FicWad

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DISCLAIMER: The characters and settings herein are, for the most part, variously the property of JK Rowling or Neil Gaiman. I borrow out of love, and will put them back when finished.
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This certainly hadn't been part of the plan. Of course, Sirius wasn't entirely sure he would want to be part of any plan where ending up in a cage meant things were going well.

He'd gotten curious, he had to admit. He wanted to find out what London Below was like through Padfoot's eyes - or nose, more accurately - and no doubt Regulus would take him to task for not being careful enough, at some point, but he'd thought no one would really look twice if he transformed in a semi-public place.

Never mind that he might have known better after Merlin knew how long of keeping the trick a secret.

The scenery around him now - when he could force himself to concentrate on it, anyway; something in this damn cage was keeping him from changing back to think properly - reminded him a bit of classes at Hogwarts and a bit of the Victorian novels Remus kept reading. There were a couple of ampitheatre sort of things, one of which seemed to be near a main artery of traffic - he didn't know what was on display, but there was plenty of disgust rolling off the passersby.

And there were more than enough odd sounds and smells to make him quite glad he couldn't properly process them, at least.

Sirius lost track of time after a while, generally accepting it to be a new day when the apparent caretakers came by with something vaguely resembling food. He wasn't even sure a regular dog would go near it, except out of desperation - and after some time, he did find himself desperate enough to eat it. Fortunately, it didn't seem to have any nasty side effects.

*

There were other people who happened by his cage occasionally. Even as difficult as he was finding it to think, he generally brought himself around enough to pull some meaning out of their conversations.

"Man and beast in one body? A most fascinating find, certainly."

"If we can discern the cause and add it to our Beast, we'd almost positively have a winner."

"Some might blanch at the prospect of a Beast that could mingle so easily with the populace."

"No worse than Croup and Vandemar ever were."

"I take your point. You might well be on to something, then. If we incorporate this one's abilities, we can take the prize for good."

"The Circus Maximum?"

"I don't know that that was an entirely appropriate declension, Marlowe..."

*

Not terribly long after that, at least so far as Sirius could tell, the second ampitheatre was in business.

"Today, we consider the practical applications of Miss Roberta Jean and her psychotic canaries..."

He didn't know what exactly was going on, but the center of attention was giving off some highly uncomfortable smells. And the people... the people were taking /notes/.

Once again, he found himself glad he couldn't quite think properly.

*

Regulus liked sticking around the library. Sure, he had to venture out on a few occasions to find food, but for the most part it gave him somewhere to stay that held relatively few innate dangers and attracted little attention from others. And when it did get visitors, they were too intent on their research to bother him, more often than not.

All told, it was perfect for avoiding attention.

He was considering a book which seemed to have some history of London Below in it, and caught the sounds of someone trying to move quietly by the door. He ignored them for the time being; the book was far more interesting, and they probably didn't want to bother--

"Regulus? Are you in here?"

...Or they did want to bother him. To his knowledge, there were only two people who knew he kept to the library, and whoever was talking sounded far too feminine to be Sirius.

"That depends on why you're asking."

"Very funny." There were some footsteps, and then Door poked her head around the corner of the aisle nearest the chair Regulus had settled into. "It's... I think your brother's in trouble."

"That's little different than his default state."

"Be that as it may, this seems to be..."

"Serious? Pity there aren't any better words, isn't it? All right, I suppose I should at least find out what he's got himself into this time."

"One of the Circuses got him. I'm not sure what they're planning to do with him, but since he's not really terrifying enough for either's sideshow standards, I doubt the alternatives are pleasant. And while I could get him out of wherever they're keeping him, that doesn't mean we'd get out alive."

"I see. Why are you involving me in this?"

"...Well, you're his brother."

"Yes, and the past week or so is the most he's talked to me since before we started school. There's complicated family politics behind that. Anyway, I would rather keep myself out of trouble if at all possible, which runs rather contrary to his tendency to rush headlong into danger without asking useful questions first."

Door sighed. "You know him better than anyone down here, myself included. Besides, I think they found out he's related to Bellatrix. After all the trouble she's stirred up, they might get vicious, and it's not much of a leap from him to you, is it?"

