Betrayal of the Black

twenty-eight

THE LEATHER BOUND JOURNAL was at the bottom of her trunk. She'd left most of Regulus's items, including his journals, back at the Malfoy Manor. There were a few, however, she'd decided to bring with her.

The journal she'd decided to read that night was of Regulus's fourth year, filled cover to cover with tellings of his days. She had decided to read it today, for no reason in particular. The day had been as ordinary as ever; a ton of classes, homework after school, Quidditch practice, and finally her training session with Theo.

Theo and her have been training every other day in the disappearing room — they had yet to come up with a better name — and Celestia's begun to get the hang of it. They've delved further into learning hand-to-hand combat, and she was surprised to find how exhilarating it could be.

She should have been exhausted after an hour or so of listening to Theo correct her every movement, but instead, she'd decided to pull out her uncle's old journal.

She drew closed the curtains around her bed, using a candle to light up the pages of the old book. The normal thing to do would be to read it chronologically, but she decided to flip to a random page and see what an ordinary day in Regulus's life might have been like; what he might have been doing on an ordinary day like hers.

"19/10/1975

There were no new revaluations today. Mother sent another letter, same as the last; that she was so, so thankful to have a son like me, and that I was the prize of her life.

It does not give me the same satisfaction that it had when I were younger, I must admit. Back then, I suppose I had a need for approval and praise. Now, it feels more as if they're saying it, but not meaning it. I'd seen the way they'd treated Sirius when he'd been sorted into Gryffindor. I remember the yelling when Sirius had returned home after not writing for four months. Instead of being told by Sirius himself that he'd been sorted into Gryffindor, they'd heard it through gossip.

I had been ten then, and I can still remember the sound of the slap they'd given Sirius. The deathly silence that had followed. I stayed hidden in my room until I heard Sirius go to his. I'd gone into his room to see if he was okay, but then he'd yelled at me himself. Hogwarts changed him, I'd thought. I'll never let it do that to me.

I was right, it didn't change much, I didn't allow it to. My brother disappointed my parents in every way, and I pleased them. It was as simple as that; yin and yang; black and white; light and dark; serpent and lion. That was what me and Sirius were. Complete opposites, yet still on the same spectrum.

Moving on, Emma Vanity was appointed Quidditch Captain this year. I don't really care, as long as she brings us to victory, but some of the other boys won't shut up. They said they'd been lenient enough to let her be on the team, but her being captain was too far. Honestly, she's a good Keeper, so I don't understand why they're complaining.

Though, I suspect once the parents get wind of her becoming Captain, they'll try and make her resign. I hope she doesn't, I'd prefer her to Steve Laughalot. He laughs. A lot. He does realise just because it's his name, he doesn't have to laugh all the time, right? Besides that, I hope we have a good Quidditch year.

R.A.B."

Ironic that the first one she'd land on would mention her father. She flittered through a couple more pages, most complaining about schoolwork, professors, Quidditch, and other students.