"If you stay in one place long enough, the whole world comes to you." — Old Proverb
Year 1 – Regulus (Age 7)
Regulus began to appreciate the benefits of being in a boarding school during his very first year. He realised he had been too pampered within the Black family; here, he was forced to build his body, mind, and magic from the ground up.
More than just self-improvement, he was given a front-row seat to observe how wizarding communities from different parts of the world approached magic. He quickly learned that not every country relied on wands.
For example, among his year mates, the jewellery other students wore was not merely for decoration. They were magical foci—objects that functioned like wands, helping the wearer channel magic spells and charms without causing excessive physical strain to the body.
In the current year, all students from every country attended classes together, as the curriculum focused on general Magical Theory and Spell Studies. Although Regulus knew most of the basics from his private tuition with Mr Carrow, that instruction had been focused almost entirely on British Wizarding traditions.
Here, he was exposed to entirely different perspectives on magical theory and spell construction. The class was taught by Mr Morrow. Regulus approached the subjects with an enthusiasm that was noticeably absent in most of the other seven-year-olds, geniuses or not.
He was busy experimenting with his personal ability—the enhancement of his five senses regarding magic. He had scoured the library for information about it, but no one seemed to have documented such an ability before. Then again, he doubted that even if someone had possessed it, they would have written it down for others to see. And if they had, such a rare tome would hardly be found in a school library.
Regulus had free time on Sundays after his physical training. For the first few weeks, he spent the rest of the day exploring the fortress, which was undoubtedly expanded with powerful Undetectable Extension Charms. It took him two full Sundays to explore the fortress fully and make a mental note of the available facilities.
The school contained a Refectory (cafeteria) run by a House-elf named Jimmy. Unlike the grumpy elf at the gate, she was kind. The Refectory prepared food according to the taste of the student's own culture. If one felt like tasting Indian or Chinese cuisine, one simply had to give a heads-up to Jimmy before the meal.
There was a Physical Training Facility located in the yard near the fortress gate, containing a running track, obstacle courses, and a swimming pool. The bald instructor, Mr Jan, could always be found there. He was Norwegian, like Anders. He was enthusiastic most of the time—except when leading physical training. During those hours, his personality shifted into something truly scary.
There was a Meditation Room on the first floor, directly above the dining hall. This room was overseen by the Japanese instructor, Mr Akira. Mr Akira was the embodiment of calmness. His actions carried a grace and deliberate slowness that naturally calmed the mind. Students could often find him practising the art of tea making, calligraphy, or meditating during off-hours.
The blonde woman from the reception desk was also an instructor. She was an American named Ms Johnson who had graduated from Ilvermorny, a reputed school similar to Hogwarts. She was the teacher for Care of Magical Creatures, a course considered advanced for their age. She would teach them when they reached their third year. The forest outside the fortress was under her control.
The Library was peculiar. Students did not get direct access to the shelves. Instead, one had to tell the instructor the subject they wished to learn. The instructor would then move his hands, summoning a floating list of titles available for access, from which the student could choose. It was a bit complicated, but considering the dangerous tomes in the magical world—books that could kill an unwary child—it was probably a necessary precaution. The librarian was an Indian wizard named Mr Srinivas.
The school also had a Terrace, where a Thunderbird had made its nest. The creature was deeply territorial and allowed no students to be present while it rested. Regulus had waited half a day for the beast to leave before visiting, and he would say it was worth the wait. The view from up there was spectacular.
The current course of study for Regulus's batch included: Physical Training, Magical Theory, Spell Theory, Current Affairs of Global Magical Communities, Meditation, and Wand Movement.
There was a Spell Practice Room containing dummies that automatically regenerated, even if disintegrated to dust. This room was under the control of the Russian instructor, Ms Roksana. She was strict but offered advice on wand movements to students who impressed her with their consistency. However, if a student practised alone without a class schedule, she would ignore them completely, even if asked for help.
Regulus had not yet encountered the Chinese, African, or Mexican instructors. He had seen them occasionally but had not spoken with them. He had also yet to see the "tenth presence"—the one with magic brighter than all the others. He deduced it was none other than the Headmaster, who was a regular absentee at gatherings.
Regulus took keen notes on the cultural differences in magic usage.
The Indians wore a heavy bangle or ring on their arms called a Kaapu. It acted as a wand during the casting of spells. They would press their hands together in a prayer pose or specific mudra before casting. The disadvantage was the startup time; it took about five seconds to enter the state initially. However, once connected, they could cast spells rapidly and continuously. Some of the Indian masters could even cast multiple spells simultaneously.
The Arabs wore special earrings. When they cast a spell, the jewelry blinked with different colours. It was noteworthy that both the Indians and Arabs were proficient in Parseltongue.
In Britain, being a Parselmouth (a speaker of the language) was considered a rare, innate ability—like Voldemort. However, in these cultures, Parseltongue was treated as a language that could be learned individually, albeit with immense difficulty.
The African and Norwegian students (Sulaiman and Anders) both used staffs. These were larger than wands and would surely hurt if used as physical weapons. Regulus mused they were actually "more British" than the British wizards, considering Merlin himself famously used a staff rather than a wand.
The African method of casting spells was like a rhythmic chant or song. It was powerful but not designed for instantaneous combat. It functioned more like support magic, placing enchantments, buffs, and hexes on other allies.
The Norwegian style, on the other hand, involved enhancing the body using physical magic. This seemed unique to their bloodline. When others tried using the same enhancing magic, it resulted in severe backlash. Regulus knew this courtesy of Jaffar, who had attempted the magic and almost lost his life; he had been bedridden for a week. Ms Roksana had to step in to save the poor boy.
The only downside of the school was the rigorous routine on weekdays.
Students had to wake up at five in the morning. They started their physical training immediately, which lasted for an hour. It involved a triathlon of running, dodging, and obstacles, with the last ten minutes dedicated to swimming.
After the swimming session, they had to get ready for classes and be at the Meditation Hall by 7:00 AM, where they remained until 8:00 AM. Breakfast was from 8:00 to 9:00.
From 9:30 AM, the academic classes began, with each session lasting two hours. After eight hours of study with only a one-hour break for lunch, the students were exhausted to the point of collapse.
This, Regulus realised, was the exact reason Sirius had run away.
The students in the upper years were even more drained, as they had to undergo Spell Resistance Training on top of everything else. This school was truly the bane of pampered children.
However, Regulus saw visible improvements in his study and magic during the year. He grew faster than his peers, almost as if he were using a cheat code.
Well, he did have a cheat.
The ability of 'Adept.' This played a crucial role in his growth, while the meditation sessions helped improve his familiarity with his own power. By the end of the year, he could wield magic not as a tool, but as if he were born with it flowing through his veins.