Chapter 106 - Stupid, Sirius!

At a large dinner table, a family of four are dressed in mourning black as they sit. A scowling dark-haired woman with sharp attractive features and gray eyes stares at her sullen eldest son. Walburga Black sniffs loudly, "Thankfully, your younger brother will be starting this year in Slytherin."

Sirius glances at his younger brother and snorts. "He could very well be a Ravenclaw the way he has his nose in books all the time." Regulus glares up at his older brother shooting him a dirty look.

Walburga Black opens her mouth to yell, when the dark-haired man at her side says, "Enough!" Walburga Black unhappily closes her mouth as Sirius stabs his food with his fork. Orion's steely gray eyes turn onto his son as he sneers, "Sirius, despite your being a detestable Gryffindor, I expect you to properly comport yourself as a most esteemed member of the Black family that you are."

Sirius clenches his fork tighter in his fist as he listens to his father. "But I suppose a disappointment will always be a disappointment," Orion added as Sirius clenched his jaws so hard that it seemed almost painful.

Turning to gaze at his wife, Orion remarked, "Your younger brother's funeral is tomorrow-," Walburga nodded her head in acknowledgment of the statement. "Will you be in attendance?"

Regulus peeks at his mother waiting for the response. "Yes, I will have Kreacher deliver the boys to the station," Walburga answered, causing Regulus eyes to dim in disappointment as he quietly poked at his food.

Good," Orion said as he changed the subject and glanced at his eldest son. "Are you done packing?" Sirius slumps into his seat in reply as Orion knowingly sighs, "Then finish up and go. What about you, Regulus?"

"Yes, father, I've already properly packed," Regulus obediently said causing Walburga to beam at her youngest with pride as Orion adds, "Good." Sirius silently micks his brothers' words causing Regulus to glower back.

The rest of the dinner is quiet as Orion and Walburga discuss Abraxas Malfoy. Ever since, his change in his stance against Tom Riddle, Abraxas Malfoy had gained quite the following. Orion and Walburga Black were one of the several families that had joined his faction after learning the truth about Tom Riddle. Personally, Orion was pleased as Abraxas Malfoy made a much better choice in the end.

Bored and rather cross, Sirius excuses himself from the table without his parents noticing. Regulus finishes a few minutes later and politely excuses himself much to his parents' pleasure. Wandering back through the gloomy hallways filled with family portraits and dark objects, Regulus hesitates at his older brother's door, before timidly knocking.

"Is that you, brat?" Sirius yelled.

"I'm not a brat!" Regulus snapped back.

"If I let you in are you going to help me pack?"

"What? No!"

"Then no."

"Please Sirius, just one question."

"Then are you going to help me pack?"

"If I do, how many questions can I ask?"

"As long as they aren't too annoying."

"Deal now open the door," Regulus said as he heard the door unlock. Stepping inside, Regulus wrinkles his nose at seeing pictures of Quidditch players pinned to the wall. There are robes and clothes all over the ground with books, parchment, and more scattered in hazard all about the bedroom.

"What do you do all day? Throw around your things for fun?" Regulus gawked.

Sirius sheepishly scratches his face. "I forgot."

"What are you blind too?" Regulus snapped.

"No need to get so huffy," Sirius said as he rolled his eyes. "Now are you going to help me or not?"

"Fine," Regulus said with a roll of his eyes as he bent down to gather textbooks off the floor. "So, my first question is what's Slytherin like?"

Sirius groans and says, "I'm not in Slytherin, Regulus! All I know is that it's full of dark wizards and the like!"

"That can't be true!" Regulus protested. "Merlin came out of Slytherin and he's the greatest wizard of all time!"

Sirius tactfully chokes and says, "He's an exception."

"What about your friends?"

"What friends?"

"The Prince twins, are they, not your friends too?"

"Okay fine then, them too."

"I knew it!" Regulus said with a measure of pride. "What else?"

Sirius stops himself from hitting his head on the wall in frustration. "As I said, I don't know much else other than that Professor Slughorn is the head of Slytherin and it's full of nasty purebloods."

"You're not very good at this," Regulus remarked rather crossly as he picked a cloak off the floor in disdain.

"Look how about I introduce you to Rowan at the station and have her tell you all about Slytherin, okay?" Sirius pleaded in exasperation.

"Promise?" Regulus suspiciously said.

"I promise on Quidditch," Sirius swore.

"Fine," Regulus said, before quietly helping Sirius pack for tomorrow morning. It wasn't the best packing, but it got the job done.

The following morning, Sirius and Regulus quickly eat their breakfast, before eagerly run into the hallway, where the trunks had been brought down by the old family house elf. Sirius wrinkles his nose in disgust at catching sight of Kreacher. The old house elf had a bulbous, snout-like nose, bloodshot eyes, many folds of skin that moved when he did, and white hair growing out of his bat-like ears. It certainly did not help that his sack-like toga was quite old and rather worn and gross.

