wasn't framed positively. Or whatever passed for positive for their childhood, so more like neutral with a sprinkling of praise for not being his delinquent older brother and a nice side helping of guilt for still not being everything they wanted and more.

"No one's actively tried to kill you but Bellatrix. She probably still has requested it be her and her alone. It's a lot easier to duck her than the people that won't want to deal with her if they go against her." Sirius shrugged. "You're just going to have to learn to hit her back. It's the only way she'll learn."

"I dropped a bookcase on Mulciber and turned him into the Aurors. I don't know how reasonable he is going to feel," Regulus replied, thinly. "Perhaps I am being paranoid, but I can't say I'm convinced everyone is keen to honour her claim. Either way, be it Bella or someone else, I am feeling increasingly less charitable towards our inevitable assailants. My tolerance for attempted cripplings and attempted murder is actually rather low."

"And you say I mistreat books. You subjected them to Mulciber." It was a fair point; Mulciber might not care about Bellatrix's reactions until he'd have to face them and damage could be done by then. Bellatrix could potentially be even worse. Regulus could say that now, with every intention of fighting back should the moment arise, but Sirius was an expert on how to run your mouth without truly knowing what your reaction would be in the moment. The fact Regulus had not been hurt in a significant way or arrested after their scuffle in which his mask was removed did prove that to a point. "I don't really care if you can't curse her, as long as it doesn't get anyone killed. Apparate out. Stun her again. I know my response to betrayal is to want to rip Wormtail's entrails out through his eyeballs, but I also know it's hardly your first instinct. I'm just looking for reassurance that if you decide to fight her, but then can't bring your O level best to it, that you get out before you or anyone else gets hurt instead of pushing yourself to match her response."

Regulus nodded, slightly. "I don't like this situation, but I don't want to get myself or anyone else killed over it, either."

"You don't still think you can save her," Sirius asked, after a beat, "do you?"

"As much as I hate giving up, it does not seem likely, no," Regulus said with a frown. "I have not been feeling particularly warm since her 'visit'."

It wasn't a no, was it? Whether he was truly capable of saying no and washing his hands entirely, Sirius couldn't say. His inability to let go had come in handy once or twice the last year or so, and that meant he couldn't pull the double standard of asking him if he was in his right mind to not say no, of course not, she's trying to kill me instead of his tepid temperament about it all.

"You can't save someone who doesn't know they're in danger," Sirius said, instead. "Even then, the choice is theirs, same as it was yours, mine and everyone else's. It's hard to swallow your pride and admit when you're wrong; all you can do is wait and see if Narcissa is less bonkers than her sister and what she's willing to swallow her pride over. None of us make an attractive other option at the moment."

With an exhale, Regulus nodded. "I hope they choose before it's too late - and recognise that they aren't supporting family, they are supporting someone who would murder their family in a heartbeat if it seemed convenient." He twisted his mouth, then added, "An easy mistake to make at first, but it's getting blatant."

"It can be as blatant as he likes it to be now; the alternative is losing a sibling and getting her husband and son in the deep end." A comparison came to mind, because Sirius knew a little something about loyalty - so did Regulus. They understood what it was to have it and what it was to have it ripped away or to live with the threat of having it ripped away. In a way, he really ought to thank their parents for instilling blind terror at the idea of being tossed away like a ragdoll and to fear the very word 'traitor' because once you've seen the trick to it, it's a lot harder to get fooled again. "There's only three ways to ensure loyalty - to inspire it, to command it, or to incentivise it. He inspired them by being talented; he incentivised them think they were important and better than anyone else because he chose them for their supposed nobility; and when all of that is done, he doesn't need to incentivise or inspire anything but fear of being punished and the terror of being branded a traitor. Once you are treated as special, it's hard to give that up and face the jeers of your peers, the humiliation of admitting you were wrong, and to just be like most people again. The decision to be bold and brave isn't as easy as Gryffindors like to make it look."

Regulus's brow was knitted pensively as he nodded.

