The Journal of Regulus Arcturus Black

Chapter 34. Ravenclaw's Diadem

Dear Regulus,

Okay so I am vaguely aware that you don't like Snape. I can read from the small lines between your journal entries that you always thought he was a despicable half-blood that didn't deserve his position with the Death Eaters. I think that a lot of it is because you generally didn't like him during your school days, but I have bad, terrible, overbearing news and you're gonna hate this. I promise you, you will hate this.

Professor Snape is now the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

I fucking told you that you would be angry. If you were probably buried, you would be rolling in your grave right about now. It's utterly horrendous and really bad for the kids, well there you have it. The Minister of Magic is dead, taken over by Pius Thicknnesse, an obvious Death Eater and he must have been the one to appoint Severus as the Headmaster because I don't see how anyone with half a brain could think this up.

Hogwarts has really gone to the dogs. Okay that was pretty rude, I mean, I'm still here so it must have one good thing in it. I have decided to help the other Houses because I'm oh so generous and in doing so I think I may have accidentally started a revolution. But aren't all revolutions started by accident? So there's no need to fret, I have this all under control.

It'd be nice without the Carrow siblings trying to hex students in corridors like they're still students. We could all definitely do without the crucios during detentions but it's hard when all teachers seem to keep silent and subdued. Who the hell said that teenagers taking over the education system would be good?

This is why my father was on the board of governors. If I wanted to change the school, I at least had help. Now all I have are a bunch of rowdy Gryffindors, guilty Ravenclaws, enthusiastic Hufflepuff and Slytherins.

Whoever came up with the All Slytherins, One Family bullshit didn't cater to the fact that I have now adopted half of my house. It's terrible.

Your godson,

Draco Black.

***

The first memory that Dumbledore gave Draco was during Second Year. Tom Riddle's Diary was on the Headmaster's desk and it had a giant basilisk fang stabbed into it. The papers were rough, the leather binding completely pierced through and there was black ink spilled all around it. Dumbledore was gravely sitting in his chair, staring at the diary with a forlorn expression.

He sighed tiredly, making Draco tilt his head and step further into his office. Draco, for all his time at Hogwarts, never saw the Headmaster look his age. Just old and tired with the world, but he pushed forward. He walked away from the diary and his chair to a bookshelf just by his windows. Draco recognised the title, Dumbledore was researching horcruxes.

This must have been the first time he had thought about them properly.

The next memory was more closer to something Draco usually replayed in his head. He was looking at a younger version of himself, standing in the same office, but it was after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Draco felt himself looking away from his past self. There was something about the fifteen year-old, wearing his family ring, with his hair short and black... it reminded him too much of Regulus. Too much of what he wanted to become.

"I was... destroying my godfather's Locket. It was Regulus's last wish, before he died. He wanted the Locket destroyed."

He heard himself say. After past-Draco left with Kreacher, Dumbledore talked to both Harry and Sirius about the prophecy. Draco watched on as the Late Headmaster recited the words with a grave expression.