From the past era... Chapter-IV

Chapter-IV

A Black sorting

They all were formed in two lines carefully as they reached the land & were lead by Hagrid towards the castle door. Hagrid Knocked the door three times & the door opened, They went inside & found himself in a magnificent entrance hall. The walls of it were decorated with bright chattering portraits. He found that Stephanie was looking at them with awe & gripped his hands tightly, almost painfully tight & muttered “So it is true…there are moving portraits…’ve read it in Hogwarts a history.”

“Er… Stephanie… ” Stephanie turned to look at Regulus, her eyes were still sparkling with a mad glint.

“Mind to loosen your grip, it hurts” Regulus finished.

Stephanie gave a quizzical look & looked down at the direction Regulus pointed.

“Oh sorry…didn’t mean to” Stephanie blushed a bit & let go of Regulus’s hand.

Regulas smiled, “No problem, as I can see how mad you are getting at the sight of the castle.”

“Oh, well… yeah, you can say that.”

Behind them Rick was continuously chatting with Edwin, informing him her own view of different houses in Hogwarts, which Edwin didn’t find remotely interesting or comforting as like everyone else, he too seemed nervous taking the prospect of sorting, but just too scared to tell her to shut up, he occasionally was giving a “Yeah” or a nod. But Rick didn’t notice this & was in full flow about her saying.

“Gosh! She has a lot to say” Regulus muttered irritably under her breath.

Only Stephanie caught that & smiled to herself. She found Rick amusing & liked the way she lighten the tense mood by irritating everyone in vicinity in her very own way.

“Ahem…” & all looked at the direction from where the voice came.

Regulus saw a tall, thin witch in emerald green robes was standing in front of them. Her hair was tied in an elegant knot & she had rather a stern face.

“Hello Students. Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Prof. Mcgonagall. In a few moments you will be through this door…” she pointed at a magnificent mahogany door on the other side of the entrance hall”…and be sorted into different houses. While you are at school the houses are like families to you. You will spend the leisure time in your house common rooms & will be sleeping in your house dormitories. Any triumph & you will win house points & any rule breaking you will lose the same. There are four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff & Slytherin. Each house has been produced remarkable witches & wizards & is unique in their very own way.”

A bell rang & the door on the other side opened. Prof. Mcgonagall led them through the door saying “Welcome to the great hall.”

The hall was enormous, there were four long tables situated, each representing one of the four houses & all the elder students sat there according to their houses.

 At the end of the hall there is a large platform & another enormous table & all the teachers were sitting behind it. Another gasp from Stephanie & Regulus looked at her to find her staring upwards with an even madder glint in her eyes & with slightly open mouth. He followed her gaze to look up at the ceiling & found that there was no ceiling there at all. It was the clear starlit night sky the outside. He too looked at it with an amazed expression in his eyes.

“Oh! It is such an enchantment. They enchant the entire ceiling to reflect the night sky.” Rick announced proudly poking her head in between the two.

“Whoa…that is ….charming” Stephanie said softly.

“Yeah! It is. I wonder though how they do it…” Rick went on, “…Is it a spell or a charm or a combination of the two, I will be only too pleased to know as…”

“And I’ll be only too pleased to know if you shut up.” Regulus cut in irritably.

Rick raised an eyebrow. “There is no need to take that tone with me, I just…”

But yet again she got cut, but this time, it was by the action of Prof. Mcgonagall carrying an extremely dirty old battered hat & setting it on a tool in front of the teacher’s table.
A silence fell across the great hall. Everyone’s eyes were on the hat.
Regulus kept wondering why so. His query got answered within a moment as a song had been started to issue from that hat. Regulus stared in surprise.

“I’m brilliant, I’m smart,
I can see through every mind I look at…
I’ve got brains and surely not hearts,
as I am the legendary Hogwarts Sorting Hat.

Come forward, put me on…
And I’ll be telling you where to be gone.

You may belong to hardworking Hufflepuff,
If loyalty & perspiration are your treasure…
Or may dwell in wise Ravenclaw,
If you’ve got wit beyond the measure.

You may be a pure Slytherin,
If ambitious and power hungry you are…
Or just be a brave Gryffindor,
With bravery in you & a great noble heart.

But wherever you belong, wherever you’ll grow,
You will never know in anyway,
Unless & until you put me on gently
And wait for me to say. ”

The hat fell silent & the great hall broke into applause.

“Now as I read out your names, you will come forward & sit on the tool putting the hat on your head.” Prof. Mcgonagall announced holding a fairly lengthy parchment scroll in her hand.

“Aiden    Daisy”

A timid looking girl with golden blond hair slowly moved towards the tool & sat putting the hat on her head. In a moment or two, the hat shouted “RAVENCLAW”. A great cheer rose from one of the tables in the middle, where all occupants were wearing blue ties & had a blue hem in their robes. The girl hurriedly moved towards the table & took her place in one of the sits, looking relieved.

‘And so it begins.’ Regulus thought tentatively.

