#regulus is a literature student

[ruepotterblack]

Regulus likes reading poetry more than writing it, not for lack of talent or writing skills and knowledge, he loves seeing the ingenuity of poets more and, above all, analyzing them.

From the meter in which the poems are written to the rhetorical figures that the authors use to exalt the text.

He is a nerd about poetic analysis and when he finds one with an ingenious structure to analyze he can't stop commenting on it with his friends.

Barty doesn't understands him because half the time he doesn't kwons what Regulus is talking about.

Evan may understand it but Regulus can talk about the same poem for more than a month and Evan gets bored when Reg starts talking after the first week about the poem.

Dorcas would read the poem that Regulus is obsessed with in order to give her own opinions and interpretations, but they would not be interpretations as extensive or deep as those of Regulus.

Pandora would ask question after question about the poem or Regulus' opinions making him more excited to talk about the poetic text, Barty would get annoyed with her from time to time because "he's just feeding his fanaticism" but never in a way that would make Regulus feel like a bother.

+

James would see everything from afar and try to eavesdrop so that when he finds Regulus he would just mention about the poem and try to get Reg to talk to him. Regulus wouldn't do it because he would be embarrassed to become a fanatical poem analyst with James since he wants him to think of him as someone more "serious and mature." He doesn't know that James loves all versions of him but more where he shamelessly demonstrates his tastes, his love for poetry.

I hope this makes sense because I'm using google translate because my brain doesn't work to do this the right way.

[moonfulthoughts]

Chasing Dreams ~ thelunaloos on ao3

"Remus' nights were always haunted with nightmares. That is, until he fell asleep thinking of a man he had never seen before, and slept on peacefully until the morning. Suddenly, his mind was plagued by a person of his own creation.

Sirius preferred painting over sleeping. That is, until he dreamt of honey coloured eyes and angular hands. Suddenly, the paintings seemed to take inspiration from the imaginary person in his head.

Two souls, two imaginary comforts. Until they're not so imaginary after all."

---

Completed, 28k words, 12 chapters.

[moonymiel]

sorry but remus only read classics and obscure deep novels because ao3 did not exist in the 70s. had he been a teen or a 20-something when ao3 became a thing he would actually go into small hibernation periods where all he would do is read long ass fics with slow burns and pining and seemingly unrequited love tags and think about how he hopes there's someone out there who would love his "inner monster" like they do in his fav fandoms. and he would rarely bring himself to pick up published novels because where are the angsty gays that are Just Like Him? and don't even get me Started on sad boy poetry regulus. he'd be king of the hurt/comfort short fics. would re read that one mcd fic that he read by mistake once but touched him so much he thinks about it daily and the tears that the fic makes him cry are actually so cathartic for him because he can't cry easily

[raphael-angele]

Platonic MoonWater and Jealous ProngsFoot

Regulus: *went to the Marauders dorm room cuz he's bored and he wants to see James and Sirius but ended up only seeing Remus cuz the others went out so now he's just spending time with his brother's boyfriend*

Remus: *on his bed with Regulus, peacefully reading aloud a muggle book while Regulus is leaning on him cuz muggle literature fascinates him*

James: *enters the room* Hey, we got some- *sees them* What the hell is this?!

Remus: Oh, hey, Prongs, we were just-

Sirius: *coming in* AAAAH! WHAT THE HELL, MOONY?! My own brother?! I feel so betrayed! *faints dramatically*

Regulus: Oh, for fuck's sake.

Sirius: Hey, you watch your mouth. Babies aren't allowed to say that word.

James: Why, Reggie?! Why?! Why would you do this to us?! I thought you loved me!

Remus: Padfoot, Prongs, get a hold of yourselves. You guys are being ridiculous

Sirius: We're being ridiculous?! My brother and my boyfriend are in bed together!

Regulus: He was just reading to me.

James: Oh, the pain and devastation!

Sirius: What does he have that I don't, Moony?

Remus: Silence. What he has that you don't have is that he knows how to be quiet.

Sirius: Well, if that's what you wanted, you know exactly what to do.

James: And I can read to you, Reggie. I'm a much better story teller than that dyslexic moron.

Regulus: He's the top student in your year. Plus, his voice sounds nice. And he's warm to cuddle with. *cuddles up to Remus*

James: *gaasp* Moony, you thief

Remus: *hugs Regulus back* And Regulus is much cuter than you are, Sirius.

Sirius: *literal heartbreak then falls face first onto the floor*

Regulus: *smug* We're gonna get married as soon as I graduate.

Remus: *kisses Regulus' cheek*

Sirius and James: *die*

Peter, watching all of this unfold from the doorway: ...We got you guys some dinner.

[asmo-d3us]

Marauders Era characters as Teachers

Professor (James) Potter - P.E. Teacher

Is definitely the type of PE teacher who pushes the boys to their limits and goes gentle with the girls.

This is until Regulus tells him to stop this habit and treat them the same way bc it isn’t fair.

The girls + Sirius, Barty, and Remus all voice their opinions on this and tell James he’s being an idiot and he’s being sexist and this seems to snap him back into reality.

He’s so gullible and it’s so easy for everyone to lie to him. If it’s time to run, you can approach him and say that you’re on your period and he’d immediately allow you to sit down.

He’d offer you pads, comfort, heating blanket, etc. (he has these things for Regulus). It’s kind of funny because you can literally be a man and still use a period as an excuse and he would still believe you because he’d think you’re trans or smth.

When he’s walking through the halls, he’s usually always accompanied by one of his friends, or Regulus. Students find him hot bc of his figure since he is a PE teacher.

Professor (Sirius) Lupin - Foreign Language (French) Teacher

He likes teaching this because he’s fluent in French and it means he doesn’t have to do shit he just lounges around all day in his desk, calling Professor Lupin whenever he pleases.

