Snape took the muscular mandrake back with him. As for when he would use it to brew a potion, there had been no further news—it looked like they'd have to wait again.
Professor Sprout went with her tools to repair the damaged Whomping Willow. No one knew what method she used, but the tree didn't attack her. This reminded Regulus Black that the Whomping Willow had a shut-off switch—possibly a knot or a certain part of the trunk.
Feeling somewhat idle, Regulus Black decided to go explore the Chamber of Secrets.
Although Harry Potter's second year had been peaceful ever since the diary ended up in his hands, Regulus Black still intended to continue his collection plan. He was determined to claim the Chamber of Secrets for himself.
But then, a piece of news disrupted his plan to explore the chamber.
Judy Fawkes sent word: Bellatrix Lestrange in Azkaban was about to give birth.
Previously, the scandal of a pregnant witch in custody had caused a huge stir in the Daily Prophet, putting all Azkaban guards under suspicion. Although the Ministry of Magic eventually suppressed the news, as time went on, it was inevitable the pregnant witch would one day give birth. The matter now threatened to erupt again—the Ministry could no longer keep it under wraps.
"Dear Regulus, the Ministry would like to hear your opinion on the matter. After all, she is your sister. You're currently the only person who can handle this situation—the one closest to her. Love, Fawkes!"
That one sentence on the piece of parchment made Regulus Black set off for the Ministry at once.
After going through proper procedures, Regulus Black met with Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.
"Good day, Minister. I received word that Bellatrix Lestrange is about to give birth. I'd like to see her."
Regulus stated his purpose directly the moment they met.
Fudge was already troubled by the matter. The Azkaban guards had been bearing the blame for over half a year, and the Auror Department's reports were making Fudge feel that his position as Minister was unstable. He truly didn't know how to deal with this.
It was certain that Bellatrix Lestrange had only become pregnant after seeing Regulus Black. But even setting aside the fact they were siblings, which already made the situation absurd, their visit had been supervised by Aurors. Though the supervision was distant, due to privacy concerns, at most the two had merely held hands through the cell bars.
And yet—she got pregnant from that? Fudge couldn't make sense of it no matter how he looked at it. He had even ordered a thorough investigation afterward, but they could not find any rational explanation for what had happened.
Who would have thought Regulus Black had developed a spell with such an effect?
The Ministry of Magic could only watch helplessly as Bellatrix Lestrange's belly grew larger by the day.
Fudge had considered intervening—making sure the unborn child never saw the light of day. But the incident was far too unique; too many eyes were watching. Everyone suspected Regulus Black had done something. Was it a spell? A potion? Some other mysterious method?
These were all unanswered questions, but all sides were more concerned with the result—what would the child turn out like?
No matter the method, it was still a witch's child. If it turned out to be a healthy, future little wizard, the attention surrounding the event would inevitably become extremely sensitive.
Azkaban held many prisoners, and the number of male wizards far outnumbered the females. But that also meant that female prisoners were rare and valuable. Many families had suffered heavy losses after the Dark Lord's chaos. Take the Black family, for instance—only the old Black matron remained, and after living a few lonely years, she passed away. If not for Regulus Black's resurrection, the Black family's history would have ended.
Of course, this didn't factor in Sirius Black's prison break next year.
If a witch in Azkaban could legally give birth to her child, then at least one family might still have an heir.
However, Azkaban didn't provide conjugal visitation rights, so Bellatrix Lestrange's pregnancy had become something of a miracle. All sides were watching closely, and Minister Fudge's petty schemes were destined to fail.
"You're here! That's wonderful! Black—ever since you last saw your sister, she's… she's been exhibiting some strange signs."
Fudge really, truly didn't want to admit that it was a pregnancy! How he wished it were a malignant tumor instead.
"Minister Fudge, my sister Bellatrix Lestrange is without a doubt pregnant. Don't you have children? Don't you know what a pregnant woman looks like?"
Regulus Black's tone and expression were entirely natural, as if he were merely asking a simple question.
But in Minister Fudge's eyes, the boy was just playing dumb—what he really wanted to know was how this pregnancy had happened.
Gnashing his teeth in frustration, Fudge had no choice but to compose himself and force a fake smile onto his face.
"Oh! Black, you must understand, I'm simply shocked that a witch imprisoned in Azkaban is suddenly pregnant."
Fudge knew he couldn't let this matter slide so easily. If he could uncover the truth behind the pregnancy, maybe he could erase the entire incident.
But that was merely Fudge's wishful thinking. Regulus Black would never let him do that—and besides, too many factions were watching this closely!
"Minister Fudge, may I ask how I can see my sister? Is it still in Azkaban?"
As soon as Regulus Black arrived at the Ministry, someone had already informed him that Bellatrix Lestrange had been transferred out of Azkaban and was now being held under special supervision at the Ministry. Several top healers from St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries were also present.
"Now, look at you talking like that—as if we'd ever let a pregnant woman stay in Azkaban!"
Minister Fudge was thoroughly disgruntled. Without his knowledge, the Wizengamot had issued a special transfer order to move the pregnant and near-term Bellatrix Lestrange to the Ministry for supervision.
The matter had even gained the support of the Department of Mysteries. Their reasoning was that this unexpected pregnancy could spark numerous issues, and thus required thorough research.
St. Mungo's had also strongly backed the move, sending—or rather, attracting—every qualified senior healer interested in the case. They all showed up voluntarily, eager to witness and safeguard the birth of this child.
Azkaban Prison, for its part, chose to remain silent. After all, it had already taken the blame. At this point, saying anything more would only make things worse. Better to say nothing and let the other factions deal with the fallout.
As for poor, neglected Minister Fudge, by the time he found out what was happening, it was already too late. He didn't even get a chance to engineer a difficult childbirth that would result in both mother and child dying—he could only watch as the St. Mungo's healers bustled about the pregnant woman, without a single opportunity for him to intervene.
Because of this, Fudge had even gone to speak with Dumbledore. After all, without Dumbledore's signature, the Wizengamot would never have issued such a special order.
But Dumbledore insisted the matter had nothing to do with Regulus Black. He simply couldn't bear to see a future young witch or wizard born in Azkaban, which was why he supported the special order.
Fudge's heart ached. What could he even say—that he had planned to let the woman and child die in childbirth?
Minister Fudge brought Regulus Black to a room in the Ministry's underground levels. The hallway outside was heavily guarded by Aurors—after all, Bellatrix Lestrange was still a prisoner. Inside the room, there was a full set of medical equipment. Who said wizards don't use Muggle technology? The healers from St. Mungo's seemed to handle it all quite proficiently!
At that moment, Bellatrix Lestrange was wearing a loose hospital gown. Her belly was large, and her entire body looked somewhat swollen.
Regulus Black walked up to the bedside and took Bellatrix Lestrange's hand in his own.
"Sister! I'm here. Have you thought of a name for your daughter?"
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