Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

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There was still half an hour before closing time, and as was his usual habit, he and Lily would chat about things other than studying during this time.

It can be considered a form of relaxation, and also a kind of information exchange.

Yeah, I guess so.

Lily spoke first. She raised her head, leaned forward, and rested her upper body on the table. Her green eyes looked at Regulus, and her voice was very soft, almost a whisper.

"Do you know that girl in our dorm, Marcia Foley?"

Regulus searched his memory for the name.

The Foley family is a pure-blooded family. It seems that there is only one daughter in this generation. I saw her at a banquet last year. She was sitting next to her mother and was very quiet.

"I know." Regulus looked up and saw a hint of girlish worry in Lily's eyes.

This amused him.

"She's actually not a bad person." Lily's tone became serious, and her expression became earnest.

"Really, she never used the word 'Mudblood' or talked about her bloodline, but she always...showed off."

"What are you showing off?" Regulus asked, following her lead.

"You show off everything." Lily shrugged, her expression a mix of helplessness and amusement.

"Today she said she has a bird that keeps a monstrous song, and how beautiful its feathers are and how magical its song is."

Tomorrow she'll say that her mother taught her a family heirloom spell that can turn ink into rainbow colors.

The day after tomorrow, she said her grandfather gave her a 16th-century book of magical poems, the parchment so ancient, the illustrations so exquisite.

Hearing this, Regulus's expression softened, and he waited for her to continue.

"I don't hate her," Lily added, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of red hair, her expression slightly furrowed.

"Those things do sound really interesting, I just don't know how to respond."

Saying "That's amazing" is too perfunctory.

Saying "Can I take a look?" is pointless; she's not really going to bring it to school.

And the way she spoke told me it wasn't showing off, but more like sharing.

But it also carries a clear sense of "this is something only found in my house."

Regulus thought for a few seconds.

"She might just want to be your friend, in the only way she knows how."

Lily tilted her head: "What do you mean?"

"Children of pure-blood families, especially girls, begin their social education very early."

How to speak, how to give gifts, how to showcase family heritage, and how to maintain a proper distance.

Marcia Foley's training likely focused on showcasing strengths appropriately to attract potential allies.

Regulus spoke slowly: "The problem is that her advantage might not be an advantage for you. No matter how beautiful the Silent Bird is, you've never seen one before."

No matter how miraculous a family-inherited incantation may be, you cannot learn it; no matter how precious an ancient book may be, you cannot touch it.

"So what should I do?" Lily asked.

"You don't need to do anything," Regulus said. "Just listen to her, and ask a question now and then to show you're listening."

Lily was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Sometimes you talk like an adult."

Regulus shrugged, but not in a frivolous way, as if to say, "If you say so, then so be it."

Lily propped her elbows on the table, blinking her green eyes. "You think that even if pure-blood families want to befriend Muggle-borns, they'll only use their own methods and won't compromise?"

Regulus looked at her: "Would you really learn the social etiquette of a pure-blood family just to befriend Marcia?"

Memorizing family trees, remembering coats of arms, how to raise your little finger while drinking tea, and speaking in a high-pitched voice?

Lily choked.

"See?" Regulus shrugged and continued, "You wouldn't do it either, so why expect her to accommodate you? Because of her good family background? Because she should be more tolerant?"

"That's not what I meant..." Lily's tone softened.

But then she thought again, she hadn't really asked for it, nor had she thought of it; it was Regulus who was asking.

She became defiant again, glaring at him angrily.

"I know," Regulus said kindly. "What I mean is, making friends is a two-way street."

If you get along, chat more; if you don't, maintain a polite distance.

Bloodline and family background are just background factors; true friendship doesn't rely on these.

You don't need to like the way she shows off, nor do you need to force yourself to accept it. You just need to decide whether this person is worth your time.

Lily stared at him for a long time, so long that Regulus thought she was angry.

Then she laughed: "Sometimes I really wonder if you're only eleven years old."

"I'm twelve," Regulus emphasized calmly.

"That's even scarier," Lily muttered to herself, then laughed.

The two of them didn't speak again and continued reading their respective books.

When the closing bell rang, Mrs. Pince began her rounds, urging the students to leave.

Regulus and Lily packed their things and left the library together.

At the fork in the road leading to the underground and the tower, Lily stopped.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome." Regulus nodded and turned to walk toward the Slytherin common room.

