Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

The commotion from the Slytherin welcoming party had not yet completely subsided, and the crowd was gradually dispersing in twos and threes, whispering about the brief duel that had just taken place.

Regulus had just stepped out of the open space in the center of the lounge, preparing to return to his dormitory, when a voice called out to him.

"Regulus".

It was Narcissa Black, standing by the archway leading to the girls' dormitory. Unlike usual, she wasn't surrounded by other upperclassmen girls, so she was clearly waiting there on purpose.

Several upperclassmen who had originally intended to surround Regulus, the newly crowned chief, wisely stopped in their tracks upon seeing this.

"Cousin Narcissa." Regulus stopped and walked towards her. He wasn't surprised that Narcissa would come to him, but it was earlier than he expected.

Narcissa didn't speak, but gestured for him to follow.

The two walked one after the other into a secluded stone corridor outside the lounge. There were no portraits here, only cold stone walls and eerie green torches burning every few steps.

After making sure no one was around, Narcissa turned around, her face showing a mixture of worry and seriousness.

She took out an envelope sealed with black wax from her sleeve. The wax seal was printed with a hideous skull holding a snake in its mouth.

A symbol that has not yet been made public, but is already tacitly understood in certain circles.

"A letter from Bella." Narcissa handed over the letter, her voice low. "She specifically instructed that it be given to you only after you've secured the top spot."

Regulus took the letter; the black envelope felt cool to the touch and carried a lingering, unsettling magical energy.

He didn't open it immediately, but looked at Narcissa.

Narcissa seemed to understand his question and sighed softly, "The winds outside are getting stronger, Regulus."

Her voice carried a hint of weariness: "That man's influence has expanded rapidly, no longer limited to secret gatherings and petty squabbles."

He has people in the Ministry of Magic, Wisengamori, and even the Hogwarts board of directors, or people who fear him.

Some shops in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade have quietly changed hands, and a few dissenting tabloid editors have resigned and taken leave.

Two other officials in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who publicly questioned the abuse of the Statute of Secrets were found last month seriously injured after accidentally triggering dangerous experimental magic at home and were admitted to St. Mungo's.

She looked at Regulus: "He's very shrewd and charismatic. He's woven a web of promises, threats, and real, demonstrated power."

Among the pure-blood families, the Lestrange family is already at the core, while the Nott, Carroll, and Yaxley families are also clearly distinguished. Many others are observing and weighing their options, including the Malfoys...

She took a deep breath: "...Malfoy was among them."

Regulus understood what she meant.

Narcissa Black herself may not have fully agreed with Voldemort's mad conquest and purge, but as she was about to marry into the Malfoy family, her stance would be tied to Lucius Malfoy and the choices of the entire Malfoy family.

She had no choice.

This largely aligns with his knowledge of history, and even more clearly outlines the picture before Voldemort's first rise to power.

"Thank you for informing me, cousin," Regulus said calmly, putting the letter into the inner pocket of his robe.

Narcissa looked at his calm and expressionless face, seemingly trying to find even a trace of panic or fear in his eyes, but she failed.

She finally whispered, "Be careful of Bella, she's different now. And be careful of what's in the letter. You're still young, but that doesn't mean you can stay out of it forever."

After saying that, she nodded slightly, turned around and quickly left the stone corridor, the hem of her robe brushing against the stone surface, leaving a slight sound.

When they returned to the dormitory, Avery, Hermes, and Alex had not yet come back.

Regulus drew his bed curtains and cast a soundproofing spell before taking out the black letter.

Upon tearing open the wax seal, a faint scent wafted out, a blend of an expensive perfume and a deeper, more scorching aroma.

The letter was written on thick parchment, with bold, messy handwriting that was so powerful it seemed to pierce the paper, revealing the writer's excited and unstable emotions.

To my dear cousin Regulus:

I am delighted to hear that you have distinguished yourself at Hogwarts and been awarded the position of First in Slytherin.

