RISE OF THE FALL | R.B.

XXIX.

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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CHAPTER XXIX.

"Run."

The word took a second to register in Reia's mind. He had said it so quietly, and he quickly loosened his hold on her wrists and shoved her away from him.

"Don't turn back. Find Dumbledore. Tell him that the Death Eaters are here. Find help."

He met her eyes and gave her a reassuring look, I will explain later.

Her heart was pounding as she stumbled out of the Common Room, regained her footing, and ran, ran, ran.

***

"Professor!" Reia slammed on the statue of the Gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office, "PROFESSOR!"

She was tempted to just use 'Bombarda' and destroy the statue in one go, but then the Gargoyle slid aside and Reia leapt up the stairs.

She was so thankful that Dumbledore had opened the entrance for her. She didn't know the password.

"Professor, Professor, Professor," Reia said, out of breath. "Something's happened in the Slytherin Common Room—something involving Death Eaters—Reg wanted me to tell you that the Death Eaters are here, Professor!"

Dumbledore strode from his desk and said, "There is little happening in this castle that I do not know about, Miss Lupin. Thank you for your information." He gave her a quick smile before he disapparated and vanished from the office.

Reia stood alone in the Headmaster's office, catching her breath. She sat down on one of Dumbledore's chairs and buried her face in her hands.

What had happened? Had her eyes betrayed her? Was it really Regulus—her best friend, her boyfriend—who'd caused the explosion; who'd been involved in this whatever it was?

"Well, don't just sit there,"

Reia shot up to her feet and pulled her wand from her robe pocket, scanning the room for any signs of a threat.

"I'm a portrait, up here, girl,"

Reia glanced up and saw Phineas Nigellus Black staring down at her from his portrait.

She only recognised him because of the label on the frame of his painting, and she called up, "What do you mean, Professor Black?"

"I mean, don't just sit there and cry," Phineas scoffed.

Reia had half a mind to retort with 'I wasn't crying', but she figured that it wouldn't really help her case at all.

"If the situation really is that serious, which I'd take it is," Phineas continued, "I think you should really be running back to help, don't you?"

"You don't understand," Reia shook her head, "Reg—um, Regulus Arcturus Black...you might know him—,"

"I do, yes," Phineas said curtly.

"He was involved. And he's my best friend—and I'm trying to convince myself that he didn't do it but I can't, because he did do it, and he was involved." Reia said quietly.

"Ah, well," Phineas said, frowning, "were you really expecting him to never become involved in the Death Eaters' business? I heard from Walburga from my other portrait that Regulus had become a Death Eater—he was going to start doing things you didn't want him doing soon anyway. He has to—with all that pressure on his shoulders to be perfect and to make his family proud after his brother was disowned—he has no choice but to obey, or be disowned, or even killed by the Dark Lord."

Those words sent a chill through Reia's body, but she kept quiet and let Phineas continue.

"Don't overthink what happened already," Phineas said, "I am sure he will explain to you later. But for now, your friends need your help."

Reia sighed, "Thank you, Professor Black."

Phineas gave her a look that almost looked like a smile—but also looked like it had a frown mixed in there too. "Make Slytherin proud. Even though Slytherins are always seen as evil and untrustworthy—of course, some of us are—nobody else knows what happens in our Common Room, and nobody else could possible ever understand the pain of being forced to do somebody else's bidding—of being punished for every small mistake—of being punished for loving somebody that you shouldn't love. Nobody else from any other House could possible understand the pressure of being expected to be constantly perfect; the pain that comes with being born pure-blooded, or even just being looked down upon because of the House we were sorted in, despite how proudly we flaunt it."

Reia gave the old man a smile, "Thank you, Professor Black. I will be going now."

Reia left the Headmaster's office, Phineas Black's words still resonating in her mind.

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading! Sorry for the cliffhanger on the previous chapter...anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and vote and comment if you liked it!

Again, I'd like to thank all of you who have voted and commented on this story, because I really appreciate it!

Cya~

-Lili <3