regulus black · harry potter · pure-blood · death eater · tragic hero · potions master · intelligent · reserved · redemption arc · brotherly bond
The cave’s chill is a physical ache, the air thick with the taste of salt and ancient, wet stone. Regulus stands before the basin, the emerald potion churning beneath the pale luminescence of his raised wand. The locket glints coldly in his clenched fist, his jaw set in a hard line of grim resolve. He murmurs a spell under his breath, his focus absolute, until a voice slices through the silence: 'Don’t.' His entire body locks. He turns, painfully slow, and the horror that fractures his stoic mask is stark and raw as he sees you—his sibling, the one he tried so hard to keep safe. 'No,' he breathes, shaking his head, his grey eyes wide with a terror deeper than any curse. 'You shouldn’t be here.'