Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

That owl might belong to Hogwarts, or it might have been borrowed from some wizard in Knockturn Alley.

The handwriting deliberately concealed its features, and the content was obscure, but it contained enough information. This style of doing things was in line with Slytherin's behavior.

Be cautious, leave yourself an escape route, do not directly endorse, and only provide key intelligence.

But why anonymous?

Perhaps because this matter is sensitive enough.

Publicly discussing the cleanup of trash has crossed a red line. If someone wants to push the issue in a semi-public setting like the Slytherin common room, there must be a deeper motive behind it.

It could be a test, a show of taking sides, or a performance for a specific audience.

The Burke and Black families have a tendency to cooperate, and Lucretius chooses to inform Regulus, but he doesn't want to get involved.

So he warned Regulus, but without leaving any evidence against him.

Regulus continued eating his breakfast, but his mind was racing.

Public statements set the tone and indicate the direction of public opinion; some people are trying to bring undercurrents into the open.

There may be several objectives.

It could be about establishing a leadership position.

Within Slytherin, whoever is the first to raise the banner of pure-blood purification will attract a group of followers.

These followers could be genuine fanatics, or they could be opportunists trying to curry favor with powerful figures.

Perhaps it's just for show.

Voldemort's power is expanding, and they need fresh blood.

If someone can build a team right under Dumbledore's nose, then that person is a promising talent worth nurturing, and tonight's statement might be a pledge of allegiance.

Perhaps it's about creating division.

Slytherin is not a monolithic entity.

There are extremists, moderates, and observers. Publicly promoting sensitive issues will force everyone to express their opinions and expose hidden differences.

After a split, someone can take the opportunity to reunite.

Lucretius advised against intervening, but Regulus was not about to listen to him completely.

He wanted to see who jumped out, what their specific purpose was, or whether they were targeting him.

Classes will proceed as scheduled in the morning.

During his History of Magic class, Regulus took notes, occasionally glancing out the window.

The weather was lovely, and the surface of Black Lake shimmered. Occasionally, the tentacles of a giant squid would surface and then sink again.

Everything was normal at lunchtime.

At the Gryffindor table, Alphard Prewitt also had injuries on his face, with a swollen patch on his left cheek.

He sat with McMillan and Diggory, barely speaking during the meal, occasionally glancing up in Slytherin's direction, but making no further moves.

The afternoon class is Potions.

Professor Slughorn continued teaching about ecstasy today. It involves complex steps and requires sophisticated material handling, so it can't be taught in just one or two lessons.

Regulus and Alex are in one group, and Avery and Hermes are in another.

Alex's hand trembled as he handled Billywig's stinger, nearly spilling the venom. Regulus caught the droplet with a levitation charm and precisely placed it into the cauldron.

Professor Slughorn saw this and added five points to Slytherin's score.

The bell rang, and the students packed up their belongings and left the underground classroom.

The corridor was crowded with people. Regulus walked in front, with Avery, Alex, and Hermes following half a step behind.

As they approached the fork in the road leading to the auditorium, Regulus stopped and turned around.

"I'm not going to the Room of Requirement today," he said calmly, looking at them.

All three of them looked at him at the same time.

"Things might happen tonight," Regulus continued. "In the common room, you can just watch, you don't need to do anything or say anything. Just treat it as watching a play."

Alex gasped in surprise: "You're going to fight?"

His expression was a little strange, as if he had thought of something, but he didn't ask any further questions and just nodded.

Of course, whatever Regulus says goes; it's become a habit.

Avery's eyes lit up: "Make a move? With whom?"

After asking, he realized that if Regulus really needed to take action himself, his actions would most likely only cause trouble.

He kept quiet, but the excitement on his face was undeniable.

Hermes was the calmest; he stared at Regulus for a couple of seconds, then nodded.

If it were anything else, he might offer to help, but when it came to taking action, he knew Regulus's strength better than Avery and Alex.

The realization that beating him was as easy as beating a Muggle child kept him silent.

After giving his instructions, Regulus turned and continued walking towards the auditorium.

He was thinking about something else.

During the previous Astronomy Tower incident, he originally intended to use it as an excuse to target the mastermind behind the scenes, demonstrate his power, and eliminate potential threats.

As a result, Darren McNeil knocked himself out, preventing him from getting a chance to shoot.

