Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Avery was dragged forward by Regulus.

Cold sweat slid from his forehead to his chin, and he clenched his teeth so tightly that he could almost hear the sound of his back teeth grinding together.

He was just an eleven-year-old wizard, and the scene before him was beyond his comprehension, bizarre and terrifying. It was impossible for him not to feel fear.

But he is the heir to the Cuthbert family, and this identity is his greatest source of recognition.

Fear may exist, but it should not be allowed to dominate.

He could see clearly that ahead was the entrance to a narrow passage, the dark opening resembling the open mouth of some kind of creature.

If you rush in, your speed will inevitably decrease, and the gray fog behind you will catch up.

Avery didn't say anything.

His face was pale, his lips were pressed into a thin line, his brows were furrowed, and his gaze turned to Regulus's profile.

His life is now in Regulus's hands.

Regulus was much faster than him and Alex.

If they loosen their grip and break the levitation spell at this moment, the two of them will be caught up by the gray mist, and the outcome could be dire.

No, I might die!

In Avery's mind, Regulus was powerful, but also clear-headed.

This person always has a purpose in everything they do, plans three steps ahead for each one, and never makes worthless sacrifices.

There's no point in saying anything now; pleading or making promises are futile. Only one choice remains for Regulus.

Should they rush towards that narrow entrance together, or should the person trying to escape themselves?

Alex is in even worse shape.

His body was trembling violently, his teeth were chattering, and he was whimpering incoherently.

Heads were bowed low, not daring to look back at the gray mist, nor at the dark passage ahead.

His legs were as limp as overcooked noodles, and he was almost being pulled forward by the force of the gripping spell.

Regulus did indeed calculate that option.

Let Avery and Alex go; if you run on your own, you'll be much faster and have a better chance of escaping the gray fog.

From a practical point of view, this is the optimal solution: abandon the burden and preserve the core.

And he is the core.

But he still maintained the Grasp Charm and Levitate Charm.

He brought these two people in; he decided to let them participate in this exploration mission.

Since you've led someone into danger, there's no reason to abandon them halfway through.

This has nothing to do with calculating profits or the rules of survival.

This is something more fundamental, a principle deeply ingrained in the marrow of a soul that has lived a complete life.

Of course, he is not naive; his criteria vary from person to person.

He wasn't a saint, and he made many choices that weighed the pros and cons, but he couldn't bring himself to send the people he brought with him to their deaths.

Moreover, he was not unprepared.

Fiendfyre, that dark magic that can devour everything, even Voldemort's split soul, should be effective against the gray mist that is the essence of the curse.

If we can view the gray fog as purely negative magic, it might be theoretically possible to forcibly extract it using magic circulation and then convert it into harmless magic through star-track meditation.

In the worst-case scenario, a forced spatial warp is used. This magic is still immature; it can only warp objects and is not very precise. But it must be used when necessary.

However, every option carries risks.

We still lack the means.

Regulus pulled the two of them forward, his mind racing at the same time.

Did Dumbledore really not know that such a thing was buried underground at Hogwarts?

As a first-year student, he was able to piece together clues and find his way here based solely on Hermes' injury, Darren's unusual behavior, and the traces left at the scene.

The professors at Hogwarts couldn't possibly be unaware of this.

Dumbledore is the headmaster, the entire castle is his territory, and there's no reason he wouldn't know that there's a cursed bomb hidden beneath the school that could explode.

Regulus recalled the principal's usual style: he seemed easygoing and relaxed, turning a blind eye to minor squabbles among students.

But they always appear at crucial moments and steadily control the situation.

Perhaps Dumbledore already knew the secret behind the Stone Door, and even knew about Darren's actions and the assigned task.

They simply chose to observe from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

As for whom they are observing?

Regulus shook his head slightly in his heart. He had just barged in, hadn't he?

This thought calmed him down a little.

The gray fog was only three meters away from his back.

Regulus made his decision without hesitation.

The entrance to the narrow passage was just five steps away, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The knockback spell struck Avery and Alex.

Caught off guard, the two staggered forward and landed just at the edge of the passageway.

Regulus stood still, his back to the two men, facing the surging gray mist. His hand holding the wand was steady, without the slightest tremor.

His voice was calm and unhurried, yet carried a convincing strength: "You run, I'll hold them off. Go find the professor." (Latest plot update: Click to follow.)

