Alastor Moody

Highly recommend <Hogwarts: Regulus, Lord of the Starry Sky>! Click to enter the story world.

"When voting on legislation for the Ministry of Magic, cast the vote we need; when the review process expands, inform us in advance; and if necessary, say a few favorable words at the hearings."

Old Bok said calmly, "It's a fair deal. We provide the goods, and you provide the political resources."

Regulus didn't answer immediately; he was thinking to himself.

The three items are indeed valuable: the Cursed Box can be used to study the principles of ancient Blood Curse, the skull can be used to peek into soul Magic, Staff is of unknown use, but intuitively it's useful.

But the risks are equally enormous, especially the pressure of scrutiny from the Ministry of Magic.

Should the Black family take this risk?

It depends on the father's assessment of the situation, his evaluation of the value of the Burke family, and his expectations for the depth of future cooperation.

"I will pass on the message," Regulus said solemnly.

Old Bok turned and walked towards the door. "It's time to go back. Lucretius will see you off."

They left the warehouse and returned to the shop's front hall. Lucretius was still standing by the counter, and when he saw them come out, he relaxed slightly.

Old Bok didn't say much, he just waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

Lucretius led Regulus toward the fireplace and grabbed Floo Powder.

"Hogsmeade, Burke House."

The flames turned green, and the two entered one after the other.

Back in the grey stone house in Hogsmeade, Lucretius visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

He stood by the fireplace for a few seconds, as if in thought, then turned to Regulus: "How are you feeling?"

"Very enlightening," Regulus replied briefly.

Lucretius's lips twitched, as if he wanted to laugh, but he didn't.

"I was twelve when I first went there." He lowered his head slightly, looking at Regulus, his tone both sentimental and sincere.

"My father took me to familiarize myself with the area. That day, the store was inspecting a batch of... special goods. What I saw there gave me nightmares for two months afterward."

He looked out the window; the laughter of students drifted from Hogsmeade's main street, and the sweet scent of Honeydukes wafted into the house from afar, mingling with the dusty smell inside, creating a strange contrast.

"The Burke family has been doing this for five generations," Lucretius in a low voice, almost to himself.

"Our family has been dealing in Dark Arts items in Knockturn Alley since my great-grandfather's time. We've seen the darkest things, encountered the most dangerous people, and know how to survive in the cracks between light and shadow."

He turned back and looked at Regulus again.

"But that doesn't mean we like the darkness. It's just that this is the path our family chose. We were born onto this path, and we can only move forward."

Regulus listened quietly, sensing the complex emotions in Lucretius's words: pride, helplessness, heaviness, and a hint of weariness.

The identity of a Pure-bloods heir is not just an honor, but also a responsibility and a shackle, a life trajectory set from birth.

Sirius was different; he ran away, refused responsibility, and broke free of his shackles.

Lucretius Burke will take over the family business and continue running the shop in Knockturn Alley, living a life of darkness.

This was his fate; he accepted it, but he may not have enjoyed it.

"Let's go." Lucretius took a deep breath, regaining his usual composed demeanor. "It's time to go back to school."

The two left the stone house and returned to Hogsmeade's main street.

At 3 p. m., there were even more students on the streets.

Three Broomsticks lined up at the door, Honeydukes was packed with people, and a group of Hufflepuff surrounded the Devils- Banges window, pointing and commenting on a newly released Sneakoscope.

Lucretius led Regulus toward the village entrance, occasionally acquaintances greeting them along the way, to which he nodded in response, without stopping.

As Regulus approached the vicinity of Zonko's Joke Shop, he suddenly felt a spatial fluctuation behind him.

It was very faint, but it definitely existed—a sign of Apparition's landing point.

Someone is about to appear here, very close, less than ten meters away.

This is quite common; there are no Muggle in Hogsmeade, so wizards would do this, but Regulus still reacted.

He didn't stop walking. He instantly mobilized the Magic Power within his body, and an invisible barrier unfolded against his skin, as thin as a cicada's wing, yet tough enough.

His left hand's fingers flexed and extended beneath his cloak, the fingertips glowing crimson, while his right hand slid into his sleeve to grasp the wand's handle, the tip pointing to the ground, ready to be raised and unleash a spell at any moment.

The next moment, a loud explosion of air rang out.

A figure appeared out of nowhere, staggering two steps before regaining its balance.

He was a middle-aged male wizard, his black robes tattered, his face covered in blood, and the wand he held in his right hand was broken in half.

Upon appearing, he immediately looked around and saw Regulus and Lucretius. His eyes lit up, or rather, he became ruthless.

He lunged forward, but not in an attack stance; instead, he dodged.

