BLACK, REGULUS

[mitzeh]

Player's Name: Mitz
Other Characters: none yet (:
Contacts: PM.
Random Fact: I, um, like learning new things?

Name: Regulus Black
Alias: just ‘Reg’, usually.
Age: fifteen
Birthday: January 7th, 1961 (I know he’s a canon, but I could only find his year of birth with no further specifics, so I made the day and month up :3)
Gender: male
Blood: pureblood
Sexual Preference: bisexual
Wand: yew, unicorn hair, 11½ inch, sturdy
Pet: an owl
Special Ability: none? (I would like him to try his hand at casting spells without using his wand, but I a) am not sure if the admins are ok with that and b) have no idea if this would count as a ‘special ability’ anyway.)

Year: fifth
House: slytherin

Best Subject: charms
Worst Subject: care of magical creatures
Quidditch: no
Patronus: Bobcat

Hair: black/dark brown, reaching to his shoulders
Eyes: gray, blue-ish in right light
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 137 pounds

A quiet and reserved young man, Regulus is somewhat of a puzzle to those who don’t know him well - which is to say, most of the people around him. The younger Black lacks his brother’s openness and social grace, and instead of surrounding himself with dozens of colleagues he prefers to keep to himself; he has acquaintances, of course, mostly among other students coming from old and wealthy families such as his, but the word ‘friendship’ could hardly be used to describe any of those relationships. He is only fully loyal to his family - no matter what it entails.

People often mistake quietness for haughtiness, and Regulus Black is no difference here. Those outside his House who encounter him are usually taken aback by Regulus’ formal manners and composure, mixed with rather dry sense of humour; what would be considered acceptable coming from more liked of his peers is usually deemed rude and arrogant because of his reclusiveness. Not that he seeks acceptance, or even any kind of unnecessary interaction - he is proud, as has been instilled in him from the early days of his childhood. The Blacks are one of the most influential families of the Wizarding World, therefore he, the current heir, has a lot to be proud of. His pure blood, his family’s tradition and wealth - it all makes him better than the others. Even though Regulus himself doesn’t actively hate or loathe any of the mudbloods, he has been taught that they do not deserve being taught magic and he sticks to that. His family’s virtues, after all, are all he’s ever known; he is not Sirius, he does not have the older Black’s rebellious nature.

Sirius is one of Regulus’ weakest spots, actually. Ever since he was a little boy he wanted to be like his brother - at first with the fierceness typical for all younger siblings and then just to gain his parents’ approval. Regulus tends to be stubborn and uncompromising around strangers, but when it comes to his family, he is more than eager to please; in fact, he would do anything for one approving glance from his mother, a nod of acknowledgement from his father. There is a part of him that envies Sirius’ courage and freedom, and he hates and despises it, deciding that he’d rather turn this jealousy into blind rage than act on his deepest desires, out of fear for consequences. Sometimes, watching his brother laughing with other Gryffindors makes him angry at how much of a coward he is, but he quickly turns this anger toward Sirius himself - for betraying their family, for betraying him.

Family issues aside, Regulus is one of the most promising students in his year. He may not be liked by his peers and teachers alike, but he is skilled and intelligent, his analytical mind often providing him with solutions few others would think of. Not being much of a social butterfly leaves him with a lot of time on his hands, and so he can often be seen with a book, the content of which usually exceeds fifth year’s learning program. He has a thirst for knowledge that is not entirely a need to make his parents proud, and he spends hours after hours of silence contemplating various problems in his head, always seeking new intellectual stimulation. He is intrigued by the world around him, and figuring out the way it works is one of his favourite pastimes; however, he lacks patience when faced with other living creatures, both humans and animals. He doesn’t have much concern for the latter - which is probably why he doesn’t excel at Care of Magical Creatures, to put it mildly - and the former too often do not understand him, which is yet another reason for him to neglect social interaction. That doesn’t mean, however, that he is not interested in, say, physical contact - but you don’t have to like someone to want them, right?

Regulus doesn’t have many memories from his childhood. In his mind, most of his early days are nothing but a blur of impressions, images, scents and feelings, all of which he would rather forget. They are all connected to his brother, and even though he no longer follows him around like a lost puppy, a part of him that he tries to bury as deep as possible still looks up to him - and it makes Regulus sick, sick with himself, sick with the world and the life and everything around him, whenever he thinks about it. So he doesn’t, not very often at least.
What he remembers is the feeling of utmost admiration and devotion - all directed at Sirius. For the first few years of his life, ever since he learnt how to walk, they were inseparable; or rather, Regulus would not let anyone separate them. There was a time in his life, short and almost forgotten, when Sirius - his brother, his hero - was more important than anyone. Absent father, cold and distant mother - they didn’t matter compared to Sirius’ warm grins and mischievous plans than almost always got them into trouble but it was worth it, every time. Regulus doesn’t think about how much he misses those days.

Sirius has always been a rebellious one, but Regulus hasn’t always been able to know the angry tension in their parents whenever the older Black did or said something that was not acceptable. Meek and gentle and obedient, as opposed to Sirius’ waywardness and defiance and disregard of rules, he couldn’t understand why his brother rebelled against their parents so often. He would listen to them and agree with them, convince himself to agree with them if necessary, why couldn’t Sirius do the same? That was what they were both supposed to do, Sirius even more so as he was, at the time, the heir to the Blacks. And then Sirius got sorted into Gryffindor and something ended abruptly, viciously, and Regulus felt it with the whole maturity and understanding a ten years old could possess. Sirius still went home for Christmas and summer breaks, but something was different - as years passed, Regulus had been a witness to uncountable quiet arguments and screaming matches between his family members; growing tension and uncomfortable silence looming over the dining table as they ate. Soon after Sirius’ first year at Hogwarts Mother’s lips started forming a thin line at the mere mention of his older brother, and she would slowly turn all her attention and hopes and expectations towards Regulus.

He wasn’t ready for it - he had never thought that it would be him, not Sirius, who was supposed to carry the burden of being the heir. He is still getting used to it, to being double bound by rules and even higher expectations, but he doesn’t think he would trade it for the world - this is his chance to prove himself worthy, to make his family proud, and what is more important than this? Such opportunities don’t happen often; Regulus had trouble believing it until Sirius’ rather violent department from their home.

He can remember it well; he doesn’t think he could ever forget. Like everything else with Sirius, him leaving home couldn’t be quiet and serene and peaceful - it was as vehement and tumultuous as it was abrupt. Regulus can still hear his Mother’s screams echoing in his head, as well as Sirius’ angry responses. But what he remembers best is the feeling of utter betrayal - Sirius left him, chose his Gryffindor friends over his own blood. They had been drifting apart ever since Sirius’ first year, but this - this was something unforgiveable, unforgettable, like a solid wall between the two of them.

Regulus doesn’t like thinking about his brother; most of the time he ignores him, just like Sirius doesn’t pay him much attention when they pass each other in school corridors. He writes letters to his parents on regular basis, does his best at school and tries not to think too much about the Dark Lord and how sure his Mother is that one day he shall join the ranks of His followers. Somewhere deep in his heart Regulus knows that he would rather stay neutral - he has never liked trouble too much, and while he isn’t always the most polite person, he isn’t one for violence either - but he knows just as well that disobeying his family is out of the question. For now, at least.

I have read and agreed to the rules of this site. I hereby recognize that my disobedience of these terms will result in punishment at the sole discretion of the admins.

Signed: Mitz