For all Regulus hated going off on adventures - it rarely ended in continued existence for everyone involved - he had to admit Door had a very good point. People with a grudge and a weapon going after him almost certainly wouldn't end any better.

"How much do these Circus people know about magic?"

"It's Oxford, and they take a more scientific approach than Piccadilly, so I doubt they'll have taken his wand. However, even with the scientific approach, they have to keep Talents in mind, so it's unlikely he could get himself out."

"And it's unlikely I could help with just my wand, then." He considered the matter a bit longer, then sighed. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but we're going to have to go to Kilburn first. Job like this, a bit of professional help at our backs couldn't hurt."

*

"I've some interesting news."

"Have you? Out with it, then."

"I've done some research. I think my find of the other day might be related to that Black woman."

"...Really? How very intriguing."

"Perhaps if word reaches her that we have a relation, she shall come to negotiate."

Sirius, overhearing that in one of his more lucid moments, snorted. If Bellatrix heard he was locked up, she'd be far more likely to offer to help them with their... experiments than try to get him out of there unharmed.

But he suspected that even if he could tell the men that, they wouldn't particularly care.

*

Door had lost track of the conversation shortly after one of the soldiers said, "Ah, the young Caesar's back!"; her Latin wasn't good enough to keep up. But after about ten minutes, Regulus headed back toward her and said, "They'll send four or five soldiers with us, since the most we really need is a diversion. They're drawing lots for it."

"I never would have thought of asking them. How did you know they were here?"

"When I first got down here, I wasn't far off. They were more or less the first sign of civilization I ran across. I think they were glad to meet someone who still knows their language, but... well." He shrugged. "You try growing up in a household that expects you'll need Latin as a major part of your adult life and see how long you go without lessons."

Door nodded. In that respect, at least, it wasn't far removed from her father's Opening lessons. "And the Caesar comment?"

"My first name literally translates as 'little king.' I doubt they took it as metaphor."

"Most metaphors here are literal."

"True." Four soldiers broke away from the main encampment and headed toward the pair. "Right. We've got my idiot of a brother to bail out now, it seems. You're the one who knows where we're going."

*

One day, there was a commotion. Sirius didn't pay it much mind, as no one seemed particularly fussed about him, until two people approached his cage.

"Sirius, this had damn well better be you. Door, if you would?"

All of two seconds passed, and then the cage was open. He blinked once or twice, mostly to clear his head, and got the hell out of there, heading for a clump of bushes that didn't look likely to be poisonous.

"I do hope someone remembered to bring at least a pair of trousers," he called over after he'd changed; his brother tossed a pair of jeans at him. "Thanks. To both of you."

"I don't know how you keep getting yourself into these messes. And I probably don't want to, either."

"Not until later. This doesn't strike me as the place for sarcastic commentary about our formative years."

"About time you applied a bit of logic to the matter."

"...Hold on a moment, where did you find /Romans/?"

Regulus smirked. "That's for me to know and you to find out. Later. If you're polite."

*

After the ordeal with the Circus, all of the word floating around about Bella was starting to get to Regulus. Admittedly, part of the reason he hadn't sought out the whole story before now was because he'd been busy keeping his head down. But this concerned family, and from what Sirius had to say, the Circus people had been quite thrilled to have a Black at their disposal.

If his brother was going to go about nearly getting himself killed, Regulus thought he ought to at least know why everyone else wanted to help so much.

It took some doing to get Door to explain, but it helped that the recent mess had piqued Sirius' curiosity as well. Two Blacks always had been better than one in waiting out someone withholding information.

When she finally agreed, she said, "We'd best discuss it somewhere safe. As you've both noticed, there are still several people who take exception to your cousin's actions."

Regulus snorted. "There's an understatement if ever I heard one. Where would you suggest we talk, then?"

"...My family's house ought to be safe enough. I've had the security tightened since the last breach."

So she led them what seemed like halfway around London Below, finally stopping in front of a boarded-up door.

Sirius beat Regulus to commenting on it. "And this is the way in, is it?"

"One of them. My family's Talent is getting into things." That said, she touched the boards... and there was a way in.