Is the type of teacher to start talking, realize no one is listening, and sit down on top of a desk and cross his arms like, “Alright! I’ll wait!”

When he speaks French he sounds hot so the girls (and some boys) in the class start giggling amongst themselves.

Will ignore students he doesn’t like if they raise their hand. Will also always welcome teachers in to his classroom on the daily; Remus, Lily, Regulus, James, etc. shit, even barty and evan.

Wears rings and jewelry, shows off his tattoos, and wears very seductive clothes like see-through shirts with a scratchy material, yk? Students giggle often times bc Remus usually spits out his coffee when Mr. Sirius Lupin enters his classroom oh-so suddenly.

Professor (Remus) Lupin - The Science Teacher

This man teaches physics, biology, chemistry, botany, physical science, geology, you name it.

Students flirt with him and he's just fucking oblivious and thinks they're just being kind. Sirius witnesses this one time and he death glares at the child, who then starts crying.

The type of teacher that offers tutoring after school even though Sirius planned a date with him. Sometimes it feels like he values teaching more than Siri and instead of being upset about it, it just makes Sirius love him more.

He has a slim figure and veiny yet also big hands and people ogle at him without shame in the halls. Sirius growls at them so they look away and Remus just thinks he’s acting weird like always.

The type of teacher to take away your phone if he sees you using it during class. Sirius doesn’t do this cause he’s chill, and James wants to do it but he’s scared to do it, lmao.

Professor Pettigrew - Home Economics Teacher

He’s the short, chubby and single home ec teacher and it’s just perfect.

He’s amazing at cooking and his class is usually a class for queer people and making people who are ‘different’ feel like they belong there.

Some students (usually those who aren’t in home ec) don’t like him and make fun of him because of his weight and him being single and always left out, and it always gets to his head and he starts lashing out and distancing himself from his friends because of it.

Will not take away anyone’s phone, nor will he tell them to put it away. This is home economics, there are no rules! (Other than reading instructions obviously..)

When walking in the halls, he catches the eyes of many students that either love him or hate him, no in-between. Some students wonder why any one of the teachers hangs out with him and it affects him really badly.

Professor (Lily) Macdonald - World/Popular Literature (English) Teacher

Her and Regulus are best buds. They always make their classes do projects together just so they hang out.

Has a section of the room that has things kids might not have at home like pads, tampons, deodorant, socks, etc.

She runs the library alongside Pandora, and occasionally Remus + Regulus.

Some students ship her and James together. That is until they find out Regulus is actually married to James and Lily’s last name is actually Evans before she married Mary.

She’s the teacher that students approach during passing period just to talk to her cause she’s badass and cool. She’s kind of like the counselor of the school, she’s always there for free therapy.

Professor (Mary) Macdonald - Business Law/Management Teacher

Idk she just seems like she’d be a smart ass abt the topic.

Would feel like she’s Einstein and she’s teaching kids smth amazing but none of them give a shit or they’re just crying silently in the corner bc wtf.

Always wears suits to school so she seems very formal and modest and Lily is on her knees every damn time.

The type of teacher to take your phone away and send it to the principles office on the first warning.

Always visits Lily’s classroom to give her her lunch so she eats and isn’t tired and pale by the end of the day.

When seen in the halls, students admire her bc they want to be like her or bc she’s drop dead beautiful.

Professor (Marlene) Meadows - (Computer Science) Animation & Video Game Development Teacher

I feel like she’d just enjoy the fact that it has games included in the job, and bc it’s technology.

She would act like she’s teaching but she’s actually bullying little kids on Roblox.

Every single student knows that Dorcas is married to her bc they aren’t ashamed to show their love for each other. The students actually look up to their love and value their worth so much to the point where they don’t fall for horrible people (I think some of us need that).

She doesn’t take phones away and if she does, she always gives it back and gives them a second chance.

When seen in the hallways, she usually receives high-fives and fist bumps from the students. She thinks it’s because she’s an amazing teacher but it’s actually bc she’s so absorbed in her video games during class that she doesn’t notice the kids on their phones and AirPods.

Professor (Dorcas) Meadows - She actually teaches two different types of classes: all types of Visual Arts, and multiple types of Vocational Education

She has so much knowledge about art and wood making and design so you know for a fact that her outfits devour every damn day.

The ‘cool’ and ‘chill’ teacher.

Gives the best advice to students, alongside Pandora ofc.

Explains everything strictly yet with a matching side of fun, and the students either enjoy her classes or don’t mind it bc it’s easily taught and it’s not hard to understand.

When seen in the halls or around school, the students usually ask her for advice on smth or abt class and she’s always there to help. She’s usually always followed around by Marlene at these times so it’s quite cute to see.

Professor Black - The Performing Arts (Music Theory & Piano) teacher, accompanied by The Math (Statistics & Calculus) Teacher

This suits so perfectly omg wait I’m having a fangirling moment-

Whenever he teaches the piano he sometimes gets carried away and starts inventing his own music?? Many students always tell him to write his own songs and he always bashfully declines.

Him being the math teacher can sometimes be overwhelming but if he notices that you are struggling pretty badly to the point where you might have a mental breakdown, he’ll give you some tutoring or some advice that really helps.

Always brings snacks to school for James since he forgets to eat.

Is always around Professors Barty and Evan. Is never seen without one of those two.

Students don’t really approach him in the halls since they’re kind of intimidated?..but some of them wave and say hi! One brave soul gave Reg a fist bump and he didn’t react at all to it so people began doing it to him 😭.

Professor (Barty) Rosier - The Dance Teacher & sometimes joins Professor James during PE..

Oh lord..💀

This man teaches any and every dance. Ballet? Yes! Hip-hop? Of course! Latin? Sure! (He also has a side job of a stripper! Evan both loves this and hates it.)

When he assists James during PE, it’s always just him flirting with the fellow Professor and James just being an embarrassed and flustered dude.

