Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Chapter update reminder: Chapter 124 Power Should Be Pursued, read here.

The week of Easter holidays soaked Hogwarts up.

The young wizards strolled along the corridor with unsteady steps, unopened candy wrappers were piled up in the corner of the common room, and even the green light of the Black Lake seemed languid.

Regulus was the first to return to the dormitory; Avery and Alex had to take the train and wouldn't arrive until evening.

Hermes was not in his dormitory; no one knew where he had gone.

After a short rest, Regulus went straight to the library.

Mrs. Pince was wiping the top shelf on the ladder, the feather duster kicking up fine dust.

Regulus walked to the Ancient Runes section and pulled out "Detailed Explanation of Norse Rune Related Protective Magic".

The book's pages were slightly curled at the edges, and when it was opened, a yellowed library card fell out, the last entry being in 1962.

He read all morning. There weren't many young wizards in the auditorium at noon, so after lunch, he continued reading in the afternoon.

As dusk fell, candles were lit in the auditorium, and the long tables gradually filled up. Avery and Alex squeezed in through the door, their robes still damp with rain.

They saw Regulus and quickly came over and sat down.

"You're up early," Avery said as he sat down. "Our carriage got caught in a downpour halfway there."

Alex pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face: "It's almost May, and it's still so cold."

Regulus cut off a piece of chicken leg: "Scottish weather never makes sense."

The dishes were plentiful, with the fat from the roast beef seeping into the mashed potatoes and pumpkin juice sloshing in a silver pot.

Dumbledore rose from the teachers' seat, his long silver beard swaying in front of his chest.

"The holidays were wonderful," his voice echoed throughout the auditorium, "but they're over now, OWLs and s students, you have less than two months left to review."

The younger students should also get back to their studies. Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn asked me to remind you that your papers for Transfiguration and Potions are due next week.

A few whistles came from the Gryffindor table, James Potter waved his fork above his head, Sirius Black tilted his head back and gulped down some pumpkin juice, and the two bumped shoulders and laughed.

When Regulus's gaze swept over, Sirius was wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. When their eyes met, his smile froze for a moment before he turned his head away, his black hair whipping around in an arc.

Regulus looked away.

Avery leaned closer and lowered his voice: "I told my family about it during the holidays."

He poked at the peas on his plate with his fork, glancing towards the teachers' section to make sure no one was watching.

Alex also stopped chewing.

"After hearing this, my father locked me in the house for five whole days." Avery's voice held a hint of smugness: "He forced me to practice the Ironclad Charm for eight hours a day, until my wand got hot."

He gestured with his chin toward Hermes: "Now I can use it too."

Hermes slowly and methodically cut the steak, the blade making a sharp, grating sound as it sliced ​​across the porcelain plate.

He didn't even lift his eyelids: "Didn't your family say anything? About the follow-up to that matter?"

"I told you." Avery put down his fork and turned to Regulus with a serious expression.

"My father asked me to thank you on his behalf. He said he would go to Grimmauld Place in person to speak with Mr. Black."

"Mr. Cuthbert, you're too kind," Regulus said.

Alex swallowed the food in his mouth, wiped his hands on his robe, and then spoke: "My family... reacts a little differently."

He whispered, "After hearing this, Father only said that I must not mention it again, and not to tell anyone."

He stole a glance at Regulus, his face slightly flushed: "But he also told me to thank you, and said, thank you for taking care of me."

Regulus nodded: "Mr. Rozier is too kind."

Hermes put down his knife and fork, and the silverware clinked against the edge of the porcelain plate.

"I want to find a place to practice magic," he said, looking at Regulus. "Let's go tonight."

Regulus knew what he was talking about: the Room of Requirement, and also, he wanted to train with him.

Avery and Alex also stopped what they were doing, and all three pairs of eyes looked over.

Regulus picked up his glass and took a sip of pumpkin juice, the warm, sweet taste sliding down his throat.

"Are you going or not?" he asked Avery and Alex.

Avery and Alex looked at each other, Avery nodded first, and Alex followed with a soft "Mmm".

"Then let's rest for now," Regulus said. "Meet at eight o'clock in front of the tapestry on the eighth floor."

On the way back to the Slytherin common room, Avery was talking about the holiday Quidditch matches, and Alex chimed in, asking for details.

Regulus walked half a step ahead, listening to the voices behind him, his mind wandering to other thoughts.

Hermes' desire for power was so intense that it bordered on greed.

That's true, everyone deserves power, but Hermes's approach is different.

In his mind, black magic was the true power, the kind of power that could tear flesh apart, drain marrow, and force people to their knees.

Even with Regulus using the Ironclad Curse to block the bone-blood separation and the Invisible Barrier to crush the Shadowbind Tentacles, Hermes still felt that dark magic was the true pursuit.

This understanding is deeply ingrained and ingrained.

