Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

The rain stopped sometime ago, and the clouds parted to let in the afterglow of the setting sun, bathing the carriage in a warm orange hue.

The outline of the Scottish Highlands was already faintly visible, with dark green mountains undulating in the twilight.

A gentle female voice announced over the train's loudspeaker that the train was about to arrive at the station and that all students should gather their luggage and prepare to disembark.

Regulus closed the notebook and put it back in his pocket.

The train sped along the tracks, its wheels rhythmically striking the rails with a "clang-clang" sound.

The train arrived at 7 p.m. sharp.

The night sky was filled with stars, and although there was no moon, the starlight was bright enough to illuminate the crowds on the platform and the rising white mist.

The cold, damp air rushed into the carriage, carrying the distinctive scent of the Scottish Highlands—a mixture of earth, pine needles, and magic.

"First-year students! This way!"

A loud voice rang out on the platform, and Regulus got off the train with the flow of people.

The platform was packed with people. Older students rushed toward the waiting carriages, while the freshmen gathered around a tall figure holding a lantern.

That was Rupert Hagrid, the gamekeeper and key custodian. He was like a moving hill, with an orange halo illuminating his thick beard and friendly smile.

"Come on, children! Follow me! Watch your step!"

Regulus followed the new students down a steep, narrow path.

The path wound its way through dense woods, the pebbles underfoot were slippery, and the surroundings were so dark that only the outlines of people's robes and the occasional flash of a lantern could be seen.

They turned a corner.

The trees suddenly parted, and a bright and open view appeared before us.

A vast, dark lake lay there, its surface as calm as a mirror, reflecting the starry sky.

On the cliffs across the lake stands Hogwarts Castle.

Towers and spires pierce the night sky like a stone forest, with warm yellow light shining through the windows, like scattered stars captured in stone.

The castle glowed softly under the starlight, ancient, solemn, and mysterious, like an ancient legend waiting to be entered.

The freshmen gasped in unison, some whispering in amazement, others excitedly grabbing their companions' arms.

Regulus stood by the lake, looking up at the castle.

He had read countless descriptions in books and imagined countless times in his dreams, but the real Hogwarts was more magnificent, more grand, and more mysterious than all the descriptions and imaginations combined.

It is a dream.

It's also where dreams begin.

"No more than four people per boat!" Hagrid's voice brought everyone back to reality. He pointed to a row of small, wooden boats moored by the lake. They were small, without oars, but they moved on their own.

The new students began to board the ship in groups. Regulus boarded the same ship as three other unfamiliar boys, including a red-haired boy with freckles, who was probably one of the Weasleys.

The other two were a black-haired boy with a tense expression and a blond boy who kept adjusting his collar.

The small boat glided silently toward the center of the lake.

The lake water was pitch black and bottomless. Something was swimming in the water, leaving a huge, slow shadow. Occasionally, a dorsal fin would peek out from the water and gleam coldly in the starlight.

"That's a giant squid," the red-haired boy whispered, his voice a mixture of fear and excitement. "My brother said it doesn't hurt people, and it might even save a little wizard who falls into the water."

The boat suddenly rocked, and everyone grabbed the gunwale.

Regulus sat firmly, looking down at the lake, at the swimming shadows, and at the starry sky reflected in the water.

He raised his head and looked again at the castle that was getting closer and closer.

Through the brightly lit windows, he could imagine what was inside.

Four long tables in the college were laden with food, where upperclassmen were chatting and professors were discussing in hushed tones.

On the wooden bench at the far end of the hall, the tattered Sorting Hat awaited, ready to sing the Hogwarts school song in its unpleasant voice and melody.

The small boat docked.

They climbed a stone staircase and came to a huge oak door, where Hagrid raised his massive fist and knocked three times.

The door opened.

Professor McGonagall stood inside the door, wearing a dark green robe, her hair neatly styled in a bun at the back of her head, her expression as serious as if she were attending a trial.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," her voice was clear and calm, carrying far through the hall's echoes. "Before you enter the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony, I have a few things to say..."

Regulus stood in the freshman group, listening to Professor McGonagall explain the college system, the College Cup, and the rules of discipline. His gaze peered through the open door.

In the hall, thousands of candles floated in the air, and students sat around four long tables. Silverware reflected the candlelight, and the colors of long robes flowed like rivers.

Scarlet and gold, yellow and black, blue and bronze, green and silver.

In the teachers' seat, he saw a familiar face: Dumbledore sat in the center, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles gently surveying the noisy young wizards.

Slughorn, with her large pregnant belly, was all smiles.

The diminutive Frivi sat on a high chair, talking to the amiable Sprout beside him.

His gaze swept across the Slytherin table.

Almost everyone sat there reservedly, trying their best to maintain a noble demeanor.

James Potter sat ramrod straight at the Gryffindor table, his eyes fixed on the doorway.

Sirius sat next to him, not looking at the door, talking to Remus.

Lily Evans sat not far away, excitedly talking to a dark-haired girl next to her.

"Now, line up in a single file," Professor McGonagall said. "Follow me."

The new students nervously straightened their robes and lined up. Regulus stood in the middle of the line, in front of a crying girl and behind a trembling boy.

They entered the hall.

Hundreds of eyes fell on them, and whispers rose and fell like the tide. Regulus could feel the scrutiny, curiosity, expectation, and disdain in those eyes.

He walked calmly, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

At the far end of the hall, Professor McGonagall stopped beside a high stool with a worn, patched, pointed wizard's hat on it.

It suddenly moved, a crack appeared in the brim of its hat, like a mouth, and then it began to sing.

The song was ancient and hoarse, telling the history and characteristics of the four houses. Regulus listened, but his thoughts had already drifted away.

He was thinking about what had just happened on the train, James's shocked face, Remus's awe-inspiring gaze, and Peter's terrified trembling.

Sirius didn't speak to him.

I think of the starry sky outside the window.

The singing stopped, applause filled the hall, and Professor McGonagall unfurled a long scroll of parchment.

"When I call your name, please come forward and put on the Sorting Hat."

The first name was called, and a girl stepped forward, trembling, her hat covering her head. A few seconds later, she shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

Applause erupted from the long yellow and black table.

One name after another, one college after another.

Regulus waited.

"Regulus Black!"

The whispers suddenly grew louder, and almost everyone knew the name, even the Muggle-born knew that his brother had broken the Black family’s five-hundred-year tradition last year by going to Gryffindor.

Everyone is watching to see where Blake will go.

Regulus calmly walked forward and sat on the high stool.

Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head.

The hat was too big, blocking out the view and the light.

Then a subtle voice rang out directly in my mind:

"Hmm... another Blake, smart, very smart... so much more mature than his peers... What are you thinking about? Not power, not glory... you're looking further... very far..."

Regulus kept his mind calm.

"Ravenclaw suits your intellect, and you are not lacking in courage, but you need to acquire that knowledge... So, it would be best to go—"

The hat took a deep breath and shouted, "Slytherin!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the green and silver long table. Rabastan led the applause, followed by Avery and Muirseber, though their expressions were complex.

Boos came from the Gryffindor table, led by James, but Sirius remained silent.

Regulus stood up and walked to the Slytherin table, where he sat down next to Rabastein.

"Welcome," Rabastan said.

"Thank you," Regulus said.

The Slytherins around him shook hands with him.

The sorting process continued, and Regulus saw other familiar names being called out, and other freshmen heading towards their respective colleges.

But he no longer pays attention to those things.

He looked up at the high ceiling of the hall, which was enchanted to reflect the starry sky outside.

The Milky Way stretches across the land, dotted with countless stars, reaching an infinite depth.