Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Regulus bypassed the crowd, walked behind a concrete pillar, and snapped his fingers.

Kreacher emerged from the air, his large, bulbous eyes landing first on Regulus. His big ears twitched twice, and he bowed deeply, his nose touching his knees, muttering, "Young Master is back."

Then he peeked behind him, looked left and right, but didn't see the young master. The light in his eyes changed from expectation to confusion.

Kreacher blinked twice, his ears slowly drooped, and his nose twitched.

The young master isn't coming home again; the mistress will be heartbroken.

Regulus said, "Let's go."

Kreacher raised his hand, his withered fingers gently resting on the hem of Regulus's trousers.

*Snap*, the platform is empty.

Number 12 Grimmauld Place, the door opened in front of me.

The familiar porch, the dark wooden walls, and the ancestral portraits hanging on both sides seemed to rustle in their frames.

An old man wearing a 17th-century wig peeked half his face out from the edge of the frame, saw that it was Regulus, snorted, and withdrew.

The wall lamps emitted a pale green light, and a faint flame flickered in the fireplace at the end of the corridor.

Baruch climbed out of his inner pocket, scrambled onto his shoulder, and then jumped down, his eight thin legs taking turns striding across the floor as he ran towards the stairs.

The method for climbing stairs is the same as before: jump from the first step to the third step, from the third step to the fifth step, turn around on the corner platform to confirm the direction, and continue jumping upwards.

I climbed two floors, turned towards Regulus's bedroom, and that was it.

They were more eager to go home than anyone else.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs as Walbuga descended from the second-floor living room, his hand resting on the handrail, his dark green house robe swaying gently with each step.

The robe was made of silk blend, with extremely fine silver thread embroidery on the collar and cuffs, and a dark gold sash tied around the waist. The skirt reached the ankles.

Her hair was styled in a bun at the back of her head, secured with a silver hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears. She wore very light makeup, exuding nobility and elegance.

Even at home, when only her family can see her at this time, she remains dignified from head to toe.

Upon seeing Regulus, his eyebrows relaxed, a smile bloomed on his face, and his whole demeanor brightened.

She quickly walked down the last few steps, stood in front of him, put her arm around his shoulder, and pulled him into her embrace.

"My Rael is back."

Her hair brushed against his ear, and she wore a very faint perfume.

Regulus also hugged his mother, put his arm around her shoulder lightly, and then let go.

"I'm back, Mother."

"It's good that you're back. Let Mother see you—"

Walbuga took a half step back, his hands still on his shoulders, his gray eyes scanning him from head to toe and then from toe to head.

"You've lost weight again," she frowned, reaching out to pinch his arm. "Doesn't the school provide meals?"

"She's eaten, she eats every day," Regulus chuckled. "Mother looks very well."

Walbuga didn't let go of him: "What did you eat?"

"Steak, roast chicken, pudding, pumpkin juice—"

"Kreacher did a better job than those."

Regulus found it a little funny; he had just told Sirius to eat well, and now his mother was telling him to eat well too.

He smiled and nodded.

Walbuga's gaze went over his shoulder and landed on the doorway.

Kreacher stood by the door, his large ears drooping, his fingers rubbing together on a tea towel. There was no one else there.

Her brow furrowed slightly, and her gray eyes turned to look at Regulus.

Regulus nodded slightly.

A hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes, and she pursed her lips, but quickly suppressed it. She didn't want anything to spoil the atmosphere of her youngest son's return home today.

His attention returned to Regulus, and he raised his hand to show the height above his head: "Too high."

Regulus nodded in agreement: "Too high."

"Your shoulders have broadened a bit too," she patted his shoulder, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "You're still too thin. Come back and eat well. Kreacher has prepared your favorite dishes."

"Go change your clothes and take a shower first, then come downstairs for dinner," she said, reaching out to straighten his collar and patting Regulus's cheek. "I put it on your bed, the dark blue one."

Regulus went upstairs. The bedroom door was open, and Baruch had already taken his spot, lying on the pillow at the head of the bed with his eight legs tucked in and his spider head buried in the pillow, only his dark red buttocks showing.

On the bed lay a set of loungewear, made of light and soft material, with the Blake family's subtle pattern embroidered on the cuffs.

He took off his school uniform and hung it on the hanger, then took off the inner lining and went into the washroom.

Hot water poured down from above, and steam filled the entire compartment. He stood there with his eyes closed for a few minutes, letting the water wash away the fatigue he had accumulated during the long train journey.

When I came out, my body was covered in water droplets. Too lazy to wipe them off, I lightly flicked my fingertips on my shoulder. A warm breeze swept over my skin, and the water droplets evaporated instantly.

I put on the new robe, which fit perfectly. I adjusted the collar in front of the wardrobe mirror and then turned to go downstairs.

Orion came out of the study and ran into him at the bottom of the stairs.

He was wearing a dark gray loungewear robe with the cuffs rolled up slightly. His gaze lingered on his son for a moment before he nodded.

"I'm back."

