Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

After dinner, Regulus went into the library.

Mrs. Pince sat behind the table at the entrance, wiping her glasses with a velvet cloth in her hand. When she saw him come in, she only raised her eyelids slightly and did not say anything.

The library was still not crowded. A few seventh-grade students were looking up information in a corner, two Ravenclaw girls were huddled together having a quiet discussion, and a few Hufflepuffs were rushing to finish their homework.

Regulus walked to the spell section and pulled out the book "Common Spells and Their Variations".

The book was quite old; the edges of the cover were worn and white, and the pages were yellowed, but it was clean and without any creases.

He found a seat by the window, flipped through the page he had seen before, and started analyzing the spell for the repelling curse.

The spell was simple, and he had known it for a long time, but other people's ideas were also inspirations. The book described the combined use of the knockback spell and the obstacle spell, which could knock people away a long distance.

As darkness fell outside the window, the castle lights began to illuminate the night.

Regulus turned a page, and something else suddenly popped into his head.

Last semester, he entered the restricted area multiple times, using a modified version of the Disillusionment Charm to cover his entire body, shielding him from light, heat, and most magical fluctuations.

At the time, he thought he had succeeded without any trouble and could keep it a secret from Mrs. Pince, but now he thinks he was probably too naive.

If Dumbledore really had been observing him since the first semester, then Dumbledore would likely have known about his late-night intrusion into the restricted section.

But then I thought, even if it's discovered, as long as they don't stop it, that's tacit approval.

Just then, a soft but stern cough echoed through the library; it was Mrs. Pince reminding everyone.

Regulus looked up and found that there were hardly any students left around.

He closed the book, put it back on the shelf, and followed the last few people out of the library.

The corridor was dimly lit, and most of the portraits were asleep, with only a few still awake, yawning or adjusting their collars in their frames.

Regulus didn't go straight back to the Slytherin common room. He stopped at the corner on the second floor, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then gently waved his wand in front of him.

A cool sensation spread throughout his body; the illusion spell was in effect.

The body's outline becomes blurred, and its edges blend into the surrounding environment.

This is his improved version, which not only blocks vision, but also minimizes footsteps, breathing sounds, body odor, body temperature, and magical fluctuations.

But looking back now, that wasn't enough.

The principle behind the Disillusionment Charm is to use magic to distort light and create visual illusions.

The spell itself has magical fluctuations, and a skilled wizard can sense those fluctuations.

The Potter family's heirloom invisibility cloak is said to be a treasure given by Death, one of the Deathly Hallows. Even a magical artifact of that caliber couldn't escape Dumbledore's notice.

In the original books, Harry Potter wanders around the castle wearing an invisibility cloak, and Dumbledore always calls out his name accurately.

Even Snape might have noticed, of course it's the older Snape, the younger Snape wouldn't have been able to do anything.

Regulus walked silently down the empty corridor.

He needed a more thorough method of concealment; distorting the light wasn't enough, he wanted the light to pass through directly.

Blocking out sound wasn't enough; he wanted to eliminate sound altogether, and even his body temperature had to be completely in sync with the surrounding environment.

That might involve a change in the state of existence.

But he can't do it yet; his knowledge is insufficient, and his magical precision is inadequate.

When Regulus reached the eighth floor, he stopped.

This is opposite the tapestry of the troll beating Banaba the Fool; the bare stone wall looks particularly simple in the dim light.

He concentrated and silently recited it in his mind.

I need a place to practice magic, a place that is absolutely private and where I won't be disturbed by anyone.

He recited it three times, but the stone wall remained empty; it simply wouldn't work.

He wanted to test different methods, and even wondered if going through the process three times was just a formality, and that the core issue was actually a strong need to be perceived.

But looking at it now, we still have to go.

Regulus walked back and forth across the tapestry three more times, and the next moment, a door appeared in the stone wall.

The door is made of oak with a fine wood grain, and the brass handles are shiny.

It appeared just like that, without sound or light, without spatial distortion or ripples, as if it had always been there, only we hadn't seen it before.

Regulus unleashed his full senses, spreading his magic in all directions to detect any anomalies in the air.

But there was nothing there.

The appearance of the door did not cause any changes; the magic in the environment remained stable as usual, the spatial structure was intact and continuous, and even the airflow bypassed the door.

