[HP] Similar but different

Bill and Fleur's wedding was very lively, and some familiar friends even stayed until after ten o'clock in the evening before leaving.When the conversation between Harry and Dumbledore was over, the others could no longer bear the fatigue and rest, so he could only climb into bed full of worries.

For a year, the Dark Lord has been silent, but he reappeared to seek a teaching position?

Harry knew it was impossible without Dumbledore pointing it out.The Dark Lord may indeed dislike controlling the overall situation on the bright side, but he has absolutely no interest in dedicating himself to the cause of education.

Maybe it's possible that the Dark Lord wants to recruit new disciples from Hogwarts?

Or was there something about Hogwarts that attracted the Dark Lord to his choice?Like Harry, the unsuccessful Horcrux?

Harry stared at the ceiling of the bed in the dark, sleepless.The last time Voldemort applied for a job, it was probably because he wanted to hide the diadem in the Room of Requirement, but this time, Dumbledore seemed to think that Voldemort's reason for wanting to find a powerful energy that he didn't know had some credibility.From the bottom of his heart, he was still willing to agree with this speculation; but he still remembered the despair after their last conversation, so that he couldn't believe it intellectually.

After thinking about it, Harry couldn't come to a reliable conclusion.After the grandfather clock downstairs struck three times, he finally fell asleep in a daze, thinking that he must ask other people's opinions.

At around nine o'clock the next morning, the Gryffindor trio met in Harry's room, and both Ron and Hermione expressed extreme shock at the new news.

"...What did you say? The mysterious man is going to teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Ron muttered incredulously, almost slamming the table, "How can this work?"

"Snape had a hard time last year..." Hermione realized the problem before she could say "got what she wanted" after that.Snape was still a Death Eater, how could he not obey such a simple request from the Dark Lord?

Harry absently rubbed the dark circles under his eyes. "You guys remember that fabled curse? The one about the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

Ron's eyes widened. "Don't you tell me it's true?"

Harry nodded, his tone dry. "Dumbledore said that since Voldemort's last failed bid, no one has stayed in that position for more than a year."

The gossip that was spreading all over the sky was verified by the principal, and Ron and Hermione looked at each other in blank dismay.

"Wait... 'There's no one'?" Hermione whispered, a little terrified, as she suddenly thought of a place farther away, "Dumbledore thought Snape would too... Did Voldemort know that Snape was there?" Doing things for us? If he still doesn't succeed this time, then Snape will..."

Harry couldn't help but admire Hermione's cleverness. "Dumbledore did have such suspicions. According to him, Voldemort seemed to be implying that since Snape knew what he was doing, he should know the consequences."

His face was full of disgust and anger when he said Snape, and the other two knew why-at the end of last term, Harry accidentally learned from Trelawney that the first half of the prophecy Voldemort knew was revealed by Snape of.

Ron quickly took up the conversation. "Should everyone else be at risk because Snape alone is safe? For that greasy old bat, huh?" he said tartly - he distrusted Snape as much as Harry - Still waving wildly in the air, "That's—that's—the mysterious man! I know Lupine is a werewolf, but the difference in their level of danger is too big, right?"

"Maybe it wasn't Snape who put everyone else at risk," said Harry, darkened by the deepest scar in his heart, "I'm afraid it was me. Because that's what Voldemort said— 'I'm here for him'."

Ron wanted to continue to express his objections impassionedly, but he got stuck immediately after hearing the words.Hermione regretted that she had started, and couldn't help but glared at Ron reproachfully, and quickly changed the subject, "What does Dumbledore mean?"

"Dumbledore thinks maybe he should give Voldemort a chance this time," Harry replied dryly, staring at the floor.

"Why? Did he mention a reason?" Hermione pressed.Although the shock hadn't completely faded, her brown eyes were still focused.

Harry organized the words. "I told you before that Dumbledore felt that Voldemort had discovered the harm of Horcruxes, and realizing his mistake was the first step to repentance. And this time he told me that Voldemort restored his previous appearance, although Voldemort insisted Claiming it was Transfiguration."

Ron frowned and found his voice. "'Restore your previous appearance'...what do you mean?"

"The side effect of splitting the soul," Hermione answered before Harry, speaking quickly, "as the number of splits increases, wizards will become less and less human; and vice versa." She leaned forward, the more Fa looked at Harry intently, "Dumbledore thinks Voldemort may have recovered the Horcruxes? No matter how many, they must have recovered some?"

"Dumbledore thinks it's quite possible," said Harry.Maybe Voldemort has really changed... As soon as he thought of it, he was weighed down by the heavy prophecy. "However, I feel that Dumbledore may have some reasons that I don't know." He finally concluded, "It seems that there are still some secrets..."

There was a moment of silence in the room, save for the click of Hedwig perched on the wardrobe.

"...Okay." Ron said, wiping his face vigorously, although it did nothing to dispel his shock and fear, "No matter what, Dumbledore can't really trust You-Know-Who, so we'll just be Dumbledore." Lido has other powerful reasons that we don't know about. But..." He paused, "He just told you the result yesterday?"

Harry shook his head. "Dumbledore hasn't made his final decision yet. He wants to know my opinion."

"Refused, of course refused, Harry!" Ron yelled immediately, "How can you let the mysterious man enter Hogwarts? Just thinking about it will give you a nightmare! Don't you think so, Hermione?" He Looking eagerly at the brunette girl.

