Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Chapter 293 dealt with him.

Regulus continued, "I'll take the opportunity to include the Lestrange family in the conversation, and I'll respond at the dinner with a solid reason."

Orion stared at him: "Can you stand up?"

Regulus nodded.

Orion didn't press the matter further.

If Regulus says he can stand, then he can stand.

The study was quiet for a while.

Regulus was silent for a moment, then continued, his tone unchanged: "At the banquet, I will use the power of Dark Enlightenment."

Orion's breathing quickened for a moment, then returned to normal.

"It will look like it's eroding me," Regulus said, "but I can control it."

Orion remained silent for longer than ever before.

Dark Inspiration, something sent by Voldemort.

He knew how Regulus had handled it; they had discussed it before: Occlumency, mental techniques, isolation zones, controlled research.

Regulus said it was no problem, and he believed him.

Now Regulus says he will release it at the banquet, in front of everyone, to let that power leave its mark on him.

"Are you alright?" Orion's voice lowered, his tone filled with obvious worry.

Regulus nodded.

Orion was silent for a moment, then simply said, "It's your decision."

Regulus hummed in agreement.

Regulus knew why his father asked that question, and he also knew why his father only asked that one question.

His relationship with Orion was not just that of father and son, but also that of allies.

Allies need to have equal access to information.

The situation in France, Dumbledore's involvement, and Lemaître's guidance—these must be told to my father, so that he knows the full picture of the situation.

Dumbledore has already invested resources in his path, and Lemaître's guidance is the signpost on that path.

As the head of the Black family, Orion needs to know these things in order to make an accurate judgment on the overall situation.

The same applies to enlightenment from darkness; others can keep it from you, and they should keep it from you.

The news will get out and will inevitably reach Voldemort's side.

What he wanted was for word to spread that the Black family heir was being influenced by darkness, was heading down that path, and was becoming what Voldemort wanted to see.

Bella won't know that he used it voluntarily. Voldemort may or may not know, it doesn't matter, he will see that he used it.

But the father should know.

If he hadn't told Orion beforehand, what would Orion have thought when he witnessed Orion's corrupted state at the dinner party?

Given Orion's personality, he wouldn't lose his composure on the spot, but he would form a judgment: was Regulus truly influenced by the Dark Inspiration?

Once this judgment is formed, a crack will appear in the trust between father and son.

Orion will certainly believe him, but Orion will also see the evidence.

What you see with your own eyes leaves an imprint on your mind, and every time you think about it, it will shake your resolve.

Therefore, this crack must be sealed in this study beforehand.

But Regulus didn't intend to reveal all the details.

Orion didn't know Betelgeuse, nor did he know the extent of his mental defenses.

But Orion knew he wouldn't do anything reckless.

So he didn't say exactly how to do it, how to perform it, or how to conclude it.

That happened at the dinner party. Everything that needed to be discussed was discussed, and everything that needed to be revealed was revealed. He can handle the rest himself.

This is an unspoken understanding between father and son.

Orion's tone softened slightly: "All of this, is for feeding it?"

Regulus looked at his father and nodded: "Yes."

Sheltering the half-bloods, fighting against Bella, dragging Lestrange into the fray, and using the power of dark enlightenment at the dinner party—all of these are indeed nourishing the soul.

But that's not all; there's also Rigel.

The conditions required to ignite it highly overlap with those for nourishing the soul, exerting influence outward, revealing its brilliance, and allowing its existence to be perceived by a larger world.

These two things overlapped in their approach.

One needs to push outwards, and the other also needs to push outwards; one needs to exert influence, and the other also needs to exert influence.

Therefore, there's no need to separate them; the reasons are sufficient.

And then there's the Dark Enlightenment itself.

In France, Nicolas Flamel spoke of a guardian spirit, of light, of the soul that feeds on things that are bright.

But Regulus had already considered that the standard answer was not necessarily the only answer.

If the soul can consume light, can it also consume darkness?

Those dark, destructive things that bring order to a standstill, those moments of rage, those surges of murderous intent, those cold-blooded commands of destruction.

What would happen if these could also be turned into nutrients?

What will happen to their souls if they eat together?

Creation and destruction can be cyclical, but are light and darkness necessarily opposites?

He still doesn't have an answer to this question.

But what he was going to do at the dinner party was itself a test.

Release the power of dark enlightenment, opposite the guardian deity, on the other side of the soul, and see how the soul reacts after those things enter.

He doesn't know what the light side holds, but he wants to know what the dark side holds.

Orion didn't need to know these ideas; knowing them wouldn't have made a difference. It was his own path.

But it was enough that Orion understood what he said.

The father will understand why he did this, setting up this scheme to target Bella, to lure Lestrange in, and to stage a drama at the dinner party.

