Chapter 88
Five minutes had passed since Sirius had begun speaking with his son.
Sirius finally asked, "Son, how are you doing with your studies at school? Are you keeping up well?"
Albert answered quickly, "Yes, Father. I've earned full marks for two years in a row, and I ranked first in both my first and second year."
A broad smile spread across Sirius Black's face at his son's words. "Ha ha ha, well done, my boy! I'm truly proud of you. If your mother were here with us, she would say the very same thing."
Albert's eyes darkened as memories stirred—memories from eleven years ago, when his mother had sacrificed herself so that he could live, saving him from Voldemort's killing curse.
As he thought about it, the fire of vengeance flared once again in Albert's heart. He silently swore that he would be the one to avenge her, and that he would be the one to end Voldemort.
Noticing the shadow that had fallen over his son's face, Sirius spoke again.
"Son? Are you alright? Is there something at school that's bothering you? Has any professor done anything against you?"
Sirius knew all too well that when he had been Albert's age, he and James Potter had bullied Severus Snape mercilessly. He feared the consequences—that Snape might try to get his revenge by making life miserable for Albert.
Albert shook his head. "No, Father. I was just… thinking about my mother. When you mentioned her, I remembered her. Even though I know she gave birth to me and died soon after, I still…"
"Yes," Sirius said softly. "When your mother died, I was still locked away in Azkaban. I didn't know what had happened in the family home. But your uncle… after he brought you to me in prison, he told me that your mother had been killed by that man. But I heard in Azkaban that that man had been defeated by Harry Potter. Thank Merlin he was gone in the end, and we were spared from his evil."
(In the magical history of Britain, there had always been great Dark wizards in every era. A thousand years ago, there had been Salazar Slytherin himself. A hundred years ago came Albus Dumbledore's rival—Gellert Grindelwald—a man feared by all for his forbidden and horrifying spells, and for his cold, merciless heart. And finally came Voldemort, the modern reflection of Grindelwald, who sought only one thing: immortality. People had feared Voldemort so much that they avoided speaking his true name, calling him only That Man, believing that by not naming him, they could prevent another Dark Lord from rising.)
Albert thought to himself: In a year, Voldemort will return. I must become stronger. I wager that my current strength would never be enough to defeat him at his peak. Luckily, when I return to Hogwarts, I'll be able to enter the Restricted Section of the library. There, I can study the most powerful spells—spells that even Voldemort couldn't access when he was young. This must be my trump card for the final war.
The two of them spoke for a long time, catching up on everything that had happened during the long months they had been apart.
As the first light of dawn began to spread, Sirius stood and said to his son, "Albert, I have to go now. I'll see you again. If I manage to sneak into the school, I'll meet you there with Harry. Agreed?"
"Alright, Father," Albert replied.
Albert hugged his father tightly—so tightly it was as if he could keep him from vanishing again.
Sirius changed out of his ragged, filthy clothes into cleaner garments, so as not to draw suspicion and be caught by the Ministry of Magic.
Then, after their farewell, Sirius transformed into a great black dog and slipped away from the forest of Wyrtun, leaving his son behind.
To be continued…
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