Chapter Summaries

Regulus helped Alex and Avery focus by creating a soothing magical bird, then completed his exams and continued practicing Spatial Warp and Fiendfyre. After shaping Fiendfyre into a bird, he discovered it damaged spatial stability and wondered whether Natural Magic could be combined with it.

• Regulus infused a transfigured paper bird with calming Magic Power, and its chirps eased Alex's and Avery's agitation.
• Regulus earned an O in his Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions exams.
• Regulus identified limits in his Spatial Warp anchors and continuous spellcasting, and considered ways to improve his technique.
• Regulus practiced shaping Fiendfyre into a detailed bird, but struggled to give it autonomy and maintain control at a distance.
• Regulus extinguished the Fiendfyre Bird after it weakened spatial stability, then wondered whether he could combine Fiendfyre with Natural Magic.

Regulus experimented with using Starry Sky Imagery to control Fiendfyre, then learned that the Belmont family had left Britain after surrendering its UK properties and smuggling channels. After exams ended, Lily Evans asked him why he had treated Arnold Belmont the way he did, and Regulus asked what she thought his reason was.

• Regulus projected an image of stellar restraint onto a Fiendfyre Bird, but the flames grew unstable and he extinguished them.
• Regulus considered using supernova and black-hole imagery to make Fiendfyre more destructive, but decided he lacked the control to try it.
• Regulus rejected the idea of sending Fiendfyre through a Spatial Channel because it might burn the channel and cause a spatial collapse.
• Narcissa told Regulus that the Belmont family had surrendered its UK properties and smuggling channels before moving to Eastern Europe.
• After exam results showed that Regulus had received all O's, he went to the Library instead of joining the end-of-term celebrations.
• Lily Evans asked Regulus why he had treated Arnold Belmont that way, and Regulus asked her what she thought his reason was.

Lily told Regulus she understood why he had defended his family’s honor and supported him, and the school year ended with Slytherin winning the House Cup. Regulus told Sirius that Orion wanted him home for the holidays, and Sirius agreed to return despite fearing the pressure and consequences of confronting his family.

• Lily explained that she had asked Marcia Flint about Pure-blood customs and now accepted Regulus’s actions, even if she did not fully understand them.
• At the end-of-term feast, Dumbledore announced that Slytherin had won the House Cup and offered the students parting advice.
• Regulus crossed the Great Hall and told Sirius that Orion wanted him to come home for the holidays.
• James objected angrily, but Sirius calmed him and acknowledged that he had received Orion’s letter.
• Sirius decided to return to the Black family home to protect the Potter family from the consequences of his defiance, and James promised to keep in touch.

Sirius and Regulus returned to Grimmauld Place, where their contrasting lives and strained family relationships resurfaced during dinner. Orion summoned them to the Training Room and ordered the brothers to spar so he could assess their progress.

• Kreacher brought Sirius and Regulus from King's Cross Station to 12 Grimmauld Place, where Walburga praised Regulus and coldly greeted Sirius.
• At dinner, Walburga focused on Regulus while Sirius felt ignored and grew angry at his brother's success and their family's expectations.
• Sirius returned to his childhood bedroom and reflected on his alienation from the Black family and his difficulty facing Regulus and Orion.
• Regulus came to fetch Sirius, and the brothers followed him to the hidden Training Room beneath Orion's study.
• Orion examined his sons and told them to spar so he could see how much they had improved.

Orion had Sirius spar with Regulus, hoping the experience would motivate Sirius to pursue strength. Regulus overwhelmed Sirius’s spells with a Constant Shield Charm, then closed in and struck him in the ribs.

• Orion told Sirius to fight Regulus, and the brothers took their positions in the Training Room.
• Sirius attacked with a series of spells, but Regulus’s Constant Shield Charm blocked them all without slowing his approach.
• Regulus judged Sirius’s dueling skills to be ordinary and lacking even basic footwork.
• Regulus reached Sirius, asked if that was all, and pressed his hand beneath Sirius’s ribs before striking with force.

Regulus fought Sirius and then dueled Orion in the Training Room, revealing the force of his Starry Sky-enhanced magic. The duel with Orion continued as he countered Regulus with a weakening curse.

