The silvery-white light suddenly contracted into a blurry mass of light, then gradually elongated, unfolded, and took shape.
Wings extended from both sides of the light mass; every feather was composed of silver light, with edges shimmering like starlight points.
The body solidified into a streamlined form full of power. Its head lifted, its beak was sharp, and two points of brighter silver light marked its eyes.
Finally, the tail feathers unfurled like a trailing comet.
A silvery-white bird hovered before Regulus.
Its size was somewhere between a hawk and a kite. Its wings were composed of countless tiny fragments of silver light that flickered like stars with every slight flap.
The tips of the feathers were pure silver-white, refracting a rainbow-like halo under the fading glow of the setting sun.
Its eyes were a brilliant silver-gray, very similar to Regulus's own eye color—sharp and profound.
It spread its wings and hovered steadily in the air without needing to flap them, as if it had broken free from the shackles of gravity.
Fine stardust scattered from the edges of its wings. When the stardust hit the ground, the shadows within a few meters grew lighter, as if the darkness were being dispelled.
Regulus looked at it, a strange feeling welling up in his heart, as if he were looking into a mirror.
A thought suddenly occurred to him: this was not something he had manufactured, nor was it a product created solely by incantations and magic power.
This had grown out of his heart; it was the manifestation of his deepest desires and a projection of a part of his soul.
A Patronus echoes the heart's truest desires.
"What do I desire?"
Regulus asked himself.
He desired true freedom, but unlike those narrow-minded people, he did not crave anarchic indulgence.
He desired the freedom to choose his own path autonomously, unbound by any constraints.
He desired the boundless starry sky, to break physical boundaries, and to explore places others deemed impossible to reach.
He desired power—to protect what he wanted to protect, to achieve what he wanted to achieve, and to become who he wanted to be.
All these desires were now concentrated in this silver bird.
In its wing-spreading posture was the determination to break through all obstacles; in its hovering state was unfettered freedom; and in the starlight in its eyes was a longing for the vast world.
It was Regulus—or rather, the truest and purest part of Regulus's heart.
Regulus didn't know what kind of Patronus this was. He had never seen such a bird, and it wasn't recorded in any books.
But he could feel that it was perfectly in sync with him.
Orion stood three steps away, completely frozen.
He stared fixedly at the silver bird, his eyes wide, his lips slightly parted, and the wand in his hand nearly falling to the ground.
This usually steady and calm Head of the House of Black now had a face full of shock and disbelief.
It took several seconds for him to find his voice, which trembled slightly: "A Starling…"
Regulus turned his head. "What?"
"A Starling," Orion repeated, his eyes still fixed on the silver bird. "A legendary magical creature. I thought they were long extinct, or simply a fabrication…"
He took two steps forward, wanting to get a closer look but afraid of startling the bird.
The Starling turned its head, its silver-gray eyes glancing at Orion. Its gaze was calm, showing no hostility, but no intimacy either.
"There are only scattered records," Orion's voice gradually stabilized, though he spoke faster than usual.
"Starlings only appear in places with pure magic. They feed on starlight and can penetrate space. They don't need to flap their wings to fly; instead… they let space itself carry them.
Their feathers can dispel the Dark Arts, and their eyes can see through illusions…"
With every sentence he spoke, the sense of familiarity in Regulus's heart deepened.
Feeding on starlight, just as he practiced Star-track Guided Meditation, guiding the stars and longing for them.
Penetrating space—he also studied Space Magic, trying to understand folding and warping.
Flying without flapping wings—what he pursued was understanding, conforming to, and utilizing the rules.
Dispelling the Dark Arts, just as he believed that power itself had no good or evil; the key lay in how and why it was used.
Seeing through illusions—he had always been doing that, looking through appearances to see the essence, not being deceived by any false glory or intimidation.
This was essentially an animal version of himself, or rather, a manifestation of his inner self on a magical level.
Listening to his father's explanation, Regulus felt a sudden impulse.
He wanted to test it. A thought flashed through his mind: *Go over there and look.*
The Starling seemed to understand his thought.
