Team Building Starts Small

Click to begin your wondrous journey in <Hogwarts: Regulus Lord of the Starry Sky>.

The moment Regulus sensed it, a chill ran down his spine.

That was no ordinary Dark Arts.

Ordinary Dark Arts is aggressive, destructive, and has a clear target and purpose.

But this one is different; it's more like some kind of living thing, taking root, spreading, and devouring within Hermes' body.

The Magic Power is cold and viscous, carrying an aura of despair, like the inherent nature of Magic itself. Just as poison is naturally toxic, this Magic is inherently filled with despair.

It reproduces within Hermes's Magic Power system, eroding the host's Magic Power every second, converting it into its own nourishment, and releasing even more despair.

Regulus stood by the bed, his fingertips twitching slightly, and a tiny wisp of Magic Power shot out.

The moment the Magic Power touched Hermes ' skin, it was enveloped by a dense aura of darkness.

The aura was mixed with the desperate cries of thousands upon thousands, as if countless people were struggling in extreme pain, carrying a contagious, bone-deep infection, frantically drilling into his body along his Magic Power lines.

With a thought, he immediately severed the Magic Power. The Mental Barrier constructed by the Star Orbit Meditation instantly activated, blocking the invading dark aura from his body and dissolving it in an instant.

It resembled a Magic Plague twisted and altered by Dark Arts, carrying a strong aura of curse.

The professors at Hogwarts are never short of methods; even if a young wizard loses an arm, leg, or even a neck, they can be healed as long as he doesn't die on the spot. Ordinary curses are nothing to worry about.

However, this level of Dark Arts, or rather, curse, is definitely a key focus for the school administration.

Avery stood beside Regulus, his brows furrowed even more, his eyes brimming with anger that was almost overflowing, but he forced himself to suppress it, his hands clenched into fists.

"He..." Avery began, his voice trembling with anger, "Is he still awake?"

Madam Pomfrey approached, carrying a silver tray with several glass bottles containing strangely colored liquids.

"He can wake up." Her tone was flat. "But it will take time. This curse needs to be removed slowly; it can't be rushed."

"Madam, what curse?" Regulus asked.

Madam Pomfrey glanced at him, her eyes undisguised, and refused to answer, "You don't need to know the details; the professors will handle it."

Alex stood beside Regulus, head bowed, not daring to look Hermes in the eye. His hands were in his robe pockets, his body trembling slightly, his eyes filled with fear.

Avery's throat bobbed. "Who would use this on him..."

"I don't know," Madam Pomfrey interrupted him. "The professors are investigating, but this is none of your concern."

She looked at Regulus: "Visiting time is over, go back to class, don't linger here."

Regulus nodded. "Thank you, madam."

He turned and walked out, with Avery and Alex following. As they reached the door, Regulus glanced back.

Hermes lay on the white sheets, like an unfinished corpse.

A sliver of morning light peeked through the gap in the curtains and fell directly on the dark spot on his neck, the edges of which gleamed an ominous purplish-black in the light.

At the entrance to the Hospital Wing, several Hufflepuff students hurried past, carrying breakfast bread in their hands, their laughter echoing between the stone walls.

Stepping out of the Hospital Wing, Avery could no longer contain himself and muttered under his breath, "That's outrageous! To use such insidious methods! Whoever did it, I'll find them!"

Alex nodded in agreement, his voice still trembling. "Yes, it's terrifying. Those patterns are frightening to look at. What if they landed on us..."

Regulus ignored Avery and Alex, thinking to himself that if Hermes was injured while exploring the Castle and carrying out a family mission, it was because of his own incompetence and he was reaping what he sowed.

Regulus could completely disregard it, treating it as a trivial matter.

But if you are attacked, the situation is completely different.

Although Hermes no longer followed the group, he was still a member of the same Dormitory and they had acted together last semester. If someone attacked him, it could be considered a provocation.

If it were man-made, Regulus could easily exploit the situation.

Follow this line to find the person behind it, and figure out their purpose or influence.

This incident could be used as leverage to consolidate their position, and also as an opportunity to eliminate potential threats within Slytherin.

He even secretly hoped it was man-made, so that he would have a legitimate reason to intervene and could unravel the mystery of that insidious Dark Arts.

