Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Chapter 396 The Happy Little Wizard

The young wizards carried their schoolbags and walked out, Avery shaking the water off his sleeves.

Alex repaired the shattered glass, Hermes had already reached the door, and Lina and Samuel followed at the back.

Flitwick was organizing his lesson plan on the podium, titled "Standard Spells - Beginner Level," when he waved to the students who were walking out.

Regulus stood up, placed the neatly frozen glass of ice on the windowsill, and stepped out of the classroom.

The auditorium was bustling with activity at noon.

The long table was piled high with food.

Thick slices of roast beef are arranged on a white porcelain plate, Yorkshire pudding is drizzled with gravy, mashed potatoes are piled high, steaming vegetables are rising, and a whole roasted salmon lies on a silver plate, its surface baked to a golden brown.

Pumpkin juice and sparkling water are laid out in the middle of the long table, feel free to take them. Garlic bread in the bread basket is fresh out of the oven, and butter is slowly melting on a plate.

The ceiling reflected the bright blue of the sky outside, with a few wisps of thin clouds hanging in the sky. Sunlight streamed down, illuminating the Hufflepuffs at the long table on the east side.

The little wizards chattered away.

A few fifth-graders in Gryffindor were arguing about the Quidditch lineup for next month. One said the Chaser should be replaced, while another slammed his fist on the table and said the current lineup had been in sync for a whole year, so why change it?

In Ravenclaw, someone had spread their notes next to their plate, poking at a potato with their fork, staring at the parchment, and muttering to themselves, probably preparing for their final exam.

The Hufflepuffs were standing in a circle, with an older student in the middle gesturing something. Judging from the laughter, it was probably because a professor had told another unfunny joke in class.

Two fifth-graders were leaning against the wall in a corner, their heads very close together. The girl's blonde hair fell down, obscuring their faces. The boy next to them tactfully moved aside to give them more space.

Homework, Quidditch, dating—these are the few troubles a little wizard has.

Exam week is still far away, the paper deadline hasn't arrived yet, it's Friday, everyone's waiting for the weekend, and a lazy restlessness permeates the whole castle.

Regulus cut the roast beef on his plate, his ears filled with the surrounding noise.

He put a piece of beef in his mouth and chewed, his gaze sweeping from the Slytherin table to Gryffindor, and then from Gryffindor to Hufflepuff.

These faces—smiling faces, frowning faces, faces whispering together, faces staring blankly at a plate of mashed potatoes—are all enveloped by this castle.

Dumbledore stood at the door, McGonagall patrolled the corridor, and the professors kept the wind and rain outside the stone walls.

So here you can laugh, you can argue, you can bang on the table for Quidditch lineups, you can spread your notes out next to your plate while eating and memorizing, and you can do whatever you want in a corner without a care in the world.

That's not entirely true outside.

Most of the time, the outside world is peaceful. At least before the war officially starts, you won't run into anything fatal once you leave the school.

But there are always exceptions.

Edgar Tomlin, who was sitting in this auditorium last year, had a seat at the Hufflepuff table, surrounded by friends, and some upperclassmen might still recognize him now.

This year, I was living in an abandoned mining village in Yorkshire when I was bitten by a lone werewolf. My life took a turn for the worse, and my life has been completely different ever since.

It wasn't during wartime, nor was it on a battlefield. It was just an ordinary day when I went to the swamp to collect herbs and bumped into it.

There's no logic to these things; you just run into them. It's bad luck, but more often it's a matter of not being capable enough.

Most people here fall into this category: they have no special skills, but they are carefree, as if their fate is determined only by how unlucky they are.

Regulus looked away, put the last piece of beef in his mouth, and put down his knife and fork.

He glanced at the guys on the table, then stood up and walked out.

Avery paused for a moment, then jumped up first to chase after them, followed by Alex and Hermes, with Lena and Samuel bringing up the rear.

Regulus glanced at the Gryffindor table as he passed it.

Sirius was sitting next to James, stuffing a roasted potato into his mouth.

Cheeks puffed out, chewing, chewing, chewing.

Perhaps sensing something, maybe a gaze, or something else, she looked up and met Regulus's eyes.

He paused for a moment, still chewing.

Then he bared his teeth at Regulus, and bits of roasted potato almost fell from the corner of his mouth.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes shining with a somewhat deliberate intensity, exuding an aura that said, "Look at me, I'm exactly the same as always."

A little silly, a little dazed, a little indifferent, a little carefree.

Regulus looked away and stopped looking at him.

