A Little Favor

On Halloween evening, Hogwarts Castle was completely transformed.

Hundreds upon thousands of live bats floated through the corridors, hanging upside down from candlesticks and suits of armor. Their wings occasionally fluttered, making faint rustling sounds.

The walls were covered with grinning jack-o'-lanterns, Magical Flames dancing within them and casting all manner of bizarre, comical shadows.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of Pumpkin Pastry, along with the restless magic peculiar to a festival.

The little wizards were beside themselves with excitement, gathering in twos and threes to discuss the evening's feast and guess what strange new desserts Dumbledore would conjure up this year.

The corridors were full of laughter and the soft rustle of robes brushing together.

Regulus was among the crowd as well.

Today, he had no intention of burying himself in the Library or finding some secluded corner to practice magic.

He strolled leisurely through the Castle's main building, soaking in the festive atmosphere.

When he reached a third-floor corridor lined with magical tapestries whose patterns constantly changed, a clear voice called out to him.

"Hey! Black! Over here!"

It was Eleanor Bones. She appeared to be fretting over how to decorate a corner beside the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

The moment she spotted Regulus, her eyes lit up, and she waved him over without hesitation.

Avery, Hermes, and Alex were following behind Regulus.

They often walked with Regulus now and had become a noticeable little group within Slytherin.

Avery was a willing follower. He even walked with his back straight, as if declaring his choice to the world.

Alex followed quietly a little behind and to the side. He knew that staying close to Regulus meant being bullied less, perhaps even earning a measure of respect. It was wisdom born of survival.

Hermes walked at the very back, his expression still gloomy, his gaze occasionally falling on Regulus's back.

Rather than following him, he seemed to be observing from close range, trying to uncover any flaw or weakness Regulus might have.

Hearing Eleanor's call, Regulus stopped.

Avery immediately tugged at Alex, who still wanted to move closer, then shot Hermes a glance.

The three of them tacitly stepped aside and pretended to study a nearby Knight Duel Tapestry.

Regulus walked over to Eleanor alone.

Another Hufflepuff girl stood beside Eleanor. She had short brown hair, and when Regulus approached, she instinctively drew in her shoulders. Curiosity and a trace of nervousness flashed through her eyes.

Regulus Black's name had been spreading widely among the lower years lately: pure-blood, Chief, overwhelming a fifth-year, favored by nearly every professor.

All of that gave him an aura that inspired awe.

But with Eleanor beside her, she gathered her courage and straightened up a little, though her Fingers unconsciously twisted the edge of her robe.

"Miss Bones." Regulus approached and nodded politely.

Then he turned his gaze to the girl beside her and gave her a slight nod as well. "And this is?"

His manner was natural and calm, without the slightest hint of disdain or arrogance over the possibility that she might be Muggle-born. That, instead, left the girl momentarily stunned.

"Oh, this is Susan Payne, my friend," Eleanor introduced cheerfully.

"Susan, this is Regulus Black, the Slytherin I told you about who knows a great deal about Herbology."

"Hello, Mr. Black," Susan Payne said softly.

"Hello, Miss Payne," Regulus replied, his tone as even as ever.

He truly did not care about blood status. The Black bloodline was pure enough already; he had no need to derive a sense of superiority from it, much less deliberately belittle others to elevate himself.

"Ran into some trouble?" Regulus looked at the pumpkins and materials on the ground.

"Yeah. We wanted to make some special decorations here, but just putting out jack-o'-lanterns feels a little boring."

Eleanor pointed at a recessed Niche beside the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

"Professor Sprout said we could use our imaginations, as long as we didn't make it too scary.

"Hufflepuff's symbol is the Honey Badger, so I was wondering whether we could combine jack-o'-lanterns with honey badgers. But we can't exactly hang an animal specimen here..."

She scratched her head, clearly finding the idea difficult to put into practice.

Susan nodded beside her and said quietly, "We tried Transfiguration, but either it didn't look right, or it changed back after a short while."