Sirius shudders and holds back a sneer as Regulus smiles down at Kreacher. "Thank you, Kreacher, that was very helpful of you," Regulus gratefully said in sincere gratitude for Kreacher having brought their trunks downstairs.

"Kreacher aims to please, the young masters," Kreacher said, casting a dower glance at Sirius.

"So how do we go about doing this?" Sirius grumbled.

"Please hold your trunks, young masters," Kreacher instructed as his wrinkled hands grabbed onto the two boys and they apparated away. The three of them appeared with a small pop just outside the station on the side. Without even saying thanks, Sirius grabs his trunk and says, "Hurry up Regulus!"

"Thank you, Kreacher," Regulus hastily thanked the house elf, before hurrying off after his older brother with trunk in hand. With a faint pop heard from behind, the house elf left and returned back to the manor.

"C'mon, hurry up!" Sirius impatiently snapped at Regulus who was struggling to keep as he dragged his trunk behind him.

"Wait up, Sirius!" Regulus called out much to his older brother's chagrin. With a sigh, Sirius slows down and waits for his pesky younger brother to catch up. With a sigh, Sirius helps Regulus put his trunk onto the trolley, before walking through the station.

After some time, Regulus nervously glances around and fidgets. "Um, Sirius, I don't see platform 9 ¾'s.

"That's because it's not here," Sirius confidently smirked causing Regulus to pale and stare at his older brother. Hiding an evil grin, Sirius stops before the enchanted wall and says, "We have to run through the wall."

"What?!" Regulus cried out looking at his older brother as if he was insane. "Is that a joke, Sirius? Because it's not funny!"

Sirius cackled in response, before running straight at the wall. Regulus almost shuts his eyes waiting for the expected crash to only see his brother vanish through the wall. "Sirius?" Regulus croaked to only not hear a response, before hastily running at the wall as he closed his eyes and fully expected to crash.

Flinching, Regulus finally dares to open his eyes as he hears loud voices. Regulus's eyes fill with awe as he sees a scarlet engine waiting next to the platform that is teeming with people. Smoke from the engine drifts over the crowd as the wrought-iron archway reads, Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Some of the train carriages are already full of students waving goodbye, or even fighting over their seats.

The crowd babbles as cats' meow from their owner's arms and owls hoot from their cages. Regulus suddenly panics and searches everywhere for his older brother to only spot him further ahead in the crowd. "Wait for me!" Regulus desperately called out as he hurried after his older brother. Either Sirius didn't hear Regulus over the dim of the crowd, or he purposefully ignored him.

Regulus hurries after his older brother to finally catch up with him and finds Sirius talking to a tall, thin, rather delicate, exhausted-looking boy with russet hair and tired eyes. Regulus stops a short way-a- way and shuffles his feet as he waits for his older brother to cease greeting his friend. His brother's friend notices him first and says, "Is that your younger brother, Sirius?"

Sirius rolls his eyes at Lupin. "Sadly enough."

Lupin hides a grin and instead says, "You must be Regulus, right? I'm Remus Lupin."

Seeing his brother's expression, Regulus pulls out the good old Black family manners. "Are you a Gryffindor too?" Regulus huffed.

"Yes, I am," Lupin rather good-natured replied.

Regulus snorts as Sirius growls at his younger brother. "C'mon brat, I've got to get you on the train." Regulus flushes in embarrassment as Sirius adds, "Save me a seat, Lupin." And left his truck with the sighing Lupin, who is going to have to drag the trunk aboard as well.

"Sure thing, Sirius," Lupin wearily sighed as he glanced over at the nervous-looking younger boy.

Ignoring Lupin's gaze, Regulus hurries after his older brother. Grumbling, Sirius reluctantly helps the struggling Regulus pull his trunk onto the train. After a moment, Regulus quietly asks, "You're not going to sit with me, Sirius?"

"Of course not!" Sirius snorted. "I want to sit with my friends, not a 1st-year baby!" Regulus head droops at the reply as Sirius impatiently shoves Regulus into an empty compartment.

"Wait here, I'm going to go and find Rowan." Dragging his trunk away, Sirius quickly disappears as Regulus glances about and timidly takes a seat.

Trying to hide his hurt feelings, Regulus mumbles, "Stupid, Sirius!"

The compartment door sliding open prevents Regulus from a more emotional outburst as he sees a gangly boy with somewhat curly flaxen hair standing in the doorway. The boy warily smiles and says, "I don't mean to be a bother, but are any of these seats taken?"

"No, not at all!" Regulus said as he motioned to the empty seats.

"Oh good," the boy said with relief as he slides his trunk into its proper place.

Stretching out his hand, the boy says, "The name's Dirk Cresswell, and you are?"

Regulus carefully takes the boy's freckled hand, "I'm Regulus Black."

"Well, Regulus it's nice to meet you too. Are you a first-year too?" Dirk Cresswell asked.

"Yes, me too," Regulus said with some relief at meeting someone in his own year. The two boys quickly begin to chat and are pleased to find that the other has already read A History of Hogwarts, before the start of the school year.