Orion thought back to all of Regulus's oddities as a child. Magic awakening at ten months. Speaking in full sentences at one year old. A grasp of magic that far surpassed his peers.
Reason told him that his son might be telling the truth.
"So what can you actually do now?" Orion asked.
Regulus did not answer directly. "If you want to know, Father, why not see for yourself?"
A strange light flickered in Orion's eyes as he stood. "Come with me."
At the far end of the study hung a seemingly ordinary Black family portrait. Orion stepped up and tapped the Sirius emblem at the lower right with his wand.
The portrait slid aside, revealing a hidden stone door etched with complex magical runes. Orion spoke a spell. The runes glowed red, and the door slowly opened.
Beyond it lay the Black family training chamber. The space was vast, the floor paved with solid black stone.
Protective runes were embedded in the surrounding walls. Targets and training implements were stacked neatly in the corners.
Regulus had been here a few times as a child. Back then, Orion had not allowed him to train seriously.
"Don't hold back," Orion said as he walked to the center of the room and drew his wand. His dark green robes spread behind him. "Treat this like a real wizard's duel."
Regulus drew his own wand. His fingers closed around the familiar grain of the wood as the four-star began to turn quietly in his mind. Magic flowed smoothly along the star paths, spreading through his limbs and body.
"Begin."
Orion's wand was already up as the word left his mouth. A silent disarming charm shot toward Regulus's chest, fast as lightning.
Regulus shifted his footing and slipped aside. At the same time, his wand tapped the floor. An invisible Protego formed instantly before him, blocking the obstacle spell that followed close behind.
He moved quickly, weaving through the chamber as he evaded Orion's attacks.
Orion's offense was relentless and precise. Disarming charms, Locomotor Mortis, Petrificus Totalus. One spell after another, no pause between them.
The magic carried weight and density, the result of years of accumulation.
As the thirteenth Head of House of the Black family and a member of the Wizengamot, his strength far exceeded that of an ordinary adult wizard.
Anyone who could hold a seat in the Wizengamot and keep the Black family steady on the eve of chaos was never ordinary.
Regulus's defense was just as airtight.
He did not raise a large Protego. Instead, he generated miniature shields exactly where needed, intercepting spells based on their direction and speed.
Sometimes he rolled aside. Sometimes he took lightning-fast steps that looked almost like short-range teleportation. His agility and reaction speed came from long-term magic circulation and physical refinement.
Every movement was clean and efficient, without waste.
"Not bad, but not enough," Orion said as the power of his spells rose sharply.
He swung his wand. The stone wall on one side of the chamber cracked apart. Several massive chunks of rock tore free and hurtled toward Regulus.
Regulus's gaze sharpened. He did not try to take the hit head-on.
His wand moved in a rapid arc. Several blasting curses fired at once, shattering the boulders into fragments.
At the same time, water surged into the air, sweeping up the dust and debris. It condensed into countless sharp projectiles that shot toward Orion at high speed.
Approval flashed in Orion's eyes. He flicked his wand again. The projectiles were intercepted midair and ignited with black flames, burning away in an instant.
He continued, abandoning conventional spells.
The air in the chamber thickened suddenly. Regulus felt crushing pressure slam into him, as if invisible walls were closing in.
It was a Dark magic compression curse that acted directly on the body. The more one struggled, the stronger the pressure became. Without escape or resistance, a person would be crushed.
Regulus took a deep breath. His magic surged outward as Constant Protego burst from his body, isolating the crushing force.
He went on the offensive.
His wand flicked. Several silent disarming charms shot toward Orion from different angles.
At the same time, jagged stone spikes burst from the floor, blocking Orion's movement. Their tips glowed faint red, explosive curses bound to them.
Orion had not expected such a sudden counterattack, nor one so devious.
He moved fast.
A wide Protego expanded to block the disarming charms as he leapt clear of the spikes.
As he landed, black-red light gathered at the tip of his wand. A clear Dark magic curse fired, silent and terrifyingly fast.
Regulus had already predicted it. He threw himself backward. The curse grazed his shoulder and slammed into the wall behind him, leaving a scorched mark.
He rolled with the motion, his wand snapping toward Orion's feet. Blue-white flames spread instantly, forcing Orion to retreat.
The chamber grew more violent by the second.
Stone walls shattered under spellfire.
Debris flew.
The floor was ravaged again and again by ice, fire, and stone spikes, leaving it uneven and broken.
Residual magic filled the air. The temperature swung wildly as the protective runes flared repeatedly, neutralizing the overflow of destruction.
The longer it went on, the more unsettled Orion became.
Regulus's magic reserves were smaller than his, but his control was extraordinary. His spell transitions, timing, and tactical sense were far too mature for a child.
Most striking was his defense. It looked passive, yet it always intercepted attacks at the critical moment. He even used the environment to strike back. Many adult wizards lacked that level of combat awareness.
Orion stopped holding back. His wand moved faster and faster as Dark magic and standard spells alternated.
A dense web of attacks closed in on Regulus.
Regulus's breathing stayed steady. His eyes were clear.
His mind ran at full speed, calculating trajectories and power levels. Countless micro Protego shields formed instantly around him, intercepting every spell with precision.
His body moved like a swift in flight, slipping through the attack net and striking back when openings appeared.
He could clearly sense the flow of Orion's magic and predict the direction of the next spell. Each counterattack targeted a flaw.
"Bang."
A powerful obstacle spell slammed into Regulus's shoulder. He staggered several steps but did not fall.
That hit would have made an ordinary person cough blood. Someone weaker might have lost their grip on their wand and their ability to fight.
Regulus barely slowed. Using the momentum of his retreat, he released a perfectly concealed silent curse that struck Orion's wand.
The wand shuddered slightly. Orion's rhythm broke.
Regulus seized the opening. His magic surged as several spells fired at once, all aimed at vital points.
Orion's eyes hardened. He retreated quickly and raised a solid Protego, blocking everything.
Then he noticed something too late.
Stone vines had risen from the floor and wrapped around his ankles.
A transfiguration he had not detected at all.
Orion paused, then laughed softly. His wand tapped once. The vines collapsed into dust and fell away.
That brief pause was enough.
Regulus was already close, his wand aimed straight at Orion's chest.
In that instant, a blinding white light erupted. A flash spell filled the entire chamber.
Regulus shut his eyes on instinct.
When he opened them again, Orion was behind him, wand pressed lightly to the back of his neck.
"You lose," Orion said calmly. His breathing was even. Dealing with Regulus at this level was still manageable.
Regulus stopped and lowered his wand. There was no frustration on his face, only a faint smile. "I see the gap now."
Orion withdrew his wand, his voice heavy with emotion. "You surprised me. At eleven years old, reaching this level, many adult wizards would struggle against you."
He looked around at the ruined chamber. "Your control, your combat instincts, your understanding of magic, all of it is astonishing. It's far beyond what your age should allow."
"This is only six months of progress," Regulus said as he turned away and holstered his wand. His breathing was quick. "I haven't hit a bottleneck yet. I'll only keep getting stronger."
Orion took a deep breath, then nodded. He slapped Regulus's shoulder firmly, asking no further questions about how he had achieved this.
"I have to admit it. Your performance at Hogwarts really was restrained."
After a pause, he added, "Very restrained."
Regulus smiled, openly and sincerely.