Regulus the Demon King

Lily's green eyes stared at Regulus, waiting for his answer.

Regulus thought about it carefully.

When he first tinkered with the Fiendfyre Flying Device, he thought about raining down Fiendfyre from the sky and letting the flames spread along the ground.

At that time, many things were just ideas in my mind. To actually make them happen would require a bunch of unverified assumptions. Now, I am proficient in flying, and my control over Fiendfyre and my total amount of Magic Power have far exceeded what I used to have.

If we only talk about causing damage, then it is indeed possible.

He nodded and said easily, "It should be fine."

Lily's eyes widened. "You can do that too?"

Regulus looked at her and nodded again.

Lily recalled the mushroom cloud in the newspaper, then looked at the person in front of her, and after a long pause, cautiously asked, "Regulus, you wouldn't do that too, would you?"

Regulus sighed, "Why would I go burn Paris?"

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she had asked a bit foolishly. Just as she was about to say something in her defense, Regulus suddenly turned stern.

"Don't you think London deserves a fire? It's damp all the time."

Lily paused, then slapped his arm dismissively. "You do it again."

Regulus laughed, and she couldn't help but smile as well, "Who told you to make it sound so easy?"

After laughing, his eyes glanced at Regulus's face again, secretly wondering if Regulus lived in London.

She had wanted to send him a letter before, and when she asked for his address, Regulus only said that his house was protected by Ancient Magic, and that letters and packages from outside could not get in.

She never knew exactly where the Black family lived.

London is so big, even if you actually lived there, you'd still need to know which street it was on. But at least there's somewhere to think about.

Regulus looked over, Lily casually looked back. Their eyes met, and she looked away again toward the center of the classroom.

He wouldn't just sit idly by burning down a city, yet he actually did it.

Snort!

Regulus the Great Demon King!

There were still traces of the practice in the middle of the classroom. She used her Enhanced Senses Charm to see the attack clearly, raised her hand to block it with the Constant Shield Charm, and still had a free hand to retaliate. In the previous semester, she would have had to protect the front and lose the back.

She always felt that if she learned some more powerful spells and mastered the ones she already knew, she could get closer to him.

But the city is so big, what kind of Magic could possibly burn down so many streets and houses?

Lily wrinkled her nose and frowned, glancing down at her wand before looking at Regulus.

I just thought I was making great progress, but when I asked, I found out I'm still so far behind.

Regulus watched as her expressions shifted, glancing at him one moment and then looking away the next, her cheeks puffing out and her lips pursing. He roughly knew what she was thinking.

Lily was quite troubled by what she was thinking. When she noticed him watching, she quickly relaxed her brow and pretended that nothing had happened.

After a while, she finally thought of someone else, still somewhat incredulous. "The principal usually seems so kind."

Regulus casually asked, "So, what kind of person do you want him to be?"

Lily thought for a moment, but couldn't answer herself, "I just can't imagine what it would be like if he got into a fight."

Regulus agreed inwardly; he wondered what the old man would be like if he took a serious fight.

When we meet, we talk about business most of the time, but I rarely see him Spellcasting.

The last time I saw him make a move was in the Norway valley.

He fought Hilder Nott he couldn't stop, but Hrogar caught the axe, and the old man appeared in front of him.

With a half-meter gap, he pressed his palm down, and the dark purple beam of light, over a hundred meters long, retreated from the tip of the sword, causing the sword in his hand to dissipate.

He remained in a slashing stance, his hands now empty. The remaining sharpness of Saiph, used to cut open the buckle of Hilder's helmet, was something the old man had intentionally left untouched.

Regulus had witnessed the process, but he still didn't understand what specific Magic he had used, or whether it was simply some application of Magic Power.

If he and the old man start fighting, who knows what will happen? Will the old man take him down in one hit, two hits, or even three?

If I really can't beat him, could I use Space Magic to make him escape?

Spatial Warp, the darting of the Starry Sky Kite — Dumbledore had seen it all. How the old man would handle it was anyone's guess.

I'm tempted to give it a try.

Lily was still thinking about the principal in the auditorium, and asked doubtfully, "I haven't been able to see him for dinner recently. Did he go out again?"

Regulus snapped out of his reverie and nodded, "There's a lot going on outside; someone needs his help."

Lily's smile faded slightly, "Death Eaters?"

"Yes," Regulus didn't hide anything from her. "Some people have been threatened, and some have been Attacks. Professors can look after students at school, but someone has to go outside too."

