Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

"Does Durmstrang really teach dark magic?" Regulus asked casually.

Freya glanced at him, her lips twitching slightly: "I will teach, but not like what's rumored outside, I won't teach everything."

We learn the theory, the principles, how to identify and prevent harm. The principal said that we must understand these concepts to crack them and prevent harm.

She took a sip of dark beer and continued, "Of course, some people do go on to study more advanced topics after completing their studies. That's their own choice, and the school doesn't really interfere."

Regulus nodded: "Hogwarts doesn't teach it, at least not in open classes."

But the professors will observe, and if they find a student who is talented and willing to learn, they will give them some private guidance. However, they will not teach students who are truly in danger.

Freya seemed thoughtful: "Two ideas."

"Yes." Regulus nodded in agreement.

The two ate in silence for a while, then Regulus put down his bread and looked out at the sea.

"The situation in Britain is becoming increasingly tense, with confrontation, conflict, and fanaticism; war is only a matter of time."

The pure-blood family has split, with one group siding with Voldemort, another with Dumbledore, and a minority remaining neutral. However, the space for neutrality is shrinking, and sooner or later they will have to choose sides.

"What about Germany?" Regulus asked. "What are the mainstream tendencies of pure-blood families?"

Freya thought for a moment, then slowly began, "It's hard to say. Most families have chosen to wait and see. Last war..."

The last war made many people realize the price of blindly taking sides, and that the pure-blood families of Germany and the British had different mindsets.

Regulus knew what she was talking about.

The last war refers to the changes initiated by Grindelwald.

Germany is the center, attracting the attention of the entire world, both in the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. Pure-blood families, whether or not they stand with Grindelwald, have all experienced a true ideological shock.

Grindelwald's core philosophy is for the greater good, for the future of the wizarding world.

Compared to Voldemort's pure-blood supremacy, his wizard supremacy is clearly on a larger scale and has a broader vision.

He accepted talented half-breeds, and even Muggle-born wizards, believing that the possession of powerful magic was the sole criterion for class distinction.

Pureblood is merely fertile ground for the potential birth of powerful wizards, not an absolute label of identity.

He wanted to break international secrecy laws, to let wizards rule Muggles, and to establish a new world order. Although he failed, the intellectual legacy he left behind remains.

But the British wizarding world has Dumbledore.

Dumbledore acted like a powerful magical barrier, firmly blocking out the storms outside.

British wizards mostly know Grindelwald as the dark wizard defeated by Dumbledore, but few have seriously considered what he actually wanted to do or the value of his ideas.

This has led to differences in the ideologies of the two magical worlds.

British wizards are conservative, adhere to tradition, and view black magic as a scourge, with the Ministry of Magic taking the lead.

German wizards are pragmatic, results-oriented, and willing to learn everything they can, including black magic.

Freya spoke these words in a very calm tone.

Regulus listened, nodding occasionally.

When Freya speaks, her expression softens, her cold face becomes gentle, and her eyes become slightly unfocused, as if she is recalling or thinking.

The topic of conversation shifted back to Voldemort.

"What do you think of him?" Freya asked casually, but her eyes were on Regulus, waiting for his answer.

Regulus thought for a moment: "A powerful dark wizard has a clear goal, a clear path, and the will to achieve that goal."

His ideology was simple and direct: pure-blood rule, and those of mixed blood or Muggle origin either obeyed or disappeared.

"Do you agree?" Freya asked again.

"No," Regulus uttered only one word.

Regulus knew that Freya's question might not be something she wanted to know herself.

The question of whether a pure-blood heir who publicly sided with Voldemort was asked to his face if he agreed with Voldemort's ideology is rather ambiguous.

A test? A provocation? Or something else entirely?

So he gave her an answer.

It was both my true inner thought and something I was saying to her.

Freya didn't ask any more questions, she just nodded, and then she looked at him: "I thought you would have reacted differently."

Regulus smiled but didn't reply, though his smile seemed to tell her that this was his true thought.

Freya looked at him, a glint in her eyes; this was exactly what she wanted to know.

In Freya's case, Regulus has three forms.

The Regulus that person spoke of, the Regulus that others spoke of, and the Regulus standing before us.

After spending ten days together, she became increasingly certain that the boy in front of her was not the same person as the Black heir that others were talking about.