• Regulus struck Sirius beneath the ribs with a punch, leaving him humiliated and eager to watch the next fight.
• Orion told Sirius to watch as he and Regulus took their positions and began dueling.
• Regulus used a Supernova Explosion image to empower his Greater Blasting Curse, nearly overwhelming Orion's Shield Charm.
• Regulus dodged Orion's spells and attacked with a series of curses, while Orion defended and countered with enhanced Incendio.
• Orion released a dark-red weakening mist, and Regulus tried to disperse it with Aguamenti, but some of it corroded his clothes.

Regulus and Orion fought in the Training Room, where Orion gained the advantage by plunging the room into darkness and attacking from unseen directions. Regulus struggled to evade him with limited perception as Sirius watched from the doorway.

• Regulus and Orion exchanged spells and movement techniques, with Regulus realizing that neither could easily break the other's defenses.
• Regulus secretly cast the Cruciatus Curse, but Orion vanished and covered the Training Room in darkness that suppressed light and Magic Perception.
• Regulus tried Lumos and his Patronus, but the darkness limited both to a small area and swallowed his perception beyond five meters.
• Sirius watched the duel in astonishment, unable to see or hear what happened after the darkness descended.
• Regulus raced unpredictably through the darkness, chaining movement spells while trying to evade Orion's unseen attacks.

Regulus lost a difficult duel with Orion after Orion used a false magical fluctuation to draw out his Spatial Magic and ambushed him with the Cruciatus Curse. Afterward, Sirius struggled to reconcile Regulus’s calm demeanor with the skilled fighter he had just witnessed.

• Regulus detected a false spatial and magical fluctuation, opened a Spatial Channel, and fired the Cruciatus Curse at where he thought Orion was.
• Orion struck Regulus with the Cruciatus Curse from another direction, pinned his shoulder, and held a Wand to his throat, ending the duel.
• Orion praised Regulus, and the two recovered while Regulus realized Orion had used a trap to counter his Space Magic.
• Orion asked Sirius whether he understood the duel, then told Regulus to rest before discussing the holiday arrangements in the study.
• Sirius questioned Regulus about his fighting and asked whether he was the same at school, but Regulus said he could not act that way there.

Regulus showed Orion how his Spatial Warp Charm could transport objects and spells, then explained how to cast it with the Spatial Anchor Charm. Orion watched closely as Regulus taught him the technique, leaving the two of them poised to continue their holiday plans.

• Regulus told Orion he planned to spend the holiday practicing magic rather than attending more social events.
• Regulus demonstrated the Spatial Warp Charm by transporting an ink bottle across Orion's desk.
• Regulus combined the Spatial Warp Charm with the Spatial Anchor Charm to send a Disarming Charm through a spatial channel.
• Orion reacted with astonishment as Regulus explained the spell's structure, limitations, and casting technique.
• Regulus began a third demonstration, but Orion coughed and told him that was enough.

Regulus demonstrated his Spatial Warp Charm to Orion, then discussed holiday training and a future combat task. Later, Sirius admitted he had been waiting for Regulus and asked how he had achieved his magic.

• Orion successfully cast the Spatial Warp Charm after watching Regulus demonstrate it and praised his son.
• Orion told Regulus to focus on magic practice during the holiday and promised to arrange a family task involving actual combat after a month.
• Regulus considered the skills he still needed to improve before facing real opponents, including Spatial Warp, Fiendfyre, and Natural Magic.
• Orion asked Regulus what direction Sirius should pursue, and Regulus recommended Transfiguration.
• Regulus found Sirius listening outside his room, entered, and recognized that Sirius had prepared tea for him.
• Sirius reflected on the purpose of the duel and asked Regulus, "How did you do it?"

Regulus advised Sirius to discover his magical strengths and consider what magic meant to him, while keeping his own suspicions about Sirius's talent to himself. The next morning, Orion tested Sirius's spells and arranged for Gerald Hawk to train him in the basics for two weeks.

