Regulus Black bought wands for Hermione and Ginny, then took them to the candy shop in Diagon Alley. He paid for everything, and each girl left carrying a small basket.
Next door at the ice cream shop, the three of them each ordered a fruit sundae and sat down to enjoy it slowly.
"Ginny, have you decided which house you want to be in? Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?"
Regulus Black scraped his spoon gently along the sides of his sundae cup, producing a pleasant, melodious sound. Subtle magical ripples spread across the table.
Ginny thought the ice cream was absolutely delicious. She ate a little too fast and felt a cold rush to her head, leaving her mind a bit blank.
"Mm… which house to choose… I still want to go to Gryffindor."
Though her head felt foggy, Ginny still answered honestly.
"You won't be much help in Gryffindor. You already have four older brothers there. If you really want to be of use, it's better to support from the outside—perhaps by building ties with Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. That would increase your chances of success."
Regulus Black naturally understood Ginny's reasoning. After all, Harry Potter was in Gryffindor, and so were four of her brothers. Why wouldn't she want to go there?
"But do you even know what kind of wand you've got?"
Regulus continued gently scraping his spoon against the glass. The pleasant hum seemed to resonate with the soul itself.
The faint magical ripples began to intensify. Ginny, by now, had fallen into a completely blank state of mind.
"Darkness, shadows, bats—these elements all suggest that this wand's owner is highly suited for the Dark Arts."
Regulus Black didn't want Ginny to enter Slytherin either. A Weasley in Slytherin was guaranteed to be bullied, and explaining that to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would be difficult. Not to mention, that would mean adding five more enemies at school.
"If you don't want to be in Slytherin, then Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw are both good alternatives. Personally, I recommend the former."
After speaking, Regulus lightly tapped his spoon against the glass. The sharp clink snapped Ginny back to full awareness.
Startled, Ginny blinked and continued the conversation. Even she now felt that going to Gryffindor was unnecessary. Her four brothers were already there—she had to see them at home and then again at school, all in the same house. There would be no freedom at all.
And just now, the teaching assistant had pointed out that her wand was especially suited for the Dark Arts. Since Slytherin wasn't an ideal option, Hufflepuff did seem like a better choice. She trusted the assistant not to mislead her.
"You're saying Hufflepuff is a better fit for me, Mr. Black? Hmm… I think Hufflepuff sounds like a good choice too."
Hermione had remained silent the whole time, simply observing. But she hadn't noticed anything unusual. Maybe it was because she was so fond of Regulus Black that she didn't sense anything strange—or perhaps it was because Regulus's magical control was so refined. The seemingly casual charm he used hadn't affected Hermione at all. It had been aimed solely at Ginny.
The spell Regulus used was, in fact, a variant of the Legilimens spell, modified with hypnotic techniques.
Once a target's mental state is disturbed, they can enter a brief, trance-like state—perfect for hypnosis. In that state, certain ideas can be implanted, as long as they're simple and acceptable. After waking, the person will naturally adopt those ideas as their own, even coming up with reasons to justify them.
In the ordinary Muggle world, psychologists or hypnotists require immense mental focus, plus various techniques, to carry out hypnosis. For wizards, however, these requirements are just basic.
The only reason wizards haven't explored this method is because they already have a much cruder, simpler option… Legilimens.
So why would a wizard bother learning how Muggles perform hypnosis?
"Oh! Ginny, there you are. Did you find the right wand?"
Molly admired Ginny's wand—yew wood with a vampire bat nerve core. The combination surprised her.
It seemed Ginny really wasn't suited for Gryffindor, but Molly still praised her enthusiastically.
The Weasleys' shopping was now complete. The books and school supplies they'd purchased had already been shrunk down and stored in Ginny's wooden bucket. It was time to go. Harry Potter, who had been staying at the Burrow for the week, was heading back with them.
"School's about to start. Make sure to review your lessons at home. Don't make any mistakes as soon as term begins."
Regulus Black dutifully reminded the students before bidding them farewell.
He wondered if Dobby, after encountering him, would still try to interfere with Harry Potter.
Thinking back on all the foolish things Harry and Ron were about to do made Regulus Black feel exasperated.
Bratty kids—just like trolls in personality.
The week passed quickly. On the day term began, the Weasleys, as usual, arrived at the station just in time.
And, just like in the original story, Harry and Ron were left behind at the last minute. Everything was unfolding exactly as it had before.
"It's our turn."
Harry Potter pushed his trolley toward Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, with Ron following close behind. The two of them crashed straight into the barrier.
Hedwig let out a startled screech, and their luggage scattered all over the floor.
"What's going on with you two?"
A Muggle ticket inspector came over, frowning. Kids these days were far too unruly—where were the adults?
"Sorry, sir! We just lost control of the trolley," Harry quickly stood up and apologized.
This made the ticket inspector, who had been ready to scold them, ease up. These weren't wild brats after all—they could handle themselves. So he lost interest and walked away.
"If we're stuck out here, then Mum and Dad must be trapped on the other side. They won't be able to come out and help us," Ron said, looking completely at a loss as he tried to assess their situation.
The sound of a clock chiming echoed through the station—it was exactly ten o'clock.
"Oh no! The Hogwarts Express departs at ten. We're going to miss it!"
Harry, too, began to panic. The two boys were clearly in a state of mental chaos.
"What do we do now? I really don't want to get expelled…"
Ron's face fell. If not for Harry standing next to him, he probably would've burst into tears.
"Maybe we should go back to the car and wait," Harry suggested. Honestly, it was the right call—and it would've been even better if they'd thought to contact an adult.
"The car!" Ron froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up. Right! They had driven to the station—in a flying car! What were they so worried about?
Immediately, the two kids sprang into action. This was classic Gryffindor recklessness—ahem—decision-making: when in doubt, act first and don't overthink.
Meanwhile, aboard the Hogwarts Express, Ginny had managed to find an empty compartment—and inside were two incredibly charming men.
"Ginny! Come sit here, there's still plenty of room."
Regulus Black called out to her from inside.
"Mr. Black!"
Ginny shyly greeted Regulus and then pulled her suitcase inside.
"You've already met this gentleman at Flourish and Blotts—Gilderoy Lockhart! He'll be this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
Sitting across from them was the man with dazzling blond hair and a smile that could enchant women of any age. Even his teeth sparkled—none other than the autograph-signing Gilderoy Lockhart.
"Back to what we were discussing, Gilderoy—how did Dumbledore end up recruiting you to teach? I assume you're aware that Defense Against the Dark Arts professors never last long."
Regulus Black had no intention of hiding the conversation from Ginny. He asked the question openly—after all, if Dumbledore approached Ginny for anything, she'd likely end up revealing these sorts of conversations anyway.
"It's precisely because it's a short-term position that I accepted it. Someone as charming as myself can't stay in one place too long. Besides, after teaching, I plan to write a book about my experiences at Hogwarts—another glorious chapter in my fascinating life."
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