Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

"I know you had your reasons for doing that," Lily said, her smile fading and her expression turning serious. "Because you're not the kind of person who bullies others, but I honestly didn't understand it at first."

"I don't know about the hierarchy and rules of pure-blood families, but I know that Britain has nobles, titles, and a tradition of dueling for family honor, but that's too far removed from ordinary people."

To me, those are plots from novels and movies, not things that would happen in real life.

She observed Regulus's reaction and saw that he showed no confusion when he heard the word "movie".

He remained gentle, even with a hint of encouragement in his eyes.

Lily continued, "Later I thought about it for a long time, and I realized that you were trying to protect the family's honor and dignity, but the methods you used were indeed a bit... extreme."

She glanced at Regulus again. He wasn't angry, nor did he argue; he just listened quietly.

"Later," Lily continued, "I heard Marcia Foley explain that there are certain lines that cannot be crossed in the pureblood circle."

For example, a family of lower status cannot openly treat the heir of a higher-status family that way. She said, "That's not bullying; you're drawing a line between yourself and others."

As she spoke, her voice lowered, as if she didn't quite understand the concept herself.

"Anyway," Lily looked up and stared directly at Regulus, "because you are my friend, I will support you."

Now I understand why you did that. Although I may not fully understand those reasons, I accept that they exist, so I don't think you did anything wrong.

After she finished speaking, she looked at him somewhat nervously.

Regulus was also looking at her.

Lily is trying to understand.

She lived in an ordinary family; both her parents were Muggles.

When she entered Hogwarts, she was exposed to a completely unfamiliar world.

Here you'll find moving staircases, talking portraits, owls delivering messages, and a group of people who value bloodline and family honor above all else.

She tried to explain Regulus's behavior with her logic, even though it didn't completely align with the rules of the pureblood circle, but she tried.

She even went to ask her purebred roommate to try to understand the other side's perspective.

In the end, she concluded that there's always a reason why her friend does something. She may not fully understand it, but she supports him.

A faint hint of relief flashed in Regulus's eyes, which Lily caught. She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "What's with that expression? Like a teacher seeing a student finally get a question right."

Regulus didn't respond to that question; he simply nodded, his tone calm: "You're right, that's exactly it."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Lily looked away, a smile curving her lips.

Afterwards, everyone went to read. The library was quiet, with only Mrs. Pince's occasional snoring and the sound of turning pages.

Sunlight streamed in through the high windows, casting bright bands of light on the long oak table, where dust motes danced.

As dinner time approached, the two closed their books and stood up.

"Have a nice holiday," Regulus said.

"See you next semester," Lily said.

She stopped at the door, turned back, and added, "Remember to write to me if your owl can find my house."

"I can find it," Regulus said.

Lily smiled, turned and left.

......

For the end-of-term dinner, the auditorium was decorated in Slytherin's silver-green.

The ceiling reflects the starry summer night sky, candles float, and a long table is piled high with food.

Roast turkey, kidney pie, Yorkshire pudding, syrup pie, pumpkin sauce on a drizzle, and butterbeer.

Dumbledore stood up and banged his glass.

"Another academic year has come to an end," he said in a clear and loud voice. "First, the College Cup scores."

No doubt, Slytherin is number one.

Ravenclaw is second, Gryffindor is third, and Hufflepuff is fourth.

A restrained round of applause erupted from the Slytherin table, and several upperclassmen raised their glasses in acknowledgment.

On the Gryffindor side, some people glared at James and Sirius, who were the main culprits for the point deductions, losing fifty points just for fighting.

But James and Sirius didn't care; they stood up, cheered, whistled, and banged their plates.

Professor McGonagall glared at them, but they sat down, their smiles unchanged.

Dumbledore continued speaking.

"To the graduating seventh-year students," he said, looking at the students at one end of the long table, dressed in their new robes, "Hogwarts will always be your school."

The outside world is more complicated than the castle, and choices are more difficult than classroom exercises, but remember one thing: magic is not just power, it is also responsibility.

What you use it for, what kind of person you become—the answers to these questions will determine the path you take in the future.

His blue eyes, behind his crescent-shaped glasses, swept across the room.

"Doing the right thing," he said, "is not an easy thing, it is the right thing. Sometimes the two overlap, sometimes they go in opposite directions. In those cases, you need to make your own judgment."

That's enough to make the point clear.

In seventh grade, some students lowered their heads, some gripped their cups tightly, and some exchanged glances with their seatmates.

Dumbledore finally raised his glass: "Have a happy holiday, everyone. See you in September."

The dinner continued amidst the noise. On the Slytherin side, Avery was talking about his summer plans; his family owned a manor in France, where he would be staying for two weeks.

