"Darkness visible." — John Milton, Paradise Lost
Year 3 – Regulus (Age 9)
Regulus had now become accustomed to the Spell Resistance practice. He had successfully endured the Cruciatus Curse every day for the past year. He felt himself gradually adapting to the pain, largely thanks to his 'Adept' ability. Still, it had taken a full week for him to acclimate, and that week had been more torturous than anything he had ever experienced.
Now, he could survive being tortured under the curse for half an hour. By comparison, his classmates could only endure about ten minutes maximum—and that high score belonged solely to Anders, who was physically fitter than the rest.
Regulus did not have as much of a problem with the Imperius Curse, as he was already proficient in Occlumency. He adapted much faster there. His peers were still struggling, as the curse targeted the mind and will directly. To control the will, one must penetrate the mind. If the mind is strong, the will cannot be influenced easily.
The continuous exposure to Dark Magic caused obvious changes in his peers. They started to lose their innocence, and their darker traits surfaced more frequently. Greed, envy, pride, gluttony—these sins were observed at heightened levels during the first few weeks. Then, gradually, they settled.
The magic surrounding his peers always showed a hint of light grey, indicating they were under the lingering influence of Dark Magic. It influenced their minds and bodies, making them stronger, but with a consequence: a creeping internal darkness.
Regulus observed himself falling under this same influence during the first few days of practice. However, after a few weeks, he succeeded in dispelling the grey particles from his core. However, he realised that dispelling it completely would result in slowing down his progress.
So, he made a calculated decision: he kept a thin shroud of grey magic around him. This made his mind and body grow stronger but did not damage his soul, as he kept it externally. He successfully controlled it, refusing to let it alter his body or influence his mind directly.
Others were not so lucky or disciplined.
Jaffar lost his playful innocence and stopped his acrobatic stunts. Anders was quiet most of the time; his kindness had vanished, replaced by gluttony—he ate voraciously. Yaxley became excessively prideful of his status, eagerly pursuing power above all else. Khalid, once the most humble, now showed hints of arrogance. Sulaiman showed signs of explosive anger at even the smallest inconvenience.
Krish developed a sign of madness, laughing uncontrollably when angry. And finally, Pratish was the most unpredictable of all. He appeared perfectly normal on the surface, but Regulus had caught him torturing a small rabbit he had found somewhere.
Even though their darkness was surfacing, Regulus watched them adapt and form coping mechanisms. He admired the beauty of human adaptation, a process that worked automatically. The difference was that he adapted at a much faster rate, while they struggled slowly.
For almost a year, he had to beat sense into them whenever they defied him or showed arrogance. Regulus had his own darkness, too: Control. He wanted to control others by any means necessary, even if he had to make them fear him.
By the time Regulus reached age nine, he was unbeatable among the students. He became the unspoken leader of the school. Since he had retained his sanity, he did not abuse his power or defy the instructors. He always showed them respect, knowing they were far more powerful than him. The taste of power did not make him a fool like Voldemort, who would eventually be defeated by a baby due to destiny's play.
Duelling Class no longer served a purpose for him unless it was against the instructors. Ms Roksana had grown fond of him after he survived her Cruciatus for more than half an hour and resisted her Imperius through sheer will and Occlumency. He had even managed to reflect a hint of Legilimency back at her during an Imperius attempt, which she stopped immediately.
This defying attitude made her appreciate Regulus more. She often pointed out mistakes he made while duelling. She beat the living daylights out of him every time, and she loved every moment of it. For Regulus, he was simply using her to grow stronger.
The New Curriculum
When he survived his second year, his third year brought a shift in education: mentorship under a teacher of his own culture.
Yaxley and Regulus came under the care of Mr Morrow. Anders was assigned to Mr Jan. Sulaiman went to the African mentor, Mr Achibe. Jaffar, Khalid, Krish, and Pratish were placed under the mentorship of Mr Srinivas. This system ensured they would excel in the magical traditions of their own communities when they eventually returned home.