That aura, mingled with the despair and pain of countless people, was something he had never encountered before; it concealed a dangerous secret.

Regulus withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward, "Let's go back to the Dormitory first."

Avery and Alex nodded and followed behind him; there was still time before class.

The two men wore complex expressions; Avery was still suppressing his anger, while Alex was filled with fear, neither of them recovering from Hermes's tragic state.

Regulus, however, had already begun planning his next move, recalling Hermes ' hand-drawn map.

The sign above indicates a room located below the Astronomy Tower, and also reads, "Possible entrance, pending verification."

Hermes' frequent nighttime wanderings were most likely an exploration of that place, and his injuries were probably related to that entrance.

Back in his Dormitory, Avery sat on the edge of his bed, pondering repeatedly how to find the killer, occasionally muttering a few curse words.

Alex sat at his desk, holding a cup of hot chocolate in both hands, trying to calm himself, but his eyes were still filled with panic.

Regulus ignored the two men, walked to Hermes ' bed, and reached out to open his backpack.

The hand-drawn map was indeed still there, the paper yellowed, covered with dense lines marked in ink, depicting a section of the Castle's terrain.

He picked up the map and quickly flipped through the markings. Sure enough, he saw a new line of writing next to the room below the Astronomy Tower.

Entry point confirmed, protected, currently being cracked.

The handwriting is messy, and it can be seen that it was written in a hurry. It should be a clue updated by Hermes before his accident.

Regulus put the map back in its place, then turned to Avery and Alex: "After class this afternoon, come with me to the Astronomy Tower."

Avery immediately perked up and looked up sharply. "What are we going to the Astronomy Tower for? Is Hermes ' matter related to that place?"

"Before his accident, he was investigating the hidden entrance beneath the Astronomy Tower." Regulus said calmly, "Go and see for yourself."

Alex's face paled, and he instinctively shook his head. "Going to a place like that again? What if there's danger?"

"Staying in the Dormitory isn't necessarily safe either." Regulus's gaze fell on him. "Only by finding the truth can you completely avoid danger. If you don't want to end up like Hermes, come with me."

Alex's lips moved, but he ultimately didn't argue. He lowered his head and took a sip of hot chocolate, his eyes still filled with fear, but now with a resolute acceptance.

Avery, beaming with excitement, rubbed his hands together. "Okay, I'll go with you this afternoon. Whatever it is, if it dares to hurt anyone in our Dormitory, I won't let it get away with it."

Watching the two, one forced and the other willing, Regulus was thinking about team building.

It's not that we need their help, but rather that we need them to be a part of this process.

Avery needs to clarify his position in action, Alex needs to confirm the value of shelter amidst fear.

Regulus, on the other hand, needs to confirm the availability of this initial team during the process.

Avery is the heir to the Cuthbert family. He is arrogant but acknowledges power and has shown a tendency to follow.

He needs to accumulate experience in handling unconventional events before he can become a reliable assistant in the future.

Letting him participate in the action to seek justice for his roommate will strengthen our sense of belonging as a group.

We will also observe his judgment and execution abilities in dangerous situations to determine his future training direction.

Alex is from a branch of the Rosier family; he is timid but meticulous.

His sense of security was damaged by the Hermes affair, and seeing the danger brought under control would deepen his trust in Regulus's ability to protect him.

Moreover, this is the first time the three of them have dealt with a crisis together, which can test the efficiency of small group collaboration.

Having both people present allows them to corroborate each other's information, preventing subsequent discrepancies or concealment by either party.

If danger is encountered, more people can distract attention, and two people can act as early warning or cover for retreat.

The Great Hall was bustling with activity at noon.

The news inevitably leaked out at the Slytherin table.

Many people were discussing Hermes' hospitalization, their tone a mixture of curiosity, schadenfreude, and a hint of apprehension.

Regulus and his two companions ate in silence, none of them joining in the discussion.

Avery glanced around every now and then, as if checking for suspicious individuals.

Alex kept his head down, frantically rummaging through the food on his plate.

Regulus remained calm, slowly and methodically cutting his Steak, while listening attentively to the conversations around him.

Occasionally, I would hear words related to Dark Arts and nighttime wanderings, and I would remember them.

After finishing their meal, the three of them went straight back to their Dormitory.