Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

At number 12 Grimmauld Place, it was already daylight when Orion pushed open the door.

He didn't come back last night.

Last night at the Malfoys' house, I talked with Abraxas all night.

On the surface, it was a meeting between two families, but in reality, it was a meeting of the heads of several core pure-blood families in Voldemort's camp to discuss things.

In this kind of setting, we don't talk about specific matters, we just talk about feelings.

Abraxas briefly mentioned the recent situation, saying that the Lord's demands were becoming more numerous and urgent.

Some families have begun to complain privately, but dare not say it openly, saying that Lestrange's group is too radical and will cause trouble sooner or later.

Orion listened and agreed, without saying much.

These signs had been there for a while, but they became more and more obvious over time.

He carefully observed Abraxas's condition.

Last year, Regulus mentioned that the current head of the Malfoy family might not live much longer.

He will not die of old age; his death will be a sign that Voldemort has completely consolidated his power.

This means that Voldemort and the pure-blood family will move from cooperation to control.

Orion had his doubts at the time, but he kept those words in mind, and every time they met afterward, he would take a few extra glances at them.

But after watching it so many times, I still can't figure it out.

Abraxas was still the same as before, with gray hair and many wrinkles on his face, but his voice was strong and he was full of energy.

It's been like this for years, nothing has changed.

He was already more than ten years older than Orion. Appearances don't mean anything. Skilled wizards may look old, but their magic is still profound.

Orion sensed that Abraxas was even more powerful than before, and he could tell that it wasn't a disguise.

If you can't see the problem, it's possible that there wasn't a problem to begin with.

Regulus said it was possible, not certain; we should just keep watching.

Pushing open the door and entering the restaurant, I found Walbuga already waiting there.

She sat in the second seat, with breakfast laid out in front of her, but she didn't touch it.

Seeing Orion enter, her gaze immediately followed him: "You're back?"

Orion simply nodded, said nothing, and went to sit down in his seat.

Kreacher appeared silently and placed a hot breakfast in front of him.

Walbuga stared at him: "How did the talks go?"

Orion picked up his knife and fork and cut a piece of fried egg: "It's alright."

"What do you mean by 'alright'?" Walbuga pressed. "What's the Malfoy family's attitude? What did that lord say?"

Orion swallowed his fried egg: "Abraxas said that unity between the two families is of utmost importance, and that the Lord's cause requires the concerted efforts of all pure-blood families."

Walbuca's eyes lit up; she loved hearing that. "That's true," she said. "The Malfoys have always been pragmatic."

Orion nodded and continued eating.

Walbuga then asked, "And what about glory? Was the glory of our Black family mentioned?"

"It was mentioned."

"What did you say?"

"That lord highly values ​​the Black family as the benchmark of purebloods."

Walbuga smiled with satisfaction: "That's right, the Black family has always been the leader."

Orion didn't respond.

Walbuga rambled on for a few more minutes, and Orion listened, nodding occasionally.

Kreacher reappeared, walked over to Orion, bent over, and its long nose almost touched the ground.

Its voice was respectful: "Master, the young master sent a letter last night."

Orion paused for a moment, put down his knife and fork, and took the letter.

Regulus never writes unless there's something to say; the last time he wrote back was about the Belmont family matter.

What's the reason this time?

He heard about what happened a few days ago and gave on-site guidance on the Ironclad Spell, enabling a first-year student to cast a complete barrier on the spot.

For an ordinary junior wizard, having such abilities and doing such a thing would be considered quite a show-off.

But Regulus wouldn't do that for no reason. Orion knew his son; he had a reason for everything he did.

He didn't say anything, so Orion didn't ask. Now that a letter has arrived, he'd like to see what it is about.

Walbuga, standing nearby, asked, "Rayle wrote a letter? What did he say? Did someone at school act foolishly again? Or did he receive some honor?"

Orion opened the letter, glanced at it, and saw that the contents were very short.

Regulus wanted a mature willow tree, listing several locations, for the same reason as with the mandrake incident, hoping to get it done before Christmas.

Orion raised an eyebrow slightly.

The "Hit-Man Willow" (a type of willow tree).

He knew this thing was rare and extremely difficult to obtain.

But if Regulus says it's necessary, then it's necessary, and it's worth the price, no matter how expensive.

He folded the letter and handed it back to Kreacher: "Go."

Kreacher took the letter, bowed deeply, and disappeared silently.

"What did Rael say? Did Slughorn give him another point? Or did he do something remarkable again?" Wolbuja asked impatiently.

Orion glanced at her: "He said Slughorn gave him extra points in the academy."

Walbuga's face broke into a smile: "I knew it! Rael must be outstanding in Slytherin! Which of those pure-blood children can compare to him?"

Orion nodded without saying a word.

