Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Alex stood next to Avery, looking at Hermes without averting his gaze this time.

He didn't like his gloomy roommate, but now, seeing him lying in the hospital bed, something replaced the long-suppressed cowardice in his heart.

It has nothing to do with courage, but it's similar to Avery's thinking: after experiencing things, you gain confidence in your heart.

His lips moved, but he wasn't as arrogant as Avery. He simply said, "Get well soon."

The visit did not last long; Mrs. Pomfrey did not set a time limit today, but the three of them stayed for less than five minutes before preparing to leave.

As Regulus turned around, Hermes suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse like sandpaper: "...Thank you."

Regulus didn't turn around, he just raised his hand and waved.

Stepping out of the medical wing, I bumped into Abros Murseb at the door.

He was still wearing that dark-patterned black robe, standing in the shadows of the corridor like a stone statue.

Regulus stopped in his tracks and said to Avery and Alex, "You two go first."

Avery looked at Abros, then at Regulus, and nodded.

He and Alex bowed slightly to Abros as a greeting, then quickly left.

The corridor fell silent.

Abros didn't say anything, but turned and walked towards the corner, with Regulus following.

The two stopped at a dead end on the staircase. There were no portraits or passing students there.

"Dumbledore came yesterday morning," Abrose began, his voice low and even. "He lifted the curse on Hermes."

Regulus awaited the next installment.

"He didn't say anything else," Abros added.

Regulus understood what this meant: Dumbledore had come and dealt with the curse, but had not pursued the responsibility of the Moorcyber family, nor had he mentioned the details of the Astronomy Tower.

This may be an exchange, or a tacit understanding.

But he believed that Abrose would seize the opportunity given to him by Dumbledore.

Abros's gaze fell on Regulus's face, his gray-brown eyes swirling with emotion: "From now on, Hermes will need your help."

Regulus's heart skipped a beat; Abros certainly wasn't just trying to get Hermes to follow him.

Is the Muirseber family making a statement?

Does he think I'm one of Dumbledore's men?

This differs from the deal made by the old Burke family, who sought the support of the Black family in Wisengamo.

The Moorselbers were likely seeking a safe location under Dumbledore's watchful eye.

Dumbledore spoke with Abrose, the content of which is unknown, but the result was that the Moorselbers chose to let Hermes get close to Regulus.

This may be a way of telling Dumbledore that we accept oversight and approve of those you trust.

Of course, this was all Regulus's guess, but he felt that he might be right.

Dumbledore is giving him more.

"Okay," Regulus replied curtly, his tone flat.

Abros nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

......

In the morning, I had Potions class with Gryffindor.

Professor Slughorn was teaching about boil medicine today. On the materials table were snake fangs, dried nettles, caterpillars with tentacles, and several jars of strangely colored pus.

Regulus and Alex were paired together. Regulus was quick and efficient, but he wasn't decisive enough when dealing with the snake fangs.

Regulus was in charge of the boiling process; the liquid in the crucible changed from dark green to brownish-yellow, and then to a uniform, deep brown, similar to melted toffee.

There are no bubbles on the surface, the viscosity is moderate, and you can smell a pungent but stable sulfur smell when you get close.

Professor Slughorn strolled over, scooped up a little with a silver spoon, and examined it against the light.

The liquid forms a uniform thin film in the spoon, with good light transmittance and pure color.

"Perfect!" The professor's face broke into a smile. "The color, viscosity, and odor are all up to standard, even exceeding expectations. Slytherin, ten points!"

A few suppressed gasps echoed in the classroom.

On the Gryffindor side, Mary McDonald gave Regulus a thumbs-up, and Regulus nodded slightly to her.

Alfard Pwett pursed his lips and continued stirring his still bubbling mixture.

After the bell rang, the students packed up their things and left.

Regulus didn't move, and Avery and Alex remained in their seats as well.

Once the classroom was empty except for the three of them, Regulus stood up and walked to the podium.

Slughorn was organizing materials when he looked up and saw them, raising his eyebrows.

"Professor," Regulus began, "we need to apologize for what happened with Hermes Murseb."

