Departure and Departure

Chapter 83 Departure and Departure

Marius Black, the disgrace of the Black family.

He didn't support Muggle rights like Phineas II, nor did his wife bear the Weasley surname, or even marry a Muggle. Nor did he run away from home like Sirius Black, or financially support anyone.

The key to Marius's expulsion from the family lay with himself; he was a dud.

The fact that the noble and oldest Black family produced a dud is the greatest disgrace to the family; even a fool could imagine how terrible his situation must have been back then.

Apart from the burnt hole in the tapestry, all traces of Marius had been erased, as if he had never lived in the house.

So much so that Belvina vaguely guessed his identity, but didn't know his name.

Belvina didn't know how Marius had fared during those years, but judging from his deep resentment towards his family, he must have had a very difficult time.

"So, family is all a deceptive trick," Marius said. "It will ruthlessly abandon you when you need help the most, sweeping you out like trash."

The most miserable group in wizarding society has never been Muggle-born wizards, even though they are contemptuously called Mudbloods.

The worst off are always the duds, and that won't change over time.

They were born and raised in wizarding families, and they were proud to be wizards.

One day, they suddenly learned that they could no longer cast spells or become wizards, and their world collapsed from that moment on.

"Cassiopeia has found you," Belvina said, without asking how things had been all those years, knowing full well that the other woman hadn't fared well.

“Yes, your grumpy great-aunt found me,” Marius said, though he had some affection for his recently deceased sister.

Marius continued, "Who knows! Maybe she stumbled upon me when I was down on my luck, or maybe she'd been looking for me for a long time, who knows!"

"She employed you while she was alive, and after she died, she had me continue to employ you," Belvina said. "She probably thought I wouldn't discriminate against you, and that if she knew who you were, she might even take better care of you."

"I don't deny that she took care of me for many years, but my hatred for her and Borcox will not change because of that," Marius said. "And of course, my dear father, I will never forget the disgust he looked at me with."

Belvina thought for a moment and said, "My brother, Sirius, has also been removed from the list."

“I know, and I also know that your other brother is missing,” Marius said. “She often pretends to be drunk and rambles on about Blake.”

Marius suddenly became agitated, shouting, "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to know anything! I finally managed to forget Black, finally managed to forget that I was a shameful Squib, but she keeps bringing him up! Damn Black!"

Upon hearing this, Belvina blushed. Her behavior tonight was exactly the same as Cassiopeia's, both of them were rubbing salt into Marius's wounds.

The familiar scene began again, with Marius transforming into a grumpy old man—no, a grumpy old man, Marius—once again unleashing his fury, once again hurling insults at Black's family tree from top to bottom, with Signas as the center.

Belvina, who was insulted to her face, showed no reaction whatsoever. Not only did she not retaliate, she even wanted to applaud.

Well said, that was satisfying and cathartic. If it weren't for those old guys causing trouble, would Blake have ended up like this?

Insisting on "eternal purity" for no reason—how aloof! Amazing!

Now look what's happened; Black has no one to carry on the family line, and he's just ending up like the Gaunt family back then.

Tired of his verbal tirade, Marius stopped his pointless oral exercise, looked at the silent Belvina, and said irritably, "And you too!"

Belvina was startled.

Logically speaking, Marius has already criticized Blake so much, so he shouldn't criticize her too!

"And you! What was I going to say?" Marius suddenly forgot his words; older people tend to have bad memories.

Not wanting to be scolded, Belvina quickly seized the opportunity to back down. She couldn't let Marius continue his tirade; he hadn't inherited Black's magical talent, but he had inherited his talent for cursing.

"Now I'm the only one left in Black, oh, and there's another one huddled in Azkaban," Belvina said. "They reap what they sowed. Everything they have today is the bitter fruit of their own making. It's their sin! It's their consequence! They deserve it!"

Between a group of dead men and a group of old men who could jump up and down and curse, Belvina chose the latter without hesitation.

Marius was taken aback by the sudden defection. He forgot what he had just remembered to say. Belvina didn't care about that; she continued talking, subtly inching away to avoid getting into trouble. A seventy-something-year-old man cursing—who could afford to mess with that?!

"I will keep your teachings in mind and never be burdened by so-called family honor, even though I am not really part of the family—but I will still remember your earnest guidance. Let Blake fade away with the wind—"

Before she could finish speaking, Belvina had already vanished in a flash. Now that she knew Marius's identity, there was no need to stay any longer. Why wait to be scolded if she didn't run away?

Marius, holding a shovel, looked up at the night sky.

His feelings for Blake were complex, a mixture of love and hate. His impression of Belvina was also complex; she was an outstanding young woman, just a bit delicate.

