[HP] The Dark Duke's Candy

The Christmas season is over and the new year has officially arrived.

Candice boarded the Hogwarts Express in high spirits, and was dragged mysteriously to the Gryffindor box by Anita and Louise.

"Be honest." Louise pressed Candice's shoulder and said, "How is your Christmas vacation with Riddle going?"

Gossip is probably the nature of girls. If they are still in the center of the whirlpool of gossip between schoolgirls and courtyard girls, it would be a shame if they don't come and question them hard.

Anita deliberately evoked a wicked smile: "If you dare to lie to us, be careful that we crawl into your bed at night."

Candice was amused by her, leaned back in the chair and said, "We are all girls, what's so scary about you climbing into my bed?"

Anita was taken aback for a moment, and soon said with a tiger face: "Then I will squat on your bedside to scare you!"

Candice shrank her neck, glad that Euphemia and Fremont hadn't come yet, otherwise it would have been even more embarrassing.

She sighed, and said truthfully: "The development of the holiday... I can only say that it's not bad. My father has changed his mind about Tom and no longer objects to my association with him."

She said this very relaxedly, it seems that she really got the Shangfang sword from her father.Anita and Louise hugged her and sighed, secretly vowing to find a boy as good as Riddle as a boyfriend before graduating from the third grade.

But that is really not too difficult.

When Euphemia and Fremont entered the box together, everyone spontaneously began to chat about other topics.

After a Christmas holiday, Fremont seemed to be in a much better mood. At least he was no longer so awkward when facing Candice, and he would take the initiative to talk to her.

Candice couldn't tell what she felt in her heart, she just felt that it was a long-lost experience to be able to chat with him like a normal friend like now.

After the reopening of school, the Quidditch competition month in February will be ushered in immediately. Because of the upset loss in the last competition, Captain Wood advanced the training start time and got the approval of Professor Dumbledore.

So, not long after the start of school, Candice was confiscated all her private time to practice Quidditch. She originally planned to give Riddle a birthday gift by hand, but at this moment she had to choose to mail it——I knew it would be In this way, she sent a gift on the 31st.

With a long sigh, after letting go of the owl, Candice picked up the broom to catch up with the large group.

Riddle was in the library when she received her birthday present.

After Candice got busy with training, they seldom did homework together, and he never went with other people, including Abraxas or Lestrange, and they didn't get his permission.

He stayed alone in the restricted section of the library, and no one knew what he was researching all day long.

Removing the package from the snowy owl's feet, it was inconvenient to feed in the library, and Riddle just let the unhappy owl leave hungry.

He watched the little white shadow disappear little by little, and unwrapped the package casually.

Candice gave him a scarf last year.

At that time, she said that because of the urgent time, the weaving was not very good, and she would give him better ones in the future.

Now she has come to fulfill her promise.

This is a thicker and more beautiful scarf than last year's. The color matching is low-key and restrained. It is very suitable for Hogwarts, which is still relatively cold in January.

Riddle himself was not wearing a scarf, and he didn't feel cold at first, but when he saw the new scarf, he felt a chill inexplicably.

So he tied up the scarf casually.

Well, it feels better now.

He pursed the corners of his mouth, and turned his gaze back to the black magic book in his hand. He wondered if it was the psychological effect brought by the scarf. In his mind, Candice asked hysterically in the snow in Hogsmeade. He doesn't look like he can't learn the dark arts.

He gave her an affirmative answer at the time.

Because he knew very well that if he still denied it at that time, everything would be messed up.

but……

The truth is - he never gave up his quest for the dark arts.

Clenching the book in his hand, Riddle turned his eyes away a little irritably. He pondered for a long time, and finally looked at the book again.

The above content can no longer satisfy him.

He needs some more advanced content and information to complete his plan to defeat death.

Abraxas has been very troubled recently.

Because Professor Slughorn decided that he was the one who betrayed Slytherin.

"I've said it wasn't me hundreds of times, but the professor decided it was me. What's going on? How could I give that memory to Dumbledore? I wish that old bee would die of anger." Abu Laxus was sitting in the common room with an ugly face. Lestrange and Avery glanced at each other, and moved aside indistinctly, as if they were trying to avoid him.

