allendalepharm Chapter 244 The Soul Weapons are All Gathered!
Chapter 244 The Soul Weapons are All Gathered!
Chapter 244 The Soul Weapons are All Gathered!
"This is the locket. My owner told me to keep it safe and not tell anyone..."
Kreacher, weeping, clutched a locket. "But now that you're a member of the Black family, although Kreacher doesn't want you to be one at all, I still think you should know..."
This is an incredibly loyal house-elf.
After everyone in the family had died, it remained in this abandoned ancestral home for more than a decade, perhaps destined to live a solitary life until it too grew old and became the last glimmer of the Black family's glory before it was extinguished.
Now that a formal member of the family has reappeared, it is willing to offer its loyalty, whether it likes it or not.
Sirius silently accepted the locket, tears falling onto it and shattering it into pieces.
He never cried. He didn't cry when the Potters died; he just angrily went to find Petit Feather. He found him, and Petit Feather got his revenge after the explosion that destroyed an entire street. He still didn't cry.
He was laughing loudly, hysterically.
He didn't know why he was crying now.
She cried so bitterly.
Maybe……
These must be members of an ancient pure-blooded family!
Lockhart carefully observed Sirius's condition from the corner and sighed inwardly. Clearly, even the seemingly normal Sirius had already shown the drawbacks of inbreeding among pure-blood families.
Extreme suppression of the rage, ecstasy, and pain that arise from the complete breakdown of one's mental defenses.
Lockhart could not sense any surge of magic.
Yes, even if the wizard is not casting a spell, in such an extreme emotional state, he would be incredibly conspicuous to those with a keen sense of magic.
Emotions are sometimes impossible to hide; the rhythm of magic will tell everyone.
It's like the weather that hangs over Hogwarts Castle.
But even in such agony, Sirius had no magical energy at all.
Quiet as a Muggle!
This is another level of intellectual disability—if Goyle and Crabbe represent a mismatch between mind and body, Sirius undoubtedly represents a mismatch between soul and body.
Specifically, under extreme emotional states, magical abilities can actually decrease to a terrifying degree.
However, this is precisely the problem: because of this incompatibility, Sirius is more prone to extreme emotions.
On the bright side, Sirius Black can be said to have completely broken free from the corruption brought about by dark magic, which is probably why he did not go insane despite being tormented by Dementors in Azkaban for more than ten years.
It shouldn't be the reason he thought he was using as a mental defense mechanism by turning into a black dog.
On the negative side, he is heading towards self-destruction.
Emotions don't simply disappear by venting them in a dumping ground; they're merely masked by the pleasure derived from the act of violence. (Even swearing counts.)
When these emotions accumulate to a certain degree in the soul, they will inevitably erupt in some form.
Lockhart didn't know if this could be considered "Black's omen".
He quietly tugged at Lupin, pulled him aside, and whispered a reminder, "When you have time, talk to Sirius and tell him to try to live in Animagus mode more often."
Lupin frowned. "Why? Actually, if they hadn't wanted to keep me company on the night of the full moon, I wouldn't have learned to be an Animagus. I felt terrible about it because Professor Trelawney once saw us and said that Sirius turning into a black dog was definitely not a good thing; it represented bad luck."
Lockhart raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking that Professor Trelawney was simply a genius.
He just looked at Lupin meaningfully. "Tell me, you studied at Hogwarts for seven years and fought alongside Sirius for so many years, did you ever see Sirius cry?"
Lupin froze, as if realizing something, and quickly tried to recall.
"It seems...it seems there really isn't!"
But is this a correct inference?
In Lupin's memory, Sirius Black was always so spirited and noble, loved and pursued by many girls, and many people, including James, were willing to be his friend. Back then, Sirius Black didn't need to cry, did he?
"Trust me, you won't go wrong." Lockhart pointed with a smile, "Think about it carefully again. When Sirius becomes a black dog, isn't he less prone to irritability and anger?"
hiss~
Lupin gasped. "It really does seem to be true!"
Lockhart said no more. He had said what he needed to say, and whether or not people believed his advice was no longer his concern.
Soon, everyone's attention was drawn to the locket that Kreacher had presented.
"Yes!"
Dumbledore rubbed it for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "It's definitely his Horcrux!"
Before he knew it, he had already found four Horcruxes!
Helga Hufflepuff's Golden Cup!
Rowena Ravenclaw's tiara!
Salazar Slytherin's Locket!
as well as……
Marvolo Gaunt's ring!