"...Now there's a neat trick."

"As I said, it runs in the family. You'll both need to hold on to me; I doubt you could get through it by yourselves."

Once they were all inside - and rather out of sight of any doors, Regulus couldn't help noticing - Door said, "Hang on a tick, I'll get us some chairs," walked over to a painting, and disappeared into it.

Regulus raised an eyebrow. "Interesting use of the portrait idea, that. Wonder if whoever came up with that variation knew anything about Hogwarts."

"They might have, but I don't think any of these are likely to talk."

"Did you miss the bit where pictures are worth a thousand words?"

Door returned before the brothers could really start being sarcastic at each other, with three folding chairs in tow. As she set them up, she said, "The matter's rather complicated, and I've told Sirius very little of it. I don't know if you'll know anything else."

"Only that whatever Bella got up to, she's made herself quite a few enemies, and it's possibly contributed to her insanity. Not that anyone Above would notice a bit of madness from her, and not that her failing to make friends is a surprise."

"Well. It's safe to say that what she got into did contribute to her madness, considering."

"And that would be?" Sirius said, settling into one of the chairs.

"...The Black Friars were, until quite recently, in the habit of guarding a key. Heavily - they maintained a series of trials to prevent nearly everyone from getting their hands on it."

"Like when Dumbledore was guarding the Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts."

Regulus just stared at his brother. "Is the man really so dense as to do something like that? Wait, don't answer, I already know he is. Anyway, sorry for interrupting, Door. Go on."

"Some years ago by local reckoning - I was nine or ten at the time - Bellatrix Black found her way Below and, after a fashion, began harassing the Friars to get them to hand over the key without putting her through the trials, on the basis of her last name. Or her maiden name, or perhaps both. She tried that at least five times, that I know of, and on the side was rumored to have picked some... unpleasant company. The Friars didn't budge, though, so she ultimately gave in and attempted the trials. Those who don't succeed either die or go mad."

"As I said, most of her associates would be hard pressed to notice."

"The ones she had here must have done. I don't think she's been back since then - no one's mentioned it, anyway - though she did make a number of enemies for herself, as you've heard. And people in undercities tend to have extremely long memories, as well as lives."

"How sweet of them to share their grudge with the rest of us."

"When you say unpleasant company," Sirius said, "I know the sort she keeps at home, but down here things seem to go at whole new levels, so dare I ask for a clarification?"

"...It's probably best I give you one anyway. I have it from some fairly reliable sources that she was associating with the men who eventually killed the rest of my family, with the possible exception of my younger sister, and the angel who hired them to do it." Regulus guessed from Door's tone that she was using a broad construction of the word 'men,' but one that somehow would have counted Lupin on the human end of the spectrum.

"An angel?"

"Yes. I suspect Islington wanted to save London Below from itself, and it needed the key to do that. The key... affects reality as substantially as its owner feels it ought to, when used."

The antechamber they were sitting in went quiet, and remained that way for some time. Regulus finally broke the silence, still half thinking the new information over.

"Bella wouldn't have offered her services to something like that unless there was something in it... for... oh, /fuck/. Sirius? We are extraordinarily lucky she never actually got her hands on that damned thing."

"How do you..." All the color drained from Sirius' face as realization set in. "Oh. She would have done it, too."

"Dare I ask?" Door said; Regulus mentally applauded her for the light sarcasm.

"She's a very close associate of a murderous lunatic bent on taking over Britain, for the short explanation. I wouldn't put it past her to have wanted that key to effect a victory for him."

Door winced. "Yes, I'd say you both are lucky. And everyone else in Britain Above."

"Not just Britain. She might well have wanted to give him the world."

After a few more moments of silence, Sirius sighed. "In light of all that, I think the sooner I get home, the better chance I'll have of getting there in one piece. Particularly now that I've... made such a grand entrance into local knowledge, or at least local rumor."

"The two are often the same thing, if you hadn't noticed."

"Really? You don't say."

"Anyone could tell you two are related, the way you argue," Door said, smiling. "As for getting you out of here, Sirius... I don't know much about it myself, but I know someone who does. I'll send him a note and see if he can help."