Regulus stood there, staring at the door, lost in thought.

The House of Requirement responds to the wizard's needs.

But how did you respond?

If it's just a transformation spell, turning a wall into a door, and behind the door is a room, then there must be magical fluctuations.

If it's spatial magic, creating an entrance in the wall will change the spatial structure.

If it were a hallucination, his senses wouldn't be completely unresponsive.

But there was nothing there.

A thought popped into Regulus's mind, a thought that was baseless and illogical, merely a bubble rising from the depths of his subconscious.

Perhaps the Room of Requirement has always been here, existing in a state of superposition between existence and non-existence.

When a wizard generates a clear need, and that need is observed by some mechanism, the state collapses into a definite existence.

The thought made his breathing slightly labored.

If that's the case, if Ms. Ravenclaw used some concept that touches on the most fundamental rules of the world when designing this room.

Her magical skills far surpassed all later records, reaching a level close to mythology.

Regulus suppressed his shock; he was unable to verify this conjecture.

He doesn't even understand the basic principles of the Room of Requirement, let alone its deeper design logic.

That's how some things are in the magical world; they exist and can be used, but we don't know why they can.

He didn't understand it, but he was deeply shocked.

If we don't understand it, we shouldn't bother with it for now.

Regulus gripped the doorknob, pushed open the door, and inside was a training ground.

The room was very large, measuring over twenty meters in length and width, with a ceiling about ten meters high, large enough for most magical practice.

The floor is covered with dark wood flooring, which has a slight springiness when stepped on, cushioning the impact of a fall.

The four walls are made of smooth stone, with runes engraved on the surface to absorb magic and prevent spells from reflecting or damaging the walls.

In one corner of the room were several training dummies, their bodies covered in thick leather.

In another corner there was a wooden table with several books and practice tools on it.

It's obvious that this is frequently used.

Regulus scanned the area but found no trace of anyone else. However, the training dummies had scorch marks from spells, the wooden floor had wear marks, and the edges of the table had an oily sheen from long-term use.

Although the House of Requirement is hidden away, many people know about it.

In the original books, Harry Potter used it to hold DA Army rallies, Draco Malfoy used it to repair the Vanishing Cabinet, Dumbledore used it to go to the toilet, and there were also students who happened to enter it.

This room has been discovered many times over the centuries, so he cannot treat it as his private space.

Regulus walked to the center of the room and sat down cross-legged.

I'm just here today to confirm the location and familiarize myself with the environment, but since I'm already here, I'll practice for a while.

He needed to test some magic, and it wasn't convenient in the common room or bedroom, so this place was perfect.

Regulus pulled a Galleon from his pocket.

Galon gleamed with a dark gold luster in my palm, its serrated edges were clear and neat, the front featured the head of a Gringotts goblin, and the back had a number.

He placed Galon on the floor in front of him and took three steps back.

Spatial warp.

He had been practicing this magic trick, ever since he successfully moved the brooch by five centimeters at Christmas, he would take time to try it every day.

Progress was slow, so slow that it was almost imperceptible, but he was patient.

Magic is never something that happens overnight.

Regulus closed his eyes, his senses expanding.

The location of Galon is characterized by a dense and stable spatial node.

The spatial structure within three meters around him appeared in his mind in a three-dimensional image, showing the position of each node and the strength of each connecting line.

The theory is simple: let space fold itself, fit the two nodes together, and then pass the object over.

Regulus focused his mind, and magic surged from within him, directly affecting the space itself.

He looked at the node where Galon was, imagining it as a buoy on the water, sliding down an invisible slope to another empty node next to it.

The magic touched the spatial structure, causing the nodes to tremble slightly, and ripples invisible to the naked eye appeared in the air around Galon.

Regulus adjusted his magic output, following the natural trend of the spatial structure to find the most effortless entry point.

With his mind focused on Galon, magic extended along the natural texture of the spatial structure, purely through the combination of will and magic.

Galon vanished from the spot without any intervening process; one moment he was still in the same place, and the next he was on the floor two meters away.

The location is off; it is not the intended target point, with an error of nearly half a meter.

Galon is facing upwards, and the Gringotts goblin's head reflects light under the training field lights.

Regulus walked over and picked up Galon.

The metal surface is slightly warm, which is a residue of spatial friction, indicating that there is still great room for improvement.