[HP] End of Death

This Saturday, Harry went to the headmaster's office for Dumbledore's first lesson.The content of Dumbledore's lecture was very unexpected. He showed Harry some of the memories he had finally obtained, and analyzed Voldemort for him from various angles-the opponent he would eventually face.

Harry told Hermione and Ron all this, and they listened with gusto.Hermione said it would be helpful to know more about Voldemort, and Ron looked in awe.

And this day, as they walked out of the Great Hall together, Harry ran into Slughorn head-on, who looked as if he was about to talk to him.

"Oh, Harry, my boy! You must come to a little party I'm throwing this Saturday - I've invited some rising stars - Zabini, Malfoy, Cormac, and a Beautiful lady. Of course, you are very welcome, Miss Granger." Slughorn winked at her, and he didn't look at Ron from the beginning to the end, as if he didn't exist.

"Sorry, Professor, I'm going into detention with Professor Snape on Saturday night," said Harry.

"Oh, I'm counting on you, Harry!" Slughorn showed obvious disappointment, shaking his head, "I'll go talk to Severus, I think I can convince him of……"

As he said that, he walked away, Harry looked at his back and said, "He can't convince Snape, he would like to deprive him of his time...such as parties or something."

It turned out to be the same, and when Harry came back from Snape's office sore from clipping Frog's caterpillar, he saw Hermione sitting alone in the lounge doing her homework.Her desk was full of books, stacked so high that they almost covered her face.

He sat down in the armchair next to him, slumped in the soft fabric.

"You're back from the Slug Club?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, that's right." Hermione didn't look up, "Slughorn introduced us to each other...It's actually quite interesting, Harry, you don't have to be so repulsive."

"Hmm..." Harry was noncommittal, he thought for a while, hesitated for a while, and then asked, "Has everyone arrived except me?"

"Your question is very strange, Harry. I don't know how many people are going to be there." Hermione shrugged, she looked up at him sharply, and pushed the book aside, "Can I guess that way, Harry, you actually want to ask if Malfoy has gone?"

Harry pursed his lips, knowing that there was nothing to hide, so he nodded and admitted.

Hermione sighed. She put the pen aside and folded her hands on the table: "What should I say, Harry... I hope you won't be too angry. Actually...he's here, But not alone."

"...What?" Harry was taken aback, grabbed his fingers, and clenched them tightly one by one.

"Slughorn allowed us to bring a companion, and Malfoy brought Pansy there..." Hermione kept observing Harry's expression, and when she noticed that his face was getting uglier, she knew it Shut up.

"He... took Pansy? With him?" Harry repeated, his back tensed. "What did he say?"

"It's still the same as before, arrogant and arrogant, and you still don't forget to laugh at me." Hermione shrugged, "For your sake, I didn't quarrel with him...Of course, with Slughorn present, we Can't make a fuss either."

"What did you guys talk about?"

"It's nothing, Slughorn has been bragging about the famous people he's been with before... Listening to Cormac about his uncle... and Malfoy, of course, he's very proud about Lucius."

"Oh, it's a good time for him to show off," said Harry sharply, "as if we didn't know his dad was a Death Eater."

"I'm afraid Slughorn really didn't know that Lucius wasn't at the Ministry of Magic when the accident happened that day."

Harry didn't answer.He hadn't spoken a word to Draco since that day, and he was like a stranger when they met.Both Hermione and Ron noticed the strangeness between the two of them, and they asked about it one after another. Harry just said that they had a quarrel without further explanation.

Draco had repeatedly denied that he was planning something, and Harry would have believed him in normal times, but he saw him and Nott enter Borgin Burk with his own eyes and show his Dark Mark ...

Harry didn't know how much longer he and Draco's cold war would last, but if that was the attitude of the other party - such as bringing Pansy to the party - he didn't mind letting it go for a little longer.

"By the way, Harry, I want to say, you really shouldn't trust the words in a book whose origin is unknown!" Hermione suddenly looked at him seriously.

"That's just a few tips, Hermione, that's nothing!" Harry argued, knowing that Hermione was referring to the "Advanced Potion-making" that Slughorn lent him, and he relied on It excels in Potions class.

"I don't think he's decent enough, I mean, how many wizards would call themselves 'Half-Blood Princes'? Wizards don't have princes, Harry."

"It's just a title, maybe a nickname...you just don't want him to learn potions better than you, Hermione..."

"Me? I'm not reconciled!" Hermione seemed to feel offended, she gave Harry a hard look, lowered her head and continued to do her homework.

Room of Requirement.

The flickering candles hanging around the walls reflected a cold ground, and the room was filled with shelves, on which were various old books, damaged magic appliances, and some unnamed gadgets, stacked on top of each other. As high as the ceiling.

And in the dusty corner, there were two boys standing beside a large white cabinet. One boy was frowning and observing the disassembled structure behind it, while the other boy got into the cabinet.

"No, the structure is too complicated, I can't understand it at all." Nott stared hard at the intricate and colorful device, and finally sat on the ground, his brain was dizzy and swollen.

"I think we need an instruction manual." Draco's voice sounded from inside, and it seemed a little muffled, "I think we might make it worse if we mess around."

"Last time you said you found a fix, what was that?" Knott asked.

"...Forget about that, I failed." Draco replied after being silent for a while.He came out of the cabinet, wiped the floor with a cloth, and sat down slowly.

Nott gave him a puzzled look, but said nothing.

They each sat quietly, dust floating in the light.Draco hugged his legs, not knowing what to think.

These days he can always think of that night, Harry lying on the dark blue bed.His limbs are as beautiful as the full moon, and he said to him, I won't blame you for anything, as long as you tell me.

But does he really not blame him?After he accepted this kind of task, could he really tolerate him as always?Draco knew he would never risk letting him know, even though the state of theirs had made him extremely uncomfortable lately.

Sometimes he couldn't help thinking, why did he join the Death Eaters?It was a strange question to ask, because he remembered that not so long ago—maybe a year ago, he was full of interest and enthusiasm for this organization, and fantasized about the day he would join it.But when he got his wish, he didn't feel a trace of happiness.

What did I think before...and why did he become like this?

Draco pressed his brows together and let out a long sigh.His sigh caught Nott's attention, who asked him seemingly casually what he was worried about.

"Theodore, do you find this task difficult?" he asked.

"Of course it is difficult, but it is also a challenge given to us by the Dark Lord." Nott shrugged, "I think if we succeed, the Dark Lord will reward us well."

"But if we fail, we will bear his wrath."

"We still have a lot of time, Draco. We're just getting started."

Draco bit his lower lip, buried his face in his hands, raised his head as if feeling hot again, and whispered, "Why do you think we are here, Theodore?"

"...What?" Nott frowned, "Sorry, I didn't quite understand."

"I mean... I'm just curious, nothing else... Well, I want to know, why would you want to follow the Dark Lord?" Draco looked sideways at him.