He grew more and more nervous as prof. Mcgonagall went down through the list & the students were sorted. Suddenly, he struck by a thought that made him numb. ‘What if, he turned out to be placed in any house other than Slytherin  & his parents decide it is another fault of Sirius.’ He couldn’t thought more. He just couldn’t bear another Christmas scene, like the one, three years ago. He couldn’t be the reason for Sirius to get tortured like that again & this time he knew by heart that his parents would be going to be more violent. But it didn’t occur to him, that he could be the target this time for the same reason as his brother. No, either it didn’t occur to him or he just didn’t care about it. All, he was concerned, was about his brother. He forgot that his brother wasn’t that innocent & helpless as an eleven year old but a bright rebellious fourth year & a skilled wizard. Well more skilled & clever than last time. He was not weak anymore. But Regulus just got too scared for his brother.

 ’What if, his parents takes Sirius away from Hogwarts, from his friends, from his world,  only where he is just too happy & kind of takes refuge... ’ Regulus thought wildly ’…and sent him to the dreadful school DRUMSTRANG, which is famous for its extremely leniency towards the DARK ARTS and Sirius always hates dark arts, as he heard several times from him during frequent rows with his parents.

’ ‘No, it can’t be it, just can’t be it. I have to be in Slytherin...’

“Black  Regulus.”

Regulus was just too much absorbed in his thought.

“Black  Regulus.” Prof. Mcgonagall  bellowed loudly.

A painful nudge from Stephanie at his ribs, made him look up.

“BLACK   REGULUS” prof. Mcgonagall was positively shouting.

With a jerk, Regulus sprinted forward towards the tool & sat on it under the disapproving glare of prof. Mcgonagall. She put the hat on his head with a little too much force. The hat was large compared to his head & fell covering his eyes as well as the view. Regulus waited, fingers clasped together tightly on his lap & turning even paler.

Suddenly the pain stricken face of eleven year old Sirius floated in his mind. A lump grew in his throat.

“Aha, a Black. How very unusual. This one too, seems different, just like the previous one three years ago.” A soft voice was speaking in his ears.

‘Just put me in Slytherin…please.’ Regulus thought desperately.

“Slytherin eh. But you are just not the right one. Your kind is particularly special & easy as you’ve possessed every single virtue to become a true Gryffindor, every single virtue I must say & not a way you can be in other house. But no quality to be a Slytherin, not a single one.”

‘Oh no! please please put me in Slytherin, please please… ’ Regulus kept pleading in his mind with all efforts.

“Well, you have a purpose, a noble one & that put you in Gryffindor even more strongly.”

‘No please no…’

“Very well then, if you are sure…..SLYTHERIN” The hat bellowed the name of the house loudly so that whole hall could hear it.

Regulus sighed in relief & with a inner sad smile he moved towards the Slytherin table, which is situated at the far left corner, with a silver serpent logo against a green Hogwarts symbol on the top of it & sank in a sit.

He got congratulated by several people including Bellatrix Black & her elder sister Narcissa Black & a boy, seemed younger than them having a pale face, which is partly hidden behind a curtain of greasy limp black hair.

Almost against his will he looked over his shoulder to look at the Gryffindor table which was beside the Ravenclaws & scanned for his brother.

He found him & tried to catch his eyes but failed as he was too busy in congratulating Stephanie for being a Gryffindor. Regulus couldn’t believe that he missed her sorting. How much self absorbent was he. He cursed under his breath. Suddenly Stephanie caught his eyes & beamed, he beamed back, wondering inwardly that how long the warmth of their friendship would last, as Gryffindor & Slytherin are born enemies .Regulus sighed & turned his glance towards the sorting.

“Ivylord Elizabeth” became another Gryffindor.

The sorting continued & then,
“Lewin  Martharicka.” Rick went smartly towards the tool with a slight nervous face. The hat touched her head & within a moment declared,

“RAVENCLAW”

Regulus saw Rick smiled & marched towards the Ravenclaw table. She first caught Stephanie’s eyes & then Regulus’s & gave both of them a thumbs’ up which Stephanie returned in double with same enthusiasm & Regulus just smiled at her. 

“Mcmillon  Edwin”  & he got sorted into Hufflepuff. He neither looked at Rick neither at him or Stephanie but sort of ran towards the Hufflepuff table & sank into the sit, looking like he was about to be sick.

“Nueduck  Huncel” turned out to be a Slytherin. And finally with
“Xaphias  Grace” being a Ravenclaw, the sorting ceremony ended.
The Headmaster Albus Dunbledore Stood up from the teacher’s desk & smiling warmly towards the students & said “Tuck in.”

With much relief at the tiny speech at the time of grumbling stomach Regulus focused on the plate, as the empty plates were filled up with delicious food. ‘Brilliant, I am starving….’ Regulus thought happily & began to help himself.

