[HP] Similar but different

The days entered March, the wind blew more, the rain did not stop, and the weather was uncomfortably wet.

While the students were still complaining about the ever-increasing difficulty of Defense Against the Dark Arts, there wasn't much time—in fact, no time—for the senior class to complain.Because other professors also increased their study intensity, all possible leisure time was squeezed out.

Probably because grades are linked to future work and the pressure is the heaviest, the anxiety before the exam falls on the seventh graders earlier, and some people cry or faint at every turn.Madam Pomfrey even asked the deans of the colleges to tell that the school hospital has prepared enough relieving agents, and any students who are too nervous or worried can go and get them by themselves.

Harry was glad he wasn't one of them by now, and he didn't need to be as distracted as Ron and Hermione were to notice the resurgence of black-market trades among students, like dragon claws made from dried fox dung. Powder or something.Still, he was surprised when Voldemort handed him a bottle of Vitality Potion after another cram session. "You did it?"

The Dark Lord curled his lips casually back. "Just hand in hand."

Harry was convinced that the energy recovery potion was by no means a potion that could be made easily (otherwise the fake Buffy brain potion would not be sought after by the students), just as he was convinced that he still owed the other party a pot of needs. It was the same as the potion made after seven days and seven nights. "Uh, I..." He was moved and guilty, and didn't know what to say.

Voldemort must have read Harry's subtext, because he said: "Two drops a day, more will have side effects. Remember?"

Harry nodded quickly.

"Then," Voldemort stood up quite satisfied, "that's all for today."

Harry knew this was the sign of the end.He could go back to the dormitory, but for some reason, looking at the man's back, his feet seemed to grow on the ground.

Voldemort looked back, surprised to see that he hadn't moved. "Do you have anything else to do?"

Harry opened his mouth.Many thoughts rolled through his mind in an instant, but he firmly dismissed the one that bothered him the most. "Malfoy," he tried, "does he know something? I swear he's been avoiding me since school started."

"If I remember correctly, Draco and you are against each other, right?" Voldemort asked curiously, "Wouldn't it be easier for him to avoid you?"

Harry knew he would get this kind of answer—necessary, unnecessary, troublesome or not, the Dark Lord's criteria for dividing were so simple and crude. "How did Malfoy know?" he asked persistently.

"Of course it's Lucius." Voldemort still replied, his face full of "this needs to be asked".

"Did you tell him?" Harry asked suspiciously.Of course he knew the most likely source of Draco Malfoy's news, but Voldemort didn't look like someone who would announce that he had a boyfriend at a Death Eater meeting?

Voldemort seemed a little helpless. "Again, gotta know, huh?" But before Harry could ask, he said, "Lucius does know a little more than the rest. Do you remember the Black house-elf?"

Harry snapped awake at this reminder.

Voldemort had used Narcissa Malfoy's status as a member of the Black family to obtain information from Kreacher, and the arrangement must have passed through Lucius Malfoy.After Harry gave Kreacher the fake locket, the house-elf confessed everything, including leaking his, Sirius, and Lupine's discussions about Occlumency.As long as he knew that there was a subtle mind connection between Harry and Voldemort, it was impossible for Lucius Malfoy not to think too much, let alone what happened to Wormtail later.

"I should have found out..." He moaned in a low voice, a little annoyed.

Voldemort was noncommittal. "They don't travel any farther," he added, with another laugh.

There was no doubt that there was a coldness in the smile, and Harry immediately decided not to linger on this topic. "Okay," he answered, with a sense of calmness, "I see." With that, he approached Voldemort, gave him the farewell kiss he had been thinking about just now, and then picked up his schoolbag and left.

The oak door swung open and shut, and Voldemort suddenly scowled.

As for Harry, he returned to the tower without stopping.It was late, and there were only a few sparse people left in the common room. He successfully found Ron and Hermione at the round table near the fireplace.

"It's just in time for you to come back." Ron saw him first, and immediately waved, "Just waiting for your answer."

Hermione rarely objected.She was still wary of Voldemort, but she couldn't deny that every assignment proofread by the Dark Lord was a perfect template, the kind so perfect that the professor wanted to give him extra points.

Harry sat down beside his friends and produced some rolls of parchment from his bag.Inadvertently, the snake-shaped glass bottle was tilted, and he hurriedly pressed its cork.

Ron's eyes were full of homework, but Hermione noticed it first. "What's that?" she asked curiously.

"Spirit Restoration Potion." Harry put down the scroll and simply took it out as well.

This answer successfully diverted Ron's attention. "Where did you get it?" he exclaimed. "Isn't this stuff priceless?"

