Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Regulus was indeed curious about alchemy.

But it must be said that when it comes to alchemy, one must look to France, to Beauspatton, to Nicolas Lemaître.

In the British magical community, there are very few ways to learn about alchemy.

Hogwarts does offer this course, but it's only offered as an elective in seventh year.

Once you've taken this course, graduation won't be far off. What can you learn in a year?

Therefore, most British wizards had a pitifully rudimentary understanding of alchemy.

They thought alchemy was simply a craft of making magical items, engraving runes on cauldrons to make them stir automatically, casting spells on gloves to make them fireproof and waterproof, and making door keys so they could drag people away.

But this is about making magical items, not alchemy.

Regulus analyzed the differences between the two in his mind.

Creating magical items involves adding functionality to existing items.

Carve runes on a piece of wood so it can fly; cast a spell on a robe so that someone wearing it can breathe underwater; enchant a mirror so that it can reveal your enemies.

The item is still the same, just with a few more uses.

Even wands, brooms, and invisibility cloaks are considered magical items.

But alchemy is not like that.

Alchemy changes the nature of matter; when lead turns into gold, it becomes gold from the inside out.

If the molecular structure changes and the atomic arrangement changes, then it is essentially a different thing.

Making magical items is processing; alchemy is transformation.

The materials used to create magical items will wear out and become ineffective, but alchemical creations are permanent.

The most typical example is the Philosopher's Stone.

That thing can continuously produce elixirs of immortality and can turn lead into gold indefinitely, so there's no need to worry about it becoming useless after just one use.

Regulus thought to himself, "No wonder the British magical community doesn't have many notable figures in alchemy."

There is no education, no inheritance, and no accumulation.

Wizards' understanding of alchemy is limited to making props; how could they possibly achieve results?

Alchemy is a profound branch of magic, an intersection of ancient magic, potions, transmutation, and runes.

It has an extremely high barrier to entry, and very few people can truly master it. Even among Beauxbatons, there are very few graduates who can make decent alchemical artifacts.

And Nicolas Flamel—

Regulus looked at the white-haired old man opposite him.

Born in the 1330s, from the late Middle Ages to the early Renaissance.

Even textbooks on the history of magic place him in the section on magical figures from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period.

The ability to turn stone into gold and the elixir of immortality—either one of these things would be enough to go down in history.

He accomplished both, and with just this one Philosopher's Stone, he won the crown of alchemy and became the greatest alchemist in history.

none of them.

As Regulus pondered these thoughts, another idea suddenly popped into his head.

About himself, about the Disintegration Curse.

The Disintegration Curse restores order to chaos, renders the whole ineffective, and disintegrates existence itself.

In his own words, it's entropy increase, which increases chaos and causes order to collapse.

Alchemy is the exact opposite.

The Midas touch is the process of transforming lead, an ordinary metal, into a more ordered structure like gold.

The elixir of immortality aims to maintain an aging body in a stable state.

It can make stones move on their own, giving life to inanimate objects, allowing them to remember their former owners and automatically respond to calls when needed.

These are all ways to transform chaos into order, a process of entropy reduction.

If the Disintegration Charm represents destruction, then alchemy represents creation.

Entropy increase and entropy decrease, destruction and creation, two directions, like two sides of a coin.

But there is a problem.

Let things fall into chaos, and the world will do it on its own, and it's always doing it. Everything is moving towards increasing entropy; this is the law of nature.

To make things orderly, to turn chaos into order, is to go against the world; it requires going against the world to achieve that.

From this perspective, alchemy is indeed superior to the Disintegration Charm.

Regulus acknowledged this.

He wasn't blindly arrogant; he knew that no matter how lofty his intentions were, his Disintegration Curse was merely following the trend of the world.

Nicolas Flamel's alchemy, on the other hand, involved going against the grain of the world his entire life.

But in the world of magic, are creation and destruction truly opposites?

Regulus thought about the stars.

The star is burning, it is fusing, it is turning hydrogen into helium, and helium into carbon.

That is creation, it is the making of heavier elements.

Then the star died, exploded, and hurled its creations into space.

That was destruction, that turned order back into chaos.

But those ejected objects will coalesce into new stars and new planets.

Creation and destruction should be a cycle; they may not be opposites, but rather like a loop.

Regulus was lost in thought, unaware of how much time had passed.

Nicolas Flamel glanced at the clock on the wall, then stood up shakily: "Regulus, Albus, I'll go see if there's anything to eat."

Dumbledore nodded with a smile: "Okay."

Regulus got up to help.

Dumbledore neither stopped him nor offered to help; he just sat there with that amused expression on his face.

Just as Regulus stood up, Nico reached out to stop him.

The old man smiled and said, "No need, no need. Preparing food is something I'm happy to do. You sit down and chat with Albus."

Regulus paused for a moment and looked at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore maintained the same expression, as if the scene before him was quite amusing.

He sat back down and said politely, "Thank you, Mr. Lemaître."

Nico waved his hand: "No trouble at all. The place only comes alive with the little wizard."

He glanced at Dumbledore with a hint of disdain: "Otherwise, it's just two old men here, it's so boring."

Dumbledore laughed, his mustache twitching, but he didn't refute.

Nico shuffled outwards with small, quick steps, his arms swinging slightly, making him look like a penguin hurrying along.

The figure was hunched over, yet possessed an indescribable lightness.

Regulus watched him disappear through the doorway.

That gait, those tiny, quick steps—author Zhuang Shui Zhi Zhu awaits you on Cola Novels with *Hogwarts: Regulus, Lord of the Stars*. And those slightly swaying arms—

It's a familiar feeling again.

