"Constant Vigilance!" — Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Year 4 – Regulus (Age 10)
Regulus had finally completed his third year and moved on to his fourth year at the Nostradamus School of Wizardry. This was the year that would test his psyche and physique to their utmost limits.
He had aced his subjects with his ability to adapt quickly. He had finished the fourth-year Hogwarts curriculum under Mr Morrow and could now cast a corporeal Patronus. His Patronus was a Nundu—a lion-like magical creature, from East Africa, whose breath was toxic and whose power was far more deadly than almost any other beast.
He had completed his Ritual Studies as well. The final graduation test for this subject was the ritual process to become an Animagus. Even though becoming an Animagus technically fell under Transfiguration, the ritual aspect was crucial. Therefore, students had to learn basic and intermediate Transfiguration to succeed.
Regulus had succeeded. While other students had achieved only partial transformations or small successes, they would likely complete the process in later years.
Regulus's Animagus form was a Peregrine Falcon.
The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on Earth, reaching incredible speeds of over 389 km/h (242 mph) during its hunting dive, known as a "stoop." This phenomenal speed is achieved by tucking its wings and diving from great heights, making it a formidable aerial predator that strikes its prey with crushing force.
In Martial Arts, Regulus had trained to become a master of the sword and throwing daggers, inspired by the movie Blade from his past life.
The graduation test for Regulus was simple in theory: move Ms Lin out of the circle she stood in. She would be unarmed.
He had to either force Ms Lin to move or compel her to use a weapon in defence. All she did was dodge and counterattack with her bare hands.
Regulus started by rushing her with a sword in his hand, throwing two daggers—one concealed behind the other—while running. She dodged both projectiles easily, grabbed Regulus's wrist, and threw him away effortlessly.
Regulus realised that recklessly running towards her was fruitless. So, he changed tactics. He took a dagger in one hand and the sword in the other.
He approached the circle cautiously, using the environment to provoke her from the outside. He taunted her with feints, making her slightly irritable. At the perfect moment of her annoyance, he swung his sword and threw his dagger simultaneously.
She had to either dodge the dagger, catch the sword, or step out of the circle to defend herself. Her pride would not allow her to step out. So, she dodged the dagger and drew her own concealed dagger to parry the sword with almost no strength behind it.
She parried the attack so easily she could have slit Regulus's throat in the next second. But she had used her weapon.
That had been Regulus's plan all along. He passed the test, while his peers were not so lucky to escape unscathed.
Care of Magical Creatures did not have a standard exam, as it had grand plans for Year Four.
…
The Survival Exam
Regulus and his classmates were informed about a practical test that would take place during the last six months of their stay. For the first six months of the year, they learned to Apparate, survive in the wild, and master offensive spells.
Regulus learned to Apparate within the first six months alongside the others. He also made significant improvements in Occlumency, Legilimency, and his sensory abilities.
His physical traits had become visibly defined. The continuous training over four years, combined with the school's nutritious food, had made him grow significantly. He was now around 5'2"—above average for a ten-year-old—and he still had many years to grow. His eyes showed a hint of warm brown, and his black hair was kept short and messy. His jawline was losing its baby fat, turning sharp, and his body was toned and athletic.
Ms Johnson always ruffled his hair, unable to resist the temptation to be playful with him.
Currently, Regulus was studying the herbs and animals of the Wizarding World—specifically their behaviours and weaknesses. He knew deep down, given the focus on survival and the lack of a formal exam, that the final test would be to hunt down a magical creature or survive being hunted by one.
Regulus and his peers prepared for their test and stood at the fortress gate after six months of preparation. This task would test them physically and mentally.
…
Regulus POV
Today is finally the day. We are to be given a task. The specifics are unknown, but I know it involves survival in the wild.
The Mexican instructor, Mr Mateo, is in charge. He is a jolly fellow who always looks enthusiastic about everything. I haven't attended any of his classes before; he seems to exist solely for the purpose of taking students out for field tasks.
Every year, the ten-year-olds undergo a test outside the fortress walls. I know the seriousness of this trial—history says one or two students usually do not return.
Everyone in my class looks grim as we stand at the gate, but the ever-cheerful Mr Mateo is trying to cheer us up. We are fully armed with our wands, bracelets, rings, weapons, and custom-made survival clothes—Muggle military-grade gear enchanted with protection and tracking charms.
"Mr Mateo," I called out. "What are we waiting for?"
"Oh, Regulus! We are waiting for our companions to join us," replied Mr Mateo in his cheerful tone.
"What companions?" I asked, noticing my peers were now paying close attention.
"Boy, you do not think only boys go to this school, do you? The island across the sea contains our sister school: The Nostradamus School of Witchery. The young witches go there."
As he finished, we sensed something in the air. A dot on the horizon kept getting bigger as it approached. A few seconds later, we saw it: a chariot pulled by unicorns.
Unicorns are sacred creatures, notoriously hard to tame. I was astonished by the school's ability to tame not one, not two, but six of them. The chariot landed gracefully in front of us, and a tall, mature lady with beautiful brunette hair stepped down.
The carriage contained eight little girls.
