## Chapter 206: Funeral 2
Around midday, the snow stopped just in time, and a mournful tune began to play.
In the garden, where a fountain once stood, several strangely dressed individuals sat. They wore wide black robes and played dirges, their heads topped with hats resembling bird nests, the most peculiar feature being the tip of the hat shaped like an Augurey.
Augureys are black birds, similar to vultures, with sorrowful expressions and heart-wrenching cries.
Though the Augurey hats of the musicians didn't possess such magic, they occasionally emitted a mournful cry accompanying the music, causing hearts to involuntarily tremble.
Sirius held Regulus's body and slowly walked down the aisle between the seats.
Everyone had a solemn expression, even Draco Malfoy, who behaved very appropriately at that moment.
Sirius placed the body on a long brown table. The black velvet seemed to slide down naturally, revealing Regulus's pale face.
A faint stir rippled through the crowd.
Dumbledore had already lifted the Necromancy that had turned Regulus into an Inferius. Under the influence of magic, there were no obvious changes to the body.
He lay quietly on his back on the long table. Aside from the lack of color in his face, he looked almost exactly as he did when he was alive. His black hair fell smoothly, resting on the table.
Faint sobs could be heard from the crowd.
Wade looked over and saw Andromeda crying softly, covering her face. Tonks and her husband Ted were comforting her.
Regulus's other cousin, Narcissa, didn't cry out loud, but her eyes glistened with tears, and her expression was sorrowful.
Sirius stood before the body and said softly, "Today, with a heavy and sorrowful heart, I hold the funeral for my brother, Regulus Black."
"Many may still remember Regulus. Unlike me, who liked to show off, he was a quiet and gentle person, caring for his parents and relatives. Even towards a House-elf, he always showed the utmost respect and care."
Kreacher gasped sharply and fell to the ground. He didn't cry out unrestrainedly, but his small body trembled violently.
Few noticed the House-elf in the corner.
Sirius continued:
"I've known Regulus since I was eighteen months old. I once thought I knew him very well—our whole family came from Slytherin, and we were educated from a young age in Pure-blood supremacy."
"My parents always told us that Muggles were an inferior race, and those who associated with Muggles were not worthy of being called a Black. In the family tree, every burned name belonged to a Pure-blood traitor who didn't know how to uphold family honor."
Among the guests, some nodded slightly in agreement, while others frowned and showed discomfort, almost unable to resist saying something.
But Sirius didn't look at anyone's expression. His eyes were somewhat vacant, seemingly lost in the past.
"Of course, I thought all of that was nonsense, so I escaped that suffocating, crazy family. But I also believed my brother had been completely brainwashed, becoming a loyal believer in Pure-blood ideology. I was even more certain of this when he joined the Death Eaters."
"We are both Blacks, born of the same mother, but we were on different sides. Regulus… he was serving an evil Dark Wizard, Voldemort. He was one of the executioners who harmed innocent people… I always believed that."
In the crowd, some became uneasy because Sirius called Voldemort by name. They looked around as if hoping someone would stop him.
Others, like Lucius Malfoy, turned pale and wanted to say something, but Narcissa pinched his arm, so he swallowed his words.
"But I was wrong."
Sirius's throat worked, and he could barely speak normally. He paused for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and then continued speaking amidst everyone's surprised gazes.
"Regulus once blindly believed the Pure-blood ideals instilled in him by his parents. He once admired Voldemort and was proud to join the Death Eaters. But after witnessing Voldemort's brutality firsthand, Regulus sobered up."
"He realized Voldemort's error and decided to resist the Dark Lord. To bring about Voldemort's demise, he didn't hesitate to die… leading to his fall just as he came of age."
"Before deciding to die, Regulus didn't tell anyone his plan, including our parents. After his death, no one knew what he had done. He died in a silent corner…"
"It wasn't until thirteen years later, when we found his body… that I realized Regulus was actually very brave. His courage surpassed my imagination, and his compassion was something I could never achieve…"
At the request of Wade and Lupin themselves, Sirius didn't mention their names but thanked Dumbledore for his help.
The Hogwarts Headmaster stood at the front of the crowd, a thin layer of snow on his silver-white hair.
Although Sirius was vague and didn't clearly explain how Regulus "resisted Voldemort to the point of death," Dumbledore's presence there was a guarantee, and no one present doubted the truth of the matter.
"No wonder…"
Lucius Malfoy instinctively clutched his left arm, as if he could still feel the burning pain when Voldemort summoned him.
Narcissa clenched her fingers tightly, her already pale face turning even whiter, like paper.
Draco Malfoy, however, looked displeased, muttering things like "Pure-blood traitor."
He wanted to leave, but since his parents hadn't spoken, he had no choice but to stand there obediently, though he was no longer in the mood to listen to anything else Sirius said.
Sirius finished his eulogy, followed by Dumbledore. He again emphasized Regulus's dedication and courage, and expressed regret that he hadn't truly gotten to know this student while he was alive.
Dumbledore's words were tantamount to settling the matter of Regulus's death, and no one else had any doubts.
After that, no one else spoke.
Sirius placed Regulus in the coffin, and with several male Wizards related by marriage, carried the coffin to the woods behind the garden.
There was a hidden cemetery there, where generations of Black Family ancestors were buried. White gravestones silently watched as they placed the coffin in the pre-selected spot.
Many Wizards took out their wands and softly chanted a spell. The coffin slowly sank, while the surrounding soil continuously churned upwards. It completely swallowed the coffin, then formed a marble tomb above it.
Golden flames suddenly ignited, then danced across the tombstone, quickly forming a string of words on the stone surface—
[REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK]
[1961－1979]
[Courage is a fearless power]
Only one chapter today.
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