Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

The blood-soaked Barrow stared at Regulus with a strange look in his eyes. At that moment, he felt as if many things about him had been seen through.

"A complete soul is the best defense."

Just when Regulus thought there would be no answer, for some unknown reason, Barrow finally answered the question.

"But if you are asking about a wounded soul, then solidification might be a solution."

Active stabilization helps to immobilize the injured area, preventing further fractures, much like using a splint to stabilize a broken bone.

"How do you do that?" Regulus pressed, for this was the key question; asking one question could yield two answers.

If you know how to protect, you know how to destroy.

But Barrow shook his head: "I don't know. I'm an example of failure, not success, but if you really want to explore the secrets of the soul..."

He paused, as if thinking, and after a long while, continued, "There is a place hidden in Hogwarts where there are clues left by Lady Ravenclaw."

Regarding wisdom, regarding the soul, regarding the possibility of transcending life and death.

"The Room of Requirement? The Room of Come and Go?" Regulus asked, this being the place he remembered most as being associated with Lady Ravenclaw.

Barrow did not answer directly; instead, he said to himself, "When you are truly ready, the castle will open the way for you."

But right now... you're too young; knowing too much is dangerous.

Having said this, the Blood Man Barrow vanished completely into the shadows, leaving only a final whisper echoing in the air:

"Beware of your thirst for knowledge, children of the Black family; it will lead you to unexpected places and unexpected dangers."

Regulus stood there for a long time before turning and leaving.

......

When we returned to the Slytherin table, the performance had ended, and the dinner began with free conversation.

As soon as he sat down, several older students came over.

The first to speak was Evan Rozier, a seventh-grader and Alex's distant cousin.

He held up his glass, a polite smile on his face: "Regulus, Happy Halloween. Alex talks about you a lot; you're quite influential among the younger students."

"Just do what needs to be done," Regulus replied politely.

Another sixth-grade boy chuckled beside him; Regulus remembered his name was Wilkes.

"These are just minor squabbles at school. The real magical world is outside, and it doesn't care about your performance at school."

Wilkes’ tone was clearly dismissive; several members of his family already held important positions in the Ministry of Magic, and he obviously considered the school’s achievements insignificant.

There was no need to waste words on such a person, so Regulus chose to ignore him.

The third one to come over was Alecto Caro, a seventh-grade girl, who was much more direct.

"My brother Amycus admires the way you handled Travers, and he said he can introduce you to some like-minded people when you go to the Ministry of Magic for your internship."

Regulus understood what she meant: the Carol siblings were already openly Voldemort supporters.

"Thank you," he said, his tone flat, but his response was positive: "I look forward to that day."

Alecto raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Wilkes followed, clearly uninterested in Regulus.

Regulus turned to look at the Gryffindor table, where Sirius was staring at him with a grim expression.

James whispered something in Sirius's ear, gesturing towards the Slytherin table as he spoke.

Lily was sitting not far from them, and she also noticed the older Slytherins talking to Regulus.

She looked down at her plate, her brows furrowed.

During her last conversation with Regulus, he had mentioned the situation outside, and Lily understood what that meant.

"See?" James's voice came through, clearly raised on purpose, "Those Death Eater trainees have already started trying to recruit him. If you ask me, he won't even need to graduate to join—"

"Potter!" Lily looked up sharply, her voice stern.

"What's wrong? I'm just stating the facts!" James retorted, raising his chin high as he yelled back.

"Look at him, a typical Slytherin! Almost everyone around him, their families have all joined that side. Do you think he won't?!"

Lily bit her lip. She wanted to argue, but didn't know what to say. She knew that one's background often determined too much.

Sirius Black has already openly opposed the Black family, so what will Regulus choose?

At the other end of the Slytherin table, Rabastein Lestrange was staring at Regulus.

His eyes were dark and fierce, and his fingers tapped the table repeatedly.

Snape, sitting in the corner, noticed Rabastein's gaze, and his dark eyes narrowed slightly.

