bioinnovel Chapter 86 Sirius Black, the Stubborn Donkey
Chapter 86 Sirius Black, the Stubborn Donkey
Chapter 86 Sirius Black, the Stubborn Donkey
On her way to Azkaban, Belvina imagined many different ways to start the conversation.
Her favorite way to start a conversation is: Sirius, do you want a wife or not?
When she arrived in Azkaban and stood outside Sirius's cell, she suddenly felt that this way of starting with a joke was very inappropriate.
Sirius Black was once brave, witty, and full of energy; now he is frail and weak, like a skeleton wrapped in skin.
His face was bloodless, his filthy hair was long and messy, his eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones were high. Only his eyes proved that he was still alive and had not died in Azkaban like the others.
Given Sirius's current condition, it's basically impossible for him to have children; he might even die on someone else's stomach.
Outside the cell, Belvina remained where she was, while inside, Sirius slowly turned around, tossing his dirty backside at his younger sister.
Sirius faced the only ventilation hole in the rough stone wall, letting the palm-sized sunlight shine on his face, even though this all-pervasive sunlight could not bring him the slightest warmth.
Very few family members of prisoners are willing to visit Azkaban, as the environment there is too harsh and the Dementors are notorious. Even fewer people like Belvina, who have visited multiple times, are willing to do so.
For prisoners in despair, visits from family and friends are like a shot in the arm, perhaps giving them renewed hope for life.
But the infamous Sirius Black seemed to be an exception; he didn't welcome Belvina's visit and even seemed somewhat resistant to it.
"Since you're so sunny, why stay in the darkness?" Belvina asked. "Lazy sunbathing isn't something a heinous person should do."
Sirius Black, inside his cell, paid no heed to this, savoring every ray of sunlight streaming through the ventilation hole—the hard-won sunlight. "Seeing you endure another year in Azkaban, should I be happy for you or sad for you?" Belvina asked again.
Sirius remained unmoved inside the cell, ignoring Belvina and letting her attack thin air.
Unyielding to reason or pressure, Sirius Black remains the same stubborn mule he always was, a true-blue.
Belvina planted one foot on the firmly welded cell door, causing years of accumulated dust to fall and creating a huge commotion that sparked a cacophony of wails and shouts.
With a snap, Belvina silencing the surrounding chaos, a soft hum replacing the maniacal laughter, painful murmurs, and piercing screams.
Only then did Sirius slowly turn around, looking listlessly at Belvina in the corridor.
He said weakly, "Tell me, who died this time? Was it Cassiopeia, or Signas? It seems like there's no one else left besides those two."
"They're both dead, they're both dead," Belvina said. "It all happened so quickly, but Signas couldn't outlive his dear aunt."
"That means you don't need to come anymore." Sirius's voice was weak and feeble, his pale skin was bloodless, and his thin body swayed slightly.
"Since you hate me so much, I should visit you even more often," Belvina said, her words like venom. "Maybe it'll make your death quicker and less torment you."
Sirius looked up and saw Belvina Black standing before him. Although she was his own sister, she always felt incredibly unfamiliar to him.
In 1985, Sirius Black, who was meditating in Azkaban, met Belvina again after many years. He then realized that she had changed and was not the same person he had been as a child.
In 1990, this sense of alienation intensified when Belvina brought news of Borrock's death and informed Sirius that she had used underhanded means to remove Barty Crouch from the Department of Justice.
In 1991, Belvina brought news of another death of a member of her tribe. The grandfather of the two siblings, Arcturus, had died. That year, she was confident and composed, a state that the Belvina of her childhood would never have shown.
Every time he appears in Azkaban, Sirius's understanding of Belvina is refreshed.
Each time she came to visit, Belvina was like a banshee bringing news of a family member's death, so it's no wonder Sirius Black asked this question.
Inside and outside the cell, Belvina and Sirius looked at each other in silence, but no touching scene of tears streaming down their faces occurred.
"Don't come here again," Sirius said, his voice still weak and feeble, his frail appearance suggesting he might kick the bucket at any moment.
"That won't do. Only if you die can I become the first heir," Belvina said, her small mouth still dripping with venom, as if she wouldn't rest until she killed her brother.
Belvina sighed and said angrily, "Mom burned your name off the tapestry, but miraculously, your name is still on the family heir list, and you're first in line."
"People outside see me as the last Black, but you're the first heir. Isn't that infuriating?" Belvina continued indignantly. "You haven't shed any blood for the family, and your imprisonment wasn't to take the blame for them. Do you think this is fair?"
This is why Belvina says she is not wealthy, and why she wants a house; she is just the youngest daughter of the Black family, not the youngest son.
Sirius Black was very surprised in his cell. Although Belvina had mentioned the matter of an heir once before, she had never talked about it, as if she didn't care at all.
Sirius was quite puzzled. "What's going on here today?"
After a while, Belvina finally stopped her incessant complaining and changed the subject to something else, something that made Sirius's heart feel like it was being gripped tightly.
"Last summer, not long after I left you, I ran into Remus Lupin," Belvina said slowly. "The sickly Lupin who used to hang out with you in school. I almost didn't recognize him."
As she spoke, Belvina carefully observed Sirius's reaction to determine her next move and the next thing to say.
Unfortunately, Sirius's face was deathly pale, leaving little room for a change of expression.
While secretly adjusting her plans, Belvina continued to speak to herself, "You have no idea how miserable Lupin's situation is. 'Destitute' doesn't even begin to describe his plight. How could a wizard end up like a beggar!"
"If he hadn't said he was Lupin, I wouldn't have recognized him at all. How old is he? He's only a few years older than me, yet he acts like we're from two different generations." Belvina exaggerated to the extreme, starting to fabricate stories based on facts, making Lupin sound as miserable as possible.
This was Belvina's immature plan: to use Remus Lupin's miserable situation as bait to lure Sirius Black, that stubborn mule, into the trap.
If Sirius Black were to reveal the truth, Belvina would turn around and go to Dumbledore, leaving the difficult task of overturning the verdict to the old man.
As it turns out, Belvina's wicked plan worked, and Sirius finally reacted quite strongly.
Sirius Black, inside the cell, lowered his dirty head, but he did not speak as expected. He neither inquired about Lupin's recent situation nor recounted his grievances.
"If I were Lupin, I'd really like to hang myself." Belvina intensified her attack, continuing her outburst, "Being stabbed in the back by the person closest to you, that feeling—"
Belvina shook her head and made strange hissing noises. Her words were like knives stabbing at Sirius, each one hitting a vital spot.
If Sirius still refuses to budge, Belvina will have no choice but to draw a circle and curse him, wishing her own brother a sudden death within a year.