[HP] Similar but different

This is a good sign.

Harry stuffed the other end of the retractable ear into his own, and quickly got down on the ground, looking in through the narrow gap between the leaves and the ground.The flesh-colored thin rope snaked forward silently in the grass, and after a while, it climbed up the outer wall of the mansion.

The woman's voice came clearly, and Harry recognized it as Mrs. Malfoy, and couldn't help feeling a little frustrated.Wormtail wasn't there... He listened for a while, holding his breath, and realized that Mrs. Malfoy was preparing the family's breakfast, and that the Malfoys should be in the study.

Just on vacation, in the morning, in the study...

These few key words touched Harry's nerves.He decided that it was impossible for the kitchen to obtain more effective information than the study, so he retracted his retractable ears and strode around the hedge.

Fortunately, only a few rooms were lit.The second time Harry let out his Telescoping Ears, two servants were arguing in a low voice over what sounded like a meal delivery problem; and the third time, he was in the right place—

"...Understood, Dad, I will definitely behave well."

Harry recognized Draco Malfoy's voice instantly, and hurriedly donned the Invisibility Cloak.In the event that Telescoping Ears were discovered, he could immediately Apparate away.

"Very good." Mr. Malfoy seemed satisfied.After a pause, he added, "One more thing. Your mother didn't like the idea of ​​a Christmas party. But then again, she never wanted you to join the Death Eaters."

Draco didn't answer, but there was the slight sound of clothes rubbing against each other.

"However, the surname Malfoy is glory itself." Mr. Malfoy's tone was full of pride, "You have come of age, Draco. Sooner or later, the Malfoy family will be handed over to you. You must know that the oldest , the most noble family of pure-blood wizards to do."

"Yes, Dad." Draco replied without hesitation.

However, Harry had already set off a storm in his heart.The Malfoys are having a Christmas party?Was Mr. Malfoy implying that Malfoy Jr. was already a Death Eater?Coupled with Mrs. Malfoy's subtle attitude, are the guests at the Malfoy's Christmas party other Death Eaters?

Voices started to come from the end of the extendable ear again, he hurriedly restrained his mind and continued to eavesdrop.

"...your mother will still have everything ready for the party," said Mr. Malfoy. "We have to make sure they get the impression that the Malfoy family still has first-hand confidential information, Malfoy." The family is still the most important object of the Dark Lord."

Harry's heart skipped a beat.Sure enough, it was a Death Eater party... He paid more attention.

"Dad, this..." Draco tried to comment for the first time.

But Mr. Malfoy interrupted his son. "I know what you want to say. The current situation is indeed not good. But you have to think about it, can we admit defeat like this? There are tangible benefits to be gained from following the Dark Lord, don't you know?"

"I know very well." Draco's voice dropped, as if a little afraid. "He's powerful...very powerful."

"Stronger than ever," Mr. Malfoy agreed, with a mixture of exasperation, "but also harder to please. The Dark Lord has changed his ways; or rather, more like your grandfather did back then. "He spoke slowly because he was lost in memory. "I have to say, this is a signal, a signal before the rise, Draco."

Draco's question sounded hesitant. "Death Eaters...will get bigger?"

"It is inevitable." Mr. Malfoy replied firmly, "To be precise, it is the Ghost Knights."

... Ghost Knights?

There was a momentary silence in the study, but Harry's head was still running non-stop.He had guessed wrongly that Voldemort would not really like the Knights of the Round Table; but he had also guessed correctly that there was indeed something going on with ghosts.

Ghosts... some form of dark magic related?

Harry couldn't find an answer to that question for now.At the same time, there was a dull rustling sound in Shi Shi's ears, as if something was approaching.He didn't realize what it was at first, but realized within two seconds—

mouse!It was the sound of mice crawling in the water pipes!

Mr. Malfoy seemed to have noticed too. "I want you to be at the Iron Gate by three o'clock that afternoon, Draco," he raised his voice, "and you can welcome our old friend on my behalf."

The rustling of the water pipes suddenly fell silent.

"Okay, father."

"They must also want to catch up on the past," Mr. Malfoy's voice was still abnormally high, "For example, to share the experience of being a mouse for more than ten years and hiding in that place full of scum, haha !"

Draco should understand too. "That must be a wonderful and unforgettable life experience," he laughed, not without malice, but also with sarcasm, "I want to hear it too."

Then, Malfoy and his son left the study, and the rustling went away.

