The Brothers Black

Chapter 26

At first I couldn't even tell when my vision returned. The room I was in was so dark that it took a while for my eyes to adjust. I was sitting at the top of a stairway, staring at the beautiful gothic decor in front of me. The couch to the left of the stairs, the grand chandelier, and even the intricately designed doorway were all mysteriously homelike. I felt like I had been here before, but I knew it wasn't my life. I wondered if I was in a pensieve, like the one my parents had. 

"Are you alright, Master Regulus?" a croaky voice asked from behind me.

I spun around to see if Regulus was behind me too, but no one was there except the scrubby looking house-elf who had asked the question.

"I'm fine, Kreacher. Just waiting. You're welcome to sit with me if you want," I said.

It wasn't my voice that came out, though. It was Regulus's.

My hands, my clothes, they were all Regulus's.

I was Regulus.

I wasn't in a pensieve. I wasn't just in a memory, I was reliving his life. I didn't know this magic, and that scared me a little bit. But Regulus had asked me to trust him, and I did.

I was waiting on the stairs for what seemed like hours. Every time I tried to stand up, I couldn't. It was like I was stuck in Regulus's body, but he was the one making all the decisions. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, a knock rang out on the door. Regulus immediately hopped up and scampered down the stairs, throwing open the door.

The curly brown-haired, freckled little kid that stood in the entryway was easily recognizable.

"Sirius!" Regulus squealed.

 I realized I had never heard Regulus sound like that, his voice full of excitement. It made me sad to think about how he lost all of his hope in such little time. 

Sirius let out a chuckle in response. "Hey, kiddo," he said.

Regulus threw his arms around Sirius in a monster hug. 

"Sirius," a cool voice drawled from behind. An older woman was standing on the stairs Regulus had been on. Her dress was an electrifying red, but the scowl on her face sucked all of the energy out of the room in an instant. She looked strangely familiar, as if I had seen her in a dream.

Regulus let go of his brother, and Sirius took a deep breath, as if preparing himself. I noticed that he tucked his maroon Hogwarts robes behind him, as if trying to hide them. He bent down to Regulus, placing his hands on his shoulders. It reminded me of how James comforted me when I was scared.

"I have to talk with Mother and Father," he said calmly. "Stay in your room, and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Will you come when you're done talking with them?"

"Not tonight," Sirius shook his head. "Kreacher will stay with you."

Regulus looked toward the stairs where the house-elf waited above. He nodded, and trudged up the steps to his room. He sat on his bed with a sigh, staring at the floor.

The next few bit of the memory passed in a haze. Regulus may have been asleep, I couldn't tell. There were faded sounds of screaming, like someone was in pain nearby. My stomach lurched when I realized it was probably Sirius. I had only been in this house for a few hours, but it already was unbearable. I had no idea how the two of them were able to be here for so long. 

Finally, footsteps clunked up the stairs. At the noise, Regulus sat up and quickly got out of bed. He clearly was excited to talk to Sirius. He tiptoed down the hall, making his way to his brother's room. He stopped when he heard noises in the room, obviously not expecting anyone to be talking. The door was creaked open enough that he could hear the conversation inside, but couldn't see anything.