Part One of Signed, R.A.B.
Tradition is the golden thread that binds our lives together, weaving through every memory sweet ties that last forever. It shines a light on every face, adds luster to the commonplace, reminds us of a distant song and tells our hearts where we belong. Wrapping around us in the cold, it holds and warms us, young and old; sustains us through the storm and strife; infuses meaning into life, and witnesses that we are one – This family lasts forever. Tradition is the golden thread that binds our souls together. — Define (Divine) Tradition by Susan Noyes Anderson 🜲 🜲 🜲
Regulus Arcturus Black is born into a family that upholds Tradition with passion and pride, a family where emotions frequently run high. Tempers flare when tensions are on the rise, and war is coming – whispers of danger grow louder with every passing day.
Young Regulus thinks nothing of this, for what is it to be thought of by a young boy? But his family cannot shield him from the world forever, and once you notice the way the world works … There’s no way back.
Thank you for clicking on this story! If you aren’t interested in getting to know some background information, you can head over here and start the story. I hope you’ll like reading it as much as I did writing it!
Now for those who stayed behind, here’s some things you should know:
First things first: you should view this page, and all pages on this site, either on desktop or in desktop mode. This site was not designed for phone screens and I am very much an amateur at making sites and don’t (yet) know how to reliably make it work on other screens.
Second things second: if you dislike the look of this page, or the story at any time, you can actually read this on Archive of Our Own, fanfiction.net, or Quotev. If you dislike it because you cannot read something/something broke, please let me know in the comments so I can try and fix it! If you do like how it looks, well, thank you! I tried my best.
I strive for canon compliance. You must know that when I say canon compliant, I mean to say that I am absolutely obsessed with the Harry Potter series in a quite factual way. But even I have my limitations and whenever something directly contradicts the books, I do not accept it as canon. As a rule of thumb this means much of the Fantastic Beasts series and most of Cursed Child, as well as some other Harry Potter-related statements she has made over the years.
I believe that canon is quite clear on a couple of things regarding Death Eaters and the war, and I think that common fanon is very much a stretch from canon sometimes and therefore won’t feature in my story, such as Regulus being forced into the Death Eaters. Regulus joins them willingly at age 16. Furthermore, the Blacks are dysfunctional and broken, yes – but they do not literally torture their children. If you prefer stories in which Walburga and Orion Black are 100%, irredeemably evil, this is not the story for you. If you prefer stories in which they are human and (though misguided and failing in their quest) try to keep their children safe in times of war, this is for you.
Black Beginnings can be read as either a standalone or as part one to my larger series: Signed, R.A.B. It is a kidfic in the sense that it follows Regulus Black between the ages of (roughly) seven and ten. It is entirely from his perspective and very slow-paced. We learn to see the world through his eyes.
Part two can be found here (link will appear when I get around to actually posting part 2) and will focus on his year at home with Sirius at Hogwarts as well as his own first and second years at Hogwarts. Part 3 will focus on Hogwarts years 3–5 and his growing obsession with Voldemort and part 4 will focus on him joining Voldemort and will end with him dying in the cave.
Black Beginnings itself is also divided into parts, titled as follows:
Regulus Black is turning seven years old and is very excited about doing and learning all the things he was never allowed to do and learn before. But one silly mistake and the masks go off, and he finds himself in a position he can’t get out of.
Chapter I: Seven Years Later
Chapter II: The Biggest Party
Chapter III: The Secret Chamber
Chapter IV: The First Lesson
Chapter V: The Christmas Letter
Chapter VI: The Great War
Chapter VII: The Hungry Dragon
Young Regulus Black knows there is something going on outside the walls of his home, and if the adults won’t tell him what it is, he’ll just have to figure it out by himself. He gets help from an unexpected friend and finds himself at a loss when family ties get broken – forever?
More will be added here as I progress through the chapters.