Evan sometimes watches Barty dance and teach students because he looks so passionate and free when doing so, and it’s really the only time he ever shows affection to other kids (other than their own)

When girls see him in the halls they faint, and when boys see them in the halls they’re filled with awe.

Professor (Evan) Rosier - Teaches AP classes + English (Poetry & World Literature)

He’s just a smartass. Being a smartass is his (and regulus’) favorite thing.

He’s the only teacher who teaches AP classes in the whole marauders era.

Him and Pandora are VERY intelligent and capable of going SO far.

When teaching AP, he is serious and strict. When teaching English, he is humorous and playful.

Always visits Barty in passing periods/free periods and just admires him if he has class (when students see this they always melt from the affection), or walks with him around the garden the school has.

The kids usually give him fist bumps and high-fives, some of them ask for hugs. He’s not a big fan of hugs but ever since having kids and being friends with the marauders, things have…changed.

Professor (Pandora) Lovegood - Teaches Chemistry & Social Studies (Psychology, Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, and Women’s Studies).

She’s so amazing. I love her.

The chemistry one is obvious I mean it’s literally her cause of death.

She teaches Social Studies bc she claims it’s the other half of Evan since he teaches English and it just..works.

Their classrooms are right next to each other so the door between both is always open and they always teach both classes together, it’s so fun. Evan effortlessly continues Pandora’s Social Studies/Chemistry lesson if she’s using the bathroom and vice versa.

She always gives out crystals and spiritual items to her students (if they’re okay with it), usually when she senses bad energy or negative vibes.

Also the type of teacher that students approach during passing period and stuff bc she’s so nice and adorable and the best to talk to.

She runs the library with Lily, and occasionally Reg + Remus. She also gets mixed up quite often with her twin brother. The only thing different between them being Evan’s short hair, and Pandora’s motherly voice.

[thetourturedwritersclub]

I've seen ppl do the marauders being teachers and the subjects they would teach. And hers are my 2 cents.

James he would teach PE. Argue with the wall. Also he'd be that one teacher everyone loves bc he cares for the students. All the students who have PE with him would be fit bc James cares so much abt the students health. He would organise basketball, football /soccer and volleyball games between the other classes.

Sirius On the popular belief of Sirius teaching French, I actually think he would teach art. That doesn't mean that I think that he isn't intelligent, I think he's creative and he would rather teaching a subject which requires u to be creative. He would take the kids to art galleries.

Remus to no one's surprise, I think he would teach English /Literature. And he would make it INTERESTING. They'd be studying Romeo and Juliet , the kids would feel like they are in Verona, Italy watching it happen. Also smth that's so precious for me is Remus having movie hrs, watching films that we are adapted into movie form and they would analyse the differences between the two.

Peter I think Peter would teach home Economics. Also he would be that teacher that u either love and appreciate or hate with a burning passion. He would be a shy introverted nature but also funny and tolerant.

Lily she would teach citizenship. Yes she would be that teacher that would make sure u were mindful, empathetic and grateful. She would make sure kids understood everything u need to know abt being a good citizen. She would also organise field trips which would be in parks, town halls etc etc.

Marlene Listen, I think she would be a history teacher. Her compassion loving nature and ability to tell a story give rlly much history teacher vibez. The kids would be hypnotised listening to every word Marlene was speaking abt a revolution or a glorious monarchy.

Mary Now Mary would teach theatre. Say what u want but I'm a Theatre teacher Mary believer. She would take it super seriously and she would teach all of the kids how to act. Also she would analyse the kids chemistry (basically how much chemistry they have with each other) and she would play match maker with that information. She'd be hitting the bullseye everytime.

Dorcas She would be teaching mathematics. Again argue with the wall. She would be that strict teacher with a heart of gold. Also she would check in with every kid to see if they need help and would be that teacher who wouldn't make u feel bad for not understanding something.

Pandora She would teach Chemistry. Why? Idk she just gives off chemist vibez. And she would always take her class to the lab. And instead of assigning projects, she and her class would conduct research on certain topics and try out formulas.

Barty :Barty would teach physics. He is super smart and in my eyes physics is smth that he would find interesting. He would be teaching the kids with practical examples, like dropping stuff when they have to learn abt gravity and ect.

Evan He would teach biology. Argue with the wall. He would love dissecting bodies and the students in his class would be horrified at his excitement. Also he would be such an inspirational and dedicated teacher. He wouldn't be that strict of a teacher but he would keep his class focused.

Regulus He would teach a foreign language like French. He would be so strict and his class would low-key fear him. He wouldn't have that high of expectations and his test wouldn't be that hard. Also he would explain the kids important facts abt French and he would be an incredible teacher. When he would assign classwork he'd go around the class asking if they needed help. Also he'd be that teacher who wouldn't mind answering questions after class.

So yeah that was soo fun! Lmk if u like it or want me to do stuff like this more often! Would you attend this school if you could?

[saintsenara]

I come to you with this question because, having read all your other metas, I think you'd be the right person to ask. Id love to know what you think about Regulus because I have a very hard time understanding his character. Partly because of fanon characterization of him makes him seem like some secret rebel against Voldemort and partly because I just can't really understand any of his motivations. But regardless, I think what we know about him in canon is so interesting - i just can piece it all together. I'd love to know what you think!