The noble blood of the Black family flows in your veins; you have indeed not disappointed me, the family, or that lord!

This is a great era, Regulus!

The old order is crumbling, and the corrupt Ministry of Magic is controlled by cowards and Mudblood sympathizers, tarnishing our inherent rights and glory!

But dawn is coming!

A true king has risen, and he will lead us to cleanse this filthy world and rebuild the eternal order that belongs to pure-blood wizards!

Power! Glory! Domination! That's what we deserve!

You've shown talent, but that's far from enough! You must grow faster, become stronger, and more determined!

The Slytherin game is just beginning; the real battle is outside the castle!

That lord needs loyal and powerful followers, and the Black family must occupy the most prominent position in this new hall!

Do not be misled by weak emotions, and do not be bound by hypocritical morality!

Might makes right, and right belongs only to the victors!

I have informed that lord of your situation. He is very interested in you, Blake, who has shown extraordinary skill at such a young age, which has shown him potential.

Remember this attention, Regulus. It is a great honor and should be your motivation. Don't let it down!

Be ready, cousin, when the call comes, prove that you are worthy of the name Blake and worthy of serving a greater cause!

—Your loyal and hopeful cousin,

Bellatrix Lestrange

The letter has been read.

Regulus placed the letter on his lap, expressionless.

Bella's almost overflowing fanaticism, paranoia, and thirst for violent power were even stronger than he had anticipated.

That's no longer a simple follower mentality, but a morbid form of devotion and worship.

The coercive tone in the letter is also quite obvious. Bella, or rather Voldemort behind her, did not exclude him from her sight just because he was only eleven years old.

The letter especially mentioned that Voldemort had noticed him and was very interested in him, which was definitely not a good thing.

That often means close scrutiny and rigorous testing, as well as the potential for destruction if expectations are not met.

He originally thought he would have at least a few years of buffer time to accumulate strength more calmly and explore his own path.

Now it seems that time is more pressing than he imagined; Voldemort's web is tightening, and the Black family is already deeply entangled in it.

A chilling sense of unease rapidly grew within his usually calm heart.

When Regulus walked out of the dormitory, there were still quite a few people in the lounge.

He spotted Alger Travers immediately. The fifth-grader, whom he had publicly humiliated at the beginning of the school year, was surrounded by several pure-blooded followers.

They occupied the area around the fireplace, talking in a moderate voice, their eyes occasionally glancing towards the dormitory corridor.

Upon seeing Regulus emerge, Travers deliberately raised his voice.

"...So, no matter how talented someone is, they are still a little baby who needs to be taken care of. What is the top student in the first year?"

A true Slytherin is someone who looks at the long term and has real influence. Do you really think you're something special just because you have a little cleverness and luck, and get a few compliments?

His henchmen let out a few low chuckles in agreement.

Several upperclassmen who hadn't left yet, including some neutrals, all looked over, their faces showing expressions of anticipation.

They were certainly aware of the past conflict between Travers and Regulus, and understood that Travers's sudden appearance was simply an attempt to embarrass the new chief at the height of his power.

This kind of drama is nothing new in Slytherin.

Avery and Alex were in the sofa area not far away. Avery frowned, looking at Travers and then at Regulus.

Alex looked uneasy.

Even Hermes, who had been hiding in the corner, moved closer to Regulus, stopping when he was about five meters away and silently watching him.

"Travers," a sixth-grade girl, the one who had praised Regulus earlier, spoke up, "That's enough, he's only a first-year student."

"First year?" Alger Travers scoffed, turning his head to finally look Regulus in the eye, his face displaying undisguised malice and a confident, defiant air.

"A first-grader already knows how to use some shady tricks he learned from who-knows-where to deal with older students? A first-grader can already make some people infatuated and fawn over him?"

I'm just stating the facts. Young people should know how to be humble and respect their elders, instead of being arrogant just because they have some talent.

Do you really think being First in Slytherin is some kind of amazing achievement?