Building a family business is fraught with difficulties, and it can be very tough to walk it alone. It's better to focus on the present and enjoy each day to the fullest.

Back in her room, Belvina didn't dwell on those profound and meaningful thoughts; she had much more interesting ideas than the vague and uncertain future.

Although the Black family faces the problem of extinction, they have woven a vast web of marriage alliances within the wizarding community of the British Isles, much like an eight-eyed spider.

Phineas Nigellus Black, the Victoria of pure-blood wizards, is considered the grandfather of pure-blood wizards.

Even more interestingly, Belvina's great-aunt Cedric, who was expelled from the family, married the pure-blood traitor Weasley and bore him three sons.

One of her sons was Arthur Weasley, who fathered a Quidditch team. That's right, if we're talking about Cedric, Belvina is a generation younger than Arthur; she and Ron are of the same generation.

Isn't this a kind of irony? Cedrica, who was expelled, has many children, while the family that was expelled from her line is about to die out. Thinking of this, Belvina couldn't help but smile. She genuinely found the whole thing hilarious.

She threw herself onto the bed, gazing wistfully at the ceiling, lost in thought, unsure whether she was thinking of her cousin Molly Weasley, with whom she was related by marriage, or of her beloved older brother far away in Azkaban.

The next morning, Belvina got up early and left the farmhouse in the cool morning mist.

However, Belvina did not return to London, but instead headed north, leaving behind the season with Marius. — She went to the North Sea, where the Ministry of Magic approved her request for prison visitation.

Among the many marginal seas of Europe, the North Sea has a very important geographical location. There are seven countries along its coast. The name North Sea was given by the Dutch people who live along the coast because it is located north of the Netherlands. It is that simple and unpretentious.

The North Sea flows south through the Strait of Dover and the English Channel, connecting to the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea. Flowing north through the Shetland Islands, it enters the Norwegian Sea, connecting to the Nordic region. It is a vital sea route linking Southern and Northern Europe.

For wizards, the North Sea is a place that inspires fear, because in this cold water lies an unmarked island, on which stands a castle called Azkaban.

Using long-distance teleportation, Belvina arrived at the agreed location on time and stood on a rock on the shore to wait.

The island where Azkaban is located cannot be marked or visited by Apparition. The Ministry of Magic regularly arranges for a ship to land on the island, firstly to provide supplies, and secondly to transport prisoners.

Before long, a small boat carrying cargo slowly approached and then stopped not far from the reef.

The people on the boat stood up and called out to Belvina on the rocks, "Is that Miss Blake? Miss Belvina Blake?"

Belvina waved the prison visitation permit in her hand, and without caring whether the other person could see it clearly, she took a step forward and appeared on the small boat in the next second.

"It really is you, Miss Blake!" the person who spoke first exclaimed excitedly. "It's been so long, Miss Blake!"

Who is this person?

Belvina couldn't immediately recall who the young man in front of her was, but that didn't stop her from engaging in friendly conversation with him.

She smiled and said, "Luckily you were here, otherwise I don't even want to imagine how difficult the journey would have been."

The young man scratched his head shyly. It turned out Miss Black was indeed very approachable, and she even remembered me!

While the young man was still in a daze, Belvina quickly scanned the small boat bound for Azkaban while trying to recall who he was.

Besides supplying the island, there were three other people on board: two male wizards, clearly employees of the Ministry of Magic, flanking a short man.

"Miss Black."

"Miss Black."

The two employees clearly knew or recognized Belvina, but Belvina didn't recognize them at all and had no recollection of them. She could only tell from their distinctive hairstyles that they were probably not young.

"You've worked hard," Belvina said. "What's wrong with him?"

"When we caught him, he was selling contraband black magic items," said one of the men with slightly thicker hair. "Not only was he selling contraband, but he also resisted arrest."

At this moment, the young man asked, "Miss Black, shall we set off now?"

"Of course, Felix, we're ready to go anytime," Belvina said, finally remembering the young man's name; he was a member of the law enforcement team.

Felix was overjoyed. He had thought it would be a tough job, but he was surprised to meet the kind and friendly Belvina, who even remembered his name!

Suddenly, the task of delivering supplies to Azkaban was no longer bitter, but even a little sweet.

Felix drew his wand and first cast a fancy Patronus Charm, which sent a silver osprey flapping its wings at the bow of the ship.

Then, Felix tapped the side of the boat twice with his wand, and the small boat sped off like a madman, heading rapidly toward the center of the cold waters.

Although this place is still far from Azkaban, Felix's ability to summon a complete guardian deity made Belvina look at him with higher regard and deepened her impression of him.