Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Regulus looked up and saw Lily Evans.

She was holding several books, her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she had a bright smile on her face.

Regulus nodded slightly as a greeting, then continued reading.

Lily seemed to have gotten used to his attitude. She sat down quietly, took out a quill and parchment from her bag, and began to write.

There was no conversation between the two, only the sound of pages turning and pens scratching across paper.

This quiet lasted until lunchtime approached.

Regulus closed the book and prepared to go to the auditorium, while Lily also packed her things.

She hesitated for a moment, then took a package from the small handbag with the Unblemished Stretching Charm that Regulus had given her.

The package was wrapped in simple kraft paper and tied with a dark green ribbon.

"Here you go." Lily pushed the package towards him, her voice a little soft and slightly embarrassed: "A belated Christmas present, please don't mind it."

Regulus took the package and immediately knew it was knitwear; it felt soft and thick, probably a scarf or gloves.

The packaging was simple, without the elaborate decorations found in stores, but the ribbon was tied neatly and the edges were folded with meticulous care.

He could picture Lily sitting by the fireplace at her home in Kirkworth, knitting the gift stitch by stitch.

She might also have to avoid Penny's curious or jealous gaze, and avoid her parents' questioning stares, and slowly finish knitting it by lamplight at night after finishing her homework.

This item may not be precious; the material is ordinary wool, and the craftsmanship is basic knitting. You can buy a much nicer one at any store on the market.

But inside lies heartfelt sentiment, time, and a girl's sincere wishes for her friend.

Regulus solemnly accepted the package, looked into Lily's eyes, and said, "Thank you."

A smile immediately spread across Lily's face; her nervousness and embarrassment vanished, replaced by pure joy.

"I'm glad you like it." She said cheerfully, "I didn't have much to do at home during the holidays, and I couldn't practice magic, so I thought I'd knit something..."

The two walked out of the library together and headed towards the auditorium, chatting about their holiday life along the way.

Regulus certainly wouldn't tell Lily about his real vacation, the Malfoy family dinner, the patrol of Knockturn Alley, or the battle with the dark wizard—these were not things he should talk about.

He only said that he practiced magic at home and occasionally participated in some social activities; it was very ordinary and mundane.

Lily listened with some envy: "You can practice magic at home, but I don't even dare to keep my wand with me at home, for fear of accidentally casting a spell."

Once, while helping my mom wash the dishes, I saw a stubborn stain on a plate. The thought of using a cleaning spell flashed through my mind, and I was so startled that I quickly locked my wand in the deepest part of the drawer.

"The trail can only locate young wizards who are not around adult wizards," Regulus said, going along with her.

"If you really need to practice during the holidays, you can find a good classmate whose family has an adult wizard and stay at their house for a few days. Being around an adult wizard will prevent the trail from being triggered."

"Really?" Lily's eyes lit up. "There's such a way?"

"The Ministry of Magic's surveillance system isn't that sophisticated," Regulus explained.

"Primarily aimed at young wizards from Muggle families, to prevent them from revealing their magic to Muggles."

If there are adult wizards nearby, the system assumes that the adult wizard is using magic and will not blame the junior wizard.

Lily carefully noted down the information, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Why did you give me such a precious gift?"

That handbag... I've seen similar things in Diagon Alley, and they were ridiculously expensive.

Regulus was silent for a moment. He couldn't very well say, "You think it's expensive, but I think it's quite cheap."

"Value is relative. For me, that handbag is just a useful and convenient tool."

The Unseen Stretching Charm used to create it isn't that advanced. Although the Ministry of Magic prohibits its private use, as long as you don't flaunt it or use it for illegal purposes, using it secretly is fine.

He added, "If you're interested, there's a book in the library called 'Fundamentals and Applications of Spatial Magic,' which contains a detailed explanation and practice method for the Seamless Stretch Spell."

Theoretically, as long as the precision of magic control is sufficient and the principle of spatial expansion is understood, one can create it oneself.

Lily's eyes widened: "You can do it yourself?"

"Of course." Regulus nodded firmly. "Magic is learned. As long as you are willing to spend time learning and practice diligently, many things that seem profound are actually not difficult."

In the original story, Hermione Granger was able to make her own beaded pouch with a Stretch-Unmarking Charm in seventh grade to carry various items needed for her adventures.

If Hermione can do it, there's no reason why Lily can't; it's not necessarily a matter of who's smarter.

Even if Lily is young, it doesn't matter; Regulus can provide crucial guidance.