Sirius wasn't like this before.

Previously, in public places—corridors, auditoriums, anywhere with other people present—he would simply nod to Regulus, perhaps offering a pumpkin juice as a gesture of acquaintance, yet maintaining a respectful distance.

Only when they were alone, walking backwards on the cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade, or comparing heights in the corridors of Grimmauld Place, would he bare his teeth, raise his eyebrows, and say those nonsensical things.

Now, in the Great Hall, amidst the crowd, and under the watchful eyes of dozens of Gryffindors and Slytherins, he bared his teeth at Regulus.

He was trying to act as usual, just like when it was just the two of them.

This kind of effort is abnormal in itself; feigned indifference is easier to see through than silence.

It's probably related to the fight yesterday. I either hit someone of his or was hit by someone of his. I saw him again today and didn't know how to face him, so I just used the most outgoing way to brush it off.

It could also be related to the funeral the night before last, to Lucius, and to everything he hasn't accepted yet.

Regulus continued toward the cellar.

In the Slytherin common room, the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly.

Regulus sat down on the sofa by the fireplace, Avery plopped down next to him, Alex sat down on the sofa opposite, and Hermes leaned against the armrest next to Alex, staring blankly at the fireplace.

Lena and Samuel stood to the side of the sofa, not intending to sit down.

Regulus looked at them and gestured with his chin toward the ground: "Sit."

The two looked at each other, then sat down next to Alex, their shoulders hunched and their legs together.

Regulus fell silent and looked at each of them in turn.

Alex was looking down at his shoelaces, Hermes was staring at the fireplace, Lena shrank closer to Alex, and Samuel kept his head down.

Finally, he looked away, but not at Avery.

Avery shifted slightly, his knee bumping against the sofa armrest. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, then opened it again, but Regulus still didn't look at him.

Avery turned around completely, leaning his upper body forward, almost raising his hands.

Regulus's gaze steadily passed over him and landed on the fireplace.

Alex sighed. "I had a fight with Gryffindor last night."

Regulus turned to him.

"Herbalism class is over, we're heading back from Greenhouse Three," Alex rubbed his fingers together, trying to sound as objective as possible, "James Potter is coming with his gang, Black—"

I mean, Sirius, Sirius, what did he say? Not only did he chat and laugh with Death Eaters at the funeral, but he also raised a bunch of pureblood lackeys, saying that we are all his lackeys.

Avery replied that they were four good-for-nothings who only knew how to bully mixed-race people and younger students, and that the other side had attacked first.

Sirius Black pointed his wand at Avery, Potter chimed in, and Lupin tried to stop him but failed.

Avery couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned almost against Regulus, his eyes full of smugness, and slapped the armrest of the sofa.

"James Potter's petrification spell went completely astray. The spell flew to the left, and he attacked to the right, only to be tripped up by my Obstruction Charm, his nose hitting the ground, and blood spurted out like this."

He held up his finger to measure the length in front of his nose, about two inches, then, feeling it wasn't enough, he stretched it out: "This long! He later got up and hurled curses at me, hitting my leg and leaving a bruise."

He patted his thigh, wincing in pain, but stubbornly insisted, "That little bruise is nothing."

"That curse on your leg was cast by him," Alex glanced at him and added, "and Mrs. Pomfrey did your nose job too."

"Madame Pomfrey's potion works wonders; he'll be fine after drinking it," Avery said nonchalantly, a grin spreading across his face. "That punch in the face was my way of paying back; my nose was bleeding profusely—"

If you hadn't pulled me back, I could have slapped him again.

Alex turned to Regulus: "Lina and Samuel are fighting Peter Pediru. Pediru is small and slow, to be honest."

He shrugged, his tone relaxed, and continued, "Not very good, but they're still third-year students."

Then he turned to look at the two people beside him: "Lina first used a softening spell to soften the stone slab under his feet, and he slipped. Samuel then followed up with a disarming spell that knocked his wand away."

Then Lina cast a petrification spell, freezing him in place, his hand still gripping his wand. The two of them were down in a few swift moves.

Lina looked up, her eyes lit up for a moment, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, but she quickly put them back down, lowered her head, and rubbed her fingers back and forth on her knees.

Samuel gave a soft "hmm" from the side, glanced down at Lina, then looked back.

Alex then looked at Hermes: "Hermes to Sirius."

Hermes was still staring at the fireplace, even more intently than before.

His posture remained unchanged, with his buttocks resting on the sofa armrest, his legs stretched out, and his ankles crossed on the ground, as if the flames in the fireplace were the most wonderful thing in the world.

