Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

The weather was unusually nice on the first Friday of December.

In the second-year herbal medicine class held in the third greenhouse, Professor Sprout gave a lesson on the key points of mandrake care and how to prevent them from crossing pots and forming clumps.

When the school bell rang, the young wizards filed out of the greenhouse and walked along the stone path toward the castle.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds; the air was cool, but not biting.

Regulus walked at the front, his pace neither too fast nor too slow.

Avery was walking to his left, looking down at his herbalism notes, muttering to himself as he noted the length and range of mandrake roots.

Alex walked to his right, holding a wand with the tip pointing down, occasionally making a stroke.

Hermes walked at the very back, his hands in his robe pockets, his eyes half-closed, as if he hadn't woken up yet.

Samuel and Lena followed behind them, about three or four steps behind.

The distance is neither too far nor too close.

They were so far away that no one would think they were Regulus's lackeys, yet so close that anyone could tell at a glance that they were with the four people in front.

Samuel was carrying two books, and as he walked, his gaze would fall on the back of Regulus's head before returning to his own.

Lina walked beside him, her chin slightly raised, her steps a little larger than usual, but not exaggeratedly so.

They weren't like this before.

In the period immediately after Regulus brought them under his protection, they were always a little timid when following behind him, not daring to get too close, yet not wanting to stay too far away.

It's like being afraid of being seen, yet also afraid of being unseen; wanting to appear confident, yet unsure where that confidence comes from.

It got better gradually; I learned to maintain a proper distance and knew how to behave appropriately.

If you're accepted by someone like that, you can't appear too timid.

That's such a coward. He's embarrassing himself. People will think, "How could Blake manage someone like that?"

Do you feel unworthy?

If you feel you're not good enough, how about I take your place?

So they learned to walk with a steady gait, open their shoulders, raise their chins, and keep their eyes straight ahead.

I wanted to show everyone that I was following Blake and that I was standing there with his permission.

All it takes is a clear attitude, and attitudes are something you can fake for a long time and it will become natural.

Once inside the castle gates, the light dimmed, and the torches in the corridors had not yet been lit. Only the natural light streaming through the high windows was gentle and bright.

Regulus turned left and headed toward the library, with Avery following, followed by Alex and Hermes.

Samuel and Lena slowed their pace, naturally distancing themselves from the front, and turned into the other side of the corridor.

Walking to and from get out of class together is fine, sitting around Regulus during meals is fine too, but you can't follow him around for everything.

Aside from situations where there is a clear gesture of protection, everyone should do their own thing; it's not right to always follow along.

Regulus never said these things, but they figured them out themselves.

Samuel and Lina headed towards their dormitory.

Having spent more than a year in Slytherin, they were no longer in the cautious, tentative state they had been when they first entered the school.

Lena sometimes thinks back to the first few days of first grade, when she and Samuel stood in the corner of the common room, with no one watching them or talking to them.

No one ostracized them; they were simply ignored.

Slytherins have several attitudes toward half-bloods, the most extreme being that of Rabastan, who look at her as if she were something dirty and wish she would disappear from the world.

Most people are indifferent; you sit where you want, I sit where I want, and we'll keep to ourselves.

No one bullies her because no one cares about her.

At the time, she thought this was the norm for Slytherins, but later she realized it was because she was so inconspicuous.

An unremarkable half-blood in Slytherin wouldn't really get hurt, because nobody would take her seriously.

But she was not willing to give up.

For a young wizard to enter Slytherin, pure-blood status goes without saying; bloodline is the ticket to entry, and having a good surname is better than anything else.

Those who are of mixed race and can get in must have some kind of background or story.

She wanted to climb up, to be seen, to stand next to people taller than her, and look them in the eye.

But Samuel was different; he didn't want to stand next to anyone, he wanted to stand on top.

Lina glanced at Samuel as she thought about this.

He was the most cautious person she had ever met. He would think three steps ahead before doing anything and would also think through his words three times before speaking.

Sometimes Lina thought he was too slow, but every time something went wrong, she found that he was right.

They're following Blake now; it's their choice.

They are ambitious, unwilling to be ignored, and want to move up the ladder.

Blake is the ladder to climb, or at least the path leading to the ladder.

They knew what it meant to follow an heir to the Black family.

It means being seen, it means having a powerful backer, it means that in Slytherin, a place where bloodline determines status, they will not be trampled on.

The price is that they have to obey, do things, and stand up when needed.

That's fair.

The two walked through a corridor connecting the main castle and the side wing.

The corridor is not long, with high windows on both sides. Outside the windows is a courtyard, and light shines in from outside, illuminating the stone floor in streaks.

There weren't many people in the corridor. A few younger students were leaning out the window, looking out at something.

Samuel paused for a moment.

Not far ahead, a figure leaned against the wall, the collar of his robe turned up, half of his face hidden in the shadows.

Snape.

Samuel didn't stop, nor did he turn to look at Lena; he didn't even change his breathing.

He walked forward so naturally, his gaze sweeping over Snape as if he were looking at a pillar, a stone, an object that had nothing to do with him.

Lena didn't stop either. She kept the same pace as Samuel, her gaze fixed on the exit of the corridor ahead, not turning towards Snape.

There was no eye contact between the two, not even a hinting gesture.

They had no connection with Snape, and within Slytherin, half-bloods didn't necessarily know each other.

