James's eyes went wide, his mouth falling open. Remus sucked in a sharp breath. Peter let out a short, startled squeak before clapping a hand over his mouth.
Sirius stood in the doorway, his body tense, fingers curling unconsciously into a fist. He wanted to draw his wand, but forced the impulse down.
Helping outsiders gang up on his own brother, no matter the outcome, would be humiliating.
Besides, he knew the truth. Even if he stepped in, he wouldn't win. Pushing things further would only make it worse.
Severus Snape stared at the frozen red ribbon of light. Slowly, he turned his head and looked at Regulus.
Lily was still gripping Snape's sleeve, though she no longer seemed aware of it. She was simply staring, stunned.
Regulus finally looked up.
He glanced at James, his gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at a piece of furniture. Then he turned his attention to the red ribbon. His right hand still held the quill. His left hand lightly gripped the wand, giving it the smallest lift.
The red glow dulled.
From vivid to faint. From solid to translucent.
Then it broke apart, like ice melting, dissolving into countless tiny red motes.
They drifted, spun once in the air, and vanished without a sound.
The process wasn't fast, and it wasn't slow. Everyone saw it clearly.
The wand disappeared from Regulus's hand as abruptly as it had appeared. His left hand returned to the desk. He lowered his head and continued writing, the quill scratching steadily across the page.
As if nothing at all had happened.
The silence dragged on for at least ten seconds.
James Potter still had his wand raised, his posture stiff, like a statue.
His eyes were stretched wide. Behind his lenses, his pupils reflected empty air.
Ten seconds ago, a complete Disarming Charm had been halted, dismantled, and erased, as if it had never existed.
"You…" James's voice caught. He swallowed, his throat bobbing. "What did you do?"
Regulus didn't answer. He didn't even spare James another glance.
James clenched his fist, clearly wrestling with himself. He was furious at being ignored, but in the end, he didn't explode.
Because he knew. Or rather, he'd learned enough to know.
There was a brief note in the appendix of Standard Book of Spells, Grade One. In theory, a sufficiently powerful wizard could interfere directly with another's magic and collapse the structure of an inferior spell.
The more you knew, the more terrifying that idea became.
James Potter loved pranks. He was arrogant. He was biased against Slytherin.
But he wasn't stupid.
His father had taught him basic spell theory. He'd seen adult wizards cast advanced magic. He read books.
So he understood that what had just happened wasn't a first-year pulling off a clever trick. It was something far beyond his imagination, unfolding right in front of him.
And the one who had done it sat there quietly, as if he were no more important than a passing insect.
James's grip tightened around his wand, the wood digging into his palm. He wanted to throw out a taunt, anything to save face, but his mouth was dry. Not a single word came out.
"What was that spell?" Remus asked softly, shifting to place himself in front of James.
"It wasn't a spell," Sirius said.
He stepped into the compartment and stood beside James, his eyes on Regulus.
He hadn't expected Regulus to have reached this level already. He knew what it implied, and the realization left him tangled in thoughts he couldn't quite name.
Maybe it was some family secret he didn't know about.
"What do you mean?" James snapped, turning on him.
"I mean you can't beat him," Sirius said, keeping his voice deliberately even. Caught between his friend and his brother, he refused to take sides openly.
Then he added, "At least not right now. So don't provoke him."
James opened his mouth, ready to argue. Then he looked at Regulus, then at the spot where the spell had vanished.
In the end, he said nothing.
Regulus finally looked up at Sirius. He gave a slight nod, then lowered his gaze again.
They left.
Out in the corridor, Lily Evans and Severus Snape were still standing there.
Lily had let go of Snape's sleeve, but she hadn't moved away. Her eyes were wide as she glanced between Regulus and the place where the spell had disappeared.
Snape's expression was darker than usual. He stared at Regulus, his eyes full of wariness.
"Are you all right?" Lily asked first.
Regulus looked up, his gaze passing over both of them.
"Thank you for coming," he said. "Strictly speaking, though, it's Mr. Snape who deserves thanks. The spell was aimed at him."
Lily blinked, clearly not expecting that. Still, it was true. "Oh. I mean… it's nothing."
Snape's mouth twitched. He kept staring. "How did you do that?"
Regulus didn't answer. Instead, he stood and introduced himself.
"Before that, perhaps we should know each other properly. I'm Regulus Black."
"Black?" Lily's eyes widened slightly. "You're… Sirius Black's brother?"
Regulus gave a small nod, his right shoulder and hand angling outward just a bit.
"I'm Lily Evans." Having that confirmed made the name hit differently. She took a quiet breath. Then her tone grew a touch more formal. "Second year, Gryffindor. This is Severus Snape, also a second year. Slytherin."
Snape pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded stiffly.
Regulus inclined his head to both of them. "I know your names."
Lily blinked. "You do?"
"Professor Slughorn mentioned you," Regulus said, as casually as if stating a fact.
"He said there are two second-year students at Hogwarts whose talent in potions far exceeds their peers. Lily Evans and Severus Snape. He suggested that, if I had the chance, I should talk with you."
Lily's face flushed. Her eyes lit up, and a genuine smile spread across her face. "Really? Professor Slughorn said that?"
Snape's expression was more complicated. His chin lifted slightly, pride flickering there, but caution still lingered in his eyes.
He'd heard praise like that before. Talent beyond one's peers often came with an unspoken addition in Slytherin. But your blood doesn't match it.
"So you knew who we were," Snape said, his voice tight, steering the conversation back. "Then what we just saw… that wasn't something a first-year should be able to do, Mr. Black."
Regulus met his gaze. He knew what Snape was like at this age. He was sensitive. insecure and proud. A bundle of contradictions.
Wary of Pure-bloods, yet secretly longing to belong among them.
"Spell analysis and magical interference," Regulus said. "The principles aren't complicated. They just demand extremely fine control."
And magic perception.
"How fine?" Snape pressed.
Sensitive, insecure, proud, and rude, Regulus noted to himself. Still, Snape was valuable.
"Fine enough that most adult wizards can't manage it," Regulus replied evenly. "I've practiced for a long time."
Lily looked at him with curiosity. "How long have you been practicing magic?"
"As long as I can remember," Regulus said lightly. "My family has a library."
The Black family library was famous. Then again, every old family had one.
But no amount of books could truly let a child master advanced magic alone.
Lily accepted the explanation anyway. She was Muggle-born. She had no frame of reference for how Pure-blood families educated their children.
She nodded, a bit more warmth in her eyes. "So you're the type who likes studying too."
"Studying is necessary," Regulus agreed. "For wizards, knowledge is power."
And for Muggles, even more so.
That made Snape's brow lift slightly. He glanced at Regulus, the wariness in his eyes easing, replaced by a measure of agreement.
"So," Snape asked, "which house are you going to?"
"Slytherin," Regulus answered without hesitation. "It's a family tradition."
Lily's expression dimmed for a moment. She glanced at Snape, then back at Regulus. Her lips moved, then she said, "Slytherin… isn't so bad. Severus is there."
And in her mind, she added, but there are also a lot of people there who hate people like me.
Regulus understood. He simply nodded. "Every house has people worth learning from. And people not worth your time."
That brightened Lily immediately. She smiled. "You're right. Then… see you at the Sorting?"
"See you at the Sorting."
Lily tugged lightly at Snape's sleeve. "We should go back, Severus."
Snape gave Regulus one last look, nodded, and turned away. Lily waved before following him.
The compartment fell quiet again.