But he knew everyone was watching him.

Alex waited a moment, and seeing that he showed no intention of speaking, he continued the conversation for him.

"No dark magic was used, and the fight was evenly matched. Sirius started with a flock of birds and a disarming spell. The spell was very fast, and Hermes blocked it."

Later, Sirius switched to the Explosion Charm. Hermes blocked one with a Barrier Charm, but the second one went astray, grazing his arm and burning a hole in his robe.

Hermes returned the Shattering Curse, striking Sirius near his feet instead of hitting him, and Sirius dodged it.

They fought for about six or seven minutes, and both of them were injured. Sirius had a scrape on his face, and Hermes had a burn on his arm. Later, Lady Pomfrey applied medicine to it.

Finally, Professor McGonagall arrived and separated the two sides.

"Five to four," Alex concluded, "that's a tie."

"We won!" Avery turned and glared at him, dissatisfied with Alex's statement. "Lina and Samuel took down Pedilú, so it was five against three—you're siding with outsiders, aren't you?"

Alex emphasized, "Porter and Lupin didn't fall either."

Avery corrected, "Who slapped Lupin with that curse mark on his face? I did! He didn't even recognize himself when he looked in the mirror afterward."

Alex added, "Then you got hit by Porter from the side."

The two stared at each other for a moment. Alex's expression was calm, while Avery's nostrils flared.

Then Avery snorted, slumped back on the sofa, and crossed his arms: "Anyway, we won."

After listening, Regulus thought these guys were doing alright.

Five against four, second graders against third graders, it's a tie.

On Sirius's side, James and Sirius are known for their fighting prowess in Gryffindor, considered to be among the top tier of third-year students, especially Sirius, who could almost be ranked number one.

Lupin wasn't bad either, and although Peter was timid, his skill level was really not high.

On their side, Hermes was able to hold his own against Sirius without using dark magic, Avery and Alex weren't overwhelmed, and Lena and Samuel worked together to take down Peter.

These guys have been practicing for so long, they've actually gotten quite good at it.

As for Potter and his friends, the three third-year students plus Peter were evenly matched against the five second-year students.

He waited until the third grade, then beating up the second graders wouldn't be so difficult; there wouldn't be enough second graders for him to beat.

Hermes was still staring at the fireplace.

This guy was the most guilty. While others were a mix of excitement and nervousness, he didn't glance at Regulus once from beginning to end.

Alex may not have told the whole story, but he probably played quite hard against Sirius yesterday.

But this is good, Sirius needs to be pushed forward.

Lily hadn't even made a move when she was beaten by the second-year students. Whether she wins or draws, if she can't take them down in one go, then she's terrible.

Lena and Samuel were genuinely nervous; they were both looking at him, their shoulders hunched, as if they had done something wrong and were waiting for criticism.

Regulus nodded to them first: "Not bad."

Lena was stunned for a moment. She had already prepared herself to be scolded and was about to take action when the professor caught her. The other party was Blake's older brother.

Blake said it was good.

Her smile instantly blossomed, her eyes lit up, and she straightened her small frame.

Samuel lowered his head, let out a soft breath, and relaxed his shoulders.

Regulus turned to Alex: "Give them some pointers when you have time."

Alex nodded immediately: "No problem."

"Thank you, Blake!"

Lena's voice was clear and crisp, while Samuel's was a bit lower. The two spoke almost simultaneously, their voices overlapping.

Regulus looked at Avery again.

Avery was grinning, his chin slightly raised, his eyes full of smug anticipation for praise.

Regulus asked, "That's it?"

Avery's smile froze for a moment, his gaze drifting to Alex, who was looking at the fireplace.

It then drifted toward Hermes, who was also looking at the fireplace.

He cleared his throat, his voice lower than before: "Professor McGonagall caught us."

Regulus remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Points have been deducted. Slytherin lost twenty points, and Gryffindor also lost twenty points."

Avery spoke casually, trying to downplay the matter: "Professor Slughorn said that since it's his first offense, solitary confinement will suffice."

Regulus asked, "What confinement?"

"Tonight, we're going to the Forbidden Forest to gather some things for the professor: moonshine moss and luminous mushrooms, which he says are for making a sedative. Hagrid will take us there."

Avery pursed his lips: "With Potter and the others."

After listening, Regulus said, "That's good."

.

Avery opened his mouth again, Alex looked up, and Hermes turned his eyes toward the fireplace.

Regulus said, "I'll go too."

.