Position Matters

Narcissa paused at that. She did not believe Regulus truly cared about Abraxas's health. She did not even think Regulus wanted Abraxas to be healthy.

If it had been another little wizard, it might have been genuine concern or merely a social courtesy. But Regulus?

She had already come to understand that Regulus was completely unlike ordinary little wizards. The intricacy and complexity of his thoughts surpassed even those of many old hands.

His perspective on matters was even more unusual—sometimes downright incisive.

Abraxas Malfoy, Lucius's father, the current head of the Malfoy family, an old fox shrewd to the bone.

His state of health directly affected the future direction of the Malfoy family.

"Some minor ailments, but he is in good spirits," Narcissa answered cautiously.

Though her heart leaned toward the Black family and she cared for Regulus, the Malfoys were still her future in-laws.

Regulus smiled. "Then I should prepare a proper gift for our meeting."

He had already received an invitation to the Malfoy family's Christmas Banquet. It was addressed to him alone, separate from the Black family—either a sign of their regard or of some ulterior motive.

They exchanged a few more inconsequential pleasantries. Narcissa rose, reached out to gently straighten the collar of Regulus's robe, then bade him farewell.

At the entrance to the girls' dormitory, she looked back at Regulus. Her expression was complicated, but in the end, it became a slight nod.

Regulus sat alone on the sofa until the fire gradually dimmed.

He reviewed his conversation with Narcissa in his mind. He had achieved his goal: established deeper trust, clarified a channel for sharing information, and subtly conveyed his own position.

He had not said anything that could be used against him, yet everything that needed to be said had been said.

Narcissa was clever and pragmatic. She valued family and kinship, and she had a line she would not cross.

In the original story, she could betray Voldemort for Draco's sake.

Regulus decided to trust her a little more.

Narcissa would soon marry Lucius Malfoy, while the Malfoy family was still under Abraxas's control.

That Old Malfoy was no easy opponent. In the early days of his cooperation with Voldemort, the Malfoy family had even held the Dominant Position.

But Abraxas later died suddenly of Dragon Pox. Lucius took over, and the Malfoy family became nothing more than Voldemort's purse.

Dragon Pox was an incurable disease in the wizarding world. Wizards without real skill could not catch it at all.

Abraxas's death had come too suddenly, and at far too convenient a time.

Regulus did not believe in coincidences. If there was nothing behind this, it would make no sense at all.

After returning home for Christmas, he decided he would mention it to Orion. If there was something hidden behind the Malfoys' troubles, the Blacks had better know in advance.

He recalled the tragedies from the original story. Sirius had completely broken with the family. Until her death, Walburga never knew what her eldest son truly thought, nor did she ever learn how her younger son had died.

Narcissa and Bellatrix went down different paths, and the sisters' bond existed in name only.

In the end, aside from Narcissa and the disowned Andromeda, not a single other Black survived.

Too many misunderstandings, too much unequal information. In the end, everyone lost.

He could not repeat those mistakes. But fortunately, he was no pushover either.

When he pushed open the dormitory door, Avery was sitting on his bed polishing his wand. Hermes was writing at the Desk, while Alex was curled beneath his blankets with only half his head exposed.

"Regulus." Avery looked up and asked impatiently, "Weren't you afraid it would turn into a fight today?"

He had been holding that question in all day. No matter how he thought about it, he could not understand why Regulus had stepped forward in that situation.

It did not match the Regulus in his impression, nor did it fit the family education he had received.

What happened during the day could easily have drawn everyone's attacks. No matter how capable Regulus was, surely he could not handle so many wizards attacking him at once.

Regulus took off his outer robe and hung it up, but he had no intention of answering. Of course he was not afraid of a real fight. The leaders of both houses had been there, and he had subdued them both in an instant.

Still, he had kept watch on several troublemakers, such as Sirius, James Potter, and several of Slytherin's more underhanded types. He was confident he could suppress them.

Besides, he was not afraid of being ganged up on by little wizards.

Regulus turned to Avery and countered, "What would I gain from starting a fight?"

Avery froze. Was that what I meant?

"House points would be deducted, I would receive detention, and someone might get hurt." Regulus sat down beside his bed. "Stopping the conflict, on the other hand, lets me display my ability, consolidate my position, and leave a good impression on the professors. Which is more worthwhile?"

