Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Regulus wanted to protect his path of exploration from disturbance and to prevent his family's business from being plundered.

I want to protect the clear understanding of the world that I have maintained since I traveled through time from being tainted by fanaticism and ignorance.

He wanted to protect the purity of his heart.

But this is not the power of the heart, nor is it emotional protection; it is based solely on reason: I must protect my space for survival and development.

The next moment, resonance occurred.

In my mind, the position of Betelgeuse was illuminated by a faint light.

Unlike the other four stars which are fully lit, this is in a preparatory state, like a furnace that has just been lit and needs more fuel to burn vigorously.

But for now, this is all he can do; he can't do any more.

Regulus seized that state and connected the four-star system with the faint light of Betelgeuse.

The original four-star system was an internal cycle of stability and explosive change. Now, with the addition of Betelgeuse, it has become a framework of stability, explosive change, and defense.

Betelgeuse does not provide additional magic; it only provides structural reinforcement, making the entire system more stable and more resistant to external impacts.

The moment Betelgeuse successfully connected, Regulus felt a vibration in the magical energy within his body.

The total amount of magic power did not increase, but I could feel the magic power changing. The control precision improved, and it became more stable.

He opened his eyes, raised his wand, and used the magic to vibrate, updating the system. He tried to bypass deep meditation and directly invoke the bursting imagery of Betelgeuse.

"Completely crushed to pieces."

The spell was fired and struck the stone wall opposite.

The expected explosion did not occur. Instead, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the surface of the stone wall where the spell struck, and then the entire wall silently shattered into fist-sized pieces, which crashed to the ground.

It is three times more powerful than the standard Shattering Spell, but only consumes fifty percent more magic power.

It was an improvement over the previous one, with reduced consumption and greatly increased power, but Regulus felt a wave of weakness, which was due to mental exhaustion.

Directly invoking the explosive imagery of Betelgeuse without deep meditation requires a high degree of willpower and focus, and will quickly deplete one's mental energy.

That last attack consumed about 10% of my mental energy.

It cannot be used frequently, at least not now. After each use, it takes time to recover, otherwise it will affect subsequent spellcasting and thinking.

He adjusted his breathing to recover and pondered this progress.

The star trail meditation has become entirely his own. The method he originally learned from the book "Star Meditation" is now only the basic framework; the content has been completely replaced and upgraded.

The four-star system, plus the prepared fifth star, makes this system unique and perfectly suited to his magical philosophy and inner state.

He became even more convinced that magical cultivation was not just about accumulating knowledge and skills, but also about the resonance between the inner self and the outside world.

Rational calculations determine the direction, while emotional resonance provides the motivation; only by combining the two can we go further.

Regulus put away his wand and left the Room of Requirement.

The corridor was silent, the castle slept in the night. He returned to his Slytherin bedroom, where Avery and Alex were already asleep, and Hermes' bed was empty.

Wash up, lie down, and close your eyes.

The star trail meditation operates automatically, with the four stars slowly rotating deep within the consciousness. A faint light shines in the position of Betelgeuse, waiting for the day it will truly illuminate.

......

In the first week of February, a lighthearted atmosphere began to permeate the corridors of Hogwarts Castle.

Next weekend is the date for Hogwarts students in their third year and above to travel to Hogsmeade.

The older students were planning their Butterbeer with three brooms, the middle students were discussing Honeydukes' new candies, and the younger students could only listen, their faces showing a mixture of envy and anticipation.

Regulus was stopped at the corner of the corridor by Lucretius Burke after the Charms class.

"Next weekend is Hogsmeade Week," Lucretius said, pointing to the edge of the prefect's badge in a slightly lower voice.

"The family shop recently received a batch of interesting items. I told you to go take a look last time, so this is a good opportunity."

Regulus looked up, his gray eyes meeting his gaze.

It had only been a month since he last accepted an invitation to the Slytherin common room, when he said he would go during the holidays.

Now, only a few weeks into the new semester, Lucretius brought it up again, his tone more direct and urgent than before.

Something happened that he didn't know about?

"Mr. Burke is looking forward to it," Lucretius added.

Regulus nodded, knowing he was referring to old Burke: "I need a letter of consent from the family."

"Of course," Lucretius said with a standard smile, "the procedures must be followed. I'll be waiting for you at the entrance to Hogsmeade."

Having received a response, he left decisively, and Regulus's invitation was exactly what he had expected.

Seeing his confident demeanor, Regulus thought to himself, "If I refuse on the grounds that I am not old enough, how will you respond?"