Regulus did not deny the effectiveness of black magic; it was indeed quick, easy to learn, and easy to use.

Recite a spell, a flash of light, and the opponent falls.

You don't need to practice Transfiguration for years, memorize hundreds of potion recipes, or even have precise control over magic.

As long as you dare to recite it and have enough magic power, it can be used.

But for most wizards, dark magic is like borrowed power; it's easy to borrow, but you have to pay interest when you have to repay it.

Interest could be rationality, emotional stability, or it could be suddenly finding yourself smiling at yourself in the mirror one day, yet not recognizing who the person in the mirror is.

Regulus thought of Abros Murseb.

It's no secret that the Murseb family is known for its use of dark magic.

Their ancestral home's basement may be filled with dark magic props, and their family education may have started from the age of six, where they were introduced to the principles of curses.

Growing up in such an environment, Hermes naturally recognized the importance of strength at a young age.

Even more exaggeratedly, it's about the importance of "dying without power."

Therefore, he was impatient, and therefore, he was greedy.

But Avery and Alex are different from Hermes.

For them, magic is like air; they are born breathing it, so they never think about practicing breathing.

Children of pure-blood families are all like this; awakening their magical powers is almost inevitable, receiving an acceptance letter from Hogwarts is inevitable, and learning basic spells is inevitable.

Everything is a preordained path; the scenery along the way has been familiar since childhood and has long lost its novelty.

They would practice the Ironclad Charm because their families required it, and they would follow Regulus to the Room of Requirement.

But if no one pushes them, they'd rather play Wizard's Chess in the lounge or figure out how to trick the house-elves in the kitchen into giving them more pudding.

It's not their fault.

Regulus recalled Volbuga's upbringing, instilling in her the supremacy of purebloods and the glory of the Blacks, but never explaining why one should become stronger.

In her view, power is a gift bestowed by bloodline, like the Galon in the vault, something one is born with and only needs to inherit.

Therefore, the laziness of Avery and Alex is essentially due to the lack of a crucial element in their education.

No one told them that magic is not an inheritance, and that you have to work hard to acquire it, or it will suddenly betray you when you need it to save your life someday.

They were indeed tense for a while after the Astronomy Tower incident.

Avery would get up early every day to practice spells, while Alex would stay up until midnight studying the "Standard Spells".

But the fear would fade, and a month later, Avery began to complain about why he still had to practice the Obstacle Charm.

Alex's study time gradually gave way to collecting Chocolate Frog picture cards.

Regulus remained silent.

He can command them; given his current position, a simple command like "practice two extra hours every day" will be obeyed.

But that's pointless. You can't practice accurate spells with your wrists forced to be raised, and you'll be the first to forget the spells you've been forced to memorize in actual combat.

You have to reach out and grab the power yourself.

Those who can't reach something either haven't fallen enough, or they simply don't want to reach it at all.

......

At 5:50, the four of them gathered in the corridor on the eighth floor.

The wall opposite the tapestry of the giant stick that beats the silly Banaba was bare, with candlesticks casting swaying shadows.

"I need a place where I can practice magic."

Regulus silently repeated the order three times in his mind and began to pace.

A door frame appears on the wall.

Pushing open the door, you'll find a spacious training room inside.

The floor was covered with dark wood flooring, the walls were covered with cushions, and the ceiling was high with several smokeless torches hanging from it.

Several wooden targets stood on one side of the room, while on the other side was a weapon rack, which was empty, with entwined snake patterns carved on it.

Avery whistled.

Regulus entered the room, raised his hand, and his wand slid from his sleeve into his palm: "Let's start with the Ironclad Charm. Avery, show us what you've accomplished during your vacation."

Avery stood in the center of the room, took a deep breath, and raised his wand.

"Armor for protection!"

Silver light exploded from the tip of his staff, quickly extending into a semi-transparent barrier.

It has an irregular shape and its edges ripple like water, but it has indeed taken shape.

The barrier lasted for nearly a minute before cracks began to appear, and then shattered into points of light the next second.

Avery gasped for breath, sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes shone: "How was it?"

"Your magic output is unstable." Regulus approached and lightly tapped his wrist with his wand. "You're using too much force. The Ironclad Charm doesn't need to be opened with brute force; you need to guide the magic to flow within the barrier."

He demonstrated by raising his wand; without chanting a spell, a thin silver film instantly expanded, becoming smooth as a mirror: "See, relax your wrist."

Avery tried a second time; this time the barrier was thinner and lasted for another half minute before dissipating.

Alex whispered beside him, "I...I can't use it yet."

"Then let's start with the flickering light." Regulus turned to him. "But don't just focus on lighting up the tip of the staff. Try controlling the brightness, from the dimmest to the brightest, in ten levels, each lasting three seconds."

The renowned author Zhuang Shui Zhi Zhu has joined Cola Novels with his new work, "Hogwarts: Regulus, Lord of the Stars"!