"Does the Black family's property include any illegal Dark Magic items?"
Arthur asked bluntly, only to receive a smack on the back from Molly.
"Who knows! I just want to reclaim the Black family's assets. As for what's inside, we'll only know once we get them back. Even if there are Dark Magic items, I believe they're things left behind by former members of the family. The valuable ones will naturally be kept, and those with little to no value will either be dealt with or sealed away."
Regulus Black paused, then continued:
"Some Dark Magic items with unknown functions shouldn't be casually disposed of without locating related records. That would be irresponsible, because no one knows their true value or use. Mishandling them could lead to disaster."
Arthur picked up on the underlying message—this was a warning.
Just as Regulus had said, some Dark artifacts, if left alone, might not cause any trouble. But if someone carelessly tampered with them, they could trigger unknown spells, curses, or traps.
"Oooh! That's terrifying,"
The Weasley twins exclaimed. For two mischievous boys like them, it was impossible not to poke at something mysterious lying in front of them. With their boundless curiosity, if they ever did come across such an item, they'd definitely end up getting hit.
"For example, you two—who's Fred… George? Never mind. You both are extremely curious. If a Dark Magic item of unknown origin ended up in your hands, the likelihood of an incident would skyrocket."
Regulus Black turned and gave the twins a warning.
"In fact, most ancient pure-blood wizarding families have a few Dark Magic items in their possession. Some are so old that even descendants of the family don't know their origin or effect. They're kept more as a tradition than for actual use."
Clearly, if that's the case, then the Weasley family—being an ancient pure-blood line themselves—having no Dark items at all is incredibly rare. Perhaps it's because they have so many children that it would be dangerous, or maybe it's just that Gryffindor streak running strong through the whole family.
"Mr. Black, if I want to become a Prefect, what should I do?"
Percy Weasley, the most ambitious and politically inclined in the family, asked. At this point, he wasn't a Prefect yet, but with the new school year coming, he would soon become one—followed by Head Boy, then a career in the Ministry, and eventually a high-ranking official.
"You're asking the right person. There's a book that's perfect for you—How to Become a Prefect. I've read it myself back in the day."
Regulus Black had already prepared the book—and it was a well-used copy.
Upon receiving How to Become a Prefect, Percy Weasley's opinion of Regulus Black rose sharply. Even his own family called him power-hungry, but look at this assistant professor—he was someone who understood and supported him.
Would this book be enchanted? Of course it would! Anything gifted by Regulus Black had at least a mild charm on it—designed to increase mutual affection.
Naturally, Regulus Black was careful not to "bend" someone the wrong way by accident.
So, the enchantments meant to boost goodwill were strictly gender-differentiated—very strictly.
"We want to open a shop in the future. Do you have any advice?"
The Weasley twins chimed in, hoping for guidance.
Regulus had quite a bit of goodwill toward the twins. After all, in wizarding families, those willing to go into business were a rare breed. Like those old-fashioned aristocrats, many pure-blood families saw running a business themselves as beneath them—they'd rather hire someone else or simply invest.
"That depends on how many products you have. If you've only got one, then it's best to promote it through someone else's shop—let them sell it for you. If you've got ten items, then you can set up a stall or go door-to-door and deal with customers directly. If you have a hundred products, then it's time to open your own shop—though it'll still be a small one. The amount and variety of your goods determine the size of the shop you'll need. But all of this assumes your items are appealing enough that people are actually willing to pay for them."
Regulus Black's words sent the twins into deep thought. Up until now, they'd only dabbled in selling random little trinkets. In truth, it had been a waste of their talent.
"One more thing—if you two can come up with 100 decent products, I'll invest 1,000 Galleons to help you open a physical store."
Regulus Black then turned to look at Arthur Weasley.
"Your parents can testify—I mean what I say. I remember the Black family used to have a shop in Diagon Alley. It was a bit small, but just right for selling little gadgets. But to fill the entire shop, you'll definitely need no fewer than 100 products."
Regulus Black's words made Arthur Weasley roll his eyes—clearly, he was being dragged into this as well.Combined with Regulus' earlier complaints about the slow legal process, it was obvious he was asking Arthur to pull some strings in the Ministry.
The Weasley twins were so excited they nearly jumped for joy. They both turned to their father, their eyes practically shouting: "Dad, hurry and help Mr. Black get the shop back so we can open it soon!"
"Mr. Black, what about me? I really want to become a Quidditch player, and I'm also pretty good at Wizard's Chess."
Ron, seeing his brothers all getting feedback from Regulus Black, was eager to be evaluated as well.
"Quidditch requires talent, a lot of practice, and a good broomstick. As for Wizard's Chess, that's entirely based on innate talent. Actually, if you're good at Wizard's Chess, you could also play regular chess in the Muggle world—they have the same rules, just without the pieces physically smashing each other. You should know, in the Muggle world, chess is considered a refined sport—very popular and highly respected."
Regulus Black had thought through the Weasley family situation long before coming. If he helped the other children but ignored Ron, it would be seen as a slight, and the entire family might turn against him. No matter how kind he had been before, it would all go to waste. So, Regulus had already come up with a plan to win Ron over.
And that plan was Wizard's Chess. If Ron couldn't stand out in the wizarding world, then he would make a name for himself in the Muggle world.
"If you're ready, we can begin your road to fame during the winter break. I'll handle all the arrangements."
Regulus Black gave Ron a firm reassurance, filling him with hope and anticipation for the future.
"Mr. Black! What about me?"
Ginny shyly stepped in front of Regulus Black. Clearly, she had also noticed how much he was helping the Weasley family—especially since her brothers were all so thrilled—so it couldn't hurt to ask.
"Ginny! I'm not very familiar with you just yet, so let's wait until you start school. Then we'll see what path suits you best. As the only daughter of the Weasley family, you deserve a bit of special treatment."
As he spoke, Regulus placed a small coin pouch into Ginny's hand.
The little girl opened it and saw ten Galleons inside—enough to buy a full set of brand-new school supplies for the start of term.
"Mr. Black, this isn't appropriate."
Molly spoke up and reached to take the pouch back from Ginny to return it, making the girl look like she was about to cry.
"Please don't, Mrs. Weasley. A new wand costs seven Galleons, and there's the full set of books, supplies, and clothes—these are all essential. You can't expect Ginny to go to school with a hand-me-down wand that doesn't suit her, like Ron did! Just consider this a loan to Ginny personally—she can pay me back when she comes of age. No interest! How about that?"
Seeing that Molly was set on refusing, Regulus made up an entirely unreasonable excuse to smooth things over.
"I also have a few things I'd like to discuss privately with Arthur—some matters regarding property disputes."
With that, Regulus pulled Arthur upstairs for a private conversation.
That very night, Arthur conducted nine surprise inspections of the Malfoy estate under the authority of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office.
This ultimately became the reason why the Malfoys hurried to dispose of Voldemort's diary.
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