[HP] The Dark Duke's Candy

Mulciber really didn't make it to the Quidditch match.

He didn't go to the medical wing, he just stood up like that, and when Candice met him by chance, he looked at her quite strangely.

Candice glanced at his pale and gloomy face, thinking that he would say something else, such as I happened to be injured this time and couldn't participate in the competition, but next time I must look good and so on.

but.

Mulciber quickly passed her by with a gloomy face, not to mention talking to her, even making eye contact for only a few seconds.

Candice looked back in surprise, Mulciber was walking very fast, and seemed to be running away.

What are you doing, why are you acting like she hurt him, why are you so afraid of her all of a sudden?

Candice had no clue about this, and it was impossible to ask Mulciber directly, so the matter was finally let go.

It is worth mentioning that Gryffindor won the Quidditch match in November.

Coincidentally, Malfoy, as Slytherin's Seeker, also did not participate in the match due to personal reasons. The substitute came on the court as a rookie, who could not be compared with Candice at all. The match quickly caught Candice. After the Snitch it was over.

Flying in the air on a broom, Candice looked at the Slytherin stands suspiciously. Malfoy stood in the crowd, looking at her expressionlessly.

Very strange.

Things got weird when Mulciber got hurt.

Stranger things happened next semester.

Shortly after Valentine's Day, Riddle told Candice that he had found out about Malfoy's next move.

This was the first "clue" he had found since they began to suspect Abraxas.

Candice knew the seriousness of this matter, so even though the junior wizard exam was coming, she took the time to find out.

It was a Hogsmeade day.

Candice held the notebook that Riddle had given her for her birthday that year, and there was a message from him on it.

She found Abraxas's location according to the address written in the notebook. His signature long platinum-blond hair was very conspicuous. Even with a hood on, the golden hair floating on the edge of the hat was enough to attract attention.

There was not only him alone, but also many of his "friends". Candice saw Mulciber, Nott, Rozier, and Dolokhov, and she couldn't name them. She wasn't a student of Slytherin after all.

Candice hid in a corner to avoid being discovered by them.

A group of them gathered in a corner, and there seemed to be someone lying there in the center, and Candice saw some vague shadows from the gap between the legs of those people, as if... It seemed to be a student of Hufflepuff.

She was a little worried, afraid that something would happen to the other party, so she boldly took a step forward, and soon heard Malfoy speak.

"Dirty Mudblood..." he said, kicking the man, but Candice couldn't hear the scream.

Could it be that he is already in a coma?

Candice impulsively wanted to go up to help, and just as she was about to pass by, a pair of hands grabbed her.

"Don't move." The voice was deep and sweet, very familiar, "Look again."

Candice turned her head abruptly, looked at Riddle's handsome face and said, "No, he seems to be dying."

Riddle whispered, "I won't let him die."

Candice was a little nervous: "But they won't listen to you, they are from Malfoy..."

A fleeting smile appeared on Riddle's face. He stroked Candice's back, followed her flustered breathing, and comforted her softly in her ear: "Trust me, I can help you." Busy, you don't need to come forward."

"But……"

"Be obedient and look again."

I don't know if it's because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Candice always feels that there will be things that Riddle has promised to do.

In her opinion, he was almost omnipotent, although he was only a sixth year student at Hogwarts.

She was miraculously persuaded by him, and temporarily gave up the idea of ​​going up to help.

Riddle covered half of her body, looking intently at the group of people gathered together, he pulled out his wand and cast some incantation, the conversation there was very clear.

"They are not worthy of learning magic." Abraxas said loftily, "The whole of Hogwarts is filthy and stinky by this group of people, Dumbledore, that old bee, wait until I take over as the Hogwarts school manager , will definitely kick him out of Hogwarts."

He actually wanted to drive away Professor Dumbledore?

Candice was angry again, she glared viciously at the slender figure not far away, and Riddle silently observed her expression, with a faint smile always on the corner of her mouth.

"Do you want to finish him?" This was Dolokhov's voice. "This guy is really annoying. He has come to find fault several times. Do you really think we dare not kill him?"

They are going to kill!

Candice tensed up again, and she tried to help again, but Riddle stopped her again.

