Barty Crouch Jr., Come Be My Son

On September 1st, in the restaurant at 12 Grimmauld Place, sunlight was cut into strips by the heavy curtains and fell on the long table.

When Regulus entered the restaurant, Sirius was already sitting there.

That's quite rare.

Since returning from Germany, Regulus's routine has been very irregular, alternating between his bedroom, Library, and Training Room.

His schedule was so packed that he rarely came to the restaurant for meals, Kreacher would bring the plates to his room.

Like Regulus, Sirius didn't come to the restaurant often, but while Regulus didn't come because he was too busy, Sirius did for other reasons.

The house was too oppressive, and he felt nauseous there. He didn't want to eat with Walburga and would rather go to the Kitchen to find something to eat when he was hungry than sit at this long table.

But with school starting today, there's no escaping it.

Regulus sat down opposite Sirius and glanced at him.

She's lost weight, but she's in good spirits. The restlessness that seemed ready to explode at the start of the holiday is gone, replaced by a more composed look.

Hawk taught him a lot during the holiday and later arranged other training sessions, so it was clear that the training was worthwhile.

Walburga walked in and sat in the second seat, followed by Orion, who sat in the first seat and picked up a newspaper.

Kreacher served breakfast: bacon, fried eggs, toast, and Pumpkin Juice.

Walburga's gaze first fell on Regulus.

"Reggie, eat more," she pushed the plate of bacon toward him. "At school, you won't get this much care from home. Professor Slughorn is nice, but he's not family."

Regulus nodded and took one.

"Remember to write," Walburga continued. "Bellatrix wrote to ask about you, saying that the Dark Lord is very concerned about your development. You must behave well at school and not embarrass the Black family."

Regulus nodded again; he knew what Voldemort was concerned about: the Dark Enlightenment.

"Honor!" Walburga emphasized, "The honor of the Black family, you must always remember that. What you did at school was good, that's how it should be."

After saying this, she glanced at Sirius displeasure, as if looking at something dirty, and then looked away.

"Some people think that leaving their families will allow them to escape their clans—that's a pipe dream!"

Sirius didn't react; he kept his head down, eating his fried egg with his knife and fork, his face expressionless.

He didn't talk back, didn't throw the plate, and didn't express his dissatisfaction in various ways as he used to; he simply ignored it.

Sirius used to explode at such remarks, throwing down his knife and fork, sneering, saying things like "Pure-bloods are all bullshit," and then slamming the door and leaving.

But now he's done nothing, Regulus knows, and that's not just enduring; he's simply stopped caring.

Walburga would occasionally glance at him, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

Sirius pretended not to see anything, ate and drank his own food, wiped his mouth after finishing, stood up and walked out.

Regulus continued eating his breakfast.

Orion remained silent, quietly flipping through the newspaper and occasionally sipping his Pumpkin Juice.

After the meal, Walburga gave a few more instructions, nothing more than the usual things: honor, status, and the high regard that Dark Lord held for him.

Regulus listened to his mother's nagging and agreed to everything.

Orion walked over and patted Regulus on the shoulder. "Go on."

Regulus nodded, then looked at Walburga: "Mother, I'm leaving."

Walburga nodded with a smile, his eyes fixed on him.

Regulus turned and went to the Entrance Hall, where Kreacher was waiting.

Kreacher glanced at Sirius, his eyes carrying the subtle displeasure a House-elf have for a disobedient offspring, but Sirius was still its the Master, and it dared not say anything.

The next instant, Grimmauld Place disappeared, and when they opened their eyes again, the two were standing near the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station.

Steam rose from afar, mingling with the noise of the crowd and the occasional hooting of an owl.

Sirius glanced at him with a complex look in his eyes, neither hostile nor affectionate; it was something hard to describe.

Finally, he simply nodded. "Goodbye, Regulus."

His tone wasn't like saying goodbye, but more like bidding farewell. Then he turned and walked forward without hesitation.

Not far away, the Potter family were waiting there. The Mr. and Mrs. Potter stood beside him, and when James saw Sirius, his face lit up with a big smile, and he waved vigorously.

Sirius quickened his pace, and by the time he reached James's side, his entire demeanor had changed. He wore a smile he had never shown in Grimmauld Place before—relaxed and joyful.

James put his arm around his shoulder, and the two walked into the platform together, chatting and laughing.

Regulus looked away. Just as he was about to walk inside, he caught a glimpse of someone standing not far away.

Barty Crouch.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement, a representative of the Hardline Faction, advocates for zero tolerance towards Voldemort and his followers.

Standing next to him was a little boy, about ten years old, dressed neatly, with a serious expression, standing motionless beside his father.

Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch Jr.

In the future, he will use Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as Moody under Dumbledore's nose and stay at Hogwarts for a whole year without being discovered.

He was able to administer the medicine right under Snape's nose, complete the plan despite Dumbledore's pressure, and remain loyal even when Voldemort was at his weakest.

Finally, he was able to use the Killing Curse on his father.

