Horace Slughorn's office, much like the man himself, was filled with a carefully cultivated sense of comfort and affluence.
The room carried the strange fragrance of various expensive potion ingredients; the walls were covered with photographs of famous wizards, silver instruments gleamed on the desk, and the comfortable armchairs were upholstered in thick velvet.
"Ah! Regulus, my dear boy, come in!" Slughorn, with his round belly leading the way, greeted him warmly, his face wreathed in smiles.
"Sit, sit! A bit of mead? Or a lemon sherbet?"
"Thank you, Professor, but no thank you," Regulus politely declined, taking a seat in the designated chair with a proper yet relaxed posture.
Regulus observed Slughorn; the man was undoubtedly shrewd, loving to collect promising students to weave a vast network of favors and interests.
He valued talent, background, and future utility, but he also knew how to judge the situation and avoid risks.
A classic Slytherin opportunist, yet not an evil man—he simply played the game of investment and favors to its absolute limit.
"I heard about the little incident in the common room last night," Slughorn said, rubbing his hands together, his gooseberry-colored eyes seemingly gleaming.
"That Travers boy, ah, always so impulsive, not quite mature enough. But you handled it very well, very decently, showing the style one expects from the House of Black."
Regulus felt amused and a bit speechless. *I beat him up like that, and you say I handled it well? Decently?*
*And what exactly is the "Black style"? Bullying people?*
But he simply listened quietly, nodding slightly in thanks for the professor's praise.
"I believe that with your talent and temperament, you will surely become a figure of great importance in the wizarding world in the future." Slughorn lowered his voice slightly, leaning forward in a gesture of shared confidence.
"I, for one, love to see excellent young people shine. If you need help with Potions, or in any other area, my club, my collection, even some of my… small connections, are always open to you."
Regulus understood clearly; Professor Slughorn was avoiding mentioning Lord Voldemort, but he was optimistic about Regulus's prospects in the coming new era and was willing to invest in advance.
Regulus understood this well, and his face appropriately showed a hint of age-appropriate humility. "Thank you very much for your appreciation, Professor.
In fact, I am indeed curious about an obscure direction in Potions; perhaps I could receive your guidance."
"Oh? Tell me about it!" Slughorn's eyes brightened further.
"I've seen descriptions in some very old family fragments regarding sacrificial rituals," Regulus said, choosing his words carefully, his tone sounding more like a student full of curiosity.
"The priests who presided over those rituals would sometimes draw complex totems or runes on their skin, which were said to briefly communicate with a certain power.
I'm curious if it's possible to achieve this kind of external drawing material through a potion?
For example, processing potion ingredients with specific effects into a form that can safely adhere to the skin and slowly release its potency?"
Slughorn rubbed his double chin, thinking seriously.
"An interesting idea… very ancient, very obscure.
Drawing magic runes directly is extremely risky, but through a potion medium… hmm, there are some records. For instance, ancient northern wizards would apply ointments prepared from dragon blood, troll heart powder, and frost-crystal flowers to gain strength, but the side effects were immense.
If it is to be used safely, durably, and specifically… this involves the stability of potion materials, skin permeability, and the slow release of magic.
Oh, and preventing magical conflict and backlash… this is a rather complex subject, my boy."
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, clearly attracted by this highly academic problem.
"However, it's not impossible!
I remember a basic formula mentioned in the appendix of *Hidden Pharmaceutics* that might serve as a carrier.
Also, some witch doctors in Uagadou, Africa, have a tradition of drawing runes with specific plant juices mixed with mineral powders, which is said to enhance magic resistance… I need to check some references and do some deductions."
He looked at Regulus with eager eyes. "If you are truly interested in this direction, perhaps during the holidays we can have some safe, theoretical discussions and try some basic formulas.
Of course, absolute caution is required!"
"That is exactly what I hoped for, Professor." Regulus bowed slightly. "Thank you very much for your guidance."
