Walburga began her comparisons again, measuring him against every pure-blood heir she knew. After all the back and forth, her Regulus remained the most outstanding.
Regulus lowered his head and continued eating the lamb chop on his plate, which had grown somewhat cold. Orion also picked up his knife and fork again, cutting a piece of roasted potato and bringing it to his mouth.
Neither spoke of the deeper matters.
The research into Nature Magic, the attempts at Spatial Warp, the progress of Star-track Guided Meditation, the knowledge of the Dark Arts in the Restricted Section, and the strategies for dealing with Lord Voldemort and the Death Eater forces.
Walburga did not need to know these things, nor could she. That was not a world she should concern herself with, nor a field she should step into.
But what Orion had just said was already enough for her to show off for the next half year at tea parties, dinners, and social occasions.
She would become the envy of all pure-blood ladies; more people would want to form alliances and marriages with the Black family, and more resources would tilt toward the Black family because they were optimistic about Regulus's future.
This was exactly what they needed.
"Then… what about after graduation?" Walburga asked again, her tone filled with longing and expectation. "To what level can he reach? The Ministry of Magic? The Wizengamot? Or perhaps like Dumbledore—"
Regulus felt slightly speechless. *You really are daring to dream.*
Dumbledore? Even I haven't entertained such an extravagant hope.
But in the future, I will.
Orion fell silent for a few seconds, thrown off by Walburga. That was the greatest wizard of the century. If he could live to the next century… Thinking of this, Orion glanced at Regulus out of the corner of his eye. If Dumbledore could live to the next century, it really wasn't certain who would be greater.
"Based on his current development," he met Walburga's gaze, his tone appearing thoughtful, "after graduation he will likely have the level of an elite Auror."
Assuming the most extreme scenario, even if Regulus lost all his spirituality, this was the most conservative estimate.
Orion thought to himself that if Regulus could maintain his current rate of progress, he wouldn't need to wait until graduation at all.
By the end of his third year he would likely surpass most active Aurors.
By the time he reached adulthood at seventeen, Orion hardly dared to imagine what level he would reach; perhaps he truly could be compared to the young Dumbledore or Grindelwald.
But these words absolutely could not be said to Walburga.
She would stand up and dance right then and there, and then tomorrow she would tell everyone she knew that her son could be the Head of the Auror Office in his second year.
That would push Regulus to the forefront, drawing countless unnecessary attentions, jealousies, and even hostilities.
Even more terrifyingly, it might draw more direct and aggressive recruitment from Lord Voldemort, who would step forward personally—that would be the real trouble.
"An elite Auror…" Walburga repeated the words, the smile on her face as radiant as if she had just drunk an entire bottle of Felix Felicis.
"Good, good! The House of Black is finally going to produce a truly great figure! Let's see who dares to say our family has no successor in the future!"
She began to envision the future again, from Regulus entering the Ministry of Magic all the way to him becoming the Minister.
She thought of the House of Black becoming the head of the Sacred Twenty-Eight once more, of Number 12, Grimmauld Place being crowded with visitors, and of all the pure-blood families coming to curry favor.
Regulus listened quietly, nodding occasionally, but his mind had already drifted elsewhere.
*Which plant should I try for Nature Magic tomorrow?*
He didn't dare touch the Mandrake for now, but perhaps he could try the Venomous Tentacula or Devil's Snare.
Spatial Warp consumed too much; he had to find a way to reduce the magic loss, otherwise it would be impossible to use in actual combat.
The construction of the Star-track model maze for Occlumency was almost complete, but the defensive effects still needed to be tested a few more times.
And those books on passive magic in the Restricted Section—he had to find time to scan a few more…
The road was still long, and there was still much to learn.
The duration of a dinner was not enough for him to finish thinking through everything that needed planning and preparation.
But at least one thing was certain: he was moving forward on this path step by step, and every step was firmly planted.
Outside the window, the snow was still falling, covering the streets and rooftops of London flake by flake, muffling the Muggle clamor and concealing the wizarding secrets.
Inside Number 12, Grimmauld Place, the fireplace burned brightly, the jumping shadows of the flames dancing on the dining room walls as the family sat around the long table.
The mother was envisioning the glory of the family, immersed in the future picture she had woven for herself.
The father was weighing the pros and cons of reality, calculating the risks and gains of every step.
The son was plotting his own path, thinking about how to become stronger and go further.
