Chapter 207 Inferi In The Lake
Upon hearing Kreacher's words, Sirius hastened.
It was evident how much he yearned to plunge into the lake to find Regulus's body.
"No, Sirius."
Upon seeing Sirius, Harry and Hermione shouted, thankfully Dumbledore stopped him just in time.
"Let me go!" Gasped Sirius, "I will find Regulus."
"I understand your feelings, Sirius, but we must be cautious," Dumbledore whispered, "The Black Lake is very dangerous. You have heard Kreacher's description and know what lies hidden within it. Apart from the Inferi, this lake also..."
"I do not fear danger, I do not fear Inferi!"
"I know, but leaping directly into the lake does not aid Regulus. What you were about to do is more a hindrance than a help."
Sirius fell silent and gradually calmed down.
"Very well, let's proceed. Kreacher just mentioned the island in the center of the lake, and the stone altar that was originally used to store the Horcrux. I want to go there and take a look." Dumbledore continued, "Be very careful not to step into the water. Stay close to me."
They circled the edge of the lake, and Evan followed closely.
Their steps echoed with a dull sound on the narrow rocky edge surrounding the water.
So they walked, but the view did not change: on one side, the rough cave wall, on the other, the vast expanse of smooth and crystalline blackness, in the midst of which mysteriously shone a greenish hue...
No one spoke. The place and that silence were oppressive and unsettling.
Evan had been staring at the lake. The dark water was like black crystal. It was shiny and calm. Although nothing could be seen, he knew that beneath the calm surface of the lake, countless fierce Inferi were silently watching them.
"How much longer will we follow this path?" Sirius said impatiently, his voice echoing in the silent darkness.
"There is a boat that can take us to the center of the lake, but Kreacher cannot remember where the boat is." Kreacher shuddered and said, licking his ears and punishing himself.
"Do not worry, we will find it." Dumbledore reassured Kreacher.
"I do not understand why we should go to the island in the center of the lake instead of going directly into the lake to search for Regulus..."
"To the lake? Only if we are very unfortunate," said Dumbledore, "You can try it, Sirius, do not touch the lake with your hands, use magic or throw something in, and see what happens."
Sirius picked up a stone from the ground and threw it into the lake.
Along with a loud noise, countless white marble hands of the Inferi stretched out from the calm surface of the lake.
They appeared out of nowhere, without warning or signal, as if they came from hell.
A moment later, the lake instantly seethed and the hands of the Inferi covered the entire lake.
They struggled and writhed as if to catch something in the air.
Upon witnessing this scene, Hermione screamed and grabbed Evan's right arm.
Evan also stepped back and gazed at the frenzied lake with a persistent fear. Although he was prepared, his heart beat uncontrollably.
Sirius and Harry stared at the lake in shock, the number of Inferi before them was completely beyond their imagination.
A few seconds later, the dead bodies and ripples completely vanished, at an extraordinary speed, as if they had never existed. The stone Sirius had thrown into the lake disappeared completely, it did not sink to the bottom of the lake but disintegrated and dissipated.
"Professor!" Harry cried, his voice sounding much higher than usual, barely recognizable as his own.
"Dumbledore spoke calmly: 'You see, this is not the right way to awaken them. There are too many Inferi, and it is impossible to destroy them all. We must find the spot where Regulus was dragged into the water.'
—If they start running, what should we do?
—Like many creatures that live in the cold and darkness, they fear light and heat. If necessary, we can use fire —Dumbledore said calmly—. The light and heat from the fire can effectively contain them!
—But... —Harry's face was still full of terror.
—You must know, Harry, there is nothing to fear from a body, just as there is nothing to fear from darkness —Dumbledore gazed steadily at the dark lake—. Lord Voldemort, who secretly fears both, disagrees. But once again he reveals his lack of wisdom. It is the unknown that we fear when facing death and darkness, nothing else.
No one said a word, no one wanted to argue.
Yet, it could be seen in everyone's expressions that they did not agree with what Dumbledore was saying. They felt particularly frightened at the thought of all the Inferi in the huge lake in front of them.
Perhaps only a powerful wizard like Dumbledore was qualified to say such a thing. He feared nothing, not even death.
Evan tried to recall the information related to the Inferi he had just obtained from the book "Secrets of the Darkest Art": zombies are not part of British folklore, but are associated with myths from Haiti and parts of Africa. The wizard turns the "cursed resurrected corpse" into "a horrible servant" that can be manipulated.
In those tribal traditions, the Inferi was considered a warrior or guardian who did not think of their own safety.
They have many uses and are easily recognized and respected by other tribal inhabitants.
Only those bodies that made great contributions to the Horde in life are qualified to become Inferi, and they continue to protect the Horde after death, which is the supreme glory.
After this witchcraft reached Europe, after centuries of development and change, it was gradually transformed by dark wizards into what it is now, becoming pure dark magic.
Compared to African witchcraft, these Inferi created by dark wizards may have lower individual strength, but the method to create them became simpler and less risky, considered one of the most malevolent dark magics.
The creation of an Inferius requires the use of any corpse. Given the vast area of the lake in front of them, the number of Inferi there must be extremely large.
Evan did not know how Voldemort found these bodies, and could only speculate that they had been murdered.
The clothing on these corpses was of ordinary Muggle styles. They were probably those who were killed by Voldemort and other Death Eaters during the rise of Voldemort.