His voice caused several other people to look this way, but fortunately they turned their heads back soon. "You're exaggerating, Ron." Hermione pointed out sharply, while taking a closer look. "And, isn't it shaped enough for you to guess where it came from?"

Ron was momentarily dumbfounded. "It's not...he...really...?"

At this time, Hermione had already taken the glass bottle from Harry and was studying it against the raging fire. "No impurities, extremely transparent," she spun the bottle, opened it again and took a sniff, "means extremely high purity..."

Harry knew he couldn't hide it from her, so he honestly admitted, "He said he could only use two drops a day."

As soon as this was said, Ron and Hermione stared at the two fang decorations on the cork, and then Hermione gasped silently. "If I'm not wrong," she said cautiously, "this bottle should be just enough for you to use until the end of the exam."

Harry immediately became the focus of the four eyes. "I don't know..." He tried to be dismissive, but failed, "Well, he said he did it by accident."

Ron's expression suddenly changed to "make me a bottle too, please?" Hermione thought for a long time, and finally admitted reluctantly: "It may not be very difficult for him."

Harry didn't doubt Voldemort's strength, after all he was the one who heard "Tom is probably the best student Hogwarts has ever seen" from Dumbledore.But no matter how high or low the level is, it cannot change the energy required for the potion itself. "You're making me feel more and more guilty." He muttered and complained.

"Is there anything else?" Hermione reacted keenly from the word "guilty".

Harry had to admit that he had indirectly caused the Dark Lord's potion to be scrapped at the last minute.After listening, Ron's mouth was open enough to swallow a whole egg, and Hermione was no less surprised than Ron. "But the mysterious man didn't say anything..."

"Just imagine," Ron couldn't help interrupting her loudly, "how would you feel if your potion was lost by Snape at the last moment?"

This had literally happened to Harry several times, and of course Harry knew that his reactions were not as calm as Voldemort's. "Stop it, Ron," he groaned, rubbed his face, and threw himself into the puffy upholstery of the armchair, "I'm still keeping things from him..."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other immediately, and then Hermione asked cautiously, "You haven't mentioned Sirius to him yet? You haven't asked him if there is a way?"

So far, Sirius has not accepted the facts.Although he didn't rashly rush to fight the Dark Lord or Death Eaters, his attitude towards Harry became quite indifferent—from last Hogsmeade weekend to now, Harry still hasn't received his reply, Not a single word.Also, from what Ron had heard from his dad, Sirius' aloofness was not out of the ordinary, and more likely closer to gloom.

Thinking of this, Harry's heart sank like lead. "No," he shook his head with a sad face, "From the situation last time, I think it's good that they don't fight." He thought for a while, and then added in a low voice: "And he told me not to tell Xiao Sirius."

Because I started it myself, so I have to solve it myself... Hermione bit her lip, which was a subconscious expression of her worry. "Leaving aside the You-Know-Who, Sirius..." She looked at Harry, hesitating, "Maybe he just doesn't know what to do with you... You helped him get rid of the crime, didn't you? And you're his godson ?”

Harry knew Hermione meant that Sirius would forgive him sooner or later, like Ron, but he wasn't very optimistic right now. "The three of us helped him get rid of the crime together," he corrected Hermione's statement, "and I'm not sure if I'm his godson will make him more angry..." Thinking of Sirius' performance as He couldn't help but smile wryly at what Voldemort thought he should have reacted earlier, "After all, I didn't take revenge as he imagined."

Compared with Sirius chasing and killing Wormtail back then, this could indeed happen, and Hermione was speechless for a moment.In fact, she wanted to say that Sirius knew that Harry was Voldemort's Horcrux, and no matter what, it was impossible to kill Harry and Voldemort at the same time, but she remained silent in the end.

Ron looked at her, and then at Harry, as if he had made up his mind to escape this dangerous water of topic as soon as possible. "We'll figure it out sooner or later," he said firmly, with an obvious stop there. "Anything else new, Harry?"

Harry was about to shake his head, but he realized right away that there was, and told about Malfoy avoiding him.

"Will they be the first among the Death Eaters to know?" Hermione asked with concern, looking thoughtful, "Or, the few who know?"

Ron's focus, however, was quite different from hers. "Can we do something?" He suggested to Harry enthusiastically, with an expectant look on his face, "If you go to trouble Malfoy now, surely he won't dare to fight back?"

"Ron!" Hermione stopped immediately.

Before Harry could take a stand, his two best friends were already arguing.He listened with one ear, still thinking about his godfather.He was sad, he didn't want to talk to Sirius; but he was helpless at the same time, he didn't know how to persuade Sirius to change his mind.

Maybe Hermione was right, in the end he could only reassure himself that they needed some time...

The author has something to say:

Guess last time, several of them are very smart~