On the evening of Halloween, Hogwarts Castle was completely transformed.
Hundreds of live bats fluttered through the corridors, hanging upside down from candelabras and suits of armor, their wings occasionally flapping with a faint rustling sound.
The walls were lined with grinning Jack-o'-lanterns, their magical flames dancing within, casting all sorts of grotesque and comical shadows.
The air was thick with the sweet aroma of roasted pumpkin pasties and a restless sort of holiday magic.
The young wizards were incredibly excited, gathering in small groups to discuss the evening feast and speculating on what strange and exotic desserts Dumbledore would conjure up this year.
The corridors were filled with laughter and the rustle of robes.
Regulus was among the crowd.
Today, he didn't plan to bury himself in the library or find a secluded corner to practice magic.
He strolled leisurely through the main building of the castle, soaking in the thick festive atmosphere.
As he walked down a third-floor corridor lined with magical tapestries that changed patterns, a crisp voice called out to him.
"Hey! Black! Over here!"
It was Eleanor Bones, who seemed to be fretting over how to decorate a corner near the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room.
Seeing Regulus, her eyes lit up, and she waved him over directly.
Regulus was followed by Avery, Hermes, and Alex.
They often walked with Regulus now, having become a noticeable little clique within Slytherin.
Avery was a self-conscious follower, walking with his back straight as if declaring his choice to the world.
Alex followed quietly a step behind; he knew that staying by Regulus's side meant being bullied less and even gaining a modicum of respect—a wisdom born of survival.
Hermes walked last, his expression still somber, his gaze occasionally falling on Regulus's back.
Rather than following, it was more like close observation, an attempt to find any flaw or weakness in Regulus.
Hearing Eleanor's call, Regulus stopped in his tracks.
Avery, showing quick wits, immediately pulled back Alex, who had wanted to keep moving forward, and glanced at Hermes.
The three of them tacitly stepped aside, pretending to study a nearby animated tapestry of a knight's duel.
Regulus walked toward Eleanor alone.
Standing beside Eleanor was another Hufflepuff girl with short brown hair; seeing Regulus approach, she instinctively hunched her shoulders, a flash of curiosity and a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
Regulus Black's name had spread widely among the lower years recently: pure-blood, Chief, crushing fifth-years, and appreciated by almost all the professors.
All of this gave him an aura that commanded awe.
But with Eleanor by her side, the girl gathered the courage to stand a bit straighter, though her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her robes.
"Miss Bones," Regulus said as he reached them, nodding politely.
Then he turned his gaze to the girl beside her, also giving a slight nod: "And this is?"
His manner was natural and calm, without the slightest hint of contempt or arrogance because she might be Muggle-born, which actually made the girl pause in surprise.
"Oh, this is Susan Payne, my friend," Eleanor introduced brightly.
"Susan, this is Regulus Black. I told you about him—the Slytherin who is very insightful in Herbology."
"Hello, Mr. Black," Susan Payne said in a small voice.
"Hello, Miss Payne," Regulus responded, his tone as steady as ever.
He truly didn't care about blood status; being a Black was pure enough that he didn't need to derive superiority from it, nor would he deliberately belittle others to exalt himself.
"Run into some trouble?" Regulus looked at the pumpkins and materials on the ground.
"Yeah, we wanted to put up some special decorations here. Just setting out Jack-o'-lanterns is a bit boring."
Eleanor pointed to a recessed alcove next to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room.
"Professor Sprout said we could use our own creativity, as long as it's not too scary.
Since Hufflepuff's symbol is the honey badger, I was thinking if we could combine the Jack-o'-lantern with a honey badger, but we can't exactly hang a real taxidermy animal here…"
She scratched her head, clearly finding the idea difficult to implement.
Susan also nodded from the side, whispering, "We tried Transfiguration, but either it didn't look right, or it wouldn't last long before changing back."
Regulus looked at the alcove, then at the pumpkins of various sizes on the floor, and thought for a moment.
