Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

"Bella," Voldemort's voice was neither loud nor soft, revealing no emotion, "How is it?"

Bella straightened up, but still bowed slightly, maintaining a respectful posture.

She began her report, speaking quickly, her voice somewhat shrill with excitement, her body language expressive, her hands gesturing in the air from time to time.

"Master, the moment he came into contact with that enlightenment, it was as if he was being sucked in!"

Bella's eyes lit up, as if she could see that scene in the restaurant again: "I was watching from the side, and his body trembled, his eyes immediately went blank, and his forehead was covered in sweat."

But he didn't break down, he didn't fall, he didn't shout; he just stood there, stunned, completely dumbfounded.

She took a small half-step forward, as if to emphasize what she was about to say.

"And I saw it, Master, his face showed pain and struggle, but even more so, shock! And that greed for power! He was absolutely captivated by what was inside!"

Voldemort listened quietly, his red eyes fixed on Bella's face without blinking, as if he were recreating the scene through her eyes.

Bella continued, her tone becoming even more enthusiastic.

"The key point is that he actually managed to stay calm. He remained calm on the very first contact."

Although it took a while, I watched for about ten minutes. His face was pale, and he was breathing heavily, but he told me his exact words—"

She cleared her throat, lowered her voice, and imitated Regulus's deliberately low and steady tone, but with a slight tremor.

"This...is this the power of that great one? Vast, profound, and awe-inspiring."

After she finished learning, she laughed to herself.

"He also unconsciously uttered a few ancient syllables! I couldn't understand them, but they must be something from the Enlightenment!"

"Master, he has definitely grasped the basics and is even attempting to tame him! His talent is likely even greater than we anticipated!"

Voldemort tapped the edge of the book page lightly with his finger.

"And Orion?" His voice remained emotionless. "What's his attitude?"

Bella curled her lip, her face revealing undisguised disdain.

"Orian, of course, still maintained his pretentious demeanor, saying some polite things, such as the Black family thanking him for his high regard."

Walbuga was overjoyed, hugging Regulus and laughing and crying. As for Sirius, that traitor...

She gave a cold laugh and said nothing more.

Having finished her report, Bella took a deep breath, a smug and devout smile spreading across her face.

"Master, I believe that Regulus Black has fully appreciated the weight of what you have bestowed upon him and has embarked on the path we expect him to take."

His thirst for power is real, and he yearns for the greatness you have shown!

After she finished speaking, she looked at Voldemort expectantly, waiting for praise and recognition.

Voldemort remained silent for a moment.

Red eyes remained fixed on Bella, pupils slightly contracted, like a snake's eye focusing.

Then he spoke, his voice low and cold.

"When he touched that inspiration, how did the magic react? Did it struggle violently, or did it simply accept it?"

Bella was taken aback.

She didn't notice that; her attention was entirely focused on Regulus's expression and physical reactions.

She vaguely remembered seeing magical fluctuations, but they weren't intense; they seemed quite stable.

"It should be acceptance," she tried to recall, her tone a little uncertain, "not intense, quite stable."

Voldemort did not respond to this vague answer and continued to ask questions.

Did Regulus ultimately inquire about more information regarding the Enlightenment?

A cold glint flashed in Voldemort's red eyes.

"For example, what are the risks involved in the control methods, or does it seem like they want to make their own decisions instead of passively waiting to be accepted?"

Bella shook her head.

"No, he just expressed shock and awe, and then seemed to be still immersed in that state, and didn't ask anything else."

Voldemort asked no more questions.

He leaned back in his high-backed chair, clasped his hands over his stomach, and shifted his red eyes from Bella's face to the wall behind her.

The room was so quiet it was suffocating.

Bella stood there, her palms starting to sweat.

She realized that her report might not be detailed enough, accurate enough, or fully meet her master's requirements.

But she also felt wronged. She had already told everyone she had seen and heard, so what else could she do?

Then she heard Voldemort's voice, colder than before.

"I'll see for myself."

The moment the words left her lips, Bella felt as if something had forcibly pried open her brain.

It was neither gentle nor polite; it was a complete intrusion of violence.

A sharp pain exploded from my temples, spreading along the nerves to the inside of my skull, and my eyeballs felt like they were about to burst out of their sockets under the pressure.

Her body trembled violently, her knees buckled, and she almost collapsed to the ground, her fingers gripping the fabric of her robe tightly.

She was breathing rapidly, and a sound that was almost a sob was coming from her throat.

But at the same time, another feeling is also rising.

Being invaded by the master, explored by the master, and completely controlled by the master, this feeling rushes into the blood like the highest concentration of euphoria.

Pain and pleasure intertwined and collided at her nerve endings, causing her body to convulse, her cheeks to flush an abnormal red, her eyes to be half-closed, her lips to be slightly parted, and her to exhale broken breaths.