(Sorry for the longish ask)

thank you very much for the ask, @hauntingpercival! regulus is a character i also find a bit of a mystery, and so thinking through this answer was really fun.

i'll start by being clear that i'm certainly not a regulus fan. by which i not only mean that i don't vibe with the fanon!regulus of the marauders fandom, who is essentially an original character - and you can read my views on jegulus here... [spoiler alert: i do not back it] - but that when he appears in my own writing in ways i'd like to hope feel influenced by his canon form, i always find myself focusing on aspects of his character which are rather unlikeable.

there is a little bit of a discourse-y reason for this, which will be pertinent to the rest of this answer...

i really don't like the sort of "omg aristocracy is so hot and sexy and interesting" tropes which are so prevalent in writing around the black family. this is firstly because i don't think that aristocracy is in any way these things - and i find it distasteful to imply otherwise - which is because i'm a prole who lives somewhere still bearing the scars of british colonisation who also went to the sort of university where one sometimes encountered aristocrats and they were all cringe and unbearable.

but it's also because it's not - and i will genuinely die on this hill - an accurate reflection of how the blacks are presented in canon. not only does it take sirius' comment that his parents considered themselves "practically royal" to be a statement of fact [sirius is quite clearly taking the piss out of his parents' pretensions], but it also misses that the purpose sirius' discussion of orion and walburga's politics serves in the narrative of order of the phoenix is to show how mainstream their blood-supremacist views were.

sirius tells us that his parents were not death eaters, but that they nonetheless thought voldemort's overtly sectarian political aims were correct. in this, they hold the political views order of the phoenix emphasises belong to cornelius fudge - unimaginative, deferential to the class system, casually prejudiced, and so on. orion and walburga function as a way of showing us just how entrenched the death eaters' manifesto is, how close voldemort came to winning the first war, and what an uphill struggle the order faces to unravel the roots blood-supremacy has in the wizarding world.

[and they also show that the baffling vibes of grimmauld place - while these are made worse by it being three different gothic literature tropes in a trenchcoat - are wizarding norms, rather than evidence that the blacks were uniquely immersed in dark magic. the decor at grimmauld place - and the family's collection of dark artefacts - is the same as that found in malfoy manor, even at a time when lucius malfoy is considered eminently socially respectable. this is a point we will come back to...]

i think, then, that it's crucial to approach regulus not as a swaggering aristocrat, but as someone from an upper-class background which - while still posh, rich, inferring enormous social capital, well-connected - was unremarkable within the circles in which he moved.

by which i mean that hogwarts is based on real-world institutions - britain's elite boarding schools - which are so exclusive and expensive to attend that the student body are from a class-background which seems inhumanly exclusive, affluent, and powerful from an outsider perspective [i.e. from the perspective of someone from the majority middle- and working-classes] but which seems completely normal within the student body itself.

[i.e. nobody at eton with princes william and harry will have been astonished to have been at school with a royal, because they will have been familiar with their social circles, cultural experiences, level of wealth, and expectation of knowing someone with considerable social influence from childhood.]

while hogwarts appears to be a state-funded school [although it also expects an enormous amount of financial investment on the part of parents - such as buying all the textbooks], the fact that its real-world parallels are so elite [and, therefore, come with a specific "look" in the british cultural imagination] means that the student body is incredibly well-heeled and working-class students stand out enormously in a way very rich students do not. hogwarts also exists - like real-world elite schools and universities - as a way of propping up the status quo of the class system by which the wizarding world functions. its pupils have an expectation of procuring jobs in the civil service and other influential professions - using not only connections established at school but connections they possess through their [male] relatives. many hogwarts students we meet in canon are related to someone who occupies an elite position in the wizarding executive or is otherwise socio-politically influential.

at school, then, regulus would have been completely, perfectly average in terms of social position. i also like the idea of him as perfectly average in terms of intellect - and as a good, but not exceptional, seeker. this provides a really interesting point of contrast with sirius, who - while he's also not socially unusual in terms of class [and i will never vibe with tropes like him being followed by whispers going "omg, he's a black, that means he's important"] - stands out in that he's the first black in generations not to be in slytherin, that he's precociously intelligent, and that he - and the rest of the marauders - are class clowns and show-offs.

and i like the idea that this would give regulus a desire to stand out - to be considered the most important person in the whole school. we can get a hint of this in canon - the picture of sirius and his friends harry sees in deathly hallows is immediately contrasted with a picture of regulus sitting in the seeker's position in the team photo. the seeker who acts alone.

and i think this desire for notoriety is what drives him to sign up to become a death eater - that he decides he's sick of having parents with the perfectly normal level of social influence and a brother who is more popular than him, and that he thinks that he's cleverer and more worthy of attention than everyone else in the castle and the world better start showing it.

[and i've never bought - i'm afraid - the idea that he and sirius are close. it's clear from canon that regulus had no issue being thought of as "a much better son" than sirius, and that he colluded with his parents against him. sirius can love him - and miss him, and regret how they were never able to repair their relationship - but i don't think this means that he feels he's lost a bestie.]

that he holds sincere blood-supremacist views is a given - because within the world in which he lives, these are completely normal and held completely casually [i.e. that slughorn is shocked lily could be muggleborn because she's clever]. the more virulent expression of these views - saying "mudblood", etc. - is clearly considered ill-mannered, but not something which might have any real impact on one's social standing [draco malfoy uses the term with impunity while at school, and nobody ever considers that informing a teacher of this would result in him being punished; equally, nobody from the crowd who witness the event reports snape for calling lily a mudblood].

and so i think it's clear that he becomes interested in joining the death eaters - and starts putting together his terrorism pinterest board - because his mainstream belief that being pureblood is better crashes into his desire to be special to form a conviction that riding the coattails of voldemort's ostentatious malevolence is the way he can become famous.