Its form flickered, and it instantly vanished from its spot.
Regulus couldn't even feel where it had gone; that spatial ripple was too faint, too natural, leaving no trace.
The next moment, the Starling appeared in the air above the sea a hundred meters away.
It hovered there, with the setting sun sinking into the horizon behind it, its silvery-white silhouette clearly defined in the golden light.
Then it vanished again, reappearing at the other end of the cliff, standing on a protruding rock, looking down at the waves crashing against the stone.
Regulus's heart stirred again: *Come back.*
The Starling instantly appeared before him, as if it had never left.
It lifted its head, its silver-gray eyes meeting Regulus's gaze.
In those eyes was a light so deep it was almost wise, as if it truly understood him and was truly in communion with his mind.
Watching this scene, Orion's breathing grew rapid.
He tried to maintain his surface calm, but his fingers were trembling slightly, and his cheeks were flushed with excitement.
This Head of the House of Black, who never flinched even under the greatest pressure at Wizengamot meetings, now looked like a child seeing magic for the first time.
"Dumbledore…" he murmured. "Dumbledore's Patronus is a phoenix…"
Regulus looked at his father.
"The phoenix is a legendary magical creature," Orion continued, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement.
"It can be reborn from ashes, its tears can heal, its song can give courage… Dumbledore's Patronus is a phoenix, and everyone says this foretold his becoming a great wizard."
He looked at Regulus, his eyes shining with a brilliance Regulus had never seen before.
"The Starling… in legends, it is a magical creature on the same level as the phoenix, perhaps even rarer.
At least people have seen a phoenix; the Starling only exists in the most ancient records… Regulus, you…"
He was too excited to say the rest, but his meaning was clear.
Regulus would also become a great wizard—great in the true sense of the word, one whose name would remain in the History of Magic.
Orion even began to think further ahead.
When Regulus truly stood at the forefront and displayed his power, should the Black family crest be changed?
Although the crest with the twin stars and the Sirius wolf had a long history, it was too common.
A Starling would be excellent; it carried the weight of ancient legend and fit Regulus's nature.
The thought only flashed by; it was too early to think about such things, but he truly wanted to see that day.
Regulus listened to his father's words, lost in thought.
A Starling could penetrate space like a phoenix, and might even be more adept at Space Magic.
But he had only just initially summoned a corporeal Patronus; he could maintain its existence and communicate simply, but that was it.
There were many advanced uses for a Patronus.
It could deliver messages, repel Dementors, scout the way, and assist in battle—all of which required gradual practice.
And since the Starling had spatial abilities, perhaps even more special uses could be developed.
For instance, using it to practice Space Magic, letting it cross certain barriers to gather intelligence, or suddenly appearing behind an enemy in battle.
Perhaps he could find an opportunity to talk with Dumbledore?
Regarding the Patronus, Dumbledore was almost the top expert in the wizarding world; he must have developed many incredible uses based on the phoenix's traits.
But he needed a proper occasion. Regulus wasn't Harry Potter; he wasn't naturally that likable to everyone.
This was different from asking a Professor for knowledge; he couldn't just show up at his door to ask for help.
But opportunities always arose.
Orion took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
Excitement was one thing, but practical issues had to be considered.
He walked to Regulus's side, looked at the still-hovering Starling, and whispered, "This Patronus… it's best to keep it hidden for a couple of years."
Regulus looked at his father, waiting for an explanation, though he actually had an idea of what his father meant.
"The Patronus Charm is truly advanced and positive White Magic," Orion explained. "If you show it now, it might clash with the style of Lord Voldemort's side.
They won't say it outright, but they'll have thoughts. A Black who is skilled in the Patronus Charm is not one of them."
Regulus nodded. Indeed, all beautiful things were incompatible with Lord Voldemort.
The Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort promoted power, dominion, and fear.
The Patronus Charm represented protection, hope, and positive emotions.
The two were in conflict ideologically. He still needed to maneuver within Lord Voldemort's forces and couldn't expose this incompatibility too early.
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