Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Lily saw Regulus in the carriage, but just as Regulus was about to nod and greet him, Lily glared at him and walked away.

Regulus understood the look in his eyes; he was displeased. He paused for a second, then realized what was happening.

He had promised to write to Lily before the holiday.

Then he practiced magic, received Voldemort's gifts, developed magic, went to Germany, met Freya, entered the ruins, lit up Betelgeuse, and completely forgot about it.

Avery and Alex watched this scene from the sidelines, exchanging glances and winking at each other.

But when Regulus's gaze swept over them, the two immediately sat up straight, their expressions returning to seriousness.

Regulus didn't pay much attention. Little girls are easy to coax. Just admitting a mistake is enough. What else can you do?

At that moment, Hermes walked in, and Regulus glanced up at him.

This guy didn't stop even during his vacation; he has a very faint aura about him that most people probably wouldn't notice.

But the lingering scent of dark magic was exceptionally clear to Regulus, especially with Avery and Alex standing nearby for comparison; it was simply too obvious.

It wasn't just practice; it was more like he had gone through some kind of hands-on experience.

Hermes sat down opposite him, first looking at Regulus: "Have a good holiday?"

Regulus nodded: "Not bad."

Hermes then turned to Avery and Alex, responding to their small talk with a detached tone and a slightly unfocused gaze, as if he were thinking about something else.

Regulus noticed that Hermes had changed a bit; he seemed a little out of place being with ordinary young wizards.

After having seen or done something, hearing these holiday anecdotes feels a bit distant.

Avery and Alex were still talking, not noticing.

Regulus suddenly spoke up: "Take it easy, it's too obvious."

Avery and Alex stopped, somewhat bewildered. Why couldn't they talk about the holiday anymore?

They stared at Regulus, trying to figure out who he was talking about, and then realized that Regulus was looking at Hermes.

They stared at Hermes again, but couldn't discern anything.

Hermes paused for a moment, then sat there motionless and said nothing.

Regulus sensed that the aura emanating from him was beginning to recede.

As before, ordinary people wouldn't notice, but the professors at Hogwarts are not ordinary people.

At this level, if I were to wander around in front of a professor, I might get a glance at most, but it wouldn't attract much attention.

Hermes' ability to do this demonstrates that his self-control was also increasing.

Regulus said nothing more. The train started moving, and outside the window, the platform slowly receded.

As dusk fell, the train stopped at Hogsmeade Station, and they disembarked, following the flow of people out.

Regulus sat in the carriage, his gaze falling on the Thestral pulling it—black, skeletal, with a dragon's head and a horse's body, its enormous wings folded at its sides.

He couldn't see before, but now he can.

Only those who have faced death can see them—this is a well-known saying in the magical world, but Regulus didn't think that way.

Why?

Why death of all?

Thestrals can traverse storms, break through magical barriers, and are even said to be able to briefly travel through space. They are creatures that can survive in the harshest environments and travel through the darkest nights.

What do they represent?

Does this mean that only those who have experienced death can possess this ability?

Or is death itself a threshold, and those who cross it can see things that others cannot?

Regulus thought about witnessing death, accepting death, and understanding death.

The characteristics of the Thestral may be a metaphor for this: death is the ultimate boundary, the limit that life cannot cross.

But if you really cross that boundary, it's not about dying yourself, but simply watching others die, watching life go from complete to disappearing, and that gives you a perspective.

A perspective that can see through appearances to the essence.

Therefore, only those who have witnessed death can see the Thestrals; they see what others cannot.

What about going a step further?

Witness death, accept death, understand death, transcend death.

What would you see if one day even death ceases to be a boundary?

Regulus murmured the French phrase to himself, Vol de Mort, meaning "flying away from death."

Then recombine it: Voldemort.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts, shifting his gaze from Thestrals. Perhaps Voldemort would have the answer, but he couldn't ask.

You can't exactly walk up to Voldemort and ask him, "You wanted to fly away from death, so did you manage to?"

Then he noticed that Hermes was also looking at Thestrals. Their eyes met, and without saying a word, they both understood.

Hermes also witnessed death.

Regulus didn't know what he had experienced during this holiday, but the fact that he had also seen the Thestrals was no small matter.

Avery and Alex were still talking and didn't notice their interaction.

The Thestrals trotted along, heading from Hogsmeade towards Hogwarts, and in the night, the castle's outline gradually became clear.

Regulus noticed that many protective spells had appeared around the castle.

Multiple anti-dark magic spells and Dementor-repelling spells provided protection and safeguarded the castle, along with some high-level protective spells he didn't recognize, all enveloping the entire castle.

The situation has become more tense.

Regulus knew what the Ministry of Magic was like: incompetent, compromising, retreating, and weak.

The already small number of hardliners are constantly being worn down by endless wrangling and compromises. Those who want to fight can't fight, and those who want to defend can't defend. All that's left is empty talk.

Disappointed with the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore began to devise his own ways to protect the school and deal with the situation.

The Order of the Phoenix was likely formed around this time.

But Regulus didn't think Dumbledore's measures would effectively curb Voldemort's expansion; war was inevitable, and it would be a difficult one.

