Hogsmeade

The first few days of Hogsmeade were peaceful. Regulus went to class as usual, practiced Magic at the Room of Requirement, went to the Library, and visited the Forbidden Section.

The error of Spatial Warp was reduced to thirty centimeters, the number of Spatial Anchor Charm remained the same, but the duration was extended.

The Five Stars of Star Orbit Meditation is still in preparation, but the Four-Star System is operating more smoothly.

On Friday night, he received Orion's second letter.

Regulus:

Preliminary communication has been held with Old Bok; the Ministry of Magic's review will focus on large-scale cursed items and powerful, lethal Dark Arts tools.

There are several sensitive items in the Burke family's inventory that need to be dealt with before the investigation expands.

When you go to see it, Old Bok might show one or two items to gauge whether the Black family is interested in taking over or providing a safekeeping channel.

Remember: Observe, do not touch, and do not make promises.

I will discuss the specific terms with the Burke family in detail.

Additionally, there have been three recent clashes between Dark Wizard in Knockturn Alley, involving the theft of items.

The Auror Office has been increased with patrols, but the effect is limited. Be vigilant when you go there.

Massive cursed items and potent, lethal Dark Arts tools are both strictly prohibited by the Ministry of Magic.

The Burke family wants to sell, so they're looking for the Black family to act as intermediaries or custodians.

The specifics of how to proceed were decided by the father; he merely observed and relayed signals.

Regulus lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

The Star Orbit Meditation operates automatically, with four stars rotating deep within the consciousness.

The faint light at Bellatrix's location remained dim, yet it continued to shine, like the light of a distant lighthouse—impossible to reach for the time being, but able to guide the way.

Guardian Will.

He hasn't yet figured out exactly what he wants to Protection, but at least he knows what he doesn't want to lose.

On the second Saturday of February, at seven o'clock in the morning, Hogwarts Great Hall was noisier than usual.

Students in the third grade and above gathered around a long table to discuss the itinerary, exchange Galleon, and check their travel permit forms.

The first and second graders sat in their seats, their eyes following the older students, their faces filled with longing.

After finishing his breakfast, Regulus got up and headed towards the Castle gate.

The Corridor was crowded with people. Peeves floated overhead, grabbed a handful of chalk and threw it at the crowd, only to be sternly stopped by Filch who was passing by.

Several Gryffindor students ran past, nearly bumping into Regulus. After recognizing him, some apologized, while others provoked him, but were pulled away by their companions.

A blast of cold air hits you outside the Castle gates.

The sky was leaden gray, the clouds hung low, and snow seemed about to fall but hadn't yet.

A thin layer of frost covered the ground, making a soft crunching sound underfoot. People had already walked the path to Hogsmeade, their footprints clearly visible on the frost.

Regulus walked along the path, students occasionally running past him, their laughter and conversations carrying far in the cold air.

As Hogsmeade came into view, he saw Lucretius Burke standing under the stone archway at the village entrance.

Lucretius wasn't wearing his school robes today; instead, he was wearing a dark green travel cloak with the Burke family crest pinned to his collar, along with crossed wands and keys, against a backdrop of open books.

Several Ravenclaw girls passing by saw him, whispered among themselves, and hurried past.

A Hufflepuff seventh-grade boy nodded to him, Lucretius nodded slightly in response.

As Regulus approached, Lucretius turned around.

Good morning, Regulus.

Good morning, Lucretius.

After a brief greeting, the two walked together into Hogsmeade's main street.

The street was lined with crooked, pointed-roofed Cabin, their roofs covered with a thin layer of snow, and white smoke billowing from their chimneys.

The shop sign swayed in the cold wind.

Honeydukes's windows were piled high with colorful candy jars, the Three Broomsticks Inn wafted the aroma of Butterbeer and baked cookies, and Zonko's Joke Shop echoed with crackling explosions and laughter.

Lucretius slowed his pace, pointing as he went, explaining to Regulus.

Honeydukes, founded in 1935, started with a bloody lollipop by owner Ambrose Flume and now has a product line covering the entire UK.

He has a secret tasting room in his Basement, open only to regular customers.

"Three Broomsticks, and the proprietress, Madam Rosmerta. Her husband died ten years ago, leaving her this pub. Here you can hear the latest gossip from the Ministry of Magic. The price is a Butterbeer and an ear."

"Devis- Banges, Magic Item Shop, specializes in gadgets like Sneakoscope, Remembrall, and Spectrespecs. The quality is so-so, but they're suitable as gifts."

His tone was calm, as if he were a tour guide introducing a tourist attraction, able to recount the history of each shop, the people behind it, and its actual function.

Regulus listened quietly, his eyes scanning the street.