After the dinner, the Slytherin students returned to the dungeon in small groups.

Regulus walked with Avery and Hermes, while Alex followed a few steps behind, wanting to get closer but hesitant.

"Lestrange's eyes," Hermes sneered. "Who does he think he is? He can't even cast a silent spell properly, just relying on his family name."

Avery nodded: "He needs to be taught a lesson, to let him know who's qualified to speak in Slytherin."

The two looked at Regulus, waiting for his response.

Regulus was pondering Barrow's words about transcending life and death when he heard this and nodded slightly: "Don't make too much of a scene, don't leave any evidence."

That's tacit approval.

Avery and Hermes exchanged a knowing glance and smiled knowingly.

Alex quickened his pace, then hesitated before speaking, "I...I can help too."

No one paid him any attention. Avery glanced back at him, then turned away again.

Hermes didn't even glance at him.

Back in their dorm room, Avery and Hermes whispered to each other about how to deal with Rabastan, their plans becoming increasingly detailed and vicious.

Regulus listened without interrupting.

He found these school squabbles childish and laughable; if you really wanted to get rid of someone, there were plenty of ways.

Potion accidents, black magic, curses, and even orchestrating an off-campus incident.

But at this stage, he needs followers like Avery and Hermes; working together to fight a common enemy is the fastest way to build cohesion.

So he acquiesced.

Labaster Lestrange, just a nobody.

What we really need to worry about is the outside world.

Voldemort's power is expanding, and his father Orion's letter hints that many people in the Ministry of Magic have secretly defected to him.

His mother, Volbuga, also wrote, urging him to associate with suitable people, referring, of course, to children of pure-blood families, preferably those who might join the Death Eaters in the future.

Meditation must not stop, not even for a moment!

......

On the second morning of the Charms class, Professor Flitwick announced that they would be learning the Softening Charm that day.

"The spell is 'Spongify'!" He stood on a stack of books so the whole class could see him: "The swing motion is a small clockwise circle, then a light flick, like this!"

He demonstrated once, and a corner of the podium immediately became as soft as a sponge, eliciting gasps of amazement from several students.

"This spell can temporarily soften hard objects." Flitwick jumped off the pile of books and began to patrol the classroom.

"Often used to make temporary cushions and to cushion falls, or... to set up small traps."

Slytherin and Ravenclaw were in class together. Regulus noticed a striking girl with brown curly hair on the Ravenclaw side. She succeeded on her first try during practice, and Flitwick gave her five points.

He waved his wand: "Spongify."

The stone on Regulus's table instantly turned into a dark gray sponge-like substance; pressing it with a finger would cause it to dent, and it would slowly spring back when released.

This is even more perfect than the Ravenclaw girl's spellcasting effect.

After class, Regulus headed towards the library. Avery and Hermes exchanged a glance and then went their separate ways.

Alex hesitated. He first looked at Regulus, and seeing that Regulus gave no instructions, he quickly chased after Avery.

Near the library entrance, Regulus ran into Snape.

"Black," Snape said calmly.

"Snape," Regulus said, his voice even flatter.

After a brief silence, Snape spoke: "At the dinner last night, Lestrange stared at you for a long time, and it wasn't very friendly."

Regulus raised an eyebrow slightly; Snape was proactively providing him with information.

Although it's just a trivial matter, it's a good start.

"He's not just targeting me," Regulus said calmly.

"He was eyeing anyone who might make the Lestrange family seem less important. The Lestranges were like a dog guarding its food, barking loudly but baring its teeth before biting."

When talking to someone like Snape, overly refined language will only create a sense of distance. You need to make him feel that you're not speaking in such a "Black" way.

Snape's dark eyes flickered in the dim light.

Regulus's voice softened slightly: "Thanks anyway. I'm not worried about him, but it's always good to know someone's keeping an eye on him."

He wouldn't send Snape into battle; that would be a huge waste. Besides his exceptional potion-making skills, Snape's observation and stealth abilities were also outstanding.

He can be considered the golden undercover agent of the entire magic world.