Avery blinked and followed Regulus's line of thought. "But wouldn't that make you seem insufficiently forceful? Some upperclassmen were talking in the common room just now. They said you were too... restrained."

Regulus raised an eyebrow slightly. He knew the original words could not have been so polite.

"Let them talk." Regulus was unconcerned. "What I need is influence, not empty displays of toughness.

"After today, Lucretius Black owes me a favor. Frank Longbottom also has to consider whether he would have been punished if not for me.

"Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn both saw how I handled it. That is far more valuable than getting into a brawl with Gryffindor in the Corridor."

Influence was an abstract thing, but at certain moments, it could be transformed into power. That required constant, subtle cultivation.

Avery thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I understand. You want to place yourself in the position of 'the person who solves problems.'"

Among the heirs carefully raised by Pureblood families, there were certainly fools, but there were even more true elites. With just a slight prompt, Avery grasped the crucial point.

"Smart." Regulus rarely offered praise. "So, Avery, keep an eye out for me. Find out who objects most strongly to what I did, and who talks the most behind my back."

Avery's eyes lit up. "You want to deal with them?"

"No." Regulus shook his head. "I want to know who the fools are. Real opponents would not jump out over something this trivial. Only fools would become hostile toward me over a single Quidditch conflict.

"Just make a note of such fools. They may prove useful someday."

He looked toward Hermes. "What about you? Did you notice anything today?"

Hermes set down his Quill and turned half his face toward him. "Rababstan Lestrange. During the match, he sat diagonally behind us and watched you the entire time.

"After the match, he left the stands immediately, but he did not return to the common room. I had Roxier follow him for a while."

Alex poked his head out from beneath the blankets and said softly, "He went to the abandoned Potions classroom on the fourth floor. He was alone and stayed there for about ten minutes before coming out."

Regulus narrowed his eyes slightly and immediately concluded that Rababstan was targeting him.

What an annoying little pest. He did not bite, but he still made people uncomfortable. Yet someone so insignificant was not worth Regulus wasting his time on. His roommates before him were better suited to handle it.

Regulus turned to face them. "Can you settle it before Christmas?"

A dark curve touched Hermes's lips. "I have an idea..."

Regulus did not join the discussion after that. This had been a small task assigned to them precisely to strengthen their cohesion.

He returned to his bed and sorted out the textbooks he would need tomorrow.

Avery watched him, then suddenly asked again, "By the way, Regulus, did you really do all that today just to demonstrate your influence? Nothing else?"

Regulus did not pause what he was doing. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Avery hesitated, his tone uncertain, as if he had considered the question for a long time before deciding to ask it. "...you seem particularly concerned with controlling the situation.

"Today in the Corridor, you were the first to step forward, the first to act and stop it... It did not seem like something you decided on the spur of the moment."

Regulus turned around and looked at Avery.

The Cuthbert family's heir was highly observant. He did not see deeply enough, but he was willing to think beneath the surface.

That was a good quality, especially among Pureblood families.

"Avery," Regulus began slowly, "there are two kinds of people in Slytherin.

"One kind waits for things to happen, then responds passively. The other predicts what will happen and prepares a response in advance."

He continued, "Slytherin won through foul play. Gryffindor was bound to make a scene after the match. That was inevitable.

"Since it was inevitable, I thought in advance about how to deal with it, rather than panicking and scrambling for a solution only after the conflict erupted."

Avery looked thoughtful. He understood that Regulus was saying he belonged to the second kind.

"As for why I had to stand at the very front..." Regulus's lips curled slightly. "Because position determines perspective.

"Stand at the back, and all you can see is chaos. Stand at the front, and you can clearly see everyone's reactions—who is impulsive, who is calm, who is watching in secret, and who is taking the opportunity to stir things up."

He recalled the faces in the Corridor that day: Lucretius Black's shock when his wrist was restrained; the worry and concern in Narcissa's eyes.

Frank Longbottom's stunned expression after his spellcasting was interrupted; the embarrassment of James Potter and Sirius jumping about in the crowd while no one paid them any attention.

Only by standing at the very front could one see all of it clearly.