After hearing Kreacher's report, Shawn paused, then put away his wand. He knew Dumbledore must have retrieved the fake locket and Regulus's body.
He hurried to the front door. When he opened it, he saw an exhausted Dumbledore and a coffin.
Dumbledore had clearly been working for a long time. The wrinkles on his face looked deeper, and his hair and beard were unkempt.
It seemed Voldemort's restrictions had been far from easy to break. Shawn wondered whether Dumbledore had drunk those potions himself this time.
Shawn had no mind to dwell on any of that. All his attention was fixed on the coffin.
Although he had never felt much attachment to Regulus, the father he had acquired with his new identity, an indescribable feeling swept over him at that moment, and his throat began to tighten.
When the system had chosen his identity, it had changed his bloodline as well. Strictly speaking, he really was Regulus's son. Still, however he worked it out, Regulus would have had to father him at sixteen. What a melodramatic mess.
Dumbledore looked at Shawn's reddened eyes. Having learned the broad outline of what had happened, he could not help feeling a pang of sympathy.
How many families had been torn apart by Voldemort alone?
"My boy, your father was a hero. Don't be sad. He made a tremendous contribution to the wizarding world, and death is merely another great adventure."
Shawn walked over to the coffin and gently ran a hand over it, but he lacked the courage to lift the lid. He murmured "Father" a few times before finally turning to Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Professor. Would you please preside over my father's burial?"
Dumbledore opened his mouth. He had intended to ask about the locket first, but seeing Shawn so distraught, he sighed and nodded.
"Of course."
After a moment's thought, Dumbledore added,
"Would you like me to invite more people to attend? We could clear your father's name publicly as well. His heroism should not go unrecognized."
Shawn paused, then shook his head after some thought.
"No, not yet. My father died because of Voldemort, and Voldemort isn't dead. Only after I kill Voldemort for good with my own strength will I tell everyone how great my father was."
Even Dumbledore, whose composure was as steady as a mountain, was deeply shaken by those words.
"Shawn, what... what do you know?"
Shawn's face was expressionless. "Horcruxes!"
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes slightly.
"My boy, tell me. Everything."
Shawn took Slytherin's Locket out of his robes.
"Professor, this is Voldemort's Horcrux. My father already destroyed it, so I know Voldemort didn't truly die eleven years ago."
Dumbledore took the locket and examined it closely. With his experience, he soon confirmed that it had once been made into an extremely evil dark magical object. After all his efforts in the cave, he had retrieved only a replica. He had intended to ask Shawn about it after the funeral, but the boy had considerately produced the remains of the real Horcrux without being prompted.
Shawn's words also confirmed his earlier suspicion that Voldemort was not dead. Dumbledore spoke slowly.
"You're a thoughtful boy. Now is indeed not the right time to clear Regulus's name, but rest assured, I will personally vouch for him. At the very least, I'll have the warrant for his arrest withdrawn."
Shawn bowed slightly in thanks.
"Thank you, Professor."
Dumbledore reached out and ruffled Shawn's hair, feeling rather pleased. Regulus had died to destroy Voldemort's Horcrux, which made his child a natural ally. He had previously worried that this extraordinarily gifted boy might go astray, but now he felt much more reassured. He would guide him properly and give him more care and affection. He could not make the same mistake again.
Beneath the evening sun, they stood in a secluded yet beautiful stretch of countryside, in the Black family's private cemetery.
Shawn laid a bouquet of white lilies before Regulus's grave and silently swore that he would do something. Beside him, Kreacher was already sobbing too hard to speak.
As the sky darkened, Dumbledore patted Shawn's shoulder.
"Ah, my boy, it's time to go back."
"All right, Professor."
The three Apparated back to Grimmauld Place, where Dumbledore handed Shawn the fake Slytherin's Locket.
"Keep this as a memento. I need to hold on to the real one. It will also serve as evidence when we clear your father's name in the future. Oh, and please keep the matter of the Horcrux secret."
Shawn did not object. He quietly tucked the locket into his robes, then politely extended an invitation.
"Professor, please do come inside. When I was little, I waited tables at a Chinese restaurant, and the kind owner taught me how to cook some Chinese dishes. You've done so much for my father and me. The least I can do is make you a meal to show my gratitude. Please..."
Dumbledore shook his head and interrupted him.
"Another day, perhaps. Term is about to begin, and as headmaster, I've already been absent from work for far too many days. If I don't return to school soon, your Professor McGonagall will come hunting me down."
"All right. Next time, then."
Before leaving, Dumbledore winked at Shawn.
"The Black family has quite a collection of books. You're still young, so I suggest you avoid reading those concerning dark magic as much as possible. They won't be good for your development. Goodbye, my boy."
Shawn watched Dumbledore Disapparate. Thinking about his parting advice, he could not help finding it rather amusing.
"If that old bee knew about my Azkaban-level talent for dark magic, he probably wouldn't be so confident about me. At the very least, he'd charge inside and confiscate those books."
The exchange helped ease Shawn's earlier sorrow. He shook his head and walked into the old house.
In the days that followed, Shawn threw himself wholeheartedly into studying magic.
During that time, the Ministry of Magic sent him a letter by owl, informing him that the warrant for Regulus's arrest had been withdrawn.
The process was much the same as it had been for Snape. Dumbledore had vouched for Regulus, claiming that he had actually been a spy sent by the Order of the Phoenix to infiltrate Voldemort's ranks.
The story even appeared in the Daily Prophet, and news of the Black family's returning heir spread like wildfire.
Many pure-blood families sent letters, making all sorts of inquiries. In truth, they all wanted to cement their possession of the properties they had already seized. Shawn did not reply to a single one.
It was not that he did not care.
But intervening now would not produce any better results. Even if he could recover some of the properties, things would only turn exceedingly ugly.
Besides, Shawn was not short of money, so there was no urgency.
Strength ruled in the wizarding world, so Shawn continued to devote himself to absorbing knowledge.
Once he was strong enough, everything he had lost would naturally return to his hands, and he would gain even more.
"Transfiguration Torture!"
"Blade Throat-Seal!"
"Avis!"
"Protego!"
In the underground spell-training room, Shawn cast spell after spell at an Alchemical Dummy. A large pile of twisted, ruined dummies had already accumulated in the corner, the results of his efforts over the past fortnight.
His sweat and effort naturally brought rewards.
Shawn accepted the tea Kreacher handed him and took a sip, then opened the system to check it.
-System- Host: Shawn. Class: Wizard/Card Magician. Magic power: 40 (adult: 100) Talents: Lightning Elemental Affinity max. Water Elemental Affinity level 1. Parseltongue level 1 (can only hold simple conversations with snakes; cannot control them). Dark magic 8 (Azkaban). Expand... Skills: Occlumency max. Avis level 5, Shield Charm level 4, Levitation Charm level 3, Killing Curse level 3, Blade Throat-Seal level 3, Transfiguration Torture level 3, Corrosive Mist level 2, Petrificus Totalus level 1, Scouring Charm level 1, Unlocking Charm level 1... Level 1 faith: 3800./Level 2 faith: 98./Level 3 faith: 0. Draw: 1000/100/10 faith points per draw. Quest: Seize the Chosen One's fame (stage one).