At the end of the feast, the headmaster stood again to give a few start of term notices which Regulus was just too tired to listen & was pleased to reach at the time to go to his house dormitory for sleep. A smug boy of seventh year, with a pointed face & a white blonde hair wearing a prefect badge came forward to lead the first years towards the Slytherin common room. The pathway was through the dungeon. He came to a halt in front of a black stone wall. An oval shaped portion of the wall seemed to be glittering, as if it had got dark green liquid inside it. The Boy turned to face the first years.

“Hello, I am Lucius Malfoy, Slytherin prefect from seventh year. Welcome to Slytherin common room entrance. Remember the path & the password which I am going to give you. You are not allowed to utter it in front of any students from other houses.” His eyes swept over the crowd & he gave a tiny nod & turned to face the wall.

“Peckish Bart” he said loud & clear. The oval portion turned into a bright green in colour & a green serpent like shape appeared in the glittery oval as the portion of the wall slided sideways revealing a curve way behind it. They all followed Lucius through the way & ended up in a large room with large windows. The windows were emitting a greenish bluish glow. There were several couches across the room of different shapes & sizes & were offering different degrees of comfortness, but all are green & silver. At the four corners, four green fires were situated which were keeping the room warm.

At the ceiling, Regulus noticed a large silver serpent against a green Hogwarts badge, the symbol of Slytherin house. After showing the boys & girls dormitory Lucius departed.

All first years just too tired to speak went to their dormitories silently. Regulus saw that they have got five four poster beds, with emerald green sheets & green hangings, in his dorm room with name tags on them. Each bed had got a green blanket, kept neatly on the green sheets. He spotted his bed & went to it. Their belongings were kept neatly at the foot of their beds. He silently rummaged his trunk for his pajamas & then got changed & flopped tiredly on his bed. ‘What a day…’ he thought and immediately got embraced by a deep sleep.

From the past era... Chapter- III

Chapter-III

The first sight of the castle

 “Hey, what’s up with you? You seem quiet!” Regulus looked up & found Stephanie, watching him with a slight concern in her eyes & at the same time he got immensely surprised to found himself on a small boat with none other than Stephanie, Rick & Edwin. They were gently floating through a giant black lake. He vaguely remembered being out of the train & grouped together with other first years towards the edge of the lake, lead by a giant man , called Hagrid, with a very kind face & a set of bettle black beady warm eyes. As soon as he got off the train & set foot in the Hogsmeade station a strong thought engulfed him, “What if, he won’t be sorted into Slytherin?” He shuddered at the thought of that. He remembered the time when his parents got the information that their elder son was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin, vividly. ‘Mad, upset, angry, these words are understatements to describe his parents at that moment…’, he thought wildly.

He couldn’t reply immediately to Stephanie. He swallowed hard & shook his head without meeting her eyes.

“’m fine.” He said with a tone that made it clear that he just not in the mood of chatting. Stephanie caught that tone & didn’t push him further.

A movie had been started to play inside his head. He could see the celebration of Christmas, three years back, in the Black manor with his parents & his brother, a fresh first year from Hogwarts. An enormous Christmas tree was standing in the middle of their drawing room & they all were eating the creamy chocolate Christmas cake.

“Regulus will you excuse us for a bit?” eight year old Regulus looked up at his mother holding a still unfinished bit of his chocolate cake piece.

“Why mother?” He was amazed at his own bravery. Generally, in Black manor children are not supposed to question back the elders but do what they are told to do. He hastily dropped his gaze in his plate, as he saw his mother pursed her lips, always a sign of danger. He moved quietly out of the chair & out of the room. A bit amazed that her mother didn’t gave him the usual punishment for his cheek. He heard a slam behind him & saw that the door of the dining room had been closed . Then the door started to vibrate a bit & again became still, only emitting a black pearlish glow. He immediately recognized the sign. ‘The impenetration eavesdropping charm’, he was wondering. ‘What is it that his parents want to hide from him but confide his brother in…’ . He stood rooted to the spot. Suddenly a panic began to rise inside him. He knew too well that his parents weren’t happy about his brother being sorted into the Gryffindor, the house of mudbloods, blood traitors & emotional fools, as they described it. He also knew that his parents didn’t write a single letter to their elder son since the news came & it is the first time that his brother is away from his family. ‘What if..’ Regulus thought,‘ they want to punish his brother for it?’. He adored his brother & loved him very much, he just couldn’t stand there and slowly moved forward & leaned closer to the door. His eyes shut & face were red as he just thought with all his concentration about his brother, about what kind of punishment his brother could get & praying hardest for his brother. He knew that his parents were strict but he couldn't stand it either that his brother would be going to be punished for no reason or for something which was certainly not his fault. He didn't ask to be sorted into Gryffindor. As far as he was concerened this sorting doesn't count student's will. He felt a warm senation grew through his spine as he thought about his brother with all his might. The sensation was growing through his entire body, rising up from shoulder to throat & then flowing through his mouth, nose & ultimately halted as it reached to his eyes, waiting quietly behind the shut eyelids, as if wanted them to be opened. He felt a strange kind of heat behind his eyelids, but he really didn’t care as he was too busy to think about his brother. The heat grew & it was painful, really painful & then with a sudden burst of heat inside his eyes, he let out a soft cry & propped open his eyelids. He found with his amazement that a triangular hole had appeared at the door in front of him. He leaned closer & peered through the hole & found out that it was no hole but a transparent portion in the door & it seems to overcome the impenetration charm casted on it as well, as it offered the sound from the other side of the door too. Regulas was too busy to worry about his brother to appreciate the real magic of it.

