We Had a Fight

Regulus needed to spend his time on more important things.

Delving into Space Magic and Natural Magic Power, and mastering the Fiendfyre Curse —each requires a great deal of effort.

He also has to deal with the potential reach of Voldemort's forces.

The two are Half-bloods first-year students and are not on the priority list.

If he rushes to intervene every time he sees injustice, he won't have time for anything else; he'll be busy mediating disputes all day until graduation.

Moreover, directly intervening would obscure his true position.

He is now the top freshman in Slytherin, the successor to Black, and a genius attracting much attention.

Once he publicly endorses two Half-bloods individuals, some people will interpret it differently.

The Black family has softened its stance towards Half-bloods individuals, or Regulus Black is consolidating Half-bloods influence among them.

He can do all of these things, but not now.

So he chose to handle it indirectly, and he looked at Alex.

Alex is a suitable candidate for this role; he is Pure-bloods, although he is from a branch of Roxier family, but even branches Pure-bloods.

He had a mild temperament and usually got along well with Samuel and Lina.

In the Pure-bloods standard, being willing to talk to Half-bloods is considered a good relationship.

He has Regulus as a powerful backer, but Regulus doesn't directly intervene, which gives him room to maneuver.

Regulus wanted to teach Alex how to handle these kinds of situations.

He can't have to personally intervene in every conflict; he needs someone around him who can stand on their own and resolve small-scale problems promptly without having to report everything.

"Do you want to get involved in this matter?" Regulus asked him.

Alex was stunned.

His mouth was slightly open, and he blinked, as if he hadn't understood the question.

After a while, he stammered, "I... they just asked me to tell you..."

He really didn't intend to take charge himself.

Samuel and Lina waited for him in the Common Room, pleading with him to tell Regulus what had happened, hoping the Head of New Students would say something, or at least get Avery to step in and intimidate Gryffindor.

They didn't expect Alex to do anything. In the eyes of the Half-bloods people, Alex was a gentle Pure-bloods, someone they could talk to, but definitely not someone who could solve problems.

Now Regulus throws the question back at him.

Alex's mind was a bit of a mess. Did he want to get involved? He seemed to be thinking about it.

He passed by once when Samuel and Lina were cornered, but he didn't go up to them at the time. He felt uncomfortable afterward.

But wanting to manage and being able to manage are two different things. He could barely handle one Pruitt, and there were three of them. If a real conflict broke out, he would most likely get beaten up.

Avery then stood up and walked up to Alex, so close that Alex could see the impatience in his eyes.

"What are you hesitating about?" Avery's tone was sharp. "Slytherin is being bullied by Gryffindor, how can we tolerate this?"

So what if Half-bloods? They're still Slytherin Half-bloods -Half-bloods! Internal strife is fine, but outsiders can't interfere!

He turned to Regulus: "I'm going to find Pruitt. We don't need three people; I can manage alone."

Regulus looked at him, waiting for him to calm down, before asking, "Will you go as a member of the Cuthbert family, or as a first-year Slytherin student?"

Avery choked.

The Cuthbert family holds positions in the Ministry of Magic, making them semi-colleagues of the Pruitt family.

If he negotiates on behalf of the family, the matter could escalate to the family level, and his father might also be drawn in.

If he went in his personal capacity, he would be like a first-year student picking a fight with three other first-year students. Winning would be a given, but losing would be embarrassing.

"I..." Avery gritted his teeth, "I can't swallow this."

"Therefore, a strategy is needed," Regulus said calmly.

He looked at Alex, Alex was still dazed, but there was something else in his eyes.

A sense of tension from being pushed forward, and a touch of responsibility that I wasn't even aware of myself.

Regulus knew Alex needed a push.

"You handle it," he stood up, looking directly into Alex's eyes. "Avery, assist."

Not only do we need to defeat them, but we also need to make sure they never dare to cause trouble again. You figure out the method yourself.

Alex swallowed, glanced at Regulus, then at Avery, and finally his gaze fell on the tips of his shoes.

A moment later, he raised his head, his voice still a little weak. "I... I'll handle it."

Then he turned to Avery, his voice even softer. "You'll help me?"

Avery rolled his eyes. "Of course! Do you expect me to let you take the beating all by yourself?"