"Combining the traits of a honey badger with the Halloween atmosphere… perhaps we can try something."
He crouched down and picked up a pumpkin that had already been hollowed out and carved.
Eleanor and Susan leaned in curiously to watch.
"Honey badgers are known for being brave, even reckless—they are fearless," Regulus said while examining the pumpkin.
He drew his wand and gave the Jack-o'-lantern a light tap.
Magical light flowed over it.
The shape of the Jack-o'-lantern began to shift; two short protrusions, like a honey badger's ears, extended from the top.
The comical smiling face originally carved on the front became more rugged in line, the curve of the mouth taking on a fierce, 'fear-nothing' edge.
The positions of the eyes were even outlined by magic with two tiny, sharp points of white light, like a honey badger's eyes shining in the dark.
Regulus tapped his wand again, and the originally steady magical flame inside the Jack-o'-lantern changed from orange-yellow to a slightly cool-toned silvery-white.
The rhythm of the flickering flame became more powerful and irregular, and beneath the base of the lantern, several faint, scratch-like shadow marks condensed.
A unique decoration that fused Hufflepuff's symbol with Halloween fun was born.
It looked both cool and interesting, and it exuded that characteristic fierce aura of a honey badger.
"Wow!" Eleanor exclaimed in wonder. "That's amazing! That's exactly it! It's cool and it fits perfectly!"
Susan's eyes widened too, forgetting her previous nervousness, and she whispered, "So impressive, even the flame color changed."
"I'm glad I could help," Regulus said calmly. He then waved his wand in succession, performing the same magic on the other prepared pumpkins on the ground.
Soon, five or six Jack-o'-lanterns with different expressions, all bearing honey badger features, were placed in front of the alcove. The silvery-white cold flames flickered, making the area look both mysterious and full of vitality.
"What interesting things are you working on?" a gentle voice asked.
It was Professor Sprout. She looked as though she had just come from the greenhouses, holding a small pot of glowing mushrooms in her hand.
"Professor! Look! Regulus helped us make honey badger Jack-o'-lanterns!" Eleanor showed them off excitedly.
Professor Sprout approached, looking at the unique Jack-o'-lanterns with great interest.
She then looked at Regulus, who was standing calmly to the side, a smile of approval appearing on her face. "Very creative, Mr. Black.
Stable Transfiguration, clear intent, and able to balance the festive atmosphere with House identity—five points for your ingenuity."
"Thank you, Professor. It was just a small favor," Regulus bowed slightly.
After a brief exchange regarding the stability of magical flames, Regulus took his leave.
Watching his departing back, Susan Payne whispered to Eleanor, "He seems a bit different from the rumors.
His magic is so powerful; that Transfiguration—I feel like many third-years in our House couldn't do it. And he speaks quite politely, unlike some Slytherins…"
Eleanor looked at the honey badger Jack-o'-lanterns and smiled. "Of course he's different. I told you long ago, the things in his head are different from most people. As for his level of magic…"
She lowered her voice. "Some of the things I've heard might be even more exaggerated than what he shows."
On the other side, Regulus and his roommates returned to the Slytherin common room.
Halloween decorations were being put up here as well, but the style was vastly different.
The older students dominated everything, using magic to make silver and green silk ribbons slither along the walls like living snakes.
The conjured bats had a metallic cold sheen, and the Jack-o'-lanterns were carved into the shapes of various beasts or serpent heads, with eerie green flames burning inside.
The entire common room was permeated with an atmosphere of magnificence and coldness.
The lower-year students mostly gathered around, handing over materials, running errands, or watching the upper-years perform complex magic with admiring gazes.
Regulus watched silently for a while, understanding it in his heart.
Hufflepuff's style was warmth and inclusion, with a touch of down-to-earth creativity.
Slytherin's was exquisite and exclusive, a display full of symbolism and competition.
Two styles, neither better nor worse, just a direct reflection of the different House cultures and values.
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