A few days before the end of the holiday, at the breakfast table, Orion set down *The Daily Prophet*.
"Come out with me today," he cut a piece of fried egg and looked at Regulus. "Go see the family properties."
Regulus raised his head, currently spreading butter on his bread. His heart stirred, but he didn't speak; he looked at his father, waiting for him to continue.
Orion took a sip of coffee before continuing: "You will take over the House of Black in the future. You can't just stay at Hogwarts and Grimmauld Place. It's time to let you see some things."
Regulus nodded, put the buttered bread into his mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, and then said, "Okay."
This was by no means a waste of time. After all, the House of Black's properties would all be his in the future; understanding them now was equivalent to familiarizing himself with his own things in advance.
Moreover, following Orion out would allow him to see the landscape of different parts of the wizarding world.
After breakfast, Regulus went back to his room to change into a dark robe, tucked his wand into an inner pocket, and pinned the Black family brooch to his chest.
When he went downstairs, Orion was already waiting in the Entrance Hall, holding a roll of parchment covered in dense writing.
"First, the shops in Diagon Alley." Orion unrolled the parchment and took a look.
"Then to the potion workshop in the Scottish Highlands, the alchemy workshop in Wales, the herb garden in Cornwall, and the magical creature farm in Ireland, and finally to Knockturn Alley."
Listening to his father's description, Regulus knew in his heart that this trip would span half of the British Isles.
"We'll use Portkeys for the distant places," Orion put away the parchment. "You can't Apparate to places you've never been."
The two walked to the center of the Entrance Hall. Orion extended his left hand, and Regulus placed his hand on it.
The familiar squeezing sensation came, and a few seconds later they were standing in a secluded alley off Diagon Alley, with the dark wall of the Knockturn Alley entrance behind them.
The Black family had three shops in Diagon Alley.
The first was a potion shop, located in the middle section of Diagon Alley, with a sign that read *Silver Moon Apothecary*.
The storefront wasn't large, but the location was very good. In the window were displayed various strangely colored potion bottles, with labels stuck to them.
Skele-Gro, Pepperup Potion, Baruffio's Brain Elixir, Draught of Living Death, Elixir of Euphoria… these were all standard potions. Regulus guessed that his family probably had a potion shop in Knockturn Alley as well, selling things that couldn't be sold in Diagon Alley.
A tall, thin wizard was organizing goods behind the counter. Seeing Orion enter, he immediately stood up straight.
"Mr. Black," the wizard's voice carried respect, "and young Mr. Black."
"Marcus." Orion nodded reservedly. "I've seen this month's turnover; it's up seven percent from last month."
"Yes." The wizard called Marcus showed a smile. "The newly launched Sleeping Draught is selling well; many parents of students have come to buy it."
Orion walked around the shop, checking the expiration labels on the potions on several shelves, and asked a few questions about the suppliers.
Marcus answered them one by one, each sentence clear and concise, obviously very familiar with the business.
Regulus followed quietly behind his father, observing the shop's layout, the arrangement of goods, and the frequency of customers entering and leaving.
He found that although this shop wasn't large, it had a very complete stock, ranging from basic Cure for Boils potions to expensive Felix Felicis, and the labels were neatly applied and the bottles wiped clean.
"Marcus's grandfather worked in the Black family's shops."
After leaving the potion shop, Orion said to Regulus, "His father managed the herb garden in Wales, and now it's him. There are many people like this."
The second shop was an alchemy-items shop, in the northern section of Diagon Alley, with a sign depicting a crossed cauldron and wand.
The shop sold a variety of things: Self-Stirring Cauldrons, potion racks that could maintain a constant temperature, hourglasses with timekeeping functions, and wand accessories that could amplify the power of spells.
The shopkeeper was a short, plump witch with her hair combed impeccably; her eyes lit up when she saw Orion.
"Orion, you've finally come!" The witch's voice was loud. "There's a problem with that batch of Self-Stirring Cauldrons you sent last time; the stirring rods stop after three turns. They need to be reworked."
Orion frowned. "Which workshop produced them?"
"The one in Wales. I've told them three times, and every time they promise it'll be fine, but when they're sent over, they're still the same."
The witch spoke with her hands on her hips. "You have to take charge; if this continues, the reputation will be ruined."
Orion took a small notebook from his pocket and made a few notes. "I'll go to Wales this afternoon and see for myself."
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