Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

Chapter 101 Another Curse!

Hogwarts, Breakfast Hall.

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows and fell on the long dining table.

The air was filled with the aroma of toast, hot milk, and butter.

The students sat in small groups, eating and talking quietly.

Marcos, Eddie, and Roger sat opposite Puni.

The three held knives and forks, but barely touched the food in front of them, their eyes fixed on the owls that kept flying towards Puni, their faces full of doubt.

Within minutes, three or four owls flew over, each carrying a package or gift box in its beak. They gently landed on the dining table in front of Puni, put down their items, and then flapped their wings and flew out of the hall.

Roger finally couldn't hold back any longer. He put down his knife and fork and asked, puzzled, "Puni, what's going on today? Why are you receiving so many packages from owls one after another? I've never seen you receive so many packages before. Is it some important day?"

Marcos nodded in agreement, adding, "Yeah, Puni, what are these owls delivering? The packaging looks like gifts. Are you hiding something from us?"

As he spoke, he craned his neck, curiously examining the gift boxes on the table.

Puni was looking down when he casually picked up a gift box delivered by an owl, stuffed it into his pocket without even looking at it.

Hearing their questions, he looked up, his face expressionless, and said casually, "Nothing special, it's just my birthday today."

As soon as he finished speaking, Marcos and the others seemed to suddenly realize something, their faces showing expressions of sudden understanding.

The group chatted back and forth, each taking turns to speak.

"So that's why so many owls were suddenly bringing you things, it's your birthday!"

"No wonder, no wonder! I was wondering why you didn't look any different today. Turns out you had a little surprise in store!"

As they were talking, Marcos suddenly frowned: "Huh? Wait a minute, today is your birthday? Puni, why didn't you tell us sooner? We could have prepared a gift in advance, instead of being so flustered now, not even having prepared a proper birthday wish."

Roger nodded in agreement, saying quickly, "Yeah, Puni, you're really not being fair. It's such a big deal that you didn't tell us about your birthday, and we couldn't even prepare a surprise for you."

Seeing the complaining looks on their faces, Puni couldn't help but wave his hand lightly: "What's there to say? I even forgot it was my birthday today. If these owls hadn't brought me gifts, I wouldn't have known."

He thought to himself, is it normal to not remember your own birthday?

After all, he has never really cared about these kinds of rituals.

On the contrary, those who remember his birthday and give him gifts are the ones who truly care about him. As for others, he doesn't care whether they remember or not.

Just as Marcos and the others were about to say something more and discuss whether to immediately prepare a temporary gift for Puni, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the entrance of the hall.

Everyone looked over and saw Qiu Zhang running quickly toward them, his cheeks flushed from running and his hair a little messy, indicating that he had been running for a long time.

Qiu Zhang ran all the way to the dining table before stopping, placing his hands on his knees and panting heavily. After a while, he raised his head and stared intently at Puni: "Puni, I... I'm not late, am I? I made a special trip early because I was afraid of missing your birthday."

Seeing her panting, Puni gently shook his head: "You're not late. We were just talking about your birthday."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhang's face instantly lit up with a smile. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and then suddenly reached out from behind her back and handed a beautifully packaged gift box to Puni, which was tied with a light blue ribbon.

Qiu Zhang smiled sweetly: "Puni, happy birthday! This is a gift I prepared especially for you. I hope you like it. I prepared it a long time in advance, just in case you didn't like it."

Qiu Zhang held the gift box in both hands and gently handed it to Puni, feeling both nervous and expectant.

She tilted her little face up, her eyes sparkling, filled with the pure innocence unique to girls her age. Her face was full of joy, yet also a little coquettish: "Puni, take it and see, don't you want to know what's inside?"

As she spoke, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and her eyes curved into crescents, a gesture that urged Puni on.

Upon seeing this, Puni smiled gently and reached out to take the gift box.

Without even glancing down at the gift box, he immediately said, "Of course I like it! Qiu, I like any gift you give me, and what I like most is your thoughtfulness!"

As he spoke, he added, "The cookies you made for me last time, I finished them all in less than two days. They tasted amazing, even better than those made in the Hogwarts kitchen. I'll always remember them."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhang's face instantly lit up with a bright smile, and the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide.

