Chapter 77.1- Doom Days

XXXX- SIRIUS BLACK

Azkaban was a message. No one could think anything else. Bodies lay strewn all over. The dead, so plentiful that their bodies had been piled up and still, there was barely any space for one to walk through. Voldemort was telling them something with this, and Sirius didn’t think he liked what the message said.

“He took only the marked ones and some others— can’t find a pattern so far. Killed everyone else” Alastor’s gruff voice whispered to Dumbledore as they were led through the prison.

Why? Sirius wondered to himself. He heard the sound of dry wrenching, and did not need to turn around to know it was Remus doing so. On seeing the truth of the situation, Sirius had cast a sense deadening charm on his nose. His anumagus sense of smell would probably not be having a good time around so much death. It wads probably much worse for Remus, a werewolf, naturally immune to such spells, and with stronger sense to boost.

“Why has he done this?” Arthur Weasley whispered off to the side. No one spoke at full volume. Alastor had ensured no others would be here while they investigated, but still the atmosphere of the ruin just made one want to whisper.

Scratch that. It made one want to turn around and run for their lives, he clarified as he turned the corner and found a body stabbed straight into its cell, a long pole of rusted iron nailing it to the wall.

“I would have expected that he would have recruited them. Instead this was a full-blown slaughter” Tonks added.

“Not a slaughter, no. A culling” Dumbledore’s voice was no louder than anyone else’s, but still when he spoke, they all went silent so they could not miss a thing.

“A culling?” He echoed.

“A removal of those viewed as unworthy. Undesirable. Do you see it, Sirius?” He asked.

“See what?” He asked.

Dumbledore sighed before he twisted his wand. Invariably, names began to appear above the dead.

“He didn’t just take those loyal to him” He realised. Not a single name of the dead was one he recognised.

“He took those of ancient blood. Pureblood or not, not a single person left behind belongs to a house that has existed for more than five centuries.” Dumbledore completed his thought

“So he’s going around killing everyone not of old blood?” Weasley asked.

“More like he sees no use in those not of the old blood, and he has taken those who are for some reason. Some cause”

“To add wands to his cause, perhaps?” Shacklebolt ventured.

“Perhaps. But I doubt these men and women were any less capable with wands in hands than those taken. There is a goal being sought here. It might just be a matter of wealth or not wanting to spill storied blood, but I doubt that. Whatever it is, this is extremely worrying” Dumbledore said.

“Why so?” He asked.

“You’re wondering why so many dead people are cause for concern, Black?” Moody cut in, fake eye twisting this way and that while the real one settled on Sirius’ form.