19

It's hard to describe the feeling of being related to the notorious Lestrange family. Eli grew up reading history books with his father, and after a year at Hogwarts, he had already made up his mind about Voldemort and his cause -- a bloodline racist, a wizarding Hitler. Such a man will never win the final victory, even in a moment of great strength. In the final analysis, such an idea runs counter to the law of historical development and is untenable. There is no wrong idea that can brainwash everyone.

But now he has been told that his grandparents are fanatical about the cause -- a sad fact that has mixed feelings for Eli, who has only just found out.

He decided not to stay long in Regulus's box, for the news he had received had been shocking enough, and he felt it better not to try to find out more often in one day what he was capable of. As politely as he could, he said goodbye to Regulus, who watched him go from the empty box, which was quiet except for the rumble of the steam train.

But it was better than home. At least it was the sound of the train running instead of my mother's angry curses and my brother's unrelenting back talk, arguing all day long. Regulus was neatly dressed, now in his Hogwarts robes, from the tip of his hat to the cuff. He sat quietly in the box, was alone again, and suddenly thought of his mother's voice.

"Be in Slytherin, Regulus," he said. 'said Wolbulga heavily, stroking his hair lightly and with a slightly distorted expression on his face.' I never thought I'd have to worry about that one day -- it's all because of that bloody bastard Sirius! I can only count on you, Regulus, not to dishonor the noble and pure House of Black!"

Regulus nodded in his mother's intense gaze and said nothing. He had always been quiet and reserved -- when one child was already too rebellious and disobedient, the other tended to be more obedient, always.

"Make more good friends at school!" 'said Wolbulga, frowning.' Ever since Sirius came to school, our family's been a joke... What must the families think, that the pure and noble Black family should produce such a scum! You have to change the way people see Blake, Regulus, you have to do it! I believe you can do it too!"

"I will, Mother." Regulus assured her, then asked somewhat hesitantly, "But what kind of people are worth socializing with? The Lord mentioned it, Eli. Smith... ?"

Wolbuga gave a strange look, and her lips rose in a sneer of disgust and disdain.

"Who are you talking about, Regulus, a scum born of a self-indulgent scum?" 'she said scornfully, giving her young son the same stern look she had given Sirius for an instant. 'she said flatly.' It is only by chance that the Lord's attention has been drawn to it. What a depraved generation of Lestranges to care for such scum! Don't let his cheap blood stain you, Regulus, and stay away from him if you meet him at school."

Before Regulus could respond, a voice on the stairs interrupted their conversation.

"I say, why don't you buy him a cover, mother? With Hogwarts full of half-blood wizards, Muggle wizards and Dumbledore loyalists, who knows what might happen if you let your beloved son go to school? After all, he is so pure."

Regulus looked up and saw his brother Sirius come out of the room, go to the kitchen, get a bag of bread, and walk back upstairs -- obviously he wasn't going to come down to dinner with his family.

Wolbuga glared at him and barked uncourteously, her haughty reserve worn down by a summer of wrangling with her eldest son. "Is that the way you talk to your mother? Remember you're Black blood!"

Like I want to bleed like this. Sirius's mouth curled. Regulus cut in just in time to separate the two, who were both in a bad mood, before the argument could continue.

"Don't worry, I'll be in Slytherin for sure, Mum," said Harry. He promised his mother, "I will carry on the Black honor and do my part for the family."

Wolbuga immediately calmed down when she confronted her young son. Hearing her son's words, she finally smiled with joy.

"We all believe in you, good boy." 'she said gently, more like a mother than ever,' We'll be at home waiting for your good news, Regulus. The Slytherin Lounge is at the bottom of the Black Lake, with sweeping views. You'll love it."

With one last sharp glance at her eldest son, she left to attend a ladies' tea party. The two brothers in the living room stared at each other, and the atmosphere was slightly more subtle.

Although one was a Gryffindor and the other a Slytherin reservist, they were technically on good terms, brothers who had grown up together, only a year apart. Sirius cleared his throat and asked him, 'Did you get all your stuff in Diagon Alley?'

