Chapter 325: Ghost Story

"Ah? Are you joking?" Harry even felt he should laugh a few times, but in this kind of scene, he couldn't laugh much.

"We all know this is a fantasy, but it's a pity that Bellatrix is quite convinced of this conjecture and often worries about it." Snape sneered again. "The main reason is that the Dark Lord knows you are one of the Horcruxes, but it's not convenient to say it clearly, so he can only repeatedly emphasize that he wants to keep your life."

Harry was thunderstruck by this news; he stood in place and couldn't speak for a long time. However, his brain gradually helped him accept this fact: the reason why Bella felt guilty every time she mentioned Delphini's bloodline and ability was because she felt there was an older brother outside who had the same pure bloodline as Delphini and had even more outstanding ability.

"I think this can actually be traced back to the time when Bellatrix was pregnant; she would often suspect that she wasn't the only woman of the Dark Lord, because the Dark Lord didn't pour all his love into her." Snape explained while pacing. "We all know this is because the Dark Lord only loves himself, but Bella just likes to let her imagination run wild, how ridiculous."

"Bella did some things to express her loyalty, but the effect was minimal. After giving birth to Delphini, her depression deepened, and finally she couldn't help but want to seek help; it's a pity that she chose the stupidest one around her—Narcissa."

"Narcissa's brain is filled with complex triangular love relationships, which has something to do with her reading too many princess novels when she was young, so she gave the most impossible explanation for the Dark Lord's behavior: she guessed that the Dark Lord once had another woman, and he couldn't forget that woman."

"Last summer, she came to find me; she asked me to investigate Harry Potter's background, to investigate what happened that night. Obviously, she had already been to Azkaban to torture Wormtail, but that rat couldn't say anything."

"Of course, I still want to thank you for discovering the Inspiration Charm at school; if there were no such spell, I wouldn't have thought of fabricating such a fantasy story." Snape paused and squeezed out a smile that wasn't so cold. "Think about it, if the one locked in prison is Wormtail who should have died, then where did Sirius go?"

The current official statement is that Sirius disguised himself as Wormtail to act, but this statement can't fool people who have truly stayed in Azkaban.

"This is the thing Bellatrix has been unable to figure out: clearly Sirius is not a Death Eater at all, why was he locked into Azkaban, and the cell was even deeper than hers. And, why after one went out and one went in, the person locked in the cell became Wormtail. And with the help of the Inspiration Charm, my story can just explain these two things, and by the way, wipe the butt for Regulus's clumsy lies."

"The persuasiveness of words is limited after all; just right, Grindelwald's memory gave me a lot of inspiration..." Snape waved his wand, revealing a Pensieve behind the screen. "You can come and take a look, and appreciate the technique of weaving this memory."

Harry buried his head in the Pensieve suspiciously, and immediately, he seemed to return to fifteen years ago, that terrible era, and the night before the tragedy happened.

"James, hide yourself well." Sirius sat at the table in the pub, his tone full of helplessness. "I still want to continue my family."

"It doesn't matter." James patted him on the shoulder generously. "I have a clever trick to hide myself, you can just pretend to join Voldemort for now, he won't find me. After Deng Buliduo finds that secret weapon, everything will be calm, and we can gather again."

"Then let's do it like this, take care of yourself." Sirius picked up his hat and left dejectedly.

James's clever trick was of course the Fidelius Charm, but between Lupin and Peter, he thought about it and chose that wrong answer.

"Master, I deceived James, he chose me as the Secret-Keeper." Wormtail knelt in front of Voldemort flatteringly. "He is in Godric's Hollow, he is hiding there, that boy..."

"You are very good, you did a great job." Voldemort's cold and arrogant voice came. "But I can't help but think about a problem, what if the prophecy comes true? What if my magic power fails in front of that little bastard?"

"It won't, you are invincible, it won't—"

"I need you to do one thing." Voldemort opened his mouth to interrupt Wormtail's expression of loyalty. "As a backup plan, I need you to wait in Godric's Hollow."

"After I kill James and his Muggle wife, I will attack that little bastard, but in case I fail, you need to replace that baby." Voldemort said slowly. "I originally wasn't in a hurry to find trouble with Potter, but it just so happened that Cassandra gave birth to my offspring in June, and I named him Saruman."

