Regulus laughed from the heart. He had to admit, this was the most exhilarating adventure he'd experienced in either of his two lifetimes.
Absolutely worth it.
Though the height couldn't compare to a HALO jump, the adrenaline rush was every bit as intense—
He hadn't brought a parachute!
Why not bring a parachute?
—Because parachutes have no faith.
(Faith cannot defy gravity. Kids, do not try this at home.)
Of course, he had a backup plan: before all this, he'd practiced his Levitation Charm to perfection—forehand, backhand, upside down, underwater—if anything went wrong, he'd cast it on himself instantly.
Regulus, with his bean sprout build, felt like he radiated six feet of presence—cooler than Tom Cruise.
"Regulus, Regulus! How could you, how could you—Slytherin, five points off!" Professor Slughorn, pudgy, pale, and soft like a walrus, conjured a parachute and, ahead of all the other teachers, was the first to deduct points from his own house.
"Merlin's beard! What were you thinking! That was terrifying!" The Slytherin Head of House didn't know whether to scold him harshly or thank the heavens.
One Sirius was already bad enough—now Regulus was following in his footsteps too.
Hogwarts corrupting children—evidence, solid and undeniable.
Madam Hooch descended from the sky, riding a Nimbus 1000 broom summoned from Merlin-knows-where. With a series of flawless Porskoff Ploys and a perfectly timed Cushioning Charm, she landed in a stylish, dramatic swoop.
Perched on the broom, she radiated such cool confidence that even Regulus and the rest of the students couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
At that moment, the most handsome boy in Hogwarts was also staring daggers at him. Sirius could hardly believe it—his usually introverted, shy, quiet, even somewhat timid little brother had just completely let loose and pulled off something huge—
Was his brother's past demeanor simply the result of being stifled by him?
And had Hogwarts this year awakened a whole new side of him? Sirius' pretty little brain was being repeatedly bombarded by weird thoughts.
No one at the time realized that this silent, "just-do-it" kind of recklessness would come to define Regulus perfectly.
For a while, Sirius didn't know whether he should ask their parents to send Regulus a Howler—just like the ones he used to get—or give him a big thumbs up and say, "Well done. Truly my brother."
But for all of Hogwarts' vastness, not one person thought to ask, "Why did you jump off the Astronomy Tower?"
Proof that the teachers of Hogwarts, after years of handling students, had already learned the motto: "Kids don't need a reason to do things."
"Detention. Young man, detention in my office, starting tonight at six. Every evening. One week," said Horace Slughorn, pulling out a handkerchief to dab the sweat from his forehead.
Thank Merlin he's fine. Thank Merlin, he repeated to himself.
"Yes, Professor." Regulus nodded, eyes gleaming—what an opportunity! One-on-one sessions with a senior professor!
Was that attitude a little too enthusiastic? Slughorn could clearly feel Regulus' excitement and gave him a suspicious look. For some reason, he also glanced at the clueless Sirius—were these two brothers cooking up some kind of ridiculous scheme?
Sirius, who had been randomly stared at, looked innocently at Remus. James also turned to Remus with a confused expression, seeking a more reliable opinion.
With your reputations, who at Hogwarts doesn't know how you lot operate—Remus remained calm as ever.
Classic Remus.
…
That Leap of Faith had quite the effect.
"That's him—Regulus, the Slytherin brother of our Gryffindor Black."
On the way to Charms that afternoon, Regulus walked with a spring in his step, unfazed by the pointing and whispering around him, until he reached the classroom door.
Charms was one of his favorite subjects at Hogwarts, and Professor Flitwick was easily one of his top teachers.
"Hey, Black, how did you land that?" a Gryffindor boy who had never spoken to him before couldn't help but ask.
Even Gryffindor students were initiating conversation with him now?
Keep in mind—these weren't peaceful times. The Dark Lord treated Hogwarts like his personal kingdom. Slytherin was basically a Death Eater training camp, while Gryffindor was unquestionably the little Phoenix headquarters.
The ice between the houses was especially thick—hard to crack.
"Like this—Wingardium Leviosa!" At the entrance to the Charms classroom, Regulus took a half-step inside and used the spell to levitate a heavy suit of armor from the hallway into the air, then gently set it down.
"Mind your manners, young man," the armor muttered vaguely.
Regulus placed his left hand behind his back, his right hand over his chest, and gave the armor a bow. Outwardly, he didn't say a word of nonsense, continuing to uphold his image as the cold, tight-lipped youth that Regulus was supposed to be.
This Levitation Charm was the result of questioning Professor Flitwick, practicing for ten straight days in the Room of Requirement, and even casting it in his sleep back in the dorm.
"Wow—impressive!"
The Gryffindor who'd asked the question looked at him with newfound respect. He himself could barely lift a teapot with Leviosa, and Regulus, the same age as him, could already lift a full suit of armor with ease.
He'd definitely have to go practice more.
"Excellent control, Mr. Black," said Professor Filius Flitwick, smiling as he appeared from the Charms classroom doorway. "Five points to Slytherin."
