[HP] Similar but different

Harry soon returned to Hogwarts.

Embarrassed, ashamed, surrounded by unidentified heat... Well, unexplained is nonsense, because he does have some fantasies that are beyond the standard--even more fantasies than the one captured by Voldemort--but Those pictures are still too much, too exciting.

You ran away, definitely ran away, and there was a villain in his head laughing at him, what a mature decision.

It was too fast, and the other villain couldn't help but refute, no one who looked at it so suddenly couldn't accept it...

That means you don't want it?The first villain continued to taunt, great, tell him directly.

uh, i'm not...

Harry was stuck.It would be an absolute lie to say he didn't want it, but he did have concerns.That kind of worry is unclear, maybe Voldemort knows better than him...

So that's why Voldemort showed him directly?Let him solve this pimple as soon as possible?thought Harry.

But on the plus side, he could now be sure he hadn't misunderstood... Harry thought again.

Not knowing whether it was more troublesome or more relaxing, Harry decided to put the question aside for now.Thinking of stealth, he left the dormitory.

It wasn't long before Harry found his pals in an empty, abandoned classroom—in fact, Hermione was lighting Ron's cap with her wand.

"It's chilly," Ron commented, with his head down, unable to resist looking up. "It feels like someone's pouring cold water over your head."

Harry watched as Ron disappeared from view, and Ron was still talking: "Hey, I can't see myself! Can you see?"

Hermione took a few steps back, examining her results with a critical eye. "It's a bit like transparent water." She commented, "You move."

Ron walked a few steps as promised.Harry could swear that if he hadn't seen Ron standing there before, he would never have been able to tell that the slight refraction of light was due to someone.

"Not as good as the Invisibility Cloak," Hermione concluded quickly, "but I reckon it should be enough... We can Apparate directly from Honeydukes to Hogsmeade Station, and there aren't many people at Malfoy Manor."

Harry finally got his chance to interject. "You learned the Disillusionment Charm, Hermione?" he asked admiringly.

"That's right," Hermione replied, wrinkling her lips. "Didn't the mysterious man say in class on Tuesday that he would officially start learning stealth courses next semester? I'm tired of being always ahead of Malfoy."

"Of course he can't compare to you, Hermione!" said Ron immediately, still curiously examining his phantom body.

Harry nodded in agreement. "They're just related."

This seemed to divert Hermione's attention away from the Disillusionment Charm. "No, why are you here?" She looked at Harry wonderingly, "Didn't you have..."

"Increased Occlumency tutoring?" Ron abruptly interrupted, "Yeah, why did you come back so early today?"

Harry's explanation to Ron was indeed tutoring. "The mysterious person said that the progress is not bad recently," he tried to make up a credible excuse, "so today's tuition is cancelled."

Hermione's eyes were filled with suspicion.But Ron was there, and she didn't point out the problem. "Sounds okay."

Ron was already sympathetic to Harry's endless tutoring, but he didn't delve into it. "Would you like to come with me?" He enthusiastically invited, "The illusion spell is amazing!"

So Harry, too, enjoyed the sensation of someone taking a basin of cold water, while the counter-spell was as warm as a bath.

All three are quite satisfied.After all, the invisibility cloak can't cover the three of them, and it's safer to add the Disillusionment Curse.Then Hermione suggested that in order to deceive others, in addition to Honey Duke, they should prepare another portrait in the boys' dormitory.

"This way, we can walk directly from your portrait to the Room of Requirement," she explained, "without going through the eighth-floor hallway."

Harry knew why this arrangement was.The Room of Requirement has been exposed; more than they know what's there, there's a chance of discovery. "That's careful, Hermione," he affirmed, still a little puzzled, "but I thought Dumbledore had sealed off all magical access to the Room of Requirement after I told him there was a framed picture of You-Know-Who .”

"You noticed the point, Harry." Hermione smiled. "I tried it. Dumbledore blocked all the magical passages from outside the school to the Room of Requirement."

Harry's eyes widened as he suddenly realized something. "If we put another picture frame behind the one-eyed witch statue—"

Behind the one-eyed witch statue is a secret passage leading to the storage room of the Honeydukes Candy Store.

"Then we'll be able to get around the Fat Lady and look like we've been in the Tower all day, going nowhere," Hermione added, "and we have more than one route to choose from."

Ron opened his mouth involuntarily. "You're amazing, Hermione," he praised heartily.

Hermione pursed her lips, trying not to look too smug.

