The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

XVII. Milo Bell

Milo Bell was sitting in his office on the evening of Saturday, 2 June.

He was grading papers that he had received from his second years the day before - though they had absolutely nothing to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts. The Gryffindor students in Milo Bell's second year Gryffindor/Slytherin class were very... interesting, to him. Especially Sirius Black.

So, he introduced an idea to the class. Write him a paper about themselves at the beginning and end of the year, so that they could look back at them someday and see how much they changed over the course of just one year. None of the Slytherin students wanted to do it, though, so he told them all that it would be an extra-credit assignment.

He had received a letter at the beginning and end of the year from every single one of the Gryffindor second years, and he was busy comparing them with their ones from the beginning of the year. He had given the class various questions to ask in their essay, including one which was "What do you want most?".

At the beginning of the year, Sirius Black's answer had stuck out to him the most, for it was entirely about his brother Regulus. This one, however, was much different.

What I want more than anything is to be able to spend the summer with my best mates. I don't want to go back to be around my stupid family and all of their rubbish beliefs. I especially don't want to be around that stupid little tosser, Regulus. If I could never see him again, it would be absolutely fantastic.

Milo Bell furrowed his brow and set the two essays down onto his desk beside one another. What had happened in the past year to cause such a drastic change in attitude? He didn't really have time to ponder this, however, for an owl had started tapping its talons against the window.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap

"Alright, alright," he got up and walked towards the window - only when he was a mere few yards away, did he realize who it was. It was the Black family owl - Achilles. He slid the window open as fast as he possibly could, and the owl came soaring in, with a letter tied to its leg.

Milo Bell untied the letter and shooed the owl out of the window - much to its dislike. Milo Bell read the front of the envelope, and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

Regulus Black

Why had Milo Bell received a letter that was meant for Regulus Black? A panic set in when he realized that owls were never wrong. Whoever this letter may be addressed to, it was definitely meant for Milo Bell - addressing it to Regulus Black was most definitely a precaution to make sure that it could get into the school without sounding hundreds of alarms.

He tore it open and pulled out two things. The first was a very small slip of parchment, and the second was a tiny, flat parcel wrapped in brown paper. He read the letter first:

Ironic, isn't it? Penelope Burke was the one to draw you away, and now she's the one to draw you right back. 9 Lyon Road, Wimbledon, London. 8 PM. Even a minute later, and she'll be dead.

O.B.

Milo Bell tore open the parcel, and out fell a lock of very dark brown curly hair. A lock of Penelope Burke's hair. The panic that had been rising in him ever-so-slowly reared itself, and he took off.

He threw the hair, note, and brown paper onto the ground and ran faster than he ever had before; he needed to get to Penelope. He wasn't sure what time it was exactly, but he knew that he couldn't waste anymore time.

He sprinted past the groups of students who were leaving the Great Hall from dinner, and ran smack into Sirius Black.

"Woah, hey, sorry Professor!" Sirius said, stumbling backwards. Remus and James grabbed onto either one of his arms to steady him, but Milo Bell was long gone. "Where the bloody hell is he off to?"