Voldemort was going through her memories, focusing only on the small part about the restaurant in Grimmauld Place that morning.

Following the updates on Cola Novels has never been so enjoyable.

However, the way it was viewed was extremely violent.

He saw Bella step out of the fireplace, saw Walbuga's embrace, saw Orion's furrowed brow, and saw Sirius's look of disgust.

He saw Regulus put down his cutlery, wipe his mouth with a napkin, and look up at Bella with politeness and inquiry on his face.

He saw the bone box being taken out, the temperature in the restaurant plummet, and the silverware vibrating.

He saw Regulus reach out his hand, his fingertips touching the edge of the bone box, and his body trembled, his eyes losing focus.

Then comes the most crucial part: the ten minutes from the moment of contact to when you open your eyes.

Voldemort analyzes details from Bella's perspective that she either missed or couldn't understand.

As a top-tier Legilimency master, Voldemort could penetrate the mental defenses of most wizards and read the deepest details of their memories.

However, the essence of mind-grasping is to extract information that has already been stored in memory; it cannot create content that is not in memory.

Magic fluctuations are instantaneous magical phenomena, not visual images.

Bella doesn't have these memories, so Voldemort can't see them either.

But Voldemort noticed a detail that Bellatrix had overlooked: Regulus's behavior after opening his eyes.

If Orion could see it, how could Voldemort not see it?

He withdrew his mind control technique.

The intrusion suddenly stopped, and Bella's body went limp, collapsing to her knees.

She was breathing heavily, her forehead pressed against the back of her hand, her whole body still trembling slightly, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes watery, as if she had just experienced strenuous exercise.

Voldemort ignored her, leaned back in his chair, and analyzed the situation in his mind.

To be able to stay calm and even gain some insight upon initial contact is truly remarkable talent.

Unlike those with weak wills, they were not instantly defeated or driven to madness.

This shows that Regulus Black has the potential to become a powerful wizard, with a soul strength and mental resilience far exceeding those of his peers.

That's good; valuable subordinates need this quality.

However, those standard responses were too deliberate.

For a twelve-year-old, especially one raised by Orion and Walbuga who is said to be unusually calm and precocious, this performance is suspiciously perfect.

It was so perfect, as if he knew what the onlookers expected to see, and then he acted it out.

And Orion's silence—was it a powerlessness to object, or a tacit acceptance?

Orion himself is no ordinary man, and his son is probably even more unusual.

But it doesn't matter.

The corruption of Dark Enlightenment is gradual and profound.

The first performance can be a disguise, a performance, or the result of some kind of mental defense technique.

But what about the tenth time? The hundredth time?

As long as Regulus continues to engage with that enlightenment, drawn by the powerful knowledge and strength it contains, even if it was initially fake, staged, or approached with suspicion.

But over time, that knowledge will change his perception, that power will corrupt his soul, and those whispers will erode his spirit.

When he became accustomed to solving problems with dark magic, drawing power from pain and domination, that sense of superiority over others... .

It's difficult to turn back now.

For now, we can consider it a preliminary success.

He identified Regulus Black as a highly promising candidate who required continuous observation and influence.

Voldemort looked up at Bella, who was still kneeling on the ground.

She had recovered a little and slowly stood up, supporting herself with her hands on the ground. However, the flush of pain and pleasure on her face had not completely faded, and she looked at him with moist eyes, full of devout expectation.

"You've done well, Bella." Voldemort's voice returned to its usual calm: "Regulus Black has indeed shown promising potential."

This simple compliment made Bella tremble slightly again, and a bright, almost distorted smile bloomed on her face.

"It is my honor to serve my master." Her voice trembled, yet was full of strength.

"Keep an eye on him," Voldemort continued.

Bella nodded vigorously.

"Furthermore," Voldemort changed the subject, "keep an eye on everything Orion Black does, and at Hogwarts, see if any inappropriate glances are falling on that boy."

Bella understood.

Hogwarts, Dumbledore.

"Yes, my master!" she said excitedly, "I will keep a close watch!"

Voldemort waved his hand, indicating that she could leave.

Bella bowed deeply again, then turned around, her steps still a little unsteady.

The study returned to silence.

Voldemort leaned back in his chair and looked out the window at the desolate garden.

Regulus Black.

An interesting child.

The heir the Black family has painstakingly groomed will face the impending upheaval in the magical world.

Or was it a trap set by Dumbledore?

Or is he really just a pure-blooded boy with exceptional talent who craves power?

Regardless of which one it was, he accepted the gift.

The power it displays is real, and the path to power is indeed there.

As long as Regulus retains even a sliver of desire for power, he will eventually follow the path laid out by Voldemort.

The only difference is whether he left willingly or was forced to.

Chapter 156 Voldemort: I'm watching you, there's a surprise coming. Click to unlock now.