ᴅɪsᴘᴇʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅᴏᴍ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴅᴇᴜʀs' ᴇʀᴀ

Chapter 26: The Belt of Sirius Black

At midnight Beata and Sirius went together to Dumbledore's office. The headmaster wasn't surprised at Black's presence, didn't even utter a word. Letting them scoop up a handful of Floo powder, he just said the right address and waved his hand towards the fireplace.

In half a minute, they were both standing in the living room of Potters' house. Sirius shuddered at the sight; the same wallpaper, the same cozy sofa and a small kitchen, even the flower vases remained the same.

Only the spirit of this house disappeared. Together with its owners.

Dumbledore's logic was clear: the Order of the Phoenix needs a base, a place for regular meetings and what like not an empty house of wizards would be the best for this purpose? But Sirius thought it was blasphemous, to cross out the life of past owners, let strangers in here. However, Dumbledore probably said that in this way he wished to honor the memory of the Potters.

"What is this place?" Beata asked tiredly.

"It's a... Order of the Phoenix's headquarters, I suppose."

"What Order?"

"Later. I think she's upstairs," Sirius took Beata's hand carefully and pulled after him.

Serena really was on the second floor, lying on the bed, dried and pale. Madam Pomfrey fussed around her, changing the compress and simultaneously stirring something in the flask.

"Mom," Beata promptly approached Serena, kneeling beside the bed.

"Beata," Serena smiled weakly. "It's all right. Madam Pomfrey is a skillful healer."

"Your mother will live, Miss Sprinkles. Just give her time," Poppy said gently.

"Ah... Sirius? Accompanying my daughter?" Serena finally noticed Black who like a statue froze in the doorway. He was afraid to approach the woman; he thought that the fate that befell Potters would overtake Serena.

"Something like that," he muttered. "I'll wait... there."

Black walked out the door, angry at himself for not being able to hold on well; he couldn't help but remembered those nightmares that tortured him on sleepless nights.

"Mom, why? Why did you obey Dumbledore? He used you, he–"

"Try to understand, Beata," Mrs. Sprinkles said hoarsely, "life is a strange thing. Evil can defeat good, but good can conquer evil only if it's armed not worse than evil itself."

"Don't justify it," Beata flared.

"Wait, listen," Serena's voice fell and Madam Pomfrey frowned, looking at Beata with displeasure. "Dumbledore has to act like this. He can't take everything on himself, he distributes the roles between us. This war will have a lot of victims, and sometimes the blood of the dead will be on our hands. But it won't work otherwise. You can't fight evil and don't mess yourself up. The time will come when you have to make a choice - between one person and success of the whole affair. And you know what the consequences are in both cases."

"I don't want to betray–"

"I didn't betray. I called Gwendolyn to a duel. All was fair. I could refuse, and then Dumbledore would have to find another way."

"I don't wanna lead our sorcerers to death! What should I tell them? That Dumbledore considered them his last hope? Or bloody but necessary sacrifice?"

"My little girl," Serena sighed, "This is the moment. You choose yourself or responsibility for many people – it's your choice. But they need you now, the families of our sorcerers. They need you as a symbol, as a guide. Just show them the way, they can go on without you."