Chapter 72: Seventy-Two

On her way back to the dungeons, Lys noticed Regulus Black. He was just like his name—a star, the brightest in the constellation. Brilliant in his studies, elegant, composed... and undeniably handsome.

After glancing at him twice, she realized Regulus was walking toward her. Lys instinctively shifted slightly to the side to give way.

She hoped it was just her imagination. Regulus always had a crowd of girls trailing behind him, and the overwhelming flood of their fervent emotions made her irritable.

To his credit, the twelve-year-old boy was remarkably perceptive for his age. Regulus turned to the girls behind him, signaling politely that he needed some space and asking them to step aside.

The girls, their eyes sparkling, blushed furiously and either politely or excitedly scurried away.

Lys managed a strained smile at Regulus. Their only interaction had been last term when he had helped her out of a tight spot. Now, a conversation with the "prince" of Slytherin would likely make her the enemy of every girl in school. Best to avoid it.

"Forgive me for disturbing you, but I wanted to apologize on behalf of my brother."

Thinking that was the end of it, Lys prepared to leave, but Regulus, ever the gentleman, knocked on the door of an unused classroom and held it open for her, gesturing for her to enter.

Lys didn't mind being alone with this boy. His emotions were always steady and wouldn't disturb her. After a moment's thought, she decided not to refuse.

If she could use him to deal with that annoying mutt, it would be a win.

With Transfiguration skills beyond his age but still somewhat rudimentary, the boy conjured two wooden chairs. Lys waved her wand to add cushions to them.

After a brief, unremarkable discussion about the Quidditch pitch incident, Regulus finally said, "About what happened that day—Galen, the only Slytherin present, told me everything."

Lys rolled her eyes. If you already know, why are you asking?

Since her eyes were hidden by her hair, Regulus didn't notice her reaction. He added, "Our families have business ties, so it's natural for the children to interact occasionally."

Lys couldn't shake the feeling that he was probing for something, especially regarding her family's history since their move from Northern Europe.

She deflected all his inquiries with claims of ignorance, forgetfulness, or irrelevance.

Yet Regulus persisted, pushing her to the point where she shoved her chair back and left.

Outside the classroom, Lys used a Healing Charm on the small wound she had nervously picked into her finger during their conversation.

She hated dealing with clever people. None of her goals had been achieved, and instead, she had been questioned to the point of unease.

Staring at the wound to ensure it hadn't turned silver, Lys decided to head to the library. After some searching, she settled on a book titled Advanced Healing and Restorative Magic.

However, since she hadn't returned her previously borrowed books, she could only find a spot in the library to read. After scanning the room and finding no suitable seats, Lys sat down, massaging her temples as she began reading.

Nearby, a Hufflepuff student was secretly munching on biscuits, the crunching sounds grating on Lys's nerves—and making her hungry.

Thankfully, within a minute, Madam Pince swooped in silently, brandishing a feather duster. She cast a Binding Charm to gather all the boy's belongings, tied them together, and unceremoniously ejected him from the library.

As she passed by Lys, Madam Pince patted her shoulder, gesturing for her to follow. She led Lys to a door beside her office.

Knocking on the round eagle-shaped door knocker, Madam Pince revealed a small room with two desks and chairs inside. It looked like it hadn't been used in years.

Lys raised an eyebrow at the librarian, who had grown noticeably thinner since last year.

Both Pince and Lys exchanged a look that seemed to say, "Yes, you're worthy."

From then on, Lys had a secret reading spot in the library.

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When Lys encountered difficulties with the medical texts or practical applications, she would sometimes consult Snape. He would invariably dismiss her with, "Why don't you ask someone more qualified, like Madam Pomfrey?"

Lys avoided the hospital wing because Madam Pomfrey always insisted she needed to be hospitalized for her long-term magical instability.

Thanks to drinking magic stabilizers like water, Lys managed to convince the matron to let her stay out of bed. But Madam Pomfrey still slipped her plenty of Sleeping Draughts whenever they crossed paths, clearly concerned about her prominent dark circles.

While Lys's eye bags had diminished, her dark circles showed no improvement.

She simply couldn't sleep. Every night, she woke up in the early hours and resorted to reading.

The Singing Lily on Lys's desk wasn't faring well either. Located under the Black Lake, her dormitory received almost no sunlight. The plant's tender shoots turned pale white, and its leaves grew long and spindly—far from healthy.

But Lys couldn't bear to leave it elsewhere. In the end, she decided to take the flowerpot outside to sunbathe whenever the sun was out.

She even replaced the pot with a larger one, allowing the now-chubby Gubang to curl up inside and bask in the sun alongside the plant.