"Hello, let me introduce myself. I'm Draco of the Malfoy family."
The platinum-haired young master extended a hand in friendship. Moments ago, he had been too busy enjoying the sunshine, sea breeze, and chilled drinks to do so.
"Hello, I'm Sarah Maedani. Regulus is my guardian."
Sarah Maedani shook Draco's hand with calm composure. This guardian arrangement had been agreed upon in advance with Regulus Black.
After all, bringing along a minor girl who was neither a daughter nor a student would be difficult to explain otherwise.
"I'm a third-year at Hogwarts, top of my year in Slytherin. Where do you study?"
The platinum young master began to boast, like a peacock unfurling its silvery feathers.
"Hogwarts, huh? I really envy that. I didn't attend any magic school… because I'm a Squib."
Sarah Maedani spoke frankly about her situation, showing no fear of being looked down upon.
"A Squib? How could you be a Squib?"
Draco Malfoy was completely thrown off. He had just seen her using the Summoning Charm to grab things through the air.
"Being a Squib isn't the end of the world. Mr. Black is currently teaching me magical theory, and I've already finished studying the entire seventh-year curriculum."
Sarah Maedani had no idea just how deeply her words wounded the proud Draco.
She had already completed all the theoretical magic knowledge up to the seventh year—clearly, she wasn't lacking in intellect.
Draco Malfoy didn't dare question her claims. This was Regulus, after all—the man his father had warned him repeatedly to be cautious of. Regulus Black was someone full of surprises. You could never predict what he might do… or invent.
As a relative of the Black family by marriage, Lucius Malfoy knew far more about their secrets than the average person. According to what he'd learned from his wife, the Black family didn't possess any so-called ancient magical inheritances. Despite being a thousand-year-old family, no true inheritances had ever surfaced.
And yet, that didn't explain all the strange things that had happened around Regulus Black.
Where did those pregnancy curses that targeted witches come from?Where did the Dementor-destroying Patronus Charms originate?What about all those altered spells and magical items? Even unicorns had stopped seeking out virgins and now sought him out. There was even a deer roaming casually in the Forbidden Forest...
In short, Lucius Malfoy knew a great deal—and even more that he didn't. But already, he regarded Regulus Black with a very different kind of respect.
Regulus had created all of this, and yet had no interest in seeking recognition or reward. He simply held everything tightly in his grasp.
Apparently, enabling a Squib to use magic was also one of his innovations. The platinum-haired young master was already at a loss for words.
While the two children enjoyed their chilled drinks at the bow of the ship, the adults naturally gathered to sip something more suited to their age.
Kreacher deftly brought out wine and glasses. Champagne shimmered in the flutes, the golden liquid catching the sunlight.
"Lucius, what plans do you have to welcome the Dark Lord's return?"
Regulus Black's casual remark nearly made Lucius spill his drink.
What did he mean by that? Was Regulus still loyal to the Dark Lord? Or was he probing on behalf of the Auror Office?
"Haha! Regulus, you're quite the joker. As if the Dark Lord could be resurrected!"
Lucius Malfoy used the motion of drinking to cover his momentary panic.
"I'm not joking. Peter Pettigrew has already found the Dark Lord—or perhaps the Dark Lord found him. The resurrection ritual is nearly ready. The necessary potions are all prepared. The only thing missing is timing. It now depends on how many helpers the Dark Lord can rally to his side."
As he spoke, Regulus Black gestured toward the other two in attendance—Lucius and Narcissa—both of whom had once served the Dark Lord.
But speaking of followers, most of the Death Eaters had already been sent to Azkaban, and fewer than one in ten remained.
The female Death Eaters had all died after giving birth to daughters, and the male ones had died after fathering children as well.
Those who refused to participate in this "family planning program" were under strict surveillance by Aurors. They were considered hardliners, with absolutely no room for negotiation.