“No mother…please, please …nooo.” Sirius’s cry filled his ears. To his horror he found Sirius was shrieking in agony at the foot of his mother just in front of the enormous Christmas tree & pleading to her as she raised her wand at him.

“You... blood traitor... you family disowning moron... such a stain & disgrace in the name of ancient & noble Black family...” Walburga Black shouted with utmost loathing in her voice.

“...CRUCIO” Sirius let out an agonized shriek & was thrashing dangerously on the floor.

The unforgivable torture curse. Regulus felt numb & hollow. Using this curse on anybody is  more than enough to buy a lifelong ban from wizarding world & a lifelong sentence in the wizard prison Azkaban & she is using it against her own eleven year old son?

“And for your Christmas gift you’ll get this”, Orion Black moved forward this time as his wife lowered his wand.

“A mean to remember.” His lips twisted in hatred as he swished his wand in one flashy movement & a large gash appeared on the chest of Sirius, ripping his clothes & tearing the skin beneath. Blood started to ooze down from the wound venomously & Sirius, too agonized & exhausted to react just lay there.

“Chuck this lump out” Wallburga pointed at Sirius.

Regulus pulled away & just hide behind the stairs as the door flew opened & Orion Black threw Sirius bodily out of the room. He stood at the door & silkily said, “You are NOT to embarrass us in front of our relatives, so don’t dare to show yourself at tonight’s dinner party.” And then he shut the door.

Sirius slowly gathered up & headed towards the stairs to his bedroom. He was pale as chalk white. With one hand he clutched his chest &  with other he hold the railing of stairs as he moved. Regulus watched from his hiding place, just watched. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what to say. He just stood there. Hearing a soft ‘thud’ he realized that his brother was finally in his bedroom. Slowly he came out of his hiding place & followed the suit. There were droplets of blood on the stairs.'My brother's blood' Regulus thought. A huge lump was growing inside his throat. It's hurting. He swallowed & made his way towards his brother's bedroom. He stopped just outside Sirius’s bedroom door & heard a muffled sound. He had to strain his ears & he found that it was a sound of crying. Never in his life he had seen Sirius crying. He froze. This was surely couldn’t be the moment for him to go inside & comfort his brother. Sirius would be just too embarrassed & without mentioning it, would go mad & probably would thought him as a rude intruder to his personal grief. Slowly he turned to his own room & went inside shutting the door behind him.

“ooooooooooo look at her. Isn’t she gorgeous!” Regulus brought back to present with a yank & was forced to abandon the movie in his head. He looked around at the sound of excited squeak from Rick & saw a great magnificent castle were slowly coming into sight. The legendary Hogwarts Castle, with her many towers & well lit windows  was smiling upon them against the star lit night sky. A fat round moon, so silvery & bright was peering through the faded clouds in the sky, adding a charming elegance to the sight. Regulus smiled & felt warmth inside. Somehow, in the first sight, Hogwarts seemed to be a lot more homely & warmer than the Black manor.

From the past era... Chapter-II (continued)

Stephanie got interested particularly in the Berty Blott’s every flavoured beans. The way you put it into your mouth, not knowing what would be the flavour turning out seems interesting & fun.

Regulus on the other side declared the beans are a bit girlish & kept sucking a liqurice wand solemnly.

“Girlish…oh yeah? & that wand thing you are sucking is childish” Stephanie snapped back.

“Oh …well, I don’t mind though, better than being girlish I guess”

Stephanie raised her eyebrows & opened her mouth to retort back but got interrupted by the squeaking sound of opening door for the third time.

Both turned around to see a girl & a boy were poking their heads into the cabin carefully. The girl has short, shiney jet black hair & a pair of deep brownish black eyes, she is a bit thin & tanned while the other boy is pale having brown hair & is a bit short.

“Oh you are the first years I guess?” The boy said uncertainly.

“Use your eyes Edwin, of course they are first years, she’s  all in black …& he looks no older than us ” the girl rolled her eyes & then walked into the cabin, straight to Stephanie & stretched out her hands.

“I am Martharicka Lewin, but you can call me Rick.” Behind her back Regulus mouthed “RICK?” but Stephanie determinedly looked away from him & shook her hands introducing herself & Regulus and then stretched out a hand to Edwin. Edwin shook it & awkwardly mumbled an apology for intruding & threw an exasperate look to Martharicka. Regulus & Stephanie glanced at each other & quickly looked away to hide their temptation of laugh.