"They won't do that, Malfoy will stop them," he said.

Candice didn't think so: "How could he be so kind? He did all of this..."

Riddle said softly: "If you don't believe me, you can listen—"

Sure enough, just as he finished speaking, Abraxas' voice sounded.

"Not yet, have you forgotten what happened last semester?"

He said in a low voice, "It's just that one Mudblood died, and that group of people will close Hogwarts. If another one dies now, Hagrid has already been expelled. Who do you think can be used as a scapegoat this time? "

"But just let him go? What if he tells the headmaster or Dumbledore when he goes back?"

"Have you forgotten that you are a wizard yourself, Antonin?" Malfoy said grimly, "It's enough for a person to forget everything, or modify his memory so that he, like other mudbloods, thinks he is It was accidentally injured."

"—I'm just too excited, of course I know this." Dolokhov muttered, and then there was the sound of a curse.

Candice is now in a cold sweat.

She was quickly taken from here by Riddle.

No matter which angle you look at, from the information she has known and from what Malfoy said just now, it can be found that they all point to a truth - the instigator of all this is Abraxas Malfoy.

"It seems that he is the one who opened the secret room."

Riddle held her shoulders, and the two walked through Hogsmeade, heading towards Hogwarts.

He said in a low voice: "He mentioned the murder last semester, and the injured students this semester."

Candice is not deaf, she heard it just now.

What Abraxas said, his disrespect for the injured students and Miss Warren who died last term, it was really hard to believe that he was innocent.

Candice's body trembled a little, partly because of the cold, and partly because of the unacceptable mood after the "truth" was in front of her.

Indeed, the person who opened the secret room must be a student, not a professor or some foreign creature. Hogwarts is airtight and well-defended, and no outsider can get in. If such a thing happens, there will be people besides the students. who?

But when all this is confirmed, you still can't help but feel chilled by it.

Candice really didn't like Malfoy very much, he was arrogant, cold and self-willed, but she didn't expect him to be that bad.

She still remembered that year, at the Slug Club, he reminded her to keep her away from Riddle, she still didn't understand the meaning of his words, she thought... Maybe it was because he was worried that her existence made Riddle Del broke away from their group and became his trouble?

It now appears that there is no other plausible reason than this explanation.

Riddle had indeed become his problem, finding out everything about him and showing it to her.

Candice stopped in her tracks. Standing in the boundless white snow of Hogsmeade, she looked at Riddle's picturesque face wearing a black hood. Consciously with a slight smile, it is the same at this moment.

Candice stared at him for a long time before saying hoarsely, "Will they retaliate against you?"

Riddle looked down at her and said softly, "Maybe."

"Then can you protect yourself?"

"Probably." His answer was still ambiguous.

Candice pondered for a long time before she lowered her head and said, "Then should I tell Professor Dumbledore about this?"

Riddle gave an affirmative answer this time: "Should."

Candice bit her lip and said, "But—what would Professor Dumbledore do?"

Riddle didn't answer her again this time.

What Dumbledore would do is indeed a mystery.

Will he believe Candice's words?

Will you believe everything that Riddle offers this girl?

Would he give someone like him the slightest bit of trust?

the answer is……

Probably not.

Candice eventually told Dumbledore what she had seen.

Dumbledore listened quietly, and after listening, he said, "With these alone, we cannot convict Mr. Malfoy, Candice."

Candice took a breath and said, "Is it because there is no actual evidence, Professor?"

Dumbledore smiled and said: "This is one of the reasons. Mr. Malfoy is the heir of the Malfoy family. Mr. Malfoy's father is the head of the Hogwarts school board and a senior official of the Ministry of Magic. Under the premise, just because he bullies his classmates can only bring him a penalty of points or confinement. If you want to accuse him of being the person who opened the secret room, the current situation will not work, and maybe you will..." He said softly Said, "Maybe they will scare the snake away."

Candice closed her eyes and said nothing, and Dumbledore said after a while: "Besides, what you heard about his self-reporting identity does not completely mean that he is the one who opened the secret room. He just published It does not directly indicate that he is the one who opened the secret room. Such a statement can be said in the mouth of any student, it is too vague and not specific."

That's exactly what happened.

