Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Chapter 404 The Wise Hermes

Early Saturday morning, Regulus woke up and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a spider's face.

Baruch used a spider silk to lower himself down from the curtain rod, his eight legs tucked to his sides, only a spider leg away from the tip of his nose.

It hung there quietly, its eight amber eyes all facing him, its pincers opening and closing silently.

As soon as Regulus opened its eyes, its chelipeds immediately opened and closed, making a series of crisp, rapid clicks.

Regulus said yesterday, "Make it stronger today."

It woke up before dawn, climbed from the pillow to the curtain rod, sprayed a thread to lower itself down, and hung in a position where it could just see Regulus's eyelids, waiting for who knows how long.

Don't argue, don't make a scene, don't provoke him, just keep an eye on him, watch him, and wait.

Regulus's lips curled up slightly.

Who could resist seeing such a little creature first thing in the morning? Its furry, dark red bristles gleamed with a dark luster in the black lake's water, and all eight of its eyes stared at you expectantly.

He reached out and pushed it aside: "What a bad habit, hanging it on someone's face so early in the morning."

Baruch swung twice in the air, snapped the spider silk, and landed steadily on the pillow. Then he scurried up the blanket, perched on his shoulder, and gently opened and closed his chelicerae near his ear.

It's probably saying, "I didn't bother you, I was just waiting."

Regulus, who had been lying down, sat up.

Avery and Alex were still asleep, the curtains drawn tightly shut. Alex occasionally turned over, and half of Avery's blanket was dragging on the floor.

He ignored them; he had important business to attend to today.

After Regulus finished washing up, he came out of the washroom and bumped into Hermes.

This guy rarely gets up this early.

In just a short while, he had already gotten out of bed, changed his robes, and without even washing his face, he stood there in the middle of the dormitory, staring intently at the entrance to the bathroom.

Upon seeing Regulus emerge, he immediately approached him.

Regulus glanced at him.

Hermes took two steps back, his eyes still glued to him.

Regulus went to the wardrobe to get his robe, while Hermes watched.

Regulus took Baruch off his shoulder and placed him on the bedside table, which Hermes watched.

Regulus fastened his robe, turned and walked toward the door, with Hermes following behind.

Regulus probably knew what this guy was thinking.

Yesterday, while he was in confinement, he kept glancing towards the depths of the forbidden forest, craning his neck as if he wanted to crawl in first.

He got up early this morning and stood guard at the entrance of the Alliance's washing room, probably because he sensed that he was going to the Forbidden Forest today, and indeed he was going.

Regulus ignored him and let the guy follow him as he walked straight out of the dormitory, with Hermes following behind.

The Great Hall was much quieter than usual on Saturday, with most of the young wizards still in bed.

The food was laid out in abundance as usual, with crispy bacon, steaming scrambled eggs, overflowing bread baskets, and several jugs of pumpkin juice and milk.

A few early-rising wizards, mostly Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, sat scattered around, some flipping through books, others yawning and poking at the fried eggs on their plates.

Regulus sat down and ate two fried eggs, a few slices of bacon, and drank half a glass of pumpkin juice.

Hermes sat opposite him, also eating, but faster than him. After finishing, he kept a close eye on him, afraid that he would run away if he wasn't careful.

Regulus stood up, and Hermes also stood up. Regulus walked towards the door, and Hermes followed behind.

Once outside the castle gates, Hermes glanced eastward toward the Forbidden Forest, confirming his suspicions.

So early in the morning, where could Regulus go after leaving the castle?

It can't be that they're just going out for a stroll. If it were someone else, going out for some fresh air and a walk in the morning would be perfectly fine.

Regulus? Impossible. From this point onward, there's nowhere to go except the Forbidden Forest.

Hermes' face lit up with a hint of smugness, exuding an air of "I knew it!" The expression lingered for a moment before he adopted a look of deep agreement.

Outside the castle gates, it was just beginning to get light.

On a mid-February morning, the wind was still cool, the frost on the lawn was melting, and the stone slabs underfoot were wet.

A thin mist floated over Black Lake, and the canopy of the Forbidden Forest in the distance outlined a gray-green silhouette in the morning light.

The castle was still asleep; only a few crows flew up from the top of the tower, cawed twice, and disappeared into the mist.

Regulus stopped and turned to look at Hermes.

The guy stood two steps away from him, hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly slumped forward, and the expression on his face still lingering.

He probably thinks he's pretty smart.