"The decision to leave everything you know is never made lightly, because you can't keep everyone. You don't get to keep the privileges you used to have, nor the immunity. It's always a sacrifice, and it's one that has to be done willingly for it to mean anything." Sirius sighed, heavily. "She doesn't have to sacrifice everything to save her child, not right now. When it gets there, because it will, that kid doesn't have the spark to go off the deep end, then...she gets the chance to choose what kind of person she is, and for your sake, I hope she learns from the mistakes everyone before her made and puts her child before herself."

"I know it's a lot to ask, but...I hope so too."

"And if she doesn't," Sirius added, "it won't be because of something you did or didn't do. If you could force people to make good choices through sheer gritty determination, both of our lives would be very different."

"As much logical sense as that makes, it doesn't always feel that way," Regulus said, shaking his head with a little huff.

"If it was easy, it wouldn't be much of a threat, would it?" Sirius offered. "I don't know if you'd consider what we have a family in it's own right, but it's something, and whatever I think of Narcissa, I know what it would mean to you to have Narcissa at least tolerate its existence. I know what it would probably mean to Andromeda. So try to think of it more like saving her than abandoning Bellatrix to the fate she's chosen for herself, if it helps.."

"Of course I consider this to be family. I thought that was a bit obvious, by now," Regulus said, a bit bemused, but his tone was lightening a little. "With that being said, salvaging Narcissa and getting at least her and Draco to safety is really what I care about at this point. It's become clear that acceptance is a bit too ambitious, but tolerance would at least be better than scorn. I tire of the scorn."

That couldn't be faulted. If truth be told, Sirius had moments where he felt tired and stretched too thin by it when he'd been Harry's age. Now, having experienced a little of the opposite end of the spectrum and having people think that he was somehow still a spoiled, murderous purist for a decade, he had a little more appreciation for the scorn because it helped remind him who he was. "Family's a loaded word, especially if you're comparing what you had to what you have. It's splintered and messy and I love it, but I wouldn't hold it against you for thinking it doesn't really compare when you have always enjoyed being part of something...rich in history, something you have good memories about, something you're proud of. At least that gives you an insight into her situation that I don't have. You can say the right things to make it easier if she decides to do the right thing, or if her son decides he has nothing to prove to a bloke with anagram fetish."

"I would certainly like to help. How strange it is to hear them assume I don't remember what it's like. My mind and memory are just fine." Regulus shook his head. "But let it be said that my family is no less rich in history, even if the family members who are willing to talk to me don't identify strongly with that aspect," he added, his tone some mix of stilted and matter-of-fact. "Bellatrix's atrocious attitude doesn't change that. Besides, I think this is something to be proud of, too. If I truly wanted to trade it, I wouldn't be here."

"It's hard to understand why most people would give up their power and privilege just to take a stand for what they believe in, especially if it means you could die for it. Therefore, there must be something wrong with you for having pride in that decision, because they're doing just fine, not at all reduced to bootlicking and being dragged through the mud." It was an easy mistake to make, one they'd had to deal with for each other more than once, but they were getting better at navigating it. "But let's not kid ourselves - the driving force to try to protect the people you love at all costs runs in the blood, usually to the point of insanity. Until Bellatrix chooses to show that she doesn't place Narcissa above Voldemort, Narcissa will keep trying to protect her. She doesn't know another way without being a traitor, and there was a time that neither did you, and if we go all the way back, even a time when I didn't. I can't tell her not to be scared, because she should be."

"Trust me, I noticed," Regulus replied, shaking his head. "Staying in Voldemort's service isn't exactly safe either, but it can feel that way, because at least the people around you are making that choice too."

"I don't know if losing Dumbledore helped or hindered that," Sirius said. After all, their whole irritation was that they didn't like Dumbledore but it also couldn't be ignored that he was a powerful figurehead. "I don't like the fact the next most recognisably powerful person is Harry, but I'm also not unaware there's a mythos that's sprung up around him. It's not fair to him, he really is just a teenager, but he's a teenager who keeps doing what they think is impossible. The people that have the nerve to blame him need hexing into the middle of next week, but the ones who look at him like he's the answer aren't much better, and even from what I've heard, some of the rumours that circulated before are wild."

