HP Midnight Light

"We've got a warrior woman, so the dogwood is less necessary."

"But a dogwood is always just a dogwood, isn't it? You don't mind letting it grow there. How can a flower beat a sword?"

"I don't know when you have such kindness, Edmund." Signus put down his teacup, lowered his eyes thoughtfully, and when he spoke again, his tone was slightly solemn, "I mentioned it to you before. How's the matter?"

Edmund smiled lightly: "I'm not Regulus Black. The conditions you've offered me are not enough to make me make up my mind."

"Ah... cunning man... I can't think of anything in this world that can touch your stubborn and cold heart, Edmund. I think I have offered a rich enough reward—"

"Fame and fortune mean nothing to me."

"If you want that girl..."

"A man must at least rely on his own strength to win two things: land and women." Edmund changed the topic naturally, "Come back to business, is the matter between you and Margaret Watson finalized? "

"Her father offered me an olive branch... of course I accepted. Margaret was a good candidate: noble blood, strong background, good looks."

"You commented on her as if you were appraising an item."

"Marriage is a transaction, Edmund." Signus replied calmly, "Of course, I know you won't agree with me."

Edmund smiled softly: "I'm just curious about what Mr. Watson can get out of it."

"Get what? Oh - a well-matched, impeccable son-in-law, isn't that enough? I mean, is he going to accept Severus Snape?" Signus sneered mockingly, But he quickly restrained himself, "As a knight, Snape is not bad, but as a son-in-law, I'm afraid he is not qualified enough."

"We all know Snape is only interested in Evans of Gryffindor. Poor Margaret, she's taken a lump of wood!"

"Snape wasn't stupid, he knew that if he put his mind to his Lord's service, he would get all the things he could have dreamed of—"

"Okay, Signus, you're going to start that rhetoric again!"

"Then let's leave that aside for now - next week is the test day, will you be there?"

Edmund added a cup of tea for himself: "Naturally, I don't want to miss this good show."

"what is this?"

Cornelia took a step back so that Regulus could see what was on the table.

"Necklace?" Regulus asked suspiciously.

"It's just an ordinary necklace at the moment." Cornelia handed Regulus a piece of parchment with a half-smile, "I'm afraid this will be my first masterpiece."

Regulus unfolded the parchment, on which was written a string of excerpted spells——

"The blood of a lover regenerates decaying flesh;

The tears of the old enemy blind the sight;

A friend's hair makes the mind pure;

The bones of the ancestors, piece together the broken limbs;

A of the younger generation is called sharp five senses;

The teeth of the companion, the tongue of life shines like a lotus flower;

The meat of the diners forced the disabled to walk away. "

"what is this?"

Cornelia pointed to the luxurious opal necklace: "I need your cooperation, Regulus. I can't collect all the materials by myself."

"Where did you get this?"

"My father got it by accident." Cornelia was reluctant to say more, she motioned Regulus to look at the seven opals set on the necklace, "mix all the ingredients together, add the lake water and simmer for seven days, then Soak the necklace in it until the next full moon. This necklace will become a sharp weapon—I dare not exaggerate its power, but at least it can protect the master and murder the enemy."

The production process described by Cornelia made Regulus frown unconsciously: "I don't know where to get these things—"

"You can at least offer your lover's blood and your friend's hair—"

"It's impossible for me to hurt Ollie!"

"It's just a little blood, Regu!" Cornelia persuaded, "The blood will not affect her health at all, not to mention that I believe that Ollie will voluntarily donate blood for you."

"I can't do anything to her. One of the purposes of joining the knight is to protect her and keep her away from disputes and dangers—"

"Yes, Regu, so what I asked you to do is not contrary to your purpose." Cornelia followed her persuasively, "It will protect you and keep you safe... isn't that exactly what Ollie wants Is it? She naturally hopes that you will be safe and sound... Therefore, if you are willing to provide some small materials, this necklace will naturally protect you, so won't you have further strength to protect Ollie?"

"Then what about other things, where would you get them?" Regulus sharply asked.

"Of course I have my way, and you will know in a few days." Cornelia smiled enigmatically, and she stuffed a small glass bottle into Regulus's hand, "Oh, yes , we can't have Ollie on test day. I'm worried she'll get spooked."

"Of course I know." Regulus hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice, "Signus promised me that he would facilitate my marriage with Ollie, so——I plan to discuss it with my mother during the summer vacation... How likely do you think she is to say yes?"

Cornelia smiled: "Your nerves are too tense, Regu! Mrs. Walburga obviously agrees with both hands. I can't even think of anyone in this world who is more suitable for you than Ollie."

"Yeah... I think I'm too nervous." Regulus let out a sigh of relief, "The atmosphere at home has been very tense since Sirius left home. Maybe I shouldn't put too much pressure on myself... Speaking of which," he hesitated, "have you seen Hyacins lately?"

"Her? Don't know." Cornelia's expression was very subtle, "but I think she has woken up from her dream? I mean, with Sirius. Recently he and Marlene McGinn There are frequent exchanges between farmers, and many people think they are a good match. So I think Hyacinth should also realize that the relationship between them is a dream... All in all, I still hope that she can return to the shore, after all, she belongs to the green lake. Not red fire."

