[HP]Timepiece Countdown

The implication in this statement could not be more obvious.But in response, Tom put on a bewildered face at Harry. "I don't think... no?"

For a moment, Harry couldn't believe he heard such an answer.Obviously this happened just now under the noses of the two, didn't it?

"If you'd like to look down..." Tom hesitated again, looking rather hesitant.

Staring at that flawless handsome face, Harry suddenly had an extremely bad premonition.He lowered his head slowly, and found angrily that their positions had moved at some point, and now he was standing on that complicated pattern. "you……"

Before Harry could point out the tampering, however, Tom preempted him by saying, "Sorry, it's not very polite to the guests, but I might have to deal with the arrow first."

Following the opponent's gaze, Harry saw his hand still on the opponent's waist, so he could only take it back resentfully, and took another half step back.Tom gave him a grateful nod, walked to the wall that had been so unfortunate, and plucked the arrow from it.Then he walked across the hall, turned over the carved base with agility, and put the arrow back into Pukucci's broad palm—before, as soon as Harry backed away, the wooden animals automatically and spontaneously returned to where they should be. position.

When he got back to Harry, Tom bowed politely. "Sorry to keep you waiting." He said, speaking as if nothing had happened before, "Please let me take you to the next location, Mr. Potter."

There was nothing wrong with his posture or his words, but Harry became more and more annoyed.He couldn't help but began to suspect that if there was such a thing as an Oscar in the wizarding world, Voldemort would definitely win it easily——

Although the appearance of Tom in front of him is completely different from the person he is familiar with, the transformation is a piece of cake for Voldemort; although he does not have the feeling that his soul mate is nearby, it is very likely that Voldemort has done something else that he does not know (very likely, the man had said in the Parisian bistro that he would find a way); though he hadn't seen Tom pull out his wand until now...

Harry followed the man forward, silent.But in fact, he was staring at the obtrusive pair of white gloves that swayed slightly with his steps, thinking about how to tear them off.

If this Tom was the Tom he knew, if Voldemort used a new method to cut off the telepathy between them, then everything the other party did was deliberately arranged.There may be some rare magic item hidden in this school, and the gloves are of course effective in preventing all possible skin contact in the normal range of communication...

Harry's next thought was the face, but he dismissed that guess right away.If it was an opening, Voldemort couldn't easily let him touch it; if it wasn't an opening, he might bring shame on himself, just like...

Harry couldn't think of anything good until the end of lunch.Then, Mrs. Wilkinson came back, and he had to temporarily put away all his speculations and finish the things Dumbledore told him first.

two hours later.

"I understand." Mrs. Wilkinson nodded solemnly, "I will try my best to suggest to Mr. Chairman to strengthen the communication between Aurors of our two countries. But Mr. Chairman may be cautious about this, I cannot Guaranteed success."

"That's all right," said Harry hastily, "if everyone stays vigilant, we're already halfway there. After all, when it comes to protecting people from the Dark Arts, it's and always has been the Aurors' responsibility. "

The old woman with her silver hair bun nodded appreciatively. "I hope our Aurors think like you do."

"I guess they will." Harry got up from the armchair.He habitually wanted to say goodbye, and then suddenly realized something was wrong: he wanted to go to New York because Voldemort was suspected to be there, but now it seemed that the Dark Lord was at this very school.

So, what reason would he use to convince Mrs. Wilkinson to let him stay?

"Oh, it would be too sad for me if you wanted to leave here now," said Mrs. Wilkinson, just as much to hold him back. "It takes at least one night of good memory for you to be called a good hospitality." way."

"It's really my honor, ma'am." Harry said, frowning, trying to put on the hardest expression. "Actually, I don't know if I should tell you the truth..."

Mrs. Wilkinson's attention was indeed attracted. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked concerned.

"It's just..." Harry continued to stammer, "I want to inquire about your key keeper..."

Contrary to Harry's surprise, Mrs. Wilkinson's face was covered with "it is true" as soon as he started. "You mean Tom?" She couldn't help laughing, "Everyone can't walk when they see him, I once suspected that he has Veela blood...but of course he doesn't," she immediately added, "I was attracted to him when we first met Live? Don't be shy to admit, you're not the first, and I guess you won't be the last."

After hearing this, Harry's head was also filled with "So it is."Tom Riddle was top student and heartthrob at Hogwarts: everyone liked him except Dumbledore.

