Chapter 357

In the mist-like rain, the coffin slowly fell into the pit.

Harry stood sluggishly in the rain. The people beside him seemed to have turned into shadows. People said many comforting words to him, some patted his shoulders, some hugged him, but his heart had turned into a black high wall, and nothing could invade it anymore.

In the distance, an old man watched silently, and a calm sadness also arose in his heart.

"Albus, aren't you going to comfort that child?" A tabby cat jumped down from a nearby branch and turned into an elderly witch.

"You and I both know how pale and powerless language is at this time." Dumbledore sighed deeply. "We have all experienced his pain, but that pain still belongs only to him. We cannot share a single bit of it for him."

"Will Harry hate us?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Dumbledore glanced at the witch. Professor McGonagall looked thin and haggard in the rain. "I don't think he will. Harry is a kind child. Compared to hating us, he might be more willing to hate himself."

Professor McGonagall looked like she was about to cry. "Then I would rather he hate us."

Dumbledore reached out and patted McGonagall's back, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Professor, are we doing the right thing?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Dumbledore opened his mouth. The affirmation that should have been blurted out was hesitant at this moment.

He knew that Minerva needed this affirmative answer. Having paid so much effort and sacrifice, and experienced so much pain, she should at least get an affirmation of her own behavior.

However, he also knew that asking this question was because she, like him, already had doubts about whether the reason they were fighting for was necessary.

"I don't know, Minerva." In the end, he could only say, "This world has become strange. I no longer know what is right and what is wrong. Go back to Hogwarts, Minerva. Murphy won't make things difficult for you. The classroom is the place suitable for you. The Order of the Phoenix has disbanded and will not exist in the future. You don't need to fight anymore."

"But, Albus, what about you?"

"I... I am just an old man who cannot keep up with the changes in the world now. Perhaps, I should learn to let go and take advantage of the time I have left to enjoy my later years."

"I heard that the Wizards' Union hopes you will go back to preside over the overall situation."

"Wizards' Union..." Dumbledore showed a painful expression. "Perhaps it was my persistence that led to their deaths. I no longer have the ability to lead them."

"Albus..." Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore with heartache. It was the first time she had seen this Headmaster look so bewildered. The Dumbledore of the past could always make the wisest decisions and always give an unquestionable answer, making everyone standing beside him feel incomparably certain safety.

They didn't have to think about anything; they just had to do what Dumbledore said.

But, how could she forget that even Dumbledore was not made of steel, and he was not sacred. The pain and pressure he endured were no less than hers.

Did we rely on him too much in the past?

Harry returned to Sirius's cottage.

Friends all came: Ron, Hermione, Qiu Zhang, and even Malfoy. He didn't want to continue to make himself look like the most miserable person in the world, so he tried to support the last bit of strength in his heart, said some words, and comforted them.

After everyone left, Harry sat at the table where Sirius had last sat before he left.

Now, he already knew the cause of Sirius's death.

Mr. Weasley and Hagrid both told him that Sirius belonged to an organization established by Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix. They fought a battle with the Aurors and the Watchers to stop Murphy from building something dangerous.

Sirius died for the cause in his heart, and the person who killed him was a girl who looked seventeen or eighteen years old. No one knew her name, but she was definitely taking orders from Murphy.

All of this made Harry very confused. He found it very difficult to associate Professor Murphy with evil, and it was also difficult to understand Sirius's behavior. This made his motive appear abrupt and meaningless to Harry.

For a moment, he almost wanted to hate Murphy or Dumbledore, and the voice in his heart had been urging him to do so. But when their images flashed in his heart, that twisted hatred gradually extinguished like rootless fire.

He couldn't do it.

He knew that such hatred was meaningless. Dumbledore did not force Sirius, and the person who killed him was not Murphy himself. As for hating the murderer—he didn't even know the other party's name or appearance.

Thus, after all the outlets for anger and sadness were blocked, the extreme pain that could not be resolved turned into a mad dog gnawing at himself.

His body was intact, but his soul was now covered in wounds and dying.

Harry knew he couldn't let himself sink. He tried to find something to do, cleaned the room again, just as Sirius would occasionally tell him to do in the past.

While tidying up the desk, he found the letter.

"Dear Harry:

How is school life? Have you found a girlfriend? You are already a third-year student, a great guy. There is nothing shameful about liking girls. If you need some guidance, I can give you some advice as a senior. First, be brave (crossed out), never mind, let's discuss this when you come back. Boys are always clumsy at this age. Even your father wasn't popular with girls back then. Lily only treated us as a bunch of troublemakers, hahaha.

You have become much more silent recently. Of course, I know no boy will tell his elders too much about himself during puberty, but I still hope you can let me share some for you. We are friends, aren't we?

I had a good idea recently and wanted to ask for your opinion. I'm preparing to travel and go around to various places. We can ride the flying motorcycle and go wherever we want. We can also go find Lupin. It must be boring to dig wild vegetables in the woods with that bunch of wolf cubs all day. Let's go wandering together, how about it? Doesn't it sound great?

Of course, this is just a suggestion. It might be very immature. However, if you are not happy at school—I mean, it's really hard to be happy in a school where Snape is the headmaster, isn't it? We can take a short vacation for ourselves. Lupin and I would be very happy to teach you some magic or something. You don't have to worry about your studies. However, this is still just a suggestion. If you prefer to stay with your friends, I will understand very much.

Wish you a happy study life, remember to write back to me.

PS: Regarding some Black Magic, I am not very opposed to you contacting them, but do what you can. It is best to learn under the supervision of adults or teachers, so we can protect your safety.

Love you, Sirius."

The letter was very short, but Harry spent more than an hour reading it. In the middle, he cried so hard he almost passed out several times.

In the endless sadness that almost completely destroyed him, he had only one thought in his heart: he wanted Sirius to come back, no matter what the price, he wanted to see him one more time.

Thus, that voice surfaced in his heart again.

This time, it was clearer than at any other moment.

"Then hand over your soul."

(End of chapter)