"Not yet. I want to go with you tomorrow. Mother won't always want to talk about you when I'm around." "Regulus said.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and shrugged. 'I can't promise that.'

It was clear, however, that he did not reject the suggestion, that he was not, as his mother had said, spoiled by outsiders, and that everything in the house was disagreeable. Regulus looked at his brother, thought about it, and asked him, "Sirius, you and Eli. Smith is a classmate. What do you think of him?"

"It was good." 'Sirius said.' Smart, friendly, and highly motivated. Don't listen to Mother. '

"I think so too." Regulus mused. "The witch blood is wonderful, isn't it? Even with a Muggle father, he's certainly lucky enough to show the very best of the wizarding line, impressive."

Sirius froze for a moment, looking at him in amazement, as if he were looking at a gorilla suddenly spouting words, as if he were meeting his brother for the first time.

"Do you know what you're saying, Regulus?" 'he asked gravely, looking him up and down several times with a frown and saying incredulously,' You sound just like Mother! Get away from her. I think you're losing your mind. Oh, and better stay away from Eli, too. He's done nothing wrong and doesn't need to listen to your logical nonsense."

The tone of his voice was so impolite that even Regulus, who knew him so well, could hardly cheer up for a moment. Of course, they parted in vain, and though they went to Diagon Alley together the next day, today, despite Wolbuga's scolding, he got on the train first and went to join his friends. Regulus, after talking to his mother for a while, got on the train and sat down alone in an empty box.

He expected what would happen at the station, but he didn't expect to run into Eli on the train. Mr. Smith. Regulus looked at his own reflection in the glass and thought that there was not a single trace of the pure blood wizarding family in Eli, and that Sirius was right after all.

Eli, of course, had no idea what Regulus was thinking. He hurried through the boxes on the train, desperately wanting to see his two friends -- even if they were quarrelling, they could talk together, and the inclusion of a Slytherin would probably make the conclusion more objective.

When he reached the back of the train, he finally met his two friends -- but he stopped short before he pushed the door open and listened with astonishment to their loud quarrel.

"I know! I know you'll have other friends too! I'm not stopping you from making friends!" 'said Lily angrily, her voice rising, rarely so shrill.' I'll respect your friends -- if they respect me! Did you hear what they said when I was talking to you? They told me to get lost! Because I'm a mudblood of low birth! Evil Gryffindor!"

'Don't talk about yourself like that, Lily! "Said Snape eagerly, but his voice, too, was loud." Avery was only joking -- he was born a Purebred wizard, that's the general perception over there, and he didn't hold it against you! He's friendly most of the time -- doesn't the fact that he's befriending a half-witch like me show that his bloodline bias isn't as deep as his family's? You have to give him some time to change!"

"I give him time? I give him time, okay? !" Lily gave an incredulous laugh. "Why don't you sit with your pure-blood wizard friends, Seve? Wait until you've had enough time to change them all, and then introduce me to your lovely friends. Persuading them not to see me before that is like seeing something dirty -- I'm not messing with them! It was they who initiated the provocation!"

For a few seconds there was silence in the box. Snape closed his eyes as the two men looked at each other unconcisely.

"I only have so many friends, a few, Lily." "I don't want to lose any of you -- I know Avery wasn't right about what happened today, and I'll go back and tell him, just give me a moment, please..."

"I don't understand, Seve." Lily's tone softened as she sighed. "Why don't you make some good friends? Of all the friendly people at Hogwarts, you chose the worst..."

Snape's tone had become strange.

"The worst? Who?" "He asked sharply, in a slightly subdued tone." All the Slytherins? You may think they're all terrible, but at least they don't openly laugh at my clothes and hair every time they meet me."

The box was quiet again for a few seconds, and Lily realized she had said the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry... I'm not..." "Lily stammered, bewildered." I didn't mean that, Seve... I know the Porters are nasty. I know! I don't think all Gryffindors are friendly! But... But there are people we all think are good, right? Like Eli? We can all tell who's really friendly..."

Snape looked at her deeply, more dim than he had expected.