[in this, he is very like snape.]

my assumption is that regulus is one academic year below sirius, meaning that he was born in 1960-1961. my assumption is also that he receives his dark mark while still at school - probably at some point in his newt years [so the academic years 1977-1978 and 1978-1979].

the standard view - expressed vehemently by various order members in half-blood prince - is that voldemort has no interest in death eaters who are still at school.

the order is wrong about this, obviously - not only when it comes to their refusal to accept that harry's right about draco malfoy being marked, but also in the fact that several of the death eaters who are very young at the end of the first war, barty crouch jr. [who is still young enough to be described as a "boy" in 1982 at the earliest], chief among them, must have been taken on by voldemort prior to graduating.

but it seems fair to say that admitting teenagers into his inner circle is unusual for voldemort, especially when those teenagers don't really offer him anything useful. crouch, for example, could be put to work informing on his father's movements. regulus is - as i've said - just ordinary.

and so my view has always been that regulus is marked by voldemort as a favour to bellatrix. i think this partially because i'm bellamort trash, partially because i think it's a nice narrative parallel between regulus and draco [who are very similar] to have bellatrix be responsible for regulus' recruitment when she's canonically vociferously in favour of draco's, and partially because realising that voldemort thinks of him as just some guy who warrants [essentially] a pity dark mark would be a big blow to regulus' conviction that joining the death eaters would make him impressive.

[i also think regulus is recruited before 1978 because i think there has to be a shift in voldemort's modus operandi at about this point, in order for the fact that sirius says that his parents got cold feet about what the dark lord was prepared to do after regulus became a death eater to make sense. my view has always been that voldemort's violence prior to c.1978 overwhelmingly targets state institutions and people connected to them and/or people with known anti-voldemort political views, meaning that ordinary citizens can regard these people being killed or injured as reasonable risks of their jobs and/or behaviour. and then that after c.1978, the dark lord begins targeting civilians - including upper-class pureblood civilians - indiscriminately, which makes his casual supporters start to waver a bit.]

so, let's suppose that regulus leaves hogwarts in june 1979 and finds himself expected to participate as a full death eater, after having been let off all the dirty work by virtue of being at school...

as i've said, regulus has an enormous number of narrative parallels with draco malfoy. and i think that the best way to think about him is to write him as sharing draco's canonical attitude to voldemort's cause - that he believes whole-heartedly in the message of blood-supremacy the dark lord promotes and that he has no problem with people he considers subhuman [mudbloods and blood-traitors] or unimportant [faceless families massacred in their own homes] being subjected to violence in the name of that message, but that he lacks the character traits necessary to perform that violence himself, to see it done to people he likes, or to witness what it actually involves versus the image he has of it in his head.

and so i imagine he starts struggling pretty quickly with the fact that being a death eater isn't quite as easy as he thought it would be when he was making voldemort fancams on tiktok. and that part of the reason he's primed to turn against the dark lord is because of the tension he feels warring within him at the fact that he's still a blood-supremacist, still desperate to be important, and yet growing disenchanted.

i don't however, think this is why he does what he does... so let's get into that:

why does regulus turn against voldemort?

let's be clear about one thing - regulus turning against voldemort has nothing to do with him having some sort of damascene conversion against blood-supremacy.

[or, at least, that's what i think.]

the outline of regulus' defection that we get in canon goes as follows:

voldemort asks someone to lend him a house elf. we know that regulus volunteers kreacher, because he told kreacher so - and so i imagine voldemort mentions at a meeting that he wants to procure an elf [although, of course, he doesn't elaborate on why] and regulus immediately jumps up and says "pick me, my lord" because he sees this as an opportunity to get voldemort to finally notice him.

his assumption must be that voldemort will use kreacher for a purpose which is considered normal in wizarding society - i.e. that he will require him to do something akin to domestic service, perhaps preparing potions ingredients.

it evidently does not occur to him that voldemort would transgress this social boundary and harm kreacher. not - to be clear - because i think that regulus was some kind of abolitionist legend, but because we see several characters express the view in goblet of fire that how barty crouch sr. treats winky is his own business, and that it is impolite for respectable wizards to comment on how anyone else treats his slave. this sort of social behaviour will have a second part - that it is impolite for respectable wizards to treat anyone else's slave in a way which goes beyond what wizarding slaveowners see as normal.

or: that it's fine to be lent a slave to serve you, but very much not fine to nearly kill that slave [someone else's property!] for your own gain.

kreacher informs regulus what voldemort asked of him, which makes regulus suspicious about what the object voldemort deposited in the cave was. regulus then decides to investigate.

kreacher tells us that regulus goes away for an indeterminate period of time and then returns to grimmauld place "disturbed in his mind".

dumbledore claims in half-blood prince that voldemort appears not to wear or display the objects the horcruxes are made from after he turns them into horcruxes. i think we can agree with this or not without it affecting the story - i quite like the idea that voldemort doesn't make the locket until the later 1970s [maybe after the murder of dorcas meadowes, the only person in the first war other than james and lily to have canonically been killed by him personally], but we can also say that he might have worn or displayed it when it was already a horcrux. certainly, regulus must have seen the locket - either on voldemort or somewhere in his lair - and, after kreacher tells him what happened, he goes to see if it's still there.

when he discovers it isn't, he comes to an important conclusion. one which requires a little detour...

how does regulus know what a horcrux is?

i complained at the start of this answer about the black family being portrayed as unusually immersed in the dark arts - rather than some sort of familiarity with the dark arts being perfectly normal for people of their social class.

and i am sure that you might think I'm about to have to eat my words, since i'm not going to try and deny that regulus was able to identify a horcrux all by himself...

but, actually, i'm just chucking malevolently at the opportunity to clamber onto my soapbox and say:

horcruxes are canonically not magic which only a handful of people know about. where voldemort goes beyond the theory of horcruxes which a wizard of regulus' class-background would be familiar with is that he makes seven.

this doesn't mean - to be clear - that i think it was ever common to make a horcrux [i don't think the wizarding world is quite that lawless...], but that it was reasonable to know they exist, in the way that we might have some general understanding of something macabre - like techniques for disposing of a body - which would enable us to suspect if we saw a neighbour behaving strangely while doing one of those things...

after all, slughorn can suggest [even if he doesn't believe this is what he wants to do] that voldemort could justify his interest in horcruxes by using the excuse that he's working on a project for defence against the dark arts.

that harry, ron, and hermione don't know about them is a result of a combination of their own lack of interest in the theory of the dark arts, the information blackout instituted by dumbledore at some point after voldemort graduates [and my theory as to why dumbledore hates horcruxes even in the forties? grindelwald made one - hence why dumbledore is so hopeful at king's cross that the rumours of his repentance might have been true...], and the fact that they don't discuss their mission with anyone [tonks, kingsley, and moody, who literally have to specialise in dark objects as part of their jobs, would one hundo have known what a horcrux was].

