The Bloody Baron looked at Regulus with an inscrutable gaze; in that moment, he felt as if many things had been seen through.
"A whole soul is the best defense."
Just as Regulus thought there would be no answer, for some unknown reason, the Baron finally answered the question.
"But if you are asking about a soul that is already injured, then solidification might be a method."
"Active stabilization, fixing the injured part so it no longer continues to fracture, much like using a splint to set a broken bone."
"How is it done?" Regulus pressed. This was the key—ask one question, and get two answers.
Knowing how to protect means knowing how to destroy.
But the Baron shook his head: "I do not know. I am an example of failure, not success. But if you truly wish to explore the secrets of the soul…"
He paused, as if thinking. After a long while, he continued: "Hogwarts hides a place where clues left by Lady Ravenclaw remain."
"About wisdom, about the soul, about the possibilities beyond life and death."
"The Room of Requirement? The Come and Go Room?" Regulus asked. These were the places he recalled that were most related to Lady Ravenclaw.
The Baron did not answer directly. He said to himself, "When you are truly ready, the castle will open the way for you."
"But now… you are too young. Knowing too much is dangerous."
Having said this, The Bloody Baron vanished completely into the shadows, leaving only a final whisper echoing in the air:
"Beware of curiosity, child of the Black family; it will lead you to unexpected places and encounter unexpected dangers."
Regulus stood there for a long time before turning to leave…
By the time he returned to the Slytherin table, the performance had ended, and the feast had entered free social time.
As soon as he sat down, several upper-year students approached.
The first to speak was Evan Rosier, a seventh-year and Alex's distant cousin.
Holding a wine glass with a polite smile on his face, he said, "Regulus, Happy Halloween. Alex often speaks of you; you are very influential among the lower years."
"Just doing what needs to be done," Regulus replied, observing social etiquette.
Another sixth-year boy chuckled nearby. Regulus remembered his name was Wilkes.
"Just little squabbles in school. The real wizarding world is outside, and it doesn't care about your performance in school."
Wilkes' tone was clearly contemptuous. Several members of his family already held key positions in the Ministry of Magic, and he clearly considered school achievements insignificant.
There was no need to waste words on such a person; Regulus chose to ignore him.
The third to approach was a seventh-year girl, Alecto Carrow; she was much more direct.
"My brother Amycus admires the way you handled Travers. He said when you go to the Ministry of Magic for an internship, he can introduce you to some like-minded people."
Regulus understood her meaning. The Carrow siblings were already open supporters of Lord Voldemort.
"Thank you," he said, his tone flat, yet giving a positive response: "I look forward to that day."
Alecto raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Wilkes followed suit, clearly losing interest in Regulus.
Regulus turned to look at the Gryffindor table. Sirius was staring at him, his face looking very sour.
James leaned in to whisper something in Sirius's ear, pointing toward the Slytherin table as he spoke.
Lily sat not far from them; she had also noticed the upper-year Slytherins talking to Regulus.
She stared down at her plate, her brow furrowed.
During her last conversation with Regulus, he had already mentioned the situation outside. Lily understood what that represented.
"See?" James's voice drifted over, clearly raising his volume on purpose. "Those Death Eater recruits are already trying to win him over. If you ask me, he'll join before he even graduates—"
"Potter!" Lily looked up sharply, her voice stern.
"What? I'm just stating facts!" James snapped back, his neck craned high as he shouted at her.
"Look at him, a textbook Slytherin! Those people around him, almost all their families have joined that side. You think he won't?!"
Lily bit her lip. She wanted to argue, but didn't know what to say. She knew that one's background often determined too much.
The Black family already had one Sirius openly opposing them. What about Regulus? How would he choose?
At the other end of the Slytherin table, Rabastan Lestrange was staring at Regulus.
His gaze was dark and fierce, his fingers tapping the tabletop rhythmically.
Sitting in the corner, Snape noticed Rabastan's look, his black eyes narrowing slightly.
After the feast, the Slytherin students returned to the dungeons in small groups.