Regulus took a breath: "What do you want to do?"

Hermes remained silent, drifting away from the light and landing on a stone brick on the outer wall of the castle. Then he drifted back and stood there.

Regulus then asked, "Are you going to the Forbidden Forest too?"

Hermes nodded decisively, without the slightest hesitation, and with a confident air.

Wherever Regulus went, he followed. If Regulus went to the Forbidden Forest, he went to the Forbidden Forest too. It was that simple.

Why don't you go yourself?

Upon hearing this, Hermes's gaze towards him changed, and he was somewhat speechless.

He frowned slightly, his lips curled down a little, and his eyes clearly said, "How could you ask such a stupid question?"

That's not a place you can go to by yourself. He's not out of his mind.

Of course, he could go into the outer perimeter of the Forbidden Forest by himself; he had been there alone before. But what was the point of going into the outer perimeter?

Everyone knows it's dangerous to go in. He's not a Gryffindor fool. Why would he go deep into the interior alone? Does he have a death wish?

Regulus actually asked that question? Did he think he was a fool?

Regulus looked at him, the guy with an air of self-righteousness on his face.

He was bolder than he was smarter, and his ideas were more righteous than his courage. He knew it was dangerous, but he still insisted on going. He was also very shrewd, knowing that going alone would be suicide, so he relied on him.

He thought about it for a moment and realized that bringing this guy along wouldn't be a bad idea.

This trip to Aragog's lair to perform a second transformation on Baruch involved using human shapeshifting and cross-species ability transplantation, the origin of which was the book "Shapeshifting: Beyond Form".

There's nothing shady about it.

Magic itself isn't evil. To put it bluntly, it's just an experiment. What's the big deal if a second-year Slytherin is conducting some magical creature modification experiments in the Forbidden Forest?

Besides, Hermes' good point is his mouth; he's a man of few words, obedient, and will do whatever you're told without asking many questions.

As for Aragog, once we've finished our business, we'll just tell Hermes not to tell anyone that we've been there, and that will be enough.

The reason Regulus hadn't allowed Aragogiti to come by himself before was simple: he was afraid that the old spider might chat with Hagrid one day and let slip that a kid in a school uniform came to his place in the middle of the night to do strange magic.

Hagrid found out, and it wouldn't be long before it reached the ears of a certain headmaster. It wouldn't be a big problem, but Regulus was afraid that Dumbledore would think too much about it, because he himself did.

But that's a story for later; there's no rush to discuss it now.

Then there's this guy who wanted to go deep into the forbidden forest yesterday, and I got up early this morning to ambush him. It's quite admirable how persistent he is, moving so quickly, with sleep still sticking out of his eyes.

Regulus didn't say anything more, only nodded: "Follow me."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the Forbidden Forest.

Hermes' eyes lit up, and he started walking, following behind him.

The two walked one after the other towards the forbidden forest.

At this time, there was no one outside the castle.

The morning light slanted through the tree canopy from the east, casting long shadows on the withered grass.

The morning breeze tore open the fog over Black Lake, revealing the deep blue water beneath. A flock of crows flew up from the forbidden forest, cawing as they swept overhead.

They walked along the edge of the lawn, not heading towards Hagrid's hut, but Regulus took a small detour towards the outskirts of the area where he had been put in solitary confinement the day before.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the dark edge of the Forbidden Forest came into view.

Regulus went straight in, and Hermes followed.

After walking a short distance, Regulus turned back and glanced at Hermes.

Since we're already here, we can't leave empty-handed.

"Go catch the tree-protecting hunchbacks," he pointed to the area he had circled yesterday, "slightly to the northwest, there are a few old trees, and a nest is hidden in the canopy. Catch them alive, intact, the whole nest, but don't hurt them."

Hermes paused, glanced in the direction Regulus was pointing, and then turned and left.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket, took out his wand, without asking why or figuring out what Regulus wanted it for.

He does whatever he's told, which is his strength and also what makes him the most worry-free for Regulus.

The Bowtruckle is indeed not very aggressive in terms of magic; it's not poisonous, doesn't have any curses, and its bites don't hurt.

But they are eye-catching.

Those two slender fingers, sharp and precise, were fearless in protecting the tree, stabbing at whoever it was, regardless of who you were.

Regulus did not warn Hermes to be careful, nor did he teach him how to catch her.

If Hermes had his eyes gouged out by a stick, that would have been a terrible disaster.