Those measures can protect Hogwarts and its students—Hogwarts: Regulus, Lord of the Stars: rave reviews and rave ratings! But what about outside the school gates? What about the entire wizarding world?

Regulus shook his head slightly; this was Dumbledore's business.

Maybe he'll have a role to play here in the future, but at least for now, it's not his responsibility, and he can't interfere.

He only needs to take care of himself and the Blake family; he doesn't have the ability to do anything else.

The carriage passed through the gate and stopped in front of the castle. Regulus got out first and followed the crowd into the hall.

Candlelight floated in the air, the dome reflected the night sky outside, and four long tables were filled with people, their noise blending together.

The young wizards, carefree, whispered among themselves, sharing their holiday experiences.

The older students had different expressions: some were solemn, some were excited, and some seemed indifferent.

Most Muggle-born individuals are restless, pure-blooded individuals stick together, and mixed-race individuals look to both sides.

The branching ceremony begins.

Professor McGonagall called out names, and the freshmen stepped forward one by one to put on their sorting caps.

After the Sorting Ceremony concluded, Dumbledore stood up, and the Great Hall fell silent.

"Welcome back," Dumbledore said in a clear and loud voice, "another new school year has begun."

I know that for many people, the past year has not been peaceful, and the coming year may not be any more peaceful.

His gaze swept across the four long tables, lingering briefly on the Slytherin table, before he continued.

"But I still hope that you have a great time here, learning, growing, and making friends—these are the things you should be doing right now."

Regulus listened, but his thoughts began to wander.

Dumbledore is the headmaster, the most powerful wizard in the world, and he could easily exert influence in a less gentle way.

While not all wizards come from academia, those who graduated from Hogwarts are definitely the majority.

With Dumbledore's abilities, he could easily make all the wizards who leave here grow in the direction he wanted.

Mental magic, soul magic, subtle guidance—Dumbledore couldn't possibly be unaware of these things, but he didn't use them.

Unwilling?

Still not possible?

Regulus thought it was probably because Dumbledore himself didn't want to do it.

More importantly, if he really did that, those pure-blood families would be the first to object.

My child is going to school, and you think you can change him?

But even if we don't go that far, there's still a lot we can do.

Does Hogwarts offer moral education?

Have.

Professors will mention things like justice, kindness, and making the right choices, but only briefly.

There is absolutely no systematic ideological education that guides children from a young age.

Therefore, there has never been any mention of Hogwarts in the British wizarding world.

Dumbledore's voice is only his own voice; he cannot represent the school, much less the wizards who have graduated from there.

The professors' voices are just personal voices; they represent nothing.

Pure-blood families, on the other hand, have a complete system of interests, survival, power, and honor, which are instilled in them from childhood without interruption.

Regulus snapped out of his thoughts; he wasn't the principal, and thinking about these things was pointless.

Dumbledore continued speaking.

"Also, there's something I need to tell you all." He looked at the teachers' table.

"This year, the Defense Against the Dark Arts course will be adjusted. Students in the third year and above will be given additional instruction on practical defensive spells, such as the Ironclad Charm, Disarming Charm, and Barrier Charm."

These spells will require additional practice time on top of the existing lessons.

A low murmur arose in the auditorium.

Regulus knew what this meant.

Dumbledore was cultivating students' self-defense abilities in advance; this was the first time Hogwarts had adjusted its curriculum due to war.

He looked toward the faculty section, where the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor stood up and nodded to the students.

The Gryffindor side reacted enthusiastically, with some clapping and others cheering.

Hufflepuff responded more politely, while Ravenclaw sized up the new professor.

Slytherin's reaction was subtle.

Some people were expressionless, some had a faint sneer on their lips, and some had shifty eyes.

They certainly understood what Dumbledore meant; these new defensive spells were specifically designed to counter them.

At least most of them.

But this idea caused some Slytherins to show a reserved expression, as if to say, "Look, you need to learn these things to deal with us."

After the dinner party, the Slytherin students got up and walked to the common room. Back in their dormitory, Avery lay down on his bed and sighed with relief.

Alex sat on the edge of his bed, a little uneasy: "What the headmaster said..."

Avery glanced at him: "What are you talking about?"

"It's the new curriculum," Alex said, "the Ironclad Charm stuff..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: he was asking if war was really going to break out.

Regulus looked at him; after a long vacation and spending time with his family, Alex softened a little.

The atmosphere of a gentle, pure-blooded family doesn't raise a very strong-willed person. His parents are good to him, and his home is warm. He doesn't want to face the changes outside.

But Alex has improved since he first enrolled; at least now he can sit here and think about these things instead of just shrinking away.

Avery didn't show any unusual behavior; he was a little concerned, but not much.

These pure-blooded young masters, whose families have never systematically taught them about politics and current affairs, are even more naive than young wizards from marginal pure-blood or mixed-blood families.

Hermes, however, didn't care at all. He leaned against the headboard, closed his eyes, and seemed to be resting.

Regulus could sense that he genuinely didn't care about these things, and might even have hoped for more chaos.

Chaos is where opportunities arise, chaos is where strength speaks, and chaos is where we can showcase what we've learned.

Regulus didn't say anything, and lay down as well.

The water of Black Lake outside the window glowed faintly, its green hue reflected on the ceiling.