They stepped down and stood in order, mirroring our formation. Mr Mateo greeted the lady warmly.
"Headmistress Anabelle, how are you doing?"
She spoke in a soft tone, but it contained a trace of annoyance. "The old fool would not even come out to greet me. Is he still holed up in there?"
"You know him, Headmistress. I would like to start the trial right now, as it is already late. We could perhaps discuss this inside after the trial starts?" Mr Mateo deflected diplomatically. He hinted that we were listening, and the Headmistress reluctantly nodded.
Mr Mateo turned towards us.
"Boys, these ladies will join us for the test. Every group will contain two boys and two girls. You will survive in the forest around us for the next six months. This forest contains flora and fauna that are deadly. You have been taught the spells and skills for this purpose. If you are poisoned or cannot hold on any longer, you may use your emergency apparatus to return to the school.
"But remember: if you do, you will not graduate this year. You will be sent back to your homes. All three years of struggle will be for naught. You will never gain access to the Alumni Library—a collection boasting the largest number of tomes in the Wizarding World. The school and its global network will shun you completely.
"Also, remember, you may come across dangerous creatures like werewolves or Dark Wizards if you are unlucky. If so, you might not survive at all. We have had whole classes fail before, never to be seen again."
These stakes were already known to us—except for the part about teaming up with girls.
"There is no competition among the teams to see who is best. Your task is simply to survive and complete the monthly objectives. Six months amount to six tasks. If you fail a task, you are eliminated. If you are poisoned or unconscious, you are eliminated. If you die, you are eliminated. Now, choose among yourselves. Again: four per group."
I looked around at the girls and found two British witches. I glanced at Yaxley, who was looking at me. I knew I should choose Sulaiman because of his support magic, but Yaxley would be my connection in Hogwarts and the British community. He was pretty strong with his spells, too. I knew he could survive.
The witches from the British Wizarding community noticed me and Yaxley and approached.
"Hello, boys. I am Emma Rosier, and this is Hestia Greengrass. Would you like to form a group?" said the girl with brown hair. The other girl, blonde and icy, just nodded coldly at the introduction.
"Of course, Ms Rosier. I am Charlus Yaxley, and this is Regulus Black. We would be happy to be in the same group as you fine ladies."
I looked at Charlus, astonished. This dog knows how to speak to girls? I always thought he was a sourpuss.
I noticed both Emma and Hestia looking at me after hearing my name. I cleared my throat.
"We should discuss our strengths and weaknesses to cooperate in the future without a hitch."
Hestia replied, "I agree."
Both Charlus and I stared at her, hoping she would say something more, but she just stood in silence for a couple of seconds.
Rosier burst out laughing. "Hestia speaks only when necessary. She is not much of a talker, but she is proficient in Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures. She can almost instantly know the weaknesses of animals and tame them, either by technique or force. Her Charms aren't bad, either. On the other hand, I am proficient in Herbology and Charms—mostly offensive ones, but enough defensive spells to keep us both alive."
Yaxley spoke up. "I am proficient in Charms and the Dark Arts, while Regulus is…" He hesitated and looked at me. He wanted to brag, but he realised he didn't actually know what I was proficient in.
"Senses," I said. "My senses are sharp, which will be useful in the forest. I am also proficient in Charms. So no need to defend me. Everyone here can defend themselves and attack, too. We will train in the wild after we find a safe base to coordinate better."
Hestia replied, "Good."
She went silent again. We waited, but she turned her head and folded her arms, refusing to speak further.
Charlus and I exchanged helpless looks. Charlus and Emma hit it off immediately, chatting about everything while we waited. Hestia silently stared at me.
"So, your grandpa is Damian Greengrass?" I asked, attempting to find common ground.
"Yes," she said.
That was it. I sighed and turned around to see the other teams.
I saw Pratish and Krish talking with two Indian girls. The boys were incredibly shy about it, while the girls spoke normally. Brothers, do not say we go to the same school. I do not know you guys hereafter.
I saw Jaffar and Khalid teaming up with two Chinese girls. Jaffar was too enthusiastic in his approach, while the girls were clearly interested in Khalid, the quiet one. Oh boy! Who else but Jaffar?
I saw Sulaiman and Anders teaming up with a Japanese girl and a Mexican girl. They were officially Team Awkward. Sulaiman was like Hestia—replied only when spoken to. Anders was the silent type. The Japanese girl looked cold, and the Mexican girl was the only one speaking for all of them.
Those idiots are embarrassing our school.
Well, as they say: everyone behaves differently with girls. As long as they survive, it doesn't matter.
We finished our lunch at school; no one had the appetite to eat much given our upcoming practicals. We were given directions for each group.
The Indians would go West. The Mexican girl's team North. The Chinese team East. And us—finally—South.
I suspected they were trolling us with the directions, but we couldn't prove it.
The South of the forest contained dangers no less lethal than the rest. We planned to find a safer path inside. The island was situated such that only from the North was the seashore accessible. The West, East, and South were all jagged rocks and cliffs where the raging sea bashed against the stone every few seconds.
We couldn't reach the shore. We had to stay in the forest, with constant vigilance.