[HP] Comparative

The awkward aftertaste of the subject had been haunting Harry and Ron all weekend, only better when Hermione was with them.Harry had never known that he and Ron could be so uncomfortable alone, and could only swear to himself that he would never leave a trace of suspiciousness on his lips again.Perhaps affected by this, he didn't think of any new way to get close to Tom at all.

By Monday, the flood of study sessions effectively diverted everyone's attention.Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures in the morning.Because they are naturally aggressive, they only had two snails left last semester, and they were too big to be taken care of by the students.Inspired by Harry's trip to the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid had them learn about unicorns from the beginning of the term.Today he also got two pure golden unicorn cubs, and the girls are crazy about it.

While everyone was attracted by them, Harry walked quietly towards Hagrid and asked him in a low voice how the wand thing was going.

Hagrid shrugged at the question. "After these days, I guess I can't have expectations of the minister." He replied to Harry succinctly while paying attention to the circle of students.

This was the way James was going to do it. "Then when are you planning to go to Ollivander's?" Harry asked with concern, "You have to find a hidden time... I think Mr. Ollivander should be willing to keep a secret for you."

Hagrid agreed with this point of view. "Ollivander is a good man, a good man..." he murmured, with gratitude in his tone, and the corners of his eyes suddenly brightened, "James sent me a message, saying that he and Sirius would go and ask first... ..."

Harry looked away, pretending to be watching the unicorn cub from a distance, too. "The sooner this happens, the better," he thought to himself, "so as not to be expected again."

Because the voice was too low, Hagrid couldn't hear the second half of the sentence, but he nodded affirmatively. "It should be just a few days." He patted Harry's shoulder heavily with his big fan-like hand, almost pushing Harry into the ground. "It's such a hassle to not have a wand—" he grumbled, dabbing carelessly across his face with his free hand. "I haven't been in the woods since Christmas!"

This awakened a dusty memory in Harry, about the part about a top predator in the Forbidden Forest that could make the acromantula run away. "That thing, whatever it is, is it still active?" He looked at the half-blood giant curiously.

Hearing this, Hagrid also looked at him, half anxious and half frustrated in his black bean-like eyes. "To be honest, I don't know. If I can't go in, I don't have accurate information..." He was almost ashamed when he admitted this.Turning his head to look at the dark forest in the distance, his face not covered by his beard showed a little uncertain expression. "But it seems that there is really no movement recently..."

This equated to no progress, and Harry gave up his intention to continue to investigate.He then discussed the camouflage of the new wand with Hagrid - the half-giant certainly couldn't hold it directly in his hand, so it might be a good idea to hide it in an umbrella that was a daily item.

At lunch, Hermione only sighed when she heard Harry and Hagrid's conclusion.But Harry suspected that she must have prepared at least one way to look good for Skeeter.

Afternoon is divination class.Harry and Ron took this course so that they could make up their homework, Hermione didn't take it.But Harry didn't have to worry about the embarrassing atmosphere this time, because he and Ron were both drowsy after the two nagging classes of astrology and divination, and they didn't even know what the professor said.After class, the two walked out of the classroom back and forth, carrying their schoolbags and yawning.

It was a freckled Hufflepuff boy who ended it.He thrust a small scroll tied with a gold ribbon into Harry's hand, and hurried off without saying a word.

"Oh, Slughorn thinking of you again?" Ron rubbed his eyes, pulled himself together, and poked his head over Harry's shoulder.

Harry didn't notice the sour taste in the teasing.He untied the ribbon, and it turned out to be an invitation to dinner this Friday.

Ron also read the writing clearly. "Are you going this time, Harry?" he asked with feigned indifference. "Maybe Slughorn wants to mention helping you at the game again!"

To be honest, Harry couldn't be more grateful for that.Another truth is that he didn't think the Potions professor would be of any real help to him - Slughorn's favorite student was Tom, and he became Hogwarts' unexpected second champion at all. It did nothing to improve his impression on Slughorn.Taking a step back, even if Slughorn really helped him, it was for the sake of remunerating from him, or his parents, someday.

The problem was that Harry had no valid reason for refusing to go to the Slug Club.Confinement may be better than going to eat...

"Maybe," he scrambled to fold the parchment, making no effort to conceal his gloominess and lack of enthusiasm. "I'd like to ask Hermione first."

Hermione went to the library after her arithmetic and divination, and the three of them didn't meet until dinnertime.The brunette looked taken aback by Harry's invitation to dinner from Slughorn and almost dropped the freshly cut lamb chops. "But I didn't get it!" she said, hastily and quickly.

