[HP] Similar but different

This night, as Harry had predicted the worst, Umbridge kept him locked up past midnight.When he got back to the dormitory, everyone else was asleep, and he climbed into bed, not wanting to fight his homework and exhaustion.He'd thought he was bound to have some nightmares; but when he opened his eyes again and saw morning light coming in through the window, he realized that the Dark Lord had apparently erected a mind barrier on him again.

...so what regularity did Voldemort use to peek into his head?

Harry had spent his breakfast time making up two dreams, because the first Divination class had to be checked.It was difficult to concentrate, because he couldn't help but wonder why the Dark Lord's anger came from last night.It doesn't make sense that Voldemort is angry at Umbridge for punishing him...

All day Wednesday was no better than the previous two days.Harry didn't have time to practice spells, he was near the bottom of the class in Charms and Transfiguration, and the professors assigned a lot of homework; the sketch of the Bowtruckle was rushed out during lunch.

"What's going on with you two?" Hermione asked suspiciously at the dinner table. "Harry is in detention, Ron, what are you doing?"

"I..." Ron's eyes flickered, vaguely speaking.

Harry also wanted to know why Ron, like him, had dark circles that were getting heavier and his homework was all rushed, but he restrained himself when he thought of the secrets he was hiding.

Hermione frowned when she saw that Ron didn't want to answer. "Speaking of it," she turned to Harry, "how was your confinement?"

Harry subconsciously hid the back of his hand in his sleeve. "Write the sentence," he said in as flat a voice as possible, hoping Hermione would ignore it like Ron did - that's what he'd told Ron this morning.He knew that if he had told the truth, Ron and Hermione would be on his side; but he didn't want to say that comfort from others seemed to him like a disguised plea for mercy from Umbridge.

"Sounds normal?" Hermione was dubious.

Afraid of being discovered by her, Harry hurriedly said, "But she wants me to write until midnight!"

Hermione pursed her lips.She seemed to want to say that she told you not to fight Umbridge, but she didn't say it in the end. "Just get through this week."

Harry nodded curtly.He hardly cared about Umbridge now, because he wanted to know more about Voldemort's new reaction tonight.

"By the way, there's one more thing," Hermione stared at Harry thoughtfully. "What happened to you on the train? Neither Ron nor I know what you're throwing at."

"Huh?" Harry replied absently. "Oh..." He realized slowly that he was angry with everyone, but because of Voldemort. "It's nothing, someone bumped into me and ran away without apologizing." He said half-truth, trying not to show the same anger as he did then.The locket has been hidden in the box by him, and he plans to study it when he has time.

"So?" Hermione obviously didn't believe it. "I heard from Qiu today that you let her go out before she finished speaking."

"Ah..." Harry blushed, he was really embarrassed. "I'll go and apologize."

Hermione stared at him for a while longer, before finally nodding in satisfaction. "So, Ron..."

"By the way," Ron, who was named, said quickly, obviously afraid that Hermione would turn back to the dangerous waters before, "Harry and I still have one thing to tell you, about the portrait!"

"What portrait?" Hermione asked curiously.

So Ron poured out all the things he had heard in Protection of Magical Creatures class.Finally, he said, "Harry thinks it's a portrait of him." Since there were people all around, he referred vaguely.

"Unexpected, but also predictable." Hermione obviously understood and nodded thoughtfully. "A storm is coming."

Hearing this, Harry's heart sank heavily.There seems to be a reshuffle of power within the Death Eaters, and he has to deal with the puzzle set by the Dark Lord... What exactly is Voldemort going to do?

Harry couldn't bring himself to go to Umbridge's office again because of the heavy thoughts in his head.Just like the day before, he used the pen Umbridge gave him and his own blood to write "I must not lie" on the parchment, while re-cutting the tender flesh that had just grown on the back of his hand.

"...So you're going to write like this, Potter?" Voldemort's voice sounded abruptly, "I don't know when you became so good-tempered."

Harry paused, rolling his eyes inwardly.It was definitely taunting, but he couldn't be provoked by Voldemort.Everyone was reminding him that if he shouted at Umbridge again, the consequences would be disastrous.

Voldemort probably didn't expect Harry to react so calmly, for he was silent for a moment. "Looks like you really don't need help," he said, gritting his teeth.

Harry paused again.Voldemort obviously knew he didn't tell anyone exactly what Umbridge had done for him: being silently Legilimency was unpleasant, but nothing surprising.But the other party's tone was too inconsistent, just like yesterday... "Don't tell me, you want to help?" He thought in his mind, extremely suspicious.

"It's a rare occasion, and I'm so happy." The Dark Lord replied tactfully.

Harry stopped completely, bewildered. "Why does this make you angry..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Umbridge's delicate voice sounded. "Potter, what are you doing?"

Harry was taken aback; he had completely forgotten that Umbridge was still staring at him. "I..." He raised his head subconsciously, and met Umbridge's eyes with fake concern.

