Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Chapter 432 Call Me Professor Lily

After dinner, Regulus went to the library.

The library was quiet at this time of year. It was mid-March, spring was already in the air, and the young wizards didn't seem to want to spend much time on books.

As dusk settled outside the window, small groups of people were seen in the corridor, some running towards the lake, others chasing and playing in the courtyard.

Several blurry figures were already flying around the Quidditch pitch, their broom tails trailing a trail of giggles and laughter.

The main entrance was crowded with people rushing out, and laughter and chatter drifted in through the windows, echoing through the castle's corridors.

The library was quite quiet. Mrs. Pince sat behind the counter, dusting an old book with a feather duster, glancing around with sharp eyes after each dusting.

A few students sat sparsely in the corner, mostly older students preparing for exams, their heads buried in the parchment, not looking up.

The soft lighting cast small patches of light on each table, while the areas outside the tabletops were darker, and the shadows of the bookshelves stretched long.

Regulus sat in his usual spot, at the table by the window, directly opposite the door.

A thick, hardcover old book lay open in front of me, its spine torn in several places, its cover badly worn, and half of the gold lettering had peeled off, barely revealing the title.

Forgotten Ancient Magic and the Origin of Souls.

The name sounds sophisticated, ancient, and soulful, but it's actually on a public bookshelf; you don't even need to go into the restricted book section.

The content is more narrative than professional, and it is closer to an explorer's notes and a compilation of folk tales than a rigorous academic work.

The author was a 17th-century Italian wizard, and his writing is verbose, but he has some interesting points.

Occasionally, you can stumble upon old sayings that can't be found in serious literature—ancient theories that have been swept into a corner by the academic community, no one takes them seriously, and are categorized as superstition.

He flipped through a few pages and stopped at a description of ritual magic and soul resonance.

The author believes that ancient wizards did not rely on spells and wands when casting certain high-level magic, but rather made the magic happen directly through specific ritual actions and projection of thoughts at the soul level.

The book provides several examples.

A 14th-century French hermit summoned rain through three days of meditation, while an Ottoman astrologer led an entire army astray in the desert by drawing star charts.

The author insists that these are all real events, but later mainstream academia has regarded them as coincidences and legends.

Not long after, footsteps came from the doorway, light and cheerful.

Lily came around from behind the bookshelf, carrying a potion book that was so thick it could be used as a brick, with the title "Advanced Potion Making" printed on the cover.

A small purple crossbody bag hung on her shoulder, and her red hair stood out strikingly under the reading room lights.

Upon seeing Regulus, his green eyes crinkled into crescents, the corners of his mouth turned up, and he quickened his pace to walk over, placing the book on the table and pulling out a chair to sit down.

A smile bloomed on her face: "Professor Regulus."

Regulus looked up and smiled, "Lily."

Lily placed her handbag on the corner of the table, opened the thick book, took out a quill pen and an ink bottle, and began to read.

The two sat quietly, each looking at their own things, and neither of them spoke.

The sky outside the window changed from dark blue to deep blue, the last ray of light retreated from the horizon, and the moonlight shone in obliquely, spreading a layer of silvery glow on the table.

The overhead lights brightened, casting a soft white glow that enveloped the two people in a quiet halo.

Regulus closed the book, tapped his finger lightly on the table, and the soundproofing spell silently spread out.

"I'll be away for at least the next week," he said gently, looking at Lily. "Weekend practice will be on hold for now."

Lily looked up, her finger stopped on the page, and her green eyes blinked twice.

She tilted her head, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, and casually asked, "Where to?"

Regulus replied, "Family matters."

Lily waited a while, and when she realized he didn't intend to continue, she pouted, put her arms on the table, rested her chin on them, and didn't press him for more information.

Marcia had told her that pure-blood wizards, once they reach a certain age, will always have things to deal with besides their studies.

The older you get, the more of these things you'll have to do; there's always something to keep you busy in the outside world.

She understood these things; it was like children from wealthy families who, when they reached a certain age, always had to help out at home.

I never imagined Regulus would be so busy. He's not that old yet; he's only thirteen.

She looked at Regulus's face and blurted out, "Regulus, don't you feel like you're a little busier than people your age?"

Her tone was filled with genuine concern, and her green eyes were wide open, as if she were worried about him.

"While the other second-graders are chasing butterflies on the lawn, you've already started handling family affairs."

Regulus chuckled, echoing her tone, and sighed, "I'm used to it."

"That's too busy," Lily muttered, then laughed, her eyes crinkling.

She looked down and poked at the pages of the book with her finger, then looked up at him again: "Be careful."

Regulus nodded: "Yes, don't worry."

Lily was quiet for a moment, running her fingers back and forth along the spine of the book. Then, as if remembering something, she leaned closer and said in a low voice, "I want to tell you..."

Regulus probed forward in response.

"I've practiced the Unbreakable Armor Charm so many times this week," she said with a hint of pride. "In the History of Magic class, Professor Binns was talking about the Third Evil of the Fairies, and I secretly practiced it for the entire class period."

Then a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face: "After practice, I couldn't even stand up. Marcia and Susan each supported one side and helped me out of the classroom."

Regulus's lips curled up slightly.