What is Regulus like in other people's eyes?

A rising star among the younger generation favored by Voldemort, establishing authority within Slytherin.

In other people's eyes, he is calm, decisive, and ruthless, a standard template of a pure-blooded heir.

But she saw more than just Regulus.

He would praise her magic, he would listen attentively to what she said, and he would laugh when he heard something funny.

He showed no particular expression when he mentioned Voldemort, just as he would when mentioning any ordinary dark wizard.

He did not agree with Voldemort's ideology.

These are things that no one else has mentioned.

That person did have it in their mouth.

But the Regulus that person was talking about was not quite the same as the one in front of us.

The image in that prophecy was more abstract, more distant, like a concept.

The one in front of her, however, has warmth. He would stand on the edge of a cliff and marvel at the beautiful scenery, and he would smile as she struggled to organize her English vocabulary before suddenly switching to German.

If I had to compare, this one is better.

She quietly exhaled and continued, "The pure-blood families of Germany view Voldemort similarly to you; they acknowledge his power and his dominance over the pure-bloods of England, but..."

Freya didn't finish her sentence, but Regulus understood her meaning: compared to Grindelwald, Regulus's vision was indeed smaller.

After finishing their meal, they packed up and headed back. The sun was setting, casting a golden path across the sea.

As they approached the door of the cottage, Freya suddenly stopped, and Regulus stopped as well.

She turned to look at him, her expression serious: "Regulus, I have a question for you."

Regulus nodded and met her gaze.

"If one day you discover a kind of magic ahead, a magic that makes everything you've learned now seem childish, clumsy, or even superficial."

She asked, "Would you choose to go see it?"

Regulus didn't answer immediately. He looked into her eyes, but there was only pure questioning in them, nothing more.

This problem came suddenly, yet it also seems not so sudden.

Ten days of getting along, those faint clues, that blue flame, that person she mentioned but was unwilling to talk about, all converged in this question.

Regulus remained silent for a long time: "I will see. All magic is a description of a certain aspect of this world."

If my magic seems childish in comparison, it's not that I'm wrong, it's just that I'm not yet complete.

He paused, lowered his gaze, then looked up again: "Then I will decide how far it can go with me."

After Freya listened, she stared at him in silence for a long time. Regulus wondered if he could sense a hint of speechlessness in her eyes.

But she just nodded and didn't say anything more.

Back in the cabin, Regulus sat on the edge of the bed.

The sky outside the window was gradually darkening, and the sound of the waves continued to echo.

He was thinking about Freya's question.

The content of the question itself can be thought about later; what he is thinking about is the very act of 'this question being asked' itself.

Freya was practically playing her cards right, almost whispering in his ear, "Yes, everything was arranged."

First, he was made to personally experience the mental erosion of the whispers of the abyss, and to verify that Betelgeuse could be lit up.

Then there is a ten-day observation period.

She did nothing but spend time with him, listen to his views, his opinions on the situation, and whether he agreed with Voldemort's ideology.

It seems like they're confirming something, or waiting for something.

Now she's raising this question.

The gist of it is, I know that what I had last time wasn't enough. Now that you've confirmed that the magic worked for you, I'm telling you now that there's something even more powerful that will definitely work this time.

Regulus lay down and stared at the ceiling.

He still doesn't have conclusive evidence that this was all pre-arranged.

But it's too much of a coincidence.

Each item corresponds to his current needs.

Betelgeuse needs to protect its will and needs to experience the perseverance of its own will amidst spiritual erosion; the whispers of the abyss just happen to be there for it.

The conditions for Alnista to light up at 5 AM are very demanding, and he doesn't know how long it would take him to achieve it on his own. Now someone is telling him that something even more powerful awaits him.

And according to Freya, that thing really exists.

There really is a kind of magic that can make people feel that everything they are learning now seems childish and clumsy.

Regulus closed his eyes.

Assuming everything is as he suspects, someone is orchestrating all of this.

If that's the case, then this person's perspective is far too broad.

Select a time, select a goal, arrange all key milestones, let everything happen naturally, and surprisingly, this arrangement doesn't make people feel uncomfortable.

At least Regulus himself didn't find it offensive.

That person knows what he needs, when he needs what, and even knows that he won't resist the arrangements.

The image of that person in my mind became clearer and clearer.