@jegulus-microfic October 10, Word count 300

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The objective was simple: get Sirius back, so why was it taking so long?! He’d been waiting as patiently as possible, but Wednesday was too far away. Sirius could be moved by then, and he might not get the chance to send another message. They should have gone as soon as Barty had shown them the newspaper article. He was so stupid. He should never have involved the professors. If he had just gone, he could have crossed Europe and had Sirius by now. Involving adults had never worked for him, bar Effie and Monty. 

He’d spent a lot of the last few nights running through the forest with Moony, Prongs and Wormtail. He found that, as Midnight, he wasn’t as anxious about feeling so useless when it came to bringing Sirius home.  

Wednesday finally came. Regulus ignored his breakfast, choosing instead to watch the spot where the owls usually flew in from. A soft whooshing of wings alerted him to their presence, and he watched the birds swoop in and circle until they had picked out their recipients. The owl he sent to find Sirius was not among them. He felt his heart sink. He hadn’t realised how much he’d been hoping it would fly in. Hot tears flooded from his eyes, and James’s warmth enveloped him. It was up to McGonagall now; it didn’t exactly instil him with confidence.

He was about to ask James to go with him into the forest when Regulus’s owl alighted on his empty plate. A howler clutched in his beak. With trembling fingers, he took the red envelope from it and whispered. “Thank you,” before it took off for a well-earned rest. 

Regulus looked down at the howler, clutched in his hand, the corners had started smoking, and he tore it open.