Hogwarts: From Selling White Peppers to Becoming a God

Chapter 354 Hand Over Your Soul

In the misty rain, the coffin slowly fell into the pit.

Harry stood blankly in the rain, the people around him seemingly turning into shadows. People offered him words of comfort, some patted his shoulder, some hugged him, but his heart had become a high, black wall, and nothing could penetrate it anymore.

In the distance, an old man watched silently, a calm sorrow rising in his heart as well.

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

"You and I both know how pale and powerless words are at this moment." Dumbledore sighed deeply. "We have all experienced his pain, but that pain still belongs only to him, and we cannot share even a fraction of it with him."

"Harry, will you hate us?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Dumbledore glanced at the witch. Professor McGonagall looked thin and haggard in the rain. "I don't think so. Harry is a kind boy. He would probably rather hate himself than hate us."

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

Dumbledore reached out and patted McGonagall on the back, unsure of what to say.

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

Dumbledore opened his mouth, but hesitated, even though he should have blurted out a definite yes.

He knew that Minerva needed this affirmation. After putting in so much effort and sacrifice, and enduring so much pain, she deserved at least some recognition for her actions.

However, he also knew that she asked the question because, like himself, she had begun to doubt the necessity of the reason for which they were fighting.

"I don't know, Minerva." In the end, all he could say was, "This world has become unfamiliar. 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 where you belong. The Order of the Phoenix has been disbanded and will never exist again. You don't need to fight anymore."

"But Albus, what will you do?"

"I... I'm just an old man who can't keep up with the changes in the world. Perhaps I should learn to let go and enjoy my later years while I still have some time."

"I heard that the Wizarding Federation wants you to go back and take charge."

"The Wizarding Union..." Dumbledore's face showed pain. "Perhaps it was my obsession that led to their deaths. I am no longer capable of leading them."

"Albus..." Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore with heartache. It was the first time she had ever seen the headmaster look so bewildered. In the past, Dumbledore had always been able to make the wisest decisions and give an unquestionable answer, making everyone standing around him feel an unwavering sense of security.

They don't have to think about anything; they just need to do what Dumbledore says.

But how could I forget that even Dumbledore is not made of steel, nor is he divine? The pain and pressure he endured were no less than mine.

Have we relied on him too much in the past?

……

Harry returned to Sirius's cabin.

His friends all came—Ron, Hermione, Cho Chang, and even Malfoy. Not wanting to continue making himself look like the most miserable person in the world, he mustered the last bit of strength in his heart and said a few words to comfort them.

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

He now knows the cause of Sirius's death.

Mr. Weasley and Hagrid both told him that Sirius belonged to an organization founded by Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix, and that they fought a war against the Aurors and the Watchmen to stop Murphy from building something dangerous.

Sirius died for the cause he believed in, and the person who killed him was a girl who looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old. No one knew her name, but she was definitely acting on Murphy's orders.

All of this left Harry very confused. He found it difficult to associate Professor Murphy with evil, and he also struggled to understand Sirius's behavior, which made his motives seem abrupt and meaningless to Harry.

For a fleeting moment, he wanted to hate Murphy or Dumbledore, and a voice inside him kept urging him to do so, but as their images flashed through his mind, the twisted hatred gradually died out like a fire without roots.

He can't.

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

Thus, after all outlets for anger and sorrow have been blocked, the unbearable extreme pain transforms into a vicious dog that frantically devours itself.

His body was intact, but his spirit was now wounded and on the verge of death.

Harry knew he couldn't let himself sink into despair, so he tried to find something to do and cleaned his room again, just like Sirius used to occasionally ask him to do.

While tidying his desk, he found the letter.

Dear Harry:

How's school life? Have you found a girlfriend yet? You're a third-year student now, a great young man! There's nothing shameful about liking girls. If you need some guidance, I can offer some advice as a senior. First, be brave (scratch that). Never mind, let's discuss this when you get back. Boys are always clumsy at this age. Even your father wasn't popular with girls back then. Lily only saw us as a bunch of troublemakers, hahaha.

You've become much quieter lately. Of course, I know no boy would tell his elders too much about himself during puberty, but I still hope you can let me share some of your burdens. We're friends, aren't we?

I recently came up with a great idea and wanted to ask for your opinion. I'm planning to travel and explore different places. We can ride flying motorcycles and go wherever we want. We can also go find Lupin. It must be quite boring to spend all day digging for wild vegetables in the woods with those wolf cubs. How about we go on a wandering trip together? Doesn't that sound amazing?

Of course, this is just a suggestion, and it might be quite immature, but if you're unhappy at school—I mean, it's really hard to be happy at a school where Snape is the headmaster, isn't it? We can take a short break. Lupin and I would be happy to teach you some magic or something, so don't worry about your studies. However, this is still just a suggestion, and I would completely understand if you prefer to be with your friends.

I wish you a pleasant study and life, and remember to reply to me.

P.S.: I don't object to you getting involved with black magic, but you should do it within your limits. It's best to learn under the supervision of an adult or teacher so that we can protect your safety.

Love, Sirius.

The letter was short, but it took Harry more than an hour to read it, and he almost fainted from crying several times.

In the endless sorrow that almost completely destroyed him, he had only one thought in his mind: he wanted Sirius to come back, no matter the cost, he wanted to see him again.

And so, that voice resurfaced in his heart once again.

This time, it is clearer than ever before.

"Then surrender your soul."

(End of this chapter)