Hogwarts: Legacy of the Necromancer

Regulus Black had an extraordinary vision. Unlike Voldemort, he never confined himself to just Britain. Struggling to rule over a single region wasn't worth the effort. Even if Voldemort controlled the British Ministry of Magic—so what? There was still the French Ministry of Magic, the German one, even the American Ministry of Magic! In the end, all Voldemort could do was cause chaos in one corner of the world.

In terms of actions, Voldemort was a revolutionary. He delusionally believed that by eliminating opposition and launching radical reforms, he could create his utopia.

But Regulus Black didn't see things that way. If he wanted the entire world to revolve around him, then he had to become like the sun—radiating light and heat, powerful and dazzling. There would be no need to change the existing rules; those rules would change automatically in response to him. That was the pinnacle of life, the true brilliance.

So, a reformer like Voldemort would only bring about a reign of darkness even if he succeeded, while a superstar like Regulus Black—even in failure—would leave behind a dazzling legend.

This summer break in America wasn't just about reuniting with his lovers or filming a new movie. He had a much more important goal.

What he didn't expect was that a spur-of-the-moment decision would actually bring him control over a religious faction in the Great Lakes region. It was a pleasant surprise. If managed well, it could rival any other business owned by the Black family.

Regulus Black's original goal, however, was actually two comic book publishing companies.

In this Harry Potter world, American comics were still dominated by DC and Marvel, with most of the iconic heroes remaining the same.

Such is the effect of a parallel universe. As long as J.K. Rowling based her work on the real world, then the mundane world outside the wizarding community would largely remain unchanged. However, the world would naturally adjust and accommodate the existence of wizards, tweaking its rules and providing internally consistent explanations.

Superhero movies also existed in the Harry Potter world, but due to limitations in visual effects, they could never truly portray the characters' abilities. The films all ended up looking more like stage plays, and audiences had to rely heavily on imagination to feel the impact.

But the film Crimson Manor, funded and produced by Regulus Black—even though it used special effects from the same era—was guided by his memories. The result on the big screen was nothing short of stunning!

It practically caused a sensation in the film industry. Every member of the production team saw their market value skyrocket. The director, actors, visual effects team, makeup artists, even the musicians all received unprecedented acclaim. After all, this was essentially a movie from twenty years in the future, brought to the screen two decades early without sacrificing quality. Despite being a small-budget film, it had the quality of a blockbuster.

Everyone in the film industry was still figuring things out through trial and error. Often, all it took was a single spark to illuminate everything.

And Regulus Black was that spark.

However, before acquiring the two comic book companies, Regulus Black was looking for support for a new movie project.

"In my memory, every time I meet you, you're eating something. Mr. Guillermo del Toro, this kind of diet really isn't healthy. It puts a lot of strain on your body," Regulus said as he sat in the director's home. Of course, after the premiere, he had to spend time with his women first. Meeting with the chubby director had to wait—but only by two days.

"Regulus, you don't know how busy I've been. I haven't even had time to eat properly. Ever since we finished filming Crimson Manor, I haven't stopped working—post-production, editing, music... oh, and all the interviews and premieres too!"

Director del Toro shook his chubby face, finishing the last bite of his burger and then taking a big gulp of cola.

"You're the only one who gets a pass from all those events because you're the investor. The rest of us—myself and the other leads—we haven't had a break," he said with a look of grievance.

This was all thanks to Regulus Black's magical pressure. Even though movie productions were always busy at the end, with Regulus's magical influence hovering over them, everyone felt an urge to sprint on four legs just to keep up.

The director had even received a full mental download from Regulus Black about every detail of Crimson Manor. It gave him a kind of obsessive compulsion—he couldn't tolerate the slightest deviation. He essentially recreated the movie exactly as the original.

Considering the current state of filmmaking, achieving the quality of a movie twenty years ahead of its time was truly a tall order.

But Regulus Black had no sympathy. The film that resulted from all this effort, Crimson Manor, completely surpassed the standards of its time. And as a result, the director and the three lead actors had all won numerous awards.

"Look in the cabinet over there. You'll find all the film festival trophies you've won."

Even the awards were accepted on Regulus's behalf by either the director or the lead actress. For someone who merely acted in the film, Regulus Black had done remarkably well.

"Oh! I never thought I'd win an award as an investor."

Regulus Black feigned surprise, causing director Guillermo del Toro to burst out laughing, spitting out his cola.

"It's the Newcomer Award! And also Best Supporting Actor."

Knowing full well that Regulus Black was saying this on purpose, Guillermo del Toro still found it hilarious.

"It seems my acting skills aren't bad. Since I've won Best Supporting Actor, maybe I should try for the lead role next."

Regulus Black pulled a script and an actor's profile from his bag.

Sarah Maidani, a striking 13-year-old girl with heterochromatic eyes, caught everyone's attention. Her pale golden eyes were clear, radiant, and captivating, paired with wine-red hair cascading down her back, exuding both innocence and an innate allure.

"Who is this girl…?"

Guillermo del Toro felt oddly captivated by the photo of the young girl, though he was certain he wasn't a pedophile!

"She's my discovery. That very night, I wrote this script at her house."

Regulus Black implied, without stating outright, that this girl was his find.

The script, titled The Sixth Sense: Golden-Eyed Girl, had already been submitted as a manuscript to Lucy Pinder for publication as a book. Afterward, he polished the script, and this was the film he wanted the chubby director to shoot.

The original story featured a young boy as the protagonist, but Regulus Black had changed it to feature the golden-eyed girl.

The relationships between the characters were also significantly altered. The male protagonist's psychologist was now a down-and-out writer, a role Regulus Black intended to play himself.

"It's a great script—a thriller with a small cast that can carry the film. Low budget, high impact!"

Guillermo del Toro waved the script, grinning. Hollywood loved these kinds of films. The success of Crimson Peak came from the same formula: low budget, high returns. These films had a stable audience and were easy money-makers—who wouldn't want to rake in more cash?

"The female lead will be played by Sarah Maidani, and I'll take the male lead. We're just missing a supporting actress to play the mother. You can look among second- or third-tier actors, or even further down the line. Oh, and she has to catch my eye—after all, she'll be my wife."

Regulus Black's words made the director spit out his cola again. Was this investor seriously looking for a wife?

"You're not serious, are you?"

Guillermo del Toro wiped his mouth with a tissue, chuckling as he asked.

But Regulus Black's expression was dead serious, indicating they'd need to choose the actress as if picking a wife.

"Here's the thing, Guillermo. I'm this handsome, my daughter's this beautiful—wouldn't it be odd if my wife wasn't attractive? It wouldn't look like a family!"

Regulus Black pointed at himself, then at the photo in the script, his narcissistic demeanor practically begging for a punch.

Guillermo del Toro fought the urge to smack the script across his face.

He took a deep breath. He's the investor. He's the money. He's in charge!

"Fine, if you want to dabble in Hollywood's casting couch, you'd better show up for the auditions."

This guy skipped post-production, dodged interviews, and only showed up for the premiere. Now, Guillermo del Toro finally had a chance for some payback.

Hmph! I'll show you what a casting hell looks like!

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