At that moment, the shudder of danger hit Harry's spine, making him tense - a snake came to life in his body, bared its sharp fangs, and slammed at her, moving so fast could bring up the whistling—he cried out in utter terror—

Umbridge's smirk froze suddenly, and the muscles of his face drooped loosely.She sat upright in her pink lace armchair, her eyes were still looking in Harry's direction, but she was in a daze without focus.

Harry became more and more alarmed to realize that not only did he actually cry out, but he also unconsciously fell backwards, as if avoiding the realization that he was the real culprit. "...Professor?" He whispered, his body was stiff and unable to move.

Umbridge didn't respond.She stared at Harry blankly, as if Harry had become air; she couldn't hear anything, as if her consciousness had transcended into another world.

"...What happened?" Harry slowly came back to his senses, dripping out of cold sweat.Voldemort had just manipulated him into attacking Umbridge... "What did you do to her?"

"Calm down, boy," said Voldemort casually, "just a little lesson."

"'A little lesson'?" Harry repeated word for word.The previous moment of panic seemed to have turned into a flammable firewood, and the spark called anger had settled on it.

"Mostly." Voldemort seemed satisfied. "She can't stare at you now, and she won't be able to look at you for a few days."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, clasping the armrest tightly with his ten fingers.He could feel his rage licking his sanity, leaving it precarious on the high shelf. "Can't keep an eye on me?"

Voldemort seemed completely unaware. "Literally." He said lightly, "Here, you can do what you want, and she won't find out. To be precise, she will think that you obediently carried out her instructions."

The fact referred to by these words caused Harry's self-control and rationality to fall heavily into the sky. "The Imperius Curse?" His voice was forced out between his teeth. "You used the Imperius Curse on her, didn't you?"

Voldemort didn't deny it.He smacked his mouth slightly, as if regretting, "It's too far away, otherwise I can let her remember this lesson more deeply."

"—enough!" Harry roared as his self-made shattered. "What else do you want to use on her, Cruciatus or Avada Kedavra?"

"Perhaps the previous one?" Voldemort replied thoughtfully, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"Is this what you call 'help'?" The Dark Lord's indifference kept Harry's anger welling up.

But Voldemort seemed to find it more interesting. "Isn't that helping anyway? I saved you from punishment for that pervert?"

Harry couldn't deny that Umbridge's punishment was grotesque. "But that's no reason to use the Unforgivable Curse!" he charged angrily.

"Oh, so the point of this matter is the Unforgivable Curse?" Voldemort answered immediately, seeming to be still nodding seriously, "Of course the Dark Lord has many punishments. But you have to know, if you want to cast it through the eyes, the choice is Not very rich."

Harry was going crazy with rage.Does he show the slightest concern for the way punishment can be cast through the eyes? "Get out," he yelled uncontrollably, almost screaming, "get out of my head!"

Voldemort finally dropped his previous disguise. "Say it as if I'd like to be in your head." He concluded coldly.

There was a silence, and the link was broken.

Harry gasped for breath and slumped against the back of the chair.Umbridge on the other side was still staring at him blankly, which made him feel sick—literally, making Umbridge himself like this made him sick.

Voldemort cast the Imperius Curse on her through his eyes... No wonder Dumbledore didn't want to see him, it's almost like Voldemort possessed him... How is he going to get along with his friends now that he's been defiled the...

Harry sank into deep self-loathing, distraught as hell.Reason told him that he should stay in Umbridge's office until the right time, so that no one would notice the problem; but he just couldn't sit still.He needs to be on his own, preferably with some fresh air...

When Harry came back to his senses again, he found himself standing in the corridor on the eighth floor.The Dripping Stone Beast was not far ahead, and he realized that he had unknowingly walked outside the principal's room.

It had to be told to Dumbledore, and a little man said firmly in his head that he'd better be told about the locket as well.

Harry lifted his foot.

But you can't see Dumbledore now, another villain retorted sharply, what if Voldemort tricks you into attacking Dumbledore?What if your eyes give away the secrets of the Order of the Phoenix?

Harry deflated.

He could write to Dumbledore, or whatever; but he couldn't let everyone risk the Dark Lord's wrath with him.He was already starting to regret why he had agreed to Voldemort's deal - he should have known there was a problem!

Learning Occlumency was imminent, no doubt; but what was he going to do with that locket now?

Harry thought irritably, walking up and down the corridor.Suspicious dangerous goods can no longer be placed in the tower, he has to hide it... he needs a hiding place... safe, safe, not found by anyone else...

In the portrait on one side of the corridor, the troll held up a big stick and was chasing Barnabas; on the opposite blank wall, a door suddenly appeared.Harry was taken aback.There was no one around, he took two steps forward and tried to push it away.

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The daily fight between the Savior and the Dark Lord (1/1) is completed

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