cycle

We followed the ruts of the carriage on the dark and desolate path. Tonks walked in front of Harry and me in the cloak of invisibility, the cloak rustling on the ground. After Hogsmeade added a little protection to the school, she didn't speak any more, she led us silently.Just a year ago, she was still smiling so much. In No. 12 Grimmauld Place, she could hear her jokes or the loud noise of knocking over something. The mead clears my mood.She seems to be a completely different person now. Perhaps for an Auror, perseverance, seriousness, and competence are all rare and excellent qualities, but I am not happy at all.I miss even more the days when she was just an older sister to us with her dreamy bubblegum pink hair.

"So, have you heard any valuable news?" Tonks didn't seem to care about our whispering under the cloak, so I asked Harry reassuringly.

"Forget it," Harry whispered, "otherwise I would have been beaten for nothing by Malfoy - but do you want to hear it?"

"Why don't I want to hear it?" I replied, "You keep saying you doubt him. What are you doubting?"

Harry hesitated for a moment: "I told some people my thoughts before, and even my dad thought I was thinking wildly, let alone Hermione and the others."

"Then tell me." The night wind made me chill, and I subconsciously leaned towards him, "I will try my best not to laugh."

"The day my mother took Tallus and I to Diagon Alley to go shopping, we were visiting Weasley's Wizard's Wheezes and saw Malfoy walking down the street alone—"

"Not with his mother?" I asked, frowning.

"No, he was alone. We followed him to the Borgin-Bock store in Knockturn Alley." In order not to let Tonks hear, Harry kept whispering in my ear, and the heat of his breath made me Itchy ears." He ordered the guy in the store, the guy named Borgin, to fix something for him, and he wanted Borgin to keep another thing for him, and it sounded like the two things were a pair. "

"He has a lot of messy things." I recalled Draco's collection, feeling clueless, "Didn't you see what that thing looked like?"

"No, Talus and I are too reluctant about this invisibility cloak." Harry continued taking a deep breath, "I find it strange that Borgin says he can't promise to fix it unless he sees it with his own eyes. At this time, Malfoy approached Borgin and showed him something... I don’t know what it is, it looks like something close to him from a distance, Borgin looked very frightened, his attitude changed suddenly, Malfoy even threatened him Not allowed to tell anyone."

"At first I thought Malfoy was just trying to use something to avenge his father in Azkaban, but then I thought about Lucius Malfoy being a Death Eater, so I was thinking... if Malfoy replaced What if his father was a Death Eater? What if he showed Borgin the... Dark Mark on his arm?"

I stopped abruptly and looked at Harry with wide eyes. Harry showed an expression of "I knew it a long time ago" and said, "I knew you would react like this. If you want to say that the mysterious man will not let you My dad and Hermione have told you about ten times that a 16-year-old student is a Death Eater. Even Talus thinks my idea is absurd—but now his mind is full of how to seek revenge from You-Know-Who, And I don't expect him to be on my side like he used to be."

I didn't expect that the guesses that had been circling vaguely in my mind these days would be uttered bluntly by Harry. After the initial shock, I quickened my pace and he followed Tonks in front, and asked softly: "Then what did you hear today?"

"He's hinting to the group of Slytherins that You-Know-Who will give him a mission," Harry whispered, "and that he might not be at Hogwarts next year, and that he'll be promoted to something more important—if he doesn't How can he be promoted for completing something for the mysterious man? He no longer has a father who can nod and bow in front of the mysterious man."

"You think I'm talking nonsense, don't you?" Because of my silence, Harry said with a little helplessness, "I couldn't even convince them, and I never thought I could convince you."

"I don't think you're talking nonsense." I felt a tinge of regret and anxiety. I should have told my mother about this before going back to school. I thought my guesses were too jumpy, but what Harry said was undoubtedly To verify my thoughts little by little, "There is indeed something on his left arm that he doesn't want others to see."

The high stone pillars on both sides of the school gate, decorated with winged wild boars on the top, gradually emerged in the night, and the warm light from the window of the castle not far away could already be seen clearly.Tonks stopped in his tracks, and our conversation was interrupted for a moment, and we approached the door only to find it locked with a wrist-thick chain.

"Alahoo hole!" Harry, who had taken off his invisibility cloak, tapped the lock with his wand, but the chains did not respond as expected.

