Remus Lupin could certainly be described as surprised. He knew of Regulus Black—not only had the man been teaching at Hogwarts for two years, but his series of lawsuits concerning asset claims filed with the Ministry of Magic had also made him a regular feature in the Daily Prophet. As long as you could afford a subscription, you couldn't not know about Duke Black.
Heaven knows where his title of "Duke" came from—the Black family had never mentioned it before. There was no record of a ducal title in their family history. Yet the Daily Prophet persistently referred to him as "Duke Black" in every subsequent report. This piqued a lot of curiosity. Some even went to the Daily Prophet to verify the claim, only to receive a very official confirmation.
The Duke title held by the Black family was not only valid in the wizarding world but also legally recognized in the Muggle world. However, the Black family had always dealt with the title very discreetly—or perhaps it was more accurate to say they preferred to see themselves as wizards rather than nobility. For that reason, almost no head of the Black family had ever made use of the title.
The ducal title of the Black family originated from mainland Europe and could be traced all the way back to Ancient Rome.
The surname "Black" referred specifically to the family and the noble hair color passed down from that Roman lineage.
Back during the Roman Empire, ducal titles were often bestowed upon high-ranking commanders who defended and expanded the empire's borders. The title eventually disappeared due to major political changes, and it was during that transitional period that the Black family rose to prominence.
Several centuries later, the ducal title reemerged in Germany. Around 970 AD, Emperor Otto I of Germany formally established the title of Duke.
Not long after, France and other parts of mainland Europe also began establishing duchies or grand duchies.
In Britain, the title of Duke was the highest rank of nobility below that of the king or prince. Unlike the Grand Dukes of the European continent, who ruled territories as sovereigns, the British title of Duke appeared much later in history.
In 1337, King Edward III elevated Cornwall to a duchy and granted the title of Duke to the seven-year-old Edward, the "Black Prince." The prince later distinguished himself in the Hundred Years' War at the age of sixteen.
However, that "Black Prince" had absolutely no connection to the Black family.
So, while the Black family's ducal title came with no land or real power, it still represented a useful noble status in certain circumstances.
The Daily Prophet also explained why Regulus Black had begun using the title of Duke. During the course of his asset-related lawsuits, it was discovered that certain properties could not be reclaimed without the use of the ducal title—they required signatures under the name "Duke Black." After signing that way multiple times, Regulus Black began handling family affairs under the ducal identity more frequently.
"Remus Lupin, this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
The two shook hands cordially. After all, between them stood Sirius Black—on one side, the younger brother; on the other, one of the original Marauders. So perhaps the two of them could become friends.
"You're here to report to Hogwarts as well, aren't you?"
Of course, Regulus Black knew exactly why Remus Lupin had come to the front of the train. But before Lupin even arrived, Regulus had already instructed the conductor to report the situation to both Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic—that Dementors had stopped the Hogwarts Express and conducted a reckless search.
"Oh! Yes, I didn't expect something like this to happen. For the guards of Azkaban to be out like that…"
Remus Lupin mentioned Dementors without showing the slightest trace of fear. Was it because, as a werewolf, he only feared the moon?
"Mr. Black! We've already informed Hogwarts and the Ministry about the incident. Can we depart now?"
An old man who looked exactly like the driver of the Knight Bus adjusted his glasses and asked Regulus Black.
"Of course! Please, drive on! Otherwise, the children will be having supper instead of dinner."
The Hogwarts Express restarted, picking up speed as it headed for its destination—and arrived right on time.
This year, the poor new students had no choice but to take small boats across the lake in the rain.
All the returning students arrived back at school in carriages, but one person didn't use the school's carriages. Instead, he summoned his own.
The carriage was entirely black, designed in Baroque style with Gothic patterns. Like the carriages of Hogwarts, it moved on its own. In fact, Hogwarts' carriages weren't powered by magic but pulled by Thestrals—creatures that lived in the Forbidden Forest and pulled the carriages to Hogwarts once a year. Regulus Black's carriage, however, was truly powered by magic.
In order to repair the Nautilus warship left behind by Captain Nemo, this carriage was merely one of many prototypes—an experimental model used to test the combination of mechanical and magical propulsion. It was, in fact, a flawed specimen.
"Wow! You actually made a self-driving carriage! Is it based on the same principle as the ones at Hogwarts?"
Hermione, Cho Chang, and Penelope Clearwater were invited into the carriage, and as soon as they got in, one of the girls asked this question excitedly.
As for Marietta Edgecombe, she had lost the privilege of joining them today because of her words and behavior on the train. She had shown distrust toward Regulus Black—even if it was just a joke among girls, that was unacceptable. Regulus Black demanded absolute loyalty. If he couldn't keep these girls under firm control, there would inevitably be trouble later.
Regulus Black understood that Marietta Edgecombe hadn't meant any harm, but a small warning like this would make her reflect on what she truly wanted. After all, the two of them already had an intimate relationship, and he had no intention of letting her go so easily.
"This is just a framework. Although the exterior looks nice, the internal structure is still quite rough. As for the principle, mine is fully self-propelled, while Hogwarts' carriages are actually drawn by creatures—just invisible to most people."
At that moment, Regulus Black was looking at the letter from Penelope Clearwater, and didn't go into further detail about his carriage.
It was a ring made up of hundreds of right arms, constantly rotating, brimming with the rhythm of life. There was nothing dark about it—only an overwhelming, infinite sensation. The circular form resembled the pupil of an eye. In other words, it could be interpreted as a type of ocular magic. A combination of right hands and eye magic—what kind of magical phenomenon could that produce?
Regulus Black was clearly deep in thought. He hadn't expected that the first time he would discuss his magical theories with others, he'd encounter something like this. It was truly fascinating.
Anyone even slightly familiar with mythology, upon seeing so many arms at once, would think of a single name—Hecatoncheires, the Hundred-Armed Giants.
The Hecatoncheires appeared in the early stages of Greek mythology. Hesiod called them the "Uranides" in Theogony, though they're more commonly known as the Hecatoncheires. According to the myth, they were the children of Gaia and Uranus—three in total—named Briareus, Cottus, and Gyges. They were enormous and ferocious, even larger than the Titans or Cyclopes.
"Regulus! This is mine—can you take a look at it?"
Cho Chang also handed over a letter. She had just created it with magic right there in the carriage. The image depicted a flaming bird with outstretched wings. But simply calling it a phoenix didn't do it justice—the flames were as dazzling as the sun, shining in silvery white, with only the edges tinged in golden yellow flame.
"Impressive! Yet another naturally gifted innate magic. I'll have each of you explore and develop your unique magic further in time."
Regulus Black carefully stored the letter away without letting Hermione see it. Despite her usual strong curiosity, Hermione surprisingly remained silent and turned her gaze out the carriage window.
The opening ceremony at Hogwarts was particularly cold and wet this year—the heavy rain had completely doused the enthusiasm of the new students.
Under Professor Flitwick's direction, the Ravenclaw girls sang a welcome song. The unique harmonies made the whole performance lively and unusual, especially with a few girls in the front row holding large toads to harmonize the melody. The comedic effect was absolutely delightful.
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