• Regulus told Sirius to explore what he was good at, what he wanted magic to accomplish, and what he was willing to pay for it.
• Sirius questioned Regulus's reasons for offering advice, but Regulus left without explaining and returned to his room to prepare for holiday training.
• Orion tested Sirius's spells and found that, despite knowing the classroom material, his magic lacked depth, range, power, and precision.
• Orion brought Gerald Hawk to the Training Room and assigned him to teach Sirius the basics for the next two weeks.
• Sirius disliked the idea of starting with fundamentals under an outsider, but accepted that he needed to improve his foundation.

Regulus learned to partition his consciousness and used the technique to control multiple Fiendfyre birds independently. After improving his skills over three days, he told Orion he planned to visit the Herb Garden in Cornwall, hoping to find a promising Mandrake.

• Regulus studied Mental Splitting and built two stable rooms in his mind, allowing him to control two Fiendfyre birds at the same time.
• Over three days, Regulus expanded his mental partitions and learned to fly three Fiendfyre birds around the Training Room independently.
• Regulus watched Gerald Hawk train Sirius, who had improved his spellwork, movement, and use of the environment.
• Regulus told Orion he would travel alone to the Herb Garden in Cornwall, and Orion saw how precisely Regulus controlled a small Fiendfyre bird.
• Regulus returned to his room and went to bed, looking forward to seeing whether the Mandrake would meet his expectations.

Bellatrix brought Regulus a dangerous magical gift from Voldemort, claiming it could reveal a path to power but might corrupt its recipient. Regulus cautiously avoided accepting it outright as Bellatrix and Walburga pressured him to take it.

• Regulus thought about his planned trip to the Herb Garden in Cornwall while eating breakfast with his family.
• Bellatrix arrived through the Black family's fireplace and presented Regulus with a rune-covered Bone Box that caused the room to grow cold.
• Bellatrix said Voldemort had sent the box as a Dark Enlightenment, a seed of dark magic that could offer power but consume or corrupt those who could not withstand it.
• Regulus thanked Bellatrix for the gift but said he feared mishandling it and profaning Voldemort's intentions.
• Bellatrix mocked Regulus for being afraid and urged him to accept the gift, while Walburga called on him to take it as a sign of glory.

Regulus accepted Voldemort’s Bone Box and used a controlled performance to conceal how he resisted its mental assault. He contained Dark Enlightenment within a mental maze and gained knowledge from it while appearing to recover under his family’s scrutiny.

• Sirius challenged Bellatrix over the Bone Box, but Orion ordered Regulus to accept Voldemort’s gift.
• Regulus touched the Bone Box and experienced visions and whispers that tempted him with power.
• Regulus anchored his consciousness with Star Orbit Meditation and guided the assault through a mental maze, using a simulated personality to bear the apparent struggle.
• Regulus made his body display a convincing sequence of distress, while Orion noticed that his reactions seemed too regular.
• The simulated personality contained Dark Enlightenment and acquired several spells and insights, which Regulus stored for later analysis.
• Regulus’s trembling and hurried breathing eased, and he loosened his grip on the Bone Box as his family watched.

Regulus pretended to be awed by Voldemort’s Bone Box while Bellatrix and Walburga celebrated his apparent acceptance of the Dark Lord’s power. Alone afterward, he analyzed the gift as a corrupting test and planned to speak privately with Orion.

• Regulus feigned exhaustion, excitement, and awe after experiencing the Bone Box, convincing Bellatrix and Walburga that he welcomed Voldemort’s gift.
• Sirius condemned his family as madmen and stormed out of the dining room.
• Bellatrix warned Regulus that Voldemort expected decisive loyalty and hinted that his protection of two half-bloods had been noticed; Orion ended the exchange and thanked her on the family’s behalf.
• After Bellatrix left, Orion told Regulus to rest, and Regulus returned to his room with the Bone Box.
• Regulus reasoned that the Bone Box corrupted its user, recognized it as Voldemort’s test and attempt to recruit him, and concluded that Orion likely saw through his performance.
• Regulus decided to ask Alex to warn Lena Costa and Samuel Vance to keep a low profile, then drew the curtains and prepared to bathe.