As he left Slughorn's office, Regulus felt invigorated; a key plank had been laid for one of his ideas.
At lunchtime, two owls of vastly different temperaments landed before Regulus almost simultaneously, dropping two letters of varying thickness.
The first was from Walburga, her handwriting wild and full of passion:
"My proud son!
News has already reached us—you defeated the provocateur and defended the dignity and glory of the Blacks! Well done! This is how a Black heir should be! Silence those doubters!
The family is proud of you! Your father and I are both immensely proud of you!
Continue to show your strength, let everyone see that the House of Black will occupy a leading position in the great changes to come!
We are ready to answer That Lord's call and fight for the future of pure-bloods! You will be our sword and our glory!
Keep your edge, my Regulus! Remember your mission and your bloodline!"
Between the lines was undisguised fanaticism, pride, and agreement with Lord Voldemort's cause; Regulus calmly folded the parchment.
The second letter was from Orion, his handwriting steady and restrained:
"Regulus:
I have heard of your recent performance. Be mindful of moderation when displaying your abilities; do not make enemies lightly.
Slytherin interpersonal relationships are complex. Having strength is the foundation, but knowing how to adapt and weigh options is how you establish yourself long-term.
The situation outside is becoming increasingly tense, and matters at home are also complicated. Your mother's attitude is currently very proactive; you should be clear on this in your heart.
Focus on your studies and skill improvement. Hogwarts is currently stable enough; make good use of the resources there.
Attached is an update to your library access; you may now consult the books on shelves seven through twelve.
Knowledge brings not only power, but wisdom."
Two letters, two completely different attitudes and expectations.
Regulus tucked both letters away. He knew his father was warning him that a storm was coming, while his mother could not wait to plunge into it…
At the Gryffindor table, the atmosphere in one area was somewhat somber.
Sirius Black poked at the mashed potatoes on his plate with force, his expression dark.
He had, of course, heard about Regulus.
There was a bit of shock, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. He had long known this younger brother was different, just not to this extent.
What made him feel bad wasn't jealousy of his brother's achievements or strength, but a deeper sense of unease.
The more brilliantly Regulus performed, the more he met the expectations of Slytherin and the pure-blood circles, the more likely he was to be noticed by that person and dragged into that dark vortex.
Thinking that Regulus might one day have to wear the black robes of a Death Eater and stand behind that person made Sirius feel a tightness in his chest.
Even though he had long been prepared for this.
"Hey, Sirius, don't make that face." James Potter clapped his friend on the shoulder, thinking he was upset about the little Slytherin snake showing off.
"It's just winning against some fifth-year idiot. That Travers kid was never any good anyway. Your brother just got lucky and used some underhanded tricks."
Sirius shook his head and said nothing.
James took this silence as agreement, and his eyes darted around as he lowered his voice. "Don't worry, mate, I've disliked him for a while now. He was acting all high and mighty on the train.
I wrote to my dad to ask, and he told me that that method of directly solidifying spells, while rare, definitely has weaknesses—either it consumes a massive amount of energy, or it's ineffective against high-speed, dense attacks.
I've talked it over with Remus and Peter. We'll find a chance to show him what's what and get some payback for you!"
Sirius suddenly looked up. "James, don't!"
"Don't worry, we know what we're doing!" James interrupted him with full confidence, winking. "We won't make it hard for you. We'll catch him when he's alone, make it quick, and guarantee he'll be left with a deep impression."
Lupin frowned slightly from the side, seeming as if he wanted to say something, but seeing James's excitement and then Sirius's dark expression, he ultimately just let out a soft sigh.
Peter nodded nervously, his small eyes darting back and forth.
Sirius looked at the jubilant James; the words of dissuasion reached his lips but were swallowed back down.
He knew James was doing this for him, and once James made up his mind, it was very hard to change.
More importantly, deep in his heart, there was perhaps a dark sliver of curiosity, wanting to see if James and the others could actually force Regulus to show more of his capabilities.
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