The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

XXXII. Regulus Black, Secret Keeper

I will be hosting a meeting for the Slug Club in my office for Christmas! Arrive no later than six o'clock sharp on 20 December, and wear your best Christmas jumpers!

Horace Slughorn

Regulus received his invitation by owl on 10 December. He wasn't entirely sure why Slughorn had sent out the Christmas party invitations so early, but he assumed that it must be so that everyone could be sure that they had a clear schedule.

He shoved the note deep into the pocket of his robes and shoveled spoonful after spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth. Barty was watching him from the side, furrowing his brow at how fast Regulus was downing his breakfast.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked.

Regulus looked up, closing his mouth 'round another spoonful of oatmeal. "Hm?"

Barty gestured to Regulus's already almost empty bowl. "You're eating really fast."

Regulus gulped down the last of his breakfast. "Yeah, I want to get in some reading before class," he scarfed down a bit of toast, and held another slice in a napkin as he stood up. "I'll be in the library if you need me."

"What have you been reading about?" Barty had been meaning to ask the question since September. Regulus had been sneaking off and spending hours upon hours reading books that Regulus would never tell Barty the topic of.

"Just - erm - healing stuff," Regulus replied. It wasn't necessarily a lie, Occlumency did have to do with the mind, which did have to do with healing.

"Healing stuff? So what, you want to be a healer now?"

"No, just - uh - trying to learn more about it. Exploring my options, you know? Maybe I will be a healer, you never know." Regulus shrugged, attempting to seem nonchalant.

"But, aren't you going to... you know... work for him?"

Regulus nodded. "Well, yeah, of course, but... like... after, you know?"

"After?"

"After he takes over, we'll still need to get jobs. Maybe healing is what I want to do. I don't know."

Barty eyed him suspiciously a moment, but he ceded nonetheless. He turned back to his breakfast, leaving Regulus to his own devices. Regulus stared at his best mate a moment, guilt welling up inside of him. He and Barty had started to drift apart this term, and it was entirely Regulus's fault.

He fleetingly debated whether or not to ask Barty if he wanted to come.

He decided against it.

We'll be close again when I know Occlumency, Regulus told himself, I just have to learn Occlumency. Then, everything will be back to normal.

Regulus turned around and left without another word.

He sent a glance towards the Gryffindor table on his way out, solely out of habit. He noticed that Remus Lupin was missing, and his three friends were in their usual nervous and worried states. Regulus paused a moment at the end of the table, though he quickly picked up his pace and continued to the door.

The full moon was the night before, meaning that Remus was most definitely either still where he went to transform, or in the hospital wing. Regulus wasn't entirely sure where Remus went to transform, and to be honest, he had never given it much thought. He just knew that, wherever it was, it was safe enough that no one had been hurt in the almost three years that it had been in use. He was able to deduce quite easily that it wasn't inside of the castle, for someone would surely hear a werewolf in the school once a month. This meant that it had to be off of the grounds, close enough that the Professors would be able to reach him in the case of an emergency, and also close enough to where he could get to it without raising suspicion.