King of Swords [ Regulus Black ]

Chapter 35

A little bird perches on a window sill under a dark and dampened sky.
Take flight little bird! The voices ring out from the canopy of pine, you have overslept and it is past time you've leapt.

The little bird now dangles on the thins of a wire, the depths winding up from below. It teeters a bit, on the edge of the world with nothing around to hold it.
The wire gives out from beneath its feet and flapping wings offer no aid. It falls into the mouth of a carnivorous raven chomping at its feet. Into the mouth of a snake they both go, until it winds into eternity. The walls close in around them, contracting their every breath.

Does it ever stop? The little bird asks the Raven.

The Raven responds, you can't unwind a circle once it is made.

"Callan?" Maslin asks, shaking my shoulders awake. I must have fallen asleep at the kitchen table after our last meeting. There is no recollection of Sirius leaving, or lying my face down on the cold wood.

"I'm up," I say, taking to my feet. My cloak still shrouds my shoulders, holding me like an embrace. I examine the red patch on my palm from the weight of my head pressing into it.

"There has been a change of plans," he says hurriedly, "an informant came in the night. Voldemort has lost far too much support with the fall of the ministry. The doors are open for the taking."

Questions form one after the other. There is nothing about this that makes me comfortable.
"An informant.. was it?"

"No," Maslin replies sullenly, "someone else."

I had once told Regulus that he had been betrayed by a member of his own party. Never in a million years did I expect that to become prophecy.

"It's a trap," I say, "it has to be."

"Probably," Maslin says, composing a sigh and hand motion, "but even if it is, there is enough of us to hold them off as long as he isn't there."

"How do we ensure that?" I ask, leaning on the table for balance. Something is starkly amiss here but I can't put my finger on it.

"Most of the aurors have gone out to act as decoys, if he attacks, the others will be on standy while we take out as many as we can within the ministry walls," he replies.

I narrow my eyes at him, "we have to kill him, you know. It is not enough to destroy his defenses. Six aurors can't manage that alone.."

"All in due time," Maslin responds, patting my shoulder.

I peer after him as he ventures down the hall and takes a coat from the rack. There is a baby in one of those houses, Sirius would be in of them. I try to think back on every word Regulus ever spoke regarding Voldemort, searching for weaknesses, for signs. There is so little to scrape from. Had I not spent the summer on a wild goose chase for Haro and Regulus, I may actually have some wisdom to impart.

Love is a detriment. I say the words to myself and then cast them from my mind.

-

There is no rumble of threat nor siren sound when our groups descends upon the ministry. It looks exactly as it did when we left. Though, the halls are now filled with officials that yearn for their jobs back.
A few centaurs have taken up office in the vacant cubicles. Maslin holds a meeting with them, offering various titles and benefits in exchange for their service. I am proud of him for his empathy and leadership, even when the majority of them deflect. There is little joy in paperwork when one could be ruling the forests.

The Deatheaters left the bodies of their traitors for us to clean up. An act of morbidity, they want us to acknowledge what we have done. I watch as the fallen boys are weaved into the air, too afraid to lift their masks in case I recognize them.