Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

It's clear that they cut short their round-the-world trip to come back specifically for Borcoux's funeral.

Perhaps before setting off, they even returned to Malfoy Manor to change into a plain, dark wizard's robe as a sign of respect for the deceased.

Even with their careful grooming, Puni could still see the weariness of their journey; the corners of their wizard robes were still covered in dust, and each of them looked tired.

Among them, the most conspicuous was Draco. He had his head down, his eyes unfocused, and he looked even more listless than the Malfoys beside him. His lips were slightly downturned, and he looked utterly dejected.

Puni secretly guessed that perhaps they hadn't even arrived in Romania yet, and hadn't even seen the dragon that Draco longed for, when they received the news of Boroks' death and had to hastily end their trip to rush back. No wonder Draco was so disappointed.

Although Penny was the head of the Lestrange family and held a prestigious position, he was only eleven years old and still quite young. According to the Black family's rules, he naturally did not need to undertake the preparation and reception work for the funeral.

Right now, his main task is to help take care of the younger family members who come to attend the funeral.

For a time, he became the leader of this group of children.

Fortunately, these children were not stubborn or willful; most were well-behaved and easy to coax, so Puni's care was not too difficult.

Draco, in particular, although he was older than Regulus's son Severan, lacked the maturity and composure expected of an older brother. He was immature and even noisier than Severan when playing with him.

ah~

Puni sighed again.

How bad can someone with a staff made of unicorn hair be?

Seeing this, Puni simply waved his wand and gently tapped it, instantly transforming a piece of wood into a mini fire dragon the size of a palm.

The dragon's body is covered with fine orange-red scales, its eyes are like two small rubies, and it occasionally spits out a wisp of sparks from its mouth. It is small and cute.

Draco's eyes lit up the moment he saw the miniature dragon. His previous dejection vanished, and he immediately went over to it, circling around the dragon. He would gently touch its scales with his finger and whisper to it, playing with the dragon for a long time with great interest.

Puni stood aside, quietly watching Draco's appearance, and sighed inwardly.

I wonder which of the Malfoys he inherited his immature nature from.

Boroks' funeral was a grand affair, following the ancient Black family rites, solemn and dignified.

The number of pure-blood nobles attending the funeral was not large. After all, the Black family had become increasingly low-key in recent years, and the family had strict rules, so not all pure-blood nobles were qualified to come and pay their respects.

Those present were all relatives who had married into the Black family and were connected by blood. Each of them was dressed in a plain wizard's robe, with a solemn expression, silently mourning the deceased.

Regulus knew very well that the health of several elders in the clan had been deteriorating in recent years, with most of them bedridden and their energy greatly diminished, making them unable to withstand the back-and-forth exertion.

Therefore, when preparing for the funeral, he specifically instructed that he did not want any elders to attend, but only wanted them to rest in peace and be spared the sadness and exhaustion of the funeral.

Even so, two elders still insisted on coming over.

They were the two sons of Boroks Black, the younger brothers of Regulus' mother, Lady Volbuga, Alphad Black and Signas Black.

Among them, Alphad was expelled from the Black family for secretly funding Sirius Black, who was ousted from the family, and has been estranged from the family for many years.

Signas, Puni's maternal grandfather, had always lived a low-key life and rarely participated in family affairs, but despite his physical limitations, he made a special trip to send his brother off on his final journey.

When the two arrived, they were both wearing heavy, dark wizard robes. They walked with difficulty, their expressions full of exhaustion and sorrow, clearly having come all the way from home, enduring a long and arduous journey.

When Regulus saw them, he felt somewhat helpless, but he did not try to dissuade them. He simply stepped forward to help the two elders, gently reminding them to take care of their health. Then he led them to the altar to pay their respects to Boroks' portrait.

Puni stood aside, looking at the two elders before him, and silently performed a wizard's salute.

In fact, it was no accident that Alpha Black was able to return to the Black family.

Back then, he was expelled from the Black family for secretly supporting Sirius Black, who was deemed a "pure-blood traitor" by the family, thus violating the family's pure-blood code. For many years, he had remained outside the family and had little contact with his relatives.

Later, Sirius Black's "undercover" identity was confirmed, clearing him of his previous stigma. Alphad's funding back then was also changed from "betraying the family" to "secretly helping."