Slughorn walked around the lectern and came to them, placing his hands folded on his stomach.

“We knew he went to the Astronomical Tower,” Regulus continued, “but we didn’t report it in time; we wanted to find out the truth ourselves.”

Avery reacted quickly, taking half a step forward and saying, "We were wrong, Professor."

Alex added quietly, "I'm sorry."

Slughorn looked at them, his smile fading slightly, but his eyes held no blame.

He paused for a few seconds before speaking: "It's normal for young wizards to be curious and want to prove they can solve problems. I did something similar when I was young, though of course, not as dangerous as what you're going through."

He leaned forward and lowered his voice: "But I want to tell you that the professors at Hogwarts here don't just teach you how to stir cauldrons or wave wands."

We're also responsible for making sure you graduate alive. Some secrets are secrets because they can really kill you.

His gaze swept over the three of them: "Next time something like this happens, come to me first, or another professor. This isn't weakness, it's wisdom, understand?"

"Understood," Regulus nodded.

"Very good." Slughorn smiled again and took a crystal bottle from the drawer, which contained a golden liquid.

"One drop per person, taken before bed, can help stabilize mood and eliminate the effects of negative emotions."

The three accepted the gift, thanked the man, and left.

Stepping out of the dungeon, Avery breathed a sigh of relief: "I thought I'd get points deducted."

"No," Regulus said. "The professor wants the attitude."

"What attitude?" Alex asked.

"Admit your mistakes, accept guidance, and don't repeat them next time," Regulus said calmly.

That's what he said, but Regulus thought to himself, "It's okay to admit your mistakes and correct them, but you'll just make the same mistake again."

......

The herbal class this afternoon is in the third greenhouse. Today's topic is fertilizing bubble bean pods.

Professor Sprout, wearing thick dragon-skin gloves, demonstrated how to evenly spread dragon manure fertilizer at the base of the bean pods without stimulating them to secrete corrosive sap.

Regulus was given a bean pod that was unusually long.

He crouched down, holding the bean pod shell with his left hand to prevent it from moving, and used a small shovel in his right hand to dig up the soil around the roots.

Simultaneously, his magical perception unfolded, allowing him to sense the lively, almost mischievous vitality within the pod, as well as the coarse yet pure magic contained within the dragon manure.

The moment the two came into contact, the pod trembled slightly, and the outer shell shone with a healthy, oily green sheen.

After the class ended, the other students left, but Regulus remained in the greenhouse.

Professor Sprout was watering a screaming cactus when he saw him and nodded. "Is there something you need, Mr. Black?"

"Professor," Regulus walked up to her, "I have a question about the properties of magical plants."

Sprout put down the kettle, wiped his hands with his apron, and said gently, "Go ahead."

"If magic has opposing attributes, such as light and darkness, do plants also have similar characteristics?"

Is there a plant that is naturally able to counteract dark magic, or perhaps even bring hope?

Professor Sprout looked at him with a questioning look in his eyes, but more so with admiration.

She turned and walked deeper into the greenhouse, with Regulus following.

The two stopped in front of a shelf against the wall, on which were several ceramic pots containing inconspicuous silver grass with slender leaves and serrated edges.

"Moonlight Orchid," Professor Sprout said. "It only blooms on nights with a full moon, and its petals emit moonlight, with different colors depending on the month."

It has a repelling effect on some low-level dark creatures, such as the carrion worms that accompany the corpse.

She reached out and gently touched a leaf: "More importantly, its pollen, after being extracted, can be made into a tranquilizing potion to help wizards stabilize their minds and resist minor mental erosion."

St. Mungo often uses it to heal the emotional wounds caused by dark magic.

Regulus examined the plant closely; its leaves had extremely fine hairs that shimmered like pearls under the greenhouse lights.

"But it can't fight against darkness of the level of Dementors, can it?" Regulus asked respectfully.

Dementors, possessing extreme magical attributes, and despair.

Professor Sprout shook his head: "No, Moonlight Orchid's effects are more auxiliary and mitigating. To truly combat that level of darkness, you need something more extreme."

"For example, Professor?" Regulus pressed.

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