Chapter 25
Upon first seeing the Headless Horseman, Regulus suspected the girl's mother, as the wizarding heritage is a continuation of bloodlines, a deeply rooted belief.
Even though Regulus considered her an unconventional witch, it was still likely that the parents had passed their traits to their child.
Looking around, apart from the three town leaders attempting to persuade him, there wasn't a single passerby near this isolated house.
"Alohomora!"
Long before he had swayed the thoughts of the three town leaders, he had suggested that they should disregard magical actions, meaning that no matter what magic appeared before them, they would automatically overlook it. The only side effect was that the 'Muggle-Repelling Charm' no longer affected them.
The door opened, revealing a destitute woman with her two daughters inside, while a villain clad in black entered.
What a deceptive scene for a meeting!
"Mrs. Cook! Clearly, you thought I wouldn't come looking for you again."
Regulus observed the frightened look on her face, quite certain that it was this Mrs. Cook controlling the Headless Horseman.
"No one can escape the Headless Horseman's attack."
Mrs. Cook quivered as she spoke, essentially confessing that she was the one directing the Headless Horseman to assault Duke Black.
"Of course! You forgot that I am a genuine wizard. You have your Headless Horseman, and I have my puppet toys."
Regulus Black stepped a bit closer, glancing at her still appealing features, slightly setting aside his intention to pursue the matter further.
"If you have no other options, it seems you won't be able to stop me. However, it's clear that you have some misconceptions about me. I do not intend to take anyone away; rather, with a proper wizard like me instructing them, their future performance will be even better."
"It is precisely because you are a genuine wizard that I will not agree to you taking them. They are not as talented as you think."
Mrs. Cook began to belittle her daughters, which caused the girls behind her to display expressions of discontent.
"Oh! Are you suggesting that they will lose their inherited powers after leaving the Headless Valley? Or that they lack magical abilities altogether?"
Regulus's two questions were exactly what Mrs. Cook feared. If this Duke Black was indeed a real wizard, would he unleash his anger on her children upon discovering such issues?
Rather than risk losing her life in the future due to his wrath, it would be better to refuse from the outset, whether by outright refusal or by eliminating Duke Black; either way, it could resolve the situation.
How she wished that this Duke Black was merely a fake wizard, so that the Headless Horseman would surely succeed.
"Yes! If you find that they do not possess the talents you imagine, you will... you will... I only have these two left, please do not take them away."
As she spoke, Mrs. Cook wept and knelt on the ground.
"I will not take them away, but nominally they must come work for me. Since this is my territory, I need to construct a manor here for long-term residence. They can live in the manor and manage the entire estate for me."
Regulus Black helped Mrs. Cook to her feet and waved his wand to 'clean' and 'repair' her clothes.
He lifted Mrs. Cook's face with his wand, carefully examining her features. In her youth, Mrs. Cook could be considered a beauty, but years of hard work and being in her thirties had significantly diminished her looks.
"There is a potion that can help restore youth, but it comes at a high cost. If you are concerned about your daughters, why not work for me together?"
Regulus Black's words made Mrs. Cook blush instantly. This Duke Black not only had his eyes on her daughters but was now also interested in her. This was simply... too stimulating!
If Duke Black hadn't mentioned any potion for restoring youth, Mrs. Cook would still think it was just about doing servant work, but why mention such a potion? To make herself young? This couldn't help but lead one to think wildly.
"I need to build a manor here. You don't have to worry about the specific design and construction; I will return in a few days. You just need to prepare a blank land deed."
Regulus Black knew that Mrs. Cook had misunderstood, but there was no need to clarify. He turned and left Cook's house, giving instructions to the three town leaders waiting outside, as it was almost noon and there were classes at Hogwarts in the afternoon!
"Goodbye! Gentlemen... and Mrs. Cook."
Regulus Black bid farewell to those present and directly used 'Apparition' to leave the Vale.
"Mom! Mom! I told you the Duke of Black is a real wizard; he wouldn't lie to us."
Watching the figure suddenly vanish, the two girls began to boast about their insights.
The three town leaders seemed to have completely overlooked this scene and also appeared not to notice the skull in Mrs. Cook's arms.
"Mrs. Cook, the Duke of Black has already departed, so starting tomorrow the dishes will return to their original style. As for the dishes already prepared today, we will stick to the menu; we need to celebrate the Duke's future stay in Vale."
That was the prominent Duke of Black! Being neighbors with him was truly an honor.
Mrs. Cook was astonished that she could not see anything unusual in the three town leaders, and her skull was also ignored by them.
Holding the skull, Mrs. Cook calmly communicated with her Headless Horseman. The surrounding skeleton soldiers had vanished with the departure of the Duke of Black, leaving the Headless Horseman standing alone.
"Go back! Roll back to your hell, my... lover."
Mrs. Cook felt that she might not need to summon the Headless Horseman anymore; the Duke of Black, a true wizard, could serve as protection for herself and her daughter, and perhaps all she would need to offer in return was her body.
Regulus Black returned to Hogwarts before noon. Upon entering his private room, he found a small figure sleeping soundly.
Hermione never anticipated that one day she would confide in a magical puppet and talk non-stop for an entire night, which directly led to her physiological sleep disorder.
As an excellent listener and the best puppet maid, [Zero] did not remind Hermione of the time but instead continuously guided the conversation while serving various delicious snacks and coffee, causing Hermione to become overly energetic after turning into a chatterbox.
However, as a child, she would eventually tire out. Even if she claimed she didn't want to sleep, she would naturally collapse once she reached her limit.
Without anyone reminding her, Hermione fell into a deep sleep, and [Zero] merely kept watch, leading to Hermione being late.
"Oh my god! I'm late! I've missed the entire morning's classes."
After being awakened, Hermione was on the verge of a mental breakdown. For a top student, such behavior was unforgivable; missing class was simply unimaginable, especially for Hermione.
"Calm down! Calm down!"
Regulus slowly savored a cup of coffee as Hermione began to tug at her hair.
"How can you expect me to calm down? I drank too much coffee yesterday and ended up talking with your puppet until dawn. I originally intended to go back, but then I fell asleep. Who would believe this if I told the professors!"
The little girl spoke loudly for once, almost accusing Regulus of being behind the entire situation.
Of course, if Regulus Black was willing to take the blame, she would be fine.
"Let me think. If you agree to listen to me from now on, I'll help you solve this problem."
After careful consideration, Regulus Black found the best solution.
"What do you want me to agree to?" With tears streaming down her face, Hermione choked up, treating the teaching assistant as her last hope.
"Before I come back, you cannot leave this room. If you can do that, then everything will be fine."
Regulus calmed Hermione down as he got up to leave; it was time for the girl to transfer to another house.
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