Mastermind

Lifeless Stars

Warnings: mention of Eating Disorders as means of self-harming,
Homophobia
Physical violence - some characters get some more and less deserved beating

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They say
"It's better to burn out
Than slowly sink and drown"
But I don't wanna die today
- Lifeless Stars by Palaye Royal

McKinnon comes back by the end of November. The news spread through the school like wildfire.

Regulus hears about it first in the common room. He makes Barty read another Occlumency text. Barty considers it to be even less important than before – "It's over between you and Potter isn't it? What do I have to hide from him now?"
Regulus simply threw a glance at Evan, and Barty started reading.

Mulciber and Avery sit down with them a few minutes later. Evan and Barty, as always, perk up and direct their full attention to them. Regulus ignores them.

Like starved pigeons, the rest of the students flock around them and sit down, awaiting another great speech about their superiority.

Regulus feels oddly grouped with Mulciber instead of the rest of the flock. As much as he'd hate being considered an ordinary foolish follower of a teenage boy's regurgitated hate, being considered one of the leaders, one of Voldemort's people, is worse.

The students around him, looking at them – him – with adoration seem obscenely young to him. There are first- and second-year students here. An entire next generation of Death Eaters, children getting sucked into a war. Mulciber and Avery sell it to them like free candy.

"And if you are loyal to the Dark Lord, he will recognise you as his own and mark you as such," Mulciber says with pride. Regulus looks at him.

Mulciber pushes his sleeve up his arm, revealing the underside of his forearm. The Dark Mark, the snake winding itself out of a screaming skull, sits on his skin. It almost looks like it is pulsating, a living thing conscious of itself and its master.

Regulus doesn't breathe.

He has seen the Mark before. He has seen it on the Death Eaters, on Bellatrix – on adult witches and wizards with minds poisoned long ago. He looks at Mulciber, at the look of utmost pride on his face, eyes raking over the students. The cut, slowly healing into a scar, Regulus has given him not too long ago, makes him look older. Mulciber is awful, Regulus has nothing good to say or even think about him. But now, standing there with his branded arm, proud and blind, he looks like a naïve child to Regulus.

Regulus sees the other children react. Avery and Snape bare their arms as well, wearing identical marks. Regulus stares at Snape. A half-blood in obsessive infatuation with a muggleborn witch – and he wears the Mark proudly.

The children start mumbling to themselves, gasping in wonder and adoration.

No, Mulciber is not naïve. He is the least naïve person in the room, Regulus realises. He knows exactly what he is doing. He is in total control of everyone around him, from the new fifth-year prefects down to Evan and Barty.

Regulus doesn't hear what they say next until – "The Head Boy and the mudblood Head Girl are on a warpath against us, wanting to make you feel guilty for your opinions and how you follow our old values and traditions. Maybe some of you have heard about what happened today in the Great Hall. McKinnon, a mudblood from Gryffindor, is back at school after her family was exterminated. After supper she became hysterical and attacked Snape. Did the Head Boy or any teacher or prefect reprimand her? Of course not. A mudblood and a blood traitor – of course they endorse any violence against us Slytherins, against people with opinions different from their own."