Regulus the Just

On Friday noon, on the way back to the Dormitory after lunch, Alex quickened his pace and walked alongside Regulus.

"Lina and Samuel want to see you."

Regulus grunted in response, not stopping his steps or asking what was wrong, "After class this afternoon, to the Library."

Alex nodded and said nothing more.

Lina and Samuel wanted to see him, but instead of asking him in person, they asked Alex to convey their request.

interesting.

They're not usually like this.

When they sat together for a meal, Lina spoke her mind directly, and although Samuel was a man of few words, he didn't need to relay messages.

We often walk together to and from get out of class, chat occasionally, nod when we bump into each other, and ask each other questions during class—all of this is normal.

Regulus treated them no differently; he considered them his own people and there was no need for him to put on airs.

This time, however, we went through the formal process: reporting, applying, and waiting for a response.

These two are establishing rules.

Regulus never asked for this; he never said anything required to go through Alex first, nor did he establish any hierarchy.

But they created the hierarchy themselves.

I'm casual most of the time, but I follow procedures for serious matters.

Following procedures means there are procedures; having procedures means there is organization; having organization means they are not just two Half-bloods following Regulus, but people in this group responsible for specific tasks.

They know exactly which path to take for those individuals mentioned above.

The small group now consists of only a few people, and the distinction between superiors and subordinates is not obvious, so whether or not procedures are followed is actually irrelevant.

But what about later?

The number of people surrounding Regulus will only increase.

Once the small group truly expands, the order that Lina and Samuel, as the earliest members, have proactively established will become meaningful. Newcomers will discover that even the periphery has its own rules, which they must also follow. Those who secured their positions first will naturally be at the forefront of these rules, making them more intelligent.

These two were paving the way for themselves, not grabbing, not fighting, not getting close to Regulus, but quietly establishing the rules and then waiting for the rules to speak for them.

Regulus observed this but had no intention of getting involved.

It's normal for those below to be making trouble and have their own agendas.

He doesn't need a bunch of wooden figures; as long as the direction is right, that's enough.

How they find their place within this framework and how they manage their own interests is their own business.

Don't be stupid, don't be greedy, don't betray others, and let them do whatever they want with the rest.

As soon as the Dismissal Bell rang for the end of the last class in the afternoon, Lina and Samuel were the first to rush out of the classroom.

Regulus saw it, but ignored it. He put away his notes and textbooks and walked leisurely toward the Library.

There weren't many people in the Library at this time.

Madam Pince sat behind the lending desk, a feather duster beside her, frowning at a newly arrived copy of "Practical Potions Monthly," probably dirtied by some young wizard.

She raised her eyelids slightly, recognized Regulus, and then lowered them again.

Regulus sat down in his usual spot, by the window, facing the door.

It was still light outside the window. The January sun sets early, and the light was already turning yellow. It slanted in through the window and shone on the table, making the gold-embossed cover of "Basic Alchemy Theory" reflect light.

He flipped to where he had left off last time, but after reading only a few pages, footsteps came from the doorway.

The two of them walked quickly, but not erratically.

One of them paused at the door, probably looking for him, and then walked straight this way.

Regulus looked up.

Lina walked ahead, carrying a small, bulging cloth bag. The drawstring at the top of the bag was tightly knotted. She had sweat on her forehead, a few strands of dark hair clung to her cheeks, her face was slightly flushed, and she was breathing rapidly, her chest rising and falling noticeably.

Samuel followed behind, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, but he looked alright.

Lina walked to the table, took a moment to calm her breathing, and then called out crisply, "Black."

Samuel followed half a step behind her without saying a word.

Regulus looked up from his book, glanced at the two of them, and then at the cloth bag in Lina's hand.

He slightly raised his chin. "Sit."

The two people sat down opposite each other.

Lina placed the bag on the table and loosened her fingers from the opening.

Regulus closed the book, pushed it aside, and looked at them without saying a word, waiting.

Lina spoke first. She was always quick to make decisions and her report was straightforward, "The books have been found. According to the words on the note, the basic textbooks on Aerodynamics, Wave Mechanics, and Principles of Optics are all there."

Jet Propulsion, I only found one popular science book, which wasn't professional enough; I couldn't find anything suitable related to Information Transmission.

After she finished speaking, she looked around to make sure no one was watching, then began taking books out of her bag and stacking them on the table one by one. On top was "Fundamentals of Aerodynamics," published by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a dark blue cover, Library labels on the corners, and a call number printed on the spine.

Below that is Introduction to Wave Mechanics, and then a book on the Principles of Optics. Both are hardcover books with slightly worn covers, but they are in good condition.

