Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Chapter 401 Regulus's On-Site Instruction

Regulus intends to teach magic perception.

Magic perception isn't anything profound; ultimately, it's a sense that wizards are born with, just like how eyes can see and ears can hear.

Most junior wizards don't use it on their own initiative, let alone practice it deliberately. They just use it casually when casting spells, and that's enough.

The school doesn't offer a specific course on this topic. Most people, as they get older and their magical abilities increase, and they come into contact with more magic, they naturally become able to perceive some of it.

But perception is one thing, and how well one can achieve it depends entirely on luck.

Regulus had seen both of the two most different ends.

On the other hand, one might only vaguely sense the existence or non-existence of something throughout their entire life.

When casting a spell, you can feel something under your hands; when the potion is almost over-cooked, you can sense something is wrong, that's all.

Most wizards are like this; they can make a living, but it becomes difficult to go any deeper.

On the other side, you can see the magic itself, how it flows, where it converges, and what properties it carries.

When a spell is cast, the trail it leaves in the air, the nodes of the magical structure, can be read layer by layer.

Going further up, one can roughly gauge the strength, stability, and hidden extent of a person's magic with just a glance.

What separates them is the difference between heaven and earth.

However, some paths require that this step be taken firmly.

If you want to enter a certain industry after graduation, magical perception is the most basic foundation. If the foundation is not solid, anything you build on top of it will be empty.

When brewing high-level potions, if the magical power in the ingredients is slightly off when they fuse in the crucible, the properties of the entire potion will change. You have to rely on your perception to keep an eye on every step of the transformation; the recipe and techniques alone are not enough.

Alchemy is also inseparable from metals; without accurately understanding the magical pathways within the metals, transformation is just empty talk.

Gringotts' unravelers specialize in entering ancient tombs that are hundreds of years old. The walls and floors are covered with magic and curses that have been stacked for hundreds of years. If your perception is not accurate, you won't be able to come out unscathed after going in.

In actual combat, Aurors must be able to read the spell's pattern and direction before the opponent's spell is fully formed; otherwise, they will lose their lives.

In these professions, if your perception isn't up to par, you can't even get in the door. Once you're in, moving up the ranks, it all comes down to the fundamentals.

So this thing may seem insignificant, but like magic manipulation, the gap between its upper and lower limits is extremely large.

Both are called "magic perception," but one can save lives, while the other relies on its nose even when a crucible is about to explode.

Pure-blooded families can usually teach this, and mixed-race families who are willing to do so can also do it, but they generally won't start teaching it in the first or second grade.

According to traditional thinking, it is safest to teach children only after their magical abilities have developed to a certain extent, their willpower has stabilized, and their spirit has been strengthened.

Needless to say, Avery and Hermes' families will teach them sooner or later, and Alex should be fine too.

As for Lina and Samuel, if he doesn't teach them, they'll probably just have to wait until they're old enough to figure it out on their own.

How it turns out is up to fate.

But Regulus didn't think so.

In his view, perception, like manipulation, is fundamental, so it should be done as early as possible, because that's how he is.

So I happened to be there and decided to teach him.

Regulus snapped out of his thoughts and glanced around. Lina was clutching a handful of freshly picked moonlight moss in her hand.

This stuff isn't rare; it's a basic potion ingredient. It's useful for first-year students when making sedatives and healing ointments, but second-year students don't need it anymore.

Its magic is clean, stable, clear, and simple, making it perfect for young wizards to practice with.

Several people stood in a semi-circle, all looking at him.

Regulus raised his chin slightly: "Lina, lift her up."

Lina paused for a moment, looked down, and quickly held the moss to her chest, the cold white light reflecting on her face.

"Don't look with your eyes."

Regulus's voice wasn't loud, and it had something else mixed in.

A gentle spiritual force spread out, carrying a soothing tendency, calm and quiet, following the tone of the voice, gently suppressing the excitement and restlessness of the group, and calming them down.

"Close your eyes, use your magic to touch it, and the feeling will be different from touching anything else."

These people were completely unguarded in front of him, and the connection was established almost instantly.

He pushed what he had sensed—the magical texture of the moonlight moss, the cool magic—into their minds through the connection.

This method couldn't be simpler. Instead of wasting time explaining what it's like to experience magical perception, it's better to let them taste it directly.

They can't find the door, mostly because they don't know what they're looking for. Their senses are there, but they haven't put any effort into it.

Lead them to see what that cold, white glimmer of light looks like in their magical perception. It is very light, very weak, and very cool, but it is completely different from the surrounding stones, soil, and withered leaves.

Just send them a little so they can have a taste, and next time they'll know where to get it.

Those senses that had been ignored were awakened by this stimulation.

Hermes was the first to react. He lifted his eyelids, glanced at the moonspotted moss, then shrugged, took a few steps back, and leaned back against the tree trunk, acting as if it was no big deal.

He immediately felt the coolness, but he didn't care. What Regulus had asked him to do was utterly boring to him.

Regulus glanced at him.

This guy's talent is indeed the highest, and his mental strength is also stronger than others. It was expected that he would be the first to capture it.