But she still wrinkled her nose coquettishly: "You haven't even opened it yet, and you're already saying you like it? What if the contents aren't what you want? What if you don't like it?"

Looking at her coquettish expression, Puni said, "No, I've never disliked any gift Qiu gives me. No matter what's inside, it's always the best surprise for me."

Marcos and his companions sitting opposite him got goosebumps when they heard the conversation between the two. They exchanged glances and saw helplessness and complaints in each other's eyes.

Marcos quietly reached out and touched Roger's arm, lowering his voice to mutter, "Right now I just want to find a piece of parchment and write down everything Puni said. What's wrong with this guy? He usually seems pretty calm, but how come he turns into this deadpan character when he talks to Cho Chang?"

Eddie nodded quietly, his face full of disdain, yet he couldn't help but curiously observe the two of them: "Who knows? I think he's a Casanova! And he's incredibly shameless! He can say such cheesy things without batting an eye! If it were me, I wouldn't have been able to say them."

The two whispered among themselves while secretly observing Puni and Qiu Zhang.

Hearing Puni's firm words, Qiu Zhang's cheeks turned even redder, and his ears turned bright red. His eyes darted away, and he dared not look Puni in the eye. He felt both shy and sweet inside. He twisted the hem of his clothes and urged her, "Don't say that. Hurry up and open it. See if the contents are to your liking."

Looking at her shy appearance, Puni's smile grew even gentler. He nodded slightly to Qiu Zhang, his gaze lingering on her blushing face for a moment before he slowly lowered his head and began to unpack the gift box in his hand.

Instead of using his wand, he used his hands to untie the light blue ribbon tied to the gift box.

The ribbon was slowly untied.

Puni gently lifted the lid of the gift box, and a necklace appeared before his eyes.

This is no ordinary necklace. It is a diamond-like container filled with liquid that sparkles beautifully when gently shaken.

"Thank you, I really like it. Did you make this by hand? It looks like you can't buy it anywhere else."

"Yes!"

Hearing Puni's affirmation and praise, Qiu Zhang's smile grew even brighter, and a surge of joy welled up in her heart. The feeling of being recognized by someone she cared about made her happier than any praise.

Just as she was about to say something more, an owl flew over.

A letter landed in front of him.

Puni tilted his head and opened the letter.

"Huh? Another person has died? And several of them died at once?"

Although the Black family has a considerable number of elders, and elders occasionally pass away, there has never been such a situation before. How could several elders pass away at the same time?

This doesn't make any sense at all. Could something be wrong?

Or is there some unknown danger that has befallen the Black family?

......

The greenhouse in the herbal medicine class was filled with the damp smell of earth and the unique fragrance of herbs.

Sunlight streamed through the glass dome of the greenhouse, illuminating rows of neat flowerpots and nourishing the various herbs within.

Puni squatted in front of the flowerpot, gently brushing the leaves of a mandrake, and applying a nutrient charm to the herb as Professor Snape had instructed.

The students around him were all focused on tending to the herbs in front of them, discussing in hushed tones about herb care techniques. The only sounds in the greenhouse were the faint glow of incantations and the occasional whispers.

Just as he was about to water another herb, the wooden door of the greenhouse was gently pushed open, and a familiar figure strode in.

Puni looked up and sighed when he saw that the person who came was Regulus.

Regulus was dressed in a black wizard's robe, his expression solemn, with a hint of fatigue between his brows. He had rushed here, and there was still a lingering chill on his body.

He didn't exchange any pleasantries. His gaze swept quickly across the greenhouse, and he soon locked onto Puni's figure. He walked straight towards him with hurried steps.

Puni slowly stood up, watching Regulus approach step by step, and sighed inwardly.

Hogwarts, as the safest place in the wizarding world, has strict entry rules. Unless there is a major family upheaval, especially a funeral like the death of an elder, Regulus would never be able to enter the school at will, let alone come looking for him during class.

Before Regulus could reach him or speak, Puni stepped forward, his face expressionless, and asked first, "Uncle, shall we go?"