While Mrs. Walbuga was still alive, she personally intervened and revoked the expulsion order against Alfard, welcoming him back to the Black family and restoring his family status.

However, after years of wandering and emotional distress, Alfard's health had deteriorated significantly.

Now, he stands with his brother Signas, both of them appearing extremely frail, walking with difficulty, their faces almost transparently pale, coughing frequently, their mental state extremely poor, not much better than that of Boroks who had just passed away.

Chapter 49 is most likely the curse that the Dark Lord placed on our family.

Seeing the two elders looking exhausted, Puni was filled with doubt.

It was as if the elders of the Black family had made a pact to all decline in health within a few short years, each of them confined to their sickbeds, which was extremely abnormal.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of curse at work.

Just like the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, which was cursed by the Dark Lord, no one could hold the position for long.

But it doesn't look like it.

As the funeral ceremony drew to a close, the guests who had come to pay their respects rose one by one, expressed their condolences to Regulus, and then left 12 Grimaud Place.

Just then, Puni noticed that Narcissa quietly got up, her expression somewhat solemn. She whispered a few words to Regulus, then turned and walked out of the living room, seemingly going out for a while.

Puni didn't ask any further questions, but simply stood aside and watched the guests leave in an orderly fashion. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Narcissa came back in with a strange woman.

The moment the woman entered, Puni's gaze was drawn to her, and his heart skipped a beat, as if he thought Bellatrix had been resurrected.

Her figure and facial features bore a striking resemblance to Bellatrix, and her innate aristocratic air was exactly like that of the Black family.

But after observing them closely for a moment, he noticed the differences between the two.

The woman's hair was light brown, softly draped over her shoulders, lacking Bellatrix's flamboyant and sharp nature. Her eyes were also gentler, carrying a hint of tenderness and aloofness, without the ruthlessness and obsession in Bella's eyes.

Puni quickly realized that this must be Andromeda, Bellatrix's younger sister and Narcissa's older sister.

He had seen related records in his family's ancient books. Andromeda had insisted on marrying a Muggle-born wizard despite her family's objections. This act of "violating the honor of purebloods" thoroughly angered the elders of the Black family. She was eventually expelled from the family and cut off all ties with the Black family. She has been living a low-key life all these years.

Clearly, Andromeda had also learned of his grandfather Borcox's passing and, cherishing his family ties, wanted to return to attend his grandfather's funeral and bid him farewell.

But she knew that she had long been expelled from the Black family, and according to the family’s old rules, she was not qualified to step into 12 Grimmauld Place, much less attend the funeral.

Therefore, she did not come rashly, but waited near the Blake house until Narcissa learned of the news and quietly went out to bring her in.

Puni knew in his heart that the Black family of today was no longer the rigid, stubborn family that once believed in pure blood above all else.

After Regulus took over the family, he abandoned many old and strict rules, became more gentle, valued family ties more, and was never rigid or dogmatic.

In his view, even though Andromeda had been expelled from the family and was no longer a member of the Black family, she was still Borcox's granddaughter and a member of the Black family bloodline. It was only natural for her to come to her grandfather's funeral, and there was no reason to refuse.

It was precisely because of Regulus's tacit approval that Narcissa dared to go out and bring her sister in.

As Andromeda entered the funeral hall and bowed deeply before Borcox's portrait, his eyes were filled with sorrow and guilt.

Puni looked at it and thought it was pretty good.

As a pure-blood noble family, the Black family certainly values ​​bloodline and honor, but kinship should not be bound by these cold rules, nor should it be reduced to mere entanglements and calculations of interests. There should be such warmth and tolerance between family members.

Andromeda's appearance was not deliberately concealed. Several pure-blood nobles who had not yet left the scene quickly noticed her figure and recognized this "rebel" who had been expelled from the Black family.

They looked surprised and whispered among themselves.

They were all aware of the Black family's past rules and never imagined that Andromeda would be allowed to enter number 12 Grimmauld Place to attend Borrox's funeral.

Everyone understood that from the moment Andromeda stepped into this place, it meant that the Black family had undergone a quiet transformation.

Those old, rigid, and cold pureblood rules are being broken down by Regulus little by little.