“Oh well, it’s okay, we don’t mind a bit of MORE companies.” Regulus managed to say keeping a straight face.

“Ah, nice of you to say that…”then Martharicka added as an after thought, “Black… did you say Black…you mean the pureblood royal Black?” At this Stephanie gasped & looked at Regulus with a kind of disbelieve in her eyes. Regulus blushed a little & awkwardly said, “Er…well, yeah…I mean, yeah I am Black.”

Edwin stared at him with a high admiration in his eyes which made Regulus uncomfortable. Sensing that a change of subject could be a wise move Stephanie hastily asked Martharicka, before she could open her mouth, “Er…Martha, so you are a pure blood too…I mean, if you know about the royalty of Black family then…”

“First of all I prefer to be called Rick & yeah I am a pure blood too but not too royal & neither too rich like him.” Rick finished smartly.

“Don’t you think “Rick” is a bit manly name…I mean Martha’s good .. I mean you are a girl….” Regulus stopped. During the entire sentence Rick continued to glare him very sternly with slightly arrogance & superiority in her eyes. After the completion of the sentence, she held the glare with same intensity for atleast a full two seconds, in which Stephanie & Edwin found themselves fighting  an enormous laugh by the look of Regulas’s face.

“So…?”

“Erm…” Regulas looked helplessly to Edwin, who had already stuffed his knuckles into his mouth to stop himself laughing out loud but vibrating in a very odd way.

“Well, I like the name Rick & I guess I have complete right to choose my nickname for me.” Rick finished.

Regulas frowned, “It is usually upto others to pick nickname for someone…”

“Are you telling me there is a rule of that?” Rick demanded.                  

“Er…no, no rule but it is a kind of obvious…”

“That’s settled then” Rick completed with a tone of finality in her voice.

Regulus didn’t look remotely happy about it but didn’t retort back.

“Oh it’s already the time of sunset” Edwin pointed at the window. All were turning to find that it is the time of dusk. “So we will be reaching soon, better to get change in your uniform Regulus.”

Rick & Stephanie went outside the cabin while Regulas got change himself in his brand new Hogwarts uniform & then both of the boys joined the girls outside the cabin as the train slowed down. Suddenly, a deep voice from nowhere boomed in , “We have reached the Hogsmeade station. Students are asked to leave your belongings inside the train, they will be taken care  of . Only pets are adviced to be taken with you. ”

All four of them jumped at this unexpected voice but immidiately were looking forward to get a first glimpse of whatever it was when the train would stop.

Regulus’s heart began to race at double speed, ‘Atlast, atlast I am here, I am here in Hogwarts.’ This was the only thought that was knocking Regulus’s brain at the time.

From the past era...Chapter-II

Chapter-II

Way to Hogwarts

Regulus pushed open the door of the cabin, where two mates of his brother dumped his trunk. He entered & settled himself at the window side sit & kept the cage beside him. The scenery outside was still a bit odd to him as they were still passing London & it seemed like they were actually making their way through different muggle streets & sometimes through some houses & to his utter bewilderment he discovered that the muggles didn’t get much bothered about it. “Ah! Must be some kind of hidden illusion charm is placed on this train.”, he thought & he mentally made a note of this that he would go to Library of his new school & would give it a thorough search to see if he could find anything about it. He heard about the library a lot from his parents & his brother. Although, both versions were so very different from each other but both confirmed the fact that The Hogwarts library is one of the finest, ancient & informative one. He also heard that there is a restricted section in it & you need a written permission from a teacher to set your eyes on those books. Actually he didn’t hear but overheard Sirius mentioned about taking a book from that section without being caught by any undesirables, to a mirror in front of him. He thought, by undesirable he meant any teachers, but he also thought that his brother is kind of obsessed with himself, as he grins & talks to himself in front of  a small mirror a lot. He often caught him doing so & once or twice he saw his brother hiding something small behind his back as soon as Regulus entered in his room. Regulus smiled as he remembered this. The scenery outside had been changed to a countryside. The day was exceptionally bright & just sparkling with bright sunlight.

“Nice weather, isn’t it?” Regulus turned his head & found a girl with shoulder length wild black hair, already changed in her brand new Hogwarts robe, standing at the cabin door. He guessed the girl must be starting her first year at Hogwarts too as there was no coloured tie  in his uniform & her new school robe is plain black without any usual red, blue, yellow or green hems in it. She was smiling brightly at him & smartly walked in to settle herself at the window side, opposite to Regulus. Regulus was a bit taken a back. The girl again looked at him & asked “First year?”

“Yeah…I guess you too” Regulas replied.

The girl nodded & smiled again. Regulas returned the smile reluctantly. “er…I am Stephaine…Stephaine Greene”

“Oh…I am Regulus Black.” Regulas replied.

“So you are aware with this world…”

“This world? You mean the muggleworld?” Regulus thought that like him, this girl must be wondering about this curious muggle world too.

