Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

On September 1st, in the restaurant at 12 Grimmauld Place, sunlight was cut into strips by the heavy curtains and fell on the long table.

When Regulus entered the restaurant, Sirius was already sitting there.

That's quite rare.

Since returning from Germany, Regulus's routine has become very irregular, alternating between his bedroom, library, and training room.

His schedule was so packed that he rarely came to the restaurant for meals, so Kreacher would bring the plates to his room.

Like Regulus, Sirius didn't come to the restaurant very often, but while Regulus didn't come because he was too busy, Sirius didn't come for other reasons.

The house was too oppressive and made him feel nauseous. He didn't want to eat with Walbuga and would rather go to the kitchen to find something to eat when he was hungry than sit at this long table.

But with school starting today, there's no escaping it.

Regulus sat down opposite Sirius and glanced at him.

She's lost weight, but she's in good spirits. The restlessness that seemed ready to explode at the start of the holiday is gone, replaced by a more composed look.

Hawke taught him a lot during the holiday and later arranged other training sessions, so it was clear that the training was worthwhile.

Walbuga walked in and sat in the second seat, followed by Orion, who sat in the first seat and picked up a newspaper.

Kreacher served breakfast: bacon, fried eggs, toast, and pumpkin juice.

Volbuga's gaze first fell on Regulus.

"Rayle, eat more," she pushed the plate of bacon toward him. "Once you get to school, you won't get the same level of care as at home. Professor Slughorn is nice, but he's not family."

Regulus nodded and took one.

"Remember to write," Walbuga continued. "Bella wrote to ask about you, saying that the magistrate is very concerned about your growth. You should do well at school and not embarrass the Black family."

Regulus nodded again; he knew what Voldemort was concerned about: the Dark Inspiration.

"Honor!" Walbuga emphasized, "The honor of the Black family, you must always remember that. What you did at school was good, that's how it should be."

After saying this, she glanced at Sirius's face with displeasure, as if looking at something dirty, and then looked away.

"Some people think that leaving home will allow them to escape their family; they're dreaming!"

Sirius didn't react. He kept his head down, eating his fried egg with his knife and fork, his face expressionless.

He didn't talk back, didn't throw the plate, and didn't express his dissatisfaction in various ways as he used to; he simply ignored it.

Sirius Black used to explode at such remarks, throwing down his knife and fork, sneering, saying things like "purebloods are all bullshit," and then slamming the door and leaving.

But now that he's done nothing, Regulus knows it's not that he's holding back; he's just genuinely indifferent.

Walbuga would occasionally glance at him, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

Sirius pretended not to see anything, ate his own food and drank his own water, wiped his mouth after finishing, stood up and walked out.

Regulus continued eating his breakfast.

Orion remained silent, quietly flipping through the newspaper and occasionally sipping his pumpkin juice.

After the meal, Walbuga gave a few more instructions, nothing more than the usual things: honor, status, and the importance that person placed on him.

Regulus listened to his mother's nagging and agreed to everything.

Orion walked over and patted Regulus on the shoulder: "Go on."

Regulus nodded, then looked at Volbuga: "Mother, I'm leaving."

Walbuga nodded with a smile, his eyes fixed on him.

Regulus turned and went to the foyer, where Kreacher was waiting.

Kreacher glanced at Sirius, his eyes carrying the subtle dissatisfaction a house-elf might have for a disobedient offspring, but Sirius was still its master, and it dared not say anything.

The next instant, Grimmauld Place disappeared, and when they opened their eyes again, the two were standing near the entrance to Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station.

Steam rose from afar, mingling with the noise of the crowd and the occasional hooting of an owl.

Sirius glanced at him with a complex look in his eyes, neither hostile nor affectionate; it was something hard to describe.

Finally, he simply nodded: "Goodbye, Regulus."

His tone wasn't like saying goodbye, but more like bidding farewell. Then he turned around and walked forward without hesitation.

Not far away, the Potters were waiting there. The Potters stood beside him, and when James saw Sirius, his face lit up with a big smile, and he waved vigorously.

Sirius quickened his pace, and by the time he reached James's side, his entire demeanor had changed. He wore a smile he had never shown in Grimmauld Place before—relaxed and joyful.

James put his arm around his shoulder, and the two walked into the platform together, chatting and laughing.

Regulus looked away. Just as he was about to walk inside, he caught a glimpse of someone standing not far away.

Barty Crouch.

The Director of the Department of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, a representative of the hardliners, advocates for zero tolerance towards Voldemort and his followers.

A little boy, about ten years old, stood beside him, dressed neatly, with a serious expression, standing motionless next to his father.

Barty Crouch Jr.

In the future, he will use Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as Moody under Dumbledore's nose and stay at Hogwarts for a whole year without being discovered.

He was able to take the medicine right under Snape's nose, complete the plan despite Dumbledore's pressure, and remain loyal even when Voldemort was at his weakest.

Finally, he was able to use the Killing Curse on his father.