The two entered the auditorium and each went to their respective college table.

As Regulus sat down, Avery leaned over and whispered, "Are you close to that Evans?"

"Academic exchange," Regulus replied simply.

Avery pursed his lips and said nothing more.

In the eyes of a young wizard from a pure-blood family like him, getting too close to Muggle-borns was not a good thing.

He dared not interfere too much in Regulus's affairs, and merely offering a reminder was considered fulfilling his duty as a companion.

Regulus didn't care; most pure-blooded wizards couldn't compare to Lily.

......

Transfiguration class on Wednesday afternoon.

Professor McGonagall stood at the podium, her expression as serious as ever.

Today she wore a dark green robe with the Gryffindor and Hogwarts badges pinned to the collar, and her silver hair was neatly combed.

"Today's topic is 'The Handkerchief Turns into a Rabbit,'" Professor McGonagall said in a clear and strong voice.

"This is the key content of this semester, and it will be on the final exam. The requirement is very simple: keep the transformed rabbit in its original shape for ten minutes without it reverting to its original form."

She picked up a white handkerchief and tapped it lightly with her wand.

The handkerchief began to twist, expand, and stretch, revealing a velvety texture on its surface, with ear-shaped growths along its edges.

A few seconds later, a lifelike white rabbit appeared on the podium, its pink nose twitching, its long ears standing up, and its hind legs gently stomping on the table.

"Transformation relies not only on magic, but also on focus," Professor McGonagall emphasized.

"You must clearly imagine every detail of the target's form, the texture of the hair, the distribution of muscles, the structure of the bones, and even the color and luster of the eyes."

The clearer the image, the more stable the deformation, and the longer it lasts.

She tapped her wand again, and the rabbit turned back into a handkerchief.

"Now, let's begin practicing."

Regulus picked up the handkerchief in front of him. It was made of cotton with the Hogwarts coat of arms embroidered along the edges, and it felt soft and thick to the touch.

He closed his eyes and visualized the rabbit in his mind.

They quickly constructed a detailed, complete structure of a rabbit, inside and out.

The skeletal system, including the shape and connection of the skull, spine, ribs, and limb bones.

The muscular system: which muscles are responsible for jumping, which for chewing, and which for ear movement.

Internal organ system, location of the heart, size of the lung lobes, length of the intestines.

External features, hair length and density, eye transparency and reflectivity, blood vessel distribution in the ears, and the sensitivity of the beard.

These tasks were effortless and easy for Regulus, but not for the other young wizards, who might not even know whether a rabbit has a tail.

Having finished imagining, Regulus raised his wand and tapped it gently.

"Vera Verto".

The handkerchief began to change.

However, unlike the smooth and natural transformation demonstrated by Professor McGonagall, Regulus's transformation is more precise and layered.

It starts with the internal structure. The cotton fibers rearrange to form the basic shape of a skeleton, and then muscle tissue is generated to wrap around the skeleton.

Next, the internal organs appear, finding their correct positions in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Finally, the external fur appears, with white downy hairs growing from the skin's surface and covering the entire body.

The whole process took about five seconds.

A white rabbit stood on the table, almost identical to the one Professor McGonagall had conjured.

But upon closer inspection, you'll notice the differences: this rabbit has brighter eyes, a more lively gaze, a more natural rhythm in its chest rises and falls when it breathes, and you can hear a subtle rubbing sound of cartilage when its ears move.

Regulus pondered for a moment, then tapped his wand lightly again, aiming it at the rabbit, and continued to transform.

The skin on the rabbit's back begins to bulge, subcutaneous tissue reorganizes, bones extend, and muscles attach.

A pair of wings grow from the shoulder blades, and are membranous wings like those of a bat.

The wings have slender bones, flexible joints, thin but tough skin, and a dense network of blood vessels on the surface.

At the same time, the thoracic cavity structure changes, and the ribs expand outward, making room for newly formed flight muscles.

The heart position is slightly adjusted, the pumping efficiency is improved, the lung lobes are enlarged, the gas exchange capacity is enhanced, and the hind limb muscles are adjusted to be more suitable for takeoff and landing.

It still looks like a rabbit—white fur, pink eyes, and long ears—but its inner self is completely different.

The surrounding students gasped in surprise.

"Black has conjured magical creatures!" shouted a Hufflepuff boy.

"Is that a rabbit? Rabbits have wings?"

"It must be a magical creature; only magical creatures look like that!"