Harry Potter and Ron didn't sleep well that night. In contrast, Snape slept soundly, and Regulus Black didn't need sleep at all—in fact, when he did lie down, it was only because he had nothing else to do.
At the break of dawn, freshly washed and dressed, Regulus Black appeared punctually at the professors' table. Today's breakfast was as lavish as ever.
"Lamb chops! Fish soup! Mashed potatoes!"
As he sat down, Regulus Black softly recited the names of a few dishes, and in the next instant, they appeared before him, perfectly plated.
The house-elves of Hogwarts were exceptionally skilled, and the food they prepared was always delicious. If it weren't for the fact that wizards needed to consume large quantities of food to meet their daily energy demands, anyone who ate too much of the elves' cooking would definitely gain weight.
Of course, it would be healthy weight—not the kind that leads to high blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes.
With his dining knife, Regulus Black sliced the lamb chops, removed the bones, then cut the meat into thin strips, and further into small bite-sized pieces.
Each piece of lamb was only slightly wider than his fork—just right to pop into the mouth and savor slowly.
Between bites, he would occasionally scoop half a spoonful of mashed potatoes, paired with half a spoonful of fish soup.
At the professors' table, Regulus Black was undoubtedly the most meticulous, complex, and elegant eater.
Whether it was Chinese or Western cuisine, anyone watching him eat could find a reflection of their own table manners in his—yet he never once overstepped the bounds of etiquette.
Even the most fastidious Slytherins admitted that Regulus Black, the assistant professor, was more refined than aristocrats.
Not even Snape could compare—when Snape ate, it felt like he was processing potion ingredients, swallowing food expressionlessly. No one could guess his opinion on the taste.
But watching Regulus Black eat was an experience—viewers couldn't help but feel, "That food must taste amazing."
Once, Regulus Black ordered the same roast meat served at the student tables. After trying it, he casually commented, "The spice ratio in this roast is too high." As a result, students from all four houses rushed to sample it. Opinions on the taste varied, but the reaction was undoubtedly that of a celebrity and their fans.
Afterward, when the roast reappeared at school, the amount of spice had been reduced—apparently, even the house-elves agreed with him.
While everyone was cheerfully enjoying breakfast, a young unicorn peeked timidly into the entrance of the Great Hall.
"Oh my gosh! A unicorn!"
"Look! A unicorn from the Forbidden Forest has come into Hogwarts!"
"Can I touch it? I'm a virgin!"
"It's clearly a young unicorn—maybe it's looking for its mother."
"Too bad—its mom got eaten by a giant."
Some students chuckled darkly, carrying on the previous rumor that Hagrid had eaten a unicorn.
The young unicorn observed for a while, then held its head high and walked proudly into the hall, stepping straight past the students' tables toward the professors' table.
"Look, look! It really is here to ask Hagrid about its mom!"
"Brave little thing—but I wonder if it's even big enough to fill Hagrid's teeth."
"Come on, it's not like Hagrid would eat it in front of all the professors! Coming here now to seek vengeance is definitely the right move."
At that moment, Hagrid deeply regretted coming to breakfast. The previously quieted rumors were now on the verge of resurging. Watching the unicorn approach the professors' table, he fidgeted nervously and broke into a cold sweat.
Snape glanced sideways at the assistant next to him. Regulus Black, aside from briefly lifting his eyes, had remained entirely focused on his breakfast, completely unfazed by the unicorn's appearance.
The young unicorn had come to Hogwarts with great determination—this visit was solely to find the one person it felt closest to.
Though the hall was full of students, they only dared to whisper and didn't act disrespectfully. At the professors' table, the one it felt most connected to had only glanced at it once—but that was enough. The young unicorn was certain: this was the person it had come for.
Arriving before the professors, the young unicorn stared directly at Regulus Black.
Just as he finished eating, Regulus Black pushed aside his plate and finally looked up at the visitor.
"No playing dumb. No fooling around. No acting pitiful. Did you eat breakfast?"
Regulus Black stared at the creature for a while, reading a great deal from its eyes. This little thing clearly planned to cling to him, play dumb, cause trouble, and beg to be taken in—utterly outrageous.
All the students and professors were stunned by Regulus Black's words—his "three nos and a greeting" were simply too much.
The young unicorn was also taken aback, then gave up on its original plan and shook its large head, indicating it hadn't eaten.
"Headmaster, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to take care of a few things."
After briefly checking with Dumbledore, Regulus Black stood up and left the Great Hall. The young unicorn trotted obediently after him, and from its cheerful steps, it was clear it was in a great mood.
"So it came looking for Assistant Professor Black."
"Mr. Black is so handsome! Even a unicorn is drawn to him."
"A true prince on a white horse! The real deal!"
"Could Assistant Professor Black be a virgin?"
The student who said that was promptly smacked by the girl next to him.
Hagrid, having narrowly escaped disaster, quickly pulled out a large handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face.
Dumbledore had to tap his goblet, using the high-pitched sound to remind the students to settle down.
"Children, it's almost time for class."
Students who had lessons scrambled in a flurry, while those who hadn't finished breakfast quickly grabbed more food to eat on the way to class.
"My class is in the afternoon today."
Professor Flitwick was a little excited—no classes in the morning, haha! That meant he could go see the unicorn up close, and he was sure Black wouldn't refuse.
Other professors who were both interested and free also expressed their intent to go take a look. Since the ones with classes left to teach, more than half of the staff table emptied out in an instant.
Hagrid had no desire to appear in front of the unicorn—who knew if the rumor about him eating one had reached its ears?
"Professor Quirrell! You don't look well."
Hagrid suddenly noticed that Quirrell, who hadn't left, looked pale and distorted.
"I… I'm fine, just… a bit of a headache. Probably didn't sleep well last night. I've got a class, so I'll be going."
"That's real resurrection magic!"
Voldemort roared in Quirrell's mind. All his meticulous planning had been for the sake of resurrection—and now, here he was, not quite human, not quite ghost, parasitically bound to another. It was maddening.
Last night, if anyone could say for certain whether the young unicorn had died, it was Voldemort, the one who drank its blood.
He had originally thought that Regulus Black had merely cast a spell to trigger the unicorn's latent power. But now, it was clear that the spell wasn't just an enhancer—it was a resurrection spell in the truest sense.
But he couldn't make a move. Both of their previous encounters had ended in failure. The first time he attacked the unicorn, its corpse was taken. The second time, it had actually been brought back to life.
Regulus Black had made tremendous strides in magic, especially in spellcasting. Considering his own resurrection remained a mystery, it was no surprise that he held even more secrets.
Voldemort was desperate to imprison Regulus Black, to torture him, interrogate him, and force him to give up every last one of his secrets.
Back then, Voldemort had sought immortality through Horcruxes. Yet Regulus Black had died in the Black Lake and remained undead for eleven years—only to revive himself. And now, he had even brought back to life a creature as incompatible with the undead and dark arts as a unicorn. It was unfathomable.
Voldemort already knew Black's story. After his acquittal, the Daily Prophet had thoroughly dug into his past, running detailed reports for days.
Even now, news occasionally surfaced of Regulus Black suing the Ministry of Magic, fighting to reclaim the Black family fortune.
After Dumbledore and the other professors confirmed Regulus Black's account of the previous night, they unanimously agreed there was no issue with keeping a unicorn at Hogwarts—as long as it didn't disrupt the students' studies.
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