All My Industries

Walburga started comparing again, comparing him to all the Pureblood families heirs she knew, and in the end, she still thought her Regulus was the best.

Regulus lowered his head and continued eating the Lamb Chop on his plate, which had grown a little cold. Orion also picked up his knife and fork again, cut off a piece of roasted potato, and put it in his mouth.

Neither of them discussed anything deeper.

Research on Natural Magic, attempts at Spatial Warp, progress in Star Orbit Meditation, knowledge of Dark Arts in the library, and strategies for dealing with Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

These are things that Walburga doesn't need to know, nor can she know; that's not a world she should care about, nor a field she should be involved in.

But what Orion just said is enough for her to brag about at tea parties, dinners, and social events for the next six months.

She will become the envy of all Pure-bloods ladies, more people will want to form alliances and marry into the Black family, and more resources will be poured into the Black family because they are optimistic about Regulus's future.

This is exactly what they need.

"And... what about after graduation?" Walburga asked again, his tone filled with longing and anticipation. "How far will he go? The Ministry of Magic? Wizengamot? Or like Dumbledore— "

Regulus was slightly speechless. "You really dare to think that way."

Dumbledore? Even I don't dare to dream of such a thing.

But, it will happen in the future.

Orion was silent for a few seconds, completely bewildered by Walburga, the greatest wizard of this century. If he could live to see the next century...

Thinking of this, Orion glanced at Regulus out of the corner of his eye. If Dumbledore could live into the next century, it's really hard to say who would be greater.

"Judging from the current development," he said thoughtfully, meeting Walburga's gaze, "After graduation, he'll probably reach the level of an elite Auror."

Even assuming the most extreme scenario, where Regulus loses all his spirituality—and that's the most conservative estimate—this is still the most extreme case.

Orion thought to himself that if Regulus could maintain his current rate of progress, he wouldn't even need to graduate.

By the end of the third year, he will likely surpass most active Auror.

By the time he turned seventeen, he didn't even dare to imagine how far he would go; perhaps he could truly be compared to a young Dumbledore or Grindelwald.

But these words must absolutely not be said to Walburga.

She would stand up and dance on the spot, and then the next day she would tell everyone she knew that her son was the Head of the Auror Office in second grade.

That would put Regulus in the spotlight, attracting a lot of unnecessary attention, jealousy, and even hostility.

Even more frightening is the possibility that it might attract Voldemort's more direct and forceful recruitment efforts; he would personally intervene, and that would be the real trouble.

"Elite Auror..." Walburga repeated the word, his smile as radiant as if he had just drunk a whole bottle of Felix Felicis.

"Good, good! The Black family is finally going to produce a truly great person! Let's see who dares to say our family has no successor now!"

She began to dream about the future again, from Regulus joining the Ministry of Magic all the way to him becoming Minister for Magic.

The thought of Black family regaining its position as head of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, and the bustling scene at Gate 12 Grimmauld Place, with all the Pureblood families coming to curry favor with him, was vivid in my mind.

Regulus listened quietly, nodding occasionally, but his mind was already wandering elsewhere.

Which plant should we try for Natural Magic tomorrow?

I dare not touch the Mandrake for now, but I might try the Poison Tentacle or the Devil's Snare.

Spatial Warp consumes too much mana; we need to find a way to reduce Magic Power loss, otherwise it's practically useless in actual combat.

The Star Orbit Model of the Legilimency is almost complete, but its defensive effectiveness still needs to be tested a few more times.

I also need to scan a few more books about Passive Magic from the Forbidden Section when I have time...

The road ahead is long, and there is still much to learn.

A single dinner wasn't enough time for him to think through all the things that needed to be planned and prepared.

But at least one thing is certain: he is moving forward step by step on this path, and every step he takes is solid.

Outside the window, the snow continued to fall, blanketing the streets and rooftops of London, silencing the clamor of the Muggle and the secrets of the wizards.

At 12 Grimmauld Place, the fireplace was burning brightly, the flickering flames dancing on the restaurant walls, as a family sat around the long dining table.

The mother was envisioning the family's glory, immersed in the future she was creating.

The father was weighing the pros and cons of reality, calculating the risks and rewards of each step.

The son is planning his own path, thinking about how to become stronger and go further.

The cozy Black family.

