After Regulus Black had spent an entire afternoon at the Ministry of Magic discussing matters with Cornelius Fudge...
Minister Cornelius Fudge suddenly visited Azkaban for an inspection, claiming the visit was to check on the living conditions of the incarcerated prisoners.
The Daily Prophet reported the entire visit, praising Fudge's kind-heartedness, calling him the most compassionate Minister ever, and so on...
Naturally, he also expressed concern for the Aurors. After all, the environment here was just as grim for the guards as it was for the inmates.
This way, Cornelius Fudge gained a good public image, while the Auror Department felt appreciated. As for the prisoners... well, they were here to serve time, not to be pampered. A bit of symbolic concern was enough. Even if it didn't bring them any real benefit, they were still expected to be grateful simply because the Minister had paid a visit.
"Sirius Black, your cell still looks quite tidy, doesn't it?"
Holding yesterday's issue of The Daily Prophet, Cornelius Fudge tapped on the cell door, waking Sirius, who had been reading the newspaper.
Yes—out of all Azkaban, only Sirius had a heap of newspapers in his cell. Every time Regulus Black visited, he would bring past issues of The Daily Prophet, updating Sirius on the progress of his appeal and urging him to become a respectable Black upon returning to the wizarding world, instead of remaining a fool stuck in the past.
At first, Sirius Black had resisted. Even though the newspapers had been piled beside him, he refused to read them. But before long, he became utterly absorbed. After all, when compared to enduring the torment of Dementors, reading the paper was far more engaging.
And so, even after two years of imprisonment, Sirius continued to receive newspapers from Regulus at irregular intervals. Though the news was outdated, it still kept him informed about the outside world. Recently, he had even seen that Regulus had almost completed the appeal for the recovery of the Black family's assets, which brought Sirius some comfort.
Sirius had been disowned by the Black family—considered a traitor to the bloodline. Yet his younger brother, Regulus Black, had been working tirelessly to rescue him and restore the family's former honor. It wasn't easy.
Though Sirius held little affection for the Black family, he was still quite pleased to see Regulus reviving their legacy.
"Ah! Every time Regulus visits, he tidies up a bit. Fudge, is that today's Daily Prophet you're holding?"
Sirius had already read all the newspapers in his cell and was frustrated at having nothing new to read.
"Hmm? No... this is just yesterday's Daily Prophet."
As expected, Sirius asked for the newspaper. Though Fudge had already anticipated this, he was still somewhat startled by Regulus Black's uncanny ability to read people. For a fleeting moment, Cornelius Fudge seriously considered not giving him the paper. What if withholding it changed something?
"Could I have it? I want to do the crossword puzzle."
Sirius looked at Fudge with longing in his eyes. He had already completed all the crossword puzzles in his collection of Daily Prophet issues. The most recent one he had was from two months ago.
"Alright, I'll give it to you. Your brother has been working hard on your appeal—it should be resolved soon. Just hang in there."
Given the current relationship between Fudge and Regulus Black, it was only natural for the Minister to try to gain favor in front of Sirius. Even if Sirius didn't appreciate it, Regulus would hear about it later.
Cornelius Fudge gave Sirius Black one last glance, then left Azkaban. There was no need to inspect the other prisoners.
That night, horrifying screams echoed through Azkaban. Auror guards rushed to Sirius Black's cell, only to find it empty—except for shredded pieces of The Daily Prophet strewn all over the floor. Sirius Black had vanished.
At the top of Azkaban's high tower, a large black dog leapt into the air, barely managing to dive into the black sea below. Any closer and it would've been smashed to death on the jagged rocks near the shore.
Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban.
The next day, The Daily Prophet was flooded with news of the breakout. The escape occurred the very day after Minister Fudge's visit—an utter humiliation for him. Only The Quibbler dared suggest that perhaps Minister Fudge had secretly orchestrated the escape.
For a time, wanted posters covered every street and alley in the wizarding world. The image featured Sirius mid-scream, looking like he was ready to devour someone alive.
It was a silent moving image, so to anyone who saw it, he simply appeared to be a deranged, violent lunatic—not someone desperately crying out his innocence.
Regulus Black couldn't help but reflect as he looked at a wanted poster—his best friend had betrayed another one of his best friends. Just how stifled and helpless must Sirius have felt back then, with no way to voice his injustice?
But it's alright. We have one year. After that, Sirius Black will be able to appear in front of the world with dignity.
Regulus Black continued filming at Crimson Manor. Aside from the scenes within the manor, the sets in the nearby Crimson Peak town had also been prepared. Some of his scenes could be shot in advance, and several new actors had recently joined the cast.
Among them were the actor playing Edith Cushing's father and the detective character. Naturally, due to the timeline being over twenty years apart from the original story, these roles were cast differently, but the new actors closely resembled the original characters' appearances.
The first scene to be completed after his return had Regulus Black playing Dr. Alan. The shoot began with a stormy blizzard scene where he arrives at Crimson Peak town alone, driving a horse-drawn carriage and stopping in front of an inn. Director Guillermo del Toro had originally intended to hire someone to teach him how to drive a carriage, but Regulus Black surprised everyone by taking the reins himself. He even gave the two female leads a cheerful ride around the manor, their laughter ringing out the entire time.
"Wow! That's a great start."
Robert Downey Jr. clapped enthusiastically. Whether he was referring to the carriage driving or the presence of the two female leads was unclear.
"Whoa...!"
Regulus Black smoothly brought the carriage to a halt in front of Robert Downey Jr. The horses snorted and huffed right at him.
"Riding and driving are required skills. I was already a pro at a very young age."
Regulus Black jumped off the carriage and turned to help the two female leads down.
Whether it was due to nervousness or on purpose, both actresses' legs went weak as they stepped down, turning the assisting motion into a full embrace.
Regulus Black could clearly feel the warmth of their bodies and their heartbeats—it made the atmosphere a little ambiguous.
"Alright, everyone! Let's move to the basement! All four of you are involved in today's shoot."
Director Guillermo del Toro came over to break the tension.
The group moved into the basement, where six red clay filtration pits had been built. Previously dried and cracked, the pits had now been refilled by the props team, restoring them to their former state.
The crimson-red clay sludge, along with the ghastly red hues of the horror elements, hinted at the dark truth—that several of Thomas Sharpe's former wives had been submerged in those very pits.
"Hey David! Found anything in the pools?"
Regulus Black called out to the busy props chief.
"Of course not! You should know, this place was thoroughly searched by the police a hundred years ago. Any bones were taken away long ago."
David Robinson answered with an exaggerated expression. Judging by his face, he seemed genuinely spooked—could this burly man be a bit of a scaredy-cat?
"But seriously, we never dug through the pools. Originally, they were just hard, rock-dry clay. We only added water later. Who knows what's down there now?"
David Robinson grinned at the actors with a slightly mischievous look. Regulus Black was certain—this guy had real acting potential. A shame he was stuck working in props.
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