Avery steadied himself, and upon hearing those words, turned around abruptly.

His face was filled with shock, his eyes widened, and his pupils suddenly contracted in the dim light, as if he could not comprehend what he had just heard.

In the education system of pure-blood families, the principle of prioritizing self-interest is self-evident.

Survival, development, power, resources—all actions revolve around these.

Companionship is a byproduct of the exchange of benefits and can be severed when necessary.

He had known Regulus for less than a year.

Initially, it was arranged by his family, but later he was convinced of the other party's abilities and decided to follow him.

But he never imagined that Regulus would stay behind for him and Alex, facing that deadly gray fog alone.

Regulus's expression was no different from usual.

His upper body stood ramrod straight, facing the overwhelming gray fog without shrinking back even an inch.

But in Avery's eyes, this boy of the same age looked completely different at this moment.

Avery's lips moved, as if he wanted to say thank you, take care, or something else, but in the end, no sound came out.

Alex fell to the ground, his palm scraping against the rough stone slab, drawing blood from the scraped areas.

He felt no pain, but upon hearing Regulus's words, his eyes instantly reddened, and large tears fell to the ground, kicking up dust.

He wanted to cry out loud, but fear choked him, and he could only let out suppressed, intermittent sobs.

Avery glanced at Regulus with a complex expression, a mixture of gratitude, shock, and a hint of admiration.

At that moment, he was completely convinced, not because of the power, but for something else.

He knew that saying anything now would be superfluous, so Regulus made his choice.

All he could do was help Alex run out as fast as he could and find the professor.

Avery quickly pulled Alex up, gripped his wrist tightly, and didn't turn around.

He turned and rushed into the narrow passage, his steps so fast he almost tripped, yelling only two words at Alex: "Keep up."

Regulus closed his eyes.

As consciousness sank into the depths, star trail meditation unfolded in my mind, and the model of the four and a half stars of Orion lit up.

He extracted the imagery of that vast and serene starry sky and wove it into the Ironclad Spell.

The Iron Armor Charm took shape, and a crystal-like barrier unfolded in front of him, its light soft yet its texture tough.

He mobilized the fifth star, Rigel, the shield of Orion, symbolizing the star of protection.

Even with only half a star's worth of power, the will to protect was clear and strong.

The blue and white halo of Betelgeuse overflowed from the tip of the wand, intertwining and merging with the light of the Ironclad Charm, adorning the surface of the barrier with tiny starlight.

The barrier became thicker and heavier.

The Iron Armor Curse enveloped his entire body.

The next moment, the gray fog crashed into the barrier.

zizi——

A piercing corrosive sound exploded in the passage, the barrier shook violently, and ripples spread across its surface, but it did not break.

It withstood the onslaught of the gray fog with all its might.

The gray fog carried echoes of despair and cries of pain.

The sounds washed over the barrier again and again, rapidly draining Regulus's magic power.

Regulus's consciousness was unusually clear, and the image of the starry sky in his mind became clearer and clearer. The light of each star was slowly flowing, synchronized with the magic cycle.

The impact of a single face is not significant.

But there were too many of them, densely packed, and endless.

One face shatters and vanishes, only to be replaced by another immediately.

Time stretched out during the confrontation, and the gray fog completely engulfed the barrier.

Countless faces were reflected in Regulus's eyes through the semi-transparent barrier, with distorted features, gaping mouths, and empty eye sockets.

Every face was venting centuries of pent-up pain, wanting to drag the living into the same despair.

The sound of a face slamming into the barrier merged into a silent roar.

Come on, join us!

Regulus remained steadfast and unmoved.

But as time went on, he could clearly feel his limits approaching.

This Ironclad Spell, which incorporates imagery of the starry sky, is far more powerful than ordinary spells, but its consumption is equally astonishing.

The onslaught of the gray fog was endless, with hundreds and thousands of faces eroding the barrier's magic every second.

The barrier's light began to dim, the vibrations intensified, and fine cracks appeared on its surface, like glass about to shatter.

At this very moment—

A pure and warm power welled up from the bottom of my heart.

It broke through the restless magic within, flowing along the arm and gushing out through the wand.

A dazzling silver-white light burst forth from the tip of the staff, rapidly condensing in front of him and outlining the silhouette of a flying bird.

Wings spread, tail feathers fluttered, and silvery-white feathers scattered tiny starlight.

His guardian angel.

Starry Sky Kite.

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