Alex whispered that he wanted to go to Germany to see the Magic Zoo.

Hermes did not speak, but his gaze lingered on Regulus for a moment.

Regulus was waiting for the dinner to end.

As the crowd began to pour out, he stood up, crossed the Great Hall, and headed toward the Gryffindor table.

James Potter was the first to see him. His smiling face instantly turned somber, and he leaned forward like a hunting dog poised to pounce.

Regulus stopped two steps away, his gaze passing directly over James and landing on Sirius.

"Your father wants you to come home."

The words were addressed to Sirius, but James jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on.

"Go home?" he raised his voice, his anger palpable. "What's the point of going back to that godforsaken place? Sirius wasn't happy there at all!"

Your ridiculous, pure-blood-only rules, those endless nagging portraits, and your madness—"

Before he could finish speaking, Sirius raised his hand and pressed down on his shoulder with great force.

"James," Sirius said in a low voice.

James turned to look at him, his chest heaving, and stopped shouting.

Regulus didn't look at Jaime once from beginning to end; his gaze remained fixed on Sirius's face.

Sirius Black lowered his head, staring at the tips of his shoes.

He received Orion's letter; the owl delivered it to the Gryffindor Tower yesterday. He opened it and read only one sentence: "Go home for the holidays."

If it were a letter from Walbuca, he might just throw it into the fireplace.

In her mother's letters, it was always the same old tale of pure-blood honor, family responsibility, that you should go to Slytherin, and that you should associate with the right people.

He was tired of hearing those words, fed up with them, and felt like vomiting whenever he heard them.

But the father was different.

Orion rarely interfered with him. From Sirius's earliest memories, his father was silent and serious, spending most of his time in his study or handling family affairs.

He wouldn't scream, roar, or swear like Walbuga.

He would only look at you with those deep gray eyes, but that silence was more intimidating than a roar.

Sirius rebelled against his mother with righteous indignation; he loathed everything she represented, loathed it to the core.

He wanted to rebel against his father, but lacked the confidence to do so.

Orion never forced him to do anything, never made him memorize the family tree, and never forced him to attend those boring pureblood parties.

My father's mere presence alone exuded pressure, like a mountain—silent, immense, and insurmountable.

Sirius thought about pretending he hadn't received the letter. The owl might have encountered an accident in the wild, the letter might have been lost, or it might have been eaten by the owl itself. There was always an excuse.

But since Regulus came to deliver the message in person, he could no longer pretend not to hear it.

Sirius raised his head and looked at Regulus.

The younger brother's face was expressionless, his eyes calm. The two stared at each other for a moment before Sirius looked away first.

"I understand." His voice was a little hoarse.

Regulus nodded and turned to leave.

James stared at his retreating figure, his fists clenched. Lupin said in a low voice, "Never mind, James, that's his family's business."

"Family matters?" James sneered. "That kind of family is better left unvisited."

Sirius didn't go home for Christmas; he stayed at the Potters' house instead. This wasn't a secret in the pureblood community.

The fact that the eldest son of the Black family didn't stay at his own home during the holidays but instead went to the home of a family that wasn't entirely loyal to the family was itself a signal.

Orion's decision to send him home wasn't just a simple matter of a father telling his son to come home; it involved the Black family's reputation.

If Sirius Black doesn't show up for two consecutive long holidays, what will the other families think?

They might feel that the Black family can't control their heirs, or that there are problems within the Black family.

Pureblood families value these things, and they must maintain a facade of unity, no matter how intense the internal conflicts are.

Sirius understood, but he loathed it.

He may hate it, but he doesn't dare to actually challenge that line, at least not now.

Orion's patience is limited, and if his father really crosses the line, he may react even more harshly.

For example, cutting off his financial resources, making things difficult for the Potter family, or even expelling him from the family altogether.

Sirius's mind was stirred by the thought of being expelled. If he were really expelled, would he be free?

But the thought only lasted a moment before he suppressed it, knowing the consequences.

Being expelled from the Black family meant losing all family protection, making life difficult in the wizarding world, and implicating James and the Potter family.

They would become targets for those who sheltered the Black family rebels.

He can't be that selfish.

So he has to go back, even if it's just to make a show of it, stay for a few days, and then find an excuse to slip out again.

The banquet was over, and the students flocked to their respective college lounges to prepare for the final cleanup.

Sirius followed the Gryffindor crowd toward the tower, with James walking beside him. James seemed about to say something several times, but then swallowed his words.

Finally, he just patted him on the shoulder and said, "Write if you need anything. I'll have my owl on standby."

Sirius nodded and forced a smile.

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