Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

Many of these criminals were former Death Eaters, and they held Regulus Black in genuine contempt and disdain. Whenever someone mentioned the "hero" title that Regulus was later given, they would show a mocking expression on their faces, their tone full of disapproval, and they would even deliberately lower their voices to sneer.

In their eyes, Regulus betrayed the Death Eaters' beliefs and abandoned his own stance. He was not worthy of the title of hero and was nothing more than a coward who turned against his cause!

The chatter continued intermittently, carrying the numbness and resentment unique to prisoners. Just then, someone glanced up at the prison corridor and suddenly stopped talking, a look of surprise in their eyes. Immediately afterward, the other prisoners also looked over, their faces showing the same confusion. They discovered that outsiders had passed through this prison area again today.

This was far too unusual. Normally, Azkaban was remote and gloomy, and one could not see a single person other than the guards and Dementors for ten days or half a month. The only sounds in the corridors were the low whimpers of the Dementors as they wandered around and the desperate sighs of the prisoners. There had never been such frequent appearances of outsiders.

Puni ignored the prisoners and walked deeper into the prison area. Unlike the other prisoners, Sirius had a solitary cell in Azkaban. This was not a privilege, but rather a more severe punishment. His cell was located closer to the Dementor's lair on the right than the other prisoners. Every day, he had to endure a stronger, colder atmosphere than the other prisoners, and was more frequently enveloped by the Dementors' depressive aura, suffering double the torment.

Over the years, everyone who has stepped into Azkaban and met Sirius Black has been astonished. No one could have imagined that in such a cage shrouded in despair and coldness, and in the days of being tormented by Dementors, he could still maintain a near-normal state, as if the suffering and despair around him could not truly erode his mind.

Puni walked step by step along the prison corridor to Sirius's solitary cell. Looking through the cold iron bars, he saw not the resilient Sirius everyone remembered, but a curled-up figure lying on the cold stone floor, his shoulders trembling slightly, his hands tightly covering his face, and suppressed sobs escaping from between his fingers. His usual pride and sharpness had vanished without a trace.

Puni knew that Sirius's loss of composure was entirely due to Regulus Black. Sirius had always thought of his younger brother Regulus as a cowardly, weak, and submissive person, and had always looked down on him.

But it wasn't until Regulus stepped forward and saved countless people, earning him the title of "hero," that Sirius completely changed his opinion of his younger brother. What moved Sirius even more was that Regulus never believed the slander against him or considered him Voldemort's henchman.

This trust allowed Sirius, who had been abandoned by the entire Black family and misunderstood by everyone, to feel a long-lost warmth, and also gave him an unreserved trust in Regulus. However, in Penny's view, this trust was too pure, even carrying a bit of Gryffindor recklessness and blindness, disregarding consequences and failing to discern.

After many twists and turns, the relationship between the Black brothers, who were once estranged, gradually returned to the way it was in their childhood. Without the suspicion and estrangement of adulthood, only the brotherly concern and care remained. However, the news that Regulus brought this time completely broke Sirius, causing this usually strong man to shed tears.

Not only the other elders, but even Alphad's days are numbered.

Upon hearing this news, Sirius finally settled down in Bengbu.

Back then, Sirius Black was expelled from the Black family because of his differing beliefs, and was abandoned by everyone. When he was most isolated and helpless, only Uncle Alphard in the entire Black family secretly helped him and provided him with support despite the family's opposition, giving him a glimmer of warmth and support.

In Sirius's heart, Uncle Alfard was the only family member he recognized in this cold family, the only light in his dark years. Now, that light was about to go out, and the deep sorrow that penetrated to his bones made him unable to suppress it any longer. Even in a cold and desperate place like Azkaban, even though he had always been proud, he couldn't help but let down all his guard and burst into tears.

This Gryffindor lion, who was always brave and never bowed his head, was ultimately broken down by the pain of losing his loved ones.

Just then, Sirius heard footsteps. He suddenly looked up and saw Puni standing outside the cell through the iron bars. In that instant, the sadness on his face vanished, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes. He quickly got up from the ground, wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, and tidied his messy hair, trying to calm himself down and cover up his earlier loss of composure.

Sirius recognized Penny immediately. Penny's mother was his ruthless and cold-blooded cousin Bellatrix, and Penny's father was also a loyal Death Eater.

In Sirius's mind, his parents were Death Eaters, and growing up in such an environment, how could their child be any better? This innate prejudice was like a chasm between him and Puni, making him despise the child from the bottom of his heart and unwilling to have any interaction with him.

Suppressing his complex emotions, Sirius frowned, his tone icy, filled with undisguised disgust and rejection, and growled at Puni, "Get away from me. I don't want to see you, you little Death Eater, in front of me. Just looking at you makes me sick."

