Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Walbuga started making comparisons again, comparing him to all the pure-blood family heirs she knew, and in the end, she still thought her Regulus was the best.

Regulus lowered his head and continued eating the lamb chops on his plate, which had grown a little cold. Orion also picked up his knife and fork again, cut off a piece of roasted potato, and put it in his mouth.

Neither of them discussed anything deeper.

Research on natural magic, attempts at spatial warp, progress in star trail meditation, knowledge of dark magic in the library, and strategies for dealing with Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

These are things that Volbuga doesn't need to know, nor can she know; that's not a world she should care about, nor a field she should be involved in.

But what Orion just said is enough for her to brag about at tea parties, dinners, and social events for the next six months.

She will become the envy of all pure-blood ladies, more people will want to form alliances and marriages with the Black family, and more resources will be poured into the Black family because they are optimistic about Regulus's future.

This is exactly what they need.

"And...what about after graduation?" Walbuga asked again, his tone filled with longing and anticipation. "How far will he go? The Ministry of Magic? Wizengamor? Or like Dumbledore—"

Regulus was slightly speechless. You really dare to think that way.

Dumbledore? Even I don't dare to hope for that.

But it will happen in the future.

Orion was silent for a few seconds, completely bewildered by Walbuga, the greatest wizard of this century. If he could live to see the next century...

Thinking of this, Orion glanced at Regulus out of the corner of his eye. If Dumbledore could live into the next century, it's really hard to say who would be greater.

"Judging from the current development," he said thoughtfully, meeting Volbuga's gaze, "after graduation, he will probably reach the level of an elite Auror."

Even in the most extreme scenario, Regulus would lose all his spirituality – and that's the most conservative estimate.

Orion thought to himself that if Regulus could maintain his current rate of progress, he wouldn't even need to graduate.

By the end of the third year, he will likely surpass most active Aurors.

By the time he turned seventeen, he didn't even dare to imagine how far he would go, perhaps he could really be compared to a young Dumbledore or Grindelwald.

But these words must never be said to Walbuga.

She would stand up and dance on the spot, and then the next day she would tell everyone she knew that her son was able to become the Auror's office manager in second grade.

That would put Regulus in the spotlight, attracting a lot of unnecessary attention, jealousy, and even hostility.

Even more frightening is the possibility that it might attract Voldemort's more direct and forceful recruitment efforts, as he would personally intervene, which would be the real trouble.

"Elite Aurors..." Volbuga repeated the word, his smile as bright as if he had just drunk a whole bottle of Felix Felicis.

"Good, good! The Black family is finally going to produce a truly great figure! Let's see who dares to say our family has no successor now!"

She began to dream about the future again, from Regulus joining the Ministry of Magic all the way to him becoming Minister for Magic.

The thought of House Black regaining its position as head of the Twenty-Eight Clans, and the bustling scene at Number Twelve in Grimmauld Place, with all the pure-blood families coming to curry favor with him, was vivid in my mind.

Regulus listened quietly, nodding occasionally, but his mind was already wandering elsewhere.

Which plant should we try for natural magic tomorrow?

I dare not touch the mandrake for now, but I might try the poison tentacles or the devil's web.

Spatial warp consumes too much mana, so we need to find a way to reduce mana loss, otherwise it's completely unusable in actual combat.

The maze model of the brain-sealing technique is almost complete, but its defensive effectiveness still needs to be tested a few more times.

I also need to scan a few more books about passive magic from the restricted section when I have time...

The road ahead is long, and there is still much to learn.

A single dinner wasn't enough time for him to think through all the things that needed to be planned and prepared.

But at least one thing is certain: he is moving forward step by step on this path, and every step he takes is solid.

Outside the window, the snow was still falling, covering the streets and rooftops of London, silencing the noise of the Muggles and the secrets of the wizards.

At number 12 Grimmauld Place, the fireplace was burning brightly, and the flickering light of the flames danced on the restaurant walls as a family sat around the long dining table.

The mother was envisioning the family's glory, immersed in the future she was creating.

The father was weighing the pros and cons of reality, calculating the risks and rewards of each step.

The son is planning his own path, thinking about how to become stronger and go further.

The cozy Blake home.

......

A few days before the end of the holiday, Orion put down the Daily Prophet at the breakfast table.