Wormtail had never heard of such a thing and was speechless in surprise.

"With that prophecy ahead, Deng Buliduo will definitely do his best to care for and cultivate this 'Savior'." Voldemort said proudly: "If I fail, you use Saruman to replace the child of the Potter family."

"I even vaguely look forward to failure; after all, I am immortal, and occasionally receiving some setbacks and obstacles is nothing." Voldemort played with his wand. "But Deng Buliduo, he rarely trusts others, and how would he know that the Savior he has high hopes for would be my own son?"

"Master is wise." Wormtail knelt on the ground and echoed.

In the blink of an eye, Voldemort went to find others again, and that was Regulus.

"Master, I have successfully persuaded my brother, he is willing to join our great cause." Regulus's tone had obvious joy.

"Is that so? That's very good." Voldemort said without sorrow or joy. "I happen to have a task to hand over to you, or just hand it over to you all; kill someone for me tonight."

"What kind of person?" Regulus asked.

"Wormtail, he knows secrets he shouldn't know." Voldemort sneered. "And, since he can betray James because he is afraid of me, who knows when he will betray me because he is afraid of Deng Buliduo in the future."

After Regulus took this task, he returned home with firm steps, and then knocked on Sirius's bedroom door.

"Brother, are you sure you want to join the Dark Lord?" He asked coldly.

"What else can I do?" Sirius drooped his eyebrows.

"Then, we are going to prepare to kill someone tonight." Regulus said softly.

"Very good, whoever it is." Sirius's emotions seemed very dejected; he took out a wine bottle and poured a mouthful into his mouth fiercely. "I had expected it."

In the evening, the two brothers Apparated to the entrance of Godric's Hollow village; Regulus first used a Disillusionment Charm to hide himself.

"Damn it, who exactly are we going to kill?" Sirius suddenly asked. "Why did you bring me to this place!"

"Rest assured, it's not James." Regulus seemed to know what his brother was worried about, so he deliberately concealed what he was going to do.

The two brothers waited at the valley without saying a word; as time passed, the sky began to darken. Suddenly, a loud noise came from afar, and Sirius's complexion obviously changed; he couldn't wait to rush in.

"Imperio." A cold incantation came from behind him; Sirius stood still suddenly, and his body became uncontrollable all of a sudden.

"Wake up, brother." Regulus said with a hint of bitterness. "Since we chose the Dark Lord, we have no room for regret."

Sirius's complexion was uncertain, but just at this moment, he saw a figure, it was Wormtail. He was holding a baby and running toward the outside of the village, and he was almost at the place where he could Apparate.

"Kill him, the one we want to kill is him." Regulus controlled Sirius's hand to raise slowly, while Sirius's face was full of struggle.

When Wormtail saw Sirius, he was also a bit bewildered, and unconsciously slowed his pace; the two stared at each other blankly.

"This is Harry!" Wormtail suddenly screamed loudly. "The Mysterious Man has fallen, I saved Harry!"

Sirius visibly revealed a look of surprise, but Regulus couldn't hold it anymore; he scolded: "You are talking nonsense! Avada..."

Sirius suddenly broke free from the Imperius Curse; he immediately pounced on his brother and grabbed his right hand holding the wand. But Regulus's reaction was very swift, and his spellcasting level was also more superb; he quickly released a silent Repelling Charm with his left hand, causing Sirius to fly backward fiercely.

For Wormtail at this time, he really didn't know who to help.

However, Sirius, who didn't know Wormtail's betrayal yet, clearly knew that he needed to help Peter, especially since he seemed to be carrying James's child.

"Run!" Sirius shouted, and then he waved his wand, and a large amount of smoke rose around, confusing Regulus's vision.

"Bastard! Confringo!" Regulus released a powerful explosion spell in anger, hoping to use this spell to blow Wormtail to death, so that he could complete the Dark Lord's task.

After the smoke and dust dispersed, Sirius, who was in rags and covered in wounds, pounced on the place where his friend once stood, but he only grabbed an empty swaddling cloth and a finger.

"Ha, haha," Regulus laughed dryly, and then threw out a red light, knocking Sirius unconscious on the spot.

"Stupid brother, you never find your position right." Regulus straightened his clothes coldly. "You go to Azkaban and stay well; that can at least save your life." ===== CHAPTER 326 =====