Chapter 76: The Marvelous Rabbit
Regulus looked up. Lily Evans.
She was cradling a few books, hair pulled into a ponytail, face lit with a lively smile.
Regulus gave a small nod in greeting, then went back to reading.
Lily seemed accustomed to his manner by now. She sat down quietly, pulled quill and parchment from her bag, and began to write.
No conversation between them — only the sounds of turning pages and a quill tip tracing parchment.
That silence held until lunch drew near.
Regulus closed his book, about to stand and head for the Great Hall. Lily began packing up at the same moment.
She hesitated, then produced a parcel from the little crossbody bag Regulus had given her — the one enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
The parcel was wrapped simply in brown paper, tied with a dark green ribbon.
"For you." Lily pushed it across the table. Her voice was quiet, a touch self-conscious. "A late Christmas present. Hope you don't mind." Regulus took it. The moment his hands made contact, he knew — knitted fabric, soft and substantial. A scarf or gloves, probably.
The wrapping was plain. No ornate shop decorations. But the ribbon was tied neatly, corners folded with meticulous care.
He could picture Lily at home in Cokeworth, sitting by the fireplace, knitting stitch by stitch.
Probably dodging Petunia's curious — or jealous — glances, avoiding her parents' questions, working under lamplight after homework was done, slowly completing it night by night.
The object wasn't precious. Ordinary wool. Basic stitching. Any shop on the street sold finer-looking wares.
But woven into it was intention, and time, and a girl's sincere good wishes for a friend.
Regulus received the parcel with due gravity. He looked into Lily's eyes. "Thank you."
Lily's face broke into an instant smile — the nervousness and self-consciousness dissolving into pure happiness.
"As long as you like it." She said cheerfully. "I didn't have much to do at home over the holiday. Couldn't practice magic, so I thought I'd knit something..."
They walked out of the library together toward the Great Hall, chatting about holiday life along the way.
Regulus obviously wasn't about to share his real holiday with Lily — the Malfoy banquet, the Knockturn Alley tour, the fight with Dark wizards. None of that was suitable.
He said only that he'd practiced magic at home, attended some social events. Very ordinary. Very unremarkable.
Lily listened, a touch envious: "You can actually practice magic at home. I don't dare keep my wand within arm's reach — afraid I'll accidentally cast something.
Once, while helping my mum wash dishes, I spotted a stubborn stain on a plate and the Scouring Charm popped into my head before I could stop it. I rushed the wand into the deepest drawer and locked it away."
"The Trace only pinpoints underage wizards who aren't near an adult witch or wizard." Regulus replied casually.
"If you ever genuinely need to practice during the holiday, find a good friend — someone with an adult wizard at home — and stay with them for a few days. Near an adult wizard, the Trace won't trigger."
"Really?" Lily's eyes lit up. "There's a way around it?"
"The Ministry's monitoring system isn't all that precise." Regulus explained.
"It mainly targets Muggle-born young witches and wizards — to prevent them from exposing magic in front of Muggles.
If an adult wizard is nearby, the system assumes the adult is casting and won't trace it back to the child."
Lily filed the information away carefully, then hesitated before asking: "Why did you give me such an expensive present?
That bag... I've seen similar items in Diagon Alley. The prices are frightening."
Regulus was quiet for a beat. He could hardly say: 'It only seems expensive to you; to me it was quite cheap.'
"Value is relative. To me, that bag is just a practical, convenient tool.
The Undetectable Extension Charm used to make it isn't all that advanced. The Ministry forbids private use, true — but as long as you're discreet, not doing anything illegal, quietly using one is no problem."
He added: "If you're interested, the library has a book called Fundamentals and Applications of Spatial Magic. It covers the Extension Charm in detail, with practice methods.
In theory, if your magical-control precision is sufficient and you understand the principle of spatial expansion, you could make one yourself."
Lily's eyes widened. "Make one myself?"
"Of course." Regulus nodded firmly. "Magic is learned. If you're willing to put in the time and effort, many things that seem extraordinarily advanced really aren't that difficult."
In the original story, Hermione Granger had produced a beaded bag with an Undetectable Extension Charm in seventh year, using it to carry everything needed for the adventure.
