The Fiendfyre Curse

Back in his room, Regulus closed the door, went to the window, and looked out.

Muggle occasionally strolled along the street in front of the square, even on Easter, they came and went in a hurry.

His father's words echoed in his mind.

The faction had already been established; the Black family openly sided with Voldemort, a fact known throughout the Pure-blood Circle.

Switching sides now is tantamount to open betrayal, and no one in the Wizarding World is unaware of Voldemort's attitude towards betrayal.

Regulus didn't need to know much about Voldemort; he only needed to look at the facts.

Those missing wizards, those Ministry of Magic officials who suddenly changed their tune, those opponents who vanished without a trace.

One of the core principles of Voldemort's method of establishing authority was the intolerance of betrayal.

He is no longer as tolerant as he was when he first recruited followers; now, he is gradually revealing his true colors.

Cold-blooded, ruthless, domineering, intolerant of opposition, and unquestionable in its power.

Cold-bloodedness became the norm, cruelty became the means, and absolute obedience gradually became the ironclad rule.

Dissenting voices were choked before they even emerged; the more terrifying the power he displayed, the more fervent his followers became.

This kind of Voldemort is more sought after by Pure-blood Circle, as he represents the interests of most Pureblood families.

He is no longer just an option; he is transforming into the sharpest blade of the collective will of the Pure-bloods circle, eliminating dissidents, consolidating privileges, and purifying the bloodline.

Their order is equally inviolable, and Voldemort is the most violent enforcer of this order.

Moreover, Magic Is Might.

Ultimately, everything returns to the most primal and irrefutable laws.

The light emanating from the tip of the wand is power itself; the Magic Power he possesses is the capital he uses to set rules and demand that everyone kneel before him.

The Black family's change of heart at this juncture, for whatever reason, would not be allowed by Voldemort.

Even if it's just for show to other Pureblood families, even if it's just to maintain the dignity of not breaking the rules, the Black family will suffer a devastating blow.

Therefore, no signs should be revealed until one truly possesses the power of free choice.

Regulus thought of the professors at Hogwarts.

The changes this school year were quite obvious, or to be more precise, after the Patronus was exposed in the Astronomy Tower Incident.

It was as if the Patronus had become a kind of pass; with it, Dumbledore's gaze towards him held something else entirely.

But Regulus knew himself; the Patronus did not represent his entirety, but was merely a reflection of a certain aspect of his soul.

He could even calmly recite each syllable of the Killing Curse under the swirling Silver Light of the Patronus, causing the tip of his staff to glow green.

He then recalled Dumbledore saying that Fawkes seemed very interested in him, that the Phoenix could see souls and be close to pure and warm hearts.

Regulus wasn't sure whether it was the Phoenix that saw it or Dumbledore.

But in any case, the principal's high regard for them is indeed translating into strength.

The professors' instruction was conducted in private. What Voldemort knew at most was that the youngest son of the Black family loved to study and ask questions, and the professors liked him quite a bit.

It's even possible that Voldemort would think the boy is good—humble in appearance, handsome, exceptionally talented, and favored by the professor, just like himself in his youth.

But what would someone like Voldemort think if he saw someone who resembled him?

Regulus frowned.

When he was still weak, Voldemort might have admired him and thought the boy had potential and could be nurtured.

But what if he grows to a point where Voldemort considers him a threat?

A person similar to the Dark Lord, also born into a prominent family, also exceptionally talented, also highly regarded by the professor, and also knowing what he wants.

What would Voldemort think?

How could someone so much like me be content to be a follower?

The answer may not be pleasant.

But then I thought, Voldemort was proud, the kind of pride that comes from wielding immense power, standing at the top of the Wizarding World, and believing himself to be superior to all wizards.

Proud people usually look upwards or straight ahead, rarely downwards.

Regulus's current position is not yet high enough to reach the downward line.

The question is, what kind of power is needed to gain the right to choose freely?

He didn't know the specific standards, and it was impossible for him to catch up with Voldemort's decades of Magic accumulation in a short period of time, let alone Dumbledore's nearly 100 years of experience.

His talent was indeed great, but Voldemort and Dumbledore's talents were equally great, or even greater, because they had already proven how high they could go.

Until that power is available, nothing will change: the family's stance will not change, Voldemort's attitude will not change, and the situation in the Wizarding World will not change.

Regulus shook his head, clearing his mind, walked to his desk, sat down, opened a drawer, and took out the notebook he had brought from the family Library.

The notebook is unsigned, but the handwriting and word choice suggest it was left by one of the Black family's ancestors, probably from the 17th or 18th century.

Open it, and you'll find only one kind of Magic inside.

Fiendfyre Curse.

Regulus ran his fingers across the paper, feeling the words written with Magic ink.