A few days before the end of the holiday, Orion put down the Daily Prophet at the breakfast table.

"Come with me today," he said, cutting a piece of fried egg and looking at Regulus. "Let's go see the family businesses."

Regulus looked up, spreading Butter on bread, a thought flashing through his mind, but he didn't speak. He looked at his father, waiting for him to continue.

Orion took a sip of coffee before continuing, "You'll be taking over the Black family from now on. You can't just stay at Hogwarts and Grimmauld Place. There are some things you should see."

Regulus nodded, put the Butter bread into his mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, and said, "Okay."

This is not a waste of time. The Black family's industries will eventually belong to him, so learning about them now is like getting familiar with his own things in advance.

Moreover, going out with Orion allows you to see the different aspects of the Magic world.

After breakfast Regulus returned to his room, changed into a dark robe, put his wand in his inner pocket, and pinned the Black family to his chest.

When he came downstairs, Orion was already waiting in the Entrance Hall, holding a roll of parchment covered with writing.

"Let's go to the Diagon Alley first." Orion unfolded the parchment and glanced at it.

"Then go to the Potion Workshop in the Scottish Highlands, the alchemy workshop in Wales, the Herb Garden in Cornwall, and the Magical Creature Farm in Ireland, and finally Knockturn Alley."

As his father recounted the story, Regulus knew in his heart that this journey would take him across half of the British Isles.

"For distant places, use Portkey," Orion said, putting away the parchment. "You can't Apparition where you haven't been."

The two walked to the center of the Entrance Hall, Orion extended his left hand, and Regulus placed his hand on it.

A familiar feeling of pressure washed over them, and a few seconds later they found themselves in a quiet alleyway in Diagon Alley, with the dark wall of the entrance to Knockturn Alley behind them.

The Black family owned three shops in Diagon Alley.

The first one is Potions, located in the middle of Diagon Alley, with a sign that reads "Silver Moon Potions".

The shop wasn't big, but it was in a great location. The window displayed various strangely colored Potions, each with a label on it.

Skele-Gro Elixir, Draught of Living Death, Draught of Peace, Polyjuice Potion, Felix Felicis...

These were all common Potions, Regulus guessed, perhaps his family also had Potions in Knockturn Alley, selling things that couldn't be sold in Diagon Alley.

A tall, thin wizard was organizing goods behind the counter when he saw Orion enter and immediately stood up straight.

"Mr. Black," the wizard's voice was respectful, "And young Mr. Black as well."

"Marcus." Orion nodded reservedly. "I've looked at this month's financial statements; it's up seven percent from last month."

"Yes." The wizard named Marcus smiled. "The newly launched Sleeping Draught is selling well; many students and parents are buying it."

Orion walked around the store, checked the expiration dates on several Potions on the shelves, and asked a few questions about the suppliers.

Marcus answered each question clearly and concisely, demonstrating his expertise in the business.

Regulus quietly followed behind his father, observing the store's layout, the arrangement of goods, and the frequency of customers coming and going.

He discovered that although the store was small, it had a complete range of products, from basic Boil-Cure Potion to expensive Felix Felicis, and the labels were neatly affixed and the bottles were spotless.

Marcus's grandfather worked at the Black family's shop.

After leaving the Potions Orion said to Regulus, "His father used to manage Wales ' Herb Garden, and now it's him. There are many people like him."

The second shop is Alchemy Shop, located in the north end of Diagon Alley, with a sign depicting an crossed cauldron and a wand.

The shop sells a wide variety of items, including self-stirring crucibles, Potions racks that maintain a constant temperature, hourglasses with timekeeping functions, and wand accessories that Engorgement Charm.

The shopkeeper was a short, plump witch with her hair neatly combed; her eyes lit up when she saw Orion.

"Orion, you've finally arrived!" the witch's Sonorus. "There was a problem with the batch of Self-Stirring Cauldron that were delivered last time; the stirring rod stopped after three rotations. They had to be reworked."

Orion frowned. "Which workshop made this?"

"I've contacted that company in Wales three times, and each time they agreed readily, but the delivery is still the same old story."

The witch spoke with her hands on her hips, "You have to do something about this, or the signboard will be ruined."

Orion pulled a small notebook from his pocket and jotted down a few notes. "I'm going to Wales this afternoon to see for myself."