He hid behind the two men, using their bodies as cover, while reaching out with his left hand to grab Regulus's shoulder.

Regulus reacted quickly; half a second before the sorcerer's hand touched him, he slightly turned his body, causing the hand to miss its target.

He was about to retaliate when he stopped abruptly, because the two spaces in front of him were fluctuating simultaneously.

The wizard was taken aback, clearly not expecting a child who looked so small to dodge so easily.

He stood tall and straight, leaning slightly back, his right hand gripping his wand tightly, his left hand hanging at his side, ready to attack at any moment.

Alastor Moody.

The second was a young female Auror with short blonde hair, her wand already raised, aimed at the male sorcerer hiding behind Regulus.

"Finn, give up!" the female Auror snapped. "You can't escape!"

The sorcerer named Finn was panting heavily, his fingers gripping the broken staff tightly.

"Let me go!" he cried hoarsely and urgently. "Otherwise, I'll kill these two children!"

Moody looked at Regulus, then at Lucretius, and finally back at Finn.

"Try it," Moody's voice was rough and ruthless. "Your wand is broken."

The situation was at a stalemate. Regulus stood still, his mind racing.

Finn is Dark Wizard who was hunted by Auror and fled here, intending to take hostages.

Moody and the female Auror were the pursuers, and the two sides were locked in a standoff, with him and Lucretius caught in the middle.

Finn's choice wasn't right, it was terribly wrong. Hogsmeade Week was full of junior wizards, with professors accompanying and caring for them.

He might have wanted to kidnap the young wizard and coerce the Auror, but he forgot that professors would be there.

Ordinary Dark Wizard would be too scared to dodge, but he ran right into them.

All I can say is that they have brains, but not many.

Moreover, he chose the wrong target.

Regulus remained completely calm. He was confident he could escape, and even counterattack. Finn wasn't powerful, but with outsiders present, he would observe first.

He looked at Lucretius, the Slytherin Prefect, whose expression was calm and who stood ramrod straight, his right hand already touching the handle of his wand.

He saw Regulus looking over, a questioning glint in his eyes: Should they make a move?

Regulus shook his head slightly.

With Moody and the female Auror around, Finn can't escape. Besides, Finn's attention is entirely on the Auror right now, and he doesn't care about them.

How much power can a little wizard possibly have?

Moreover, Regulus was confident and found the scene amusing, so he decided to wait and see.

Finn's forehead was sweating, and the broken staff moved between Regulus and Lucretius, seemingly choosing which one to take hostage.

"Back off!" he yelled at Moody. "Let me get out of here with Floo Powder, or else—"

Before he could finish speaking, Moody moved.

With a slight tap of the wand, a beam of Silver Light shot out, striking the ground beneath Finn's feet.

The ground suddenly softened, sinking like a swamp. Finn's ankle sank in, causing him to lose his balance and his broken staff to point off course.

The female Auror attacked simultaneously, Stunning Spell and a red beam of light directly at Finn's chest.

Finn cursed and tried to Apparition, but his wand broke and the Magic failed.

He managed to lift the broken staff, trying to block, but his Magic Power output was unstable, and he only managed to deflect half of the spell.

The Stunning Spell struck his left shoulder; Finn's body stiffened, his eyes rolled back, and he fell backward.

The ground that had trapped his feet hardened instantly, the whole process taking only two seconds.

Moody stepped forward, used his wand to check Finn's condition, and after confirming that he was unconscious, he turned to Regulus and Lucretius.

He stared at the two of them, his voice not exactly polite. "Names."

Regulus Black.

"Lucretius Burke."

Moody muttered repeatedly, in a strange tone, "Black..."

"The Burke family, then looked at Lucretius, his eyes devoid of emotion, "The shop in Knockturn Alley?"

"Yes," Lucretius replied calmly.

Moody didn't ask any more questions, and turned to the female Auror, saying, "Take him back and notify the Ministry of Magic. Finn has been captured, and some of the items involved have been recovered."

The female Auror nodded, used Levitation Charm to lift Finn, grabbed Floo Powder, and left.

A group of students had already gathered on the street, pointing and whispering among themselves.

Several professors appeared in a flash, clearly having heard the commotion and rushed over.

Moody looked at Regulus: "You didn't move just now, why didn't you dodge? Why didn't you fight back?"

"He's behind me, I can't see him." Regulus looked him straight in the eye. "Besides, the Auror are here, I trust the professionals can handle it."

Moody stared at him, as if trying to memorize him, completely disbelieving any explanation. At his age, encountering something like this, it was already impressive if he could stand firm; how could he be so calm?

A few seconds later, Moody turned and left.