He was sharp-tongued and spoke without mercy, even to a child.

Despite Sirius's insults and rejection, Puni showed no anger. He maintained a calm expression and even slightly raised his chin, replying in a flat tone, "Hello, my Death Eater uncle."

He was stating the facts. Now, everyone outside believes that Sirius Black is Voldemort's henchman and a heinous Death Eater. He was simply stating the facts of this established label.

Upon hearing this, Sirius Black was instantly enraged, his face turning ashen. What he hated most was being associated with the Death Eaters, and Puni's words had undoubtedly struck a nerve.

He opened his mouth, a string of foul language almost escaping his lips. Regulus, standing not far away, heard the argument between the two and gradually showed displeasure on his face.

Kopni remained unaffected by Sirius's anger, and even a faint smile appeared on his face.

But to Sirius, that smile was full of sarcasm and provocation, mocking his embarrassment and his inability to defend himself after being falsely accused. This only made him angrier.

“My poor Death Eater uncle,” Puni said to Regulus, no longer wanting to argue with Sirius. “I think we should be going too.”

Regulus nodded slightly, then turned to Sirius in the cell and said in a complicated tone, "Take care."

Then, he summoned his guardian spirit, a pure white grey dog ​​radiating a soft glow, and had it lead the way while he followed behind, heading towards the exit of the prison area.

The two walked towards the exit of the prison area. Regulus paused, as if he suddenly remembered something, and turned to look at Puni, asking seriously, "By the way, Puni, I've always been curious, why aren't you afraid of Dementors at all? Even adult wizards would find it hard to withstand their existence, yet you're unharmed... But whatever the reason, I think I should suggest you learn the Patronus Charm."

He paused, then added, "Learning the Patronus Charm will not only better conceal your special ability to resist Dementors and prevent others from noticing anything unusual, but the Patronus Charm itself has many uses. It can both ward off Dementors and transmit messages. Learning it will do you no harm, only benefit."

Chapter 104 Centaur Xinglun

He genuinely cared about Puni and didn't want him to get into unnecessary trouble because of his special status.

Puni stopped and pondered for a moment. He felt that Regulus was right. The Guardian Charm was indeed useful, and after learning it, he could better hide his secrets and avoid being noticed by others.

Thinking of this, he nodded deeply and said decisively, "If you can teach me, Uncle, I would be happy to learn this magic."

There's no harm in learning another kind of magic anyway; on the contrary, it would provide more security. Having made up their minds, the two didn't linger any longer, quickened their pace, and successfully left Azkaban.

The round trip from Azkaban took a considerable amount of time, and by the time Puni and Regulus returned to 12 Grimoire Square, it was already dinnertime.

Normally, Puni rarely stayed here for long, let alone had dinner here, but today was a special occasion, so he stayed and had dinner with Regulus. After dinner, they chatted briefly before he got up to say goodbye and prepare to return to Hogwarts.

As Penny walked out of Number 12 Grimmauld Place and arrived at Professor Flitwick's office at Hogwarts via the Floo Network, he immediately saw Professor Flitwick sitting in an extremely tall chair.

Professor Flitwick, a short man, looked rather comical sitting on his high chair. In front of him was a thick stack of workbooks, and he was bowing his head, carefully grading them, his pen moving quickly across the paper, his expression focused and serious.

"Hello, Professor," Puni said politely.

“Hi, Puni!” Professor Flitwick looked up, pushed up his glasses, and smiled gently. “I know you may not be in a good mood lately. Anyone would be upset after what happened to the Black family. But if you go to the hall now, you might be able to have something to eat and chat with your friends to ease your mind.”

"it is good."

Puni himself wasn't actually feeling too sad. He didn't have much of a connection with the elders of the Black family, and their passing didn't have a significant impact on him. But he naturally couldn't say this to Professor Flitwick, since Professor Flitwick was just trying to be kind to him.

So Puni simply nodded slightly, responded, and turned to leave Professor Flitwick's office.

Stepping out of the office and down the stairs, Puni couldn't help but sigh at the stark contrast between the atmospheres of Hogwarts and Azkaban. Azkaban was eerily silent, filled with despair and coldness, and everyone's face was etched with numbness and pain. In contrast, Hogwarts was filled with laughter, warmth, and liveliness, brimming with youthful energy.

On the way down from Professor Flitwick's office to the lobby, Puni even saw several couples cuddling together, whispering sweet nothings, some even stealing kisses, their faces full of youthful innocence and sweetness.

As he entered the hall, Puni's eyes quickly scanned his surroundings, and soon he spotted his friends in familiar spots.

Marcos was huddled together with Eddie and Roger, their heads close together. All three of them were looking down intently at their newspapers, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones, seemingly engrossed in their discussion.

