"My family is exploring some ancient topical potion formulas," Regulus replied after a moment of thought.
"Something similar to old ritual, but safer and more controllable. The goal is to find a potion material that can safely adhere to the skin, steadily carry a specific magical effect, and release it slowly over time.
That brings in questions of material compatibility, magical permeability, and long-term stability."
Lily's eyes lit up at once. The topic had clearly sparked her academic curiosity.
"That sounds like expanding potions from internal use to external application, and making them compatible with a wizard's own magic," she said, excitement spilling into her voice. "That's fascinating.
Can I help? I mean, if you need someone to analyze formulas with you, or test basic material combinations."
She volunteered eagerly, her expression bright and restless with interest.
Regulus met her gaze and saw nothing there but pure enthusiasm for knowledge.
He nodded. "If you're interested and willing to put in the time, I do need a reliable collaborator.
But it may take up a lot of your free time, and there may not be any visible results in the short term."
"That's fine!" Lily said without hesitation. "Being able to work on something like this is a reward in itself, and…"
She paused, her tone turning sincere.
"Thank you for being willing to talk to me about all this. About magic, about what's happening outside, and even that essay method you showed me before. It makes me feel like… we're friends, right? Friends help each other."
Regulus inclined his head slightly, his voice gentler than before. "Yes, friends. I appreciate your help.
And if you ever need my perspective or assistance with magic or anything else, just ask."
Friendship was never about one-sided giving or taking. It was an exchange and sharing of value.
Lily understood. She nodded firmly, a clear smile spreading across her face.
When they parted, Regulus added seriously, "There's no need to tell anyone else what I said."
Lily understood the implications. She nodded solemnly. "I promise."
---
Regulus still had preparations to make for the night's plan. He needed to enter the restricted section.
An invisibility cloak would have been perfect, but he did not have one.
In that case, the Disillusionment Charm was a good alternative.
It was an advanced spell, usually beyond the grasp of younger students.
But the Black family library contained detailed records of it, and Regulus had already studied and memorized the principles.
The Disillusionment Charm was not true invisibility. It functioned more like optical camouflage.
It demanded fine control of magic and sustained concentration. For Regulus, that was precisely what he had in abundance.
He found an abandoned broom closet on the seventh floor of the castle and locked the door behind him.
On the first attempt, he focused his mind, spoke the incantation, and guided his magic across the surface of his body.
He felt light begin to distort, but the effect was wildly unstable. It was like viewing his body through violently rippling water. His outline blurred and flickered, completely useless for concealment.
Failure, The magical output was uneven, and his control over light was too crude.
On the second attempt, he adjusted his output, trying to let the magic spread more smoothly over his body.
The result was slightly better. His body resembled a patch of badly tinted chameleon skin, clashing with the texture of the surrounding walls. The slightest movement gave him away.
Still a failure. His simulation of environmental color and texture was not precise enough.
Third attempt.
Fourth attempt.
He kept adjusting everything. The incantation, the wand movement, the fine details of magical output. He refined how he perceived the surrounding environment, light, and shadow, and how he imitated them.
On the fifth attempt, he closed his eyes and guided his magic like the finest brush, painting light and shadow across his body to perfectly match the background.
When he opened his eyes, the hand he raised before him had almost vanished. Only an outline remained, perfectly aligned with the brickwork behind it. As he moved slightly, the texture shifted in sync.
Success!
Even so, for Regulus, this level was not enough.
Madam Pince relied on sight, perhaps, but what about magical detection? Or even Muggle thermal imaging. Would this hold up?
A new idea took shape. Could he construct an ultra-thin isolating layer of magic over his body, one that not only distorted light but also blocked heat, scent, and even magical fluctuations?
That was far more difficult than a standard Disillusionment Charm. It required multi-layered weaving of magic with different properties.
He tried again.
After two more failures, the third attempt worked.
He used the light-distortion layer of the Disillusionment Charm as a base. Inside it, he wove an extremely thin inner lining with finer strands of magic.
This lining had no offensive or defensive function. Its sole purpose was to absorb and neutralize the faint heat radiation naturally emitted by his body, along with surface-level magical ripples.
He felt his presence drop even further in magical perception. It was not complete disappearance, but it was enough to evade most conventional detection.
Wizard or Muggle alike.
The improved Disillusionment Charm was complete, at least in its initial form. He dispelled it and exhaled softly.
Late at night, the castle itself seemed asleep.
Regulus returned to the entrance of the library.
The improved Disillusionment Charm activated silently. His form blended into the dim stone walls of the corridor, nearly imperceptible.
Like a shadow without substance, he slipped past sleeping portraits, avoided Filch's patrols, and finally reached the restricted section.
Whether by illusion or not, the air there felt colder, thick with the smell of parchment, dust, and old magic.
He went straight to a familiar spot, a bottom corner shelf, and found the book he wanted.
A Brief History of Soul Magic.
Protective charms had been placed on it. Forcing it open or removing it would trigger alarms and might even damage the book.
That was no obstacle. He did not need to take it.
He extended his right hand, hovering about an inch above the spine, and closed his eyes.
His already formidable mind, honed through relentless refinement, surpassed ordinary limits. He expanded his magic like an invisible scanner and began to read.
Regulus sensed every trace of magic left on the pages. The author's thoughts and knowledge, infused during the act of writing, had been fixed into the parchment.
This method placed an immense strain on the mind and could not perfectly reproduce every detail or nuance of prose. For his current needs, it was enough.
Dense, obscure knowledge flooded his consciousness.
The nature of the soul and the source of magic.
Factors affecting soul stability.
Manifestations and consequences of soul damage.
Then came the core topic. Soul-splitting theory.
As his magic reached that section, it grew especially focused. The book described the feasibility of this forbidden act.
Through acts of extreme evil, powerful dark magic, and the utmost blasphemy against life and death, a complete soul could be forcibly torn apart. A fragment would be separated and sealed into a specific vessel.
As long as the Horcrux remained intact, even if the physical body was destroyed, the main soul would not truly die. It could persist in some form and potentially rebuild a body through dark rituals.
The book issued stern warnings about the horrific consequences. A divided soul would be permanently incomplete, unstable, wracked with pain and twisted desires.
The process of creating a Horcrux would irreversibly corrode the caster, making them colder, more unhinged, and less human.
Moreover, the subtle connection between Horcrux and main soul could itself become a vulnerability.
Regulus felt a chill run through him. This confirmed just how dangerous and vile the path Voldemort had chosen truly was.
At the same time, another idea became clearer. Soul stability might be the key to safely approaching, or even wielding, dark magic.
If a soul were strong and stable enough, like a fortified castle, could it resist the corrosive damage of dark forces?
The book mentioned that a handful of powerful, resolute dark wizards seemed to support this theory. They used dark magic frequently without apparent harm.
He thought of Dumbledore and Grindelwald. At their level, what difference did dark magic or light magic make. Used was used. Were there consequences?
Apparently not. At least, the original novel never mentioned any.
Voldemort, on the other hand, had clearly split his soul too early and too often in his pursuit of immortality. He had destroyed the very foundation of his own stability, leading to his eventual madness and inhumanity.
Regulus skimmed the remaining chapters.
Soul attachment, involving possession and curse transmission.
Soul confinement and the origins of ghosts.
Finally, he stopped.
Tonight's gains far exceeded his expectations.
He had not only confirmed the nature and danger of Horcruxes, but also clarified the importance of soul stability when venturing into the dark domain.
At the same time, the additional knowledge about souls opened countless new lines of thought.