bioinnovel Chapter 225 Urging Marriage and Ambition
Chapter 225 Urging Marriage and Ambition
Chapter 225 Urging Marriage and Ambition
"Is this the Marauder's Map you two were talking about?"
In the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Belvina, Basilda, Sirius Black, and Lupin sat around a desk.
The Marauder's Map lay flat on the table, the old parchment depicting most of the details of Hogwarts Castle and the grounds.
Many small black dots moved across the map, each labeled with a name in tiny font. Dumbledore and Fudge appeared in the Headmaster's office, and Snape returned to his office.
The castle dungeon was densely packed with tiny black dots, where Ministry of Magic employees and Peter Pettigrew were located.
"This map was one of our proudest creations from our school days," Sirius said. "Thanks to James's invisibility cloak, we were able to explore the castle at night and slowly create this map."
"Yes, if it weren't for James's invisibility cloak, we would have been caught countless times," Lupin said nostalgically. "Remember when we found this secret passage, we almost got caught by Filch."
Sirius laughed and said, "Of course I remember. Filch was so angry he almost twisted his nose. We were standing right next to him, but he couldn't see us."
"The magic on this map is incredibly profound and amazing. The Manifestation Charm, the Detection Charm, the Tracking Charm, and so on—it's truly remarkable," Belvina exclaimed sincerely. "But I must say, you guys have a lot of free time on your hands."
Sirius Black initially seemed to be enjoying himself, but Belvina's tone suddenly shifted, almost making him throw up. "Restless? We're exploring the castle, we're very busy!" Sirius said, dissatisfied. "A castle that has stood for a thousand years, don't you have any interest in its secrets?"
Belvina shook her head, as did Bassheda.
"So what did you guys do when you were in school? Did you just hang out in the library all day?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Your school days must have been incredibly boring!"
"It's not boring at all, it's very interesting," said Bassheda. "The library contains countless pieces of knowledge, and every book has the potential to refresh my understanding of the world."
"Perhaps Ravenclaw would be a better fit for you," Lupin said. "Ravenclaw Tower has its own private library."
Bassheda nodded and said, "The Sorting Hat considered putting me in Ravenclaw, but I still prefer Hufflepuff." "And you, Belvina, are you also hiding in the library?" Sirius asked. "Didn't the Sorting Hat consider any houses other than Slytherin?"
"The library is huge, it can hold the whole world. Don't use your shallow knowledge to look down on the school library," Belvina said. "Besides, the Sorting Hat hasn't even touched my hair yet, and it's already shouting 'Slytherin!'"
Sirius Black pouted and said with dissatisfaction, "You really are Mrs. Black's good daughter, following your mother around like a shadow since you were little."
"The academy doesn't represent everything. I thought you at least understood that simple truth," Belvina said dismissively. "Has Gryffindor never produced a dark wizard?"
"Gryffindor has produced dark wizards, but not as many as you Slytherins, nor as famous." Sirius leaned back lazily in his chair.
Belvina retorted without looking up, "If Slytherin is so bad, why hasn't anyone proposed abolishing it for thousands of years? It's people who do wrong, never the academy."
Upon hearing this, Sirius's expression changed.
Belvina was both defending Slytherin House and speaking up for the Black family name.
"As Mrs. Black's devoted daughter, I speak on her behalf and ask you this question sincerely," Belvina said, putting down the Marauder's Map. "When do you plan to get married? When do you plan to have children?"
As soon as the issue of pressuring people to get married and have children came up, both Basilda and Lupin showed expressions of anticipation, as if they were just waiting for a good show.
Sirius Black dismissively replied, "Whether I get married or not, and when I get married, what's it to you? Do you really enjoy being an elder that much? Do you have to be an aunt?"
"What kind of witch do you like? A pure-blood witch? A half-blood witch? Or a Muggle?" Belvina said to herself. "If you want to marry a Muggle girl, that's fine too, I won't object."
Belvina's attitude was clear: she was not picky about Sirius's partner's background, as long as they could have children.
"Do you value the Blake name that much that you insist on passing it down?" Sirius asked, puzzled. "Is it really that important to you?"
"Otherwise what?" Belvina said. "Did you think I went through all that trouble to get you out so you could fight me for the inheritance?"
Sirius was somewhat speechless. He said, "I have no interest in the Black family's assets; I can transfer them all to you. The house, the vault—it's all yours."
Belvina nodded and said, "Very good, very good. Then return Alphad's estate as well, and don't forget, he also has the surname Black."
I have no interest in the Black family's wealth, pshaw!
Without Alphad's legacy, could Sirius have afforded the Firebolt?
Without the gold in Gringotts' underground vault, Sirius Black and Lupin are doomed to starve!
Belvina continued, "Alphad's father was Boroks, Boroks' father was Signas, Signas' father was Phineas, do I need to keep counting upwards?"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Sirius waved his hand impatiently. "You've got the family tree memorized!"