Regulus walked back to his Slytherin room, sat down at his desk, spread out parchment, dipped his quill in ink, paused for a moment, and then dropped it.

"Father:

Lucretius Burke has once again invited me to visit Burke’s shop next week during Hogsmeade Week.

It has only been a little over a month since the last invitation, and I need a parental consent letter to apply to Professor Slughorn for permission to go out.

Also, the attitude of the bloggers seems to have changed. Has something happened recently?

Please let me know.

Regulus

After he finished writing the letter, he branded the Black emblem at the end with the family seal, went to the owl hut, found his owl, and handed the letter to it.

"Deliver it to your father."

At breakfast the next day, a family owl landed beside Regulus and dropped a reply.

The parchment is thick and sturdy, with gold foil embossed along the edges; Orion's handwriting is steady and restrained.

Regulus:

The letter of consent is attached. I will inform Professor Slughorn separately.

Regarding the Burke family, the Ministry of Magic suddenly established a Special Office for the Examination of Dark Magical Items two weeks ago, directly led by Barty Crouch.

The scope of the review includes all registered transactions of black magic items, with a focus on items involving black magic, curses, and large-scale destructive substances.

Since the Burke family mainly deals in such products, they naturally take the lead.

The investigation has not yet expanded to Flip-down Lane, but the pressure has already been transmitted.

The Bock family is trying to establish connections with you and me to secure a buffer or early warning at the Wissengamo level.

This is a transaction, not a favor.

Go there to signal to the Black family that they are willing to make contact; I will discuss the specific terms directly with old Burke.

Additionally, the area around Fandao Lane has recently experienced unrest due to censorship, with some individuals holding sensitive items eager to sell them, leading to frequent conflicts.

Remember, when you go, only enter the shops, don't linger in the alleys.

Regulus folded the letter and put it in his inner pocket.

The Ministry of Magic acted suddenly, led by Barty Crouch, the Director of the Enforcement Division known for his toughness and efficiency.

He would personally send his son to Azkaban, then exchange his wife for his son, and finally die at his son's hands.

Such actions don't happen out of thin air; they're either driven by high-level officials or stem from a major event that requires a response.

Regulus thought that perhaps Voldemort's power was expanding rapidly, and the circulation of dark magic items was increasing, so the Ministry of Magic had to put on a show.

Alternatively, Dumbledore's faction could exert pressure in Wizengamor to restrict the trade in dark magic.

It's also possible that Crouch himself wanted to accumulate political capital to pave the way for a future campaign for Minister of Magic.

Regulus had a general understanding of the political landscape of the British Ministry of Magic.

Factions abound, interests are exchanged, and while the law appears authoritative on the surface, its actual enforcement is highly flexible.

Pure-blood families have been deeply entrenched in the Ministry of Magic for many years, with their own people in every department. Usually, when reviewing such matters, they will be informed in advance and it will be a mere formality.

But this time it didn't happen, so it's unusual.

Either Crouch bypassed all conventional channels and acted directly, or the level of involvement in decision-making was too high, beyond the reach of even pure-blood families.

However, the latter is unlikely, as the British Ministry of Magic probably doesn't have such powerful high-ranking officials.

Either way, it shows that the situation is changing.

After finishing his breakfast, Regulus got up and left the Great Hall. He needed to see Professor Slughorn after his afternoon classes.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Regulus knocked on the door of the potions office.

"Come in!" Slughorn's voice came from inside, with his usual cheerful tone.

Pushing open the door, the office was still the same as before. The room was filled with a strange fragrance of various expensive potion ingredients. The walls were covered with photos of him with famous wizards, and the silverware on the table gleamed.

The shelves were filled with rare ingredients, and a half-bottle of mead and several plates of pastries sat on a small round table by the fireplace.

Professor Slughorn sat in his large armchair, holding a thick ledger in his hand. When he saw Regulus, his eyes immediately lit up.

"Regulus!" He put down the ledger and waved warmly. "What a rare guest! Let me see, this is the first time you've come to see me this semester, isn't it?"

Regulus walked to the desk and greeted him politely, "Professor."

"Sit, sit." Slughorn smiled broadly and waved his hand, causing the chair opposite him to slide out automatically.

"I just received a letter from your father." Slughorn gently placed the parchment down, a knowing smile on his face.

"I understand about Hogsmeade Week. The application form is here; I've signed it."

He pushed the form across the table: "The process is compliant, I'll handle it, you can go now."

Regulus thanked the professor politely, said goodbye, and left.

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