"Marlene McKinnon... if I remember correctly, she was one of Lily Evans' friends? They were friends with Mary MacDonald? That would be interesting. If Remus Lupine could be with If Mary sparks..." Regulus shook his head, "Forget it, it's all irrelevant."

"Forget about your brother's troubles for now, Regu, you have a bright future—just remember this." Cornelia flicked her wand, and the opal necklace was wrapped in satin, "See you on the test day! "

Raise a young cat and watch it grow from just rubbing your hand to jumping on your lap and meowing at you.How much thought do you need to spend?

You stretch out your hand and scratch the cat's ears, and it squints its eyes and curls up comfortably.Then you stroke its head, and the cat falls down on your lap, turning over unsuspectingly to reveal its soft belly—it feels the threat from the neck first: a cold and unfamiliar touch.However, it was too late, it smelled danger but had no time to react.The hand that both parties caressed it tenderly has now become a deadly weapon. You hold the dagger in your hand and let it slit its throat...

"Dagger." Cornelia announced calmly, "You all know this is the final test."

"B-but shouldn't we be using wands?" a girl asked tremblingly.

"Cross her name off the list," Cornelia announced grimly, a deadpan smirk on her lips. "Come forward, girl."

The girl took a hesitant step forward, and Cornelia reached out to take her hand.Cold fingers clenched those soft and warm hands, and Cornelia touched the other's wet palms. She felt the girl's trembling, which made Cornelia smile with satisfaction: "Are you afraid, little girl?" ?”

She trembled slightly, but did not answer.Cornelia smiled wider—was this a sign of some sort? ——"Ah!" The girl let out a scream, and Cornelia turned back blankly and threw a bloody thing on the table:

"This is a punishment and a warning for your cowardice. Now you can go. If you dare to reveal anything, you will experience twenty times more terrible pain!" She said sharply, "Now, if there is If anyone feels scared or wants to retreat, it is better to go out now." Her eyes roamed around the room, but no one moved, "If you show regret or retreat after a while, what is waiting for you may not be the loss of a piece of nail. Simple!"

There was a rustling sound in the crowd, and two junior students ran towards the door with pale faces. One of them held the girl who was about to cry. These three unworldly children were frightened, and they couldn't wait Fleeing out the door, as if a life-threatening beast would jump out of the room in the next second.

"Very good." Cornelia smiled reassuringly, "You are all brave people... Yes, let's not waste time and get right to the point... Everyone, please come forward and choose a dagger, I Do you think I don’t need to guide you how to do it?” She reached out and picked out a dagger, her cold and beautiful face was reflected on the shiny blade, Cornelia turned her hand sideways, and the expressionless faces were reflected on the blade in turn. Regulus, and the two senior students who were smiling and waiting for the show to begin.

"I have to say, you are extremely talented in this area, Cornelia." Signus leisurely poured hot water into the cup and praised, "You remind me of your in-law."

This was undoubtedly the most effective compliment to Cornelia, and her eyes sparked with joy: "Is that true?"

"Obviously, you have completely inherited her style." Signus stared at the tea leaves rolling up and down in the cup.

Cornelia's eyes lit up and then dimmed, and she clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves, wondering what she was thinking.

The students behind him stepped forward one by one and took the daggers.Cornelia's hand lowered slightly, she walked towards Signus, and half knelt by his hand: "You know... I've never been content with mediocrity." She deliberately lowered her voice, as if to confuse people.But Signus was unaffected:

"Yes, Cornelia, your father would be proud of you."

Cornelia's face was filled with undisguised disappointment at this bland remark: "I don't understand why it takes until next year, Signus. I'll be sixteen in a month, why? Why don't I start serving the Dark Lord this summer?—"

"Hush! Leah! Dogwood in the knight order!" Signus raised a finger to interrupt her increasingly excited tone, "What difference does it make if one year is more or less? You see—you come out With such a brilliant idea, are you still worried that the Dark Lord will not appreciate what you mean to him?"

A strange blush appeared on Cornelia's face: "Oh, Signus, that's not right. I'm just one of many."

"That's not necessarily the case. As far as I know, the Dark Lord is becoming more and more dependent on your father. Isn't this a trend?" Signus said with a low smile, "Don't worry, little Rozier, the Dark Lord will definitely look at you favorably." Plus, the so-called one-year delay is just a chance for you to practice more!"

Signus is worthy of being the leader of the younger generation, and he brought Cornelia back to calm with just a few words.As if to make up for the momentary excitement, she smiled slightly and took a lemon from the fruit plate: "Do you two need to add some lemon juice to the tea?"

After getting an affirmative answer, she put the lemon on the coffee table, gestured left and right with the dagger, and cut it decisively. Some sporadic juice splashed on the table, but she ignored it, picked up the cut lemon and made it for herself. Lemon juice was squeezed into the cups of the two seniors, and the fragrance of lemon instantly filled the room:

"Do it!" She ordered in a cold voice without turning her head.