“They all have the surname Black,” Belvina said. “Including you, Sirius Black. Do you think you can sever all ties with Black by just walking away?”
Belvina paused for a moment, then continued, "Barty Crouch didn't even give you a chance to speak, probably because he felt the evidence was conclusive, especially since Dumbledore had intervened. On the other hand, do you really think it has absolutely nothing to do with your surname and bloodline?"
The Black family were staunch believers in pure-blood superiority, almost to the point of madness, and they were also Voldemort's supporters.
Bellatrix, the eldest of the younger generation of the family, was Voldemort's right-hand woman and also served a life sentence for him.
Regulus, who would later take on the mantle of Blackgate's patronage, also joined the Death Eaters early on, cheering on Voldemort's cause.
Sirius Black was born into the Black family, had siblings who were Death Eaters, and his actions were not entirely innocent, making the rabbit case almost inevitable.
"Wake up, Sirius. You've never escaped the influence of your family," Belvina said sarcastically. "You've always lived in Black's shadow, and you always will."
Sirius Black jumped to his feet and said, "What exactly are you trying to say? There are no outsiders here, no need to beat around the bush!"
"I'm not beating around the bush; I'm helping you see reality clearly." Belvina slowly stood up. "What Blake was like in the past doesn't matter; those things are all in the past. What matters is where Blake goes from here."
Belvina leaned on the desk, looking at Sirius with a cold expression, her tone icy and devoid of any emotion.
She said, "In the past, you were nothing but a deserter, selfishly running away. Now, do you want to continue being a deserter?"
"Your insistence is pointless, Belvina." Sirius lowered his voice, his tone softening considerably. "The Black family is now just the two of us; it's practically defunct."
“It makes sense,” Belvina said. “The Blake family’s insistence on pure-blood superiority is meaningless and unnecessary. What about a new Blake? A Blake who isn’t obsessed with pure blood, who doesn’t discriminate—isn’t that meaningful?”
Sirius was speechless; he had to admit that Belvina made a lot of sense.
The Blake of the past was not something Sirius could change on his own, but the Blake of the future is entirely dependent on Sirius.
We may not see anything now, but what about ten or twenty years from now?
What kind of impact would a Blake who no longer adheres to pure-blood superiority, a Blake who does not discriminate based on birth, have?
"Belvina, what exactly are you trying to do?" Sirius asked. "I always feel that your thoughts and actions are dangerous."
"The Weasley family is outnumbered and isolated. I want to help them out, is that not allowed?" Belvina retorted lightly. "Besides, it's just asking you to get married and have children, not asking you to die."
Sirius shook his head like a rattle-drum, saying, "If you don't explain your purpose clearly, I dare not follow you down this dark path. I wouldn't even know how I died."
This time it was Belvina's turn to remain silent, because her thoughts and actions were indeed dangerous.
After a while, Belvina said in a low voice, "I'm tired of being looked down upon, and I'm tired of being stabbed. Is that reason enough?"
Sirius and Lupin exchanged a glance, and they saw shock in each other's eyes.
It sounds like Belvina simply wants to change the Black family's stance and start anew.
But in reality, Belvina was trying to gain a lot with a small investment; she was likely plotting against the Ministry of Magic, and the Black family was just one part of her scheme.
"Dumbledore, and Voldemort," Lupin suddenly interjected. "No matter what you want to do, you can't get around these two."
"As expected, Gryffindor's thoughts and actions are the most dangerous," Belvina said. "Are you two just muscle in your heads?"
Belvina paused for a moment, then continued, "I've simply found a cause I can dedicate my life to. What terrifying things are you two thinking? Do you think I'm going to duel Dumbledore?"
"It sounds like either you die or Dumbledore dies," Sirius said emotionlessly, like a puppet.
"That's right, I almost thought you were going to be the next Voldemort." Lupin was even more direct, actually elevating Belvina to the level of the Dark Lord.
Belvina's eyes widened instantly. If it weren't for her eye sockets, her eyeballs would have flown out and smashed into Sirius and Lupin.
"I'm truly flattered!" Belvina said. "I only wanted to be Minister for Magic, and incidentally expand my own and Black's influence. How did I end up being compared to Voldemort?"
Sirius and Lupin exchanged glances again, still feeling that Belvina's thoughts couldn't be so simple.
"I knew I shouldn't have discussed this with Gryffindor."
Belvina sighed, shook her head helplessly, and walked out of the classroom.
This action deeply hurt Sirius and Lupin, as if they were some kind of absolute idiots, when it was clearly her idea that was easy to misunderstand!
At this moment, Bassheda, who had been watching the show in silence, stood up.
Bassheda said, "You two have really misunderstood her. Her ambition is simply to make the world less hateful."