“Er…no actually, I mean the world of magic.”

“Oh! Of course I am, as if you aren’t” Regulus grinned broadly at her, finally getting the joke.

But Stephanie continued to eying him nervously & nervously grinned.

“Wha..? don’t tell me you don’t know about our world…the normal world…”Regulus exclaimed in surprise.

Stephanie dropped her gaze & started to survey the floor of the train, didn’t say a word.

“Seriously? I mean your parents never mentioned it to you?”

The girl still remained silent.  Suddenly, a thought struck to Regulus, “Hey, wait a minute! Your parents don’t know about it. Do they? They are muggles. You are muggleborn.”

Slowly the girl raised her head & look at him. He saw that she blushed a bit & slowly she shook her head, and then dropped her gaze again.

“So, how come you don’t know about it.” Regulus sighed in relief to found out that she after all was not a muggleborn or in his parents’ term “Filthy mudblood.” He remembered how his parents warned him continuously against those filth. So he wasn’t exactly letting down his parents before even setting foot into Hogwarts.

“Er…I am half blood, you see. My Mom was a witch but dad’s a muggle.” Stephanie mumbled.

“Er..was?”

“Yeah! She died after a few months of my birth & my dad brought me up. He didn’t mention it either until the letter from Hogwarts arrived. Then he explained it to me.”

“Oh! ”

Regulus didn’t understand the full story that why her father didn’t explained it to her, but didn’t press further on that subject. “Um… I am hungry, aren’t you?”

Stephanie looked up & a  bit relieved at the change of the topic. She said brightly “Yeah, I am hungry. So do you have any food?”

& without waiting for an answer she started to rumble her small blue rucksack which until now Regulus didn’t notice & from the depth of it she took out a package, wrapped tightly & neatly with a brown paper.

“I’ve got some homemade bread & eggs.” She added brightly & started to open the package. Beneath the brown cover a small tiffinbox was there. She opened it & there lies two pieces of homemade egg sandwiches. She lifted up one & offered it to Regulus. The whole action of her took hardly a minute & Regulus found himself sitting in front of the offered sandwiches without finding any words to say.

“Er… I meant the lunch trolley.” Regulus said goggling her.

“Lunch trolley? There is a lunch trolley?” & an embarrassed silence fell between them.

“Oh…erm.. well, I thought…” Stephanie stopped, apparently lost of words.

“Ah, I can do with a bit of sandwiches” Regulus took the offered sandwitch from her & took a bite. “It’s good.”, he said grinning.

Stephanie, looking relieved grinned too & started munching the other one.

Suddenly, their cabin door wrenched open & Sirius walked in, “Hey you forgot your moneybag Reg.” Both Stephanie & Regulus looked up. Regulas beamed at his brother as he caught his money bag thrown by his brother to him. Sirius however eyed the sandwiches. “Where did you get those from?”, he pointed at the sandwitch, from which Regulus was about to take another bite.

“Stephanie brought them from home”  he pointed at Stephanie.

“Ah, found friends already”, Sirius said, eyeing Stephanie. She was nervously observing Sirius.

“I am Sirius Black, Regulus’s brother.” Sirius stretched out a hand.

“I am Stephanie Greene” Stephanie said nervously shaking his hand.

“Er… sorry, no sandwiches are left, I only brought two, didn’t know about the lunch trolley…” she finished in an apologetic tone.

Sirius chuckled, “Don’t worry its okay.” He assured her.

“You have got wizard money with you? ” Sirius asked her gently.

“Um…” Stephanie looked puzzled, “We have to pay for the food then.”

“Well, yeah, you have to.” Sirius put his hand inside the pocket of his trouser & took out a small leather pouch. He thrust it in the hands of bewildered Stephanie. “You will need them” He smiled at her & before she could say anything he strode out of the  cabin, shutting the door behind him.

Stephanie sat there, as if, in a state of shock & then opened the pouch slowly. A handful of gold, silver & bronze coins were jingling within the pouch.

“Whoa! He never gives meee money like that.” Stephanie looked up to see that Regulus was looking at the pouch with a slightly amazed expression in his face.

“Anything from the trolley dears?” A voice came from the corridor & almost immediately their cabin door was opened once again by a very old lady pushing a very colourful food trolley in front of her. Regulus leaped up to his feet immediately & moved forward towards the trolley.

“Yes dear?” said the old lady looking at Regulus.

“Er… one pumpkin pasty, a liquirice wand & five chocolate frogs please. What about you?” Regulus turned his head to his side, expecting to find Stephanie there but surprised to see her sitting in her sit.

“Don’t you want anything?”

“er… I didn’t even say thanks…” she murmured.

It took a while for Regulus to understand what she meant & finally getting her, he said “Oh! Don’t worry, it’s not like…you know… you’ll never meet him. Thank him then, if you must.Now come on…”

At these words Stephanie got up & moved towards the trolley & but stood there quite helplessly.

