On September 1st, 1972, at precisely 10:47 a.m., Regulus Black stopped in front of the solid barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten at King's Cross Station.
The eleven-year-old boy stood quietly, his slender figure wrapped in a neatly pressed dark-green traveling robe. A small brooch bearing the crest of the ancient House of Black was pinned to his collar, glinting faintly beneath the station lights.
His hair was jet black, naturally curling in the subtle way characteristic of the Black family. Beneath it, a pair of calm grey eyes carefully observed the busy surroundings.
In his left hand, Regulus held the handle of a brand-new dragonhide trunk. Walburga Black had insisted on purchasing the finest one available, dismissing all concerns about the cost. In his right hand was a polished cage containing a snowy owl.
The owl stood quietly on its perch, its amber eyes calmly studying the world beyond the bars. Unlike many nervous owls on the platform, it did not flap its wings anxiously or hoot impatiently. It simply turned its head occasionally, as if evaluating everything with quiet intelligence.
Regulus inhaled slowly.
Beyond this ordinary brick wall lay another world.
For ten years he had only read about it in books—Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the hidden magical platform, the famous scarlet train.
Now he was finally about to step into it himself.
Without hesitation, Regulus stepped forward.
The sensation felt like walking through warm mist.
For an instant, the world became muffled and weightless.
Then the noise rushed back.
The platform on the other side was alive with sound and movement. Owls hooted loudly from cages and baskets, their calls blending into a chaotic chorus. Cats meowed irritably inside wicker carriers. Somewhere nearby, a toad leapt out of someone's unfastened pocket, triggering a child's startled scream.
Parents were giving last-minute instructions.
Students laughed, shouted, and hurried along the platform.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
The Hogwarts Express waited proudly on the tracks like a great crimson beast. The locomotive released thick clouds of white steam that drifted beneath the arched platform roof, forming slow-moving fog.
Students surged toward the train doors like a colorful tide. Robes of different houses and families blended together in flowing patches of black, green, red, and blue.
Regulus remained still for a moment, silently observing.
Soon his eyes settled on a familiar group.
The Potters stood not far away.
Charlus Potter and Euphemia Potter were there, smiling warmly as they saw their son off. Their expressions carried the unmistakable mixture of pride and affection common among parents sending their child to school.
Four boys stood near them.
James Potter was at the center of the group. His brown hair was wildly untidy, as if it had been caught in a hurricane, and his glasses rested crookedly on the bridge of his nose.
He was gesturing enthusiastically while talking to a thin boy carrying a worn trunk.
That boy was Remus Lupin.
Standing slightly behind James was Peter Pettigrew. He was short and round-faced, and his eyes darted nervously from place to place, as though constantly unsure of where he should be looking.
Leaning casually against a stack of luggage nearby was Sirius Black.
At thirteen years old, Sirius had grown taller than Regulus remembered. His shoulders had begun to broaden, hinting at the physique he would eventually develop as he grew older.
He wore a pair of faded Muggle jeans—clothing that Walburga Black absolutely despised. The knees were pale with wear. Over the jeans he wore a simple dark shirt, and draped loosely over his shoulders was his Gryffindor school robe.
The robe had clearly been altered.
The silver trim along the collar had been dyed gold and red, and faint traces of an embroidered lion decorated the cuffs.
James suddenly said something, and Sirius threw his head back in laughter.
It was an open, carefree laugh that came from deep within his chest. One hand rested on Remus's shoulder while the other moved animatedly as he spoke.
Then Sirius's gaze swept across the platform.
His laughter faded.
Across the distance of roughly twenty feet, his eyes met Regulus's.
For a moment neither brother spoke.
Sirius did not look away, but he did not greet him either. He simply watched silently through the busy crowd.
Then James noticed Regulus as well.
"Hey!" James shouted loudly, his voice easily cutting through the platform noise.
"Look who it is! Has the Black family's little viper come early to get used to the environment?"
His voice was loud enough to draw attention.
Several nearby students and parents turned their heads.
Sirius immediately placed a hand on James's shoulder. The gesture was light, yet it was enough to make James stop speaking.
Sirius shook his head once.
Without another word, he turned and pulled open the train door.
He boarded first.
James followed, still glancing back at Regulus with an expression that mixed curiosity and irritation. Remus and Peter climbed aboard behind him.
Regulus watched them go without expression.
Then he calmly lifted his trunk and walked toward the middle of the train.
James Potter was not worth his attention.
The inside of the Hogwarts Express was far larger than it appeared from the outside. The interior space had clearly been expanded through the use of an Undetectable Extension Charm.
The narrow corridor was carpeted in dark red.
Sliding compartment doors lined both sides of the train. Most of them were already closed, but muffled voices and laughter drifted through the walls.
Regulus walked quietly along the corridor.
As he passed the third carriage, the door was partially open.
