Black's old house.

Sirius, Felix and Dumbledore sat in three seats respectively. The atmosphere in the room was very solemn.

"He needs a funeral." Sirius insisted.

"I totally agree. Regulus is a hero - he also saved an innocent life and has a heart of gold... He totally deserves this honor." Dumbledore said gently: "However, we can't reveal the existence of the Horcrux, which will cause a lot of trouble."

His eyes cast through the half-moon lenses on the long sofa. Next to Sirius, a young man lay quietly, his hands folded on his chest, his black curly hair loose, as if he was asleep.

Regulus looks very similar to his brother, especially his side face, just like the young Sirius who has not experienced twelve years of imprisonment. His age is always fixed at eighteen years old, but he has accomplished what many people cannot do in their lifetime.

"Why - I don't understand!"

Sirius felt that the honor that belonged to his brother was stolen. He should get more, such as a grand funeral. White marble coffin, wreaths and green grass, in front of everyone, the life and glory of Regulus Arcturus Black were read, and everyone praised his outstanding contribution...

and resisting Voldemort and sacrificing his life to take the Horcrux was an important part of his achievement, and he wanted everyone to know this.

"Sirius," Dumbledore said in a deep voice, "I have been trying my best to avoid the spread of this evil magic, even if it is just a name. Imagine, when people know that there is such a magic, they only need simple killing - please forgive my wording, for some people, this is indeed a simple thing - they can touch immortality, what a good deal it is!"

"I don't think-"

"That's you, Sirius, no one will deny your courage and belief. If Voldemort returns one day, will you pick up the wand again?"

"Of course! I will fight to the end!" Sirius said without hesitation.

"That's it," Dumbledore said, "but can you face death calmly?"

"I won't cut open my soul, Dumbledore!"

"Of course you won't," Dumbledore said soothingly, "but what if an extreme situation occurs, the person you care about is dying, or will definitely die, and you desperately want to keep him... At this time, when you hear about a magic that can bring the dead back to life, will you still care whether it is evil or not?"

Sirius hesitated. In this moment, several people's faces flashed before his eyes. He had lost too much and really didn't want the same thing to happen again.

"People will flock to it and use all means to discover the secrets of the Horcruxes - selfish dark wizards for themselves, upright people for their family and friends, brave Aurors for their comrades, despicable and ambitious people for eternal power... Just think about it, Sirius, what a terrible scene that is!" Sirius

gasped. Thinking of that terrible picture, his reason was convinced, but he still felt bad.

After a while, he said in a hoarse voice: "Then, then--"

Felix, who had been silent for a long time, interrupted and said: "You can arrange for Regulus to become a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and use the name of undercover to restore his reputation..."

"No, Felix, I don't want to do that." Sirius refused, "Regulus is a lonely warrior. I hope people understand the incredible courage he showed when he made the difficult decision to fight against Voldemort." He looked at Dumbledore, "Then don't mention the Horcrux, but at least don't ignore his actions against Voldemort, okay?"

Dumbledore nodded and said, "I would be happy to announce this at the funeral."

"Thank you..." Sirius said. In the absence of witnesses, in order to prevent the funeral from becoming a self-talking joke, there must be someone prestigious enough to personally affirm Regulus' contribution, and Dumbledore is the best candidate.

He would put his own reputation on the balance, testify for the former Death Eater, the descendant of the Black family who disappeared quietly, and lift him up...

As for Sirius himself, many people still don't know the news of his rehabilitation. If he suddenly appears in Diagon Alley, he will definitely cause screams of fear.

"Then, I, uh," Sirius said slowly, "I will determine the process, I will do it myself, and I will also determine the invitation list for the funeral--" He suddenly showed a disgusted expression and muttered, "There are not many good people among my relatives." "I

can invite some friends, Sirius." Felix said.

"Thank you, thank you." Sirius said, "Although my brother is not very qualified and has been imprisoned for more than ten years, the Black surname is worth their trip." "

The influence of the pure-blood family is reflected at this time." He said without emotion, making it difficult to tell whether it was pride or ridicule. He whispered, "Just this time..."

Dumbledore said goodbye, and the fire in the fireplace burned.

"Wait a minute, Headmaster Dumbledore, let's go together," Felix said, and he stood up. "By the way--"

Felix took out a locket from his pocket, and he held the gold chain, and the locket trembled.

"This is the fake Horcrux I took out from the stone basin. I took a look and found that there was no other magic attached to it. There was only a note left by Regulus."

Sirius reached out to take it. This fake locket was made by Regulus based on Kreacher's description, and Kreacher only took a quick glance at it at the time, so this imitation was not up to standard-not only was the size wrong, but it didn't even have the "S" mark that symbolized Salazar Slytherin.

He mechanically opened the lid of the locket, and there was only a small piece of folded parchment inside. He opened it and took a look. His eyes were instantly moist. He trembled and read the words on it -

"To the Dark Lord

. When you read this letter, I will be dead, but I want you to know: I discovered your secret. I have taken the real Horcrux and plan to destroy it as soon as possible.

I am willing to die, just so that you can be a mortal of flesh and blood when you meet your destined opponent.

RAB"

Kreacher let out a wail and fell to the ground.

Dumbledore sighed, turned and walked into the fireplace, and Felix followed him out. In the office of the Professor of Ancient Runes, the two had a brief conversation.

"Do you think some of my practices are inhumane, Felix?" Dumbledore showed a tired expression.

"You just need to consider too many things, weigh the pros and cons, and plan the overall situation... Albus."

Dumbledore looked at him in surprise, and he smiled easily: "Let's talk about something happy. Well, I need to express my gratitude. In fact, in addition to the line of Hao Qi, I have also been investigating the Wu Orphanage where Voldemort lived in his childhood. It's just that it has been demolished because of its age.

But I never gave up. If it weren't for you, maybe I would have encountered that cave."

Felix smiled: "With your magic power, you can definitely crack his secret... But there is one thing worth noting. I found that Voldemort is very good at curses, and he is used to link curses with human desires."

Dumbledore nodded slightly: "It is indeed worth noting. He may take advantage of people's weaknesses and set traps."

Finally, Dumbledore told Felix not to reveal the existence of the Horcrux unless he had to. The reason was the same as when he persuaded Sirius. Felix didn't think this was alarmist.

"Then Harry..."

"I've talked to him," Dumbledore said with a distressed expression, "He and his friends want to find out more secrets about Horcruxes, and they want to ask Alma for this. Fortunately, I found out in advance."

Felix also thought to himself that it was a close call. He himself was not interested in Horcruxes at all, and he did not think of the possible consequences pointed out by Dumbledore. In addition, Harry was destined to fight Voldemort, so he had no psychological burden when he revealed this part of information.

It is estimated that Harry did not think of this either, so he planned to ask the librarian, Mrs. Alma Pince.

...

The next time passed quickly, and it was June in a blink of an eye. At the beginning of the month, Felix finished the final exams of the third, fourth, and sixth grades, and watched the new year's wizard level exams - OWLs and NEWTs.

The examiners sent by the Wizard Examination Bureau were still the same as last year. When the exams were over, the fifth and seventh grade students had fun and celebrated their escape from the purgatory of the year.

A week before the end of the school year, Felix held the last magic club assembly of this semester.

All the members of the club are very excited because there is an open secret that has been circulating among them for a long time. Professor Hep plans to teach them an ancient magic!