Assuming that Candice is a bad girl, she likes to bully her classmates, and even do substantial harm to her classmates, but after the incident like the Chamber of Secrets happened last semester, she will be more cautious, and will not kill anyone, so as not to prevent Hogwarts from going to school again. Stationed by the Ministry of Magic, the entire school faces closure.

Abraxas' words sound questionable at first glance, but when you think about it carefully, they really don't count as evidence.

Candice left Professor Dumbledore's office. In the following period, there were no accidents in the school. She was immersed in the junior wizard exam and temporarily put this matter behind her.

Her relationship with Riddle had been stable, there was little conflict between them, and he seemed to be doing fine in Slytherin.Although there were no longer as many people around him as in the beginning, he didn't seem to take this matter to heart.

Her fifth grade and his sixth grade ended in this invisible smoke.

After school starts again, Riddle will usher in his last year at Hogwarts, which is about to expire.

Candice wanted to give him a memorable coming-of-age birthday, and she had been preparing for a long time, but unfortunately, he chose to stay in school for Christmas.

Mr. Bell has been in poor health recently, and Candice had already made up her mind to go home to see her father for Christmas, so she couldn't stay with him at school, which meant that she had prepared everything for nothing.

Sitting on the train home, Candice seemed a little absent-minded. For some reason, she always felt a sense of crisis recently. She had never encountered any conflicts. Why did she feel this way?

Where does this sense of crisis come from?

She couldn't figure it out.

She hadn't been able to come to any conclusions all Christmas.

After school started again, she began to see Riddle less often.

This was as it should be, he was about to graduate soon, and was preparing for the ultimate wizarding exam. She had passed the junior wizarding exam in the fifth grade, and she was too busy at that time, let alone him who was facing the final exam.

She gave him plenty of time and tried not to disturb him as much as possible, but she didn't expect to meet him during the night watch.

"...It's very late." Candice stared at his quiet and mysterious face, "Why are you still outside?"

Riddle has resigned as the prefect. He is now the head of the male students at Hogwarts. It stands to reason that he does not need to watch the night.

His explanation to her was: "I just left the dean and did a long career counseling."

Candice had no doubts about him and quickly believed him.

"Then are you going back now?" She asked casually, and turned to make way for him.

Maybe it's been a long time since I saw each other, and I haven't spoken for a long time?There was something strange between them.

Not quite that either.

How should I put it... Riddle's face, expression, and demeanor at this moment have all changed a lot.

Over the years, the aura of a superior person in him has become stronger and stronger, and he will unconsciously bring out some when he talks to her. It is probably this aura that makes her feel that he is different and they are alienated.

Riddle seemed to sense her sensitive mind.

He didn't leave in a hurry, he walked up to Candice, looked at her who had grown into a big girl, and said softly to her, "I'm going to graduate soon."

"I know." Candice was a little puzzled why he suddenly mentioned this.

Riddle stared at her for a while, his black eyes were like swirls, and Candice would start to lose consciousness if she watched for a little longer.

"Remember what I told you last year?" He spoke in a softer tone, which managed to make Candice blush.

She stood there, clutching the sleeve of her school robe nervously, and gave an affirmative answer: "I remember."

"I'll wait for you for a year." He took her into his arms, kissed her ear, and said, "We will get married as soon as you graduate."

marry……

This matter was very remote to her before, but it is different now.

She is already in the sixth grade, and she is already 17 years old, and she is even old enough to use magic freely outside of school.

Marriage is the most important thing she will face soon.

Candice was silent for a while, nodded and said, "Okay." She took his hand, and he held a wand in his hand. To be honest, his wand was a bit scary. took it in his hand.

If any of the other Slytherins were here to see her do it, they'd faint.

She actually took Riddle's wand, so easily!

There is no need to repeat the importance of the wand to a wizard. For a person like Riddle, he handed his wand to Candice who wanted to see it without any hindrance, and let her play with it. Things I dare not even dream of.

Candice held the yew wood wand in her hand without realizing it, and soon felt a gloomy, huge force.

This wand felt different to her than her wand felt.

She froze for a moment, looked at Riddle who was watching her and said, "It doesn't seem very happy?"