"This doesn't work for it. This summer Dumbledore is personally responsible for all the security measures in the school, and all the walls and doors have been cast with anti-intrusion charms." Tonks explained blankly, "Someone should come Pick you up."

"Thank you, Tonks," I said to her, but she simply nodded to me, folded her arms and stepped aside to look at the castle lights.

"How do you know there's something on Malfoy's left arm?" I heard Harry mutter as he folded the Invisibility Cloak and stuffed it into his bag. Blood scabs were still hanging on his face.

"The day you followed him, I met him and Mrs. Malfoy at Madam Malkin's robe shop, and he yelled when Madam Malkin touched his left arm." I tugged at his collar to motion him to look down. , "Whirlwind clean-up to Fred and George's later, they say you and I missed it."

"Sometimes I feel like the two of us are always like this." He touched his face, now only the bridge of the nose is still slightly swollen and red, and my healing spell has not been used very well, "We can't meet in the morning, There is no way to run into each other on the street, and they will be interrupted by strange reasons—”

"Someone is here to pick you up." Tonks pointed to a wobbly lantern in the distance, "Look."

The bright orange lights approached us quickly, and Dad's gloomy face appeared on the other side of the door. He silently glanced at me and Harry, drew out his wand and tapped on the lock, and the chains fell into place. Retracting like a snake, the door of Hogwarts finally creaked open to us.

"I was supposed to tell Hagrid the news," said Tonks, frowning.

"Hagrid was busy, so I took the news." Dad looked a little impatient, "My daughter stayed with unreliable bastards and missed the carriage (Harry opened his mouth to speak, I desperately Pull his clothes from behind to shut him up), you can understand how a father feels, Nymphadora?"

He took a step back to beckon me and Harry to come in, then locked the door with a bang, and the chains slid slowly back to their original place like metal snakes: "By the way, Lily is very interested in your new Patronus." , she said that she wants to sit down with you and have a chat sometime."

"If there's time." Tonks, no doubt avoiding her father's probing gaze, took a few steps back and wrapped herself in a thick traveling cloak, sinking her face into the darkness.

"Good night, Tonks," Harry and I called to her hurrying back. "Thank you, take care!"

Tonks turned, Papa's lantern illuminating her first faint smile of the night, and she waved to us: "Goodbye, Alice. Goodbye, Harry."

"Come to my right, Alice." Papa separated me and Harry, who were walking together, with a blank face, and let us walk on both sides of him, "Because of being late, Gryffindor will deduct fifty points. Let me see, Potter, you haven't changed your school robe yet, and another twenty points will be deducted."

"dad--"

"Wrong, two people are late, and 75 points will be deducted." Dad said angrily, "There is no college that deducted points at the beginning of the semester - before the desserts are served. Are the names recorded together in the school history?"

"That's pretty good, professor." Harry's tone was undoubtedly provocative. We could already hear laughter and the sound of tableware clashing in the hall as we walked up the castle steps. The smell of food reminded me that it was already empty The stomach protested.I wanted to quicken my pace, but Dad obviously didn't agree, he stopped and looked at Harry mockingly.

"Do you think you can be more defiant with a father who is the Minister of Magic, Potter?" Dad sneered, "or do you think you are not conspicuous enough, so you plan to rush in the middle of the banquet?" Auditorium, so that all the teachers and students in the school will pay attention to you?"

Harry had already opened his mouth, and I shook my head like a rattle behind Dad at him. He finally took a few deep breaths and then lowered his head and chose to be silent.

"No invisibility cloak," Dad said softly after seeing Harry pull the cloak out of his bag. "Just walk in like this, and everyone will be looking at you. I'm sure that's what you want."

"I gave her the Invisibility Cloak." Harry threw the clothes into my arms, "I believe that walking into the auditorium with Alice under everyone's gaze is not what you want, Professor."

He bites the last two words so hard on purpose that I feel Dad's nose flare out in anger, and for a moment I think Dad is seriously considering turning Harry into a bunch of slugs writhing on the steps.

"I, I still have something to tell you, Dad." I quickly pulled Dad's clothes.Harry turned around on the spot, and strode into the two open oak doors. Through the gap, he could see that many people had stopped their knives and forks, and even stood up to look at him.I turned around and saw Dad was waiting for me to speak, looking really bad.

"Do you want to explain to me why he was late?" The anger in Dad's voice was still there.