He sat back down and looked in that direction with Dumbledore.

After Nico's figure disappeared around the corner, Regulus turned to Dumbledore and said, "Professor."

Dumbledore stared in the direction his old friend had disappeared before turning his head away.

Regulus asked directly, "Why did you call me here?"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "I just want to broaden your horizons."

"Magic..." He leaned back on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames in the fireplace, as if looking into the distance.

"Sometimes even I feel that I may have only just scratched the surface. What Hogwarts teaches is enough, but only enough."

He said with a touch of emotion, "It's like standing on the beach, scooping up a handful of water, taking a sip, and then saying you know what the sea tastes like."

He looked at Regulus: "You have some ideas, some understanding of magic. Alchemy would be a good supplementary direction. Get to know it; it might inspire you."

Regulus seemed to be deep in thought.

Whatever Dumbledore's purpose in bringing him here—whether it was to test his attitude towards death or simply to broaden his horizons—he didn't care.

Such an opportunity is extremely rare.

That's Nicolas Flamel, a man who has lived for hundreds of years and stands at the very pinnacle of alchemy.

Even the fact that he is alive is the strongest selling point in the magical world.

Having lived from the 14th century to the present, I have witnessed the Black Death sweep across Europe and watched Muggles go from riding horses to flying in the sky.

They also watched as generation after generation of so-called genius wizards were born, rose to fame, grew old, and died.

Regulus couldn't even imagine the level of magic he possessed, his understanding of magic, and his exploration of matter.

So now that we're here and have this opportunity, we must make something of it.

He had so many questions he wanted to ask.

Moreover, the answer to nourishing and strengthening the soul might be found here.

As Regulus was thinking, Nico's voice came from the other end.

"Albus, Regulus, come and eat."

The two got up and walked towards the sound.

The restaurant was small, with a long table, a few chairs, and several dishes on the table, all in French style.

Provençal stew, olive oil-baked fish, and a basket of baguettes.

Regulus glanced at it; it looked very appealing and smelled delicious.

He sat down and said to Nicolas, "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Lemaître."

Nico waved his hand with a smile.

Dumbledore had already picked up the fork, his movements quite practiced.

He cut a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, nodded in satisfaction, then picked up a piece of bread, broke it open, and dipped it in olive oil.

His posture was as relaxed as if he were at home.

Regulus found it amusing.

This old man, despite his advanced age, is quite uninhibited around Nico.

He suddenly thought of another problem.

Dumbledore is probably one of the few wizards who was able to maintain a relationship with Nicolas Flamel.

To reach this level, one must possess powerful magic, profound thinking, and exceptional talent. Nico wouldn't be interested in dealing with ordinary people.

What were Nico's feelings as he looked at Dumbledore, from his youth to his middle age and then to his old age?

Dumbledore probably wouldn't think anything of it; when he first met Nico, Nico was already like this.

But what about Nicole?

Watching my friends grow old, watching them die, one after another, like autumn leaves, falling and then gone.

What has sustained him for so long?

The Philosopher's Stone granted him immortality, but what happens after that?

He has reached the pinnacle of alchemy, achieving the ability to turn lead into gold and create elixirs of immortality.

What is he still pursuing?

Regulus remembered something.

Less than twenty years later, Nico will choose to destroy the Philosopher's Stone and give up living.

Based on his perception of time, he might already have this idea now.

He snapped out of his reverie and focused on eating; he had to admit, it was indeed delicious.

Most importantly, the baguette wasn't as hard as he thought; the crust was crispy, and the inside was soft and chewy, making it easy for him to chew.

Most importantly, the baguette wasn't as hard as he thought; the crust was crispy, and the inside was soft and chewy, making it easy for him to chew.

After finishing their meal, the three returned to the fireplace.

Dumbledore leaned back on the sofa, looked at Regulus, and winked: "Regulus, feel free to ask any questions. Nico rarely sees guests, don't waste the opportunity."

Nicole looked at him, her eyes kind yet filled with curiosity: "Ask away, child."

Regulus thanked him again, then asked directly, "Mr. Flamel, about the Philosopher's Stone—"

Dumbledore's beard twitched.

A fleeting look of surprise crossed his eyes, brief but noticeable to Regulus.

Regulus chuckled inwardly.

Dumbledore was indeed somewhat surprised.

Based on his understanding of Regulus, the boy was quite shrewd.

Whether or not he was testing the waters, Dumbledore guessed that he would think in that direction, and even felt that Regulus might be deliberately avoiding the topic of the Philosopher's Stone.

But Regulus asked the question directly, which surprised him.

Then he found it amusing.

Regulus continued, "The Philosopher's Stone can turn lead into gold, and mass into gold. Where does the extra mass come from?"

Nico's eyes widened slightly in surprise: "Alchemy doesn't treat matter as a fixed thing; matter is alive and can change."

Nico continued, "In alchemy, lead and gold are different states of the same thing. Lead wants to become gold, but it's missing something."

"What's missing?" Regulus asked.

"magic."

Nico said, "Magic can be turned into matter, and matter can be turned into magic. This is the foundation of alchemy."

You ask where quality comes from? It comes from magic. You pour magic into it, and it becomes quality.

Regulus quickly analyzed the situation in his mind.

Magic transforms into mass.

That's it—

He didn't say it aloud, but continued to ask, "Is there a limit to this transformation?"

Nicole answered directly: "Theoretically, no, but in practice, yes."

The total amount of magic you can control, the strength of your mind, and the depth of your understanding of matter—these are all limits.

Regulus seemed thoughtful, then he asked, "And the soul? Is the soul matter?"