After Abraxas found out, he frowned and asked, "What are you hiding?"

Lestrange said solemnly, "I'm worried about harming the fish in the pond."

Abraxas clenched his fists, staring at him with gray-blue eyes and said, "You also think I betrayed Slytherin?"

Lestrange smiled and said, "Of course not, Abu, why would you think that? I'm just worried about being angered by you."

Avery gave Lestrange a sideways look, as if contemptuously.

Abraxas glanced at Avery, who was sitting there leisurely, with Mulciber and Naomi Goyle not far behind.Naomi Goyle looked at Abraxas with extremely unfriendly eyes. If Lestrange left him a step because of his status as Malfoy's heir, the stupid Miss Goyle is clearly resenting him .

Abraxas narrowed his eyes, pushed Avery away, walked up to Mulciber and Goyle, and whispered softly: "It seems that Miss Goyle has a different opinion?"

Naomi Gower looked at him angrily and said, "When I finished the exam last year, I saw you and Candice Bell hugging by the Black Lake!"

Abraxas was stunned, and it took him a while to realize that he was just hit by a silly Bell who didn't look at the road that day. Not only did he get wet all over, but he was also very painful!

Now it turned into him hugging Candice Bell? ?

Is this woman out of her mind?

Infinite sarcasm appeared on Abraxas's pale face: "Are you blind, Goyle? I just got bumped. I advise you to think carefully before you speak next time, otherwise if you say something If I'm not happy, your father will teach you a lesson for me when I return home during the summer vacation."

Goyle's expression changed, and he said gloomily, "Don't bully others, Malfoy."

"Oh, so what if I just bully others?" Abraxas said with a faint smile. "You can bully me if you have the ability—a Malfoy. You can try." He took out his wand and looked at Gao Goyle's eyes were full of disdain, and Goyle hid behind Mulciber, looking terrified.

Abraxas glanced at Mulciber, who shrugged and moved away, and Goyle was even more frightened.

"Remember, there will be no next time."

Abraxas pointed at Goyle with the tip of his wand indifferently, then turned around mercilessly and returned to his exclusive seat.

"Where's Tom?" He asked casually, drawing weird stares from Avery and Lestrange.

"Then what are you looking at me for?" Abraxas asked displeased.

Francis Lestrange coughed and said, "He should be in the library. He seems to have encountered some problems recently. He often spends time in the library, and we are not allowed to follow him."

Abraxas frowned and didn't say anything more.Lestrange and Avery glanced at each other, both heaving a sigh of relief.

They knew best why Professor Slughorn believed Malfoy had betrayed Slytherin.

Because they are part of what made it happen.

"What do you think Tom is researching recently?" Lestrange asked Avery curiously on the way to the library.

Avery shook his head and said, "I don't know. Why do you keep asking so much? My dad told me that too much curiosity can bring disaster."

Lestrange grunted, but said nothing.The two were walking when they happened to meet Candice and her party who were oncoming.She was talking to Anita, and both of them were smiling. Although they were walking with the flower of Gryffindor, Anita was not lined with dirt, and she smiled beautifully, too. Glancing at her, Anita was keenly aware, looking over a few Hufflepuffs, who then saw the two young men in Slytherin robes.

Anita paused, poked Candice and said, "Look, it's Lestrange and Avery." She whispered, "Aren't they always with Riddle before? I haven't seen them lately. ?”

Candice whispered, "I don't know either. I've been busy with Quidditch training recently, and I haven't had a good conversation with Tom."

Anita opened her eyes wide and said, "Isn't it you? You don't want to pamper such a powerful boyfriend, and you only care about Quidditch? Are you not afraid that he will run away?"

Candice's heart skipped a beat when she said it. She was obviously a little worried, but she still said stubbornly: "The ones that can run away don't belong to me, and there is no pity to run away."

When she said this, Lestrange and Avery happened to walk up to them. For some reason, Anita greeted them, which surprised them.

"Hello." Anita said with a smile.

Candice was also stunned by her. Francis Lestrange glanced at Anita strangely. Out of the cultivation and politeness of the family, he nodded reservedly and said with a smile, "Hello."