The pregnancy curses that had once caused headaches for the Ministry of Magic and the Auror Department had now become the standard for identifying stubborn Death Eaters.
If you willingly chose to die and left behind your bloodline, then everything you did before would be written off.
But if you were still clinging shamelessly to life—that was a crime, the gravest of all.
Of course, the Ministry of Magic strongly encouraged male wizarding criminals to participate in the birth control program. After all, they had more options and could leave behind more bloodlines. This was highly beneficial for the wizarding world, which already had a small population, and thus was worth promoting.
Regulus Black, for his part, gained a large number of godsons and goddaughters, and the families behind them naturally gravitated toward the Black family.
The elderly who stayed behind in those wizarding families were no longer willing to follow the Dark Lord—they had children to raise now!
Bloodlines and descendants were what truly mattered. As for the Dark Lord's pure-blood ideology, well, their own children were pure-blood.
There was no need to argue, no need to resist, and certainly no need to get close.
Even if the Dark Lord were to return, he would immediately lose a significant portion of his former support.
"We still have Draco, Regulus. You should understand—if the Dark Lord comes back, we'll be forced to make the most beneficial choice."
What Lucius Malfoy meant was that if the Dark Lord truly did return, then for the sake of his family, he would have no choice but to once again align himself with the Death Eaters. It was a reluctant decision, especially since he had once been part of that group. The Dark Lord would never spare a traitor.
"Do you remember what I said to you in the bookshop?"
Regulus Black glanced at Lucius's left forearm.
Removing the Dark Mark meant severing ties with the Dark Lord completely. Keeping it meant taking on significant risk.
If the Dark Lord returned, one could either be arrested by the Aurors of justice or be executed by the Dark Lord as a traitor. That was the dilemma.
"Sarah! You haven't toured the Malfoy castle tent yet, have you? Draco would be delighted to explain the relevant spells to you."
Regulus Black turned his head to look at the two children in the distance. This wasn't some matchmaking arrangement—Sarah was his woman. This was merely an excuse to get Draco to leave.
Clearly, the two children didn't understand. Draco looked dumbfounded at his father.
"Go on, little dragon. Be a good guide for Miss Sarah. Make sure not to be rude."
Lucius Malfoy obviously understood that Regulus had something to discuss, so he went along with the excuse and told Draco to leave.
"Well then… Miss Sarah, would I be fortunate enough to give you a tour of the Malfoy castle—tent?"
The platinum-haired young master rose with elegance and made a graceful invitation gesture.
"I'd be delighted! I'm thrilled to take a tour. I've noticed that the tents here are all quite unique—if you're willing to tell me more about them."
Sarah Maidany set down her drink and lifted her skirt slightly in a lady-like curtsy.
The two children soon left the Black family's yacht tent.
"Alright. For your safety, and mine, please put on these rings."
Regulus Black took out two rings, both handcrafted from wood, resin, and beeswax, each inlaid with a delicate miniature scene.
"The wood reduces the overall weight of the ring and gives it a warm, solid feel. The top of the ring is an irregular transparent cut, and the design inside depends entirely on my mood during creation. Sometimes it's a few golden snowflakes, sometimes a wisp of flowing ink, sometimes a real petal. This spontaneous design adds a certain magic to these delicate works of art."
Lucius Malfoy received a ring with a snow-capped mountain inside, while Narcissa Malfoy received one with a vine motif.
"In fact, the true value of the rings isn't in the decoration on top, but in the different types of wood used below. They're wand-making materials with excellent magical conductivity. What we're about to discuss must remain confidential, so I'm going to cast a spell on the rings."
Regulus Black watched as the two of them put on the rings, then tapped each with his wand.
"Memory of the Fish! I drew inspiration for this from the act of extracting memories and placing them into a Pensieve. It's a completely new spell."
'Memory of the Fish'—anyone under this spell would continuously lose their memory. When the spell ends, they would only be able to recall the most recent seven seconds.
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