There were still common classes, such as Care of Magical Creatures with Ms Johnson, who took them into the forests, and Martial Arts, taught by the Chinese instructor, Ms Lin. Ritual Studies were led by Mr Achibe, who, according to Sulaiman, had vast experience in the field.
Mr Morrow taught the basic Hogwarts curriculum, in which Regulus was already proficient. Yaxley, however, had significant gaps in his knowledge. Because of this, Mr Morrow had to teach them separately.
Regulus started his fourth-year level studies in Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, and Alchemy. He also began Rune Studies. While he had been familiar with runes for some time, their application in Alchemy was a new discipline taught by Mr Morrow. Yaxley, meanwhile, had to start with the first-year syllabus for everything except Charms, as he was already proficient in duelling.
Herbology was taught alongside Care of Magical Creatures by Ms Johnson, as they explored the forest to study plants in the wild. Another perk of this class was the study of animal communication; Parseltongue was officially on the syllabus. This was great for Regulus, who had wanted to study it ever since he learned it could be acquired through effort.
Mr Achibe taught runes and symbols from other cultures that could be incorporated into rituals. He also taught potions, spells, and herbology vital for ritualistic magic. Rituals were more profound than they seemed. There were Indian, Chinese, African, Nordic, British, Japanese, Mayan and Egyptian traditions. These were studied at a basic level, while the main focus remained on African, British, and Egyptian rituals.
Martial Arts replaced both Physical Training and Meditation in the third year. Ms Lin was proficient in many arts; she could fly from the ground like a Shaolin monk in a wuxia film. The main focus here was hand-to-hand combat, for times when magical foci like wands or rings were lost.
After becoming proficient in unarmed combat, she let the students choose a weapon. Regulus chose a Viking sword, scaled down to fit his size. He advanced faster than the other students, so he added throwing daggers to his curriculum as well.
Regulus POV
I woke up at 6:00 AM as I always did, courtesy of the school setting my biological clock without my consent. I saw Yaxley still sleeping in his bed.
I went out to the yard to undergo my physical training, even though it was not compulsory for my third year. I did it because I wanted to be a strong conductor of magic. For that, I needed to train my body. I saw Mr Jan already on the grounds. He greeted me as usual and offered advice on my form.
At 7:00 AM, after an hour of exercise, I showered and got ready for school. I meditated for half an hour and arrived at the Refectory.
Today, I felt like having Indian food, so I had informed Jimmy last night about my preferences. I sat down at the table, and the food arrived.
Breakfast Menu:
Smoked Lamb Keema Matar: Minced lamb with peas, Parsi Akuri: Spiced scrambled eggs, Multigrain Tandoori Roti, Kachumber Salad, Sulaimani Chai: Spiced lemon tea.
It was a heavy, rich breakfast. I had gotten used to all types of cuisines here, and I knew how to handle the spice by now. The taste was aromatic, with most of the spices known to mankind seemingly included in these dishes. I finished my meal and still had a bit of time before classes started, so I chatted with my friends about their schedules and agreed to meet for lunch.
From 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, I studied with Mr Morrow while the others went to their respective mentors.
We gathered at 1:00 PM for lunch.
Lunch Menu (Japanese):
A5 Wagyu Beef Tataki, Gindara no Saikyo Yaki: Miso-glazed black cod, Mushroom Takikomi Gohan: Mixed rice with Asari Miso soup, Sashimi Trio.Snow Crab Sunomono, Spinach Ohitashi, Dessert: Matcha Panna Cotta.
Small portions of a large number of dishes—perfect for a variety of flavours without feeling heavy after three hours of continuous study.
Then came the afternoon block: Ritual Studies from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, Care of Magical Creatures from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, and Martial Arts training from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. It was a totally packed schedule.
For Dinner, I chose Peruvian.
Dinner Menu:
Ceviche de Lenguado & Octopus, Filet Mignon Lomo Saltado, Solterito Arequipeño Salad, Chicha Morada (Purple corn drink), Dessert: Suspiro de Limeña.
Flavourful and light, perfect for winding down. I caught up with my friends, practised meditation again, and was asleep by 10:00 PM.
Man I love the food here!