Aside from practicing the spells Hermione deemed necessary, Harry spent the rest of the day teaching the portraits.He had to make the portrait more stable and reliable, so as not to make mistakes when it was about to be used.It was a relatively dull job, but compared to Voldemort's portrait (something that could be done), he was motivated.

It might not be completely useless, though it's all bullshit, Harry thought before falling asleep.He knew that they were two completely different people, and they couldn't advance and retreat together in the best hope; however, even if they were small, even if they were meager, they always had similarities——

It was those similarities that brought them together, and it was those similarities that made him work hard for their future.

Yes, that's right, their future.

Before going to sleep, Harry vaguely thought that he seemed to have laughed at the Dark Lord for this, but the reality was that he had changed his previous view, and even planned to try to expand the scope of this similarity.

But it doesn't matter, he turned around muttering, no matter what method I use, I will always make him admit it.

Before the night came, Harry had already fallen into a deep sleep.Thousands of miles away, a small meeting of Death Eaters came to an end.

"...Did you remember everything I said just now?" Voldemort asked coldly, with no expression on his face.

"Of course, master, of course." The five Death Eaters responded in unison, fearful.

No one is wearing a mask right now.Voldemort's eyes swept over those drooping faces one by one, and the temperature in his tone suddenly rose a little: "You must know that this is not a criticism. As long as you succeed, you can get more benefits than me."

Several Death Eaters looked at each other, really panicking. "We swear to serve you to the death, and have no other ideas, Master!"

Voldemort was noncommittal.He turned around, with his hands behind his back, and his attitude was a little relaxed. "Now you can talk about your new plan."

But everyone present knew that this was not a casual "can", but a "must" no matter what.

There was a brief moment of silence as Rodolphus stared warily at the hem of Voldemort's robes. "Master, we haven't touched the core goal yet, maybe because we are not trustworthy enough. If possible, we hope to have clearer guidance in this regard."

Voldemort snorted softly.When it comes to disguising himself in order to win the trust of others, he is very good at it, and he really doesn't know what is difficult; but then again, if everyone can do it to his level, it cannot be called his strong point. "Barty, what do you mean?"

The Death Eaters named understood the subtext almost immediately. "I am ready at any time, master. If you agree, I can find an appropriate time to approach the target during the day."

Rodolphus also understood. "We'll be lurking close by."

Voldemort waved his hand. "That's it." He said, "Everyone should study hard."

All the Death Eaters said yes.Seeing Voldemort wave his hand again, they file out in a sensible manner.

It wasn't until outside that the snowy wind blew, and Rodolphs realized that his back was already wet.Ignoring the cold clothes, he hurriedly said: "Barty, I will give you the target's schedule as soon as possible, before dawn."

Crouch Jr. had no objection. "very good."

Only then did Rodolphs heave a sigh of relief.He winked at the other Death Eaters, and all five of them turned into black winds and flew away at the same time.

"I still don't get it," said Bellatrix abruptly. "Why are we wasting our time acting with those people?"

Little Crouch was still looking in the direction of the black wind. "That's why the master won't let you do it."

Bellatrix's expression suddenly turned ugly. "Why?" she argued, her voice lowered for fear of alarming Voldemort. "Of course we can do it the old way—isn't the Imperius Curse much easier and quicker? If you don't obey, kill it!"

Little Crouch was indifferent to such speeches that would scare ordinary people to death. "And then the Order of the Phoenix? The Ministry of Magic? Even the International Federation of Wizards?"

Bellatrix choked a little, but insisted: "We're not afraid of them!"

"Of course." Crouch Jr. nodded, "except that it will cause us more trouble." He finally looked at Bellatrix, "It's not a question of fear or not, or even loyalty or not. You have to find that we are now facing a choice similar to 16 years ago-either enter Azkaban, or use any method to excuse ourselves."

"Don't tell me you agree with Snape, Barty!" Bellatrix glared at him.

"I despise what Snape did, and hate that he got away with it; but yes, I agree with him on that." Little Crouch calmly looked back at the woman who was about to explode, "Either expose yourself again , knowing how risky it is; or to lurk again and do more things for the master."

Bellatrix gaped.She couldn't argue back at all, but the look on her face showed that she was still aggrieved.

"I'm very happy to find that Rodolphs and the others have fully understood." Little Crouch quickly concluded the conversation, turned and walked in without looking at her again. "It's not like it used to be, Bella."

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