"No, points should be deducted for violating school rules." I said quickly, "I want to say another thing, Dad, you must listen to me—"

After listening to me fully describe what happened in Mrs. Malkin's robe shop to what Harry heard in the carriage today, Dad didn't show any expression of sarcasm or surprise, he just stood there with a blank face and listened. I talked about the possibility of the Dark Mark on Draco's left arm, and his face was momentarily lost in darkness and then illuminated by a flickering orange light.

"Who else have you mentioned this to?" He asked in a low voice after I finished speaking.

"I haven't told anyone. Harry should have mentioned it to Mr. Potter (Dad made a disdainful noise through his nose), Hermione, Ron and Tallus, but they all thought it was ridiculous." My stomach wriggled uncomfortably in the cold wind, and my nose was filled with the smell of food wafting from the auditorium. I gritted my teeth and continued, "Dad, you are the Head of Slytherin, you can—"

"It's right to think it's ridiculous. Do you realize what a serious accusation you're making with empty words?" Dad interrupted. You're still Potter."

"But what if—" I said anxiously.

"There is no if, Alice." Dad said in a tone that did not want to talk any more. "Your mother specifically told me that I was not allowed to interfere with who you associate with. I only listened to her-but don't let Potter The kid has affected your mind and judgment, and don't let me see you and him—anyone ever get close at school, even if the OWL exam is over, this year's study is still very important, understand?"

"Understood." I muttered, but didn't feel very convinced.

"Okay, if you don't go in, you won't even be able to eat dessert." Dad pointed to the door, "Don't eat ice cream on an empty stomach."

Wrapped in Harry's Invisibility Cloak, I slipped into the empty seat next to Hermione, and before I had even eaten a few mouthfuls of the pulp pie table, all the plates on the table were back to pristine condition, and I even took a mouthful of steaming pumpkin. No juice.Dumbledore had already stood up and started to give a speech for the new school year when I pouted to dig out the crushed chocolate frog in my pocket, but many people were distracted by his scorched right hand and did not listen to him carefully. What the hell are you talking about.

"I thought Madam Pomfrey would fix him," Harry whispered, "or he could fix it himself in the blink of an eye..."

"Some wounds can never be cured, special curses, ancient black magic...just like some potions have no antidote." Hermione looked at Dumbledore with trembling sleeves to cover His scorched fingertips, "That hand looks like it's dead."

Dumbledore was not affected by everyone's whispers, he still greeted all the students and teachers with a warm smile, and informed everyone that this year Hogwarts has added "absolutely forbidden to bring any jokes purchased from Weasley's Magic Wheezes" Commodity" ("Sounds like a big advertisement."), and Lee Jordan, who used to be a Quidditch commentator, has graduated. I hope that interested parties will go to the dean to sign up.

After the banquet, a large group of people crowded at the entrance of the auditorium. Hermione anxiously dragged Ron to take care of the overwhelmed first-year students. Many sixth-year students were still immersed in my dad's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this semester. Among them—they all thought that because they didn't get an "O" in Potions in the OWL exam, they could never see him again for the rest of their lives.Talus followed us slowly at the end of the crowd, and after seeing the Slytherins cheering again at Draco's nose-smacking gesture, he frowned and turned to see that Harry was still a little Red and swollen nose: "What did you two do before? What happened to your nose?"

"I knew it." Talus said coldly after listening to Harry's ins and outs, "He has been talking non-stop since he entered the auditorium. I thought his father escaped from Azkaban."

His expression was terribly gloomy, and several girls who came over and wanted to say hello to him hesitated for a while and left.

"But I think he's just bragging, what does Voldemort need to leave to his idiot to do?" Since Mrs. Black was confirmed to be killed by the mysterious man himself, both Tallus and Mr. Black began to call the mysterious man Its name, "He wants to get back in front of the group of Slytherins. After Lucius Malfoy was arrested, his family's status is not as good as before."

"But what if Voldemort needs to install another person in Hogwarts?" Harry also changed his address following Talus, "just like Barty Crouch Jr."

"Honestly, I don't care too much." Tallus shook his head. "Whether he is Voldemort's minion or not, I just want to graduate quickly-since everyone says my mother wants me to finish my studies, graduate The first thing I did after that was kill Voldemort to avenge her, and I didn't care about anything else."