Every step has its place.

Orion took a sip of tea, and the cup fell softly to the table with a very light clink.

He didn't ask any more questions.

Regulus's voice rang out again: "There's one more thing."

He took a feather from the inside pocket of his robe.

It is golden red, with a deep red base that becomes brighter towards the tip, and the very end is a flowing orange-gold, like a small cluster of solidified flames.

It lay in Regulus's palm, still faintly warm.

When you hold it, you can feel an extremely slow undulation, like holding something that is breathing.

"Fox's tail feathers, Dumbledore's phoenix."

Orion's gaze fell on the feather.

"The worst-case insurance policy can only take me with it."

Orion nodded.

That's right.

If things really come to a worst, it would be enough if Regulus could get away.

The father and son fell silent at the same time, both thinking about the same thing.

Phoenix flames exploded at Lestrange Manor, and the light would be seen by everyone.

That was Dumbledore's mark, the most prominent symbol he left in the world.

The Black family heir escaped using the Phoenix Flame, which means that the secret relationship between the Black family and Dumbledore has been brought to the forefront, and there is only one worst-case scenario.

Regulus put the phoenix tail feather back into his inner pocket: "I won't use it until the very last moment."

6"6

Orion nodded again, without saying anything.

He knew it was just insurance, but he didn't think things would go that far.

That doesn't make sense.

It's just hitting Bella. Even if you kill her, so what?

Bella's death would displease Voldemort, and he would need to explain himself, but he wouldn't turn against the Black family for her sake.

Bella alone is no match for the entire Black family, who are all on Voldemort's side; she is far inferior.

Moreover, Bella's influence with Voldemort was largely due to her surname, Black.

loyalty?

How many Galleons is loyalty worth?

The Black family can also be loyal.

Moreover, Voldemort hasn't shown his face for a long time.

But insurance is insurance; its purpose is to protect you in case of unforeseen circumstances.

That's all I had to say.

Orion stood up, the chair leg making a soft thud on the floor, and walked to the window.

Outside the window is the night view of Place Grimoire; the trees are bare in winter, their branches casting messy shadows in the light of the streetlights.

He stood by the window for a while, with his back to the desk and his two sons.

A long time passed.

"Regulus".

Regulus stood up and walked to his father's side.

"Go do what you want," Orion said, his gaze still fixed on the view outside the window. "Don't worry about things at home."

The Black family's foundation in the wizarding world cannot be shaken by a dinner party, a conflict, or a choice.

Even if the worst happens, the Black family will still be the Black family.

Wissengamo's seat is still there, its industries are still there, its political capital accumulated over hundreds of years is still there, and its network of connections built up through generations of marriage is still there.

These things are needed regardless of who wins.

The Black family has weathered countless upheavals in the magical world over the centuries, and they haven't always chosen the right side.

Voldemort won, and he needed the pure-blood reputation and heritage of the Black family to uphold the facade of his new order.

Dumbledore won, and the Black family's influence in the pure-blood circle is needed to stabilize the post-war situation.

As long as the Black family doesn't collapse, they have options on both sides.

But Orion also knew that if this feather were exposed, the Black family's position on Voldemort's side would be shaken.

That's no big deal, we can just cut it up.

Regulus was expelled from the family and severed ties with the Black family. This was a tactic that pure-blood families had been doing for hundreds of years and were very familiar with.

Sirius was simply letting Regulus walk the path that he would eventually have to walk.

And even if it comes to that, it's not the end.

Orion understood perfectly well that as long as Regulus was still alive, the Black family would never be finished.

The son's talent, his abilities, his understanding of magic, and the path he has chosen—these things will not disappear just because he has been removed from the list.

Even if the Black family mansion were to collapse one day, be purged by Voldemort, be isolated by the pure-blood circle, be targeted by the Ministry of Magic, and even have the Black surname removed.

But Blake's power won't diminish.

Once the storm has passed, once the situation has changed, once Regulus has truly grown into the person he should be, the Black family will be even stronger than they are now.

This is not a tragic gamble, but simply a father's judgment of his son.

He had absolute faith.

Regulus stood beside his father, the two of them side by side by the window, both looking outside.

"Don't worry, Father," Regulus said.

Orion turned around to face him.

He looked at Regulus's face for a few moments, then reached out and placed his hand on Regulus's shoulder.

His hand paused there for a moment, feeling the width and firmness of the shoulder, and then the corner of his mouth turned up slightly.

"You've grown taller."

Regulus smiled as well.

Orion withdrew his hand and walked back behind his desk to sit down.

He glanced at Sirius, who was still sitting in the chair, then at Regulus, and gestured with his chin toward Sirius.

"Get rid of him."