On the last day of fifth grade, Hyacinth packed her bags for home early and sat down in the common room with a book.She stared intently at the fire. She hadn't mentioned that midnight adventure to anyone, and Salazar's words still lingered in her ears.She thought that her brief encounter with Sirius should also come to an end.A midsummer encounter in London is no different than a Christmas Eve vision, a dream that eventually wakes up.

She was so engrossed that Edmund Parkinson did not become aware of his presence until he sat down in the armchair opposite her.

"So, what are your plans for the summer?"

"It doesn't seem to have anything to do with you." Edmund always gave Hyacinth a feeling of uneasiness, maybe it was his eyes.She glanced at him hurriedly, about to get up and leave.Of course, she didn't forget how fickle the man in front of her was - he could speak softly one second and kill someone the next.

"You are too fickle!" Edmund said in surprise, "Aren't you the one who invited me for a drink two days ago?"

"I've always been so fickle." Hyacinth replied coldly, "It's just a drink." The price was half an hour of sitting on pins and needles.

Edmund motioned for her to take a seat: "Please don't do this. I'm just curious why you always look reluctant to talk to me? There seems to be no conflict between you and me, right?"

"You are a friend of Signus." Hyacinth said coldly.

"That's why you hate me? Because of Signus' identity?" Edmund sneered and shook his head, "Then you should know that I'm not a knight."

She pursed her lips, unwilling to talk more: "We don't need to communicate, do we?"

"Perhaps you could consider me as a potential friend?"

"Now I'm not interested in making friends with Slytherins." Hyacinth smiled slightly.

"Aren't you on good terms with Miss Watson?" Edmund said intentionally, "So will you attend her engagement banquet?"

"What are you talking about?" Hyacinth looked over vigilantly.

"Signus and Margaret's engagement banquet, although it hasn't been publicized yet, their friends already know about it in private." Edmund watched the drastic change in Hyacinth's expression with satisfaction, and he You can even hear the voice of the fortress in her heart collapsing, "Wait—"

But Hyacinth had left her book and ran back to the dormitory, she was eager to verify something...

"Olivia." She pushed open the door recklessly and walked into the dormitory. Unsurprisingly, Olivia and Cornelia were packing their luggage for the last time. Ignoring Cornelia's condemning eyes, Hyacinth He spoke directly to Olivia, "Is your brother getting engaged to Margaret Watson?"

"Yes." Olivia admitted.

Hyacinth pressed her every step, and she didn't even bother to use words to modify her language: "Is this a marriage? What benefits did you get from it?" Her chest was violently heaving, and Hyacinth realized, The last trace of Slytherin's warmth was about to be cut off from her.

"Yes, this is indeed a marriage in a sense. But Signus and Margaret are very suitable, of course they will be happy." Olivia replied evasively.Hyacinth's dislike for Signus was on the verge of collapse: "So, your good brother didn't take this opportunity to drag the Watson family into the dark abyss?"

"Hyssings!" Cornelia, who was on the sidelines for a long time, finally scolded angrily. Marriage is very common in most noble pure-blood families, and those couples can live together forever. Oh, I forgot, you won’t understand, after all, your parents’ marriage only lasted a very short time!”

Hyacinth didn't get angry at Cornelia. The news from Edmund's mouth made her think about some things in an instant—for example, Regulus suddenly decided to join the Death Eaters and Signus' leader position. , and... Olivia's role in it.

"Olivia," she looked sadly at her best friend who was drifting away, "he can use his marriage for profit today, but wouldn't Signus use your happiness as a stepping stone in the future?"

She didn't forget that Olivia defended her in the Pig's Head Bar, so she still hoped to awaken her reason.

"I think you misunderstood, Hyacinth. Regulus and I like each other, maybe there are some interests involved, but in essence we agree with each other." Olivia smiled peacefully, "If If you want to say that love mixed with interests is no longer pure, then you are too naive. Love in reality is different from fairy tales after all."

Hyacinth was stunned, these words did not seem to come from Olivia's heart.She looked at her face carefully, and at some point, Olivia no longer had the innocence of the past, but was replaced by a vague sophistication and maturity.

"Are you surprised at my change? Hiace, I can't hide in an ivory tower forever, even for Regulus, I have to grow." Olivia looked at her calmly, "This is my choice."

Yes.There will be a dark deal hidden under your beautiful marriage, just as Margaret and Signus's marriage contract seems to be rushed and amazing, but it is actually reasonable.Signus seems to be in control of the overall situation, but he is also restrained by others, one link after another, covering everything, but there is only one real behind-the-scenes person.

"You're all just pawns," Hyacinth said.

"Aren't you?" Cornelia relaxed her hand, and a silk scarf that had just been folded fluttered down into the box.

The author has something to say:

Note:

1. Dogwood: Cornelia means dogwood in Greek.

2. Opal Necklace: It is indeed the opal necklace mentioned in the original book, but it is obviously not as strong as Cornelia said - partly because she can't make the power of the ancient runes fully manifest (don't forget Here's who the real rune experts are).

3. Hyacinth's evasive attitude towards Edmund stems from intuition.

4. Margaret is the last friend of Hyacinth in Slytherin. Her marriage contract with Signus is a kind of "betrayal" in Hyacinth's view.

----------