[what they would not have known is what voldemort's horcruxes were likely to be made of and where they were likely to be. it's this - rather than the idea that horcruxes are completely unknowable magic - that is why it has to be harry in charge of hunting them down: he's the only person in the series who knows voldemort well enough to realise that, for example, he'd have hidden one in gringotts because of his jealousy at being excluded from this pillar of wizarding normality.]

so, regulus has a little rummage, works out the locket has disappeared, and has no trouble - especially because voldemort mentions in goblet of fire that he'd told his death eaters he couldn't die [which regulus might not have thought was him speaking literally] prior to 1981 - guessing what it's being used for.

and so, regulus turns against voldemort.

and i think that he does this because the horcrux makes it impossible for him to pretend any longer that voldemort's aims are - when the ministry is forced to the negotiating table by his paramilitary activities - an oligarchy in which upper-class pureblood families benefit and muggleborns and blood-traitors become second-class citizens, but which doesn't deviate too much in terms of its overwhelming norms from the way wizarding society functioned at that time. instead, he is confronted with the undeniable fact that voldemort intends to reign forever as an immortal absolute monarch, and that he has never had any intention of elevating regulus and people like him to the positions of importance he so craved.

[we see something similar happen to draco, whose increasing fear of voldemort throughout half-blood prince and deathly hallows is clearly driven by him realising that voldemort isn't joking when he says that he'll kill him and his parents unless he obeys orders, but is joking when he says he'll be considered a valuable servant should he manage to kill dumbledore...]

and so his death - and his threat to destroy the horcrux - is a repudiation of his beliefs. but, specifically, it is a repudiation of his conviction that voldemort was a primarily political figure who would act as a champion of the pureblood class-system. it's him recognising that voldemort would not stop with a takeover of the ministry - he would kill and kill forever, concerned only with how much further he could venture beyond the norms of magic.

[lexithwrites]

Do you have any moonwater recs where they’re both professors?

In hogwarts probably nothing because I lack knowledge of 90% of the source material BUT in modern day? I’ll give it a go

- regulus teaches English literature, poetry is his favourite, and students are actually enthralled when he talks

- sure, he’s a hard grader and has a face like a slapped arse most of the time but he’s still a great professor

- the students respect him like crazy and they try their best in his courses

- he’s grumpy in the mornings, and prefers afternoon/night classes

- he gets the same coffee order every morning (iced caramel latte with coconut milk, or oat if they don’t have coconut) as well as a pan au chocolate and an apple

- he wears pretty nice clothes, nothing fancy, but he looks rich

- never not wearing black (maybe even some eyeliner)

- but the room next door holds the history professor and regulus just,,,,he can’t really think straight when he’s around

- Remus is forgetful, always coming into his lectures to ask for some pencils or a laptop cable, even for a stapler, and regulus can’t get enough of it

- professor lupin is tall, slender, fluffy brown hair that he wants to run his hands through and beautiful hazel eyes, and regulus cannot for the life of him ask this man out for a drink

- Remus has this lopsided smile that he does whenever he comes in and regulus glares back, but any smart book reading student will know it’s the perfect love story

- remus’ students swoon over him too but he never notices, not even when another teacher does, bevause he has eyes for one man and one man only

- Remus ends up being cornered in his lecture room one day by regulus, standing over his desk and glaring at him, before asking him to go for cocktails later

- Remus can’t stop smiling through his next class

- are their fantasies of sex on desks? Sneaking into closets between lectures? Leaving early to see each other? Of course, but they’re professionals and regulus won’t let Remus do that

- however, when they’re home, it’s fair game

[andromedashoax]

Andromeda Black

hi I’m Andromeda Black

friend/family call me Andy or Dromeda

slytherin

head girl

17 years old

i’m single

lover of poetry, art, literature & music

fashion icon

straight, probably?

my fellow queens, kings, & queers Sirius, my go to person: @siriuslynotadog

Remus, favorite future cousin in law: @looneymoonyy

Bellatrix, my crazy old sister: @the-queen-bellatrix

Regulus, : @little-king-offical

Pandora, my prettiest cousin ever: @pandoras-nox

Severus, potions master: @severusprince-snape

Marlene, hottest hottie around: @marls-mckinn0ns

Alice, very sweet girl: @alicethekindon

Hestia, the hot cat mom: @hjonesworld

James, he very funny and Sirius best mate: @james-the-amazing-potter

Lily, iconic no need to tell you more: @lilyevensoffical

Barty, chaotic, boozes, & flirting: @lifeofthe-barty

Peter, is beth harmon: @wormy-loves-ch33se

Xenophilius, spiritual and whimsical actually pretty cool: @xeno-graphical

Lockhart, another fashion icon (please tell me your secrets): @mystical-magical-me

Dorcas, she is that girl: @cas-not-the-band

Lucius: @malfoy-lu

Mary, sweet as sugar: @mary-mcdeal

Emmeline, besties: @emmelineandhervans

Rudolphus, he matches my older sister’s freak: @xxrudolphuslestrangexx

Rabastan, shiny: @feeblemortal

Narcissa: @flowers-of-narcissus

Evan, Reggie really fun chaotic friend: @whokilledevanrosier

Olivier, sev’s boyfriend??: @oxxen--free

Theodore, he has it all: @tjsinclairofficial

Phoenix, my gossiping buddy: @flyasaphoenix

Newspaper: @hogwartsstudentconfidential

The Quibbler: @student-quibbles

to join dm @lixzey or @jennapancake!!!! this is my interpretation of the Andromeda so if you don’t like it don’t interact

