[Sirius Black III]

A small first year student is sitting in the Gryffindor Common room with tears in her eyes. Her pigtails are quivering as she cries on the oversized chair that is threatening to gobble her up. Under normal circumstance, Sirius might make a comment about the hilarity of Hogwarts having cannibal furniture that tries to devour the students within its halls. This is not a normal circumstance. He’s not prefect but if Lupin had been present, Sirius knows he has to do what Mooney would do and Mooney would console the girl, find out who made her cry and then turn a blind eye as Padfoot and Prongs took them out. He’s not great at the sensitive stuff. He has to try. With the sensitive stuff comes the fun stuff and who doesn’t like knocking some pureblood arse on their...well, arse? He certainly does. Kneeling down, he begins. “Hey...kiddo...why the tears?” He takes a side glance at James who is nearby and watching him. Sirius makes an awkward face. In between hiccups and a stammering explanation, Sirius learns that some kids told her that she didn’t belong here, they took her wand and told her that her parents should be arrested for stealing magic and giving it to her. “I’ll get your wand back.” Sirius has a pretty good inclination of what kids might have stolen her wand and it’s time to deliver a punishment of his own. It’s not long before he leaves the Gryffindor Common Room that Sirius has found a group of sneering Slytherins, among them, his own brother. “Bombarda!” He casts at the wall above the heads of the group of Slytherins. “Give the wand back or the next one won’t miss.” Regulus A Black

[Regulus A Black]

Things were changing. A few years ago he never would have found himself in this situation nor even thought it was possible. Regulus had his eyes on his friends as they had tormented a first year and had barely managed to keep his anxiety at levels no one else would notice. He had never been a bully prior to this and worried about what that meant for him. Standing back and watching it happen while commenting to the others did not make him less guilty, after all, but he found himself with no choice. All eyes were on him to be the proper Black heir.

As soon as the wand had been taken he had known they had gone too far. The Professors would step in and there would be eyes on them for it. That sort of thing was not likely to be swept under the rug. What was done was done, however, leaving him to simply sit and chat with his Slytherin pals once the first year had run off. The act of hanging out in the corridors with them was not as abhorrent as having to engage in bullying of others. He can relax a little more so long as he keeps his mouth shut on his own opinions that is.

Regulus is the first to spot Sirius as he comes their way, alone too which he thought was rather bold of his brother. Not surprising given how rash the older one was. It took him less than a moment to cast a spell at them too, blasting at the wall above them. Theatrics. The fact he is here about the wand doesn't surprise him either. However, he is fairly surprised that he was not backed by his three friends. Coming to face them as a group was a terrible decision. "My dear brother what in Merlin's name are you on about?"

Sirius Black III

[Sirius Black III]

Maybe it's bold of him to come storming in and face a group of Slytherins on his own. He's a Gryffindor though. They are brave, daring, chivalrous. And his friends are busy. And this is beyond acceptable! Bullying, okay. He's done his fair share of bullying as well, especially the snivellian Snape but taking a poor kid's wand! A muggleborn kid at that who is terrified and excited to be in a world of magic and tormenting the poor thing! It's unacceptable by any standards and Sirius is in a mood over this. As soon as his wand hits it's mark, Sirius is faced with half a dozen wands pointed back at him. It's the voice of his brother that gets him though. The only one he can talk some common sense into. The only one in this bunch of sorry losers he cares about. "Don't you dear brother me. You lot of pansyknickers know exactly what I'm talking about! Give it back!" He knows he's not going to get the wand back without a fight but he's hoping he has the right ammunition. Regulus A Black

[Regulus A Black]

Of all the Slytherins standing there, Regulus is the only one without his wand drawn. Whether he was confident his brother wouldn't hex him or simply of the mind that he didn't think Sirius was serious was not clear. Either way, he was the only one directly speaking to him. A test perhaps? He hated the idea that the others were waiting to see if he would falter. After this summer's events, he could not let any bad rumours get back to his parents, his mother might just tear him apart if he didn't step up.

"That's not very nice, Sirius." A walk along a razor-thin line. Any apparent weakness towards his big brother would make one of the older Slytherins step in and take control, something that would certainly end in a fight. He kept poise in his stance, chin slightly tipped up since his brother was so much taller. The prickly feeling of eyes on him makes him draw his cloak of indifference about his shoulders, a protective shield against the appraisal being done. "What exactly is it you think we have?"