Snape stepped out from behind the wall and stood in the middle of the corridor.

Samuel stopped, and Lina stopped too.

Lina's right hand instinctively reached into her robe pocket, where her wand was. She looked away from Snape's face and quickly glanced to her left and right.

Samuel looked away from Snape's face and glanced down the other end of the corridor.

At the end of the corridor, on the other side of the courtyard, there were several figures standing there.

They were too far away to see their faces clearly, but you could tell they were Slytherin students, upperclassmen, standing there as if they were chatting.

Their gazes drifted in this direction for a moment, then returned to their own.

Samuel looked away and turned to Snape.

Snape was half a head taller than him and stood two steps higher, looking down at him.

His face was already gloomy, and standing in the shadows, his features appeared even more so.

Snape's voice was low and menacing: "Why is Black protecting you?"

Samuel didn't speak, but Lena spoke up, her tone sharp and impatient: "I don't know, go ask Blake."

Snape's gaze moved from Lena's face to Samuel's face, and then back again.

"You think Blake is really protecting you?" He spoke calmly and slowly, with a hint of skepticism and a touch of seduction.

"Why should a pure-blooded young master protect two half-bloods? Do you really think he'd even look at you?"

Lina raised an eyebrow, her voice sharp: "You want to meddle in Blake's business?"

Snape's eyes narrowed slightly.

Samuel then spoke up, his tone calm: "This is none of your business."

Snape stared at him, his lips twitching slightly. "Black's protection won't last forever."

He added slowly and deliberately, "Perhaps you should think about the future."

Lina let out a snort, laced with disdain: "We'll talk about the future later. Who are you asking us this on behalf of? Yourself, or someone else?"

Snape's face darkened.

Lina took a step forward, stood in front of him, looked up at him, and held her chin high.

"If you're asking for yourself, then save your breath. If you're asking for someone else, then go back and tell them that if they want to know something, they should find out for themselves."

Samuel reached out to stop Lena, but he didn't really stop her. He just raised his hand, waved it next to her arm, and then lowered it.

"We have other things to do," he said calmly, looking at Snape. "You're in the way."

Snape stood there, stared at them for a moment, pulled up the collar of his robe, and turned to leave.

He flicked the hem of his robe, creating a gust of wind. He walked quickly with long strides, his head down and shoulders slightly hunched, his whole being like a moving shadow.

From behind, it looks like a small bat.

Lina watched his figure disappear around the corner of the corridor before turning her gaze away.

She glanced at Samuel, who was looking down the other end of the corridor.

Those figures had disappeared; it was unknown when they left or how many they had seen.

"I'm leaving," Samuel said.

The two continued walking forward, turned a corner, and entered another corridor. The light dimmed, and torches were lit on the walls.

Lena slowed her pace slightly and turned to look at Samuel.

She looked a little smug: "Those few sentences I just said, weren't they alright?"

Samuel thought for a moment and hummed in agreement: "It was that line, 'Go back and tell him,' that was too impulsive."

Lina raised an eyebrow: "Go for it?"

Samuel replied earnestly, "A little, but that's just right. We need to make him feel that we have the confidence."

Lina laughed, the corners of her mouth curving upwards for a moment, then quickly stopped. "And you? You said 'You're blocking the way,' quite well."

Samuel smiled too, but much less brightly: "It's alright."

The two walked for a while longer, until the corridor was empty except for the crackling of torches and the sound of their own footsteps.

Lena slowed down, and Samuel slowed down as well.

"Samuel," Lina said in a low voice.

"Um."

"What you mean by what Snape said... what if?"

Samuel turned his head to look at her, but didn't reply immediately.

Lena bit her lip: "I know it's acting, and I know Snape is asking on behalf of someone else, but what he said, that Black's protection won't always last... what if?"

What if Blake stops protecting us one day?

Samuel stopped and turned around. "Did you do what Blake asked us to do?"

Lina paused for a moment, then said, "It's done."

Samuel then asked, "Is it finished?"

Lina answered quickly this time: "Not yet, but soon."

"Did he say that once it's done, you don't need to do it again?"

Lina thought for a moment, then shook her head: "No."

"That means there will be a next time," Samuel's voice was steady and his tone was firm. "He asked us to do things, which means we are useful. Useful people won't be thrown away so easily."

Lina looked at him, her brow still furrowed: "What if he doesn't need it anymore someday?"

Samuel's tone remained the same: "Then let's find a way to make ourselves more useful."

Lina stared at him for a moment, then smiled.

She raised her hand and slapped Samuel's arm hard, the sound echoing down the hallway.

"You think you know so much?"

Samuel was jolted to the side by the slap, but regained his balance, said nothing, and the corners of his mouth curved up a little wider than before.

Lina clapped her hands: "Let's go, it's time to find Alex."

The two continued walking forward.

Lena quickened her pace a little, with Samuel following behind, his steps still steady.

After walking for a while, Lina suddenly said, "Do you think Snape's face was born that sinister?"

Samuel thought for a moment: "He was probably beaten up."

"Who hit him?"

"I don't know, but that face, it's sinister even without being hit."

Lina laughed out loud: "The way he talks, it's like someone owes him money."

"Someone might actually owe him money."

"Who?"

"I don't know, but the way he sounded didn't seem like he owed me a little, it sounded like he owed me a lot."

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