Chapter 45: Snape Approaches
The Bloody Baron studied Regulus with an unreadable stare. For a heartbeat, Regulus had the distinct sense that far more had been noticed than he had intended to reveal.
"A whole soul is the best defence."
Regulus had almost convinced himself there would be no answer at all. Yet for reasons Regulus could not name, the Baron finally spoke.
"But if you are asking about a soul that is already injured," the Baron continued, "then solidification might be a method."
"Active stabilisation. Fixing the damaged part so it no longer continues to fracture, much like setting a broken bone with a splint."
"How is it done?" Regulus pressed.
Knowing how to protect meant knowing how to destroy.
The Baron shook his head.
"I do not know. I am an example of failure, not success." His gaze drifted, as if listening to something only the castle could say. "But if you truly wish to explore the secrets of the soul…"
He paused. The silence stretched long enough to feel deliberate.
"Hogwarts hides a place where clues left by Lady Ravenclaw remain," he said at last. "About wisdom. About the soul. About possibilities beyond life and death."
"The Room of Requirement?" Regulus asked. "The Come and Go Room?"
The Baron did not answer directly.
"When you are truly ready," he murmured, "the castle will open the way for you."
"But now, you are too young. Knowing too much is dangerous."
With that, the Bloody Baron vanished into the shadows as though he had never been there at all. Only a final whisper lingered in the air, cold against Regulus's ear.
"Beware curiosity, child of the Black family. It will lead you to unexpected places, and to unexpected dangers."
Regulus stood in that corner for a long time, then turned back toward the feast.
By the time he returned to the Slytherin table, the performance had ended and the Hall had slipped into the loose, drifting phase of the night, where students mingled freely and the noise became a constant, cheerful roar.
He had barely sat down before several older Slytherins approached.
The first was Evan Rosier, a seventh year and a distant cousin of Alex. He held a wine goblet and wore a polite smile that never quite reached his eyes.
"Regulus. Happy Halloween," Rosier said smoothly. "Alex speaks of you often. You have quite the influence among the younger years."
"Just doing what needs doing," Regulus replied, matching the expected etiquette.
A sixth year nearby gave a short, dismissive laugh. Regulus remembered the name. Wilkes.
"School squabbles," Wilkes said, tone thick with contempt. "The real wizarding world is outside, and it does not care what you do in lessons."
Wilkes's family already held key posts in the Ministry of Magic. He spoke like someone who believed Hogwarts was a stage built solely to entertain children.
Regulus did not bother answering him.
The third to approach was a seventh year girl, Alecto Carrow. She was far more direct than the others.
"My brother Amycus admired how you handled Travers," she said. "He said when you take an internship at the Ministry, he can introduce you to certain like minded people."
Regulus understood precisely what she meant. The Carrow siblings were already open supporters of Voldemort.
"Thank you," Regulus said, voice flat, while still giving the response she wanted to hear. "I look forward to that day."
Alecto's eyebrow lifted. She said nothing more and turned away.
Wilkes drifted off as well, interest clearly gone.
Regulus glanced toward the Gryffindor table.
Sirius was watching him, face sour, jaw set as though he had bitten down on a thought he could not spit out. James leaned close to murmur something in Sirius's ear, gesturing sharply toward the Slytherin table as he spoke.
Lily Evans sat not far from them. She had noticed the older Slytherins crowding around Regulus. Her gaze dropped to her plate, brow knitted.
When Regulus had spoken with her before, he had hinted at the situation beyond Hogwarts. Lily understood what that meant, even if she hated admitting it.
"See?" James's voice carried across the Hall. He was clearly raising it on purpose. "Those Death Eater recruits are already trying to win him over. If you ask me, he'll join before he even graduates"
"Potter." Lily snapped her head up, voice sharp.
"What?" James barked back, neck craning high as he shouted over the din. "I'm only stating facts."
He pointed again, loud and reckless.
"Look at him. A textbook Slytherin. Those people around him, their families are practically all on that side. You think he won't be too"
Lily bit her lip. She wanted to argue. She did not know how.
Background decided too much, and she hated that it did.
The Black family already had one Sirius who openly opposed them. What about Regulus. How would he choose.