But Hermione didn't look at him.She pursed her lips, frowned, and looked serious. "You'll say yes, won't you, Harry?"

Amidst Ron's tongue-tied expression, Harry reluctantly nodded. "I have to say yes." He paused, before Ron could object, "Especially after he said that - he declared war, and I couldn't back down."

This refers to the "I am here for him" declaration.Ron opened his mouth, closed it again, repeated several times, but still failed to say anything.

"I knew it would be like this," said Hermione, her face full of relief and comfort. "You've always been like this; if you think it's about you, you don't sit idly by. If it wasn't , you wouldn't agree to Voldemort's request in fifth grade."

Harry half bowed his head. "That was a mistake," he said softly, "I'm being overwhelmed." At this point, he was still staring at the wooden floor persistently, "but really, I don't think Voldemort is interested in other people." ; in Voldemort's own words, unnecessary. In fact, if it weren't for the prophecy, I don't think he would have noticed me."

Hermione inevitably showed a distressed and sad expression.She moved towards Harry and put her hand lightly on his shoulder. "It's not your fault, Harry," she said softly, winking desperately at Ron. "I think you've done a pretty good job. And, besides, although you think it's just about you, But you can't leave us behind. Whatever you decide, we'll support you; likewise, don't try to do it all by yourself, okay?"

Ron was less shocked when Harry said "that was a mistake" and started fidgeting.Hermione's hint made him understand what was the most important thing to say now. "Yes, that's it!" He tried to liven up the atmosphere, "Thinking about it, the mysterious man might... teach well?" When he said the second half of the sentence, his face turned green.

Harry knew what Ron meant.Last summer he got 'O's in both Charms and Transfiguration OWLs, as well as Defense Against the Dark Arts.If Defense Against the Dark Arts has always been his strength, Charms and Transfiguration do have Voldemort's credit. "I don't know," he said, still gloomy, "though I hope so."

Ron and Hermione exchanged a worried look and fell silent.

**

Harry didn't tell Sirius about it until school started.Not just because Dumbledore said Voldemort would use a false name and not tell anyone else the truth, but because he couldn't imagine Sirius' reaction—

Knowing the fact that Harry was Voldemort's Horcrux, Sirius treated Harry like some kind of fragile and precious porcelain.As much as he tried to hide this inclination, his refraining from complaining about being locked up at HQ in front of Harry made it clear.

Of course, Harry could also sense the cautious attitude of Ron and Hermione.It almost annoyed him a little: he'd tried to tell them to keep them out of danger, and they'd just become more concerned about him.He couldn't say he wasn't grateful for it; but a year had passed, and the sword hanging over his head hadn't fallen, and he became more and more annoyed every day.He could hardly resist the urge to yell when they made way for him—

Since he is the one who is destined to die, shouldn't they do it when necessary?

Harry knew he was angry, and he knew he was giving up on himself.He just wished he'd covered it up, after all it was a gratuitous act of anger, and I'm so sorry to his friend and godfather.

But Dumbledore is an exception.Harry was a little skeptical that perhaps Dumbledore, perceiving his idea of ​​delaying it, had asked for his opinion on Voldemort's appointment as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

Of course he'd say yes; he'd be more reluctant to live the past year than to die.

Harry was relieved to find that his attitude was still the same as it had been in fifth year—living was never what he wanted.Voldemort better have figured this out, because he can't wait to know how it ends!

With firm determination, Harry boarded the back-to-school express with the other students.

Hearing other people discussing who would succeed Slughorn as the Potions professor, Ron was going crazy, and used snacks to cover up his unconscious opening of his mouth several times.Hermione glanced at Harry now and then; she was afraid to show her emotions too clearly in front of other people.Harry, on the other hand, was staring at the passing scenery outside the window, looking at no one.

In fact, it must be said that the opening ceremony went better than all three of them had expected.Almost everyone immediately noticed the new black-haired and black-eyed man on the teacher's seat, and then heated whispers erupted, and deliberately suppressed exclamations and screams abounded.

When he saw the face clearly, Ron's eyes widened, and his words were incoherent. "That's... his previous appearance?"

"Yeah," Harry replied with barely moving lips, making up his mind not to look in that direction first, "Hermione and I both said that, didn't we?"

Hermione stared at the teacher's table too, too shocked to argue that she wasn't saying that.

"But you didn't say..." Ron spoke with difficulty, in a suffocating tone that was almost strangled by the neck, "his appearance before..."

Harry wondered for only a second.He realized that no one at school except him, Dumbledore, and Hagrid had seen Voldemort before his disfigurement; he didn't mention it either. "He was originally handsome, if that's what you mean."

But neither of them seemed to be listening to his explanation. "...he seems to be staring at you..." Hermione said hesitantly, in a voice as small as a gnat, only Harry could hear.

Harry subconsciously turned his head, and immediately bumped into those jet-like eyes.The four eyes met, and the man was not surprised. He even bent the corners of his lips and returned a perfect and impeccable smile.

Hearing the louder gasps around him, Harry was also stunned.He didn't listen carefully to the rest of the speech, because his head was already filled with a huge question——

It's okay to be handsome, but what's with this too young face?

The author has something to say:

Well, I have been working overtime for almost a month, and the manuscripts have bottomed out. Visually, I will continue to work overtime for at least a month.Starting today, the update speed is estimated to be very slow, very slow, very slow...

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