The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

XL. The Army Has Risen

It was Saturday, 9 March.

Regulus entered the Great Hall for breakfast, expecting to see Sirius, James, and Peter in their usual, worried states; the full moon had been the night before.

However, what he found was completely different.

The entire Great Hall was practically silent. Everyone was passing around copies of the Daily Prophet. There were people crying from both sadness and fear, and there were others looking around at one another in pure shock and terror.

Regulus furrowed his brow, and he and Barty picked up their pace. When they reached their normal places at the table, it was to find Gillian and Carson already there.

"What happened? Why's everyone acting like this?" Regulus asked as he dropped down on the bench across from Gillian.

Carson slid his copy of the Daily Prophet across the table in an almost bored fashion. Regulus grabbed it and placed it down between him and Barty so that they could read it at the same time.

It was the front page.

WEREWOLF ATTACKS ALL OVER LONDON!

Last night, a pack of werewolves ventured into London and killed hundreds (for a full list of attack victims, as well as pictures, turn to page 9). They killed witches, wizards, and muggles alike, and turned some, too. From every family, they took one member to be their own, and gave them the awful condition that is lycanthropy.
The Minister issued a statement from her office this morning. "These attacks will not stand!" Says Eugenia Jenkins. "Werewolves are vicious creatures. They aren't friends, they aren't family. As soon as they are given the condition of lycanthropy, they're monsters. I urge all of you, contact the Ministry if you have any ideas about any of the whereabouts of the wolves. In this war, it is unlikely that any of them will be fighting for the right side. As for the attack itself, I can assure you, it will not happen again. I will be absolutely sure of it. These wolves will not get away with this twice."
With the Minister's statement came many questions. How is the Ministry going to stop another attack? What will the Ministry do with the wolves that they catch? Who is leading the pack?
However, the main question is still posed: why is there a werewolf pack trying to gather more members?

Regulus passed the paper back across the table, and he glanced around Great Hall. The somber mood suddenly made quite a lot of sense. He glanced down the table, looking for any of the other students who were at the meeting over Christmas. For, Regulus had a sinking suspicion that that is what the Dark Lord had talked to them about when they kicked the kids out of the room.

He leaned forward so that he was speaking directly to Carson and Gillian. "You think it was... him?" He asked.

Carson and Gillian both nodded their heads without a second thought. "Well, yeah. Who else would it be? My bet's on Greyback." Carson replied.

"Greyback?" Regulus asked.

His three friends gave him a strange look. "You don't know who Greyback is?" Gillian asked.

Regulus shook his head.

"Merlin, Reg, even I know who he is!" Barty said. "What, did your parents just never talk about him? He's a known supporter of the Dark Lord."

Regulus shrugged. "My parents didn't really talk to me much as a kid. I s'pose they never thought it important that I know who he is."

"Well," Gillian began, "Greyback is a werewolf, as I'm sure you were able to deduce on your own. He's been working for the Dark Lord since the very beginning. I dunno exactly how they met, but they've known each other for a while. Anyways, he has a pack. And, as far as we can tell, he's making it larger."