Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Thursday evening's astronomy lesson takes place in the castle's tallest astronomical tower.

The night sky at the end of September was clear, and the air in the Scottish Highlands was crisp and transparent.

"Tonight we will learn to locate Sirius, the dominant star in the night sky," Professor Aurora Sinesta's voice was as gentle as a night breeze.

She was an elderly witch with her silver hair neatly coiled at the back of her head, and her robe was embroidered with tiny constellation patterns, making her seem to shimmer with starlight as she moved.

Sirius is not only the brightest star in the night sky, but in a magical sense, it is also regarded as a symbol of guidance and loyalty. Many ancient navigation spells and long-distance communication spells rely on its observation for location.

The students worked in pairs, operating the telescopes on brass stands; Regulus and Alex Rozier were in one pair.

Avery claimed he had no interest in staring at a few points of light all night and had already huddled in a corner with a few Slytherin boys to yawn.

"First, calibrate the level on the base," Regulus whispered to the somewhat flustered Alex.

"Yes, let the bubble stop in the center, then loosen the vertical latch and point the scope tube southeast at an angle of about twenty degrees."

Alex followed instructions and looked through the eyepiece: "A complete blur."

"Because you didn't adjust the focus." Regulus reached out and gently turned the knob on the lens barrel. "Take your time, find a very bright star that has a bluish-white tint."

Alex paused for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, "I see it! It's so bright, like a blue and white gemstone, it's so beautiful!"

"That's Sirius." Regulus himself moved closer to the other telescope.

He skillfully completed the calibration and focusing, and the star appeared clearly in his field of vision.

Under the magically enhanced astronomical telescope, one can see that it is surrounded by an extremely thin, pulsating halo, as if it were breathing.

This is a sight that Muggle telescopes could never see, and although there is no evidence, it is considered by the magical world to be the magical glow emanating from the stars.

"Very good, Mr. Rozier." Professor Sinister floated to their side. "Now, record its position, using the coordinate grid on the star chart, paying attention to the ecliptic reference line."

After the professor left, Alex whispered, "How come you're so skilled? It's like you've used it many times before."

"We have one like that at home," Regulus replied. The Black family did indeed have an antique telescope, though he had never used it.

"So what's the point of astronomy anyway?" Alex muttered as he clumsily jotted down coordinates. "Besides making the stars look beautiful..."

"It's more useful than you think." Regulus looked at Sirius in the eyepiece, recalling what he had read in the family library.

"The preparation of many high-level potions requires precise lunar phases and star positions. For example, many key ingredients for Felix Felicis must be harvested according to specific lunar phases and star positions."

In ancient times, certain variants of Nirvana's magic power varied depending on the position of the constellation.

He continued, "Not to mention, the power fluctuations of many ancient magical contracts, family rituals, and even castle protective magic are tied to the cycles of the stars."

Understanding the starry sky is, in a sense, deciphering the hidden clock of the magical world.

Alex was somewhat stunned: "These... aren't written in the textbook."

"Because that's material for higher grades, or," Regulus said casually, "it's part of some family tradition."

Professor Sinister clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention: "Now, shift the telescope to the left by about fifteen degrees, and lower the elevation angle by five degrees."

You will see three bright stars aligned almost equidistant in a straight line; that is Orion's Belt, recording their positions and relative angles.

Regulus did as instructed, but paused slightly when the three stars came into view.

Not only because of their beauty, but also because of their arrangement.

Three stars: Alnista, Alnista, and Alnista.

In Muggle astronomy, they are just three unrelated stars hundreds of light-years away from Earth that happen to be aligned in a line due to visual projection.

But through the magically enhanced telescope, Regulus saw something different.

Even though they are so far apart, the magical glow emanating from the three stars is not entirely independent.

Extremely fine, spiderweb-like magical streams flowed slowly between the three, forming an extremely thin energy triangle.

He quickly recorded the coordinates of the three stars on the star chart and connected them with dotted lines, marking the angles.