Hogsmeade is the only all-wizard village in UK. Built in the Middle Ages, it was originally a refuge for wizards to escape persecution by Muggle, and later gradually developed into a commercial and social center.

This place preserves the most traditional wizarding architectural style, the oldest wizarding business practices, and also hides the most complex network of interests.

Behind every shop stands a family, and each family has its own network and demands.

The Flume family of Honeydukes has close ties with the Ministry of Ministry of Magic's Food Inspection Office, and Madam Rosmerta of the Three Broomsticks is an old acquaintance of the editor of the Daily Prophet.

The Banges family, led by Banges, holds a seat on the Hogwarts Board of Governors.

Lucretius led him into a side alley and stopped in front of a gray stone house.

The house had no sign, the windows were boarded up, the door was made of heavy oak, and the door knocker was made of bronze snakes.

"The Burke family's property in Hogsmeade." Lucretius took out the key, opened the door, and explained, "Some transactions are not suitable to be conducted in public."

Inside the door was a simple living room; the fireplace was cold, the furniture was dusty, and the air smelled musty from a long period of neglect.

An old map of Hogsmeade hung on the wall, its parchment yellowed and the ink blurred.

Lucretius walked to the fireplace, took a tin box from the inner pocket of his cloak, opened it, and found it contained bright green powder.

"Floo Powder." He grabbed a handful and sprinkled it into the fireplace, the flames instantly turning emerald green and hissing. "13B Knockturn Alley, Borgin - Burke Shop."

He walked into the flames, was engulfed by them, and then disappeared.

Regulus followed suit.

Rotation, compression, color and sound blend together.

Floo Network travel is different from Apparition. Apparition is forcibly tearing through space to squeeze through, while Floo Network by sliding along a pre-set Magic passage.

The former is crude and direct, while the latter is relatively mild, but is constrained by network architecture.

The Spatial Anchor Charm can interfere with a single Floo Network connection point, but it cannot destroy the entire network.

With too many network nodes and a complex structure, the flow of Magic Power is constantly changing, so the effect is limited unless multiple anchor points are applied to the core nodes simultaneously.

Regulus pondered these thoughts as he spun around, then tumbled out of another fireplace three seconds later.

He steadied himself, brushed the dust off his clothes, and looked around the room.

The room was low-ceilinged, with cobwebs on the ceiling and dark brick walls stained with water.

The air smelled of dust, old parchment, and some kind of sweet preservative.

The shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with all sorts of strange items: shrunken heads, rusty shackles, eyeballs in jars, and black books that turned their pages by themselves.

Behind the counter, a tall, thin male shaman looked up.

He was very old, with thinning hair, pale skin, deep-set eyes, and a sharp gaze.

She wore a long black robe, had long, slender fingers with neatly trimmed nails, and wore an Obsidian ring on the index finger of her right hand.

"Kara Burke," the wizard's voice was hoarse. "Call me Mr. Burke, or Old Bok."

"Regulus Black." Regulus nodded, but a question lingered in his mind: Not Borgin?

Old Bok sized him up for a few seconds, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Orion's son." He stared at Regulus. "Your father came here when he was young, but that was twenty years ago."

He emerged from behind the counter, his footsteps silent.

"Borgin - Burke." Old Bok ran his finger along the edge of the counter. "Founded in 1832, a joint venture between the Borgin and Burke family."

We specialize in buying, appraising, and selling Dark Arts items. Among the thirteen similar shops in Knockturn Alley, we rank first.

Regulus's eyes flickered slightly.

He had always thought that Borgin - Burke was the name of the shop owner and also the name of the shop, but now he knows that it is a joint venture between two companies and the shop Borgin - Burke.

He knew of the Borgin family, but he didn't realize that Borgin was the family name here.

Old Bok's full Kara Burke, and he was the representative of Burke family. What about the Borgin?

If they haven't appeared, they may have already withdrawn, or they may simply be a silent partner.

"Follow me." Old Bok walked deeper into the shelving. "Some things are in the warehouse."

Lucretius stood by the counter without moving; he wouldn't follow unless Old Bok called him.

Regulus followed, passing through a door with a black curtain hanging over it, which led to a narrow Corridor with wooden shelves nailed to the walls on both sides, filled with glass jars.

The jar contained various biological organs; the heart was beating slowly, green light flickered on the surface of the brain, and the lungs contracted and expanded in rhythm with breathing.

At the end of the Corridor was an iron door. Old Bok chanted a spell, and the lock clicked open, revealing a warehouse inside.

It's twice the size of other shops, with higher ceilings and more neatly arranged shelves.

Items are categorized and stored in one area: curses, Dark Arts, experimental records, and dangerous biological products.