At the far end of the Slytherin table, Rabastan Lestrange stared at Regulus with a dark, fierce focus. His fingers tapped the tabletop in a steady rhythm, as if counting time.
In the corner of the Hall, Severus Snape noticed that stare. His black eyes narrowed slightly.
After the feast, Slytherins returned to the dungeons in small groups.
Regulus walked with Avery and Hermes. Alex trailed several steps behind, wanting to come closer but hesitating, as if unsure whether he was allowed.
"That look from Lestrange," Hermes sneered. "Who does he think he is. He cannot even cast a non verbal spell properly. He is living off the family name."
Avery nodded, eyes bright with the satisfaction of having a target he was permitted to hate.
"We should teach him a lesson. Let him learn who actually deserves to speak in Slytherin."
Both of them looked at Regulus, waiting.
Regulus's thoughts were still turning over the Baron's warning, the hint about Lady Ravenclaw, the words beyond life and death. When he finally responded, it was almost absent minded.
"Do not make it big," he said. "And do not leave evidence."
It was permission. Nothing more needed saying.
Avery and Hermes exchanged a glance and shared a knowing smile.
Alex quickened his pace and spoke, tentative.
"I can help too."
No one acknowledged him. Avery flicked a look back, then faced forward again.
Hermes did not even glance his way.
Back in the dormitory, Avery and Hermes spoke in low voices at the far end of the room. Their plan grew steadily more detailed, and steadily nastier.
Regulus listened without interrupting.
To him, these school grudges were laughably childish. If he truly wanted someone dealt with, there were ways. Potion accidents. Curses. Dark Arts. Even arranging something that looked like an accident beyond the grounds.
But right now he needed followers like Avery and Hermes. A shared enemy was the fastest way to build cohesion.
So he allowed it.
Rabastan Lestrange was a minor piece.
The real danger was outside Hogwarts.
Voldemort's power was expanding. Orion's letters hinted that many inside the Ministry had already defected in secret. Walburga's letters urged Regulus to associate with the right people, meaning pure blood children, preferably those likely to join the Death Eaters in the future.
Meditation could not stop, not even for a moment.
The next morning, in Charms, Professor Flitwick announced they would be learning the Softening Charm.
"The incantation is Spongify," he squeaked, standing atop a stack of books so everyone could see. "The wand movement is a small clockwise circle, then a gentle flick, like this."
He demonstrated once. A corner of the lectern instantly became soft and springy, and several students gasped.
"This spell can temporarily soften hard objects," Flitwick continued as he hopped down and began patrolling between desks. "It is often used for making temporary cushions, cushioning falls, or setting small traps."
Slytherin and Ravenclaw shared the lesson. Regulus noticed a Ravenclaw girl with curly brown hair who stood out immediately. She succeeded on her first attempt, and Flitwick awarded her five points.
Regulus lifted his wand.
"Spongify."
The stone surface of his desk shifted into a dark grey, sponge like state. A finger pressed into it easily, and when released, it slowly rebounded, smooth and even.
The effect was cleaner and more complete than the Ravenclaw girl's.
After class, Regulus headed toward the library.
Avery and Hermes exchanged a look, then split away in different directions without a word. Alex hesitated, looked to Regulus as if waiting for instruction, received none, then hurried after Avery.
Near the library entrance, Regulus encountered Snape.
"Black," Snape said, flatly.
"Snape," Regulus replied, even flatter.
A short silence followed.
Then Snape spoke again. "At the feast last night, Lestrange stared at you for a long time. It was not friendly."
Regulus's eyebrow lifted slightly.
Snape was offering him information first.
It was a small thing, almost trivial. Still, it was a beginning.
"I was not the only one he stared at," Regulus said, voice calm and emotionless. "He watches anyone who might make the Lestrange family seem less important."
He let the words sharpen, stripping away anything that sounded too polished.
"Lestrange is like a dog guarding its food. He barks loudly, but he shows his teeth before he bites."
Snape's black eyes flickered in the dim corridor light.
Regulus softened his voice by a fraction.
"Still. Thank you. I am not worried about him, but it is always useful to know when someone is watching."
He would not push Snape into charging ahead. That would be wasteful. Snape's talent for Potions was exceptional, and his instincts for observation and stealth were equally valuable.
Used correctly, he could become the finest double agent the wizarding world would ever see.