After finishing speaking, he and Avery left together, and the two whispered from time to time, as if discussing what Anita wanted to do with the sudden greeting.

Candice also didn't understand.

"You actually took the initiative to greet them?" Candice said in surprise, "Don't you always hate Slytherin?"

Anita smiled and said: "But Riddle is so good, his friends should be good too, right?"

Candice was stunned, but she didn't expect this level.

"I think maybe my previous thinking was too narrow, so I want to observe what Slytherin is like at a close distance. Now I am full of curiosity about that house!" Looking back at Lestrange as before, both of them were taken aback for a moment, and then both of them quickly looked away.

"How much do you know about Lestrange?" Anita subconsciously asked Candice.

Candice held the book and said with a complicated expression: "I'm not very familiar with Slytherin students other than Tom."

Anita let out an "oh", didn't ask any more questions, and started talking about something else.

Candice watched her worriedly, always feeling that something was about to happen, so she couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.

This sense of uneasiness made Candice choose to escape Captain Wood's training and ran to find Riddle.

Conus Wood looked for Candice in the common room but couldn't find her figure, so he almost got into the girls' dormitory.

"Does anyone know where she went?" Captain Wood said angrily, "She escaped such an important training?"

Louise shrank to the side and said weakly: "...But you have to train almost every day. Candice is a girl, so she must not be able to hold on. It is understandable to find a place to rest for a while, right?"

Wood choked for a moment, and said after a while: "...then she can tell me directly, I may not allow it."

Freemont couldn't help but said, "You definitely won't allow it."

Wood said angrily: "Shut up Fremont, you don't have a place to talk, it was because of you that we lost the game last year!"

Freemont blushed and said, "Don't turn over the old score, Konas, I promise I'll bring you a championship trophy this year!"

Wood was dubious: "Really?"

Fremont said with great determination: "Of course! If you lie to me, I'll raise Flobber caterpillars for Professor Kettleburn!"

Wood rolled his eyes and said: "You were going to raise it, do you think I haven't taken a class on protecting magical creatures?"

Fremont blushed even more.

"You just have to stop being picky, brother." Wood patted him on the shoulder earnestly.

Freemont clenched his fists and said firmly, "It will definitely not happen this time."

Candice could imagine what would happen if Wood couldn't find herself, but since she decided to escape training, she couldn't waver.

She sneaked to the library, bypassed the rows of bookshelves, and finally found the person she wanted to meet in the forbidden book area.

Riddle leaned on the bookshelf alone and read a book. The high bookshelf blocked the sunlight, and the thin light was cast down. Candice was a little far away, so she couldn't see clearly what he was looking at.

When she got closer, Riddle raised her head vigilantly. Candice was surprised to find that there was a small snake lying in front of her feet. She was startled and quickly retracted her feet. Del gets the snake away.

Rather than taking it away, it's more like...he let it go.

Candice hadn't forgotten that Riddle was a Parseltongue.

She wasn't surprised by this, but she still felt a little uncomfortable when she heard the hoarse voice coming from his mouth.

"Why are you here?" Riddle stuffed the book into the bookshelf casually, and pushed Candice out of the restricted area.

Candice didn't think about it that much, she said as she walked, "I haven't seen you for a few days, I want to see you."

"Don't you need training today?" Riddle swept around the people who were secretly looking at them. After leaving the restricted area, he saw more people. Candice and Riddle can be said to be the most attractive people in Hogwarts. The eye-catching couple, as soon as they appear, let alone reading and studying, even if the gold gallon is dropped on the ground, they probably don't have the heart to pick it up.

"I escaped." Candice said with lingering fear, "Wood must be looking for me all over the world now."

Riddle smiled slightly, and held her hand with his slender fingers: "Then I have a place where you can hide from him."

He took her to the Room of Requirement.

When Candice walked in, she was surprised to find that the Room of Requirement looked like Bell's living room.

She looked back at Riddle, who sat down casually and said, "This setting should relax you."

Candice slowly sat beside him, stared at his handsome and silent profile for a long time, and then asked him softly: "What kind of person is Francis Lestrange?"