"Didn't he say anything else? Like, who provoked him again? Or who did he reprimand again?" Walbuga added.

Orion shook his head: "No."

Walbuga muttered, "This child, he never writes to me, he only writes to you. As his mother, I have to be told everything by someone else..."

Orion didn't respond.

Don't you know why I haven't written to you?

After finishing breakfast, he stood up and walked towards his study, with Walbuga still nagging behind him.

The restaurant door closed, and the world fell silent.

Orion walked behind his desk and sat down, leaning back in his chair; he was actually a little tired.

As I get older, even though I still have enough energy and don't feel any physical discomfort after staying up all night, I just feel that I've reached an age where I should be more careful and can't do whatever I want like I did when I was younger.

He wanted to live a few more years, to see how far Regulus could go, and to see how high his son could take the Black family.

The letter I just read was simple in content, but its meaning was clear.

Regulus says that the willow catkins complement the mandrake.

Disintegration Curse.

Orion's breath hitched for a moment when he thought of the spell.

He had witnessed its power; in the study, Regulus had made him suffer for quite some time in his second form.

Regulus later said that was only the minimum power.

The spell developed by a twelve-year-old child is as powerful as the Killing Curse, and its applications are even more extensive.

What does this mean?

This means that Regulus's understanding of magic has exceeded the scope of what an ordinary wizard should have.

It's not just about being talented; it's a qualitative difference.

Orion thought of himself when he was young.

Back then, he was considered excellent at Hogwarts, but he was far inferior to Regulus now.

He couldn't help but wonder if Dumbledore had this ability when he was young.

He didn't know that Dumbledore's youth was a very long time ago for him.

What about Voldemort?

Does he possess a spell like Regulus at the same age?

Orion was also unaware.

But he knew one thing: Regulus deserved his full support.

Three thousand Galleons of Mandrake were exchanged for the Disintegration Curse. Now Regulus says he needs the Mandarin Willow to complement the Disintegration Curse.

No doubt about it, we must support it.

Orion leaned back in his chair, running through the place names in his mind.

A magic reserve in Bulgaria, a dragon reserve in Romania, a manor in southern France, and deep in the Black Forest of Germany.

As long as there's a place, he can get his hands on it.

If money can solve a problem, spend it; if money can't, exchange it for something; if exchange isn't possible, then—

Orion didn't think further; that was a last resort, but if it really came down to it, there was no point in hesitating.

It's worth it for Regulus.

He sat up straight, took out a parchment, and began to write a letter.

Regulus:

I've heard that, and I'll get it.

After he finished writing, he thought for a moment and added a few more sentences.

"Andromeda's wedding, dated October 21st."

Location: Wisteria Estate, Luberon Mountains, Provence, France (map attached).

Perhaps you'd like to know.

He folded the letter and called Kreacher.

Kreacher appeared silently: "Master."

"Send this letter to Regulus."

Kreacher accepted it with both hands, bowed, and disappeared.

Orion leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

After a while, he opened his eyes, took out the list of European magic protected areas from the drawer, and turned to the page on Bulgaria.

I started to think about it.

When Regulus received the reply at Hogwarts, it was lunchtime.

The owl dropped the letter into the plate in front of him.

Perhaps realizing it had misjudged the target and hadn't left any treats, it flew away.

Regulus shook off the food scraps, opened the letter, and glanced at it.

The first line is as expected; Father never hesitates on such matters.

He looked down and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Andromeda, his cousin, hadn't been seen for almost two years.

She was the one who had the least contact with him among his three cousins, but she was also the one who was the kindest to him.

Before the start of first grade, Andromeda said something to him in Grimaldo Square.

"Don't let compromise turn into surrender, don't let this family devour you. You have your own heart, remember it."

Later, when she was about to leave, she said something else.

"If one day you need help, real help, you can contact me. I will be in France."

Last Christmas, Regulus had Kreacher deliver a key to the Gringotts vault in Paris to her.

Of his three cousins, Andromeda was the one he cared about the most.

He had a familial bond with Narcissa, but more often than not, she was an ally and a ties within the family.

He cared about Andromeda, not because of blood ties or social standing, but because of her frankness, courage, and persistence in pursuing her own path.

Unlike Sirius, Andromeda did not rebel against his family through confrontation and defiance.

She simply chose her path calmly and then accepted the consequences.

She gave advice and made promises; she is a trustworthy person.

She's married now.

Regulus looked at the line of text, then at the simple map.

The map was drawn very roughly, with only a few lines and circles.

But as Regulus looked at those lines, a place came to mind.

In the Luberon Mountains, at the foot of the mountains, next to a lavender field, stands a stone house covered in vines.

He can find it.

He folded the letter, put it in his pocket, and it was time to eat.