Lily frowned, recalling the news she'd seen during summer vacation. "Are there even more of these after school starts?"

Regulus's tone became more serious. "It doesn't look like things will improve anytime soon."

Lily glanced at her Handbag; her parents' letters were still inside. She said softly, "Mom and Dad don't even really know who they are."

Regulus looked at her gently. "You can tell them slowly that if they encounter anything they're unsure about, they should ask me."

Lily nodded, paused for a moment, then looked at the wand, picked it up, and said, "Take another look at my Patronus."

Regulus glanced at her face. "You've recovered?"

Lily stood up, her green eyes lighting up again. "Just give it a try, I want you to see."

The wind outside the window blew across the clothes rack, causing the hem of the school robe to sway gently.

Lily calmed down, recalling the thought she had been holding onto during her practice, and thrust her wand forward. "Patronus Charm."

Silver Light emanated from the tip of the cane, gathering in front of her and illuminating her hands and the old school desk nearby.

The light was denser than before, and its spreading edges were more restrained. As she continued to output Magic Power, flowing patterns gradually appeared within it.

She stared at the Silver Light, waiting for it to change again. The Light Cluster lasted for a while before finally dissipating, but the outline of an animal never appeared.

Lily lowered her wand, turned to look at Regulus, and said with some reluctance, "Still the same."

Regulus patiently praised her, "It's more cohesive than before, and it lasts longer."

Lily's face lit up with a hint of joy, but then she pouted again, her voice softening. "You always say I'm improving."

"Indeed," Regulus said, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Do you expect me to lie to you and say you're getting worse?"

Lily's lips curled up slightly, then she pouted again. "But it hasn't come out yet."

Regulus said that this method of practice is more difficult, requiring one to find what one truly desires and to look within oneself when Spellcasting.

Once mastered, you will become stronger, and even your spirit and Magic will improve.

Initially, she made progress in thinking about the relationship she wanted to preserve, starting with Petunia and Nox. But now, the light has changed many times, and the animals still haven't arrived.

Lily walked back to the window and stood in front of Regulus, looking a little aggrieved. "Marcia can do it instantly now, but she only started practicing after watching me practice."

Regulus wasn't really concerned about Marcia's Patronus, but since Lily brought it up, he asked, "It already has a shape?"

"Not yet, it's still a silvery mist," Lily, sitting back in her chair. "But you can make out some outlines. Susan has started practicing too, and we've been trying it out every night."

She remembered her promise to Regulus; her roommates practiced the usual method of recalling happy memories, the path of longing, which she had always kept hidden.

Marcia summoned the silver mist, and she was happy for her, even going over to watch for a long time. But when it was her turn, she felt a little wronged.

I practice every day, so why won't my head grow any taller?

"I know mine is harder, but I've been practicing for so long."

Regulus's tone remained patient. "Yes, thank you for your hard work Lily."

"You're just trying to flatter me," she said, pouting. "Then I'll show it to you again next weekend."

"Okay, I'll be waiting."

Lily rested for a while, looked down at her wand, and stood up again. "I'll try again."

She returned to the center of the classroom, raised her wand, and began to conjure again.

Regulus looked at her and suddenly thought of Sirius.

That guy's always laughing and joking around. He's happy whenever he's with Potter. If he trains Patronus the usual way, happy memories shouldn't stop him.

But in his predetermined fate, James died, Peter, and he spent twelve years in Azkaban. Could he still be happy when he thought back to the days when he fooled around with his friends?

Thinking of James, one is reminded of his death; thinking of the adventures they shared, one is reminded of Peter.

The happier you are when you're young, the more painful it will be to recall later. Even the person who made you laugh the happiest in your memory will remind you of what you lost later.

Regulus couldn't be sure if he could still summon Patronus back then, but Spellcasting using those memories would probably be far more difficult than it is now.

There's no need to verify it right now. We can't just kill James; Sirius is still alive and kicking. We should teach him the Disintegration Charm as promised, and we can add the Patronus to the mix as well.

He's always laughing like an idiot, so he's definitely not short of happiness. The Potter family's big chicken leg might just be an anchor point for that.

As for what he truly wants, he should be allowed to figure it out himself. Finding that out would be far more helpful to Sirius than learning another spell.

Silver Light re-gathered in front of Lily, her eyes fixed ahead. The Light Cluster intensified at the edge of her vision, and the Magic Power at the tip of her staff continued to flow outward.

Regulus watched, continuing to think along the lines of what he had just considered.