"But there's been progress," Lily held up a finger and gestured in the air, "I can now pull out a stable thread for about two seconds."

As he spoke, he got more and more excited, glancing back at Mrs. Pince to make sure she was busy with her own things and not looking in their direction.

Then, turning back, Chongregulus blinked, extended his right index finger, slightly bent it, and became focused.

A wisp of extremely fine silver-white thread floated on her fingertip, trembling in the air, so delicate it was almost invisible.

The thread hung there, held for about a second, flickered twice, then broke and disappeared into the air.

Lily withdrew her finger, looked up at him, and her green eyes were full of light, urging him to praise her.

Regulus nodded seriously: "Last time you couldn't even pull out the thread, but this time you managed to hold it for a second, that's a significant improvement."

"More than a second!" Lily immediately corrected, "I tried it in the dorm yesterday, and I could last almost two seconds—"

She stretched out her finger as if to demonstrate, but after looking around, she withdrew it: "Never mind, I'll try it again when we get back. If Mrs. Pince catches me here, I'll get scolded again."

Regulus sincerely praised, "Very good, great progress, very talented, as expected of Lily."

Lily's green eyes widened, her face flushed slightly, and after staring at him for a while, she snorted irritably, "You're just trying to fool me again."

Regulus smiled.

Lily glared at him, then looked down at her book with a smirk on her face. After a few pages, she looked up again.

"And the Sense8 Charm," her voice softened, tinged with a hint of wistfulness, "I activate it once every night before bed."

"It was in my dorm room, right by the window. The first time I practiced, I was looking at the moonlight. I thought it was really beautiful, so I made it a habit. I would turn it on once, look at the moonlight for a while, and then turn it off to go to sleep."

Regulus raised an eyebrow: "What did you see?"

Lily narrowed her eyes slightly, recalling the scenes that only she could see in her mind.

"There are so many more things," she said quickly, eager to share, "The moonlight is actually in wisps, unlike the patches we usually see."

You can see the colors in the light, layer upon layer, with blue under silver, and purple under blue, very deep and far away, and the stars are brighter than usual.

You can still hear sounds: footsteps in the hallway, the direction of the wind outside the window, and the sound of Knox turning over; its tail flicks first when it turns.

She snapped out of her daze and smiled sheepishly, "Then I just couldn't hold on anymore, I was too tired. Every time I would collapse on the bed and catch my breath for a long time, but each time I felt a little better than the last."

Regulus looked at her, a smile playing on his lips, and said gently, "Very good, Lily is wonderful."

Lily beamed with delight at the compliment, then realized that the tone was like that of someone coaxing a child.

She glared at him, lowered her head, and then secretly chuckled to herself.

After a while, she rested her chin on her hands and looked up at him with her green eyes.

This person reads books here almost every day and practices spells with her in the abandoned classroom every week; they've gotten used to it.

Suddenly having to leave for at least a week makes me feel a little empty.

But she didn't say it.

She sat up straighter, cleared her throat, put on a serious expression, and said in a deliberately affected tone, "Regus, you've taken leave from school, and you'll fall behind in your studies. As your senior, I'm very worried about your grades."

Regulus, seeing her serious demeanor, smiled and agreed, "Senior is right."

Lily couldn't hold it in and laughed, then tried to straighten it up, but her lips were already twitching uncontrollably.

She pulled the thick book in front of her and patted the cover: "If you're going to miss class, I can lend you last year's notes."

After saying that, he leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously with a glint in his green eyes, "I'll tell you a secret."

,

Regulus tilted his head slightly in agreement.

"The content of the Hogwarts final exams each semester," Lily said, her voice barely audible, with a hint of smugness as if she'd pulled out a secret weapon, "is basically the same."

She raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a wide smile: "Look at my notes, I guarantee you'll get a 0."

Regulus laughed; he was genuinely amused.

"You've been a huge help," he said, his tone extremely sincere. "You know, if I don't get good grades, I'll get nagged at home—"

"How could the Black kids get E's? It's a disgrace to the family."

Lily nodded emphatically, her face full of a sense of mission: "Don't worry, leave it to me. If there's anything you don't understand, I can give you a lesson."

She patted her chest, chin held high: "You'll have a great vacation, I've got your back!"

Regulus nodded and said with a smile, "Then I'll leave it to you, Lily."

Lily's green eyes widened: "Call me Professor Lily."

Regulus bowed slightly, his expression serious: "Professor Lily."

Lily beamed, her green eyes curving into two crescent moons, and her red hair swaying with her smile.

Then, adopting an air of superiority, he placed his hands folded on the table, mimicking someone's usual demeanor, and nodded slightly, speaking in a steady tone: "Classmate Regulus."

The two looked at each other and laughed.

It's almost seven o'clock, and the sky outside the window is completely dark.

Regulus stood up and closed the book on the table: "We're leaving tomorrow, let's go back and prepare."

Lily stood up, slung her handbag over her shoulder, and picked up the thick book.

Standing by the table, I looked up at him with a smile and said, "Be careful, Regulus."

Regulus looked at her, his gaze gentle: "Alright."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.

Lily stood there, holding the book, watching his figure walk further and further away, turn a corner, and disappear.

She lifted the book up and walked toward the Gryffindor Tower.

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