"You're back, Father."

Orion continued walking toward the restaurant, with Regulus following behind, the father and son walking one after the other in the corridor.

A dark green tablecloth had been laid out on the long table in the restaurant, and silver candlesticks were lit. The candle flames seemed superfluous under the light of the wall lamps, but they looked beautiful.

The silver cutlery was neatly arranged, and the cups were polished so clean they reflected a person's face.

Kreacher bustled about, carrying a tray and moving back and forth. After each dish was served, he would hunch over and retreat to a corner, his big ears perked up.

Dinner was sumptuous; roasted lamb chops were arranged on a white porcelain plate, with silver foil wrapped around the bone, and the surface sizzling with oil.

Mashed potatoes are piled up like a small mountain, with butter slowly melting on top. A whole pan-fried sea bass is placed on a silver plate with crispy skin and tender meat, accompanied by roasted vegetables and a small bowl of thick mushroom soup.

Regulus smelled the aroma as soon as he entered the restaurant, and his stomach rumbled.

He doesn't eat snacks much, and he didn't have any to eat on the train, so he was basically hungry all day.

Walbuga and Orion sat at one end of the long table, with Regulus sitting opposite them.

Sirius's seat was empty, and there were no cutlery placed in front of him.

Orion's gaze lingered on the empty seat for a moment, then he looked at Regulus, who nodded.

Orion looked away, picked up a napkin and spread it on his lap, no longer glancing at the empty seat.

Start eating.

The roasted lamb chops were cooked to perfection. When the knife was pressed down, the juices seeped out from the cut surface. They were tender and not dry, and the aroma of rosemary rose up from the nose.

The ratio of butter in the mashed potatoes is just right—not too much, not too little—to make the texture smooth and creamy without being greasy.

Seeing that he was eating quickly, Walbuga put two more roasted lamb chops on his plate. With his mouth full of meat, he mumbled, "Thank you, Mother."

"How's school?" Walbuga asked, cutting the sea bass on his plate, tilting his head slightly as his gaze fell on Regulus's face.

"That's great," Regulus swallowed the meat in his mouth and stuffed another piece in: "This year's spring garden party in March was more lively than last year's, with the four colleges setting up booths on the lawn."

Ravenclaw held a magical puzzle competition, Hufflepuff sold fruit pies grown in their greenhouse, and Gryffindor created a basketball game where you throw a Quaffle into a flying hoop, and if you get three in, you win a bag of sizzling honey.

Slytherin held a small exhibition of magical gadgets this year. Several older students brought their own handmade gadgets and displayed them, including a dry pot that could automatically stir water and a copper pan that could turn water into ice.

Walbuga listened with a smile on his lips.

Orion held his wine glass, his gaze lingering on Regulus's face for a moment, but he said nothing.

Regulus continued.

They said the sun was shining brightly on the day of the garden party. A row of benches was set up by the Black Lake, where students were singing and flying kites on the lawn. The kites seemed to be under a spell, doing somersaults in the sky.

A lower-year Ravenclaw student won several rounds in a puzzle contest, but was eventually defeated by a Hufflepuff girl because the puzzle was about herbs, which was a perfect fit for Hufflepuffs.

He said he sat under a tree on the lawn for most of the afternoon, watching the giant squid on the lake surface to bask in the sun, their tentacles lazily floating on the water.

The description was vivid and evocative, creating a strong sense of imagery.

Then he lowered his eyes, forked a piece of roast beef, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and said casually, "It's pretty good, pretty relaxing."

Walbuga kept smiling and asked again, "How did the exam go?"

Regulus said matter-of-factly, "All of it."

"Of course," Walbug nodded in satisfaction, his tone even more matter-of-fact: "If you can't get an O, then Hogwarts shouldn't even bother opening."

Regulus shrugged. His mother was right.

Orion quietly cut the lamb chops, occasionally glancing up at his wife and son, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Regulus was convincingly fooling his mother, which was good.

The atmosphere at the family dinner was relaxed. Walbug asked all sorts of questions, from the exam to the professor, and from the professor to the food. Regulus answered them one by one, chewing on a lamb chop. Occasionally, when asked something interesting, he would raise an eyebrow.

Kreacher stood in the corner, occasionally refilling the dishes and taking away empty plates, his back bent the whole time.

We'd almost finished eating. The mushroom soup was almost gone, there were two lamb chops left, and all that was left of the sea bass was the head.

Walbuga put down his knife and fork, took a sip of red wine, and was about to ask another question when Regulus spoke first.

He put down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, placed it on the side of his plate, and looked at Walbuga and Orion across from him.

His movements and tone were very natural.

"This holiday, I plan to launch a declarationatio sanguinis against the Roel family."

"A family revenge pact: I will annihilate the Roel family."

This matter was originally supposed to be discussed with Orion privately in the study, but once the family revenge pact is activated, the war will begin in the name of the Black family.

Walbuga is the lady of the house, and she cannot be excluded. Saying it at the dinner table is to ensure that she is present from the beginning.