Sirius Black had always loathed his family's so-called pure-blood ideals, detested his parents' obsessive need for control and their various twisted beliefs, and despised the so-called long-standing treasures of the Black family—those cruel, dark, and inhumane spells of black magic.
The books in the basement had been his parents' favorite tools for indoctrination.
Regulus had never even been allowed to touch them casually, but for Sirius, his mother Walburga had treated those books as his childhood reading. Whenever he made mistakes growing up, he was locked in the basement to "reflect."
The Blacks had probably hoped that over time, through prolonged exposure, he would be molded into the "proper" heir of the family.
But Sirius had rebellion in his blood. The more his family tried to force their backwards traditions on him, the more intolerable they became. The more they tried to force him to learn, the more he refused to even glance at the books.
Eventually, at sixteen, Sirius ran away from home and fully severed ties with the Black family.
Years later, when he finally brought himself to open "Secrets of the Darkest Art", he realized what he had missed.
Horcrux.
The method of creating them, their purpose, the signs they left behind—it was all recorded in the Black family's hidden library.
Regulus had been different. He was the obedient child. After Sirius ran away, he must have diligently studied those materials at their parents' urging.
That's how he must have learned about Horcruxes... And later, when he explored that cave because of Kreacher's experience, he realized the locket hidden there was a Horcrux…
He then chose, without hesitation, to sacrifice himself—ultimately being dragged into the pitch-black lake by the Inferi.
Sirius felt a wave of dizziness. He steadied himself against the bookshelf and looked at his godson.
Harry looked so much like James—except for his eyes, which were identical to Lily's. Even the look in them was the same—clear and bright, brave and sincere, like a pool of vibrant green water.
Sirius recalled the words in the book:
[A Horcrux grants its creator immortality. Even if the body is destroyed, the soul endures through the Horcrux, as part of it remains in the world, undamaged. Through the appropriate magical rituals, the creator can return to life.]
[The creation of a Horcrux involves extremely dark and dangerous magic… A wizard must commit murder to tear apart their own soul and embed it into an object. The incantation is…]
[Splitting the soul causes extreme instability, so the number of Horcruxes should not be too many… However, note that if a Horcrux is destroyed, the soul fragment within it is also obliterated.]
In the margin of the page, someone had handwritten a chilling note:
[If a living being is used as a Horcrux, it will create a special link between the Horcrux and its creator… The creator can transfer their consciousness into the Horcrux, control its actions, and perceive its thoughts and emotions.]
[It's strange—it feels as if it's my second body. Compared to my aging form, this vessel is younger, stronger, more alive… If only it weren't a snake, it would be perfect.]
[Perhaps, back then, I should have chosen a child to contain my soul fragment. That way, I might have been reborn through him…]
[The only thing that worries me is: if the living being used as a Horcrux were to die from old age or attack, would the soul fragment inside be destroyed along with it?]
[If the answer is yes, then choosing a living being as a Horcrux would be extremely unwise. Compared to magical objects that are easier to conceal and protect, most living creatures are far too fragile…]
Sirius Black's eyes were faintly red. The familiar letters on the page seemed to morph into sneering little figures, dancing mockingly around him. Occasionally, they assembled themselves into a string of blood-red words:
[Special connection... Perceive its thoughts... Rebirth…]
Back when Sirius had gone to the cave, he had already learned about the existence of Horcruxes—but his understanding had remained shallow, limited to what Dumbledore had chosen to share with them.
If only I had read this book earlier... if only I had remembered sooner...
His fingers trembled involuntarily. Thinking of the things he had told Dumbledore just days ago, Sirius wished he could travel back in time and throw his clueless self right out the window.
"Sirius?"
Feeling the sharp gaze above him grow more intense, Harry instinctively leaned his head back a little and reached up to touch the scar on his forehead. "What's wrong? Do I have something on my head?"
Everyone in the room turned to look at Harry, then back at Sirius.
"Nothing," Sirius took a deep breath and said with a forced smile. "I was just worried you might touch something dangerous... There are some dark magic items in this basement. Wade, did you find the books you needed?"
"Yeah, I found a few useful ones and made copies," Wade replied with a smile. "I think I should head back soon. I've got to prepare the gift before visiting Mr. Flamel."
"All right, let's get out of here then," Sirius said, trying to sound casual. "Honestly, I hate this place... I used to get locked down here all the time as a kid."
As the group walked up the stairs, passing Sirius, Lupin gave him a long look and asked quietly, "You're worried about Harry's safety?"
For a moment, Sirius thought Lupin had read his mind.
Then he realized Lupin was referring to Voldemort targeting Harry again. He replied vaguely, "Yeah… We didn't protect James and Lily well enough last time. I'm terrified we'll fail again…"
"You're being too hard on yourself, Sirius," Lupin said, placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Last time, we trusted the wrong person. But this time, no matter what, we won't make that mistake again."
Sirius lowered his eyes and said quietly, "Let's hope so."
Lupin didn't think much of it and followed the two children out of the basement.
Behind him, Sirius raised his eyes and his dark gaze fixed on the backs of the group ahead.
I am not sure if my suspicion is correct… Harry might not be a Horcrux. Maybe the reason he could see through Voldemort's eyes was because the failed Killing Curse had created some sort of unique connection between them…
No!
Sirius couldn't lie to himself.
What If we have to choose between protecting Harry and destroying Voldemort… If, for the safety of the wizarding world, all Horcruxes have to be destroyed…
NO, There must be another way… There has to be another solution… Harry couldn't possibly have been made into a Horcrux on purpose. Maybe the soul fragment could be transferred somehow…
Think about it carefully… Didn't Voldemort spend over a decade as a wandering spirit? Harry lived on perfectly well, and Voldemort couldn't harm anyone—he was barely even alive…
Sirius's eyes gleamed, cold and dangerous, like a venomous snake hiding in the dark—or a beast baring its fangs.
Kreacher glanced at him once and immediately lowered his head in fear, though a strange sense of excitement stirred in his heart.
He clenched his tiny fists tightly and murmured silently to himself:
"Master, Mistress, look! Young Master is finally starting to resemble a true Black!"
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- 200+ Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
[email protected]/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------