As for Qiu Zhang, perhaps it was a telepathic connection, as soon as Puni saw her figure, she seemed to sense something, slowly raised her little head, and cast her gaze precisely in the direction where Puni was.

The moment Qiu Zhang saw Puni, the slight gloom on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a bright and cheerful smile, his eyes curving into crescents, making him look exceptionally adorable.

Seeing Qiu Zhang's smile, Puni's mood improved as well. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a gentle smile. Then she took a few steps and slowly walked to Qiu Zhang's side, her gaze soft.

Just then, Marcos, who was sitting opposite, suddenly put down his newspaper, looked up, and called out to Puni in a mocking tone, "Hey, Puni, you're finally back! I saw you staring straight at Cho Chang as soon as you entered the hall, completely ignoring us friends?"

Eddie and Roger, who were standing nearby, also looked up, their faces showing expressions similar to Marcos's. They winked at Puni, clearly agreeing with what Marcos had said.

Stop spouting nonsense.

Puni rolled his eyes.

He had a meal with his roommates.

Dumbledore was eating at the time, and Puni was about to leave when he suddenly came over.

“Puni, come with me.”

"Hmm? Okay."

Puni was taken aback, feeling a bit strange at being called out by Dumbledore, but he still agreed.

......

Time flew by and the next day arrived.

Dumbledore said he would take him to see the Forbidden Forest.

Puni didn't understand.

Dumbledore, however, only said that as a talented young wizard, he should see more of the school.

Puni was even more confused.

What does Old Deng mean by this?

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and on the quiet outskirts of the forbidden forest, the only sound was the cracking of dead branches as they were broken by shoes.

Two figures, their steps steady, walked slowly into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest, their feet glistening with morning dew. They were Puni and Dumbledore.

As you slowly walk along the winding path, all around is quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

After a long silence, Puni finally couldn't help but speak up: "Professor Dumbledore, I want to ask you, what is the purpose of bringing me here?"

Upon hearing this question, Dumbledore stopped in his tracks, closed his eyes slightly, and fell into deep thought.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding woods, and then he said slowly, "This is actually a very old problem. Your elders made some requests to me before they died, and I granted them."

Uh?

Elders in the family?

Were they the elders who were cursed and ultimately died?

Puni was taken aback, his feelings a bit complicated.

Dumbledore smiled and said, “Child, the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to young wizards because it’s really dangerous. But since I’m here, you don’t need to worry about that rule. Come and wander around the Forbidden Forest with me. If you want any magical materials, I can help you get them.”

"Thank you, Professor." Puni nodded.

He didn't know what request his elders had made to Dumbledore.

But given the current situation, it's not necessarily a bad thing for him.

The two did not continue discussing the topic, and continued chatting slowly as they walked deeper into the forbidden forest.

The deeper you go, the denser the surrounding trees become. The intertwined canopies of the trees gradually block out the light from the sky, and sunlight can only filter through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting scattered spots of light.

The ground became increasingly damp, covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves and moss, soft and sticky underfoot. The surroundings grew darker, the light so dim that one could not see the road ahead.

The two simultaneously raised their wands and softly chanted the Illumination Charm.

A pale white light emanated from the tip of the wand, illuminating the path ahead and revealing the Forbidden Forest.

A somber and oppressive hue enveloped the entire forest, the air thick with the smell of damp, decaying leaves. Many striking white spiderwebs hung from the branches, their webs fine yet resilient, some covered in dust, others still gleaming with a fresh sheen, clearly recently woven.

Dumbledore stopped and looked closely at the torn spiderwebs on the branches of a nearby tree. He then turned to Puni and asked, "Look at these spiderwebs. They look like they were forcibly torn apart by some large creatures. The remaining fragments are still hanging on the branches. It's clear that something big happened recently."

"Some time ago?" Puni paused.

Was it during the time when Hagrid said there might be problems in the Forbidden Forest?

For some reason, Puni always felt that countless cold eyes were hiding in the darkness, watching him and Dumbledore.

Just as Puni finished speaking, a series of rustling sounds suddenly rang out around them. The sounds were not loud, but they were exceptionally clear, coming from all directions and lingering in their ears.

Clearly, these giant spiders had been lurking around them for some time, perhaps waiting patiently ever since they entered the area, until the two were completely encircled by them before finally revealing themselves.

Penny said to Dumbledore, "Professor, are there really that many spiders? I think their numbers need to be controlled."

These eight-legged arthropods are already quite ugly, making people feel disgusted just by looking at them. What's even more terrifying is that they have highly venomous mouths, are good at ambushing, and can also spit out sticky spider silk. Once you get entangled in the spider silk, it's very difficult to escape.

"Yes, there are indeed too many of them. There was a riot a while ago, and many people died, but there are still so many."

Dumbledore's gaze swept across the surrounding darkness: "It seems these big guys are planning to surround us."