Harry was also taken aback by this answer.Hermione was favored by Slughorn earlier than him, and she would not be left behind in every event, big or small.Now she says she didn't get an invitation...

Harry hurriedly asked Neville, who was two seats away, and got the same answer as Hermione.There is also Cormac McLaggen in Gryffindor who is very popular with Slughorn, but Harry would rather fight the troll alone than speak to McLaggen.Ravenclaw had no choice, Hufflepuff had only Cedric - he and Cedric hadn't gotten to know this well yet -

If there were other participants at Friday's dinner, would it be just Slytherins?

Now, Harry had to admit that Ron's guess was still very possible.After all, he could see no reason for Slughorn to invite Fleur and Krum at this moment.Also, the Potions Master might not be reconciled to Tom's last request to Slughorn when he conveyed to Slughorn that he didn't need help...

Thinking of Tom made Harry's heart beat faster.Slughorn thought he and Tom had a good personal relationship. He didn't feel much before, but now it seemed like a great opportunity to take advantage of?

In this strange state of impatience and a bit of anticipation, Friday arrives.After the two potions lessons in the afternoon, he went back to the dormitory to put his schoolbag first, and then went downstairs again.He was a little apprehensive, imagining what would happen next——

The Lestranges would not be pleased if they knew that Slughorn wanted to help him.He will also drop a talk, like high scores are all obtained by others.What's more, Slughorn is the dean of Slytherin. If you really want to help him, a Gryffindor, it's best to avoid irrelevant people.In the end, having a small kitchen in private should be done more secretly...

Asking himself, Harry felt that Slughorn shouldn't be worrying about his game - although Professor McGonagall cared about him, but not like Slughorn.It was also possible that the Potions Master had asked him to dinner for some other reason, though he couldn't think of it...

No, Harry rejected the previous conjecture in his heart again.Slughorn was the kind of man with a clear goal, and he had a vicious eye; he knew who he wanted to win over, and he knew exactly how to win them over.And Harry happened to know the parts of himself that were desirable: there was no reason why Slughorn wouldn't invite Hermione other than being a Triwizard Tournament warrior.

That means...

Harry walked out of the Potions Professor's office before reaching the same final conclusion that made his heart palpitate several times.He took a deep breath, raised his hand and knocked on the door, then opened the door and went in.

Compared with the usual lively situation, it can be called deserted inside now.A fat, bald man with a walrus-like white beard sat at the top, talking to the tall black-haired boy with a smile across the table full of exquisite food.

Hearing the movement, the two raised their heads and turned their heads one by one, with different expressions on their faces.

"Oh, Harry, you're here!" Slughorn stood up, laughing until his wrinkles formed huge creases at the corners of his eyes, "We've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Tom, who waited in his mouth for a long time, did not show any joy.Seeing Harry, he just narrowed his eyes imperceptibly, and then seemed to understand something. "Just two of us today, Professor?"

Although it was a question, Harry didn't hear the slightest bit of doubt from it.Besides, he guessed Tom was probably a regular at the office, parties or not.

Slughorn was beckoning Harry to sit on the other side of the round table. "That's right," he replied smugly after hearing that, glancing back and forth between the two of them, he seemed quite proud, "After the second event of the Triwizard Tournament, I've been thinking about holding a special event for you two. A party!" With that, he turned to Tom, complaining a little: "You are all in that relationship, Tom, how can you not let me know?"

Harry was pulling out his high-back chair when he heard this and almost staggered.

"You are all in that relationship"?If he hadn't been sure that Tom couldn't possibly tell anyone, he would have suspected that Slughorn really knew what was going on between them...

Then again, Tom obviously didn't know about Slughorn's plans in advance.It seems that the Potions professor must have a hand in this matter, since Harry and Tom are both his promising students, and they didn't pay much attention last time...

Thinking of this, Harry sneaked a glance at the handsome boy while sitting down, and keenly noticed that the other person's face was slightly gloomy, obviously trying to hide his bad mood.Tom should really be unhappy, he thought a little bit bitterly, after all, if the other party knew about it, he would have just shirked it.Unlike him, who couldn't help feeling hopeful when he guessed that Slughorn had most likely only invited Tom and him...

Slughorn didn't notice the little details of the undercurrents between them.He sat down cheerfully, and graciously recommended some of his favorite jams.It seemed that another student gave it to him specially, and Harry didn't listen carefully.In fact, he could barely eat, taking whatever was put on his plate.

When he was almost full, Slughorn finally finished his long circle. "The Triwizard Tournament is the last item left now." He looked at Harry and Tom one by one, lowered his voice, and made a mysterious look, "I guess you all want to know?"