[otrtbs]

Hiya, i'm pretty sure you were the one who didn't like tiktok for what they say about ahb? (Correct me if i'm wrong, i'm not sure whether i'm mixing it up)) but i came across this today and Idk i just wanted to share it with you maybe you'll appreciate it. <3

"I'm convinced that if you changed the names in art heist baby and it was published it would be considered one of the greatest (and most tragic) love stories of all time. It would go down in history as one of the most beautiful, transcendent, exquisite, spell binding pieces of work to ever have existed. In years to come it would be considered a classical piece of literature, there would be films made about it. It would be considered a piece of cultural significance that students must study. Also I think this is very fitting for the story and would make Regulus happy as he wanted to leave his mark on the world in such an extraordinary way. There are not enough words in any language to explain how this fic is pure perfection."

It was in a tiktok by r.a.b.supremacy in case anyone wants to know. I know you get criticism (again correct me if i'm mixing that up) but i just wanted to let you know that there are a lot of people out there who appreciate your fics sososo much, me included :)

i don’t like fandom tiktok for a myriad of reasons 🤧 i mean, some of it has to do with ahb i won’t lie ,,, it’s never fun to see ur fic or name come up in a video or comment section where people are being rude ,, but a lot of it is just ~general~ negativity. if it’s not my fic, it’s a friends fic, or it’s tearing down fan art , or putting people down who are trying to have fun 😭 it’s a little too drama-focused for me

but this is very sweet!!! it is always so nice to know that there are some real sweethearts out there 🥹🩷

thank you for sharing <33

[moonsstan]

Okayyy so fic idea but i cant write (atleast i havent tried) 😭:

Sirius and Remus go to the same university and Sirius’ major is art and Remus’ - english lit (if that’s what it’s called). One day, their university decides to do this project between the two major students in their year.

Basically, they have to team up into pairs of two and they have to choose a poem or a book, and make an illustration to it, but in a way they imagine it. It can be a painting, a collage, a scrap book kinda thing, ANYTHING THAT WOULD COMBINE ART AND LITERATURE.

And Sirius and Remus team up together even though they don’t know each other (that is one of the university’s goals - different major students getting to know each other and making connections and friendships).

They work really hard on their project and one night, they’re at Sirius’ flat (which he shares with James by the way) working, and it’s like 1am and they end up falling asleep in the living room on the couch. And they keep doing this because it’s a really big project but if one night, they’re doing something else, then it’s really between them.

AND ALSO, because of them, so happens starchaser??? Like Sirius shares a flat with James and Remus with Regulus (which by the way, Sirius didn’t know because he and Regulus only recently started rebuilding their relationship so he found that interesting AND that also means there could be chapters with past black brothers angst and them now???). And it’s like an interesting side to the story.

Honestly, I would write this if I could because I love the idea SO MUCH.

[ruepotterblack]

I have abandoned my account but now at university studying literature I understand why we all agree that Regulus would be a fan of literature.

I mean he would completely hate the classics (the Greco-Latin ones) but, BUT, he would understand that the thinking of before was above his time that to this day they continue to impact the minds of those who study those classics.

I don't know if I'm making myself understood but ok

And I can't leave without closing this with my favorite ship!!!!

James would LOVE to listen to him talk for HOURS about things he doesn't understand because just seeing Reg eyes light up when he talks about what Regulus is passionate about makes him happy.

And please don't make me read Aristotle and Homer again until next year, thank you.

[bxtchboy69]

regulus black x hispanic!slytherin!reader

disclamer(s): none just a fluffy meet cute

Unexpected Encounters

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the ancient cobblestone streets of Paris. Amidst the bustling cityscape, a figure hurried along, clutching a worn leather-bound book close to her chest. This was the Spanish outcast, a girl whose love for literature and the fact that she wasn’t born in white European area often set her apart from her peers.

As she rounded a corner, she nearly collided with a group of boisterous students. Among them stood Regulus Black, the epitome of French charm and popularity. His pitch black hair glimmered in the fading light, and his deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

Caught off guard, the outcast stumbled backward, her book slipping from her grasp. Regulus reached out with lightning reflexes, catching both the girl and the book before they could hit the ground.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice smooth as silk.

The outcast nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. "Yes, thank you."

Regulus flashed her a dazzling smile, his charisma undeniable. "What's a lovely girl like you doing out here all alone?"

She flushed at the compliment, feeling a rush of warmth spread through her cheeks. "Just... taking a walk."

Regulus glanced at the book in his hand, his curiosity piqued. "And what's this? A rare edition of 'Les Misérables'?"

The outcast nodded sheepishly. "It's my favorite book. I've read it so many times, I've lost count."

Regulus's eyes lit up with genuine interest. "I adore Victor Hugo. His prose is unparalleled."

A tentative smile tugged at the corners of the outcast's lips. Could it be that someone as popular as Regulus Black shared her passion for literature?

As they chatted, the outcast found herself drawn to Regulus's easy charm and genuine enthusiasm. Despite their differences in social status, they shared a common love for the written word, a bond that transcended their respective backgrounds.

By the time they parted ways, the outcast couldn't shake the feeling that her chance encounter with Regulus Black was the beginning of something extraordinary. Little did she know, their paths would cross again, weaving together a story of friendship, romance, and unexpected adventures in the city of lights.

