The Forgotten Black

Chapter Three

Blanche caught up to Regulus half a week later. They hadn't spoken for three days after Regulus had said told her he loved her, and in that time, a number of things had happened.

The school was in an uproar about the murders of ten Muggle-borns. Those who had known them or had been related to them had gone home. Regulus had heard teachers discussing it in the halls, in hushed tones.

"Terrible, terrible..."

"This is a horrible tragedy..."

But once they saw Regulus, they broke apart from their little groups and shooed him away.

None of this changed Regulus's dream of become a Death Eater. He still felt that the Dark Lord's views were right and strong, and if people were dying, then that wasn't the Dark Lord's fault. It was theirs. They weren't smart enough to get out of the way, to let him carry on.

And they were Mudbloods, he thought.

"Er, Regulus?" Blanche asked. It was clear that she was trying to get his attention, and he was lost in his own little thoughts.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm sorry for running off like that. I just panicked when you said that you loved me..."

"Oh... I understand..."

"You do?" Blanche was clearly relieved. "Do you actually love me?"

Regulus looked for something to say again. "I think it's too early, don't you?"

"I- yes, I agree. I'm glad we're on the same... Terms?"

Regulus couldn't help notice that she sounded unsure of herself, and he could see worry reflected in her emerald eyes. He wondered if the same look was in his.

"Me too."

"Did you hear about what happened?" she asked. Regulus nodded. "It's horrible, isn't it? Those Death Eaters are evil, pure evil for what they did. So is You-Know-Who."

Blanche sounded quite bold, and Regulus widened his eyes in shock. No one should be saying that the Dark Lord was evil. He wasn't, he was only doing what was right.

"Reg? Don't you think that it's terrible?"

"Yeah, I suppose..."

"You suppose? There were children killed."

Regulus hadn't heard that. "Really?"

"Yes," Blanche said, looking sad. "A family of five, with three children, were amongst those killed. Don't you read the paper?"

"No, Arden just tells me stuff."

"Honestly," Blanche scoffed. "Try reading it tomorrow."

So he did. At breakfast, a tawny owl landed in front of him, and he actually took the paper and paid the owl this time. Regulus smoothed out the front, and began to read.

19 MORE FOUND DEAD, THREE DEATH EATERS CAPTURED

On the night of the 27th, a massacre occurred when seven Death Eaters stormed the homes of four Ministry families, all well-known for speaking out against He Who Must Not Be Named. There was a sole survivor, a young woman who hid in a secret room in her family home, knowing that to fight would be the death of her.

"It was horrible," the woman, who shall remain nameless, said last night. "I could hear my family screaming, but my brother had told me to stay down there and don't move. I didn't know what to do, and by the time I decided that I had to help, it was too late. The Death Eaters were gone and my family was dead."