The line connecting the three stars of the belt is nearly a perfect straight line, but there is still a negligible curvature, which is insignificant on a cosmic scale, but may be crucial in the application of magic.

Regulus could construct precise geometric models of constellations in his mind, simulate the positions of stars, and even calculate their trajectories.

Just now, he subconsciously deduced in his mind how Samsung's relative positions would change a hundred years from now, based on Samsung's current location and known self-propagation data.

He quickly thought to himself that the stars are in motion, albeit slowly, but the three stars of Orion's Belt each have their own direction and speed in the Milky Way.

Is this kind of movement also part of its magical qualities?

He immediately decided to incorporate the real movements of constellations into meditation using absolutely precise calculations and spatial imagination.

Just then, Professor Sinister's voice interrupted his thoughts: "I see that many students have already finished taking notes."

Remember, the significance of astronomy lies not in memorizing the names of a few constellations, but in understanding the eternal rhythms inherent in the movement of the stars.

get out of class dismissed.

Eternal rhythm, Regulus put away the star map, the word echoing in his mind.

In the early hours of the morning, the dormitory was completely silent.

Regulus sat cross-legged inside the four-poster bed, the bed curtains fell, and the soundproofing spell quietly took effect.

Close your eyes and sink into the depths of your consciousness.

He combined magical channeling cycles with stargazing meditation.

Within his body, magic flowed like a gentle stream, circulating along a familiar path, nourishing every inch of his flesh and blood.

This is the tempering of the body, the most fundamental of all.

At the same time, at the highest level of consciousness, he constructed a model of the Orion Belt.

Based on astronomical data from his memory, the subtle shifts he observed, the calculated trajectories, and the motion of the stars themselves, he gave the three points of light an extremely slow tendency to move in a specific direction.

A static framework and a dynamic trend.

Then, he began to try to match the rhythm of the magic circulation within his body with the dynamic trend of the three points of light in his mind.

It didn't start smoothly; the circulation of magic within the body was a tangible and perceptible flow.

The movement of stars, on the other hand, is an abstract and almost static tendency, as if the two exist in different dimensions.

But Regulus was patient; he focused all his attention on the dynamic model, feeling the almost non-existent yet real tension of motion.

Then, he began to adjust the speed of the magic circulation within his body in an extremely subtle way, causing a subtle change in the overall tone of the circulation, making it more solemn, slower, and more constant.

Time passed in silence, ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes.

Suddenly, a certain harmony occurred.

It's not that the magic actually drew constellation patterns inside the body.

It's a deeper level of synchronization, a state of being that circulates within the body, achieving a harmonious resonance at the spiritual level with the dynamic essence of the star model in the mind.

In that instant, Regulus felt two completely different enhancements happening simultaneously.

The originally gentle and nourishing magical cycle seems to have been infused with a more solid and substantial texture.

Wherever the magic flows, it not only brings nourishment but also a wonderful sense of solidity, as if muscle fibers and bone density are being strengthened more effectively in this synchronized resonance.

A completely new sense of power slowly rose from the depths of my limbs and bones.

Moreover, maintaining the dynamic model is an extreme form of mental focus training, but the moment he truly synchronized with the movement of the stars, he felt as if his consciousness was anchored, becoming clearer and more stable.

Those daily chaotic thoughts, the ubiquitous whispers of magic in the castle, and even the sense of alienation and loneliness deep within the heart of a time traveler, were all soothed by a grand and tranquil imagery.

The soul seemed to have found a solid foundation, becoming calmer and less easily shaken.

This is a qualitative change.

Regulus remained in this state, carefully observing every subtle change.

When magic circulates in a synchronized state, not only does the recovery speed increase, but the magic itself also seems to become more condensed and tamed.

He realized that he might have inadvertently touched upon some deeper magical truth.

Body, spirit, and magic are never isolated elements, but can be integrated, mutually reinforcing, and sublimated together.

He mentally named this integrated new method "Star Trail Guided Meditation".

Physical tempering and mental meditation can no longer be carried out separately, but can become a complete practice in which one actively seeks synchronization with oneself as a whole.

Thus, the foundation was laid.