"Come with me today," he said, cutting a piece of fried egg and looking at Regulus. "Let's go see the family's properties."

Regulus looked up, spreading butter on bread, a thought flashing through his mind, but he didn't speak. He looked at his father, waiting for him to continue.

Orion took a sip of coffee before continuing, "You'll be taking over the Black family business from now on. You can't just stay at Hogwarts and Grimmauld Place. There are some things you should see."

Regulus nodded, put the buttered bread into his mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, and said, "Okay."

This is not a waste of time. The Black family's businesses will eventually belong to him, so understanding them now is like getting familiar with his own things in advance.

Moreover, going out with Orion allows you to see the different aspects of the magical world.

After breakfast, Regulus returned to his room, changed into a dark robe, put his wand in his inner pocket, and pinned the Black family brooch to his chest.

When he came downstairs, Orion was already waiting in the foyer, holding a roll of parchment covered with writing.

"Let's go to the shop in Diagon Alley first." Orion unfolded the parchment and glanced at it.

"Then go to the potions workshop in the Scottish Highlands, the alchemy workshop in Wales, the herb garden in Cornwall, and the magical creature breeding farm in Ireland, and finally Knockturn Alley."

As Regulus listened to his father's account, he knew that this journey would take him across half of the British Isles.

"For distant places, use a door key," Orion said, putting away the parchment. "You can't Apparate to places you haven't been before."

The two walked to the center of the hall, Orion extended his left hand, and Regulus placed his hand on it.

A familiar feeling of pressure came over them, and a few seconds later they were standing in a quiet alley in Diagon Alley, with the dark wall of the entrance to Knockout Alley behind them.

The Black family owned three shops in Diagon Alley.

The first one is a potion shop, located in the middle of Diagon Alley, with a sign that reads Silvermoon Potion Shop.

The shop wasn't big, but it was in a great location. The window was filled with all sorts of strangely colored potion bottles, each with a label.

Bone-Generating Elixir, Energy-Boosting Agent, Buffet Brain-Awakening Agent, Water of Life and Death, Ecstasy Agent...

These were all common potions. Regulus guessed that his family might also have a potions shop in Knockturn Alley, selling things that couldn't be sold in Diagon Alley.

A tall, thin wizard was organizing goods behind the counter when he saw Orion enter and immediately stood up straight.

"Mr. Black," the wizard's voice was respectful, "and Mr. Little Black as well."

"Marcus." Orion nodded reservedly. "I've looked at this month's financial statements; it's increased by seven percent compared to last month."

"Yes." The wizard named Marcus smiled. "The newly launched sleep aid is selling well; many students and parents are buying it."

Orion walked around the store, checked the expiration dates on several potions on the shelves, and asked a few questions about the suppliers.

Marcus answered each question clearly and concisely, demonstrating his expertise in the business.

Regulus quietly followed behind his father, observing the store's layout, the arrangement of goods, and the frequency of customers coming and going.

He found that although the store was small, it had a complete range of products, from basic boil treatment to expensive Felix Ferulic, and the labels were neatly affixed and the bottles were spotless.

Marcus's grandfather worked at the Black family's shop.

After leaving the potions shop, Orion said to Regulus, "His father used to manage Wells' herb garden, and now it's him. There are many people like him."

The second shop is an alchemy shop, located in the north end of Diagon Alley, with a sign depicting an crossed cauldron and a magic wand.

The shop sells a wide variety of items, including self-stirring crucibles, potion racks that maintain a constant temperature, hourglasses with timekeeping functions, and wand accessories that amplify the power of spells.

The shopkeeper was a short, plump witch with her hair neatly combed. Her eyes lit up when she saw Orion.

"Orian, you've finally arrived!" the witch's voice boomed. "There was a problem with the batch of automatic stirring crucibles that were delivered last time. The stirring rods stopped after three rotations, so they had to be reworked."

Orion frowned: "Which workshop made this?"

"I've talked to that company in Wells three times, and each time they agreed, but the delivery is still the same."

The witch spoke with her hands on her hips: "You have to do something about this, or the signboard will be ruined."

Orion pulled a small notebook from his pocket and jotted down a few notes: "I'm going to Wells this afternoon to see for myself."