One of the reasons why Regulus Black didn't teach Harry Potter the Patronus Charm was the timing.
In the films, events never occur with clearly recorded timestamps, as if noted in a diary.
The passage of time—spring passing, autumn arriving—is instead shown through metaphorical expressions, like the Whomping Willow killing a bird and shedding its leaves, or growing leaves again and striking down another bird.
So, the timing of Sirius Black's official appearance and the scheduled execution of Buckbeak, the hippogriff, had to be carefully aligned. Regulus Black didn't want to make multiple trips.
Oh, and of course! A full moon night had to be chosen so Lupin could transform—only then could Peter Pettigrew make his escape.
Why split one task across three different time periods when it could be accomplished all at once?
Life must go on. The days must be lived.
Though Harry was excited each time he got to learn the Patronus Charm, he was even more excited about the monthly chance to visit Hogsmeade Village—a purely wizarding village.
Unfortunately, he didn't have parental permission. Getting the Dursleys' consent was nearly impossible.
The school, therefore, had every reason to deny Harry from joining the trip to Hogsmeade.
"Professor McGonagall! If you sign it, I can go to Hogsmeade!" Harry had to make one last effort.
"I'm sorry, child. You know I can't do that. Truly regretful," McGonagall said, turning away with a heavy heart.
Though she pitied Harry, she had to steel herself to reject his plea.
Ron came over, wanting to comfort him, but didn't know what to say.
"Forget about me this weekend, friends. Just go and have fun," said Harry, now the only student in the entire school who wasn't allowed to visit Hogsmeade.
"It's time for you two brothers to step up. Remember—don't reveal that the Marauder's Map came from me."
"All right, Mr. Black. We don't know why, but since you've asked, we'll follow your instructions," said the Weasley twins.
The Weasley twins had finally developed a hundred products. When they approached Regulus Black, he instead asked them for a favor: to deliver the Marauder's Map to Harry Potter.
In exchange for this small favor, they would receive a 10,000 Galleon investment. Who could say no to that? Even though they were very interested in the map themselves.
So, when a dejected Harry returned to school, the Weasley twins pulled him into a corner.
"George! Our savior needs help."
"Then it's time to offer up our most treasured artifact, Fred!"
With their trademark comical tone, the twins shared Harry's dilemma and presented the Marauder's Map.
"What's this?" Harry asked, unfolding the parchment.
"Watch this! I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," George said, tapping the parchment with his wand.
Ink spread across the parchment, forming a detailed map of Hogwarts, complete with moving footprints and labels showing the names of those walking around.
Although it was their first time seeing it too, the Weasley twins explained the map's function right away.
"Look here—this indicates a secret passage," said Fred, pointing to a wall on the fourth floor, though the map labeled it as the second-floor exit.
"And look there—Filch is no longer a problem at night," George added. Filch's footprints were seen leaving Hogwarts, accompanied by many students' and even Professor McGonagall's.
"Now, focus your eyes here—see the name 'Hogsmeade Village'?"
The twins pointed to a spot on the map where a secret passage led directly to Hogsmeade and exited through a candy shop.
Harry was thrilled with the gift. Now, he could go to Hogsmeade just like everyone else.
Of course, the Invisibility Cloak was an essential item. Even if he could sneak out of Hogwarts, it was best not to be seen.
Watching Harry skip off joyfully like a pack mule, the twins felt a bit of regret.
"Honestly, Mr. Black's gift is way better than all hundred of our products."
The hundred products had taken the Weasley twins a huge amount of effort to design, including the use of various spells and protective enchantments to prevent tampering.
But compared to the Marauder's Map, those products seemed insignificant. The twins would gladly trade all of them for the map—though they knew that was only wishful thinking.
"You two did well. Now Harry Potter can have a peaceful term. I believe he'll repay your kindness."
Regulus Black suddenly appeared behind the Weasley twins, wrapping an arm around their shoulders just as they started getting ideas.
"We won't try to take the map. We promise! But borrowing it now and then to play with isn't too much, right?"
The two chuckled awkwardly and told the truth. Whenever faced with Regulus Black, they just couldn't help being honest.
"Of course, you can ask Harry to lend it. Now, go join the group—Hogsmeade is waiting."
Regulus was in high spirits. Giving Harry the Marauder's Map meant the boy would soon learn some hidden truths.
Without a dramatic misunderstanding, there wouldn't be such intense closeness later.
Imagine if Regulus had Sirius Black, his brother, go through official channels to obtain a Ministry pardon, then brought him to Harry and said, "This man is your godfather—your late parents' dear friend, your family's Secret-Keeper. A series of unfortunate events led to their deaths, and your godfather has since been imprisoned in Azkaban under suspicion..."
Maybe Harry would accept him as his godfather at the time, but over time, doubts would grow in his heart. Every explanation would begin to sound like a cover-up.
People only believe what they want to believe—whether it's a lie or the truth.
And when someone refuses to believe, even truth or lies will raise suspicion.
So how do you get someone to believe a truth? You must satisfy a few conditions:— A piece of shocking news that stirs uncontrollable emotion (e.g., anger)— A surprising twist or sacrifice— Clues that the person can personally investigate
Meeting any two of these three is usually enough to make someone believe what you want them to believe.
In fact, many con artists use this same method to deceive others.
Hogsmeade is a pure wizarding village near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
It is the only all-wizard village in Britain, a quaint place full of charming shops and cottages with thatched roofs. During holidays, the village trees are adorned with magically lit candles. Hogwarts is located beside a large lake that originates near this village. The Hogwarts Express ends its journey here, marking the start of each school year for students.
School rules state that only third-years and above may visit the village, and only on designated Saturdays—and only with written permission from their guardians.
When Harry emerged through the secret tunnel wearing his Invisibility Cloak, he exited through the basement storeroom of Honeydukes Sweetshop.
Due to Regulus Black's interference in his first year, Harry had learned customized spells from Quirrell—spells to suppress sound, scent, and unusual disturbances.
Like just now: Harry snatched a lollipop from a student mid-conversation, and neither that student nor the person they were talking to noticed anything strange.
Humming to himself, Harry began his cheerful stroll through Hogsmeade Village.
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