The ink has slightly blurred over the years, but the Magic Power imprint remains clear, allowing one to read the emotions and Magic Power that the writer poured into it.

He read on, page by page.

Fiendfyre Curse is one of the most dangerous Dark Arts in the Wizarding World.

Essentially a cursed fire with its own consciousness, it has no fixed Spellcasting and requires no complicated preparations; it is summoned directly through the Spellcasting's Magic Power and will.

The flame is orange-red by default, but its temperature and properties are completely different from those of a regular flame.

It is extremely destructive, with temperatures far exceeding those of conventional flames, capable of incinerating Magic items and buildings.

But Regulus knew that even Horcruxes could be destroyed by fire. In the original books, this was the only Dark Arts explicitly recorded that could destroy Horcruxes; Ravenclaw's Diadem was destroyed by Fiendfyre that went out of control.

He continued flipping through his notes.

Possessing self-awareness, the flames will autonomously transform into ferocious beasts such as Fire Dragon, Giant Serpent, and Chimera, actively pursuing living beings rather than passively burning.

Moreover, it will continuously consume fuel to strengthen itself, becoming stronger the longer it burns.

It cannot be extinguished. Conventional Extinguishing Charm such as "Aguamenti" are completely ineffective. It will only extinguish itself when the fuel is exhausted or the Spellcasting dies. There is no known direct counter-spell.

The risk of backlash is extremely high; if the Spellcasting lacks sufficient control, they will be consumed by the flames first.

Regulus suddenly remembered that Vincent Crabbe had lost control after learning the spell from the Carrow siblings and ultimately perished in the flames.

The chubby Slytherin student in the original story, Regulus met his father at the Malfoy family's Christmas Banquet.

But from another perspective, Vincent Crabbe actually did something big: he accidentally destroyed one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, though he himself was unaware of it.

The difference between Fiendfyre Curse and regular fire Magic lies in its curse attribute.

Ordinary Incendio are controllable and have limited power; they will extinguish if the Spellcasting stops supplying Magic Power.

Once the Fiendfyre is ignited, it breaks free from the Spellcasting's initial commands and becomes an independent entity of destruction, belonging to the category of high-level elemental Dark Arts.

Setting off a Fiendfyre is easy; anyone with enough Magic Power and a ruthless will can start one. But making it controllable is extremely difficult.

Regulus continued flipping through the notes, which listed the hard requirements.

The required Magic Power reserves must reach the level of an adult wizard or higher, far exceeding the requirements for the Hogwarts exams.

To master the basics of Dark Arts Dark Arts, one must be proficient in its principles and understand the binding mechanism between curses and elements. Simply being able to chant spells is not enough; one must understand the underlying logic.

Regulus compared himself to others; in terms of Magic Power, through continuous refinement Star Orbit Meditation, his total Magic Power power and recovery speed had surpassed those of most adult wizards.

He has read a lot of Dark Arts Magical Theory, so his basic knowledge should be sufficient.

The next part is the practice steps.

The first step is emotional anchoring.

It uses intense negative emotions, hatred, destructive desires, and a bloodlust as fuel for its flames.

It requires repeated practice in a safe, enclosed space, such as Magic Training Room free of flammable materials, to synchronize the manipulation of emotions and Magic Power.

This stage doesn't involve actually summoning flames; it's about practicing transforming emotions into a flammable Magic Power state.

Regulus's finger paused on the text.

He had no particularly strong targets of hatred, nor anyone he felt compelled to kill.

There was no sense of destructive desire or a will to kill, but the notes said that emotions were merely fuel, not a means of control.

Negative emotions are needed to ignite them, but absolute calm is required to control them.

The second step is to test the shape.

Starting with a tiny flame, try to use your will to control its shape, keeping it a simple flame and preventing it from transforming into a ferocious beast.

During this stage, Magic Power needs to be continuously injected to prevent the flames from spreading out of control. Once you feel that you are losing control, immediately use the Finite Incantatem " spell to forcibly stop it.

The notes have a note next to this section: 90% of learners fail at this step, either their Magic Power runs out and they are devoured, or their will wavers and they are consumed.

The third step is controlled summoning.

Gradually increase the intensity of the flames, try to guide them to transform into a single form, such as Little Snakes, and give simple commands, such as burning in circles.

If you fail, evacuate immediately; do not attempt to salvage the situation.

The notes were very straightforward regarding the evacuation.

The only effective way to escape in an emergency is to evacuate. The Fiendfyre spreads extremely quickly, so you must get out of the burning area as soon as possible. Do not attempt to confront it head-on.

Alternatively, one can use the terrain to create a barrier. If immediate evacuation is not possible, the flames can be directed to an area without combustibles, such as a stone open space or a barrier behind Magical Barrier, to buy time for escape.

However, it should be noted that the flames may autonomously bypass obstacles and pursue the target.