Hogwarts: Legacy of the Necromancer

Buckbeak's chain had been completely modified. Regulus Black had specifically chosen the look from the moment when Buckbeak had been attacked by Dementors during the transportation timeline, while carrying Sirius and Harry Potter. That image of Buckbeak's chest was the model.

A smooth, rounded chain now wrapped around Buckbeak's neck. On his chest hung a dull, angular metal plate engraved with the words "Black's Sky." The entire chain floated in mid-air, so it wouldn't ruffle Buckbeak's feathers. And when someone mounted him, the chain would extend backward, enclosing the rider within it.

Buckbeak shook his feathers with great majesty, somewhat puzzled that he couldn't feel the chain hanging on him.

The modified chain had also been set with a contract clause: members of the Black family could summon Buckbeak simply by calling his name. They could also make basic requests of him—like letting a loved one ride.

Regulus Black, still in a daze, completed all of this before snapping back to awareness. No wonder he had felt a strange sense of familiarity when he had previously encountered Buckbeak. At that time, the same metal plate and chain had been hanging from him—but he hadn't paid it any mind.

Now that he thought about it, it was clearly the effect of the Time Turner taking hold, resulting in a kind of predestined consequence.

"Regulus! By this point, I should already be in the Shrieking Shack—so where exactly are you?"

Hermione was eager to know the answer. Back then, she'd received multiple hints—clearly, Regulus Black was either nearby or had some means of observing events in real time, like the brooch he'd placed on her.

"Ah! Speaking of that time—I was up on the roof catching the cold wind! The Shrieking Shack can't be entered from the outside, but if you get close enough, you can still keep an eye on what's going on inside. So, I had no choice but to squat up there, freezing in the wind."

Regulus Black replied a little helplessly, with a face full of "I've given up on life," which made Hermione burst into laughter.

"This time is no less dangerous than the last few times. I'm not letting you take any risks. I need to stay close enough so that I can step in if necessary. The Shrieking Shack's defenses don't really mean anything to me."

As he gently smoothed her hair, Regulus looked at Hermione with such deep affection that she turned red and leaned in to kiss him.

Time passed quickly as Regulus and Hermione quietly chatted. They watched Lupin enter the tree tunnel, followed by Snape. After they finished a sunset picnic, voices finally began emerging from the tree tunnel. One by one, the people inside climbed out.

Sirius had finally caught Peter Pettigrew. The long-awaited revenge was taken, but instead of feeling satisfied, he seemed at a loss, staring blankly at the nightscape of Hogwarts.

"Do we need to know what Harry and Sirius are saying?"

Hermione, from a distance, saw Harry walk toward Sirius. She realized she had no idea what they had talked about during that moment. At the time, she hadn't been in a position to go near them. But now, with no such restrictions, eavesdropping didn't carry the same guilt.

"No need! I can easily guess what my brother is thinking. It's nothing more than a godfather wanting to live with his godson."

Regulus Black wasn't interested in spying on things he already knew. What mattered more was the impending Dementor attack.

Night at Hogwarts was serene and mysterious. The largest magical defense array in all of Britain covered the area overhead. Even the Ministry of Magic didn't have such a powerful formation.

That's not to say the Ministry's defenses were weak. It was located deep underground somewhere in Britain and could only be accessed through specific fireplaces. The very fact that it was underground gave it a natural advantage.

But the strength of Hogwarts' defense lay in how its entire castle and the vast Forbidden Forest above ground were protected in their natural state. The magic formation completely erased this region from the sight of the world—or rather, from Muggle perception.

This applied not only to people but also to Muggle technology. In this regard, the magical world thoroughly outclassed the technological one.

Regulus Black continued chatting with Hermione while letting his mind wander.

The Hogwarts Express used outdated Muggle technology. To establish the train route, the Ministry of Magic had spent decades debating, only to finish the actual construction in a few months.

That's because they began discussing it back when steam trains were being widely adopted. By the time they finally confirmed the idea of a magical train, steam engines had already been replaced by electric locomotives. The Muggles had leapt two entire tech eras ahead of the wizards. The Ministry, embarrassed by their sluggishness, scrambled to save face by acting quickly.

It had to be said—the magical world still had many old stubborn fools.

"Regulus! Look—the moon is out."

While Regulus was off in his own thoughts, Hermione stayed focused on the situation at hand and was the first to notice the rising moon.

And it wasn't just one Hermione—both Hermiones noticed the moon at the same time.

The next scene had already been witnessed by both of them. Even though they knew there wouldn't be any real danger in the end, watching the fight between the werewolf Lupin and the black dog form of Sirius was undeniably bloody. More importantly, it was clearly an unfair fight—werewolves had incredibly strong regenerative abilities, while Sirius, in his Animagus form, had to endure all the damage himself.

The werewolf swatted away the pouncing black dog with a powerful blow and was just about to move in for the kill when a rock struck the back of its head.

Harry Potter was focused solely on saving Sirius and didn't consider whether he was capable of taking on a werewolf.

The werewolf rubbed the spot on its skull where the swelling had just subsided, then turned and let out a furious roar at Harry Potter.

"Hermione, darling! It's your turn to howl now."

Regulus Black spoke while placing a hand on the little girl's buttocks—though the feel through denim jeans wasn't exactly satisfying.

Hermione gave him a flirtatious wink, took a deep breath, and howled, "Awoo…! Awoo…!"

The werewolf suddenly found itself in a dilemma. Deep within the Forbidden Forest, there was a she-wolf howling in a way that stirred its instincts. But right in front of it stood a delicious little boy. Fortunately, the creature's mind had no room for complex thoughts like "satiated before seeking pleasure," so it simply followed its instincts and charged into the Forbidden Forest.

Regulus Black, of course, had no intention of fleeing in a sorry state like Harry Potter. He casually flicked his hand and tossed out a collar—the one made for Sirius. The spells on it could forcibly keep Sirius in his Animagus form as a black dog, or alternatively, cancel the transformation and return him to human form.

That latter function, as it happened, worked just as well on the current werewolf Lupin—even under direct moonlight.

The collar swiftly latched itself onto the werewolf's neck. It wasn't that the werewolf didn't try to dodge—it was that the collar had automatically followed its movements and locked on.

With agonized howls, the werewolf Lupin shed his wolf form and reverted to his human state.

"Professor Lupin, how are you feeling? Originally, I planned to have Buckbeak fight you in your werewolf form."

Regulus Black waved his wand, causing fallen leaves nearby to gather around Lupin. Then, with a Transfiguration spell, an old suit Lupin usually wore appeared on his body.

"Do you remember what you just did? You attacked Sirius! You attacked Harry Potter!"

Regulus Black had no problem looking at Lupin's body, but conjuring clothes for him was just a courtesy—to spare the little girl nearby from an inappropriate sight.

Lupin was well aware that he had almost killed his friend and Harry Potter. One major drawback of becoming a werewolf was losing control over one's body—completely dominated by primal instincts. The human consciousness could only watch helplessly as it harmed loved ones. This was why people were so terrified of werewolves. That kind of suffering was comparable to the most vicious curses.

"Regulus! How did you do this? This collar…?"

Lupin touched the collar on his neck, asking with surprise and hope written all over his face.

"This was made for Sirius. You're just borrowing it for now—don't get any ideas."

Regulus Black had no intention of giving the collar to him. Not unless Lupin became a servant of the Black family.

"In light of your earlier actions, I'll need you to do something to make up for it."

With that, Regulus Black handed Lupin a worn-out wand.

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