Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Regulus didn't say anything more; he was thinking about what he had just seen.

Werewolves, or more accurately, werewolf syndrome.

A magical disease, not a natural species, classified by magic as XXXXX, extremely dangerous, and untamable, but dangerous only on the night of a full moon; in human form, it is no different from an ordinary person.

Its origin is unknown; some say Northern Europe, others Western Europe, but now it can be found all over the world.

The transmission method is very simple: if bitten by a werewolf in wolf form during a full moon, the saliva enters the bloodstream; scratches will not cause infection.

Bill Weasley was scratched by Greyback in his human form, but he only developed a wolfish tendency and a love for raw meat; he didn't become a werewolf.

It's not hereditary; Lupin's son Teddy is perfectly fine, nothing's wrong with him.

It is not transmitted through blood, nor through bodily fluids, and werewolves cannot even give birth to werewolves.

Regulus thought that the propagation mechanism of this thing was quite ingeniously designed.

Just take that one bite.

If you get bitten and don't treat it in time, you'll die instantly; if you do treat it, you'll be a werewolf for life.

There is no middle ground, and there is no possibility of a cure.

Silverware plus white stigma is the only treatment, and it must be used immediately after the bite; otherwise, it will be ineffective.

The danger of werewolves lies in their uncontrollability and contagiousness, as well as their powerful magical resistance, which is comparable to that of ordinary wizards.

But there is one point that Regulus thinks is worth considering.

A Lupin is a normal person before the full moon, a beast on the full moon, and a normal person again after the full moon.

What exactly is a werewolf?

Is it human, losing control for one night each month, or beast, recovering for one night each month?

This question is no longer just about magic; it even has a philosophical flavor.

In defining it, you are actually defining yourself.

If you call it human, you have to accept that it transforms into a beast every month; if you call it a beast, you have to accept that it transforms into a human every month.

Regulus's thoughts were wandering.

In theory, the magic that a werewolf uses to transform is purely instinctive.

If we could use methods like Occlumency to create an isolated zone within the mind, lock it in, and let human thought dominate the werewolf's body, wouldn't that make it controllable?

Or you could incorporate human thought processes, leaving an observation window so that when transforming, the werewolf can operate like a machine, sitting in the cockpit and looking outside.

Although it was still out of control, it must have been a rather novel experience for the person inside.

Regulus imagined that scene.

Lupin has become a werewolf, but he is still conscious. He watches his body struggle on the chains like a spectator, and it's unclear what he feels.

The idea only flashed through his mind before he suppressed it.

That's incredibly difficult, beyond just a little bit.

He knows how difficult it is because he has done it before.

He confined Dong Xiguan, the one inspired by darkness, to the quarantine zone, using a virtual persona to reach out to him, while he observed from behind an observation window—that was the limit of what he could currently do.

To keep the main consciousness conscious during an outburst while simultaneously controlling the body, what's needed might not just be isolation, but also coexistence.

It's several levels higher than brain surgery.

He then thought of Animagus.

Twenty years later, Lupin said that werewolf transformation and Animagus transformation are fundamentally different; one is forced, and the other is voluntary.

From a magical perspective, however, both are transformations from human form to animal form.

If a werewolf first trains to become an Animagus and transforms into some kind of animal, what will he transform into on the night of the full moon?

Is it to become a wolf, or a werewolf version of that animal?

If Animagus were a hamster, would it become a hamster wolf?

The size of a fist, with a mouth full of sharp teeth, it pounces on anyone it sees?

If it's a jellyfish, will it grow fangs?

Transparent, floating in the air, and a single bite is pure poison?

Regulus's lips twitched; he seemed somewhat intrigued.

Then he thought of something else: Fenrir Graybuck.

The most ferocious werewolves under Voldemort's command, specializing in attacking children and creating more werewolves to fight against wizarding society.

Lupin was bitten by him when he was five years old, and his life changed from then on.

But Regulus didn't care about that; he was thinking about something else.

Why didn't Voldemort choose a place, like the subcontinent that Britain is very familiar with, where the weather is hot, the population is dense, the smell is unique, and there are large slums that the Ministry of Magic can't manage?

Take control of a village or a block in that area and throw Graybuck in.

On the night of the full moon, take a bite.

Even if it can only bite ten people at a time, after a month, those ten people will turn into werewolves, and it can bite again on the next full moon night.

How much will it be in a year?

Regulus was lost in thought, his face expressionless.

He simply found it amusing, and felt at ease letting his mind wander next to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore stood beside him, looking at Regulus's profile.

He had just said it was too ugly, and then fell silent, his eyes fixed on the screaming shack not far away, his pupils unfocused, clearly deep in thought.

Dumbledore was somewhat relieved that he didn't disturb him.

It seems this child isn't as completely indifferent as he appeared earlier; though he said it was too ugly, he still cares.

Seeing your peers become like that is always somewhat touching.

Dumbledore had no idea what Regulus was thinking.

He might be a little surprised if he knew about those ideas about exponentially creating werewolves, hamster wolves, and jellyfish fangs.

But he didn't know.

He simply looked at the twelve-year-old boy in the early morning of a full moon night.

Standing on the edge of the forbidden forest, I fell into deep thought.

After a while, Regulus snapped out of his thoughts: "Professor, I have a question to ask."

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes gentle.

