Regulus Black the Potions Master

Chapter 11

Regulus Black

The beginning of November brought three things: the chill of impending winter, the start of Quidditch games, and the rivalry of Slytherin and Gryffindor in full force.

In the last week, Regulus had to take fifteen points from Gryffindor during his class with the fifth year, because Oliver Wood couldn't concentrate in the class and was too focused on their first game against Slytherin. Black didn't envy his students who were part of the team for a second. But he won't openly judge him either, he might be a hypocrite, but not for that, he wasn't all that different from Wood when it came to winning a Quidditch match.

The first game between Slytherin and Gryffindor took over the school as usual, the students of both houses teasing each other almost free of charge for the entire week before the game, thankfully with far fewer visits to the hospital wing for unfortunate hexes than in the past, and without all the prejudice of blood status. Well, at least nothing so public that it would reach Professor Black's ears.

Regulus is very proud of how much his students and the house he heads have evolved in the nearly decade he's worked there, even if most haven't changed their beliefs about blood values and legitimacy and all that pureblood bullshit. , these same people learned that living in society is more important than being sovereign and causing the death of the entire wizarding world out of simple spite for those who, in their eyes, are inferior in some way. It was a long road, very difficult, especially in the early years of his career as a teacher, and always a new wave of difficulty with the arrival of new students every year. But in short, he is happy with his home. Most of the time at least.

" Mr. Malfoy," Black said when his nephew disrupted his class just to wish Potter a bad fate in the next game. Leaving unacceptable insults at the brunette's friends, based solely on blood and money status, because the boy had to be as ridiculously superficial as his idiot father " I thought I made it more than clear, that such behavior is not accepted in my class or at that school. Minus fifteen points for Slytherin.

Perhaps now, if Draco couldn't control himself, his peers would do it for him. As seen many times in years past, Slytherins hated to lose, especially if it was the fault of a continual mistake by one of their own.

This first-year class, and he's not even referring to the other houses, has been difficult to teach what he's been teaching his Slytherins and anyone else who'll listen over the last few years. The fact that they were the most Death Eater children he'd had since the end of the war is one explanation, which while satisfactory irritated him greatly. What would have happened to these young people if they hadn't been influenced all their lives by pureblood doctrine and the precepts of a power lunatic? How different they might have been if the Ministry had done their job right and arrested all the Death Eaters who claimed to be under the Imperius Curse or whatever other stupid shit the cowards used to get rid of Azkaban. But they got away and have been the last ten years alienating their children about the grandeur of a lie they are so sunk in they can't see.

Everyone has kind of been living in an illusion since the end of the war, two lies are being told over and over again among the people; The first is that the Dark Lord died, defeated by a baby just over a year old. Most people didn't know enough to doubt this claim, but most of those with information prefer to believe that the dark wizard who brought terror across the country and beyond has been defeated in some inexplicable way. Others believe he is alive, however, this group also believes he was right in everything he did. There is the third group, which consists of a much smaller group compared to the other two, who know that Voldemort is still alive and that he needs to be defeated once and for all.

As a member of this particular third group, Regulus has become increasingly concerned about the imminent return of his former Lord. Especially in recent months with the presence of the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts, the attempt to steal it, and what would happen if Voldemort could get his hands on it.