The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

XXXV. Holiday Nightmares

Regulus Black was alone. Where, he did not know. All he knew was that he was alone. And so, so bloody cold.

It was dark, wherever he was. So dark that he doubted very much if a light source could even pierce the thick black blanket surrounding him. He wanted so badly to get out. He was turning around and around and around, searching for the light. He just wanted to find the light.

But, that seemed like an impossible task.

"Hello?" Regulus called, but no response came. His voice echoed, bouncing off of something. It almost... it almost sounded like Regulus was in a cave. A very empty, dark, echoey, cold cave.

There was a light. Regulus was so relieved, he could've passed out. There was light piercing through the thick and suffocating darkness of the cave. Regulus wanted to run towards it. Oh he really, really wanted to run towards it.

But there was something stopping him. Something was telling him to stop. A voice in the back of his head.

It was Sirius's voice. It was young, pre-Hogwarts Sirius's voice.

"Reggie, don't!" It was screaming, echoing through his head. It was deafening. Regulus couldn't hear anything else. Just the voice of his older brother telling him, begging him, to stay still.

Regulus listened. He always listened to Sirius. Ever since they were young, Sirius had always been the leader.

He stayed put. He stayed, staring at the block of light that was flowing into the cave, as though it were a doorway. Suddenly, a dark figure emerged. It blocked the flow of light, and Regulus recognized the outline of his brother at once.

"Sirius! Sirius, I stayed put, like you said!" Regulus exclaimed, still shivering from the cold that was seeping through his skin and into his very veins.

Sirius didn't say anything.

The cave was getting lighter before Regulus's very eyes. Where the light was coming from, Regulus didn't know. But he could see a green tint to it, as though it were coming from...

He turned around, looked down, and his eyes landed upon a giant lake of water. He could see something, so deep down in the lake that it was nothing but a light haze. Regulus furrowed his brow and walked close to the edge of the small cliff that he had somehow found himself on, looking deep down into the depths of the water.

He could see something. Many somethings.

Regulus felt his heart drop. They were bodies. There were hundreds upon hundreds of bodies floating in the water. But they weren't dead. No, Regulus could see them moving. Writhing as the water filled their lungs. Regulus was going to be sick.

"Sirius, Sirius we have to help them!" Regulus shouted, and he spun around to look at his brother.

Sirius didn't say anything. He just stared at his younger brother with an air of exasperation.

Regulus looked pleadingly at him, begging him with his eyes to help. He needed to help. They needed to save the people in the water.

"Sirius, please," he whispered.

"No," Sirius snapped. His voice echoed through the cave, bouncing off of the stalactites that lined the ceiling.

Regulus was shocked. Why on earth would Sirius just want to leave them? They were drowning!

He spun back around to face the water. If Sirius wasn't going to help him, then Regulus would get those people out himself. He kneeled down next to the water, squinting his eyes so that he could better see exactly where they were.