Regulus walked with Avery and Hermes. Alex followed a few steps behind, wanting to approach but appearing hesitant.
"That look from Lestrange," Hermes sneered. "Who does he think he is? He can't even cast a Non-verbal Spell properly; he's just relying on his family name."
Avery nodded. "We need to teach him a lesson, let him know who really deserves to speak in Slytherin."
The two looked at Regulus, waiting for him to take a stance.
Regulus was thinking about what the Baron had said regarding things beyond life and death. Hearing this, he gave a slight nod. "Don't make it too big, and don't leave evidence."
This was tacit permission.
Avery and Hermes exchanged a look, sharing a knowing smile.
Alex quickened his pace and opened his mouth hesitantly. "I… I can help too."
No one paid him any mind. Avery glanced back at him and then turned away again.
Hermes didn't even give him a look.
Back in the dormitory, Avery and Hermes discussed how to deal with Rabastan in low voices at the other end of the room. Their plan grew increasingly detailed and malicious.
Regulus listened without intervening.
These school squabbles seemed laughably childish to him. If one truly wanted to deal with someone, there were plenty of ways.
Potion accidents, Dark Arts, curses, or even arranging an accident off-campus.
But at this stage, he needed followers like Avery and Hermes. Dealing with a common enemy was the fastest way to build cohesion.
So he allowed it.
Rabastan Lestrange was just a minor character.
The real worry was outside.
Lord Voldemort's power was expanding. His father Orion's letters hinted that many in the Ministry of Magic had already secretly defected.
His mother Walburga also wrote to urge him to associate more with the right people—which, of course, referred to children of pure-blood families, preferably those who might join the Death Eaters in the future.
Meditation cannot stop, not for a single moment!
…The next morning in Charms class, Professor Flitwick announced they would be learning the Softening Charm today.
"The incantation is 'Spongify'!" He stood on a stack of books so the whole class could see him. "The wand movement is a small clockwise circle, then a gentle flick, like this!"
He demonstrated once, and a corner of the lectern immediately became as soft as a sponge, drawing gasps from several students.
"This spell can temporarily soften hard objects." Flitwick jumped down from the books and began patrolling the classroom.
"It's often used for making temporary cushions and cushioning falls, or… setting up little traps."
Slytherin and Ravenclaw had class together. Regulus noticed a girl with curly brown hair in Ravenclaw who was very prominent; she succeeded on her first try, and Flitwick awarded her five points.
He flicked his wand: "Spongify."
The stone on Regulus's desk instantly turned into a dark gray sponge-like state. It would indent when pressed with a finger and slowly bounce back after letting go.
This casting effect was even more perfect than that of the Ravenclaw girl.
After class, Regulus headed toward the library. Avery and Hermes exchanged a look and went their separate ways.
Alex was hesitant. He first looked at Regulus, and seeing no instructions, he quickly chased after Avery.
Near the entrance of the library, Regulus ran into Snape.
"Black," Snape's voice was flat.
"Snape," Regulus's voice was even flatter.
After a brief silence, Snape spoke: "At the feast last night, Lestrange stared at you for a long time. It was very unfriendly."
Regulus raised an eyebrow slightly. Snape was proactively providing him with intelligence.
Though it was just a trivial matter, it was a good start.
"I wasn't the only one he was staring at." Regulus's tone was devoid of emotion.
"He stares at anyone who might make the Lestrange family seem less important. Lestrange is like a dog guarding its food; he barks loud, but he'll show his teeth before he bites."
When speaking to someone like Snape, overly refined phrasing would only increase the distance. He needed to make Snape feel that his speech wasn't so "Black-like."
Snape's black eyes flickered in the dim light.
Regulus's voice softened slightly: "But thank you anyway. I'm not worried about him, but it's always good to know someone is watching."
He wouldn't let Snape be the one to charge ahead; that would be a terrible waste. Besides his exceptional talent for Potions, Snape's skills in observation and stealth were also outstanding.
He could be called the golden double agent of the entire wizarding world.
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