After taking a few steps, Lily's voice caught up from behind: "Regulus."

He turned around.

"You too." The red-haired girl stood in the shadows at the corner of the stairs, her green eyes gleaming in the dim light.

"If you ever want to show off something, like learning some amazing magic, you can just say so. I won't think you're bragging."

Regulus nodded, his lips twitching very slightly: "I will."

He continued walking forward, the hem of his black robe sweeping across the stone steps, his footsteps echoing rhythmically in the empty corridor.

......

When Lily pushed open the dormitory door, Marcia Foley was sitting on her bed, holding a book with a dark green cover.

When Marcia saw Lily come in, she looked up, her face showing a mixture of anticipation and hesitation.

"Good evening, Marcia," Lily said, hanging her schoolbag on the bedpost.

"Good evening, Lily." Marcia's voice was soft as she closed the book, her fingers tracing the cover. .

Lily turned to face her, her tone casual: "By the way, what exactly does that silent bird you mentioned last time look like? I've only seen it in textbook illustrations; although it moves, I'm not very clear on it."

Marcia's eyes lit up.

She leaned forward slightly, placed the book on her lap, and began to describe it by gesturing with her hands: "It's about this big, a little smaller than an ordinary crow, with dark blue feathers that shimmer silver in the moonlight."

Then his tone became mysterious: "What's most special is its cry. The cry of the Silent Bird is prophetic; legend has it that anyone who hears its cry will soon die."

But that's not actually the case. Its cries are a response to impending sadness, disaster, or death. It only cries out when a nearby creature is on the verge of death or when a major tragedy is about to occur.

Over time, this was misunderstood as crying causing death.

Lily sat down on the edge of the bed and listened attentively.

"My dog ​​is named Silver Star. It was a birthday present from my grandfather when I was five years old," Marcia continued, speaking much faster than usual.

"It's very smart. It can remember the footsteps of everyone in the house. When my father comes home from get off work, before he even enters the door, it will fly to the perch in the foyer to wait for him."

But it's also a picky eater, only eating one kind of magic nut imported from France, and needs to be fed fresh rootless grass juice three times a week...

She talked a lot about how Silver Star flew to her shoulder and gently nuzzled her cheek when she was sad, and how she sat by the fireplace all night with it when she was sick last winter.

As Lily listened, she thought to herself that Regulus was right.

Marcia wasn't showing off; she was simply sharing in the only way she knew how.

She shares the precious, unique, perhaps naive, but real parts of her life.

This young witch, born into a pure-blood family, is trying to reach out to a Muggle-born friend, clumsily and cautiously opening a crack in her world.

Realizing this, Lily felt a mix of emotions.

Making friends should be simpler.

Marcia suddenly stopped, her face slightly flushed: "Did I say too much?"

"No." Lily shook her head and smiled. "It's interesting. I've never had a magical pet. My sister Penny has always wanted a cat, but Mom is allergic to cat fur."

Marcia relaxed her shoulders, hesitated for a moment, then patted the mattress next to her: "Want to sit down? I have some candies I brought from home, Honey Duke brand, you probably haven't tried them."

Lily walked over and sat down, while Marcia took out a few exquisitely packaged candies from a lacquered box on the bedside table.

The candy was indeed delicious. The outer layer was a crispy sugar shell, and inside was a flowing honey filling with a hint of mint flavor.

The two sat side by side, quietly eating candy for a while, when Marcia suddenly whispered, "Thank you, Lily."

"What are you thanking me for?" Lily asked.

"Listen to me," Marcia said, looking down at the candy wrapper in her hand. "The others... aren't very interested."

Marcia tried to make friends the way her family taught her, but found that those methods didn't work with Lily.

She didn't know what to do, so she could only repeat the methods she was familiar with over and over again.

"You can talk more about it later," Lily said sincerely. "I like to hear about Silver Star, or anything else."

Marcia turned to look at her, her eyes glistening with tears in the dim dormitory light, and nodded vigorously.

Lily thought of Regulus again. He was always like that, seeing things from a different perspective than others, yet he was always right.

Lily suddenly burst out laughing.

Marcia looked at her questioningly: "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Lily shook her head, a smile still playing on her lips. "I just thought of a friend who sometimes talks...just like my dad."