But he has absolutely no interest in slow and meticulous work. Like the Occupational Therapy, he is only willing to practice it because the instructor makes him practice it. The consequences must be explained before he will take the initiative.

Regulus didn't care about him; as long as he obeyed, that was enough.

Avery also joined in the commotion; the pure-blooded young master was indeed quite talented.

He closed his eyes, his brows furrowed slightly, then suddenly opened them, looked down at the Moonlight Moss in Lina's hand, and his face said, "So this is magic perception. It's not that mysterious after all."

He moved a step to the side, closer to Lina, and poked the moss thread with his finger. He found that the texture and the magical feel were indeed different. He poked it again.

Then he started looking at the others, and after a couple of glances, a grin spread across his face.

Lina reacted the most outwardly, letting out a gasp, her eyes widening as she looked down at her hand, then at Regulus, her face full of astonishment.

"I feel it! Is it that cool feeling—"

Before she could finish speaking, she quickly closed her eyes again, afraid that the feeling would vanish. When she opened them again, her face was full of joyful excitement.

It was the first time she had ever felt magic, and she couldn't contain her excitement.

She opened her eyes again, looking at Regulus with a light shining in them, it was hard to tell whether the moss in her hand was brighter or her eyes were brighter.

Regulus looked over and nodded slightly.

Lina grinned widely, turning her head to examine the person who hadn't opened their eyes yet, while her hand remained firmly raised.

Avery glanced at Lena, then at Regulus, and quietly moved closer to Alex, nudging him with his elbow. "Did you feel that?"

Alex kept his eyes closed and didn't make a sound. His brows twitched slightly. After about ten seconds, he opened his eyes, looked down at his fingers, and then looked up at Lina.

Lena was still in high spirits when she saw Alex looking over. She smiled at him, and the large, cold white light reflected on her face, making her look quite radiant.

Alex looked away, let out a soft breath, ignored Avery, turned to Regulus, and nodded.

Samuel was the last to open his eyes. He glanced at Alex first, then quickly looked away, saying softly, "I sensed it."

Regulus glanced at him again.

Lena's excitement was genuine, but Samuel's slowness was feigned.

He had clearly sensed it long ago, but he kept quiet and waited until Alex took a breath and opened his eyes before adding the last one, deliberately making sure Alex wasn't at the bottom.

Just a little thought.

Alex was in charge of Lina and Samuel, and his role in uniting the gentle purebloods and half-bloods was exactly what he was doing in this small group.

Samuel understood it clearly and had long since figured out the ins and outs of it.

So instead of rushing ahead of Alex, he took the last spot for himself, and helped Alex up, while also supporting Lina.

No vying, no fighting, quiet and steady.

Regulus didn't say anything, he just glanced at Alex.

This guy's talent is average, the worst among the five, but he's not bad to have someone under him who's willing to help him figure things out.

However, this doesn't prove anything.

Perceiving something so small, with a difference of less than half a minute, is nothing. Besides, touching the door and walking in are two different things.

Those who follow him are all pretty good, provided they are obedient and willing to train. Alex has always done well in this regard.

"You sensed it all?" Regulus withdrew the mental connection, his voice returning to normal: "Remember that feeling."

"Now use your own magic to touch the things around you: the moonlight moss in the cracks of the rocks, the glowing ferns under the tree roots, and the few glowing mushrooms under that old oak tree."

"Don't use your eyes, use your magic to find it," he said, casually pointing to a few areas. "Over there, over there, and over there. Search separately, don't gather in one group. I'll keep an eye on things."

The group dispersed.

Avery was the first to dart out, stuffing his wand into his inner pocket, looking like Frosty with his ropes loosened.

He squatted down in front of a gravel slope, closed his eyes, frowned, and groped around on the ground with his fingers. After groping for a long time, he found nothing, so he changed his position and closed his eyes again.

Lina turned and ran towards the nearest crevice in the rocks, glancing back at Alex every few steps.

Samuel remained silent, chose a slightly farther direction, and slowly walked over.

Alex nodded to Lina and headed towards the rotten wood.

Hermes dawdled, not going to any of the places Regulus pointed out. Instead, he shuffled to the other side, glancing in this direction out of the corner of his eye.

When he saw Regulus looking over, he casually turned away, pretending to be looking for something.

Regulus ignored him.

The matter of this moonspot moss is quite simple to explain.

That faint, cold white light was scattered among the colorful, glowing plants; if you were patient and looked closely, you could find it, it just took some effort.

Magic perception is simply a matter of saving effort; you can tell which cluster is real with just one sense, without having to stare at each one individually.

He didn't care how these guys were found, whether they were trying to cheat or genuinely want to practice.

Everyone has a different attitude towards this matter.

Avery probably thought it was just for fun, Alex was serious, Lena wanted to impress him, and Samuel was more scheming, perhaps deliberately picking less to avoid standing out.

As for Hermes, Regulus glanced at the guy again.

He was dawdling, getting closer and closer to the depths of the forbidden forest, his eyes glancing in every now and then, still thinking about going inside.

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