"I was just thinking, what if we used Occupation Meditation to create an isolated zone within the mind, locking the werewolf in its transformed state inside, and letting human consciousness take over? Would that be feasible?"

Dumbledore looked at him, a glint of light in his eyes: "You're thinking about how to keep a werewolf sane while transforming?"

Regulus nodded: "Yes, Professor."

"Theoretically, it is possible," Dumbledore said. "Occlumency can indeed do this, allowing a person's consciousness to occupy a stable position in the mental world, unaffected by external shocks."

"But there are two problems."

"First, the essence of werewolf transformation does not come from the outside, but from an internal transformation. Magic changes, the body changes, and cognition changes."

It's not someone knocking on the door from the outside; it's your own door and room transforming into something else. Occlumency techniques can't handle this.

"Second," Dumbledore continued, "even if a person's mind can remain clear, their body will not obey them."

A werewolf's body has its own instincts and its own will; if you're trapped inside, you can't do anything.

He looked at Regulus: "Your approach is on the right track, but achieving it requires something deeper than just brain shut-down."

"The wizard's will must override his instincts, and his consciousness must take over a body that doesn't belong to him."

Dumbledore's gaze drifted further away: "A wizard capable of this level cannot be a werewolf, and werewolves will never reach that level."

Regulus pondered these words, overriding his instincts, and took over what was not his own.

He recalled a concept from last year: a variant of the Soul Reaper's Curse that would not take over but replace the original. Could this be done?

He thought about it for a moment, but didn't say it aloud. He thought he could give it a try.

Dumbledore continued, with a hint of a sigh in his voice: "Among the werewolves, very few possess advanced magic."

Their living conditions were too harsh; abandoned by their families and ostracized by society, they lived in hiding, how could they possibly have the mindset to learn Occupational Surgery?

"Remus is lucky," Dumbledore said. "His parents were willing to give anything for him, and I was able to protect him at school, but not every werewolf child is so lucky."

Upon hearing this, a thought suddenly flashed through Regulus's mind.

Dumbledore is inclusive, but this inclusiveness has its limits.

Lupin is certainly not the only child infected with werewolf syndrome from a young age, but he is the only one who has been truly accepted, protected, and given the opportunity to attend school normally.

It wasn't that Dumbledore didn't want to help; Regulus believed that Dumbledore would lend a hand if given the opportunity.

He simply couldn't help them, or rather, those people couldn't even get to him.

Regulus pondered these thoughts, then asked, "Professor, what kind of foundation is needed for what you just mentioned—letting willpower override instinct?"

Dumbledore's eyes held a hint of appreciation: "You've hit the nail on the head."

He continued, "Willpower overrides instinct. The core issue is not the strength of your magic, but how clear your self-awareness is."

The clearer you are about who you are, what you want, and what you're willing to give up, the stronger your will will be.

"A wizard's exploration of the spiritual realm ultimately returns to this question: Who are you? What kind of person do you want to become?"

He looked Regulus into the eyes: "Do you have an answer?"

Regulus thought for a moment, then said, "I know who I am, but I'm still wondering what kind of person I can become."

Dumbledore smiled. "It's already very good."

He looked up at the forbidden forest in the distance; the moon was already obscured by the treetops.

"Many people go through their entire lives without knowing who they are, but you understand this at your age, which is better than many adult wizards."

Regulus simply nodded.

After a while, Regulus asked again, "Professor, what do what you just said—willpower overriding instinct, clear self-awareness—have to do with Occlumency?"

Dumbledore turned to look at him: "Occlumency is a tool; it helps you build a barrier to protect yourself from external shocks, but it doesn't help you understand yourself."

"The true spiritual realm is about using these tools to explore yourself. The more you understand yourself, the stronger the barriers become. Conversely, the stronger the barriers become, the clearer you can see yourself."

"It's a cycle. At the beginning, you need tools to protect yourself, but later on, you yourself become the barrier."

Regulus pondered these words.

Dumbledore was revealing to him a deeper concept in the spiritual realm, that he himself was the barrier.

He understood; the gist of it was that when self-awareness is clear enough and the self is strong enough, one can naturally resist external harm.

This is similar to the feeling I had when I lit up Betelgeuse.

What I am is simply the self, isn't it?

He just can't do what Dumbledore said yet.

His "self" is being protected, but has not yet become the protector himself.

But perhaps one day, his spiritual realm can become like the current Constant Ironclad Curse.

There's no need to deliberately extract imagery from the starry sky; it's already there, making protection an instinct.

By then, perhaps he will no longer need to deliberately perform Occupybaras, or rather, Occupybaras will become a fixed practice.

He thought for a while, then pulled himself out of his thoughts.

In the distance, four figures emerged from the screaming shack.

James and Sirius supported Lupin as they walked step by step toward the castle.

Lupin walked with his head down, his steps unsteady, as if his whole being had been drained. James and Sirius walked slowly, each step matching Lupin's rhythm.

Peter Pettigrew followed behind, looking around curiously.

Regulus glanced at it.

Dawn was approaching; the eastern horizon was already turning grayish-white, and the moon was still hanging in the west, but its color had faded considerably.

Dumbledore looked away, then at him with a smile in his eyes: "Let's go to the Forbidden Forest another time. You'll definitely sneak out in the middle of the night again anyway."

Regulus's lips twitched slightly: "Good morning, Professor."

Dumbledore smiled and replied, "Good morning, Regulus."

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