Regulus analyzed Voldemort’s Dark Enlightenment and recognized it as a corrupting attempt to steer his future, while distinguishing it from Dumbledore’s less coercive guidance. He decided to contain and study the dark knowledge using his Consciousness Room and Virtual Persona, leaving the story with him beginning to build a mental defense that could also trap intruders.

• Regulus considered how the Dark Enlightenment differed from gentler magical inheritances and concluded that it offered enticing outcomes while concealing a dangerous path.
• Regulus suspected Voldemort had given him the gift to test his loyalty and compared Voldemort’s coercive methods with Dumbledore’s guidance.
• Regulus decided that he wanted strength and magical knowledge but would treat outside help as a tool rather than let it control him.
• Regulus recognized that repeated contact with the Enlightenment could corrupt his mind, even though his Virtual Persona had contained its first influence.
• Regulus devised a plan to use his Consciousness Room as a containment chamber where his Virtual Persona could study the Enlightenment Core.
• Regulus began constructing a mental minefield that could divert unauthorized intrusions into the contaminated room and potentially strike back at attackers.

Regulus built a mental containment chamber to study Dark Enlightenment without exposing himself to its corruption, then explained his safeguards and Voldemort’s increased interest to Orion. Their conversation ended with Orion warning him about Walburga’s emotional behavior, which Regulus accepted without letting it disturb him.

• Regulus constructed a Containment Chamber in his consciousness and confined a modified Virtual Persona inside to research Dark Enlightenment through controlled channels.
• Regulus finished the chamber after three hours, checked that its safeguards were working, and changed into formal robes to speak with Orion.
• Regulus told Orion that Dark Enlightenment offered power through a path of domination and self-abandonment, but that he had contained its influence and could study it safely.
• Regulus explained that accepting Voldemort’s gift had earned his side’s initial trust and a more relaxed period of observation, while drawing greater attention and deeper danger.
• Orion warned Regulus that Walburga had been very emotional, and Regulus acknowledged the warning without dwelling on it.

Bellatrix returned to Lestrange Manor and reported to Rodolphus that Regulus Black had accepted Voldemort’s gift and reacted well. She went to give Voldemort her report, overwhelmed by his presence as he looked up from a book.

• Bellatrix returned to Lestrange Manor after completing her mission with Regulus Black.
• Bellatrix told Rodolphus that Regulus had accepted Voldemort’s gift and shown a promising reaction.
• Rodolphus told Bellatrix that Voldemort was waiting for her report in the Study.
• Bellatrix entered the Study, bowed to Voldemort, and trembled with excitement as he looked at her.

Bellatrix reported Regulus Black’s reaction to Voldemort’s Dark Enlightenment, and Voldemort used Legilimency to inspect her memories of the encounter. He judged Regulus a promising but suspicious prospect and ordered Bellatrix to keep watching him, Orion Black, and Hogwarts.

• Bellatrix told Voldemort that Regulus had endured his first contact with the enlightenment, shown awe and a hunger for power, and appeared to gain some understanding.
• Voldemort questioned Bellatrix about Regulus’s magical reaction and whether he had asked about controlling the enlightenment, then forcibly searched her memories.
• Voldemort saw Regulus’s encounter through Bellatrix’s memories and noticed that Regulus’s behavior seemed unusually deliberate and perfect.
• Voldemort decided Regulus had exceptional potential but might be acting cautiously, and marked him for continued cultivation and observation.
• Voldemort praised Bellatrix and ordered her to monitor Regulus, Orion, and Hogwarts for signs of Dumbledore’s attention.

Sirius's silence convinced Regulus that his brother was growing further from the Black family, while Regulus kept Voldemort's unwanted gift isolated and resolved to repay the slight later. He resumed his plans by traveling to Cornwall, where Agnes welcomed him to the Plantation.

• Sirius stopped provoking Walburga and quietly followed the household routine, while Orion remained silent about him.
• Regulus judged that Sirius would likely leave the family sooner than expected and believed the separation would be best for everyone.
• Regulus checked that the Virtual Persona had contained the Bone Box's contamination, then planned to travel to Cornwall the next day.
• Regulus Apparated to a clearing near the Plantation in Cornwall, where Agnes greeted him and led him toward the main house.