A Reckless Conflict

At 10:47 a.m. on September 1, 1972, Regulus Black stopped before the wall between Platforms Nine and Ten at King's Cross Station.

The eleven-year-old boy was tall and slender, dressed in a neatly pressed Dark Green robe with a Black family crest brooch pinned to his collar.

His hair was pure black, carrying the Black family's signature slight curl, and his gray eyes calmly swept over his surroundings.

In his left hand, he carried a brand-new Dragon-hide trunk—Walburga had insisted on the most expensive one—while his right held a cage containing a Snowy owl.

The Owl stood quietly in its cage, amber eyes observing its surroundings through the bars. Unlike the other owls, it did not beat its Wings anxiously, only turning its head now and then.

Regulus took a deep breath.

Beyond this wall lay another world, one he had read about in books for ten years and was about to enter in person.

He stepped forward. It felt like passing through warm mist, and then the sounds rushed in.

It was a lively, chaotic din. Owl calls tangled into a discordant chorus, while cats let out disgruntled yowls from their baskets.

There were screams caused by Toads leaping from improperly fastened pockets, parents' last-minute reminders, and children shouting themselves hoarse with excitement.

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

The Hogwarts Express lay upon the tracks like a deep crimson Giant Beast, its engine spewing white steam that gathered into rolling clouds beneath the station roof.

Students surged toward the carriage doors like a tide, their colorful robes blending into shifting patches of color.

Regulus stood where he was, his gaze calmly sweeping over the platform.

He saw the Potter family. Charlus and Euphemia Potter stood nearby, wearing the gentle smiles of ordinary parents sending their child off to school.

Four people stood around them.

James Potter stood at the front, his brown hair as messy as if a hurricane had just swept through it, his glasses crooked on his nose.

He was waving his arms as he demonstrated some exaggerated motion to a thin boy carrying a battered suitcase. That was Remus Lupin.

Peter Pettigrew stood half a step behind James, short and round-faced, his eyes constantly darting around.

Sirius Black leaned against the luggage.

At thirteen, he had grown another stretch taller since the previous summer, his shoulders beginning to take on the shape of adolescence.

He wore the Muggle jeans Walburga detested, faded from washing and worn at the knees, along with an ordinary dark shirt and a loosely draped Gryffindor school robe.

The robe had clearly been altered. The silver trim around its collar had been dyed gold and red, and the cuffs still bore traces of embroidered Lions.

James said something, and Sirius threw back his head and laughed. It was a truly relaxed laugh, rising from deep within his chest. One hand rested on Remus's shoulder while the other gestured animatedly.

Then his gaze swept across the platform and landed on Regulus, and his laughter naturally subsided.

He did not look away, but neither did he nod or offer any sign of acknowledgment. He simply watched quietly from twenty feet away, separated by the noisy crowd.

Then James saw him too.

"Hey!" James shouted, his voice still clear amid the platform's clamor. "Look who it is! The Black family's Little Viper came early to get familiar with the place?"

The shout drew the attention of other students and parents, and many eyes turned toward Regulus at once.

Sirius placed a hand on James's shoulder. The gesture was light, but James immediately shut his mouth. Sirius said nothing, only shook his head before turning to pull open the carriage door and board the train first.

James followed him, with Remus and Peter close behind. Before getting on, James looked back at Regulus once more, curiosity and hostility mingling in his eyes.

Regulus picked up his trunk and headed toward the middle of the train. James Potter was not worth his attention.

The inside of the Hogwarts Express was more spacious than it appeared from outside, a classic application of the Untraceable Extension Charm.

The Corridor was carpeted in deep red, with sliding doors on both sides. Most were already closed, with voices and laughter drifting out from within.

Regulus walked quietly down the Corridor.

As he passed the third compartment, its door stood open, and he caught sight of the scene inside. James had already taken off his outer robe and was trying to stick Chocolate Frog cards to the compartment ceiling.

Peter was fiddling with the luggage with his head lowered, while Remus sat by the window holding a battered copy of History of Magic.

Sirius sat opposite him, his legs propped on an empty seat as he played with a Golden Snitch model, though who knew where he had gotten it.