It seemed that Wormtail's life in Malfoy Manor was not going well, and Harry was vaguely relieved.But the problem was, how was he going to catch a rat that was hiding in a water pipe and probably never left the range of the anti-intrusion spell?

**

Hermione really flew into a rage.

"I can't believe it! You just went there alone! Isn't Sirius our friend? Are you not our friend? Do you remember how you told me? I did so many things — not to ask you to reciprocate, but you just leave us like this? Without saying a word? What the hell do you think Ron and me are, huh?"

Harry had never seen her lose her temper before, and the brown hair seemed to explode with rage.His scalp was numb, and he didn't notice that he was shrinking his neck guiltily, and he didn't even dare to give Ron a look for help.

Ron looked left and right, his freckled face wrinkled into a painful ball.He hadn't been too happy when he first saw Harry, but a furious, livid Hermione didn't just frighten Harry, it frightened him, too.He hesitated to speak several times, and when Hermione was gasping for breath, he carefully pulled down the hem of her dress. "At least...get Harry out of the portrait first?"

That's right, as soon as Harry emerged half of his head from his own bed, Hermione, who was sitting on the sidelines, gave him a lecture.

Even so, Hermione still stared at Harry relentlessly. "Should I be glad you didn't foolishly barge in there? You remember coming back, and it doesn't seem like…" She looked Harry up and down, with a knife-like gaze, "Missing an arm or a leg?"

Harry had been ashamed as early as Hermione had said "our friend". "I...I..." He stammered a few times before opening his mouth in a coherent sentence, "I'm really, really sorry."

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something more to Harry, but Ron pulled her back with a little effort.Harry was finally able to emerge from the portrait tunnel, and couldn't help but cast a grateful glance at Ron.Hermione noticed and glared at Ron.

Ron, who became the focus of their eyes, coughed unnaturally, and said bluntly: "Don't look at me like that, Harry. Tell the truth about what happened to you, and swear never to act alone again, Hermione and I— —" He quickly glanced at his girlfriend's expression, "only then will he consider whether he will forgive you or not."

Harry followed Ron to look at Hermione.The brunette girl let out a dissatisfied hum from her throat, but said nothing.He felt that this should be a default sign, so he hurriedly explained everything. "...how do you know I didn't break in, Hermione?" he asked finally.

Hermione snorted again, still upset. "Ron told me that he made sure you were still in bed when you went to bed at night. And if you set off early in the morning and broke into Malfoy Manor, it would never be so fast." She gave Harry another hard look, "You If we come back later, we can only confess everything to Professor McGonagall—if Professor Dumbledore is not here!"

Hearing this, Harry shrank his neck again.

Ron's focus, on the other hand, was elsewhere. "Ghost Knights? A Christmas party specially held for Death Eaters?" He shivered involuntarily. "It doesn't sound like a good thing."

In this regard, Harry and Ron felt the same way. "Honestly," he mused, "I always thought the Malfoys were Voldemort's loyal supporters. But today I found out that they are not as loyal as I thought."

"Actually, we should have found out earlier." Hermione was also lost in thought, "Do you remember the diary?"

Of course Harry remembered the diary, especially since it had once been Voldemort's Horcrux.He dared to swear that just because he didn't take good care of a part of Voldemort's soul, it was enough for the narrow-minded Dark Lord to remember him for a lifetime.But Malfoy probably didn't know what the diary was, otherwise they wouldn't have made such an unrealistic plan to return to the core of the Death Eaters.

There was silence in the dormitory until Harry brought back his drifting thoughts.How to arrange Malfoy is a question for the Dark Lord, and he should focus on his own part. "What about the anti-intrusion spell? Is there a counter-spell? Can I fly over it on a broom? Or make a hole in the ground?"

Yet Hermione shook her head every time he said a word. "No," she vetoed flatly, "None of these methods will work."

"It's impossible not to get in, right?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.

Hermione looked at the two of them in turn. "Yes, but only in one way," she said, with a decidedly unkind look on her face. "Someone has to open the door from the inside."

Harry immediately realized what this meant, and was speechless for a moment.

"... We have to catch one of them in the Death Eaters' gathering, or we won't be found?!" Ron exclaimed, his face paled quickly.

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The heaven will send a great task to the people, and they must first suffer their minds, toil their muscles and bones, starve their bodies, and empty their bodies...【Being violently beaten by Harry