Yes, he wasn't doing nothing; he was searching so diligently for Tom's Horcruxes, which wasn't a particularly difficult task.
Last year, Lockhart had already thrown the answer right in his face. (Chapter 54)
Tell him clearly which artifacts made five of Tom's six Horcruxes, and the search will naturally have a direction.
So one day, following the clues that Tom might be hiding something, he first found Lucius Malfoy, then Ginny Weasley, and finally all the leads led to Gilderoy Lockhart.
Old Deng didn't say anything, but he observed it all.
They continued their search and soon arrived at the Gaunt family's ancestral home, where they finally found Marvolo Gaunt's ring.
Dumbledore discovered something that greatly excited him—Gaunt's ring bore the mark of the Deathly Hallows!
In other words, the artifact that Tom turned into a Horcrux is actually the Resurrection Stone, one of the three Deathly Hallows!
He was tempted!
Even though he knew that the resurrection stone couldn't really revive his sister, he was still tempted!
However, before any decisions could be made, the trouble created by Lockhart and Grindelwald was already looming ahead.
He seemed to realize that this might be a reminder from fate, reminding him that he could not yet relinquish the heavy responsibilities he bore, that he could not have selfish desires, and that he had to accomplish some things before he could calmly face his deceased sister, Ariana.
Dumbledore is waiting.
When Gilderoy Lockhart comes to him again, he will tell him that he has Tom's diary and that the Horcrux he didn't mention before is indeed the Harry Potter he discovered!
But that might not be easy.
He could sense the change in Lockhart's attitude toward the matter.
He didn't know why Lockhart always knew some secrets, but he could sense Lockhart's initial disdain for these secrets, just like when he casually told him about all of Tom's Horcruxes in the Carol family's ancestral home, as if reciting a menu.
It's also noticeable that, after realizing the impact of such casual disclosure, this young man has veered towards another extreme of conservatism.
Lockhart had actually shared these concerns with him, saying, "It's probably hard for us to guess what he'll use to make Horcruxes next."
Yes, that makes perfect sense.
Dumbledore suspected that Tom might not sense the destruction of one or two Horcruxes, but when all the Horcruxes were destroyed, Tom would definitely realize that the Horcrux magic had failed.
Blindly destroying these Horcruxes now would really force Tom to create other Horcruxes, and the number and selection criteria would become unpredictable.
Therefore, he would be better off destroying these Horcruxes in a scenario where Tom is unable to escape his pursuit, and then relentlessly chasing after him, giving Tom no chance to recreate new Horcruxes.
Ultimately, Tom was killed completely.
So now his primary concern is no longer Lockhart, but how to deal with the Horcrux inside Harry Potter's body.
This is definitely a very complicated matter.
The existence of this Horcrux is complex, and the function it plays is also complex.
Dumbledore could see Harry's Parseltongue and Harry's talent in some dark magic...
He knew, but he just didn't say it.
He has to figure out a way.
There were so many things he needed to figure out, and Tom became active again, getting involved with some restless groups of Muggles, which took up a lot of his energy.
It leaves no time for anyone to catch their breath.
Dumbledore remained silent for a long time before finally putting away the locket in his hand. He gave Gilderoy Lockhart a deep look in the corner and left with Grindelwald and Professor McGonagall.
He was certain of at least one thing: when he decided to destroy all of Tom's Horcruxes, Lockhart would not use the means to save Tom's life to counterbalance his existence, as Grindelwald had suggested, but would instead take them out without hesitation.
He was confident that he was better at judging people than Grindelwald.
It's worth noting that he personally wrote the list of the first batch of saints, even though they all ended up standing against him alongside Gellert.
As they left Black's ancestral home, Dumbledore called out to Professor McGonagall, who was about to leave, eliciting Grindelwald's curiosity. "Where are we going next?"
Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Go and pick up Harry Potter. Minerva and I handed Harry over to his blood relatives back then, and now we will take him over and hand him over to his godfather."
Yes, Gilderoy is right. We shouldn't be so fixated on that prophecy and put all the pressure on Harry.
Dumbledore isn't dead yet!
It's time for Harry to leave that tormenting uncle's house.
Let this child have a more relaxed childhood and a future with more possibilities.
And Voldemort...
He will handle it personally!
Of course, Gilderoy Lockhart, who persuaded him to abandon his obsession with prophecy, also has to take responsibility for him.
Why should a man over a hundred years old have to work himself to the bone, while this young man in his twenties can enjoy such a wonderful magical life?
Lockhart, get to work!
(End of this chapter)