Grimmauld's Home for Unsafe Learners

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Chapter Summary:Late 1979-Mid 1981

TW: referenced sexual abuse, verbal abuse and psychical abuse

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Headmaster Dumbledore wanted him to become a spy for the light. Regulus Black had of course accepted, not wanting to live how he was, afraid of what would happen to him once the Dark Lord found out what he did.

He had also offered him the position of Potions Professor for whenever it became available. No doubt, the students wouldn't trust him at first because of the Black legacy.

A week ago, Regulus Black had come out of the Cave, drenched in water with scars littering his body from the Inferi. Now, he had nightmares of water. Every time he would close his eyes, he saw water. He saw the Inferi. He would wake up choking on air.

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Two years later, the spot of Potions Professor became available. The Dark Lord was still plotting his... plots, and Regulus was still a spy. The only reason the Dark Lord hadn't killed him when he came back from his Horcrux mission was because he believed Regulus was spying on the Light for the Dark and not the other way around.

The nightmares still hadn't stopped. They had dwindled away to maybe twice or thrice a week but were still consistently painful. He also found out he was now deadly afraid of water. He tried to go swimming a couple weeks after he came back from the Cave and found he couldn't breathe after he stepped in. No more water for Regulus unless to shower (even then, washed himself as quickly as possible to get out fast) or drink.

As he had suspected, when students first saw him, they were wary. The younger years not knowing who this knew professor was and all of them not knowing what he was going to teach. It didn't help once Dumbledore introduced him.

"Please help me in welcoming our new Head of Slytherin House and Potions professor, Professor Regulus Black. Show him the same respect you show our other professors and staff. Good luck, Professor Black."

Regulus' first class was... interesting. It was Wednesday morning, sixth year potions. Seeing as how sixth year onward, Potions was an elective and not a mandatory class, all of the sixth year students were in one class.

Regulus could tell the students were wary of him. A twenty-year-old Potions professor, what could they expect? How did they go from the old man Slughorn, to fresh out of Hogwarts himself Black? They had all known Regulus when he was in Hogwarts. He graduated three years ago, of course he knew them. He was the Slytherin Seeker, all fourth years and above knew who he was.

"Hello, again. I'm sure you all know who I am, at least I hope you do, considering we were in school together for three years. Well, I'll be teaching you Potions." Regulus said.

Regulus Black had begun the class with Felix Felicis. Instead of making the students use their textbooks, he had written out instructions on a piece of parchment, used a spell he created that essentially laminated the parchment, making it sturdier and so it would last a longer time. He had duplicated that and placed one at each station. He told the students that he liked to derive from the textbook because the book was outdated, and new techniques worked better. Most of the students wrote down what he had written out for them.

He didn't see anyone he hadn't met before until the next morning with first year Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw class. During that class, he could tell the students were on edge. Being taught by a Black, who was known for being a Dark family and their family madness.

"Hello. I'm Professor Black. The Potions course is fairly simple, as long as you follow instructions carefully. Before you can make any Potions, we need to cover correct laboratory safety. The upper years have already covered this which is why you may hear that they worked on actual Potions. Right. Any questions?"