Riddle's eyes paused, and he turned his head to look at her. A few dangerous rays of light appeared in his black eyes: "...Why, Miss Bell began to think that I am not good enough, and have you looked for other candidates?" He said slowly, "If Francis is what you're looking for, then I think I'd recommend someone better than him to you—how about Abraxas? Your hair color and eye color match well." , isn't it?"

In fact, Riddle has always been worried about the fact that Abraxas talked to Candice behind his back that day at the Slug Club.

It was also for this reason that he dragged him out to take the blame.

If Malfoy hadn't said anything special that day, Candice couldn't have reacted that way.

She would, as usual, say with a look of disgust that he had just said something nasty.

But she didn't.

Riddle's black eyes flickered, and there was a slight smile on the corner of his mouth. His smile was sharp and noble, and it could even be called beautiful, but Candice's goosebumps came up when she saw it.

She said helplessly, "Where did you go?" She frowned, rubbed her arm through the school robe, and said, "I just asked you about him for Annie, what does it have to do with me?" Her face was not very good-looking, "You actually recommended someone else to me... or that guy Malfoy... Are you trying to annoy me?" She glared at him angrily, "You know that I don't get along with him."

It turned out that I was just asking for news for a friend.

That's right, even if she wanted to change her mind, she wouldn't be stupid to come to him to inquire about news.

Thinking of this, Riddle couldn't help but startled.

He suddenly realized that he would have such childish and stupid moments.

Because of that dark and cold feeling, he would actually make jealous and angry remarks, which really didn't meet his standards.

He turned his head with an ugly expression, frowning with a cold face, Candice looked at him for a while, and said in a drawn-out tone: "To be honest, Tom, were you jealous just now?"

Riddle said indifferently without hesitation: "No."

Candice laughed when she heard the words, she leaned closer to him and said, "No? Why are you answering so quickly? And why don't you dare to look at me? Is it because of a guilty conscience?"

Riddle turned his head with a straight face and forced himself to meet her eyes. He looked at the smile in her blue eyes and said impatiently, "Why is Miss Garcia interested in Francis?" He could be called mean. Describing someone who seems to be his friend, "Francis is selfish, stupid, and self-styled. His greatest strength is probably his family, and his 'approachable' that can be called stupid."

Candice froze and said, "Is he that bad? I think he's much better than Malfoy."

"Really?" Hearing her belittle Abraxas, Riddle felt a lot happier, he pursed his lips and said, "How can Francis be compared with Abraxas... The Malfoy family is also difficult for the Lestrange family. Catch up with the existence."

"It's true from the perspective of the family, but Lestrange is much more polite than Malfoy. Anne took the initiative to greet him, and he returned the courtesy." Candice told Riddle what she was surprised about. .

Riddle was silent for a while and said, "You hope he treats Miss Garcia better?"

"I just hope he doesn't hurt Annie. Annie is a good girl and very simple. She has changed her mind about Slytherin because of you. I feel that she seems to be interested in Lestrange. Recently, she always seems to be interested in him." run somewhere." Candice said worriedly, "I hope that if Lestrange doesn't like her, he can tell her directly and don't let her waste his feelings. If he likes her, treat her well and don't let her sad."

Riddle stared at her in silence for a while, then closed his eyes and said, "I'll help you tell him."

Candice asked curiously: "Will he listen to you?"

Riddle's expression was light: "What do you think?"

Candice looked into his confident black eyes and said with a smile, "I think he will."

Riddle tilted his head and released that slight smile, as if Candice's trust and appreciation made him feel physically and mentally happy.

Candice put her arms around him, winked at him and said, "Should I stop thanking you?"

Riddle said with a clear face, "That's why you came to me today, right? If it wasn't for this, wouldn't you come to me after all the Quidditch matches are over?"

Candice was embarrassed for a moment, seeing that he seemed to mind this, her expression turned cold, and she immediately began to shake him vigorously.

"How come? I escaped from the training first because I missed you! Why did I come here only because of Annie?" Candice shook the young man beside her and said, "Can you stop thinking about it all the time? Tom? By the way, where is the birthday present I gave you? Why didn't you see it?"

Riddle snorted coldly and said, "I threw it in the dormitory." In fact, it was put away properly, and I always felt that I would be coveted after wearing it.

