Regulus Black
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Regulus Arcturus Black |
| Occupation: | student, Death Eater |
| Relationships: | Orion Black (father) Walburga Black (mother) Sirius Black (brother) Pollux Black (maternal grandfather) Irma Crabbe (maternal grandmother) Arcturus Black (paternal grandfather) Melania McMillan (paternal grandmother) |
| Fandom: | Harry Potter |
| Other: | b. 1961, d. 1979 |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Regulus Black is the younger brother of Sirius Black in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He joined the Death Eaters during the first war and was thought to have been killed by Lord Voldemort for deserting, though it is later revealed that he died trying to destroy one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.
Canon Background
Regulus was first introduced in Order of the Phoenix, when Sirius tells Harry about the Black family's "pure-blood mania". Sirius believed that Regulus had joined the Death Eaters but later tried to back out and was killed on Voldemort's orders. In Half-Blood Prince, Harry and Dumbledore found a fake locket left in place of one of Voldemort's Horcruxes; inside was a note signed "R.A.B." that stated that its author had discovered Voldemort's secret and had stolen the Horcrux to destroy it. Despite not yet knowing Regulus's middle name, fans were quick to conclude that Regulus was the "R.A.B." in question.[1]
It was confirmed in Deathly Hallows that Regulus had been the one who had stolen the locket, and that he had died in the process. Other details about Regulus were also revealed, such as that he had played Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team and joined the Death Eaters when he was only sixteen.
Fan Interpretation
Initially, Regulus was generally interpreted by fans as arrogant, prejudice, and (based on Sirius's comments about him deserting the Death Eaters) cowardly. However, some fans portrayed him sympathetically as a product of family's toxic influence, and interpreted Sirius's bitterness when discussing him as an indication that they may once have been close.
Regulus's appearance was never noted in canon until Deathly Hallows, when he was confirmed to have dark hair and a "haughty look" like Sirius, though was smaller and less handsome. Before then, he was sometimes depicted as blonde in fanworks, like his cousin Narcissa (often to draw parallels between Regulus and Sirius and Narcissa and Bellatrix).[2]
After HBP and especially DH, Regulus began to be interpreted positively by the majority of fandom. Discovering Voldemort's secret (and knowing what Horcruxes were) suggested that he was intelligent, and defying Voldemort and stealing the Horcrux showed him to be brave. Additionally, it was revealed that Regulus has sacrificed himself rather than make Kreacher drink the poison to retrieve the locket, a fact which endeared him to many fans.
Regulus in Fanworks
Themes and Tropes in Fanfiction
Stories about Regulus usually focus on his relationship with his brother or parents, or about his retrieving the Horcrux. He often has a supporting role in Marauders-era stories. AUs or pre-DH fics where Regulus had not died but had instead gone into hiding are somewhat common as well. Among these fics a few trends can be seen. In stories like A Little Bit of Everything Harry is raised by Regulus instead of the Dursleys. Also popular are fics in which Regulus becomes a teacher at Hogwarts. In the series birds of a feather for example, Regulus is employed at Hogwarts as a professor for Care of Magical Creatures 14 years after his supposed death.
Pairings
Most Regulus pairings are slash, though there are a small selection of het pairings. Popular pairings include:
- Sirius Black/Regulus Black (second most common Blackcest pairing, Bellatrix/Narcissa being the first)
- Severus Snape/Regulus Black
- James Potter/Regulus Black
- Remus Lupin/Regulus Black
Notable Fanworks
Fanfiction
- The Fall of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black by xylodemon (gen fic)
- Flecks of Rust by Tsume_Yuki
- The Entchantress in his Arms by Ellory
- Power the Dark Lord Knows Not by Fantismal and Jormandugr (2021)
Sirius/Regulus
- 7 Loves/7 Lives by xylodemon
- In Memory, Found by archon_mentha
- Opus by spessartine
- These the Forgotten Furies by spessartine
- The Sun Burst Through In Unlooked for Directions by spessartine
- The Road to Burning by txilar
- Running to Stand Still by midnitemaraud_r
Fanart
- Regulus Black by upthehillart (Jun 2016)
- Simply Regulus by KennedyxxJames
- The Black Brothers by IrenHorrors
- Drowning by Thrumugnyr
Meta
- A Much Better Son: Character Essay on Regulus Black by shaggydogstail. Pre-DH essay, explores Regulus's relationship with Sirius and his parents.
Regulus-centric Communities
- regulations, a general Regulus community
- regulus_centric, for Regulus fanworks and discussion
- regulus_fest, a Regulus fest
- regulus_100 & regulus100, for drabbles
- obsidian_slash, for Regulus slash
- crowned_moon, a Remus/Regulus community
Links & Resources
- Regulus Black tag at AO3
- Regulus Black recs at Coffee and Chocolate
- Regulus Black at the Harry Potter Lexicon
- Special Edition: Regulus Black at The Daily Snitch
References
- ^ See this interview with JKR and regulusblack.com.
- ^ For example, from Sirius Black, Super Genius by Maya: "It was weird in the Black family, how cousins were like siblings and siblings like cousins, and Narcissa and Regulus had come out white-blond and capable at times of calm, while Sirius and Bellatrix had black hair and no concept of anger management."