In terms of ability, willpower, and unwavering loyalty, this person has much to say.

Voldemort trusted him and entrusted him with the most important task, which he indeed completed brilliantly.

In Barty Crouch Jr.'s heart, Voldemort was less a leader to whom he served and more a father figure he longed for.

As for Mr. Crouch?

Who is that?

Regulus's face remained expressionless, but in his heart he thought, "Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch., come and be my son."

What future is there in associating with Voldemort?

All you need is a father figure you can admire.

He walked up to Crouch, gave a slight bow, and said politely, "Mr. Crouch."

Crouch looked down at him, his gaze cold and scrutinizing, as if he were appraising a criminal.

He knew who this was: the Heir of the Black family, Slytherin's rising star, and someone Voldemort was keeping an eye on.

The Ministry of Magic's intelligence system wouldn't miss this kind of information.

But he didn't say anything harsh; he nodded in response, "Black."

Regulus didn't care about his attitude; the pro-war faction in the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort's side were basically openly hostile to each other.

As the Heir of the Black family, he belonged to Crouch's side in Crouch's eyes. The fact that he even responded was already a sign that Crouch wasn't taking his anger out on the young wizard.

He was about to leave when he heard a shout behind him.

"Regulus!"

Regulus turned around and saw Avery standing not far away, waving at him.

Regulus nodded to him, then glanced to the other side; Alex was there too.

He stood beside a middle-aged couple; the man was gentle and refined, the woman had a soft face and a smile on her face, and Alex was pointing at Regulus and saying something to them.

The man looked over, then walked toward Regulus.

"Mr. Black," he extended his hand formally, "I am Alex's father, and he always mentions you."

Regulus shook his hand. "Mr. Roxier."

Their interaction attracted the attention of several young wizards nearby.

They watched Regulus shake hands and converse formally with another adult, like an adult, their eyes filled with curiosity, and something else.

Perhaps they felt he Taiyi from them.

Standing in front of adults, speaking and acting naturally, without stage fright or awkwardness, is a scene that adults rarely witness, finding both novel and somewhat distant.

Regulus didn't pay any attention and chatted briefly with Mr. Roxier.

The other party expressed their gratitude to Regulus for taking care of Alex, Regulus politely responded that Alex had also worked very hard.

After saying that, he walked towards the platform entrance. Avery was waiting at the door of a carriage. When he saw them, he waved.

Alex said goodbye to his parents, ran over, and the three of them got on the train and found an empty carriage to sit down.

Avery leaned back in his seat and sighed with relief, "Finally, school's started. How were your holidays?"

Then, without waiting for a reply, he started talking first.

"I spent a month in France, at my family's estate, you know, it's in Provence, with vineyards, lavender fields, and a Greenhouse specifically for growing Magical Plant."

My mom said the climate there is suitable for raising a certain kind of butterfly, and she keeps pestering me to learn how to breed them...

Alex waited for him to finish speaking, then eagerly shared, "I went to Germany, to the Magic Zoo. Have you ever seen a sixteen-legged lizard?"

There are also birds that can change color; they fly around and suddenly turn from red to blue, making you think there are two of them.

He spoke with great excitement, his eyes shining.

Regulus listened, nodding occasionally and humming in response, but his mind was elsewhere.

He also went to Germany, Reef Town, the North Sea, Abyssal Slumber, Abyssal Whisper the Abyss, and Freya during his vacation.

We both went to Germany, but we experienced completely different things and thought about completely different things.

He didn't say any of that; he just listened to Avery and Alex talk about their vacation.

On the platform outside the window, more and more people were arriving; departure time was approaching. In the Corridor, two figures passed by the carriage door.

It was Lily and Snape; they were walking together, but a step apart.

Lily looked a little unhappy. Snape pursed his lips, his gaze fixed ahead, refusing to look at Lily.

As the two reached the door, Lily seemed to want to stop him and say something, but Snape had already walked into another carriage.

Lily watched his retreating figure for a while, then turned and left as well.

Regulus watched this scene unfold.

Snape and Lily's friendship couldn't be openly displayed at school. Lily was Gryffindor and Snape was Slytherin, which was enough to attract gossip.

Besides, Snape was associating with a group of people who might become Death Eaters in the future, which Lily disapproved of, and Snape was unwilling to change.

Moreover, Snape has probably been systematically exposed to Dark Arts during this holiday, and Regulus could probably guess what he was thinking.

Dark Arts gave him power, power that allowed him to escape being cornered by Potter and his ilk, and to squeeze into the inner circle of Slytherin's outcasts.

That would allow him to no longer be the poor, scrawny Snape from Knockturn Alley.

Lily, being a clever witch, may have already sensed something.

In her mind, Dark Arts was wrong, evil, and something that shouldn't be touched.

When two opposing ideas clash, neither can convince the other.

The friendship remains, but cracks have appeared.

Regulus looked away; this was none of his business. Snape had chosen his own path, and Lily's attitude was her own affair.

But just as he looked away, Lily suddenly turned her head.