Chapter 865: Hogwarts Learning Panel, Chapter 374

Beneath the dense shadows of the shrubbery, a black-haired wizard sat on the grass, intently studying his O. W. L. exam papers.

He appeared to be in his teens, with a sturdy build, yet his complexion was pale, like a plant that had grown forever in the dark.

The black cat arrived at his side in a few leaps; only then could it see clearly that this was a young Professor Sineipu.

Sirius's shoulders slumped; he saw that his deity had already departed from him.

It trod across the lawn and stopped in front of the wizard he was reluctant to see.

Visibly, Sirius could tell that the black cat cared deeply about this wizard; after all, it had never shown such interest in any other wizard here.

"That is Sineipu."

Sirius said.

The black cat nodded, signaling that they could leave.

"Are you very interested in him?"

Stepping once more into the vast, white mist of the Boundary, Sirius asked tentatively.

The black cat answered the question with silence.

"We should go, Mr. Black."

No emotion could be detected in the black cat's voice; it seemed as if it had always been this calm and unruffled.

The dreamscape was a fascinating place, and Sirius had seen many interesting things along the way.

For instance, some clusters of mist drifted by, revealing bizarre and grotesque scenes;

it is worth mentioning that they seemed very eager to approach Sirius, but were all brushed away by the black cat's tail;

or, for example, after walking for a long time, some houses appeared where the mist permeated; these houses each had their own characteristics, but they all retained one startling commonality—they all had a small door, and some houses even had a black-cat-shaped sign erected beside the small door.

Some even went so far as to erect a statue of a black cat directly.

Sirius watched and guessed all the way.

He seemed to have underestimated the black cat accompanying him.

The Boundary, the world behind the Veil of Death, the place where souls linger eternally... it actually possessed a ubiquitous faith, a group of wizards who worshipped a deity.

For the first time, he questioned this kind of magic.

What kind of existence was it, exactly, that could allow such a young wizard to be placed upon a pedestal?

What kind of magic did it possess that could reveal the future and traverse life and death?

What kind of wizard was it seeking, to allow them to manifest such miraculous power...

Sirius had only thought it was a legend, one of Merlin's many legends, but now it seemed not only real but enduring.

Soon, Sirius's thoughts flew away; he wondered for a moment if James and Lily would still retain their original appearance when he saw them later?

Or would they have miserable faces?

After all, they died with their eyes wide open.

Then he wondered if they resented him, if they would feel disgusted even at the sight of him?

His brow was tightly furrowed, and fear, just as it had invaded countless nights before, gripped his throat.

He thought this time would be no different from the past, and that the fear would soon pass, but this time, he had miscalculated.

While Sirius was in a trance, the black cat's swaying tail suddenly froze.

In the distance, amidst a cluster of pitch-black mist, the black cat heard the roar of a dog.

It was the first time it had encountered such a situation, but it seemed to have already anticipated it.

"Mr. Black,"

It said, startling the distracted Black,

"Run toward your front, if you wish to see them again."

"What..."

Before Sirius could react, a huge black dog rushed out from a blur.

The moment Sirius saw the black dog, his legs uncontrollably went weak.

"What is this?!"

He was both shocked and furious.

"Your fear, sir."

The black cat ignored Sirius further.

This was also the first time it had seen a wizard's reverse soul.

It had invited many guests; apart from a few young wizards who did not stay long, only Mr. Newt Scamander had lingered in the Boundary.

But Mr. Newt Scamander had a sincere heart, leading the black cat to think the Boundary was not that dangerous—for wizards who ventured into it.

But now it seemed, how could a place that even Professor Dumbledore could not linger in be calm and peaceful?

"Run."

The black cat said.

Sirius's calves were weak, but he hurriedly ran forward according to the black cat's instructions.

Just then, more than one black dog appeared.

"Fear, resentment, self-reproach..."

The black cat sighed; Mr. Sirius was truly a troublesome wizard.

The three black dogs that jumped out from the mist were massive, standing nearly a meter tall; in front of them, the black cat's figure appeared quite petite.

In the distance, Sirius ran with all his might; as he felt the wind blowing past him, he heard his deity whispering:

"Run, sir, run past the fear, run past the resentment, run past the self-reproach.

Cast away your yesterday, for yesterday has long since died; cast away your resentment, for one cannot keep a viper in one's heart; then cast away your fear, and bury your self-reproach...

If you can stand firm in the wind, you will know that wind is wind, whether it is the wind on a high tower while standing on a rope, or the wind on flat ground; it is all wind.

Those at high altitudes cannot stand firm because gusts of wind have blown up in their minds."

Sirius calmed down a fraction, seeing that his deity had already revealed its majesty.

It not only had a compassionate side, but even more so, the wrathful gaze of a deity.

It not only expanded seven or eight times in size, becoming a majestic giant cat—looking a size larger than the black dogs—but when it stared at the black dogs with its vertical pupils, even the beasts composed of the soul's dark side had to pause for a long time, seemingly in fear of the deity's wrath.

"What kind of place is this, and what kind of existence is the deity..."

Sirius murmured, having already run across the wilderness. ===== CHAPTER 866 =====