After dinner, Regulus quietly slipped into the Slytherin common room.
"Regulus Black, wait!"
A voice that blended gentleness and authority called out to him.
Smooth, lustrous golden hair, pale blue eyes, an elegant, ethereal posture, and an air of noble confidence that could put others to shame—none other than his cousin, the seventh-year Slytherin belle, Narcissa Black.
The 60s and 70s were a "golden age" for the Black family at Hogwarts, with several members enrolled one after another.
From Bellatrix to Andromeda, then to Narcissa, the title of Slytherin's most beautiful had always belonged to the daughters of the Black family.
Reincarnation was an art.
Don't ask why. The answer is just: excellence.
In contrast, someone like Regulus, whose character seemed to lack presence at first glance, was the rare kind in the Black family.
Hearing Cousin Narcissa call his full name, Regulus instantly felt a pang of unease—Cissy might seem gentle on the outside, not as fiery and blunt as Cousin Andromeda, nor as wild and unhinged as Cousin Bellatrix, but when it came to being quiet and ruthless, Narcissa was top of the list.
Cissy was the kind who could lie without blinking, and it would kill you—literally.
The worst part? Too many men loved being fooled by her.
Lucius, her boyfriend, probably didn't even know the real face of his goddess yet.
Regulus quickly bowed to his cousin—who could very well get the Dark Lord killed one day—and obediently stepped forward to accept his scolding.
"Reg, the family's already heard about what you did."
Regulus stayed silent, putting on just the right amount of guilty and sheepish expression.
"Jumping off the Astronomy Tower—how did that even cross your mind?"
Regulus kept the guilty look, saying nothing.
The more you say, the more mistakes you make. Silence is golden.
"Don't tell me you've been influenced by those Gryffindor idiots?"
Narcissa's tone lost some of its sharpness, and gentleness began to take over.
"You have no idea how worried we were—just… don't ever do something that stupid again."
"I'm about to graduate. You're the last Black heir left in the House—remember, you can't bring shame to the family!"
Narcissa's eyes flickered, and she sighed almost imperceptibly, thinking of another cousin.
"Don't worry. Lucius and I have already asked our friends in the House to keep an eye on you."
Hearing that, Regulus felt a twinge in his teeth—surely she didn't mean the Hogwarts teenage Death Eater squad?
Looked like his path to becoming a Death Eater was already set in stone.
Dumbledore, are you seeing this? They're recruiting under your nose on your own turf!
A fellow seventh-year Slytherin student waved at Narcissa and walked over.
"Cissy, I need to talk to you—"
The Slytherin glanced at Regulus.
Narcissa shot him a look, and Regulus obediently nodded, immediately turning and heading toward the boys' dormitory—
Maybe it was the Assassin's Creed unlock, but he felt like his hearing had improved significantly.
"It's about Lucius. The Lord—"
Regulus quickened his pace.
…
Carrying the elegantly decorated suitcase his family had given him, Regulus arrived at Professor Slughorn's office right on time.
Ever since unlocking his Assassin's Creed golden finger, things had been happening one after another. He hadn't even found time to try out his new skills.
So far, all he'd done was sneak up behind classmates silently in the Hogwarts classrooms and corridors, gaining a bit of "Stealth" proficiency in the process.
He still didn't understand why a few low desks in class could completely conceal him, while everyone else acted like they were under a Confundus Charm, completely oblivious to his presence.
He politely knocked on the door to Slughorn's office.
A snake-shaped ornament on the door flicked its tongue at him, and the door opened on its own.
The office was tastefully decorated: an enormous crystal chandelier, walls lined with display cabinets and shelves, a wide desk and a potion-preparation station. A faint scent of sweet liqueur drifted from Professor Slughorn, who sat behind the desk.
And there was an unexpected guest—
Slick black hair, a small and thin frame, hooked nose—nothing could save that brooding aura, not even his boyish face.
His senior, the Half-Blood Prince, the dungeon bat himself: Severus Snape.
In this era, not only was he unfamiliar with the plot, he kept running into heavy-hitters. Regulus felt the pressure and hurriedly greeted them:
"Good evening, Professor! Good evening, Severus!"