The bottom one is thinner and is called "Jet Propulsion and Flight." The cover features a fighter jet with orange-red flames shooting out from under its wings, which looks quite flashy.

Samuel, standing beside her, looked at the table, not at Regulus, and said in Lina tone, "The Library is experiencing a power outage, so there aren't many people around, making it easy to come and go."

Regulus glanced at him, then looked away.

He stretched out his right hand, his palm brushing across each book, which shrank, thinned, and finally became several palm-sized cards.

He flipped his palm, and the card disappeared.

A glint of envy and longing flashed in Lina's eyes, bright and clear.

Samuel glanced at it, then lowered his head again.

Regulus looked up at them.

The assignment given last semester is only being submitted now.

Samuel's mother was Muggle primary school teacher, so public Library were no problem for her; she didn't even need a library card, she could just walk in and look for books. Lina's family lived in London, and her mother was a Portugal witch—a foreigner, but she had lived in the Muggle community in UK for several years. No sane wizard would wear their trousers over their robes and pull out Galleon to pay in Muggle shop.

Such wizards are not uncommon in the Wizarding World; they never interact with the Muggle world in their entire lives and don't even understand how to dress.

Lina's mother was clearly not like that; she could live a normal life in the Muggle community, and a Library wouldn't be a problem for her.

Both companies have the necessary qualifications, the task itself isn't difficult, and the instructions on the note clearly state what books to look for and what direction to take.

It's been dragging on for almost two months; if it's not a matter of ability, then it's a matter of willingness.

Both sides have their own agendas.

Lina's family is a small family from Portugal, without a Pure-bloods title, small in size, and shallow in roots.

Her mother should know what kind of family Black came from. Although they came from a small family, they were, after all, from the Wizarding World and wouldn't be completely unaware of the power structure of Pure-bloods in UK.

Perhaps it is precisely because we know this that we are more cautious.

The idea of his daughter working for the Heir of the Black family in Slytherin sounds like an opportunity, but for a family of such small size, every step is risky.

Small families cannot afford to make mistakes; one wrong step could mean no turning back.

Her mother's attitude was probably one of observation, to wait and see, and not to rush into anything, in case Black was just having a passing fancy.

Asking your daughter to run an errand to find a few books may not seem like a big deal in itself, but once she does it, it's like confirming a relationship.

Taking this step is easy, but taking it back is difficult, so hesitation and procrastination have been unhelpful.

The Samuel family was simpler. His father was an ordinary wizard from Hufflepuff who ran a secondhand Magic Item Shop in Diagon Alley and married Muggle. As a small shopkeeper, his understanding of how the Pure-blood Circle operated was probably limited to simply knowing that it existed.

He might not have thought that deeply about the size of the Black family, the influence of the Heir of the Black family in Slytherin, or the layers of meaning behind asking his son to help find the book.

His reaction was probably more direct: My son is already a handful in Slytherin, and now he has to go to the Muggle world to do things for them? He wouldn't support it, but he wouldn't strongly oppose it either; Hufflepuff people don't do that kind of thing.

He just won't cooperate or help; maybe if he drags it out, Black will forget about his son altogether.

As for Lina and Samuel themselves, they knew perfectly well.

These two were assigned to Slytherin, which already had some history to it.

The Sorting Hat likely sees a lot: perhaps ambition, perhaps resentment, perhaps an instinct to improve one's life, or a combination of these.

Lina has a drive to push forward; she's quick-witted, direct, makes decisions fast and decisively, takes initiative, and is willing to stand up for others.

Samuel was more composed, low-key, cautious, unhurried, and uncompetitive, but his eyes were always watching.

The two people wanted Taiyi things, but their goals were both upward.

Their desires come from themselves, not from what their families teach them; their families are even holding them back.

The child wants to improve, but the parents prioritize safety.

The differences between the two generations have nothing to do with bloodline, but rather with the size of the family.

Then news of the banquet spread, and they witnessed the scene on the first day of school.

The result was obvious: the books arrived less than a week after the start of the semester.

This shows that this matter was not difficult at all. The delay was purely a matter of will. Once the situation was clear, it was completed in just a few days.

As for the power outage, that was a ready-made excuse, probably something the two of them came up with themselves.

It took almost two months to complete the task; there has to be a plausible reason.

During the power outage, public facilities were closed and staff were not present, so they used this as a step.

It's not that we didn't want to do it, it's just that it's always been inconvenient. Luckily, there was a power outage and no one was around, so we quickly took the opportunity to get it done.

It's not particularly clever, but it makes sense.

Regulus didn't care.

