Chapter 386 Pedro And The Abyss Throat
The laughter of Bellatrix resonated in the gloomy and terrible Azkaban.
"Of all the Death Eaters brought to trial, Bellatrix was the only one who refused to plead guilty; she kept swearing that her master would return," said Dumbledore. He frowned and looked at Bellatrix for a moment, no one knowing what was on his mind.
"As I knew her, Bellatrix is a ruthless and cruel creature, she had no love for anything," said Sirius. "She was simply a replica of my mother, always prattling on about family glory and pure blood."
Sirius stopped looking at Bellatrix and seemed determined to ignore her.
"Of course, that was in her school days," he continued. "She became a Death Eater shortly after graduation, and it is truly astonishing that she could defend Voldemort so fervently, even in the Wizengamot High Court."
There were hints that Bellatrix had ambiguous feelings towards Voldemort.
Evan maliciously thought there might be some kind of secret relationship between them.
Voldemort and his favorite Death Eater... the idea was as uncomfortable as it was intriguing...
As they moved forward, Sirius introduced Evan to some famous Death Eaters and other dark wizards. That strange voice never appeared again.
Dumbledore found no anomaly, so it seemed it was just his imagination.
Evan sighed in relief and continued walking for about twenty minutes. He couldn't help but ask, "Where is Peter Pettigrew?"
"In a special place, called the Abyss Throat, the core of Azkaban," explained Dumbledore. "Not all prisoners are eligible to be held there. The Ministry of Magic probably thinks Peter Pettigrew is the most malicious prisoner, so they keep him under special custody."
Upon hearing his words, Sirius let out a scornful laugh. "He doesn't deserve that!" he exclaimed.
"He certainly doesn't deserve it. He's not as strong. He's not as strong as Bellatrix," said Dumbledore calmly, "but it's not bad to keep him under special custody, at least to prevent him from turning into a rat and escaping."
They crossed the cell on the highest floor and began to descend the narrow staircase on the other side.
The spiraling stone staircase extended downward, apparently towards the deepest part of the earth, straight to hell.
The floor was now made of primitive rocks instead of bricks, and the temperature was dropping lower and lower.
Evan could hear the sound of the sea, and the cave seemed to extend deeply towards it.
He couldn't remember how long he had been walking, and the mist was starting to fill the surroundings again.
This mist was caused by countless Dementors, hidden at checkpoints and narrow rocky crevices along the way.
The Dementors floated there in silence, and he didn't know what they were waiting for.
"The Abyss Throat, I've never been there," said Sirius, looking as surprised as Evan. "I only know that all the Dementors come from this place, and that's where they originate."
Evan looked around, and his unexpressed sense of unease intensified.
His awareness began to blur, and the scene before him was undergoing significant changes.
But when he looked again, he realized nothing had happened, and it was all his illusion.
Among the mist, Evan followed Dumbledore and Sirius towards a deep hole in the ground with a bright green light. The number on it was 7.
This was cell 7, where Peter Pettigrew was detained.
He seemed to have lost a lot of weight, like a balloon suddenly deflating, pale and trembling, huddled on an iron bed.
Peter's small black eyes were dull, and there was no evidence that he was alive.
He remained there, oblivious to everything around him.
As Dumbledore's Patronus light shone on Peter Pettigrew, restoring his consciousness in the influence of the Dementors, his first reaction was to cry.
He wept like a big, ugly child, and then he realized what was happening.
He did his utmost to stand before Dumbledore, Sirius, and Evan. He knelt on the floor, uttering words of remorse. Once again, he begged forgiveness from everyone, hoping they could get him out of there.
Evan knew he wasn't truly sincere. He simply feared the Dementors and Azkaban. Pettigrew feared continuing to be alone and becoming a soulless monster.
Evan watched as Sirius abruptly pushed Peter Pettigrew away. He rolled like a ball and then began to approach again, kissing his robe and pleading bitterly.
If he could have heard what he was saying, perhaps Evan would have felt compassion for him.
But the scene he was witnessing now was completely different from reality. As Pettigrew begged, the green cave in front of him was collapsing.
Evan noticed something shining on him, reached out, and took the object. It was the red plate that Dumbledore had just returned to him!
In some way, it seemed to have awakened; the monster on the plate seemed to have suddenly come to life.
He only heard strange words resonating in his mind, and the changes happening in front of him were all related to this plate. Evan felt as if his soul was escaping from his body.
As if the plate were a Portkey, opening the way for his soul to swiftly float forward, being carried to unknown realms.
It was as if he were in a dream, where the light spun to be absorbed by the sea. With the light, the whole world seemed to be spinning.
Many Dementors and other dreadful demons emerged from the depths of the earth. All eyes were on Evan. The twisted and noisy old demons laughed, along with the little imps with green hair and bat wings.
Even the Dementors appeared excited.
"Dementors are particularly sensitive to changes in the soul, and they get very excited whenever someone dies."
Evan remembered what Sirius had told him before. They were so excited. Was he going to die?!
He drew his wand to use the Patronus Charm.
But before he could utter the spell, he saw that everything around him had disappeared. The surroundings were quiet, and he remained breathless in place.
Guided by the plate, his soul had reached its destination.
It was still Peter Pettigrew's cell, but there was no one there but Evan.
Dumbledore, Sirius, Peter Pettigrew, and the Dementors seemed to have never existed.
In the place where the iron bed had been before, a deep abyss suddenly emerged.
It was a descending path. Although no one had told Evan where he was heading, he suddenly understood that from that moment on, it was the real Abyss Throat!