Chapter Text
The first thing that hit him was the cold water suddenly turning warm. Regulus didn't know what dying would feel like. He imagined everything to turn cold as his body turned as rotten outside as he was inside but.. this felt different. A hand grabbed him, dragging him to his death. He felt warm. He was warm. Stupidly so... Then he saw it, a boy swimming towards him.
‘ James? Is that Potter swimming towards me? What? ‘
No. It wasn't. As the kid swam near Regulus, he immediately realized the person was younger than him. Regulus suddenly found air.. he could breath. Everything was still dark but he could see this boy's eyes, everything was as clear as day. He looked just like James but younger and that wasn't the freaky part. His eyes.. They were so green. Like Ava-
"You need to wake up Black" The boy's voice was different from Potter's. More depressed. Dull. Tired.
"What" he choked out-
"BLACK WAKE UP! WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE BECAUSE OF YOU!" An annoying voice screamed near his ear. Regulus woke up in a jolt before gasping the sharper air-- Real air around him. His vision finally returned to him and he was greeted by the surroundings of his old Slytherin dorms and a familiar face.
‘ Nott? ‘
"Tiberius..?" He mumbled. Now staring at the face of Tiberius Nott. Who looked displeased by being called by his name. Which would make sense as Regulus never called him by his name ever. But he was just so shocked that he just stared at the man. "Where am I?"
"Where are you?" Nott hissed, looking annoyed. "That's it, I am NOT being nice anymore. If you get late to our class, don't blame me!" Before Regulus could even register the word class, Nott was rushing out of the room. Regulus just stared at his surroundings in pure shock.
‘ Am I dead? No. This doesn't feel like that... I can breathe. Is breathing allowed in hell? Am I in some type of purgatory? ‘
Regulus wouldn't be surprised if he was. He looked at his old Slytherin dorms. It looked as neat as he remembered it to be. Besides him were two beds. One belonged to Tiberius Nott and the other belonged to...
Evan Rosier.
Almost shivering and vibrating, in his pajamas, he got out of bed but before he could walk. His legs gave up under him and Regulus found himself falling to the ground with a thug.
‘ Ouch. That felt real. ‘
| Regulus Black think a bit more consciously and stop making a FOOL out of yourself! Carry yourself |
Regulus froze, suddenly feeling his mother's voice and magic in the air. Okay this was absolutely hell. Taking heavy breaths, Regulus was able to get up by hanging onto the bed like his life depended on it. If his mother truly was looking at him in this hell then she would probably be scoffing at his state but the air suddenly changed as he felt a rather different yet cold magic vibrate into the air. Switching with his mother, the colder Aura.
| Check the Calendar |
Regulus huffed at the demanding tone of this new individual that he didn't know. The magic and voice felt unfamiliar yet familiar. Almost akin to Narcissa... But he did do as he was told because he was at a loss and everything hurt.
His eyes landed on the calendar near the dorm doors. He froze as if his whole body was drowned in water again. 4th September 1973.
‘ How? Is this part of purgatory? Letting me relive my 3rd year?! ‘
The Aura changed yet again and Regulus found himself grasping his bed sheets as his mother's voice returned, this time screeching with full force.
| You insolent BRAT. Think ahead! You are alive |
| Auntie enough. Let me handle this! |
The two magical forces were now battling each other inside Regulus's dorm. It wasn't exactly battling but they seem to be quietly debating on who would talk to Regulus. Regulus couldn't even register that the other one called his mother 'Auntie'. Regulus ignored the two forces, crawling back into his bed.
‘ What's going on? ‘
| Let me say as much as I can. You are back into the past or something like that |
Regulus looked extremely alert, wanting to scream but he only didn't because he knew his mother or whatever that mimicked his mother was listening in.
| I know I know. You should be... Dead but you aren't okay? So just... Hang on |
"Hang on? What does that mean?" Regulus hissed. The stranger's voice grew annoyed.
| Listen, I am not happy being stuck here with you either. But I am. And we three need to deal with... This. So for now rest cousin , once you are healthy. We will explain as much as we can. Which isn't much because this floating head doesn't let us do anything- |
Regulus was so lost and tired that he just stared into the ceiling as the unknown voices started to talk. "Cousin?" He whispered. Was this actually narcissa? No.. the voice was too masculine and the magic felt less neat than hers.
| Oh right, I guess I wasn't born yet. Hello, my name's Draco Malfoy and I am Narcissa Malfoy's son. You are actually my God father |
‘ Alright I have officially lost it. ‘
Regulus scoffed before laying on his bed and going to sleep. He doesn't care about the purgatory anymore. It's actually better than the Black household.
| You know what.. just take some rest. Your body needs it |
Regulus didn't answer as he actually drifted off to sleep. Ignoring the two cards that started to manifest themselves on his desk.
×
By the time Regulus woke up his surroundings were already darkened like it was night time. He thought of using Tempus but couldn't find his wand in his pocket. He was immediately alerted, after the incident with Alastor Moody everyone in the organisation kept their wands close to the chest.
“If you are looking for your wand it's on your desk” a painfully familiar voice spoke to him. Regulus turned to his left, still laying in his bed, to find him. Evan Rosier. The first thing that washed over him was Pain and unfortunate memories. Memories of finding Evan’s body. Broken and Rotten as Moody forgot he was interrogating a child not a full on Deatheater. Memories of reading the newspaper to see the wizarding world claim his best friend's murderer as a hero.