But it's alright. Madam Pomfrey has a way with things. Injuries that aren't caused by dark magic are nothing to her. It's just an eyeball. If it's gone, it's gone. As long as the eye socket is still there, it's fine. She can make it grow back in no time.

Hermes probably didn't need this reminder.

Regulus took a few more steps inside, and then he was out of the outer perimeter.

The canopy of trees gradually grew denser, and the direction of the castle was blocked by several rows of old trees; turning around, the spire of the tower could no longer be seen.

He shrugged his shoulders, and Baruch jumped off and landed on the ground.

Regulus raised his hand and pointed his fingertip at it, and the Transfiguration Charm began to fade.

Baruch's body began to grow larger, its carapace expanded, its bristles changed from fine down to coarse bristles, and its eight legs slowly lengthened, the warm-colored patterns at its joints shimmering in the light that filtered through.

This time it was much faster than last time; in just a few minutes, an adult eight-eyed giant spider stood on the decaying leaves of the Forbidden Forest.

It looks even bigger than last time. With the dragon meat supply continuing, it may grow even larger.

Baruch stamped his eight legs a few times, making the decaying leaves and gravel crunch, and then he ran away.

It first ran a lap around Regulus, its eight legs landing alternately, moving so fast that it kicked up large amounts of dead leaves and grass clippings.

After running one lap, it went on and on, getting faster and faster, making sharp turns in the middle, leaning its body to one side, with all eight legs gripping the ground at the same time, carving several deep grooves in the ground, and then bouncing up to change direction and continue rushing.

It suddenly leaped up a tree, its eight legs pushing against the trunk as it climbed upwards. In mid-air, it turned around, stuck out its rear end, and sprayed out a spider silk to catch a branch. Its whole body swung out and landed steadily.

It took off as soon as it landed, circling the open space at such speed that it created a gust of wind. When it reached a tree, it braked suddenly, kicking up a patch of decaying leaves.

It also hissed at the sky, its chelicerae grinding together with a cracking sound.

Not satisfied with circling twice, it found a thicker tree, quickly climbed to the top, and surveyed the area where it had grown up.

Then he leaped into the air, spitting out silk, retracting silk, and spitting out silk again, swinging back and forth three or four times before landing. The force of his landing sent a clump of withered leaves flying high into the air.

It seemed to enjoy this quick and steady maneuvering, and after landing, it would look back at the string of spider silk it had swung across, tilting its head with a hint of pride.

The ground shook and trembled as it ran, and fallen leaves flew everywhere.

Having regained his full size, he was bursting with boundless energy. Knowing this was the prelude to becoming even stronger, he ran even more wildly, fiercely and joyfully.

Regulus leaned against the tree trunk, watching it frolic, and his expression relaxed.

Footsteps approached from afar. Hermes had returned, clutching a Bowtruckle in his right hand. Seven or eight of them were unconscious.

Its body is as thin as a twig, with brownish-green bark texture, a few curled green leaves on its head, about the length of a palm, dry and withered, a few thin arms hanging limply down, and two bean-sized eyes closed.

He was about to speak when he looked up and saw a two-meter-long spider in the center of the open space.

He had seen Baruch's physique before, and a look of envy and longing flashed quickly in his eyes.

He walked over and handed the Bowtruckle to Regulus.

Just then, Baruch ran back.

It made a great show of force, its eight legs tumbling as it charged straight at Hermes. Just as it was about to collide with him, it braked suddenly, its eight legs sliding half a meter on the ground before coming to a stop.

It lowered its large head, its eight amber eyes all fixed on the unconscious little thing in Hermes' hand, and its chelicerae opened and closed rapidly twice.

It knew that these tree branches, which had nothing to eat, were about to be transformed into something powerful.

So it stared at the tree-guarding bow, its eight eyes filled with desire.

Hermes also looked at Baruch. He didn't have as many eyes, only two, but what was written in his eyes was almost the same as Baruch's: desire.

His self-glow slid from Baruch's dark red bristles to the warm-colored stripes at his joints, and then stopped on the pair of amber eyes that were examining the humpedo guard in his hand.

Regulus looked at the two of them and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

One stared at the Bowtruckle, the other at the spider, each wanting what they wanted.

"Here you go," Regulus said to Hermes, then beckoned to Baruch, "Come here."

Baruch moved his head away from Hermes's hand and sidled up to Regulus.

Regulus placed one hand on Baruch's back armor and the other on Hermes' shoulder.

*Snap*, Apparition.

>