Sirius looked up, and his gaze met Regulus's through the open compartment door.

Then Sirius lowered his head and continued fiddling with the Snitch as though he had seen nothing.

Regulus continued onward.

After passing several more compartments, most of which were full, he saw two people near the seventh carriage.

One was a red-haired girl with green eyes and faint freckles across her face. She wore a plain black robe, though it had been washed clean, with a simple Silver brooch pinned to her collar. Lily Evans, a second-year.

Beside her sat a black-haired boy with greasy hair and a sallow complexion. His robe had clearly been altered from a second-hand one, and its cuffs showed signs of wear. Severus Snape, also a second-year.

The two were speaking in low voices. As Snape spoke, he leaned forward, talking rapidly while his Fingers occasionally traced patterns through the air. Lily listened intently and nodded from time to time.

As Regulus passed by, Snape looked up and glanced at him.

Then he saw the trunk in Regulus's hand, the Snowy owl in the cage, and the well-tailored Dark Green traveling robe made of expensive fabric.

His lips tightened slightly, and something mixed with hostility and wariness flashed through his eyes.

Then he looked away and continued speaking to Lily.

Regulus reached the ninth compartment. It was empty.

He placed his trunk on the luggage rack, set the owl cage beneath the seat opposite him, and, after sitting down, took a notebook from inside his robes.

He found the most recent page: The Relationship Between Ancient Runes Variants and Magic Power Flow Efficiency.

Below it was a series of complicated symbols, formulas, and diagrams. Some were standard Ancient Runes, but most were variants he had improved himself, with simplified strokes and optimized Magic Power Conduction paths.

He took out a Quill, dipped it in ink, and began recording the thoughts he had had the previous night.

The train left the outskirts of London, and the view outside shifted from dense buildings to scattered farmhouses and sprawling fields. The sky was overcast, clouds hanging low as if it were about to rain.

The compartment door was suddenly yanked open and slammed into the wall with a dull bang.

Regulus looked up after completing a complicated curve.

There had been no need to look. He had already sensed who it was before the visitor even reached the door.

"Well, well, look who this is!" James Potter's voice was filled with theatrical exaggeration. "The young master of the Black family, studying Dark Arts all alone in here?"

Regulus did not react. He merely watched James's performance quietly.

Though James Potter was already a second-year, he was no different from a toddler in Regulus's eyes.

James walked into the compartment, with Remus and Peter following behind him. Remus looked uneasy, while Peter clutched the doorframe nervously as if ready to flee at any moment.

"I'm talking to you!" James walked up to Regulus and bent down to glare at him, his tone aggressive. "I heard you always bully Sirius at home? Pretend to be the good child and steal all the attention?"

"James," Remus said quietly. "Don't do this."

"Don't do what?" James straightened, already reaching toward the wand inside his robe pocket.

Regulus found it amusing. He had no idea how Sirius had described him to his friends, for them to actually believe that he bullied Sirius.

"James!"

Sirius's voice came from the Corridor. He appeared in the doorway, his breathing slightly unsteady.

He said to James, "I told you not to come."

"I'm just taking a look!" James said indignantly. "It's not like he can eat people—"

Just then, two more people came running over.

They were Lily Evans and Severus Snape.

Snape glanced at the situation inside the compartment, the corner of his mouth curling with mockery. "How lively. Is Potter bullying a new student again?"

James spun around. "What's it got to do with you, Snivellus!"

Then he saw Lily Evans behind Snape, and his tone became even nastier. "You again, Evans. Always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Snape's face darkened instantly, and his hand reached for his wand as well.

Lily grabbed him. "Severus, don't!"

But James moved faster. "Expelliarmus!"

A red beam shot toward Snape.

The compartment was narrow, and the two stood less than ten feet apart. The spell reached Snape almost instantly.

A wand slid automatically into Regulus's left hand. He gave it the slightest flick, effortless and unhurried, without any dramatic movement.

But the spell stopped, frozen in midair.

The red light materialized in the air. The Disarming Charm now looked like a glowing red ribbon, one end connected to the tip of James's wand and the other suspended half a foot before Snape's chest, utterly motionless.

The entire compartment fell deathly silent.