The students in the greenhouse noticed the commotion and cast curious glances, but dared not approach to disturb them. They simply watched from a distance, and their chatter grew fainter and fainter.

Regulus remained silent for a moment, and after his emotions had calmed down, he slowly spoke, his voice low and heavy, telling Puni the identities of his deceased elders: "The deceased elders were all from the previous two generations of our family. One of them was Ilma Krabblek."

He paused, then continued, "The other one is Arcturus Black, the previous patriarch of the Black family, and also my grandfather, your great-grandfather."

Puni frowned slightly and looked at Regulus: "This is not what I expected. Even if the elders are old, it is impossible for different people to die at the same time. This does not conform to the laws of natural death at all."

Upon hearing this, Regulus slowly nodded, his expression growing increasingly solemn, a barely perceptible chill creeping into his eyes: "You're right, they didn't die of natural causes. Both elders were cursed to death."

"Another curse?"

"It's not convenient to discuss the specific details at Hogwarts. There are too many people here, and it's inevitable that there will be eyes and ears. If the information is leaked, it will not only bring more trouble to the family, but it may also endanger your safety."

Puni understood Regulus's concerns, nodded, and did not ask any further questions.

He knew that while Hogwarts was safe, it wasn't absolutely safe, and family secrets were indeed not suitable to be discussed in such a public setting.

Seeing this, Regulus added, "I've already asked Professor McGonagall for leave. She's the vice-principal and has the authority to grant you leave. We'll talk about it after I take you away from Hogwarts and back to Black Manor. Only when we're at the manor, in a safe environment, can I tell you the whole story in detail."

Puni had no objections. He briefly explained a few words to Marcos, Eddie, and Roger beside him, and then followed Regulus out of the Herbology Greenhouse and headed toward the Hogwarts gates.

Neither of them spoke the rest of the way, and the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

The weariness and chill between Regulus's brows became increasingly apparent.

Upon arriving at Black Manor, Regulus led Puni into the study, closed the door to isolate himself from all outside distractions, and then slowly began to recount the details of what had happened: "Our family gatherings are held every so often. This time, however, the two elders were struck by the curse at the same time and subsequently died."

“I investigated for a long time and found some clues. The person who cast the curse was one of the Dark Lord’s henchmen! What’s most hateful is that Alpha Black actually betrayed us! By the time I got there, it was too late.”

Puni stood behind Regulus, looking at the illusion the other had conjured, his brow furrowed.

He sighed and followed Regulus into the mortuary at Black Manor, his gaze falling on the two black coffins placed side by side in front of him.

Who would have thought that my mindset would change so drastically in just one morning?

In the Hogwarts breakfast hall that morning, he was still surrounded by a constant stream of gifts, listening to his classmates' blessings, and feeling the warmth of the gifts Cho Chang brought. His heart was filled with the joy of his birthday, and that lively and warm atmosphere seemed like it had just happened.

But just a few hours later, he left Hogwarts and rushed back to Black Manor, only to be met with the cold bodies of his two elders and a room filled with deathly silence.

The candlelight flickered in the mourning hall, its dancing light reflecting off the black coffin, adding to the solemnity and sorrow.

Puni slowly walked forward, his gaze sweeping over the two coffins one by one, and the images of his two elders involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

They were all true Slytherins, possessing the unique pride and resilience of Slytherins in their bones. They acted decisively and never hesitated, dedicating their lives to the glory of the Black family.

Putting aside their family identity and the label of Slytherin, as elders, they always treated him with gentleness and kindness, and their heartfelt love was never hidden.

Chapter 102 Azkaban

The funeral of the elders of the Blake family concluded in a solemn and somber atmosphere.

As the guests who came to pay their respects gradually left, the manor slowly returned to its usual deathly silence, leaving only the lingering scent of incense and candles in the air, and the lingering sorrow.

Puni stood in the courtyard of the manor, gazing in the direction the guests had left, his expression calm, showing no intention of returning to Hogwarts immediately.

As originally planned, he was supposed to return to school immediately after the funeral to continue his unfinished coursework, but he deliberately stayed behind because he and Regulus had already made an agreement to go to Azkaban together early the next morning.