Regulus examined the Niche, then the differently sized pumpkins on the ground, and pondered for a moment.

"Perhaps we can combine the honey badger's traits with the Halloween atmosphere."

He crouched down and picked up a hollowed-out, carved jack-o'-lantern.

Eleanor and Susan leaned closer curiously.

"Honey badgers are known for being brave, even reckless. They fear nothing," Regulus said as he examined the pumpkin.

He drew his wand and lightly tapped the jack-o'-lantern.

Magic Power shimmered through it.

The jack-o'-lantern's shape began to change. Two short protrusions resembling honey badger ears extended from its top.

The comical grin carved into its front became rougher and bolder, its stretched mouth carrying a fierce, fearless edge.

At the positions of its eyes, magic even traced out two tiny, sharp white Light Points, like a honey badger's glowing eyes in the dark.

Regulus tapped his wand again. The previously steady Magical Flames inside the jack-o'-lantern shifted from orange-yellow to a cool-toned Silver White.

The flames also danced with greater force and irregularity, while several faint, scratch-like shadow marks formed beneath its base.

A unique decoration combining Hufflepuff's symbol with Halloween fun had been born.

It looked both cool and entertaining, with the distinctive ferocity of a honey badger.

"Wow!" Eleanor exclaimed. "That's perfect! Exactly like that! It's cool and fits perfectly!"

Susan's eyes widened as well. Forgetting her earlier nervousness, she said softly, "That's amazing. Even the flame color changed."

"I'm glad I could help," Regulus said calmly. Then he waved his wand repeatedly, doing the same to the other prepared jack-o'-lanterns on the ground.

Before long, five or six jack-o'-lanterns, each with a different expression but all bearing honey badger traits, stood before the Niche. Their cool Silver White flames danced, making that area seem both mysterious and full of life.

"What interesting thing are you making here?" a gentle voice asked.

It was Professor Sprout. She looked as though she had just returned from the Greenhouse, and she was still carrying a small pot of glowing mushrooms.

"Professor, look! These are the honey badger jack-o'-lanterns Regulus made for us!" Eleanor showed her excitedly.

Professor Sprout came closer and examined the unusual jack-o'-lanterns with interest.

Then she looked at Regulus, who stood calmly to one side, and smiled approvingly. "Very creative, Mr. Black.

"The Transfiguration is stable, the intent is clear, and it captures both the festival atmosphere and your House's character. Five points for your ingenuity."

"Thank you, Professor. It was only a small favor," Regulus said with a slight bow.

After briefly discussing the stability of Magical Flames, Regulus turned and took his leave.

Watching his retreating back, Susan Payne finally whispered to Eleanor, "He really doesn't seem like the rumors say.

"His magic is incredible. That Transfiguration... I feel like many third-years in our House couldn't manage it. And he's quite polite when he speaks, unlike some Slytherins..."

Eleanor looked at the honey badger jack-o'-lanterns and smiled. "Of course he's different. I told you long ago that he thinks differently from many people. As for his magical ability..."

She lowered her voice. "Some things I've heard suggest it may be even more outrageous than what he shows."

Meanwhile, Regulus and his roommates returned to the Slytherin common room.

Halloween decorations were underway here as well, but the style was entirely different.

The older students took charge of everything, using magic to make silver-green satin slither along the walls like living snakes.

The conjured bats gleamed with a metallic chill, while the jack-o'-lanterns were carved into the heads of various beasts or venomous snakes, eerie green flames burning within them.

The entire Common Room was steeped in an atmosphere of splendor and coldness.

Most of the younger students gathered nearby, passing materials, running errands, or watching the older students perform more complicated magic with admiring eyes.

Regulus watched quietly for a while and understood.

Hufflepuff's style was warm and inclusive, with a touch of simple creativity.

Slytherin, on the other hand, was refined and exclusionary, full of symbols and displays of competition.

Neither style was better or worse. They were simply direct reflections of different House cultures and values.