"Vid, what did you discover?"
"The method to go through is hidden in the lake," Vid suggested, "But since we still have plenty of time, why don't we deal with the Inferi first, then explore the center of the lake?"
This was not quite as Dumbledore had anticipated, but he nodded agreeably, "Let's do it that way."
Sirius squatted at the lakeside, "There's probably no way to drain this lake. Should we lure them out first?"
He looked around, "...But there are only three Flying Broomsticks left."
"We don't need Flying Broomsticks."
Vid tapped his backpack with his Magic Wand, and a Firebird flew out. It perched on a protruding rock on the cliff, tilting its head as if curiously observing everyone.
"Allow me to introduce," Vid said, "This is my magical companion, Mikhail."
Lupin exclaimed, "Your Alchemy skills are getting more and more impressive."
Dumbledore silently watched the Firebird, his blue eyes faintly shimmering. Hearing Lupin's words, he turned to look at Lupin, deep in thought.
Dumbledore said nothing.
Vid approached Mikhail, whispered a few words. Mikhail retracted its flames, spread its wings, and flew out, skimming the lakeside, then suddenly swooped down toward the lake surface.
Two or three pale palms emerged from the water, lightning-fast, grasped Mikhail's claws, then quickly released as if scalded by a hot iron.
Sirius seized that brief moment, pointed his Magic Wand, and those two Inferi were dragged out of the lake.
There was a thin man, and a woman in pajamas. Their eyes were gray and cloudy, pallid faces devoid of any blood, their soaking clothes and hair clinging tightly to their bodies.
The Inferi were forced out of the water, thrown by Sirius onto the rocks at the shore. Without hesitation, Mikhail breathed fire, completely igniting their bodies.
The Fiendfyre crept along the wall for a short distance, unable to spread, then enveloped the two corpses completely.
Although Inferi are indeed a form of Dark Magic, they dread flames and light. Fiendfyre is fire, even stronger than ordinary flames; they struggled for a brief moment before quickly falling silent.
Orange-gold flames quietly burned.
The fire Mikhail breathed out was indeed Fiendfyre, but it would not take on the form of a Fire Beast, initially appearing quite similar to regular campfire.
But Dumbledore certainly recognized it.
He only narrowed his eyes, focusing more attention on the Firebird, a look of admiration in his eyes.
Mikhail seemed to find it intriguing, swiftly sweeping towards the lake surface, almost skimming it like a skipping stone.
The Firebird's body only emitted the heat equivalent to a typical torch. Separated by icy water, the brainless Inferi completely failed to realize this was their nemesis, reaching out one by one to grab, only to be quickly pulled out of the lake by those on the shore and tossed into the flames.
The operation of clearing Inferi gradually became a mechanical process. Though Sirius cast Spell with agile fluidity, his eyes began to unfocus.
Another pale silhouette leaped from the water, pursuing that freely soaring figure.
Sirius instinctively cast Spell to pull it towards the shore, but his brain felt abruptly whipped, hearing a silent explosion.
Sirius shuddered, eyes following the Inferi thrown into the fire, body stiff, mind blank.
Dumbledore promptly noticed something was amiss, waved his Magic Wand, halted the Inferi, placed it on dry rock.
Lupin stared wide-eyed in surprise.
"It's him..." He gasped, "Regulus... how could it be him?"
Vid too looked over.
It was a young man resembling a teenage Sirius, with the same black hair, gray eyes, similar features creating a face only considered fair.
It landed on the ground, seemed to lose its target. Stood listlessly for a while, then staggered uncertainly toward them.
Dumbledore sighed.
Sirius instinctively took a few steps forward, lips quivering slightly, gazing at those vacuous, cobweb-veiled eyes, unable to speak.
In truth, he had known Regulus was dead over a year prior to his imprisonment.
The ancient Pure-Blood Clan naturally had ways of ascertaining each member's life or death, though they never found Regulus's body.
Back then, shortly before Regulus's death, Sirius's father, who prized bloodline greatly, also passed away that same year.
His mother Walburga couldn't accept the sudden news of her younger son's death, mad with grief from blow after blow.
One day she sent Sirius dozens of Howlers, tearfully cursing him, questioning why it wasn't him who died. That was how Sirius learned his brother's status had become "deceased."
To be honest, he felt sadness at the time, but wasn't surprised.
He knew Regulus was timid by nature, though constantly indoctrinated with notions like "Pure-Blood glory," he held naïve and simplistic views of the world and war.
He was filled with notions of "making Pure-Blood great again," yet didn't comprehend Voldemort's true cruelty, nor prepared to become equally ruthless and evil.
How Regulus died, Sirius and Walburga didn't know the details.
But they both guessed Regulus, likely terrified of what was demanded of him, wanted to withdraw from the Death Eaters, only to be killed by Voldemort or other Death Eaters.
Sirius wasn't sure if his mother regretted once urging Regulus to join the Death Eaters.
But ever since, the insane mistress of the Black family shut herself indoors, even refused her only son's visits.
Sirius found it easier to accept the news.
Ever since graduation, he'd immediately joined the Order of Phoenix, fighting on the front lines.
He'd witnessed countless comrades around him killed, tortured brutally, even some of it by his younger brother.
Sirius had long prepared for their brotherly opposition, and even death.
Yet at this moment, seeing Regulus's corpse first-hand, watching it shuffle mechanical towards him under magical command, the delayed sorrow surged fiercely, momentarily choking him.
Regulus had reached him, and up close, those sunken, vacant eyes were even more heartrending.
"Regulus... what did Voldemort do to you..."
Sirius murmured.
The corpse couldn't answer, two icy, pale hands gripping Sirius's shoulders, steadily, slowly dragging him toward the lake.
"Sirius!"
Lupin ran over and struck Spell, sending Regulus flying, nearly falling into the lake, then retrieved by Vid.
The tip of his Magic Wand shot out a long rope, tightly binding Regulus from head to toe.
Regulus struggled on the ground.
But Inferi really weren't very powerful Dark Magical Creatures, only by sheer numbers are they terrifying. Now the corpse shook on the ground, yet couldn't break free from the ropes.
Sirius stiffly watched, until Lupin grasped his shoulder.
"Sirius, are you okay?"
"I... I'm fine..." Sirius stammered, "I already knew... I knew he was dead... I just... didn't expect to see him here..."
He snapped back, blood flowed from his aching heart to his icy limbs, warming his trembling body.
Sirius shrugged off Lupin's arm, gripped his Magic Wand firmly.
"Let's keep going!"
He looked at the lake's rippling surface, and the pale silhouettes continuously reaching out from it, speaking with a voice unfamiliar even to himself, calmly saying.