Inside, James had already removed his robe jacket and was attempting to stick Chocolate Frog cards to the ceiling.
Peter crouched beside the luggage rack, rummaging anxiously through his belongings.
Remus sat beside the window, reading a worn copy of A History of Magic.
Sirius sat opposite him with his feet propped on the empty seat across from him.
He was casually spinning a small Golden Snitch model between his fingers.
As Regulus walked past, Sirius glanced up.
Their eyes met briefly.
Then Sirius looked down again and continued playing with the Snitch as if he had never noticed him at all.
Regulus kept walking.
After several more compartments, most of which were already occupied, he saw two familiar figures standing near the seventh carriage.
A girl with bright red hair and vivid green eyes stood near the door.
Faint freckles dotted her face. She wore a simple black robe that was carefully cleaned and neatly pressed. A modest silver brooch was pinned to her collar.
Lily Evans.
She was now a second-year student.
Beside her stood a thin boy with greasy black hair and pale skin.
His robe was clearly second-hand, carefully altered to fit but still worn around the cuffs.
Severus Snape.
The two of them were speaking quietly.
Snape leaned forward as he talked, speaking quickly while his fingers occasionally traced shapes in the air as if illustrating magical concepts.
Lily listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
As Regulus passed, Snape glanced up.
His eyes immediately noticed the dragonhide trunk, the snowy owl, and Regulus's expensive robes.
Snape's lips tightened slightly.
A flicker of hostility and caution crossed his expression.
Then he turned away and continued speaking to Lily.
Regulus continued down the corridor until he reached the ninth carriage.
It was empty.
Perfect.
He placed his trunk on the luggage rack and set the owl cage beneath the opposite seat.
Then he sat down and removed a notebook from his robe pocket.
He flipped to the most recent page.
At the top of the page was a carefully written title:
The Relationship Between Ancient Rune Variants and Magical Flow Efficiency
Below it were complex diagrams and symbols.
Some were standard Ancient Runes.
Most, however, were variations he had personally modified. The strokes were simplified, and the structure of the symbols had been subtly adjusted to improve the efficiency of magical conduction.
Regulus dipped his quill into ink.
He began recording the thoughts he had developed the previous night.
Outside the window, the scenery gradually changed.
The train left the dense buildings of London behind. Fields and scattered farmhouses stretched across rolling countryside beneath a gloomy sky.
Low clouds hung heavily overhead.
It looked like rain was coming.
Suddenly—
The carriage door slammed open.
It struck the wall with a dull thud.
Regulus finished drawing a curved rune stroke before looking up.
In truth, he already knew who had arrived.
He had sensed the presence even before the door opened.
"Look who it is!" James Potter's voice rang out dramatically.
"The young master of the Black family, studying Dark Arts all by himself!"
Regulus remained silent.
He simply watched.
Although James Potter was technically a second-year student, to Regulus he seemed no different from a child throwing a tantrum.
James stepped inside the compartment.
Remus and Peter followed behind him.
Remus looked uncomfortable, while Peter clung nervously to the doorframe.
"I'm talking to you!" James snapped, leaning forward to glare at Regulus.
"I heard you bully Sirius at home. Acting like the perfect son just to steal all the attention."
"James," Remus said quietly.
"Don't."
"Don't what?" James scoffed.
His hand was already reaching into his robe pocket.
Regulus almost laughed.
He wondered what exactly Sirius had told his friends about him.
That they truly believed he bullied Sirius was rather amusing.
"James!"
Another voice came from the corridor.
Sirius appeared at the doorway, slightly out of breath.
"I told you not to come here."
"I'm just looking!" James replied stubbornly.
"He's not going to eat anyone—"
Footsteps approached.
Two more figures appeared in the doorway.
Lily Evans.
Severus Snape.
Snape glanced at the scene and curled his lip slightly.
"How lively," he said coldly.
"Potter bullying a first-year already?"
James spun around immediately.
"None of your business, Snivellus!"
Then he noticed Lily standing behind Snape.
His expression twisted with irritation.
"You again, Evans."
Snape's face darkened instantly.
His hand moved toward his wand.
"Severus, don't," Lily said quickly, grabbing his arm.
But James moved faster.
"Expelliarmus!"
A jet of red light shot from his wand.
The carriage was narrow.
They were less than ten feet apart.
The spell raced toward Snape almost instantly.
But before it could reach him—
Regulus moved.
The wand slid naturally into his left hand.
He flicked it gently.
The motion was effortless.
There was no dramatic gesture.
No burst of power.
And yet—
The spell stopped.
It froze in mid-air.
The red light hung in the air like a glowing ribbon.
One end remained connected to the tip of James's wand.
The other hovered half a foot in front of Snape's chest.
Completely motionless.
The entire carriage fell silent.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
For several seconds, the only sound was the steady rumble of the Hogwarts Express carrying them north toward Hogwarts.
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