“What…. Oh sorry, I forgot you don’t know them.”

Stephanie looked up & nodded.

“Oh well I can give them a wild try, can’t I?” She said brightly & smartly started animatedly to the lady with the trolley, “A bit of these, um…okay one pack of that, a couple of these & five those. ” She completed grinning. Regulus gaped at her with his mouth slightly open.

After five minutes both returned to their sits with different sizes of bright packets in their hands. Stephanie’s hands were close to explode with so many packets. Regulus hastily dropped his & helped Stephanie with hers.

“Barty Bott’s every Flavoured beans, two pumpkin pasties, two liqurice wands, five chocolate frogs,ten droobles….” Regulus finished counting the packets, Stephanie bought, “Whoa.. you must be really hungry…”

“Well, don’t want to miss much” Stephanie finished defensively.

They both stared at each other for a moment & then rolled down with laughter.

Without any further ado they started on those. Regulus explained the name of the food to Stephanie while finishing them.

From the past era...Chapter-I

Chapter- I

The Black Haired Boy

It was 10-30AM & the King’s cross station was already swimming with the busy muggles, most of them were dressed up in their office attire, very neat & clean & organized & in one word, utterly boring. A small boy with a lot of dark hair & very deep dark eyes was actually looking with a strange sort of wonder in his eyes. This was the world that the boy never witnessed before, although heard a lot about them in his dining room, in his living room but in hushed voices of his parents. Several times, he also witnessed certain amount of yelling & beating due to the fact that his brother uttered the word “muggle” aloud. Now he couldn’t imagine why exactly the muggles are supposed to be filthy & unutterable. Inwardly, he had been started to agree with his elder brother that “Muggles are okay, kind of cool, in their own way…boring but certainly not disgusting.” But he couldn’t dare to voice his thought aloud, especially not now, when he was pushing his trolley, loaded with his brand new trunk & an owl, fast asleep in a delicate, yet magnificent golden cage, towards a brand new world. Yes, at last he is going to be there, going to be a part of it, about which he heard a lot but imagined even more & dreamed the most, “The Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft & Wizardry”.  A grin spread across his thin & pale face at the thought of it & he quickly stole a look at his parents, in case they were watching him, as grinning is for weak & fools, as he was taught from the very childhood. Now they weren’t watching. He inwardly sighed with relief. His mother was wearing a snobbish expression, which she considered as a dignified way to appear & his father was wearing a proud & smug smile, worthy for the lord of the universe. Seeing, that his parents were just too busy to show their proper appearance to the whole world he looked at his 14 year old brother. He was walking by his side pushing his trolley just like him except that the fact that his trunk has got a large symbol of golden lion on the top of it & glimmering red letters, showing the word Mr. S. Black were glowing brightly beneath the lion. He was handsome, extremely attractive & good looking.  He too had dark hair that fell on his forehead with careless yet elegant locks. He was wearing a boring expression in his face & now & then throwing a clearly annoying look at his parents. It couldn’t be clearer that he was waiting longingly for the opportunity to get away from his parents. Their parents were least bothered about him or rather happy to pretend that the younger one is only their son. After his brother’s first year at Hogwarts or more precisely from the moment the sorting hat put him in the GRYFFINDOR house, his parents turn a cold shoulder towards him & in his 2^nd & 3^rd year he came to King’s Cross station all by himself & boarded the legendary Hogwarts Express, that carried the students to Hogwarts, the most ancient & historical school of magic in the world. “Over here Regulus, with me, now pretend to be all casual…like me”. The younger boy hastily down his gaze from his brother & looked at his mother. Beside him the older boy smirked loudly. His mother turned her head slowly towards him with eyes flashing dangerously towards her elder son, she said in a whisper & barely opening her mouth, resulting some sort of hissing “What are you smirking at?”

“Well, if looking like being constipated is casual to you then …”, Sirius’s voice on the contrary is loud & clear, “…he better not follow that”, he gestured at his younger brother.

His would be casual tone & indifferent way almost made the younger one smile but he managed to suppress it, because he knew it perfectly that his smile will earn his brother some pretty harsh words & he didn’t like that. His mother’s nostrils flared up with rage. She turned to look at her husband but found that he already disappeared through the barrier between the platform nine & ten, the gateway which only witches & wizards can pass to get to the platform nine & three quarters, from which Hogwarts Express starts. She returned her gaze to Sirius & added in an ice cold whisper, “Why don’t you go first, so that I can save Regulas from your shameful influences.” Sirius merely shrugged & started towards the barrier with his trolley & his mother added, “Don’t appear in front of my eyes on the other side & stay away from Regulas as far as possible, I don’t want you to corrupt our son.”