"Thank you, Professor!"
The two houses settled into their seats.
The small-statured Professor Flitwick looked out at the children before him from the podium, in an especially good mood—summer break was just around the corner.
"Today, we'll be learning two spells with very broad uses. Open your textbooks to Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1—the Unlocking Charm and the Locking Charm. We're going to try something fun today!!"
The moment they heard the word fun, the little lions and snakes in Charms class all perked up.
"In front of each of you is a box—Gryffindor students, you'll practice the Unlocking Charm. Slytherin students, your focus will be on the Locking Charm."
"For the last ten minutes of class, you'll pair up and see which is stronger—your locking or their unlocking! Next lesson, we'll swap roles."
Professor Flitwick beamed, showing not the slightest concern over deepening house rivalry.
"!?"
Now this was fun!
Encouraging healthy competition between students—Professor Flitwick was clearly a teaching genius straight out of legend.
The setup immediately ignited the entire class's enthusiasm for practice! One by one, the kids wore serious expressions as they worked on their spells, while Flitwick was surrounded by students eager to ask questions.
The learning atmosphere had never been better!
Regulus picked up the box in front of him and examined it carefully, already making mental notes.
His partner turned out to be the Gryffindor boy who'd spoken to him in the hallway earlier—David Godge. From what Regulus could tell, the little wizard had a sizable and well-developed sense of curiosity.
"Black, how did you train your Levitation Charm? Any tips?" Godge asked.
"The wand movement needs to be precise and decisive. But more importantly—you have to mentally anticipate what's going to happen," Regulus thought for a moment, then summarized. "You need a clear understanding of the situation and strong confidence in the expected outcome."
It was something he'd figured out on his own through practice.
Godge nodded, half understanding, and then asked, "So, Black, what's the heaviest thing you've managed to levitate?"
"I've tried 150 pounds. Also, just call me Regulus."
…
By the end of class, David, who had spent half the lesson chatting, naturally failed to unlock the box that Regulus had sealed. But his disappointment didn't last long—because it wasn't just him.
None of the students in the class managed to open the box locked by Regulus.
Finally, Professor Flitwick walked over to the desk and casually cast an Unlocking Charm—
The lock on the box gave a faint click, as if it responded, but the box itself didn't move at all.
Huh?
He picked it up and immediately noticed something was off—the box had gotten much heavier.
This was—
"Brilliant Transfiguration!" Flitwick praised with enthusiasm. With a flick of his wand, he split the box in two and showed the class—
The hollow interior had been turned into solid wood. The lock had indeed been opened—it was just that the box had become a block of wood, and thus couldn't be opened.
This little Black… is quite something.
…
Dinner time, Great Hall of Hogwarts.
Countless floating candles lit the four long house tables. The staff table sat empty.
Surrounded by a few curious classmates, Regulus made his way toward his usual spot at the far end of the Slytherin table, only to spot Sirius, seated prominently at the Gryffindor table, standing and leaning sideways against it, staring at him intently.
Even some third-year girls were sneaking glances at him.
Regulus couldn't help but think—if good looks were justice, then Sirius was its living embodiment.
To Sirius' surprise, Regulus—who hadn't spoken a word to him since last Christmas—started walking over.
The little snakes around Regulus hesitated and didn't follow. The students at the tables nearby seemed to quiet down, their attention drawn to the scene.
The two brothers had grown up together, with Sirius always complaining yet dragging along his "timid and clumsy little brother" on all sorts of adventures. When they first arrived at Hogwarts, their relationship hadn't been that tense.
But under the pressure from their parents and the growing divide between their houses, their conversations had become strained, and eventually stopped altogether.
Sirius had his pride, and Regulus had his restraint—so naturally, they drifted apart.
This was the first time Regulus had ever taken the initiative to speak to him at Hogwarts. Sirius couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
Regulus looked at the school heartthrob standing before him—the freest soul in Hogwarts, who one day would give up that very freedom to protect a godson and his friends.
It was the kind of story everyone loved to read, but for someone as radiant and proud as the boy in front of him, it was far too heavy a burden.
"Brother." All the emotions of two lifetimes, everything he wanted to say, condensed into that single word.
Sirius immediately felt something was off—this version of Regulus had such calm, peaceful eyes that it gave him the creeps.
But at the same time, it felt like something precious had returned.
"Reg… you—be careful," Sirius finally managed to speak out, though even he didn't believe what he was saying. He caught the barely concealed amusement on Regulus's face.
"Hey, did you use a reverse-handed Levitation Charm? What was it like jumping off the tower?" James Potter couldn't hide his excitement. "Hey, uh, Regulus, I know you know who I am, but just in case—James. James Potter."
"Remus Lupin," Remus added from the side.
"Regulus Black. A pleasure." Regulus extended his hand and shook both of theirs with an overly formal, serious air.
Yep, still that overly earnest, prematurely old-fashioned little brother—Sirius couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.