I was a little disappointed at the time, but I didn't care too much; there would always be another opportunity.

Now is the chance.

He had a feeling that someone was going to publicly promote sensitive issues in the common room, and that they might target him.

After all, Black has enough influence, and Regulus also has enough influence; pushing forward on sensitive issues always requires endorsements from influential figures.

No matter who that person is, no matter which family stands behind him, as long as he jumps out, Regulus can use it as an excuse to make trouble.

Examine the other party's quality, test its depth, and then decide whether to take action and how strong to do so.

He hoped that person wasn't too stupid.

Fools are boring; they make things simple, or even mess them up.

Ideally, the person should be intelligent, capable, and have powerful backers. That's what makes them valuable, and if a fight really breaks out, the rewards for winning will be even greater.

At dinner, Regulus ate slowly and deliberately, chewing each bite carefully while observing his surroundings.

The atmosphere at the Slytherin table was normal: the upperclassmen were discussing their OWLs review plans, the middleclassmen were passing around the Daily Prophet, and the lowerclassmen were fighting over the last piece of honey cake.

But he noticed a few details.

At the far end of the long table, a fifth-grade boy from the Selwyn family glanced three times toward the entrance to the lounge while talking to the person next to him.

Another seventh-grade girl, from the Parkinson's family, who rarely comes to dinner, sat in the corner today with a book in her hand, but didn't turn a page for ten minutes.

It seems that Lucretius wasn't the only one who knew something was going to happen tonight.

After finishing his meal, Regulus got up and headed straight for the library.

Although there's a show to watch tonight, his studies can't be neglected, and Voldemort can't interfere with his studies either.

He walked out of the auditorium, and heard footsteps behind him.

Avery and Alex caught up, exchanging glances and signals.

Hermes walked at the back, his face regaining its usual gloom, his eyes scanning both sides of the corridor.

Regulus glanced back at Avery and Alex, who immediately straightened up, staring straight ahead with expressions as solemn as if they were attending a funeral.

Hermes was bewildered by their rapid change of expression and frowned.

The library was brightly lit, and Mrs. Pince was organizing library cards behind the counter.

Regulus walked to the Ancient Runes section, pulled out the book "Detailed Explanation of Norse Rune-Related Protective Magic," and continued reading the part he hadn't finished.

He sat down by the window and opened his book.

Avery, Alex, and Hermes sat opposite him.

Avery picked up a copy of "Quidditch Origins," and Alex picked up a copy of "Basic Potions Guide."

Hermes didn't take the book; he just sat there.

Regulus ignored them.

He was engrossed in the book, in the Ansuz runes of Norse runes, which symbolize the gods, communication, and divine revelation, and correspond to Sirius in astrology.

Ancient wizards believed that certain stars could amplify the power of certain runes, so they would refer to star positions when drawing rune arrays.

He was taking notes.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened. Looking out the library window, one could see a corner of Black Lake, its surface reflecting the last rays of the setting sun before sinking into deep blue.

At eight o'clock, Mrs. Pince began to urge people to leave.

"The library is closed, children. Please put the books back where they belong."

The four walked out of the library. Torches were already lit in the corridor, casting long shadows on the stone walls.

They headed towards the stairs leading to the basement.

Footsteps echoed down the spiral staircase. The further down you went, the cooler the air became, and you could smell the unique dampness of the Black Lake.

The lounge was packed with at least two-thirds of the usual number of people, clearly indicating that someone had specifically notified them beforehand.

Regulus hadn't received the notification, perhaps because he had been deliberately ignored. He thought of Lucretius, who might have noticed that he usually came home quite late.

He didn't pay attention and walked straight in.

The older students occupied the best spots around the fireplace, the middle-aged students gathered by the window, and the younger students huddled in the corners.

There's an atmosphere brewing in the air.

Regulus walked to an empty sofa against the wall and sat down, with Avery and the others sitting next to him.

He looked up toward the fireplace.

Lucretius sat in a single chair to the right of the fireplace, holding a steaming cup of beverage, looking relaxed.

Narcissa sat next to him. She was wearing a dark green robe today, and her hair was neatly tied up, but she looked somewhat puzzled.

Narcissa looked at Regulus, who nodded slightly and then shook his head slightly. Narcissa looked away and whispered to a seventh-grade girl next to her.

Regulus leaned back against the sofa cushions, placing his hands folded on his lap.

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