The Dark Witch

P.O.V – Albus Dumbledore

At her words, the world around me began to fade away into nothing as I began to leave the pensieve.

My tour through Sirius’ memories had ended. Having giving me more knowledge than I had ever dreamed I would possess, and at the same time, leaving me completely unsatisfied.

I sighed to myself, withdrawing my head from the pensieve. Maria had agreed to marry Sirius Black in the end, despite her reservations, and Sirius had been willing to marry her, though it most likely would have resulted in unbearable agony for him. However, I have no recollection of the pair marrying. Not that I would of course. For I believe, had they married, the only ones present at the ceremony would have been the rest of the Marauders and Lily.

It was of no great matter, however, whether or not the pair wed. For the only consequence would have been Sirius’ binding to Maria and Tom and as he has now passed on…oh dear Merlin. I thought rapidly, stroking my beard. Had they, in fact, married, then Sirius’ essence would still be tied to this plane as long as either Tom or Maria were alive. Upon his death, he would have been bound to them both. In a similar fashion to as ghost, who has strong attachments to his place of death.

A chill washed over me, as I walked towards my desk. What to tell Harry? That his beloved godfather was, in essence, a ghost, granted in weak form, attached to the wizard he was destined to murder or be murdered by? That Tom had taken yet another person away from him?

“Learn anything new, Albus?” Questioned the portrait of Isabella Twine.

I paid her no heed as I sunk into my chair. Just a few short months ago, I had to endure the pain of telling Harry of the prophesy that had, not only resulted in him being the only one able to defeat Tom, but had caused the death of his parents. With my trip into the memories of his godfather, I had been hoping to bring forth good news, not more bad.

I placed my hands on my desk, pulling closer to me the two most significant pieces of parchment I had in my possession. Maria’s letter to Sirius and Mrs. Lankins letter to me.

The first, depicting that Maria was afraid she had led on Sirius. Warning him against doing anything rash and asking him to never forget her.

The second, describing to me Becky Sinclair. Informing me that she had ‘hallucinations’ of both Tom and Sirius, and that Mrs. Lankins believed that a memory charm had performed on Becky, perhaps by Tom himself. She was also mentioned to be in poor mental health. Similar to the condition Maria had alluded to her mother being in after she had given the control of her abilities to Tom and what Maria had feared would happen to her.

I reached into my robes, withdrawing Sirius’ two silver rings, one significantly larger than the other, and placed them in between the two letters.

There was a connection here. Between it all, I am merely missing a piece.

I pulled Mrs. Lankins letter closer to me.

A piece that I believed to be held by that of Becky Sinclair.