It was hard for Harry to tell what was going on in the complex emotions that had suddenly flooded into him.But then again, if there was a general liking for Tom, ordinary rhetoric would not suffice. "I think I like him," he resolutely said. "I guess it was love at first sight? No one has ever made me feel that way before."

Mrs. Wilkinson showed a slightly surprised expression when she said this seriously. "Really?" She leaned in Harry's direction, "I'm not doubting you, but Tom is not a regular employee of our school. The previous key keeper was ill. He applied for the job not long ago, maybe It’s not going to stay here forever.”

Harry suspected that the "not so long ago" had never been more than two weeks.And if that's the case, the chances of Voldemort sneaking into Yvelmone disguised as another person are even higher.In addition, according to Mrs. Wilkinson's explanation, the key keeper is a temporary job, which is quite in line with Voldemort's requirements.

"I understand your good intentions, but that's all right," he said sincerely—he was too sincere now to act at all—"I was just wondering if you could let me here Staying for a few days? I promise not to disturb the normal affairs of the school."

Mrs. Wilkinson looked at him carefully. "You seem to have made up your mind," she smiled narrowly, "then why didn't I create this opportunity for you?"

As if to verify that he kept his promise, Mrs. Wilkinson arranged Harry's room next to Tom's.Harry had no idea how Tom would react to this as he was being led there, for he was walking so fast ahead of him.

"I say, Tom!" Harry nearly broke into a trot at the end, "Can't you slow down?"

"I'm sorry, but there is still a lot of work waiting for me to do." Tom replied naturally and calmly, "I apologize for the inadequacy."

Ever since he began to doubt Tom's identity, Harry had become less and less grateful for those kind words. "You don't have to say that, because I'm not complaining at all." He walked a few steps quickly, stretched his arms forward, and finally grabbed the other's left arm, "You don't want to know why they let me live next to you? ?”

Tom was forced to stop because of the force Harry was using. "Why?" He asked kindly, but those black jade-like eyes were empty, and there was nothing in them.

Harry thought this was another piece of strong evidence.Who else but Voldemort would have thought of using Occlumency in front of him? "Because I said to Mrs. Wilkinson—" he broke his heart and cried out, "I like you!"

The voice kept echoing in the high and narrow corridor.Tom's eyes widened, shock fleeting in them. "Is this some kind of new breed joke?"

The declaration just now used up almost all of Harry's courage, he couldn't believe it, it couldn't break the barrier between the two; more precisely, it couldn't convince Voldemort that the man didn't even give him a slightly wavering reaction .

"Why do you think I'm joking?" He asked with a suffocated temper.

"Because we just met?" Tom didn't seem to receive Harry's anger at all, "and—" Seeing that Harry was about to refute again, he raised his right index finger, barely blocking the middle of the two of them, "You don't know who I am."

Harry wanted to say of course he knew, but he finally squeezed his lips together.When Tom categorically denied his own true identity, it was of little use for him to say more.

Seeing him silent, Tom didn't continue talking about this topic.The two walked one after the other to the end of the corridor. Tom helped Harry open the door, left the key in the lock, and then left.

Harry was rather annoyed at this development at first, but it didn't take long before they settled down and they all turned into sadness and powerlessness.Every part of his body screamed that it was his soul mate, yet...

He knew there were a lot of problems between them, but if no one was willing to take the first step, those problems would always be there.And if they were both willing to put in the effort, he believed they could solve any problem.

He just didn't expect that even with the double confirmation of magic resonance and words, Voldemort still refused him thousands of miles away.

Is he not doing enough?

Harry was suspicious.

Is the Dark Lord too stubborn?

It's quite possible.

Maybe he's just using it the wrong way...

The man who must not be named, the Borgin-Bock clerk, possibly the best student Hogwarts has ever seen, orphaned by a mother who would not live for him...

Harry thumped the nearest wall hard, not noticing the bleeding from the phalanx.It's not so much that Voldemort doesn't believe in the emotion of love and then sneers at it, it's better to say that the Dark Lord doesn't believe that the emotion of love has anything to do with him—

Whether it is him to others, or others to him.

In fact, the man's never-changing spurning performance has already explained everything.People's feelings are relative: if he really doesn't care at all, how can he spurn it?