In terms of ability, willpower, and obsession with loyalty, this person has much to say.

Voldemort trusted him and entrusted him with the most important task, which he indeed completed brilliantly.

In Barty's heart, Voldemort was less a leader to whom he served and more a father figure he longed for.

As for Mr. Crouch?

Who is that?

Regulus's face remained expressionless, but in his heart he was thinking, "Barty Crouch Jr., come and be my son."

What future is there in following Voldemort?

All you need is a father figure you can admire.

He walked up to Crouch, gave a slight bow, and said politely, "Mr. Crouch."

Crouch looked down at him, his gaze cold and scrutinizing, as if he were appraising a criminal.

He knew who this was: the heir to the Black family, the rising star of Slytherin, and someone Voldemort was keeping an eye on.

The Ministry of Magic's intelligence system wouldn't miss this kind of information.

But he didn't say anything harsh; he nodded in response, "Blake."

Regulus didn't care about his attitude. Right now, the pro-war faction in the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort's side were basically openly hostile to each other.

As the heir to the Black family, Crouch considered him one of his side. The fact that he even responded was already a sign that Crouch wasn't taking his anger out on the young wizard.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard a shout from behind.

"Regrus!"

Regulus turned around and saw Avery standing not far away, waving at him.

Regulus nodded at him, then glanced to the other side where Alex was also present.

He stood next to a middle-aged couple. The man was gentle and refined, and the woman had a soft face with a smile. Alex was pointing at Regulus and saying something to them.

The man looked over, then walked toward Regulus.

“Mr. Black,” he extended his hand formally, “I am Alex’s father, and he always mentions you.”

Regulus shook hands with him: "Mr. Rozier."

Their interaction attracted the attention of several young wizards nearby.

They watched Regulus shake hands and converse formally with another adult, their eyes filled with curiosity, and something else.

Perhaps they felt he was different from them.

Standing in front of adults, speaking and acting naturally, without stage fright or awkwardness, is a scene that adults rarely witness, making it both novel and somewhat distant to them.

Regulus didn't pay any attention and chatted briefly with Mr. Rozier.

The other party expressed their gratitude to Regulus for taking care of Alex, and Regulus politely responded that Alex himself had also worked very hard.

After saying that, he walked towards the platform entrance. Avery was waiting at the door of a carriage. When he saw them, he waved.

Alex said goodbye to his parents, ran over, and the three of them got on the train and found an empty carriage to sit down.

Avery leaned back in his seat and sighed with relief: "Finally, school's started! How were your holidays?"

Then, without waiting for a reply, he started talking first.

"I spent a month in France, at my family's estate, you know, it's in Provence, with vineyards, lavender fields, and a greenhouse specifically for growing magical plants."

My mom said the climate there is suitable for raising a certain kind of butterfly, and she keeps pestering me to learn how to breed it...

Alex waited for him to finish speaking before eagerly sharing, "I went to Germany, to the Magic Zoo. Have you ever seen a sixteen-legged lizard?"

There are also birds that can change color; they fly around and suddenly turn from red to blue, making you think there are two of them.

He spoke with great excitement, his eyes shining.

Regulus listened, nodding occasionally and humming in response, but his mind was elsewhere.

He also went to Germany during his vacation, to Rocky, the North Sea, Sleeping Deep, Whispers of the Abyss, and Freya.

We both went to Germany, but we experienced completely different things and thought about completely different things.

He didn't say any of that; he just listened to Avery and Alex talk about their vacation.

On the platform outside the window, more and more people were arriving. It was almost time for the train to depart. In the corridor, two figures passed by the carriage door.

It was Lily and Snape; they were walking together, but a step apart.

Lily looked a little unhappy. Snape pursed his lips, his gaze fixed ahead, refusing to look at Lily.

As the two reached the door, Lily seemed to want to stop him and say something, but Snape had already walked into another carriage.

Lily watched his retreating figure for a while, then turned and left as well.

Regulus watched this scene unfold.

Snape and Lily's friendship couldn't be openly displayed at school. Lily was a Gryffindor and Snape was a Slytherin, which was enough to attract gossip.

Moreover, Snape was associating with a group of people who might become Death Eaters in the future, which Lily disapproved of, and Snape was unwilling to change.

Moreover, Snape has probably been systematically exposed to dark magic during this holiday, and Regulus can probably guess what he's thinking.

Dark magic gave him power, power that allowed him to escape being cornered by Potter and his ilk, and to squeeze into the Slytherin fringes.

That would allow him to no longer be the poor Snape from Knockturn Alley.

Lily, being a clever witch, may have already sensed something.

In her mind, black magic was wrong, evil, and something that should not be touched.

When two ideas collide, neither can convince the other.

The friendship remains, but cracks have appeared.

Regulus looked away. This was none of his business. Snape had chosen his own path, and Lily's attitude was her own affair.

But just as he looked away, Lily suddenly turned her head.