Chapter 43: A Small Favor
Halloween evening. Hogwarts Castle had transformed completely.
Hundreds and hundreds of live bats drifted through the corridors, hanging upside down from candelabras and suits of armor, wings fluttering now and then with a whisper-soft rustle.
Grinning jack-o'-lanterns lined the walls, magical flames dancing within, casting grotesque, comical shadows in every direction.
The air was thick with the sweet scent of toasted pumpkin pasties, and an undercurrent of festive, restless magic.
The young witches and wizards were ecstatic, gathering in clusters to discuss the evening's feast and speculate about whatever outlandish sweets Dumbledore might conjure this year.
Laughter and the soft rustle of robes filled the corridors.
Regulus was among the crowd.
Today, he had no plans to bury himself in the library or find a remote corner for magical practice.
He strolled through the castle's main building at an easy pace, soaking in the festive atmosphere.
When he reached a third-floor corridor hung with enchanted tapestries that shifted their patterns, a clear voice called out. "Hey! Black! Over here!"
It was Eleanor Bones. She appeared to be puzzling over how to decorate a corner next to the Hufflepuff common room entrance.
Spotting Regulus, her face lit up and she waved him over.
Behind Regulus walked Avery, Hermes, and Alex.
They often walked together now and had become a noticeable little group within Slytherin.
Avery was the conscious follower, spine ramrod-straight even while walking, as if broadcasting his chosen allegiance.
Alex trailed quietly at their flank, aware that proximity to Regulus meant fewer threats and even a measure of respect — a survival instinct refined into quiet wisdom.
Hermes brought up the rear, expression still brooding, gaze occasionally settling on Regulus's back.
His attendance was less following than close observation — an ongoing search for any crack or weakness.
Hearing Eleanor's call, Regulus stopped.
Avery read the moment instantly, tugging back Alex, who had been about to drift closer, and flicking a glance at Hermes.
The three of them tactfully retreated and pretended to study a nearby tapestry depicting a jousting tournament.
Regulus walked to Eleanor alone.
Another Hufflepuff girl stood beside her — brown hair cut short. At Regulus's approach, she instinctively hunched her shoulders, eyes flickering between curiosity and a touch of nerves.
Regulus Black's name had been circulating widely among the younger years: pure-blood, Head of First-Years, effortless victory over a fifth-year, praised by nearly every professor.
All of it wreathed him in an aura of awe.
But with Eleanor at her side, the girl mustered a little courage and straightened up, though her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her robes.
"Miss Bones." Regulus arrived and offered a polite nod.
He turned to her companion and inclined his head the same way. "And this is?"
His manner was natural and composed — not a flicker of condescension because of the girl's likely Muggle background, which seemed to catch her off guard.
"Oh — this is Susan Payne, my friend." Eleanor's introduction was brisk.
"Susan, this is Regulus Black. I've told you about him — the Slytherin with the interesting perspective on Herbology."
"Hello, Mister Black." Susan Payne said in a small voice.
"Hello, Miss Payne." Regulus replied, tone unchanged.
He genuinely did not care about blood status. The Black lineage was pure enough already; he had no need to derive a sense of superiority from it, still less to belittle others to aggrandize himself.
"Run into a problem?" Regulus glanced at the pumpkins and materials spread on the floor.
"Yeah — we want to do something special for the decorations here, and just lining up jack-o'-lanterns feels a bit boring." Eleanor gestured at a recessed alcove beside the Hufflepuff entrance.
"Professor Sprout said we could use our imagination, as long as we don't make it too scary.
Hufflepuff's symbol is the badger, right? I was thinking — could we combine jack-o'-lanterns with badgers somehow? But we obviously can't hang a stuffed animal in there..."
She scratched her head, clearly stuck on execution.
Susan nodded beside her, murmuring, "We tried Transfiguration, but it either didn't look right or reverted after a few minutes."
Regulus surveyed the alcove, then the assorted pumpkins on the floor, and thought briefly.
"Combining the badger's character with the Halloween mood — it might work. Let me try."
He crouched, picked up a hollowed, carved jack-o'-lantern.
Eleanor and Susan leaned in, curious.
"Badgers are famous for their fearlessness — even recklessness." As he spoke, he studied the pumpkin.
He drew his wand and tapped lightly.
Magic shimmered.
The pumpkin's shape began to shift. Two short nubs — like badger ears — sprouted from the top.
The comical grin on the front grew bolder: the upturned corners of the mouth now carried a fierce, nothing-scares-me quality.
At the eye positions, magic etched two small, sharp pinpoints of white light — like a badger's eyes gleaming in the dark.
Another tap. Inside, the stable magical flame shifted from warm amber to a slightly cool silver-white.
The rhythm of the fire became stronger, more irregular, and at the base, faint claw-scratch shadows coalesced.
A unique decoration was born — blending Hufflepuff's emblem with Halloween's playful spirit.
It was cool and fun, with just the right amount of badger-esque ferocity.
"Wow!" Eleanor exclaimed. "That's brilliant! Exactly right — fierce and on-brand!"
Susan's eyes widened too, her earlier nervousness forgotten. "That's amazing — even the flame color changed."
"Glad I could help." Regulus said mildly, then flicked his wand in a rapid series, applying the same treatment to the other prepared pumpkins.
Within moments, five or six badger-themed jack-o'-lanterns stood in the alcove, each with a different expression but all sharing the distinctive badger character. Silver-white flames danced, casting an atmosphere both mysterious and vibrant.
"Ooh, what are we making over here?" A warm voice floated over.
Professor Sprout appeared, looking as though she had just come from the greenhouses, still carrying a small pot of luminescent mushrooms.
"Professor! Look! Regulus helped us make badger jack-o'-lanterns!" Eleanor showed them off excitedly.
Professor Sprout came closer and examined them with evident delight.
She glanced at Regulus, standing calmly to the side, and smiled approvingly. "Very creative, Mister Black.
Stable transformation, clear intent, and you've managed to capture both the festive spirit and the house identity. Five points for your ingenuity."
"Thank you, Professor. It was nothing." Regulus gave a small bow.
After a brief exchange on the topic of magical-flame stability, Regulus excused himself.
Watching him go, Susan Payne whispered to Eleanor: "He's... not quite what the rumors say.
His magic is incredible — that Transfiguration, I don't think half the third-years in our house could manage it. And he's actually quite polite. Not like some Slytherins..."
Eleanor looked at the row of badger lanterns and smiled. "Of course he's different. I told you — what's in his head is nothing like most people's. As for his magical ability..."
She lowered her voice. "From what I've heard, it may be even more impressive than what he shows."
Meanwhile, Regulus and his roommates returned to the Slytherin common room.
Halloween preparations were underway here, too — in a sharply different style.
Upper-years had taken charge. Silver-green silk moved across the walls like living serpents. The conjured bats gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen. Jack-o'-lanterns were carved into the heads of beasts and venomous snakes, each burning with eerie green fire.
The entire common room radiated an atmosphere of opulence and forbidding chill.
Most of the younger students hovered at the edges — fetching materials, running errands, or watching the upper-years perform complex magic with admiring stares.
Regulus observed quietly for a while, the picture clear.
Hufflepuff's style: warmth, inclusivity, and a down-to-earth brand of creativity.
Slytherin's: refinement, exclusivity, and displays steeped in symbolism and rivalry.
Two aesthetics. Neither superior — simply the outward expression of two very different house cultures and value systems.