"It's not fair to him at all, no," Regulus agreed, shaking his head. "It's not a kid's sole responsibility to stop the war, no matter what some prophecy suggests."

"You know that better than anyone," Sirius said. He had to hide the pride in voice; it wasn't really appropriate, but fuck it, it was a hard learned lesson. "This is giving a lot of people a chance to incriminate themselves once the Ministry sets up shop again. You might want to start to think what your breaking point is going to be."

"Breaking point for what, specifically?" he asked, lifting his brow.

"Family aside, you have it in your head about saving as many people from a fate of following Voldemort," Sirius said, as carefully as he could. "You may have to prioritise on that."

With a little nod, Regulus sighed. "I imagine it will be harder to convince people, after a grand gesture like the Ministry takeover, but hopefully some can be convinced. The situation may look bad, but this isn't over."

"I know," Sirius said. "But it's not just about convincing - there has to be a line to cross that you can't forgive."

"When deciding who to help and vouch for, do you mean?"

"When you don't know what's happened in the interim too," Sirius replied. Sirius himself wasn't sure with a few people either. "There's always compromises when things are bad, but some things, you can't forgive."

"There are," Regulus agreed with the tug of a frown. "The first step will be a willingness to even talk to me with civility - criteria that most people don't meet… Yet even if they do, there is still room for suspicion, and you are right there is a lot I won't know." His frown deepened. "I dread Lucius. He does not seem… genuinely remorseful, and neither Narcissa nor Draco will like that very much, if it comes up."

"He's not even falsely remorseful. The problem of Lucius Malfoy is that he likes to torture muggles because he doesn't think they're people, but from what I've seen, he also doesn't give much of a shit towards Voldemort himself so much as he facilitates his own sense of superiority. Coupled with the Department of Mysteries and the diary's destruction, the problem could simply solve itself if Voldemort decides he's not worth the trouble." A dark thought, Sirius supposed, but if anyone deserved to die from the people he believed would 'save' magic, then it was Lucius Malfoy. He refused to feel guilty for thinking it. Even if he understood some of the strain, it would go a long way to proving Regulus had an excellent point. "It's almost funny that the things he rallies against are likely his own best hope of surviving - if you have a humour like mine."

"The irony is not lost on me," Regulus said, shaking his head. "Voldemort does not extend loyalty outwards, so I can't say I expect a positive experience if they stay. Perhaps I'm wrong, but neither Lucius nor Draco seem to be doing a particularly good job."

"They're not dead," Sirius pointed out. "Even if it would have been more convenient if Lucius had."

"Not yet, no." Regulus flattened his mouth. "I suppose we shall see."

"Just don't die yourself." Maybe a dramatic statement, but with Regulus, you never knew. "You can't save anyone from beyond the grave."

"Consider yourself under the same restrictions," Regulus replied, "and we have a deal."

"I wouldn't dream of leaving you and Harry alone to deal with all of this." Sirius replied. "When you two get together, you make my impulse control and common sense look excellent."

It was comical - given that Regulus and James had never gotten along, to put it mildly - that he and Harry seemed to escalate each other in a way not dissimilar to the way Sirius had with Harry's father. Despite the age difference, he supposed Regulus was always the baby, and Harry had to grow up more than any child should at a young age. Maybe it had come down to James never believing Regulus had any mischievous spirit, or that Harry was much shier and a little more awkward than his father had been as a teenager, but either way, they both needed pulling out of the fire when it got too hot, and Sirius had never minded the heat. He supposed there were others, but Hermione had a tendency to defer to adults, Ron had his own problems, and Remus had never been very good at putting his foot down.

"Besides," he added, cheerily. "If Narcissa chooses to come to her senses and flips off Voldemort, I want a front row seat to that. Don't you?"

"Yes…" Something like a wry, sobered smile tugged at Regulus's lips. "I do."