This… doubleganger looked young. Then the previous instances kicked in. He was in the past. He got up suddenly. Freezing even Evan, as the younger version looked at him in confusion. Third year. Of course… He and Evan weren't close at this point of time. He and Evan only got together as a unit during their 5th year, joined by Barty and Pandora. A sudden numbness entered Regulus's body as he just stared back at Evan.
“...are you okay Black?” The word black hurts to be listened to. Evan and Barty never called him Black, they called him cheesy nicknames. Regulus was about to finally answer but another voice joined in.
“I told you, he has lost it.” Regular turned to his right to see Nott. Oh right. Their previous conversation must have painted Regulus as having lost himself. He called Nott by his first name and then proceeded to bunk classes. Something Regulus never did.
“I haven't lost it” Regulus spoke finally. His voice was raspy and came out dried. Evan raises an eyebrow. “I just… have a cold” Regulus spoke, drinking his own saliva. Lying came easy to him after years of hiding. He can blend into this weird purgatory.
“You should go to sleep then.” Nott scoffed, turning in his bed, away from Regulus. Regulus felt the need to scoff himself.
‘ What was his deal? Wait… oh right. ‘
He was again reminded that he was back in Hogwarts. Where his brother was. His gryffindor brother who just loved pranking Slytherin’s. Not caring about how it would be seen on his younger Slytherin brother. Most of his colleagues disliked having him around just because of his blood relation to his brother and his brother hated him for his relations to the colour green… Now that he thought about it, before fifth year he was very lonely. First and second year was manageable with Narcissa being around but after she graduated, his third and fourth year was very lonely.
“...Then take rest” Evan broke him out of his isolated thoughts. Regulus gave this Evan one last glance as denial kicked in. No, this wasn't his soul brother. But… just maybe he can live with this version. In this weird purgatory. Regulus slowly nodded.
“Goodnight Evan”
“..... Goodnight Black”
×
He was drowning again. The water was cold but he wasn't alone. The boy who looked like Potter was just staring at him, eyes green but not glowing anymore. The boy looked tired.
“Who… are you?” Regulus asked, breathing the strong artificial air around him again. He was breathing something impure. The boy answered using what he spoke before.
“You need to wake up Black. Your not supposed to be here anyways”
‘ What ‘
Regulus woke up to an empty dorm this time. Still stuck in his third year.. well almost empty. A note written by Slughorn was floating on top of him. [ If you have a cold, please take a leave note and stay back. Don't bunk classes ]
‘ Oh right… I am back to Hogwarts. ‘
Regulus got up, slowly feeling his legs regain strength. He remembered the last time he tried to get up. Remembering the weird two voices. He closed his eyes as he made his way towards the bathroom, trying to hear them. Nothing.
“Oh course” he sighed. He was going insane. It took him almost an hour to freshen up mostly because of how weak his body felt. Evan told him his wand was on his desk. He went ahead looking for his wand, he found it along with finding two particular cards. One was titled {Walburga Black} sending shivers down his spin. The other was titled {Draco Malfoy}.
‘ The boy who said he was Narcissa’s son and my Godson. ‘
The card which bore his mother's name was covered in black flames, in the middle there were two fishes circling each other. The other card which had the name of his supposed godson was surrounded by wands and words that regulus couldn't decipher with a large black wolf in the middle.
‘ What a bunch of rubbish. Narcissa said she couldn't conceive. ‘
But still, Regulus found himself pocketing the two cards with his wand. Moving towards Pompy’s office to get a sick card. Going to the breakfast table wouldn't do anything to his weakened state anyways… he tried to think back to the meal he ate before going to the cave. It could barely be classified as a meal. He drank the tea kreacher made him. He forgot which type of tea, he only remembered it being black. Regulus smiled a bit, maybe he could meet kreacher in this purgatory. Purgatory didn't look like purgatory if he could meet kreacher and Evan.
| You are running a fools chore of ignoring what we told you |
Regulus stopped walking. Looking around, trying to find his mother but instead he only found a few students either rushing to their classes or trying to bunk it.
‘ Stupid voices. You are not my actual mother ‘
His mother would have started to yell out curses at him by now. This version of tamer compared to her. He started to walk again, this time slower to mind his weakened body. A part of him felt like it was being stringed towards the exit door. Like something was telling him to do something… something.
| Do what you were trying to do prior |
The other boy's voice chimed in. Regulus ignored it but thought about it.
‘ Prior? I was trying to…. The locket. ‘
Regulus frowned, now speeding up towards Pompy's office. He didn't want to think about that in the afterlife.
×
“Are you sure you are fine? You magic is very faint… almost like you were in a dire situation” Pompy spoke, finding his state very troublesome. She had granted him four days of bed rest and given him a slip for it.
‘ I was being drowned but that doesn't matter ‘
He suddenly imagined multiple hands reaching out to him. Waiting to tear him apart, piece by piece. Regulus internally shivered, trying to be stoic. “I am fine.” Regulus mumbled. “Just a common cold and headaches. Four days is enough. Thank you”
He left without further conversation and she let him. Which he was thankful for.
Four days. Why was he acting like this was real? This is the afterlife. He doesn't NEED to take a permission slip to stay back.
‘ This is stupid. This isn't actually Hogwarts. That wasn't Nott in his third year, He was dead, Pompy wouldn't speak to him so gently anymore, Evan was dead– ‘
A hand stopped him from moving ahead. Regulus froze before turning to look at the person who stopped it. He shuddered.
‘ This is purgatory afterall. ‘