Snape gave a small nod, as if surprised Regulus had greeted him.
"Oh, you know Sev? Wonderful. Sev is a very gifted wizard in Potions—you're in second year, yes?"
Snape gave a proud little nod.
"Sev volunteered to help me with some potion ingredients," Slughorn said with a smile, gesturing toward the potion-preparation station.
"Professor, just a small token of appreciation."
Regulus opened the suitcase. Inside, a bottle of golden liquid shimmered in an ornate crystal bottle.
Slughorn's face lit up with delight as he exaggeratedly accepted the gift. "Oh, you shouldn't have! What is it?"
"A bottle of Tokaji sweet wine, a specialty from Hungary, Professor. I didn't get the chance to give it to you for your birthday last month. I remembered you once said you liked sweet wines. I brought it from home over the winter holidays—wanted to give it to you in person."
"Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you, Reg."
Slughorn beamed with delight. "How are your father Orion, and your mother Walburga doing?"
"Thank you for asking, Professor. They're both doing well."
"Good, good. Give them my regards. Your Levitation Charm—very impressive. You know, it's not that we had to give you detention, but Hogwarts doesn't encourage students to, uh… take risks. That Gryffindor lot already gives Filch enough headaches."
"Tonight, Sev, Reg, I just need you two to help me process some potion ingredients—these here. The tools are right… ah, looks like you came prepared."
By now, Regulus had already opened his supply case. Inside were portable potion tools of all sizes and materials, each piece exquisitely made and engraved with the Black family crest. Snape's eyes lit up at the sight—only to quickly darken again.
Regulus didn't have much talent for Potions, but that family background made up for it. And he even brought the professor a gift!
Snape, inwardly indignant, had no idea this was just the beginning of being constantly shown up.
Regulus, unaware of any of this, first cast a Scourgify on his hands, then took out a silver dagger and began pressing down on a handful of Valerian beans.
The beans instantly began oozing a surprising amount of juice—far more than one would ever expect from such shriveled pods.
But according to Advanced Potion-Making, shouldn't Valerian beans be sliced? Snape, who had been watching Regulus's technique, was slightly taken aback.
He'd never gotten along with Regulus's older brother.
He believed he had better grades, greater talent (in his own opinion), and always thought Sirius was just a reckless idiot.
As for Regulus, he seemed like a quiet, unremarkable junior—nothing special beyond the intimidating "Black family" name.
Maybe… the Black family did have something going for them.
When Snape calmly picked up the silver dagger and began pressing the beans as well, Regulus let out a quiet sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he hadn't embarrassed himself. Unbeknownst to him, Snape was thinking the exact same thing.
After that, Regulus followed Snape's lead in processing the potion ingredients, mimicking each step carefully. Thankfully, he didn't make any mistakes.
This office, come to think of it, would eventually belong to the guy next to him, wouldn't it—
Just as Regulus was spacing out, he happened to meet Snape's intense stare—
That stare clearly said: What are you looking at?
"I was just wondering… if it were your office, Severus, how you'd decorate it—"
"As if." Snape gave him a baffled look and rolled his eyes.
"With your level of skill in Potions, you could totally be a professor and teach us," Regulus said seriously.
Snape rolled his eyes again, suppressing the faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
…
By the time detention was nearly over, Professor Slughorn had already left early. Regulus was tidying up when he noticed Snape casting sneaky glances his way, as if just waiting for him to leave.
So he simply asked, "Want to head back to the common room together?"
"You go on ahead. I've got some ingredients to finish up," Severus replied in an overly dramatic tone—clearly suspicious.
"All right then. See you."
Regulus gave a perfectly polite farewell and gently closed the office door behind him, deliberately leaving a crack open.
The hallway was dead quiet—his footsteps echoed clearly. He walked a bit down the corridor, then activated his "Stealth" skill and crept silently back without making a sound.
[Successfully avoided target's notice. Stealth proficiency +1.]
He pulled a small mirror from under his robes and angled it toward the gap in the door—just in time to see Snape open a jar on the wall and take something out.
Ha, knew it!
Not a single one of them is really a good kid!
Interesting!