HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

"So you called me here," Ian said, his voice steady, "not to tell me this."

Regulus took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "I can't find anyone else," he said, a hint of self-mockery in his voice. "Sirius... he's gone, and he'll never understand. The others in the academy are either fanatical, numb, or... like Nott and Carlo, they've gotten too deeply involved."

"You're a prefect, Ian. You're different from them, and Snape is different too. You're sane, and... you're capable of remaining sane."

"What do you want to do?" Ian asked directly.

"I don't know," Regulus answered just as directly, revealing his confusion. "But I can no longer pretend I don't see. I need... I need to know more, something truly useful, about dark magic, about immortality..."

Ian’s gaze lingered on Regulus’s face for a moment.

"Immortality." He repeated the word, his tone devoid of emotion. "You believe in this?"

Regulus's Adam's apple bobbed. "I don't believe it," he said softly, "but I believe he's pursuing this at all costs... and he's given some things to Bella, and Lucius."

Ian tapped his fingertips lightly on the dusty tabletop. "What's that?"

"I don't know exactly what it is." Regulus shook his head, his eyes filled with frustration and deeper anxiety. "I only heard them mention it in very vague terms... something very important. Bella values ​​it more than her life, while Lucius... is more like fulfilling a mandate that cannot be compromised."

He paused, then looked at Ian. "You know what this means, right? That's not an ordinary dark magic item; it might be... the core."

"Speculation is dangerous, Regulus," Ian said, his voice still steady, "especially about things you don't know."

"So I need to understand!" Regulus's voice rose slightly, then quickly fell back down in the empty classroom. "I can't... I can't just watch and then wake up one day to find that everything is beyond repair, and that I've become... an accomplice."

He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure, but to no avail.

"I need knowledge, Ian, not the empty talk at the tea party, but something truly useful, something that will help me understand what they're doing and how... I should deal with it. Slughorn values ​​more than just potion-making talent in your research, doesn't he?"

Ian did not answer immediately, and only the sound of their breathing filled the classroom.

"Knowledge is a double-edged sword," Ian finally said. "The more you know, the harder it is to get out of trouble. Sometimes, ignorance is the safest option."

"I'm not safe anymore." Regulus forced a bitter smile. "There's no such thing as safety since the day I took my surname, since I stepped into that gathering. Now I just want... to die knowing why, or, if I ever have the chance, to do something right."

The last few words were as soft as a sigh.

Ian stared at him for a long time, so long that Regulus almost thought he would refuse.

"In Hogwarts' library, in the restricted section, some books require specific access," Ian said slowly. "Professor Slughorn or the Headmaster can get access to some with a note. But the most essential items aren't kept there."

Regulus's eyes widened slightly, a faint glimmer of hope igniting within them.

"Furthermore," Ian continued, his tone tinged with warning, "find it on your own, at your own risk. Some knowledge is inherently...contaminated. Before you do, you'd better make sure your Occlumency is up to par."

"I'm learning," Regulus said immediately, his voice dry with urgency. "It's not good enough, but I'm learning."

"Then let's keep learning." Ian straightened up and moved away from the edge of the table. "As for what Bella and Lucius are keeping... don't take the initiative to check it. Regulus, that's not something we can touch right now. Be careful, but don't reach out. Sometimes, knowing something exists is more deadly than knowing what it is."

Regulus understood the warning, and also sensed a hint of implicit approval.

He nodded vigorously, his tense shoulders slumping slightly.

"Thank you," he said, his voice hoarse.

"No need." Ian walked to the door, placed his hand on the doorknob, paused for a moment, and did not turn around. "Take care, Regulus. It's good to be clear-headed, but don't let it wear you down too quickly. Some wars... have already begun in the shadows. Only by preserving yourself can you see the end."

He opened the door and went out, leaving Regulus alone in the empty classroom.

The corridor was even quieter than when I came in. Ian walked quickly, his mind racing through the conversation he had just had.

Regulus knew that he was closer to the core than he had anticipated, but that it was also more dangerous.

This danger comes not only from the outside world, but also from his own precarious state.

As he reached the corner of the stairs leading to the cellar, he was not surprised to see a familiar figure leaning against the cold stone wall.

Ian didn't stop and walked straight over until the two were only a step apart.

"Didn't I tell you not to come?" He said casually, as if to say, "I have a lot of potions homework today."

Severus lowered his arm, his dark eyes watching him from the shadows. "On the way."

Ian almost burst out laughing. From the cellar to the eighth floor, and then "on the way" to this corner, it was quite a convenient route.

But he didn't expose it; he just nodded and said, "You're done asking. Go back now."

The two walked down the spiral staircase side by side, their footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell.

At first, no one spoke, but halfway down the road, Ian spoke in a low voice.

"He's in very poor condition."

"I can see that," Severus said flatly. "The Black family's elegance is about to crumble."

"That lord is pursuing immortality and has entrusted Lestrange and Malfoy with some things for safekeeping," Ian said more specifically, lowering his voice to make sure only the two of them could hear.

Severus paused, turning to Ian. "What does he want?"

"Knowledge. Knowledge that can help him understand 'what that is' and 'how to deal with it'." Ian smirked. "I gave him some direction, but I also poured cold water on him. He's grasping at straws right now, but those straws might have thorns."

"He asked for it," Severus commented, but there was little sarcasm in his tone; it was more like stating a fact.

“Yes.” Ian sighed, the white mist dissipating in the cold air. “But it’s better to find them than to sink completely. He mentioned ‘doing the right thing.’”

Severus was silent for a moment. "The price will be high."

"I know."

Back in the dorm, Kevin and Aris were still sitting by the fireplace, but they had already cleaned up their wet clothes and were playing Wizards Chess.

Kevin frowned, staring at the chessboard, while Aris remained calm.