HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

After that night, life seemed to return to a certain superficial calm.

With the arrival of spring, even the weather around the castle has improved, with sunny days for several consecutive weekends.

They began to spend more time outside the castle, sometimes reading under the big tree by the lake. Severus would usually bring his potions notebook, and Ian would lean against him, looking at some casual herbal illustrations.

Kevin started training Quidditch more often, usually with Aris, ostensibly for "tactical guidance."

Lily would sometimes come to the lake, usually with Mary.

Her conversations with Severus were still mostly about schoolwork, but the atmosphere was much more natural.

James Porter would occasionally walk by noisily with his small group. He would nod and greet Lily, and after receiving a response, he would continue walking away with Sirius arm in arm, no longer trying to squeeze into the conversation or awkwardly showing himself as before.

One time, as Lily watched them walk away, she whispered to Severus, "He seems... really different now."

Severus, without looking up, was identifying the characteristics of a newly sprouted lakeside herb: "Perhaps."

"Just maybe?"

"People don't change completely all at once." Severus carefully separated the leaves with tweezers. "But it's always better to be going in the right direction than to stay in the same place."

Lily smiled and didn't say anything more; the sunlight made her red hair shine.

Regulus did indeed go to the Lestrange family's house for the Easter holidays.

When he returned, he spent the entire night in the Room of Requirement, mostly in silence, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the pages of the book on his lap.

Just before leaving, he briefly said, "Bella is looking for something, something she 'deposited' many years ago. She's very impatient. Nott and Carlo got scolded because the container they found wasn't good enough and didn't match the item."

He didn't say what it was, but everyone felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

What Bellatrix Lestrange values ​​so highly is definitely not some mascot.

She also mentioned that... the "master" needs more "eyes" and "ears" at school.

Regulus concluded by glancing at everyone in the room, especially Ian and Severus, "She believes that talented people who choose to be 'weak' are more of a hindrance than pure fools."

This is a clear warning.

They have been noticed, not because of what they did, but precisely because of what they "didn't do" and "might not do anything."

Spring was slowly coming to an end, and one evening in May, the sky was a pinkish-purple like an oil painting.

Ian and Severus wandered to the Black Lake once again, this time without any particular purpose, simply to get away from the parchment and crucibles for a while.

The lake water gently lapped against the rocks on the shore.

Severus gazed at the lights of the castle across the river and suddenly asked, "Will you still let me come to your house during summer vacation?"

Ian turned to look at him. "What else? You want to go back to Spider's End?"

"……In no mood."

"That settles it then." Ian nudged him with his shoulder. "The lab has some new ingredients that you'll definitely be interested in. Besides, my mom has started working on new recipes, saying she can't let you eat the same thing all the time."

Severus's lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.

"What's wrong?" Ian asked, lowering his voice.

Severus was silent for a moment before saying, "Your father might be in trouble because of Knockturn Alley. My going there again might bring more attention."

“Our family isn’t afraid of being noticed,” Ian said, his voice steady. “My dad’s been in the Ministry of Magic for so long, he knows how to handle things. And, precisely because there might be trouble, you shouldn’t be alone.”

This logic was a bit domineering, but Severus understood its meaning.

He looked down at the tips of his shoes, which were soaked by the lake water.

"Okay," he said.

In June, the OWL exam season finally arrived in full swing, and ended amidst a mix of relief and lamentation.

Seventh-grade students are taking graduation photos, and a faint sense of melancholy permeates the air.

Ian and Severus encountered Lucius Malfoy in the corridor, who was talking to several well-dressed young purebloods. Upon seeing them, Malfoy gave them a graceful nod.

"Another year has passed. Time flies, doesn't it?" Malfoy said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over Severus. "I look forward to seeing you all again on a more appropriate occasion."

His words were loaded with meaning, but his demeanor was impeccable.

After he walked away, Kevin muttered to himself, "A more suitable occasion... doesn't sound like a good place."

After leaving school in seventh grade, the castle seemed a little empty, but also a little quieter.

The pressure of the new year felt like a real weight, even the club gatherings in Slughorn were temporarily suspended, and the old professor advised everyone to "focus on your studies, your future is the most important thing."

In the final week before summer vacation, Regulus brought what was perhaps the last and most unsettling piece of news of the semester on Thursday night.

"The Nott family is looking for someone." He sat in his armchair, his back ramrod straight, but his face appeared somewhat pale in the firelight. "A smuggler of dark magic items operating in the Albanian forests, nicknamed 'Viper'."

"This person may have a piece of information about the whereabouts of an artifact that was 'lost' from England a long time ago and bears the mark of powerful dark magic."

"What object?" Aris asked immediately.

"I don't know. When Nott and Carlo were talking, they used a very euphemistic name for it, calling it 'The Echo Box'."

Regulus said, "They're in a hurry. Nott even hinted that someone would be 'very unhappy' if they didn't find reliable leads before the summer. Bella is already getting impatient."

It's Bella again, and something the "master" needs.

"Albania..." Ian pondered, "It's not a peaceful place; many dark wizards and dark creatures inhabit it."

"So they're looking for someone who knows the area," Severus said. "'Viper'..."

"My father has some old friends who are involved in international trade, and they may have heard of this name."

Ian said, "I'll go back and ask, but don't get your hopes up too high. Those kinds of people usually keep a deep eye on things."

"Be careful." Regulus looked at him, his gray-blue eyes filled with undisguised worry. "This time, the Nott family... used a different kind of connection, not just those in Knockturn Alley."

"clear."

That night, when Regulus left, he paused at the door, looked back at the warm yellow light inside the room, and at the four people in that light.

His gaze lingered on each face for a fleeting moment, then he said softly, "Summer vacation...stay in touch. If you need, Kreacher can deliver messages; he knows the way to the Burkes."

This was the first time he had offered to maintain this fragile connection during the holidays, outside of Hogwarts.

"Okay." Ian nodded. "You too, Regulus, stay alert."

Regulus gave a soft "hmm," opened the door, and disappeared into the dimly lit corridor.

The last few days of the semester flew by as I packed my bags and said my final goodbyes.

On the eve of leaving school, Ian and Severus went to the Room of Requirement again to hide some notes and materials that were not convenient to take with them.