Finding what you truly desire will grant you a powerful Patronus, but once you find it, you should always do something more.

If you want to protect someone, and you've learned Magic, will you be willing to stand up for them when trouble arises?

If you lack strength, are you willing to train beforehand? If you encounter difficulties, can you find solutions?

These things all have to be done personally.

If you want to explore the world, you have to go out and explore. Before you set off, everything seems new and exciting, but once you get to a faraway place, the roads become difficult, things become complicated, and in some places, it can even be deadly.

Only when you reach that point, whether you still want to continue and what you're willing to do for it, will you know how genuine your initial aspirations truly were.

He had already traveled a certain distance and wanted to go further, so he learned Magic, learned to fly, and explored space.

With more places to go and more things to see, one naturally wants to understand new things.

Some things you never thought of before setting off, you only realize are interesting when you get there. If you want to understand them, you have to learn and try again. Even if you hit a wall, you have to find a way to keep going.

Some wishes can come true, and when they do, you'll be happy and understand more clearly why you wanted them in the first place.

There are still places further away, and new problems will arise. It's not worth deliberately keeping something you can never have just for the sake of Patronus.

If you obtain something, accomplish something, and improve yourself, you can still become a source of strength.

The same goes for Sirius; he has to figure out for himself which of his ideas he's willing to seriously pursue.

Once he has thought things through, the skills he develops in order to achieve them, and the choices he makes when faced with situations, will help him understand himself better.

Find what you truly want, act on it, and in doing so, continue to understand yourself, making the future you are willing to strive for a source of strength.

In this process, one's spirit will be tempered, and one's Magic will improve along with one's.

Once you've mastered the Patronus skill, you can continue training; what you want is worth pursuing.

As for what Sirius will find, that's his own business.

The Silver Light in the classroom lasted for a while longer. Lily put away her wand, turned around, and her eyes were bright.

Regulus stood before her, looking at her gently.

Lily looked down at her wand, then looked up at him.

Regulus was nearby and had been watching her the whole time; he even saw her stop trying to Spellcasting behind her back.

She was a little pleased and wanted him to praise her again.

But when he actually looked at her like that, with such patience and gentleness in his eyes, she felt a little embarrassed and lowered her head to brush a strand of hair from her face.

She had been practicing for so long that even she felt it was too slow, but he wasn't in a hurry at all. He accompanied her as she tried, listened to her complaints, and even managed to make her laugh.

Next time, you should practice a little better so he can watch for a while longer.

Lily pondered this, then looked up again, suddenly curious. "What exactly is your Patronus?"

Regulus maintained a reserved expression. "I'll let you see it when yours comes out."

Lily's eyes widened slightly. "Can't I even take a look?"

"If you want to see it, then practice hard."

She gave a soft hum. "I've been practicing."

"I know, let's wait and see what Lily's results are."

She slightly raised her chin, her voice clear and crisp. "It's a promise, you can't hide anymore then."

Regulus nodded. "It's settled."

She was satisfied, looked at the open space, and wanted to go over there again.

Regulus raised his hand, and two school robes from the rack Accio and landed in front of them. He picked up Lily's robe and handed it to her. "That's it for today. Go back and rest."

Lily caught the robe, glanced at him, and nodded.

She gathered her hair, pulling the red strands that were loose over her shoulders back, and ran her fingers from behind her ears to the back of her neck. The few remaining strands that were draped over her shoulders were casually brushed aside.

He put on his school uniform, turned up the collar, pulled up the cuffs, tucked in the waist, and let the hem fall to his knees.

The fourteen-year-old girl had grown taller and stood straight with relaxed shoulders and back. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing her slender wrists.

She stuffed the water bottle back into her light purple Handbag, slung the strap over her shoulder, and reached up to brush the stray hairs that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear.

Lily pursed her lips, put her hands behind her back, walked to Regulus's side, and tilted her head. "Alright."

Regulus closed the window, the wind in the classroom stopped, and the two of them went out together, walking along the torch-lit Corridor towards the stairwell.

Lily walked briskly, then looked at him again, remembering her promise, "Don't forget what you promised me."

Regulus nodded seriously. "I remember, Lily."

Lily smiled happily and waved to him, "See you next time, Professor Regulus."

She walked toward the Gryffindor Tower, her light purple Handbag swaying gently with each step, and then looked back once more at the corner.

Regulus was still standing at the top of the stairs. When she turned around, he raised his hand and waved.

Lily then turned the corner and went down the other side of the stairs to the cellar.