Chapter 9 (Edited)

(Sirius POV)

Opening my eyes, I saw the ashes and remnants of my ritual ingredients. I slowly got up and walked towards the mirror that had been prepared for me. In the reflection, I was amazed by what I saw.

WOW!

My body was like that of Adonis, as if he had taken tren and worked out every moment of the day. My physique was a perfect imitation of a Greek statue, with every muscle appearing to be carved from stone. Flexing my arms and legs, I was pleased to find that I retained my flexibility, indicating that the ritual hadn't negatively impacted it. I could now say that my body was perfect, both aesthetically and physically.

I picked up my wand and placed the remains of the Death Eaters into three separate boxes, then vanished the rest of the ritual remains.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________~Recreational ROOM~

"Creak" "Creak"

After the ritual, I hurried to the gym to test my new strength. I performed various push-and-pull exercises to determine my limits. Currently, I was bench pressing with a magically extended barbell, each side holding 5 of my newly created 200lb (90.7kg) plates for a total of 2000lb (907kg). Although I felt some strain, I knew I could push more, and my max would probably be around 2500lb (1133kg). Earlier, I had tried deadlifting, and my limit was 4000lb (1814kg). If I continue to train, my limits will likely increase.

I then went to the treadmill to test my endurance and speed. Even after running 10 miles, I didn't feel winded. In between, I made several fast-paced sprints that clocked in from 60 mph (96 kmph) to 120 mph (193.121 kmph).

These numbers showed me the power of these rituals and made me even more determined to complete the second ritual.

The rest of the day was spent practicing different exercises such as reaction time, foot balance, and dodging spells. The only drawback of the ritual was an increased appetite. After a hearty meal, I went to bed content, knowing I was one step closer to a secure future.

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As I descended the stairs with a plate of food in hand, I made my way to the dungeon where my captives were kept. Upon opening the door, I watched as they all flinched in fear, no doubt wondering what had become of their three companions who had been taken away and not returned. They were so busy trying to assess my changed appearance that they hardly noticed me approaching. Flourishing my wand, I cast a silencing ward and approached my cousin, Bellatrix, with the food.

She looked at me through the bars with a mixture of hatred, sorrow, and confusion, but these emotions soon turned to utter bafflement as I opened her door and walked in. She flinched when I aimed my wand at her, but instead of casting a spell, I used it to clean her hair and body and to evaporate the stench that surrounded her. I then cast a light transfiguration spell to change her clothes, creating two chairs and a table in the process. Placing the food on the table, I sat down and smiled at her gently.

"Eat, Bella. After all, you can't have a proper conversation on an empty stomach," I said, trying to encourage her to eat.

She was still wary, but seeing my smile, she hesitantly sat down and looked at the food with a sense of disbelief. After years of hunger, a delicious home-cooked meal would be enough to melt anyone's heart, even that of a ruthless witch.

"Don't worry, it's not poisoned. If I wanted you dead, I have a wand, remember?" I added, trying to put her at ease.

"Hehe." She let out a broken laugh and began eating, savoring every bite.

Last week, I had attacked her beliefs and ideals, but now I was treating her well, creating a stark contrast in her mind. Previously, she had associated me with hatred, treason, and the destruction of her beliefs, but now she was experiencing kindness and good feelings towards me. My next step was to direct her dissatisfaction towards the Dark Lord.

Comparing Bella to her former self was difficult. She had always been full of fire and spirit, but now she was just a shell of her former self, no doubt weakened by her time in prison and her excessive use of dark magic.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, noticing that I was staring at her.

"How did it come to this, Bella? Our family was so much more than this—politics, wealth, and power. We had everything. Now there are only four surviving members: three wayward daughters and a disgraced son," I replied, trying to evoke a sense of sadness and turmoil in her.

Hearing this, Bella looked down at her food and started eating, but the emptiness in her eyes only increased. I quickly delved into her mind, sensing the chaos and self-blame she was feeling. I heightened these emotions and directed the blame towards the Dark Lord. While I was in her mind, I also glimpsed at other important memories, including her hatred of her marriage to Lestrange.

I quickly made up a lie.

"You know, the marriages for you, Cissy, and Dromeda were ordered personally by the Dark Lord. He needed stronger alliances, so you three were bargaining chips, commodities. He didn't see you for your talent or magic, Bella, just a product for the Lestrange family," I said, trying to plant seeds of doubt in her mind.

That was a lie; there was some influence from the Dark Lord, but mostly from grandfather. Our family needed money, so the decision was made to sell the three Black sisters—Bella to Lestrange, Cissy to Malfoy, and Andromeda to Rosier, before she ran away. But Bella was unaware of this. Grandfather presented it as an order from the Dark Lord to suppress any opposition.

Fiercely, she retorted, "Lies! I was the most trusted servant of the Dark Lord. He acknowledged my talent in dark magic. I was his wand."

"Then why didn't he listen to you and cancel the marriage, freeing you when you displayed your talent and bravely fought for him?" I asked.

She still tried to defend him, "I didn't express my dissatisfaction with the marriage. Maybe he didn't know."

I thought about her reply and then responded, "You know he was a master of Legilimency and a control freak. He always knew your desires. But all you got was a pat on the back for all your hard work."

She stiffened at my response, unable to defend him any further. She looked down at her food, threw the plate away, and stood up, shouting, "What was I supposed to do? He was the most powerful wizard. Our entire family had submitted, and Cissy was marrying Malfoy. Andromeda had run away, you ran away. Who was I supposed to turn to?"

Finishing her outburst, she looked at the plate and saw that the food was still floating in mid-air, and just snorted before sitting back down.

I waved the plate with food back to the table and calmly stated, "That was your choice. You could have run away too, but you didn't. That was your decision and yours alone. If there is someone to blame, it's him. He made you a rabid dog, and you went from a respected witch to an outcast."

"If I hadn't rescued you, you would still be there, rotting away like a corpse, waiting for his supposed return," I added as I stood up from my chair and prepared to leave.

I dropped the last bomb I had fabricated for future plans. "You know our mother had a plan for the family. Before all this chaos, Cissy would have married Reggie, and I would have married you. She always said, 'This time, we will push the Black family to new heights.'"

Shocked by this new revelation, Bella just sat there, snorting.

I asked the final question, "Do you still remember our family motto?"

Regaining her composure, she replied with a spark in her eyes, "Toujours Pur (Always Pure)."

Nodding at her, I left.

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Sitting in my office, I reviewed my conversation with Bella. During our first meeting, I challenged her beliefs and loyalty to the Dark Lord. I left her feeling empty, but today, I showed her kindness and reminded her of the good times in our family. Now, it's time to demonstrate my power and gain her trust, so that we can retrieve the cup and complete the final ritual. My ultimate goal is to clear my name and prove my innocence to the wizarding world.

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