Harry looked instinctively at Tom, and Tom glanced at him.Then Tom looked away, and asked in a polite and knowing tone: "Don't you already know, sir?"

"Ha!" Slughorn yelled exaggeratedly, almost making Harry jump out of his chair. "I knew you could figure it out, Tom!" He clapped his hands vigorously, and then stretched them out to the sides. "I'll just tell you this-the third item is--" His ending sound rose high, and then it was quite dramatic landed, "Maze!"

Harry was really surprised this time, and his eyes widened.He thought Slughorn was just showing off, but did the other party really know any inside information?

In contrast, Tom showed no surprise.However, he never showed any major emotional fluctuations on his face. "Another mysterious source of your news, Professor?" He seemed to be casually tapping the porcelain plate with the silver spoon in his hand. "It's reliable, but you can't tell us?"

Slughorn waved his fat hand at him and winked his eyes again, pretending to be disgusted, but actually full of complacency. "You know, Tom! It's probably nothing else, but it's a top secret! If I tell, he'll be in big trouble!"

Although the tone is quite pompous, it is also very sure... Slughorn is very sure that the third item is a maze...

Harry mentally ran through the people in the Ministry of Magic who knew and might leak the news, and it didn't take long for him to suspect that the source was probably Ludo Bagman.This guy has good game skills and good temper, but he likes to gamble in private; he once heard Lily mention it, and he disagreed quite a bit...

"...so are you sure, Harry?"

The Potions professor's question got Harry's attention back. "I don't know?" Because he was thinking about other things before, he didn't have time to think, so he could only organize his answer hastily, "I think it shouldn't be a big problem, er, when the time comes..."

Slughorn pursed his lips, not quite satisfied with the ambiguity of the answer. "It will be too late then," he interrupted Harry involuntarily, "in contrast, I have a good idea—" He clapped his hands excitedly again, "Let Tom give you extra tuition, what do you think?" How about it?"

This speech can be described as earth-shattering.Not to mention Harry, Tom's expression changed slightly. "I don't know what spells are needed in the maze, sir." He reacted very quickly - he refused as Harry expected - "not to mention that the fifth grade is preparing for the OWLs exam, I..."

Slughorn waved his hand, but didn't hear the words at all. "OWLs exam? Seriously, Tom? Let me tell you, you can pass the NEWTs exam with a full score right now! As for the content in the maze, since you are facing students who haven't graduated yet, no matter how difficult it is, it won't be too difficult. I can probably guess what you're worried about—" At this point, he gave Tom a knowing smile, "Even if there's a ten thousandth chance that Harry didn't perform well in the third project, It's impossible for him to blame you in turn!"

Harry thinks that he is really not the one who pays revenge, and at the same time thinks that the problem is not with him at all.

This was quickly verified.

"That's what you said." After a moment of surprise, Tom resumed his usual polite posture, "in case Harry doesn't need help as you said..."

The eyes of the two turned together, and Harry suddenly felt the invisible pressure.Tom was telling the truth, after all, he had clearly rejected Slughorn once; before that, he had also rejected Tom's reminder about the golden egg to his face...

In other words, is Tom now counting on him to take the initiative to refuse?

Harry didn't answer right away.He stared into those black eyes, and those eyes looked back at him calmly, with a trace of certainty in them.But it's not like it used to be, Tom ... he thought, not caring if his eyes gave away what was on his mind.

"If Tom is willing to lend a helping hand," Harry said clearly and steadily facing the Potions professor's face full of encouragement, ignoring the two sharp gazes that had suddenly become sharp from just now, "I guess it will get twice the result with half the effort."

The author has something to say:

Tom's nirvana against Harry: learning the light of God

Harry's Nirvana to Tom: I Like You

This week Harry won [.

感谢在2020-03-0219:51:06~2020-03-1019:43:57期间为我投出霸王票或灌溉营养液的小天使哦~

Thanks to the little angel who threw the shallow water bomb: 1 civilization la la la;

Thanks to the little angel who cast the rocket launcher: Wenming Lalala, Tang Chenxin 1;

Thanks to the little angel who threw the grenade: 2 Bird of Paradise; 1 Alien Bird, Mint Tea Grass, Starling Sauce;

Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: 6 alien birds; 1 son Lingque, JOJO Wang, little otter otter, wet, rain washing the moon, Birdofparadise, bumper;

感谢灌溉营养液的小天使：冥熙洛104瓶；夏贤月78瓶；文明啦啦啦64瓶；初萦、唐宸崭20瓶；地下室的床单19瓶；椋酱、lin、幻月影梦、季玗10瓶；君緋7瓶；低唱5瓶；

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!