[touchlikethesun]

what i think the marauders would study at uni (because i'm procrastinating on my uni work)

james: psychology, with a plan to get a masters in social work, he wants to be a child psychologist so bad it's not even funny

sirius: theatre, he's dramatic and the stage loves him, was there ever even a question - he's in like 3 student productions a term on top of his course work, and it barely phases him

remus: linguistics, i think remus would find linguistics, especially sociolinguistics really fascinating, but he'd dabble in kind of every subfield - he lives in the library and loves pouring over data sets and grammar trees (was a fervent chomskyian until studying austronesian languages and now chomsky is his greatest enemy)

peter: maths, this one i have less of a reason for, just because i know a few mathematicians that remind me of peter (this is a good thing they are good friends of mine)

lily: biochem, i think she has a special interest in like some endangered small mammal and intends to dedicate many many years to studying and trying to save it

mary: history and politics, but like focusing on the history of social movements, again, i think mary is a little activist and she gets into debates with PPE-ists and absolutely obliterates them

marlene: physics, marlene is super smart but in like a really laid back way, no one thinks she studies physics, but really she's finishing her degree with multiple offers for phd programs

dorcas: art history, dorcas is an art hoe if ever i met one, and on top of her degree in art history she also somehow is finding time to paint paintings for student exhibitions (also stem x art gfs with marls sooo)

pandora: french and italian, not linguistics but literature, she absolutely loves french and italian literature, italian poetry and french victorian lit, also i feel like french and italian lit are like... pretty... just like her :)

barty: PPE (politics), he is the one that mary most consistently owns in debates and it frustrates him to no end. only doing it because he went to a super posh boarding school and his dad is making him.

evan: law, and he hates it

regulus: CLASSICS CLASSICS CLASSICS literally there is no other option regulus is a classicist and he loves it and he goes to every lecture reads the entire reading list for each essay

[t1oui]

aggressively plotting the muggle hs au before i inevitably move on from it without writing so much as a sentence ANYWAY here are basic intros to the main cast

harry potter (he/him, bisexual) - age 15 (year 11) - lives with regulus and james and recently moved to the area to be closer to lily, pandora, and luna (they moved a few years ago bc lily got a new job) - wants to join the swim team

hermione granger (she/her, lesbian) - age 16 (year 11) - another new student, moved b/c her parents were moved to the dental clinic downtown

ron weasley (he/him, pansexual) - age 15 (year 11) - president of chess club - wants to be goalie for the school hockey team - viktor's host family and not happy about it (at first anyway ;))

pansy parkinson (she/her, transfem, lesbian & asexual) - age 15 (year 11) - wants to be a journalist, part of one of the local old money™️ families - on the swim team (?)

draco fortescue-black (he/him, gay) - age 15 (year 11) - lives with narcissa, alice (his parents), & neville (his brother) - big drama queen

neville fortescue-black (he/him, straight) - age 15 (year 11) - draco's brother, narcissa & alice's son. also frank longbottom's son ofc, frank visits a lot - has liked hannah since year 7

blaise zabini (he/him, bisexual) - age 15 (year 11) - very charming to hide the fact that he's a hopeless romantic - does track & field and has set like 3 school records

cedric diggory (he/him, transmasc, pansexual) - age 17 (year 12/sixth form) - captain of the swim team - fleur's host family - studying french, economics, and math for his a-levels

fleur delacour (she/her, aromantic asexual) - age 17 (year 13/sixth form) - exchange student from france, staying with the diggorys - studying psychology, english language/literature, and business

viktor krum (he/him, bisexual) - age 16 (year 12/sixth form) - exchange student from bulgaria, staying with the weasleys - on the rugby team & in chess club - studying german, psychology, and art

cho chang (she/her, bisexual) - age 16 (year 12/sixth form) - cedric's best friend, does swim w him - theater kid (stage crew) - studying art, english language/literature, and chemistry

ginny weasley (she/her, transfem, lesbian) - age 14 (year 10) - on the girl's rugby team - has beef with lavender brown for unknown reasons

luna lovegood (she/her, omnisexual) - age 14 (year 10) - harry's younger sister (lives w pandora and lily, goes to xeno's for one weekend each month) - helps write school paper - she's either loved by people or hated by them no in between

dean thomas (he/him, bisexual) - age 15 (year 11) - kissed ginny once last year and ron has hated him ever since - dating seamus, best friends w pavarti

seamus finnigan (he/him, gay) - age 15 (year 11) - 100% lavender brown's beard - dean's boyfriend, lav's best friend

pavarti patil (she/her, lesbian) - age 16 (year 11) - worships the ground lavender walks on but refuses to say so - hates rugby, plays anyway

lavender brown (she/her, bisexual) - age 15 (year 11) - dated seamus in year 8 - consistently flirting with pavarti, who is completely oblivious

padma patil (she/her, aromantic) - age 16 (year 11) - ron is one of the few people who can tell her and pavarti apart, for this reason they're best friends - vice president of chess club

hannah abbott (she/her, pansexual) - age 15 (year 11) - neville thinks he's sly but she totally knows he likes her (she likes him back) - gossips with padma about EV👏REY👏THING but they're not really friends

[daliyla]

As a woman in STEM, I now declare that:

Barty is a chemistry student. Like, with chemistry you can do two things: drugs and make things explode. That's all Barty Crouch Jr.'s personality (and I can totally see Evan being more into art stuff, like studying art history or smt, and looking at Barty ranting about orbitals and energy levels like this ʘ⁠‿⁠ʘ)

James is a mechanical engineering student. He was the kid who disassembled things around the house because he wanted to understand how they worked, and then he could never put them back together. He struggles with the theoretical part, but give him an engine project or smt and he'll solve it in no time

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I see Regulus both as a stem boy and as a literature boy. If he chose literature, he'd be studying latin and ancient greek (yes, The secret history style). If he chose stem, I can see him studying astrophysics

Pandora canonically died because of a potion, so she's clearly a chem student. Like look at her, she sees everyone's auras and the atoms in the air