If Hermione could do it, there was no reason Lily couldn't — neither was necessarily the cleverer.
Even if Lily was younger right now, that was fine. Regulus could provide the critical guidance.
They entered the Great Hall and parted toward their respective House tables.
As Regulus sat down, Avery leaned over and whispered: "You and that Evans — close?"
"Academic exchange." Regulus answered simply.
Avery pulled a face but said nothing more.
In his view — a young wizard from a pure-blood house — getting too friendly with a Muggle-born wasn't a good look.
But he wouldn't dare tell Regulus what to do. One reminder, and he considered his comradely duty discharged.
Regulus paid it no mind. Most pure-blood-born young wizards didn't measure up to Lily.
......
Wednesday afternoon. Transfiguration.
Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the class, expression stern as always.
Today she wore deep green robes, a Gryffindor-and-Hogwarts double badge pinned at the collar, silver hair swept back without a strand out of place.
"Today's lesson: handkerchief-to-rabbit." McGonagall's voice was crisp and carried. "This is a key topic for the term. It will be on the final exam. The standard is straightforward: the transformed rabbit must maintain its form for ten minutes without reverting."
She picked up a white handkerchief and tapped it with her wand.
The handkerchief began to writhe — swelling, stretching, its surface developing the texture of fur, edges sprouting the shape of ears.
A few seconds later, a living white rabbit stood on the dais: pink nose twitching, long ears erect, hind legs softly drumming the table.
"Transfiguration relies not only on magical power but on concentration." McGonagall stressed.
"You must vividly imagine every detail of the target form: the texture of the fur, the distribution of muscle, the structure of the skeleton — even the color and luster of the eyes.
The clearer the image, the more stable the transformation, the longer it holds."
Another tap — the rabbit became a handkerchief once more.
"Now, begin."
Regulus picked up the handkerchief before him. Cotton, the Hogwarts crest embroidered along the hem, soft and substantial to the touch.
He closed his eyes and built the image of a rabbit in his mind.
Rapidly he assembled the full anatomy — specific, detailed, inside and out.
Skeletal system: skull, spine, ribs, limb-bones — shapes and articulations.
Muscular system: which muscles powered the leap, which worked the jaw, which rotated the ears.
Organs: heart placement, lung-lobe dimensions, intestinal length.
External features: fur length and density, corneal clarity and reflectance, vascular mapping of the ears, whisker sensitivity.
For Regulus, none of this took effort. Effortless. But other young wizards weren't like him — some probably didn't even know whether rabbits had tails.
Visualization complete, Regulus raised his wand and tapped.
"Vera Verto."
The handkerchief began to change.
Unlike McGonagall's demonstration — fluid, instinctive — Regulus's transformation was more precise, more layered.
It started from the interior. Cotton fibers rearranged into skeletal scaffolding. Then muscle tissue formed, wrapping around bone.
Next, internal organs materialized, finding their correct positions within thoracic and abdominal cavities. Only last came the outer hide — white fur sprouting from the skin surface, blanketing the whole body.
The process took roughly five seconds.
A white rabbit stood on the desk — near-identical to McGonagall's.
But a close look revealed differences. This rabbit's eyes were brighter, its gaze more alert. The chest rose and fell in a more natural breathing rhythm. When the ears swiveled, you could hear the faint rasp of cartilage.
Regulus studied it a moment, then tapped his wand at the rabbit a second time — continuing the Transfiguration.
The skin along the rabbit's back began to swell. Subcutaneous tissue reorganized; bone extended; muscles anchored.
A pair of wings grew from the scapulae — bat-like membrane wings.
The wing bones were slender, joints agile, membranes thin yet tough, laced with a fine capillary network.
The thoracic structure shifted: ribs expanded outward, making room for the new flight muscles.
Heart position adjusted slightly — pumping efficiency increased. Lung lobes enlarged, gas-exchange capacity enhanced. Hind-limb musculature recalibrated for launching and landing.
Outwardly it was still a rabbit. White fur. Pink eyes. Long ears. But internally, an entirely different creature.
Gasps erupted around the room.
"Black's made a magical creature!" a Hufflepuff boy exclaimed.
"Is that a rabbit? Rabbits have wings?"
"Must be a magical creature — only magical creatures look like that!"