Sirius Black III

[Sirius Black III]

It pains him. Truly, it does. To have to come to blows and words with his own brother, his flesh and blood, the boy who had been his best friend all through his childhood and whom he had hoped would follow him into adulthood had fallen for their mothers antics. He knows Regulus is not as strong willed. He could not withstand her abuse; her cruelty. Sirius could and did stand it until he had the guts to leave. The trouble is that Reggie has no where to go unlike his older brother. All his friends are the same. There will come a day where Sirius will not be able to hesitate when it comes to blows with his brother. They are not fighting on the same side of a stupid war. Reggie chose his path and Sirius had chosen his. They could not be what they once were. "Nice?" He questions his brother. There is nothing nice about what is going on here. "Is it nice to take the wand off a first year who is just excited about learning magic? Is it nice to stomp around like you own the place and are better than everyone? Empty your pockets, the lot of you!" He'll count the number of wands they turn out if he has to to prove his point! Regulus A Black

[Regulus A Black]

"You are hardly in a position to demand things of us." Regulus knew that Sirius being outnumbered was in their favour, even if Regulus did not draw his own. They were waiting to see if he would. The feeling that came from knowing he was being evaluated had him on edge as much as wishing. A silent hope that Sirius would not start a fight here and force Regulus to fight back to be seen as an equal. It was unlikely he alone would be able to take his brother on but the moment he drew his wand the others would certainly join in immediately.

"As you are not a Prefect nor in Slytherin house so I'm afraid we are under no obligation to prove anything." If they produced the stolen wand they could be reported. If they did not and Sirius could not find it the incident became an 'inter-house rivalry' problem and would be taken much less seriously. Given that they were supposed to be keeping a low profile, a pointed glare at one certain member of their group, the best course of action was to keep a fight from breaking out until they could hide the wand. "Not to mention that your little friends are not here to back you up."

Sirius Black III

[Sirius Black III]

"You are hardly in a position to demand things of us," Sirius mimics his brother. Merlin's beard, what had happened to them? Where had it all gone wrong? Was it his fault that his brother hates him so much and would rather spend time with these neanderthals who don't know their arsehole from their mouth? "Who even are you?" Sirius shoots at Regulus. This is not his brother - not the boy he used to tease and play pranks with and get riled up with playful threats that their mother is coming and they better hide the spiders! Regulus's prim and straight back response irritates his brother. He scoffs at him. "Is this really the kind of reputation you want?" He's not talking to the others though they are there with Regulus, he's specifically talking to Reggie because, what the heck? "Do y'all want to be known as arseholes who pick on those smaller than you like ya ain't got the galls to fight someone your own size?" Fuck his hero complex. Why is Sirius doing this? He's going to get his arse kicked. He snaps. "I don't need my friends. I'm not a coward!" The comment was likely the wrong move as one of the Slytherins does produce their wand and Sirius has to quickly deflect the spell being cast at him. That starts the brawl. There's no stopping it now. "Good for nothing, dumb Slytherin fucks! Stupefy!" He's purposely aiming for the others and not his brother. His words are not directed at Regulus. He just wished they had conceded and given him the wand. Regulus A Black

[Regulus A Black]

Regulus was not used to Sirius mocking him like this. Generally, he would have smiled and laughed when such things were said but that was when his brother had done so to their parents or others. To have him use it against him cemented that everything had changed. No. That wasn't entirely accurate. Things had been changing ever since Sirius met his friends and started to rebel against the family. He felt weak. Afraid of what would happen he simply bowed beneath the pressure of their family name and had ended up here.

"Given that we are from the same family, brother, I think you know me." Once upon a time they had been close enough that he would have told Sirius everything, anything, big or small or terrifying. That had changed since Sirius left home and the balance had changed. His brother didn't know the rage their mother had been in after he left. Not what she had threatened and swore she would do, blasting Sirius's name and likeness out of the family tapestry as well as portraits. When the focus had finally fallen on him he had cowered beneath it and come out with a realization.

Regulus was trapped, forever.

"I dare say you do not have a leg to stand on there either." Sirius might not want to admit it but he was a bully too. He carefully hid this by calling them 'harmless pranks' that were often directed at Slytherin house. Hurtful jokes and names to those who could not or would not fight back. No, he might not be a coward but he was not as good and kind as he was pretending to be at the moment. "I think you should go back to your friends, Sirius, there is nothing here you can affect."

There might have been more to say had one of the others not cast a spell at his hotheaded brother. Regulus levelled a disgruntled scowl at the other as his wand suddenly appeared in his hand. It was quick, practised and it moved with a sharp grace as he cast a shield charm to keep himself from being struck in the crossfire. He knew he couldn't just stand by now. They had forced his hand and he had to do something. "Everte statum!"

(throws the victim backwards.)
Sirius Black III