The Brothers' Unpleasant Meeting

"Slytherin!"

As expected, that was the Sorting Hat's answer.

Regulus hesitated slightly as he rose and headed toward the Slytherin table. He badly wanted to turn and look at Sirius at the Gryffindor table, but faced with Narcissa's smile, he ultimately did nothing and walked over in silence.

"Now that's a child of the Black family!" Narcissa looked even more excited than she had at her own sorting. When she glanced across the room, undisguised disgust appeared on her face. "You mustn't be like Sirius and do anything that would bring disgrace to the Black family."

"I know, Cousin Narcissa." He smiled and nodded, his every movement beyond reproach. Narcissa nodded in satisfaction and introduced him to the older Slytherin students, so it was a long time before he could sit down.

As he took his seat, he glanced again at Barty Crouch Jr., who had already been sorted into Ravenclaw. That left him a little disappointed-after all, Barty Crouch Jr. was one of the few people his age he could talk to whose company his family permitted.

Even after he sat down, he had no time to himself. Students around him kept greeting him, and he responded politely to each one. Only when Headmaster Dumbledore announced the start of the feast did he get a chance to catch his breath.

He was a little nervous. He clenched his fists. Although he had rehearsed this many times at home, he still found it a little difficult to adjust when actually facing it. He quietly took a deep breath, trying to make himself look more natural and composed.

Had he done his best? Had he brought shame on the Black family?

Uneasy, Regulus looked across the crowd toward the Gryffindor table.

Sirius Black, his older brother-before coming to Hogwarts, he had heard a great deal about Sirius. Ever since Sirius had entered Gryffindor, their mother had brought it up at home almost every day, flying into a rage each time. As a result, Regulus had been warned many times before coming to Hogwarts that he must enter Slytherin.

With the other houses between them, it took him a long time to find Sirius. But when he finally spotted him, he became a little uncertain.

At the Gryffindor table, Sirius was laughing with his arm around a messy-haired boy's shoulders. Regulus had never seen Sirius so happy, and for a moment he felt at a loss.

Entering Gryffindor had disgraced the family and disappointed their mother, so why could Sirius still be so happy?

Before coming to Hogwarts, he had wanted to talk to Sirius, but seeing him like this, he realized it would probably be an impossible task. At home, Sirius was always gloomy, and even when he smiled, his smile was cold and mocking. Sometimes Regulus nearly doubted whether the brother in his memories who always liked to play with him and the person before him were really the same person.

He watched Sirius for a long time, until he noticed that Sirius kept staring at a girl from time to time.

Who was Sirius looking at?

Regulus looked over curiously. The girl was sitting with her back to him, so he couldn't make out her face at first. All he could see was her short black hair-such a pure black was uncommon; at the very least, he had only seen it in the Black family.

But his thoughts soon came to a halt. When the girl turned to speak to a red-haired girl beside her, he saw her face.

He had seen her before.

So this girl was a Hogwarts student too... He stared at the Gryffindor uniform she wore, and an idea occurred to him.

Perhaps he could use looking for the girl as an opportunity to see Sirius?

But if his cousin found out he had gone to Gryffindor, she would probably be very disappointed, whatever the reason, wouldn't she? Their family really shouldn't have anything more to do with Gryffindor now, no matter what.

Yet he desperately wanted to see Sirius again. Ever since entering Hogwarts, Sirius had never stayed at home for more than a day at a time. He always came and went without a trace, only occasionally sending back something like a leaf to show he was still alive when the pressure to do so became unbearable.

The one thing that relieved Regulus was that, thankfully, Sirius's best friend Potter was also from a Pure-blood family. At least where making friends was concerned, Sirius hadn't continued to bring shame on the family.

He had been so absorbed in thought that, by the time he came to himself, the feast was already over.

As the crowd departed, he grew even more hesitant, glancing frequently toward Gryffindor. Finally, unable to resist, he took a step in that direction.

I'll just ask one question, he reassured himself. Just one question. No one will see.

"Black." He had barely taken two steps when a helpful Slytherin classmate called out to him and pointed in the other direction. "We go this way."

"...Thank you." With that, he could only turn around. Just as he was about to leave, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.

"I saw you coming this way."

When he turned to look to his left, the girl peeked out from his right. Though she was a Gryffindor, she didn't seem at all bothered that he was a Slytherin. The moment their eyes met, she gave him the same smile she had that night. "Did you come to ask me about that night?"

Family etiquette meant Regulus rarely got this close to girls. He instinctively took two steps back, then quickly realized that was impolite.

"I..." He wanted to apologize, but the girl shook her head as though she already knew.

"I got too close, but if I called your name here, it would draw attention, wouldn't it?" She blinked. "It wouldn't be good if your Slytherin classmates saw."

There was clearly nothing wrong with what she had said, but for some reason it sounded a little strange...

He had wanted to find this Gryffindor student in the first place, and since she was in Gryffindor, she must be on good terms with Sirius too. At the thought, he nodded and admitted it. "Sorry, but I am a little puzzled." Just the right amount of curiosity appeared on his face. "Why did you smile at me that night?"

"Because I knew you wanted to smile, but I knew you were a serious Black, so I smiled for you." Though her words were teasing, the girl's expression was unusually serious. "Mr. Little Black, you may be very young, but you have the Black family's bearing."

"Really?" The word slipped out almost instinctively. He was so eager for that kind of approval. He had always known that, even though Sirius made their mother very unhappy and they were always arguing, she always placed the Black family's hopes on Sirius. Even at banquets, everyone who saw him would bring up Sirius first. He didn't actually dislike Sirius, but often he wished someone would simply see him.

But once the word was out, he realized it was improper. He coughed softly, feeling his ears grow hot.

"Forgive me." Regulus tried to change the subject. "But... why Little Black?" A bad feeling suddenly came over him. "You're a Gryffindor student, and I've heard most Gryffindor students get along well. You normally call each other by your first names, don't you?"

"Generally speaking, yes." The girl snapped her fingers. "But, unfortunately..." She patted her chest. "In Gryffindor, I'm the person who gets along worst with Black." As if she had guessed what he had been thinking at first, she patted his shoulder and gave him a somewhat mischievous smile. "Congratulations, Little Black."

Merlin, he thought. I never expected I'd have a day when my luck was this 'good.'

"Regulus?"

Just as he was wondering how to ask about Sirius tactfully, a cold voice rang out. He looked over and saw a familiar, gloomy face.

"What are you doing here?"

He had kept thinking that, when he saw Sirius, he had to ask why he had chosen Gryffindor. But now that Sirius was actually standing before him, Regulus didn't know how to begin. Did he still need to ask? After all, Sirius was so happy in Gryffindor.

Regulus remained silent, unsure what to say. As Sirius's gaze grew colder and colder, the girl suddenly smacked him on the head, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Little Black came to see me, Black."

As Sirius looked up furiously, the girl leaned close to his face and pointed at herself. "You can't be so full of yourself."

"Who's full of himself?!" Whenever he ran into this girl, Sirius's expression became quite a sight. He took two steps back as though avoiding the plague, then hurriedly brushed off his clothes. Without another glance at Regulus, he stormed away.

"Then I'll head back too. See you again when we get the chance!" The girl waved at him. "Hurry back. If you wait any longer, you might not be able to find the Slytherin Common Room."

With that, the girl turned and headed toward Gryffindor. Regulus said goodbye to her as well, and only when he turned toward the way underground did something suddenly occur to him.

He had been so preoccupied with Sirius that he had even forgotten to ask the girl's name.