DROWN • Sirius Black

A Boggart and the Infamous Mark

"Tell me, Reggie. What is Royelle's biggest fear?"

"Something that really makes her skin crawl, I'm talking night terrors. What is it? Spiders? A bad hair day? Poverty," James coaxed Regulus who had ventured into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom early and promptly regretted this decision after being cornered by a good sum of the Marauders.

Regulus simply sighed in disappointment. "You really never fail to underestimate the girl, do you?"

"Come on, Reg, give us something," Sirius pitched in.

Regulus released another sigh. As much as he hated to admit it, the youngest Black missed his elder brother and yearned for his attention, and if the blood traitor only spoke to him through ulterior motives...so be it. An inside scoop on the enigma that is his best friend Esme Royelle was considered one of the smaller prices to pay for the sliver of recognition he shamefully coveted.

Regulus began reluctantly, "the answer is simple really...nothing."

James, Sirius, and Peter blankly stared at him.

Regulus rolled his eyes at this, peeved that he had to elaborate on such a conspicuous subject. "Esme is scared of absolutely nothing," he reiterated.

James protested, "That's impossible, everyone who is human has a fear. Unless Royelle is inhuman which frankly wouldn't come as too much of a shock to me."

"I speak the truth." Regulus answered earnestly, "Ever since Royelle was a child she had but one fear..."

"Ah-hah!" James exclaimed.

"Give us the dirt," Peter quipped or just about squealed.

"Let me finish, you bastards." Regulus continued, "She feared of drowning, but of course, being a Royelle fears are unacceptable, and weaknesses are a disgrace, so she trained every day since the age of 8 to tread the most perilous waters with ease and now she can hold her breath underwater for a record of 7 minutes."

His response left the gang silent for a record of 5 seconds.

Regulus merely smirked at their luck or lack thereof. "So what I am essentially saying, is that Royelle has no fears because once she identifies them she conquers them. So unless you know a fear of Royelle's which she herself is unaware of your pickings are slim, to say the least. "

"No matter, we'll find out eventually,"

"Whatever do you mean?" Regulus sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"Didn't you read the syllabus?" James elucidated with a cheshire grin. "Today is boggart day."

"My favorite day," Sirius relied.

"The day we discover everyone's little phobias," Peter somewhat chirped with glee.

"Yourselves included, you realize?" Regulus peered at the delusional pair.

"Of course, " James responded, "but our fears are noble since we reside in the house of bravery," he deadpanned.

Regulus rolled his eyes at Potter's trademark arrogance.

To the youngest Black brother's relief, the classroom doors swung open with the entrance of it Esme, followed by Andromeda and Remus just in time for the start of class.

Professor Copernicus cleared his throat to signal the attention of his students bustling with excitement.

"Alright, Alright, settle down class. Today we will embark on a journey of the soul and encounter our greatest fears by route of the boggart. A Boggart is a shape-shifting creature that will assume the form of whatever most frightens the person who encounters it."