Candice curled her lips and said, "Don't you like it?" She tugged on the sleeve of his school robe, looking like she was about to cry.

Riddle stared at her for a while, and said a little irritably, "I like it."

Candice raised her head suddenly, stared at him and said, "Really?"

Riddle managed to maintain an indifferent look: "...really."

"Then you have to wear it. If you don't wear it, you won't have a chance. The temperature is getting higher day by day." Candice argued.

Riddle shook her hand, but did not shake it off, he could only say: "... Got it."

Candice smiled, and stretched out her hand to him the next second. Riddle glanced quickly, pretending to be puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Candice looked at him, her big eyes full of accusations: "Where is my gift?"

That's right, she hasn't got her birthday present yet. It's almost February and Valentine's Day is coming, but she hasn't got her birthday present yet. Isn't that too much?This boyfriend is very unqualified.

But since my birthday present was sent only recently, I don't blame him.

Candice pushed her palm forward again, staring at Riddle persistently.

Riddle put on a look of extreme embarrassment, as if he was thinking hard about what to do with her. Candice got angry, thinking that he didn't prepare a birthday present for her, and wanted to turn around and leave in desperation. But he was hugged from behind.

"You don't really think I'm not prepared for anything, do you?"

His light tone contained a bit of teasing, and Candice immediately understood that she had been tricked.

She turned around abruptly, stared at the young man who was called the film king in front of her, and said, "You're teasing me again! Is it fun to see me unhappy?"

Riddle stared at her for a while before saying seriously: "It's more fun to see you happy."

Candice was stunned, her face flushed, she reached out to him again, wrinkled her nose and said, "So? Where's my gift?"

Riddle smiled slightly, and I have to say that the schoolgirl's smile is so charming, Candice felt that if he could smile at her like this for the rest of his life, then it would be fine if he didn't give her a gift.

But Riddle gave her the gift anyway.

He twirled his wand, and a gift box appeared in his palm. After the box was opened, a ring lay inside.

The shape of the ring is a rose, very much like the magical rose that Candice gave him at Christmas.

Candice watched in amazement until he put the ring on her left middle finger—that meant, in love.

Candice stared at Riddle with blinking blue eyes, the young man caressed her white finger with the ring, raised his eyes and smiled at her, and said warmly: "Give me the flower of Gryffindor. "

In fact, many people have said that Candice is the flower of Gryffindor.

But this was the first time she had heard Riddle say that.

She felt her face was so hot that she was about to burn, and she didn't know how she got back to the common room in the end.

Captain Wood was sitting in the common room, with an expression of "I've got you caught", which made Candice wake up instantly.

"Ke, Konas." Candice said nervously, "I... um... I'm not feeling well, I have to go back to the dormitory first, play slowly!" She turned her head and wanted to run, but was caught by another Things got stuck.

Not because of Quidditch, it's about Hagrid.

Fremont ran back to the lounge panting, and grabbed Candice when he saw her: "Candice, something happened! Hagrid was kicked out of the dormitory again!"

"What?" Candice was taken aback, "Didn't he no longer raise prohibited animals? Why was he kicked out of the dormitory?"

Freemont frowned and said, "He lied to us! He's still raising him! Secretly!" He said a little angrily, "He was directly discovered by the dean this time, and the dean has already taken him away. I Think he'll probably find Hagrid a place to live by himself."

Candice frowned, and she said quickly, "Let's go and have a look."

Freemont nodded and followed, and the two hurriedly left the lounge.

Not too far away, Fremont looked at the back of Candice's fluttering blond hair, and couldn't help raising the corners of his mouth.

They can still be friends, which is actually very good, isn't his mentality the same at the beginning?

Why did he suddenly become so greedy later?It even made her and him unhappy, and there was a gap.

How silly.

To be her good friend and help her supervise Riddle, this is the most important thing he should do right now.

As for the others—as long as Riddle dared to bully Candice or hurt her, he would definitely beat him up!

Even if he can't beat him!

And then...then he had a chance!

Thinking of this, Freemont was extremely excited. He followed Candice's footsteps and ran downstairs. Captain Wood stood in the common room with a dark face and said speechlessly: "So? Do you think I am air?... Xie Te, you guys who don't live up to expectations!"