Sirius stopped dead at his track for a moment, and then continued to pace without a backward glance. It was hard to say whether he at all got affected by those words. Regulus wanted to shout for him but being with her mother that was impossible. He hoped really hard that he definitely was going to see him on the platform. After Sirius disappeared through the barrier, her mother waited for at least 5 minutes before turning to her youngest son & gestured him to follow her. Regulus did as he was told & crossed the barrier with apparently satisfactory way, at least according to her mother’s opinion. He knew, not to run, as running is also stored for weak minded people & perhaps for Sirius, the indecent ones. But he knew inwardly that a bit of run could make it a lot easier & comfortable. He also didn’t clutch his mother’s arm for support because he is a brave one & a pure blood. He remembered vividly how his mother snatched her arm from the grip of her elder son, at this point in his first year. He remembered his brother’s eleven year old shocked face too. “Ah…there you go my son.” At this Regulas hastily opened his eyes, which he managed to close without being caught by his mother. All of his thoughts got detached from himself as he was just staring at the magnificent scarlet engine, fuming great white smoke in front of him.

The platform nine & three quarter was filled with kids of various sizes, pets of different varieties, sounds of different types & parents having different ways to embarrass their kids. ‘Yes, now this is normal world’, thought the eleven years old kid. He turned his head wildly for his brother. “Oh! There he is…”, Regulus whipped around at his mother’s words so quickly that his neck got a cramp, but utterly disappointed to see that his father was walking towards him, accompanying a girl of 15 with heavily lidded eyes, long, thick, black shiny hair that elegantly falls on her waist. “Ah, Bella Darling…” “Aunt Wally” She kissed her on both cheek, then gazed down at Regulus. Her eyes were cold & grey & her smile was hollow like a sharp knife. She is beautiful but in a very different sort of way. There is something terrible about her breath taking beauty. “This is our son Regulas”, Wallburga continued, “…& this is Bellatrix Black your cousin.” She finished looking at Regulus. “Hello” Bellatrix said to Regulus. Her expression was curious & greedy, as if a hawk is looking at a particular juicy piece of meat. “Hi” Regulus mumbled. Bellatrix continued to glare Regulus & that make Regulus uncomfortable. He is used to his brother’s disgusted look but that look is nothing compared to this. He always felt warmness about his brother, so lively, so loud, so broad, so open… not a feeling of being stuck in a dingy dungeon with whispers & deadly silence & darkness. She made him feel hard to breathe. “He will do fine…with me around.” Finally, she turned her head towards Walburga & then towards Mr. Orion Black. Both smiled & then gazed down his son “Make us proud!” they turned & started walking towards the exit. Bellatrix looked at him again & then said “Want help with your possessions?” & without waiting for an answer she marched away. Regulus was standing there with his mouth slightly open. “Shut your mouth, you idiot.” Regulus turned & to his enormous relief he found his brother standing behind him. “Want to board the train at all? Get a move on then.” Then staring at his trunk he bellowed to his left direction “Oi! James, Remus, over here…”. Regulus saw as two boys, hurried towards their direction. One is already changed in his Hogwarts robe having a brownish blonde hair & slightly taller than the rest two & had a kind expression, the other one didn’t seem like a sober one at all, having extremely untidy hair & a pair of bright hazel eyes shining behind his round spectacles, wearing a broad & slightly mischievous grin across his face. He bowed in front of Sirius “At your service.” Sirius grinned & pointed towards the trunk & owl cage of Regulus. Two boys clutched each side of the trunk & carried it away towards the nearest compartment & lifted it up to the train. Sirius took the cage in one hand & grabbed the wrist of his younger brother in other & marched towards the same direction. He kind of thrust Regulus in the train & got up behind it just when engine began to move.

 “So, this is Regulus I guess…” The boy with untidy black hair said as he helped both Sirius & Regulus to their feet. “Yes James as it was really hard to guess” Sirius replied sarcastically. Regulas grinned. “Hello youngling” James said to Regulus & Regulus brightly said “Hello” to James & then turned to the other boy with brownish blond hair & again said “Hello…”. “I am Remus Lupin& Hello Regulas”, the other boy said kindly, gently shaking his hand.

“He grins a lot Sirius, nice grinning sibling you’ve got” James blurted out.

“Yeah! You better not say this within the earshot of our mother, because according to her grinning is ….what is it….oh yeah…INDECENT.”

James chuckled. Sirius however faced Regulus, “Well get going then…they placed your trunk…where...” he turned to James & Remus & James pointed to the nearest cabin, “…ah in that cabin. Change into robes at around dusk & you know about the lunch lady…so all set?” He handed the cage of the owl to Regulus & about to follow his mates who already headed towards the opposite direction but got interrupted by a solid tug at the back of his shirt. “What?” he turned around. “Where are you going?” blurted out Regulus. Sirius wasn’t expecting this question. He observed his brother for a while & then said “Learn to stand out for yourself Reg” & then after a pause he added looking at the pained & slightly frightened expression at his brother’s face, in a kinder tone, “You will be fine…don’t worry!!!” & after giving a rare smile to him he further added “Don’t get contaminated with Sirius germs”, he winked at him & strode away. Regulus looked at his brother’s departure & started towards his cabin.