Harry and I looked at each other and didn't know what to say, and Hagrid beamed over from the staff table to say hello to Harry and Tallus, who had always been his favourites, along with Ron and Hermione. student.I walked beside Harry and listened to Hagrid chat happily about how he lost track of time with that giant Glop, and that he was going to train his half-brother to be his assistant - which made me feel lucky I am not planning to take Care of Fantastic Beasts this semester.When Hagrid said I'd see you in the first class after lunch tomorrow, I caught Harry and Tallus looking hesitant.

"I'm not going to take Care of Fantastic Beasts." After saying goodbye to Hagrid, Talus blinked and looked at Harry hesitantly, "You should also—"

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" I asked.

"I probably won't choose either." Harry shook his head, looking a little uncomfortable. "How to explain to Hagrid that the class is too full?"

However, this is a poor excuse. Compared with the fifth grade, the free time in the sixth grade schedule makes people feel that they can take time to go on vacation.We chatted at breakfast the next morning while we waited for Professor McGonagall to confirm our transcripts and NEWT timetables, and Hermione, like Tallus, thought that the conversations Harry had heard yesterday could only show that Draco was bluffing and intimidating Everyone else, even Neville felt the same way, and Harry, who couldn't find any support, could only bury his head in his bowl of porridge and scrambled eggs, angrily.

Hermione had confiscated a fourth-year's mace, and Ron was happily playing with the saucer, which he accidentally cut in his robes.Hermione rolled her eyes and was about to help him fix his robes when there was a loud giggle from the opposite side, and Lavender Brown kept looking at Ron, seeming to think he was very interesting.Ron coughed, mended his robe, sat down, and began to slowly sip the milk in the goblet in a different and deep posture than usual.I noticed that Hermione's smile faded away. After Professor McGonagall handed her her timetable, she threw her schoolbag over her shoulder and squeezed Ron away, and went to Ancient Runes class without looking back.

"I have to say, Miss Snape, I am very satisfied with both your and Longbottom's transfiguration results." Professor McGonagall adjusted his glasses after handing me the timetable, "Spells, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration Art, Herbalism, and Arithmetic Divination can all be taken as electives.”

"Thank you, Professor." Before I could finish my thanks, she turned to Harry: "Potter... Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbalism and Transfiguration, to be honest, if you use more snacks, I think You can get an honor in Transfiguration, I heard your father mention that - I remember you said you wanted to be an Auror, why didn't you just keep studying Potions?"

"Uh, because you once told me that Potions grades must be 'excellent', Professor." Harry looked a little embarrassed, after all, McGonagall just praised Talus Transfiguration for being "excellent", "My 'Good' in Potions."

"Professor Slughorn is willing to accept OWL grades as good students, I asked him." Professor McGonagall replied, "Would you like to continue studying Potions, Mr. Potter?"

"Er, of course." Harry gave me a look, "but I didn't buy the textbook and the materials—"

"It's okay, Professor Slughorn can lend you some first," Professor McGonagall handed him the schedule, "By the way, you need to take some time to arrange the trials. Twenty people have come to me to sign up for the quiz. The Quidditch team is gone, and I hope you'll keep the Quidditch Cup in my office this year, Potter."

"It's really stressful, Potter." Talus imitated McGonagall's tone and patted Harry on the shoulder, "Arrange a time and let me know in advance, I haven't ridden a broom for two months and I'm quite nervous of."

"What nonsense?" Harry laughed. "You don't think you need to be selected, do you?"

"Why not?" Talus shrugged. "I know I'm not in good shape. If there are people who perform better than me, of course they should be allowed to play. The court is not a place that pays attention to friendship and favor. Will blame you for knocking me out."

Ron, who hadn't spoken all the time, seemed a little uncomfortable. He put the school schedule and the Spike UFO into the schoolbag. Sure enough, when he returned to the lounge, the brand new school schedule had turned into powder on the bottom of the schoolbag. Fortunately, the few of us Classes are the same.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts!" An hour later Ron raised his head from the wizard board and made a painful sound. He had just beaten Harry five times in a row. Lavender Brown had been watching the battle with relish, and from time to time Praise, it certainly made it harder for Ron to leave the sunny lounge.Talus didn't go back to the tower with us, he walked straight away with his schoolbag on his back, saying that he wanted to find a place where no one was around, and he walked slowly from the other end of the corridor until the class was about to start, with a smell on his body The smell of hay in an owl shack.

"Quiet." The door of the classroom opened, and Dad's face appeared inside. He glanced at us who were crowded at the door, and the chattering crowd fell silent immediately, "Come in."