Chapter 367: Hero
Chapter 367: Hero
“Liam, are you okay?” Hermione rushed over, grabbing Liam's hand with a worried look as he trudged down the stairs, his face etched with exhaustion.
“I’m fine,” Liam reassured her, gently patting her hand. “I just used a lot of magic power at once. I just need some rest, so don’t worry.”
For Liam, the final burst of full power had indeed left him drained, but it also showed how much he had improved. At least now, he could handle things on his own, unlike when he first received the Diary and had to rely on others. Based on his last assessment, he could now withstand a full-strength attack from Voldemort, even though he still wasn’t at Voldemort’s or Dumbledore’s level. However, he could hold his own in a direct confrontation and retreat safely.
Seeing the anxious faces of Sirius Black, Lupin, and Kreacher, Liam turned to them and said, “Dumbledore has taken care of the Pendant Box. He told me that everyone can go upstairs now.”
Upon hearing that the Pendant Box was neutralized, everyone hurried upstairs. Kreacher took the lead, snapping his fingers to Apparate to the top, while the others had to climb the stairs laboriously.
By the time Liam and Hermione reached the top, they found Kreacher sitting on the living room floor, sobbing over the destroyed Pendant Box. Sirius Black was seated on a sofa, covering his face and weeping, while Lupin patted his back, trying to comfort him.
“Regulus was very brave,” Dumbledore said solemnly. “It’s a shame he didn’t join the Order of the Phoenix. If he had, he wouldn’t have had to fight alone, and he wouldn’t have had to sacrifice himself to deal with that object.”
Dumbledore then turned to Kreacher, “You need to understand, Regulus was killed by Voldemort.”
Kreacher shuddered at the name.
“What I’m trying to tell you is that everything we do here is to do our utmost to kill Voldemort and end this war. So I hope you can cooperate with us a little,” Dumbledore said seriously.
“Can you, can you kill that Dark Lord, that nameless evil, and avenge my Master Regulus?” Kreacher sniffled.
“I regret to say that because of his evil and power, we cannot make that guarantee,” Dumbledore bent down to look at Kreacher, knowing it was unnecessary to deceive a House-Elf. “But as long as we live, we will continue to fight him. Until either we or he are completely gone.”
“Yes, me too,” Sirius Black lifted his head after hearing this. “I swear that I will use all my strength to fight Voldemort until he is brought to justice. To avenge my foolish brother.”
“Kreacher understands,” Kreacher stood up and bowed deeply, his head touching the carpet. “Even though Kreacher still believes Sirius Black is a disgrace to the family, Kreacher is willing to recognize him as Master and serve him.”
“I want to bring him back,” Sirius Black said suddenly. “I can’t leave my brother alone in that cold lake.” With that, he stood up and headed towards the door. “I’m going to bring him home.”
“Sirius Black,” Liam called out to him. “Kreacher mentioned that the cave is full of wights. I have a way to control them without damaging any bodies, so you can find your brother’s remains. But I need some materials to prepare something in advance. Can you wait for me until this afternoon? We can set out tomorrow.”
“Really?” Sirius Black lunged forward, grabbing Liam’s shoulders. “You’re serious? Tell me what you need, and I’ll go buy it right now.”
"He's probably telling the truth", Professor Dumbledore's voice rose from beside them. "Liam's Alchemy skills are not low, and he's not one to boast. If he says he has a good chance, I believe he has a way."
After watching Liam write out a shopping list of over a dozen materials, Sirius Black hurriedly rushed downstairs. Liam then began to ask Kreacher about the specific layout of the cave.
"Do we need a Wizard's blood to enter?" Dumbledore nodded after hearing this, his tone tinged with disdain and even disappointment. "This is very much in Voldemort's style. He likes designs that weaken his opponents before they can enter. He's always been like this."
"Should we go to Diagon Alley and buy some blood?" Liam suggested. "There are plenty of down-on-their-luck Wizards there, and if we offer Galleons, someone will surely be willing to sell their blood."
"I'll go", Lupin volunteered. "I'm more familiar with dealing with those Wizards." After quickly taking the money bag from Liam, Lupin also hurried downstairs and left.
Half an hour later, both of them returned. Sirius Black was carrying two large bags, while Lupin pulled out two 400cc bottles of blood from his coat.
After seeing them return home, Professor Dumbledore left. As the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the highest leader of the Phoenix Order, he was very busy. He had only come here because of an important matter, and now that it was resolved, he needed to leave to attend to his other duties.
For the next five or six hours, until the Weasley family arrived in the afternoon, Liam kept drawing Corpse Binding Sigils on the kitchen table. Since he didn't know how many wights Voldemort had hidden in the lake, he had to draw as many as possible.
By dinner time, the Weasley family had arrived. With Kreacher and Mrs. Weasley's efforts, the meal was very lavish. The French onion soup and grilled lamb chops were, in Liam's opinion, the best he had ever tasted.
"Are you ready? When do we leave?" Liam asked Sirius Black during dinner.
"We'll leave as soon as we finish eating. I can't believe my brother spent over a decade in that place—" Sirius Black had been visibly restless ever since learning of Regulus's fate.
"What happened to Sirius Black's brother?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking at the somewhat sad Sirius Black. Lupin then began to recount the story of this champion's life.
"He was truly a hero." The mood at the table became somber after hearing the brief introduction. As people who had lived through that dark era, the Weasley parents knew all too well the immense courage and determination required for a single person to stand up against the Dark Lord.
"Right, I'll go help too", Mr. Weasley said. "Taking two underage Wizards to such a place is still quite dangerous. I fought in that dark era, so I should be able to provide some assistance."
The Weasley twins started to protest, wanting to go along, but were quickly silenced by Mrs. Weasley. After calming the children, Mrs. Weasley looked at Mr. Weasley with concern but didn't try to stop him.
The clock struck eight in the evening. After hugging Hermione goodbye, Liam, along with Sirius Black, Lupin, and Mr. Weasley, plus Kreacher, left the kitchen and headed toward the house's exit.
(End of Chapter)
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