A Tale of Two Brothers

Chapter 26

Becoming the unofficial leader of a gang of bullies wasn't as bad as he'd imagined.

It had its perks.

No one dared to look down on him anymore. He got whatever he wanted without a second's hesitation.

Flint and Higgs felt less like his companions and more like obedient, if not slightly stuck-up servants to him. They did everything Harry asked for. Be it collecting herbs from the Forbidden Forest during full moon nights or pushing people out of his way whenever he was almost late to his classes, they did it all. Flint had even offered him his Quidditch Captain position as some sort of buttering up, which Harry had declined since he had no interest in that sport anymore. Higgs prioritized completing Harry's assignments over his own, which came in handy during the very busy weekends.

Being on the top of the hierarchy was glorious. It was good. The power his words held made him feel exhilarated. It was good. It was lonely.

It also made everyone around him pretend. And it did not even spare him. Pretense before was just about passing off as the older, strange and suspicious brother of the saviour of the magical world learning dark magic in secret. Now there was no hiding. Now he was someone who used that magic just because he wanted, no matter what cost. He couldn't play hide-and-seek with the truth anymore.

Everybody knew what he had done in order to get to this. Everyone. There was no other way around it.

It wasn't long before the truth found its way to poison his home.

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"Harry, open the door." Regulus yelled from outside of his room. Harry ignored him and continued packing his things.

There was no returning back now.

"Harry, I am asking you this one last time before I blast open this door. Open. This. Door. Right now."

He shrunk every book, every picture and printouts hidden in the niche behind his wardrobe and stuffed them in a thumb-sized spherical case he'd bought in Diagon Alley. He was running out of time.

"You leave me with no other choice."

Harry closed his eyes just for a second, absorbing the reality of the situation. This was it.

Just before he opened his eyes and rushed towards the door, Harry swallowed the small sphere.

When he opened the door, Regulus' wand was directly pointing at his chest, burning a violent yellow on the tip.

"What do you want!?"

"What do I want? I want the truth, Harry! How long have you been using dark magic? Do you even know the consequences of what you're doing, you stupid boy!? Is that what you've been doing at Hogwarts?  Breaking our trust? Using magic you know is dangerous!?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Just get out of my way." He spoke calmly.

It seemed to spike the ire of the man in front of him. "No. We're talking about it right now, or else–"

"Or else what? What will you do, uncle?"

Regulus closed his eyes to stave off his anger, which gave him an opportunity to move past him quickly.

He was almost at the entrance door when Regulus apparated in front of him.

"Harry. I just want to talk." Now the man tried to use a different approach. They both knew that it was a lost cause.

"Listen. I think we're way past that point now. You know whatever you're thinking is right. And it is." Regulus' face fell at those words. "I am done hiding it. I never understood your hate for it, and I don't want to be any part of it."