**

Supper was good, but Harry didn't see Tom at the table.When he got back outside the room, he noticed that the small mark he left on purpose hadn't been touched.The other party hasn't come back... He hesitated for a while and walked into the room.After waiting for several hours, he still didn't hear any movement from the next door, so he went out again.

It was nearly midnight, and the whole of Ivemoni was immersed in the cold moonlight.The students are all asleep, and occasionally there are teachers on duty walking through the corridor.

Harry is very experienced in night travel, and he has avoided all the magical obstacles on the road with ease.It's not easy to do a blanket search in an unfamiliar castle, but he believes in himself: since he can find Voldemort in Paris, let alone such a big place, right?

So, Harry allowed himself to follow his instincts and wander freely through the intricate corridors.When he came back to his senses, he had already climbed up the tower at the gate.Beneath the conical top are pierced stone arched windows, one in each direction.There was a tall and thin man standing on the east side, facing the shadows of the forest outside the castle.

Harry wasn't sure what the other was doing, just as he wasn't sure if he should just be this close.Just as he was thinking hard, a hand suddenly stretched out from behind, covered his mouth, and dragged him into the shadows. "If you have to follow me," an annoyed male voice whispered immediately, "can't you make things clean?"

Harry struggled desperately, but gave up after identifying who was behind it.Seeing that he no longer resisted, those fingers loosened a little.He was able to speak, and asked slightly unevenly: "What did I do..."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Harry realized that he had just stood in such a place that the moon could cast his shadow on the field below, and the light from the night watch candlestick was about to pass there.

It made him choke for a moment. "How did you find out?" He glanced at the window sill from before - it was indeed empty now - "were you not in front of me just now?"

The man snorted coldly, which was full of disdain. "If my vigilance was as low as yours, I might have died thousands of times!"

Harry reflexively wanted to defend himself, but suddenly realized something: "Wait, did you admit it just now? You are Voldemort, I guessed it right!"

The Dark Lord's reply to this was an exasperated twang. "If you know, leave early," he asked bluntly, followed by a harsh evaluation, "You should understand that you are bothering me, right?"

Harry would not agree with that statement. "I don't have one," he tried to argue, "I have business too!"

"The business of the Ministry of Magic, or the business of the Order of the Phoenix?" Voldemort's tone sounded even more disdainful. "I believe you have completed the task of either of them. The Dark Lord can generously turn a blind eye to this." Turn a blind eye, Harry. But in exchange, you leave tomorrow morning, huh?"

In fact, Voldemort was right about his mission, but Harry just didn't want to hear the other party pretending to ask for his opinion in an unquestionable tone. "I'm not leaving," he began to struggle again, "Why..."

A slight inhalation sound came from behind his ear, and Harry was startled for a moment before he truly realized the situation.The two of them were hiding behind a massive stone pillar: Voldemort leaning against the stone face, and he in Voldemort's arms;

This pose...

Harry recalled, his heart started beating wildly, and he instinctively grabbed the hem of the person behind him tightly.

Obviously, this reaction did nothing to calm them down, it could almost only be described as adding fuel to the fire.

Voldemort's breathing was a little rougher.But when he did speak, he simply ordered: "Use your Occlumency."

Apparently, Harry had never been an obedient student. "I've been using it all the time!" He growled back in a low voice, feeling that half of the blood in his body was rushing to his head at the fastest speed, while the other half was flowing in the opposite direction, "Otherwise, how do you think I can control those things?" Damn side effects - when I can't touch you?"

Voldemort did not immediately respond to the complaints and grievances in the conversation, and only the sound of rapid and irregular breathing could be heard in the not very spacious semi-open-air space.Harry could tell they were both getting more and more excited, once again in a flash of light - if they were both using Occlumency, and the soulmate connection had disappeared for some reason (temporary, he hoped) ), doesn't this situation mean that...

Even if the connection isn't working, they both can't help but want each other?

The moment this thought flashed through his mind, Harry's eyes twitched.In the next second, his back hit the stone pillar, and his eyes met the man behind him.The two stared at each other at a close distance, like some kind of competition to see who could not help but succumb first.

His nose was full of the coolness of the night and the cold breath of the other person, but Harry felt that he was getting hotter. "You..." He opened his mouth with difficulty, trying to form a random sentence to prove his will, and the subject, verb and object are enough.But his efforts are doomed to have only a beginning: because the latter part is far from being formed, it is completely swallowed by another person fiercely.