"Yes, he's a very fine man, smart, handsome, gentle, and the kind of person you'd think a best friend would be... But Lily, I won't be like that, I'm a Slytherin, born of it, I've wanted to be here since I was a few years old... What do you want me to change? Like Eli did? I'll never be like that in my life. That's not who I am, not you... I'm sorry for the kind of person I admire."

There was a dead silence in the box, and for a few moments Lily did not move again. She gripped Snape's arm in shock, her voice cracking with anxiety.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I really hadn't thought of it that way... I think you're great! I really do! So I... That's why I don't want you to have some, some bad friends! I..."

Eli took a deep breath and quietly turned away from the box door. He knew he wasn't in the right place.

It was hard to imagine that so much had happened on the first day of his sophomore year. It was so complicated that he could barely nod. He finally went to his roommates -- they were warm and friendly, but they didn't really like studying, they didn't go to the library, where they saw Eli so often, and they didn't get to be very good friends, but they were still very good people. Eli joined them, but the whole time he was overloaded and a little distracted.

Fortunately, the Great Hall at Hogwarts remained as it had always been, which made Eli feel somewhat relaxed as he sat down at the long Gryffindor table. He looked over at the head teacher's table, where Dumbledore was sitting in the middle, wearing a purple robe studded with stars. Their eyes met for a moment in midair, and Dumbledore's eyes, as gentle and calm as ever, reassured Eli.

"Not with your friends?" "She doesn't seem to be in a good mood."

"I think she probably needs more time on her own." Eli mumbled, glancing sideways.

The Gryffindor boys sat together; there were only two boys' dormitories, and together they were not very large. Sirius was next to an empty seat when Eli came in, and he decided in a flash to sit next to him. The roommates didn't notice anything.

All right. Sirius shrugged -- he clearly didn't really care about Lily, just wanted to have a word with Eli. The two of them looked at each other, and Sirius suddenly raised his eyebrows with a conscious tut.

"I see you know." 'he said without ending.

Eli, of course, knew what he was talking about. His eyes fell on the nearby freshmen waiting in line at the sorting office and he whispered, "I saw your brother on the train."

I guess so. Sirius shrugged his shoulders and looked the same way. They looked quietly together for a moment, the hat hesitating over Regulus's head for a moment, and the long Slytherin and Gryffindor tables were eerily quiet, all eyes on the slightly emasculated boy.

Narcissa on the Slytherin table when the Sorting Hat finally called Slytherin. Black's relief was palpable, and James, next to Sirius, let out a moan of disappointment.

"It wouldn't be fun to be a Slytherin," said Harry. 'he said bluntly.' I thought you'd have more influence on your brother, Sirius. '

"Don't think so much of me. I'm an anomaly in our family." "Regulus was my mother's pet. He was always good and obedient. My parents liked him very much, and he thought like them. If any of you happen to speak to him, just ignore him; they have a bit of a mind of their own."

He didn't look at Eli, but Eli knew that Sirius had said those last words to him. Regulus had finished dividing the house, but the students in the Great Hall were still whispering, their eyes constantly glancing over Sirius and Regulus, their voices growing more and more reckless.

"Your brother first told me about Narcissa. Black used to laugh." 'She's got that long face every time she sees you. I thought your family was born that thin.'

"That's not true." Sirius said weakly. "She's very fond of Regulus, too -- it's family, isn't it?"

His eyes fell on the other side of the Slytherin table and stared for a moment at Cousin Black sitting next to him, then withdrew them indifferently. Eli turned to look at him, realizing that he probably didn't really care about his family, but he just couldn't force himself to sit at the table.

"I think the friendship of like-minded people is more important than the family that can't be chosen." "Said Eli, suddenly calm, as everyone around him looked at him." I think it's nice that we're sitting together because of our shared integrity and bravery, not because of our shared names?"

'Of course! Jaime responded enthusiastically, holding up his mug full of pumpkin juice. "Who can resist being a brave lion! I can't anyway. To Gryffindor, cheers --"

Everyone laughed and raised their glasses in great glee, and everyone looked much happier.