If Regulus Black were left outside on his own, there was a high chance he could be attacked by former Death Eaters who had not been imprisoned.
Though some of them had escaped the judgment of the Wizengamot, how many were truly loyal to Voldemort?
To resurrect the Dark Lord, former Death Eaters might go to any insane lengths.
Dumbledore understood all of this perfectly well. But what about Regulus Black himself?
Was he, too, a diehard Death Eater, still loyal to Voldemort?
Dumbledore felt conflicted. Was it really appropriate to let him into the school?
If left outside, Regulus's resurrection might attract fervent followers of Voldemort. But if the Dark Lord were truly brought back because of this, the consequences would far outweigh the benefits.
On the other hand, if he were brought into the school, he would naturally receive the best protection Hogwarts could offer. But this year happened to be Harry Potter's first year at school—what if Regulus was indeed a fanatic Death Eater? What if he had some ulterior motive toward the young savior?
"…Very well. I can grant your request. However, there are no current vacancies for a professor."
After much deliberation, Dumbledore decided it was safer to keep Regulus Black under his watch.
"I'm willing to serve as an assistant in any subject. I believe I won't disappoint any of the professors."
Regulus Black hadn't expected his request to be accepted so easily. He had little confidence in being allowed into Hogwarts, but Dumbledore had agreed on the spot.
"Then come with me back to the school."
With that, Dumbledore turned and left the Wizengamot, followed by the judges who had been watching with interest.
Many of them whispered among themselves, noting that both Regulus's request and Dumbledore's response showed careful thought, with all possibilities considered.
As for the current Regulus Black—still able to maintain the refined manners of a noble, especially the meticulous thoughtfulness in his speech—he was quite pleasing to the eyes of the ancient wizarding families.
Regulus first summoned Kreacher, instructing him to tidy up the old house, and then followed Dumbledore back to the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts.
While waiting for him, Dumbledore had been pondering how best to assign Regulus Black a position.
Among the members of the Order of the Phoenix, the obvious choices were Professor Minerva McGonagall of Gryffindor, or Professor Severus Snape of Slytherin.
As Dumbledore entered the Headmaster's Office with Regulus Black, he had already made up his mind.
As soon as he sat down, he began eating various candies, and even offered Regulus some cockroach clusters to try.
Regulus, eyeing the pile of scuttling roaches, naturally knew they were just animated hard candies.
In truth, eating a cockroach candy wouldn't be a problem—but anything from Dumbledore's office wasn't within his consideration.
Dumbledore had a habit of "enhancing" his sweets. Perhaps only the Chosen One had the honor of receiving untainted snacks.
As for potions like Veritaserum, while rare in the wizarding world, they were not uncommon—especially in a school that had a Potions Master.
"I think… you might be well-suited to serve as assistant for Potions class. After all, Snape needs help preparing many ingredients for his students."
"It would be an honor, Headmaster."
"By the way, Mr. Black—since you're now part of Hogwarts, please just call me by name. There's no need to address me as the students do."
"Understood, Headmaster."
"Then let's discuss your compensation."
"Headmaster, you're too kind. I'm really here seeking refuge—there's no need for payment."
"I still hope you'll call me Dumbledore."
"Yes, Headmaster! No problem, Headmaster!"
"…"
The office door opened, and Snape entered in black robes, his expression as sour as ever.
"What is it, Dumbledore? I'm in the middle of brewing. If this has nothing to do with me, I'll lace your special desserts."
How awkward. In all of Hogwarts, only Snape would dare speak to Dumbledore like that.
"Severus, let me introduce you—this is Regulus Black. From now on, he'll be your teaching assistant."
Dumbledore had already made up his mind to bestow this glorious task upon Snape, even if it meant his sweets would be poisoned in retaliation.
"I don't need an assistant."
Professor Severus Snape finally noticed there was someone else in the Headmaster's office.
It wasn't that he was intentionally ignoring Regulus Black—it was just that Regulus's naturally undead-like presence made him almost unnoticeable. Unless someone was looking directly at him, even Dumbledore would often overlook him.
Observing Snape's reaction, Dumbledore secretly let out a breath of relief. It seemed he wasn't the only one who felt this way, which made him all the more curious about Regulus Black's current physical condition.
"Severus, please understand—Regulus Black has only just been resurrected. He needs a safe place."
Dumbledore laid out the reason plainly, and it was a solid one.
Having once served as a double agent among the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix, Snape immediately understood the deeper implications of Dumbledore's words. With a bit of thought, it was obvious—at this point, Hogwarts truly was the only place in the wizarding world that could take Regulus in.
And so, Regulus Black officially entered Hogwarts as a teaching assistant.
The next morning at breakfast, Regulus appeared at the staff table, seated right next to Severus Snape.
Two men dressed in identical black, yet each gave off a distinctly different aura.
Regulus Black's black radiated coldness, pride, and nobility—an air unmistakably inherited from the Black family.
Snape's black, on the other hand, conveyed a gloomy, restrained, and brooding presence—a reflection of the life he had lived.
When the two sat so close together, comparisons among the students were inevitable. Even those who didn't usually like Snape agreed—both men had their own brand of charm, though Regulus looked noticeably younger.
"Who's that?"
Harry Potter pointed at Regulus and asked the friend beside him.
"That's the new assistant—Regulus Black. He's currently helping with Potions class," Hermione answered while sipping her pumpkin soup.
"He and Snape are a perfect match—both are just so black, completely black from head to toe," Ron commented with a look of disdain.
Regulus Black's gaze swept across the Gryffindor table, lingering for a moment on Harry Potter.
"Oh no, he heard what I said!"
Ron suddenly felt a wave of dread—there was something unnervingly cold about that stare.
"Stop being so dramatic. The louder you get, the more likely the professors are going to hear you,"
Hermione scolded, smacking Ron on the head with her spoon. But even she felt a bit tense, because she thought she had just received a look of approval from Regulus Black.
"If I'm not mistaken, I think I just saw one warning look—and one look of praise."
Harry turned his head stiffly, no longer daring to glance at the new assistant at the staff table.
"Wait, he didn't give you any kind of look?"
Ron, still completely clueless, turned to Harry.
Harry felt confused himself. It seemed like Regulus had outright ignored him. It was oddly disheartening.
"I'm pretty sure he didn't. He completely ignored me."
After scanning the Gryffindor trio, Regulus Black turned his attention to observe the rest of the students from the other three houses.
As for Hermione, she seemed like someone who belonged in Ravenclaw far more than Gryffindor. The fact that her courage outweighed her intellect almost felt like a twist of fate. If he had had a chance to speak to her before the Sorting, maybe shared a bit of information, Ravenclaw might have appealed more to her love of learning.
As for Ron, Regulus found him utterly unlikable. Among the entire Weasley family, he was clearly the least talented. Other than being decent at wizard chess, he had little to offer. Perhaps he would have fit better in Hufflepuff.
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