Hermes then walked over from the bedside. He hadn't said a word, but he had heard everything he needed to hear.

He stood on Alex's other side, his eyes fixed only on Regulus: "Three against three is fair, I'll go too."

Regulus nodded. He understood what Hermes meant. This was the first time they had acted together since rejoining the group, and even though he utterly disdained this level of conflict, they had still chosen to work together.

Then he added, "No Dark Arts allowed."

Hermes grunted in agreement.

Now the division of labor is clear: Alex is in charge, Avery is there to support him, Hermes the enforcer.

This combination is enough to resolve any conflict at the first-year level.

Alex took a deep breath, turned around, and walked out of the Dormitory.

A hushed conversation could be heard outside the door; Samuel and Lina were clearly still waiting in the Corridor.

Regulus heard the two exclaim in surprise, followed by Alex's explanation, his tone gradually becoming calmer.

He shook his head and stopped paying attention.

Time to go to the Forbidden Section.

The wand lightly touched his chest, and his body began to blur, his colors faded, and finally he blended into the surrounding environment, disappearing without a trace.

He pushed open the door and left.

Inside the passageway, Alex was still talking to Samuel and Lina.

The two Half-bloods first-year students had expressions of surprise and hope on their faces.

They saw the Dormitory door open and close, but saw no one, and didn't even feel a breeze brush past them.

Regulus stayed in the Library until 7:50, then closed the book and put it back in its designated spot on the shelf.

As I walked out of the Library, torches were already lit on the Corridor walls, casting shimmering orange shadows on the stone tiles of the floor.

At eight o'clock sharp, he pushed open the door of the Room of Requirement.

The three people inside were already there.

Avery was making gestures in the air, mimicking the sound of a spell cutting through the air, "Whoosh! Snap!"

Alex sat on the wooden crate next to him, rubbing his right leg, his eyes shining.

Hermes stood against the wall, arms crossed, his face expressionless.

The sound of the door opening made all three of them turn their heads simultaneously.

Avery rushed forward immediately, his steps so fast he almost tripped over his own.

Regulus's gaze swept across his face; his left eye socket was bruised, his eyelid swollen shut, and there was a crack at the corner of his mouth, with blood scabs just beginning to form.

Avery grinned, which aggravated his wound, causing him to hiss and gasp.

"We won!" His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Regulus's gaze shifted to Alex.

The other person stood up from the wooden crate, his right foot landing slightly unsteadily, his weight shifting to the left, as if his calf had been kicked.

Alex's expression was also excited; the timidity he usually hid in seemed to have been broken open by something, revealing a glimmer of light underneath.

Finally, Hermes came over. He walked with a steady gait, his face clean, and not even his robes were wrinkled.

But Regulus noticed something was off about his expression; it was too calm.

When Hermes was relaxed, his face always wore a gloomy expression; that was his true state.

This forced calmness actually reveals that he is not truly at peace inside.

They won; the result was not unexpected.

Avery was already quite strong; there weren't many freshmen who could fully unleash the Shield Charm, and Avery was one of them.

Despite the injuries on his face, that's how it is when young wizards fight; if their spells miss or their Magic Power isn't enough, it always ends up as fists and feet.

Taking a punch is normal, as long as you can win.

Needless to say, Hermes is practically the strongest first-year student besides Regulus.

He practiced Dark Arts from a young age and was ruthless; if he really went all out, he would dare to fight even second or third graders.

Regulus had instructed against using Dark Arts, but Hermes could handle three Gryffindor even with just regular spells.

Given his personality, he has a greater chance of winning against someone of similar strength, because he dares to use heavy blows, while his opponent may not.

Alex was a bit of a surprise.

Judging from his injuries, he had indeed been beaten, but there was a glint in his eyes. "So I can fight too."

This person is usually quite timid and won't move unless pushed, but if someone gives him a push, he can really roll forward; he has good execution skills.

In short, winning is good.

Regulus walked up to Avery, patted him on the shoulder, and Avery grinned even wider, blood seeping from his wound again, but he didn't seem to care.

He then walked up to Alex and patted him on the shoulder in the same way.

"Well done," Regulus added.

This isn't a no-go, it's a recommendation for the treasure book <Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Starry Sky>.