This once proud and closed-off pure-blood family is becoming more inclusive and valuing family ties more.

This shift may lead the Black family down a completely different path.

Boroks' funeral came to a close. The entire process was solemn and dignified, without any unexpected incidents. However, Puni could not describe the funeral as "smooth."

After all, this is a ceremony to bid farewell to a loved one, and sadness lingers in everyone's heart. The so-called "smooth sailing" is simply that nothing worse happened, and no additional disturbance was added to this sadness.

After the funeral, all the guests who had come to pay their respects had left, and Number 12 Grimmauld Place returned to silence, with only the Black family members and Penny, who had not yet set off to return to Hogwarts, remaining.

According to the original plan, Puni should have returned to Hogwarts immediately after the funeral via the Floo Network to catch up with his classes the next day. However, Regulus stopped him and solemnly asked him to stay another night, saying that he had something important to discuss with him alone.

Puni instantly understood; he knew that what Regulus wanted to talk about was the declining health of several elders of the Black family.

During this period, the health of the elders in the clan deteriorated one after another, and they became bedridden and their energy gradually declined. Even Regulus himself was not spared.

This matter was too bizarre, with no discernible pattern, like an invisible shadow looming over the entire Black family, causing unease in everyone's hearts.

Sure enough, once only the two of them were left in the living room, Regulus slowly spoke: "Puni, I know you've been wondering about the health of the elders in our clan. Actually, I've noticed something unusual about them recently as well."

He raised his hand and pressed his chest, a barely perceptible weakness flashing across his face. "Sometimes, I suddenly feel a strange weakness, and I can't muster any energy. That feeling of weakness comes without warning and lasts for a while before slowly subsiding. But if it happens too often, I can't help but feel anxious."

Hearing Regulus's words, Puni's heart sank.

He had previously wondered why his elders' health was deteriorating collectively, but he never imagined that Regulus, who was in his prime, would also experience such symptoms.

A terrible thought arose in both of their minds at the same time.

This is not simply a matter of time approaching its end; it is a curse targeting the entire Black family!

Regulus was somewhat wary: "I'm sure this is a curse, and most likely it was cast on our family by the Dark Lord."

Chapter 50 The Sacred Realm of Awakening! Diary, are you really just a diary?!

In his view, his betrayal of the Dark Lord and his choice to stand on the side of justice, becoming a hero of the dark ages in people's eyes, was undoubtedly a slap in the face to the Dark Lord.

He had personally witnessed the power of the Dark Lord; the terrifying power he wielded to control dark magic was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Regulus secretly speculated that if the Dark Lord had not died and had recovered some of his power, then the first thing he would do upon returning would be to take revenge on him, the traitor.

The cruelest and most intimidating way to take revenge is to curse the entire Black family, making him watch his relatives decline and die one by one, as a testament to his return and to vent his anger.

Even now, no one can be sure whether the Dark Lord is still alive, let alone whether he has truly regained his power, Regulus still sticks to his judgment.

That deep-seated fear stemmed from his personal experience back then. The Dark Lord's mastery of dark magic had already reached its pinnacle, and casting such a secret and lasting curse might not have been difficult for him.

Initially, Puni did not agree with this speculation.

He had carefully examined the bodies of his elders and found no trace of the curse, so he was more inclined to believe that the elders were all nearing the end of their lives.

But seeing Regulus's solemn expression and sensing the fear and unease in his words, Puni had to admit that Voldemort's level was still very strong for him, especially his mastery of dark magic, which far surpassed that of any other wizard.

Perhaps the curse he cast had a special kind of secrecy, allowing him to evade detection.

If this curse is indeed the work of the Dark Lord, then they must act quickly to find a way to break it; otherwise, the entire Black family will be devoured by this curse.

Puni knew in his heart that he had not met his elders in the clan many times and had no deep emotional ties with them. Even if he felt regret, he would not be too concerned about them.

But Regulus was different. He was one of the few relatives that Puni recognized in this world, and he was the source of warmth he felt in the Black family. He could not stand by and watch Regulus be devoured by the curse, nor could he let him die easily.

I don't know if the Holy Light will work.

Just as he was deep in thought, struggling to find a solution, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.