It's only natural for two small families, given their size, to take a wait-and-see approach.

Waiting until the situation is clear before placing a bet shows that you have brains and are more reliable than those who rush in without thinking. Their choices are based on careful consideration.

Regulus snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the two people in front of him.

Lina sat up straight, her gaze meeting his. She didn't look away, but her lips were slightly pursed, waiting for his reaction.

Samuel lowered his head, glanced up once, and then lowered it again.

Both of them were tense, but one was spreading outwards while the other was drawing inwards.

Regulus observed everything and nodded. "Very good."

The two of them breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

Lina's shoulders slumped slightly as she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, then a smile appeared on her lips and her eyes brightened.

The movements were executed quite well, not like acting, but not entirely natural either.

Samuel kept his head down the whole time, only his body relaxed a little.

There was a moment of silence.

Lina's lips were still curled up, but the light in her eyes slowly faded, as if she had realized that there was more to come than just "good." "The Lestrange thing," Regulus said casually, looking at them, "You know about it?"

Lina paused for a moment, then nodded.

Samuel nodded slightly, a very small gesture, his head still bowed.

Regulus didn't continue.

He knew they knew.

On the first day of school, Alex told them about what happened at the dinner party: Lestrange Manor had been burned down and Bellatrix had been crippled.

They should also know that the incident involving Rababstan Lestrange last semester and what happened at the dinner party are connected.

He was just checking.

Now that you know, figure out the rest yourself.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Lina's eyes, and the corners of her mouth drooped. She remained true to herself, wearing her emotions on her sleeve.

She understood. They had put in a lot of effort last semester, and given Black's usual style, they deserved a reward.

He brought it up now, but didn't mention a reward, which means there's none, because the search for the book took too long and offset it.

Regulus didn't ask why, but he also didn't say it didn't matter.

She composed herself and nodded seriously.

This matter couldn't be hidden from Regulus; he never expected to, he just didn't pursue it.

She accepted the result.

Samuel understood and accepted it.

Regulus observed their reaction.

The attitudes of these two people have never changed.

From the moment they received the assignment last semester, to acting as bait to cooperate with a small group in dealing with Rababstan, and now, in the first week of the new semester, they have been determined to do a good job from beginning to end.

It was their family that held them back.

Now that things have been moved at home, the whole thing is going smoothly.

But that's their problem. If they've delayed things at home, that's their problem. They should accept that, and that's enough. The matter is over.

He leaned back in his chair, shifting his gaze from the two people to the view outside the window.

It was already dark; only a last vestige of grayish-yellow remained on the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, soon to disappear completely.

Lina and Samuel stood up.

Lina gave a slight bow, turned and left, with Samuel following behind her.

Once outside the Library, the Corridor became noticeably darker.

Lina walked ahead, her steps less steady than when she was inside, her shoulders relaxed, and her breathing became a little heavier than before.

Samuel, standing beside him, asked in a low voice, "Why did you do that just now?"

Lina turned her head to look at him. "What?"

"In front of him," Samuel said, "You knew you couldn't hide it from him, but you acted as if you were relieved."

Lina didn't stop walking; she took a few steps before saying, "You think his not knowing that was an excuse?"

Samuel didn't respond.

"Power outage," Lina's lips curled up slightly, but she quickly looked away. "My mother is a witch, not a fool."

"We live in London, just a few blocks from the nearest Library. We were silent for over a month, then suddenly they found us when school started. Do I need to explain?" She continued, "Do you think you could keep Black?"

Samuel shook his head.

"If you can't hide it, then don't pretend," Lina said quickly. "It's better for him to see that we know we can't hide it than to pretend nothing happened." Samuel didn't reply, but nodded.

After walking a few steps, Lina spoke again, her tone tinged with a hint of complaint. "We can't use Magic outside of school, otherwise I could handle it myself." Samuel hummed in agreement.

His family is the same; if he didn't need his family's cooperation, he wouldn't have dragged this out for so long.

After walking a few more steps, Samuel suddenly said, "Black mentioned Lestrange."

Lina paused for a moment, then continued walking.

"But no reward was mentioned," Samuel's voice came from behind.

Lina didn't turn around. After a few seconds, she spoke, her tone tinged with regret, but she didn't seem to care too much. "That's all in the past." Samuel nodded.

The two walked along the Corridor, their footsteps echoing on the stone slabs and gradually fading into the distance.

In the shadows at the corner of the Corridor, someone stood there the whole time.

Dark and thin, leaning against the wall, as if it had grown into the shadows.

Snape.

He watched Lina and Samuel walk away, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.