Riddle smiled and said, "It's just not familiar to you yet, this is the first time you're holding it."

Indeed it is.

Candice tried a simple fluorescent flash with his wand, and the white, bone-like wand lit up with a huge light. A cold, silky, snake-like sensation invaded her body, and she was soon Returned the wand to him.

"Ollivander said that the wand chooses the wizard, not the wizard chooses the wand. I think he is right." Candice said with lingering fear, "This wand is really not suitable for me, it makes me feel uncomfortable."

Riddle raised his eyebrows slightly, flipped the wand in his hand, and cast a spell upwards, countless rose petals fell down.

"I use it very easily." He said with a smile.

Candice stood in the rose rain and laughed helplessly.

The time of parting came soon.

Riddle graduated.

He won the honor of the most outstanding student since the founding of Hogwarts with a full score of [-] O's.

As soon as he graduated, the Ministry of Magic sent him an invitation, but he declined.

As he said to Candice, he applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship at Hogwarts. Professor Mellors has retired, and now the position is vacant. No matter in terms of grades or opportunities, Riddle said , are the most suitable candidates.

When Principal Dippet got the application, he was about to approve it almost immediately, but at the most critical moment, Dumbledore blocked him.

"I am firmly opposed, Armando." Dumbledore said seriously, "Although Mr. Riddle is very good, I don't think he is old enough to be a professor at Hogwarts."

Headmaster Dippet said, "Hogwarts is not without precedent for becoming a professor after graduation, Albus."

"But we have a better choice than Mr. Riddle. I recommend to you my friend, an experienced Auror. He will definitely be qualified for this job." Dumbledore introduced the people around him to Principal Dippet. People, "No matter in terms of age or experience, he is more suitable than Mr. Riddle. Maybe we can temporarily reject Mr. Riddle's application until he is a little older."

Principal Dippet frowned, but in the end he couldn't hold back Dumbledore and rejected Riddle's application for the position.

This is something no one thought of.

Candice didn't expect either.

She was fully expecting his application to be successful, and he didn't tell her anything about his rejection, and she only found out when she was in seventh year and met the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and it wasn't him .

She dug out the double-sided mirror he gave her that night and asked him about it.

"Why didn't you come to Hogwarts to teach?" Candice frowned, staring at the man in the mirror. He was a little thinner, pale, with fine stubble on his chin, black hair and black eyes in the night. down almost into darkness.

"You shouldn't ask me this question." His voice was a little cool, and he no longer had the childishness of a student. Even if he looked in the double-sided mirror, his presence would make Candice uncomfortable Consciously generate a kind of fear.

"You should ask your dear Professor Dumbledore." He twitched the corners of his mouth with a half-smile and said sarcastically.

Candice was puzzled: "What does this have to do with Professor Dumbledore?"

Riddle straightened the two-way mirror a bit, and she could look straight into his eyes from the front, but this made her feel even more flustered.

"It was he who convinced Armando Dippet to reject my application, don't you know?"

Candice was stunned: "What did you say?"

"My inability to enter Hogwarts to teach is the result of his strong opposition. Didn't your dear professor tell you about it?" He asked her again, leaving Candice speechless.

It took her a long time to whisper: "No, he didn't tell me, he...why did he do this?"

Riddle smiled and didn't answer, but this silence was also an answer.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Candice asked another way.

Riddle frowned this time, he pursed his lips slightly, and said after a long time: "How should I tell you? You have such a close relationship with Dumbledore, and you grew up under his care. You want me to tell you about this matter?" Tell you, are you charged with sowing discord?"

Candice was completely speechless.

Riddle quickly cut off the signal.

He seemed to be angry about it.

He didn't even tell Candice what he was going to do this year since he didn't apply.

Candice regretted asking him about it.

If you don't ask, maybe you don't have to be so contradictory.

When she realized it, she was already standing outside Professor Dumbledore's office.

She stood there for a long time with complicated emotions before she read the password and walked in.

Professor Dumbledore's office was always open to her, and every time he changed the password, Fox would tell her so that she would not be able to get in when she wanted to find him.

When Candice walked into this office, Professor Dumbledore was feeding Fox. He was holding the latest product of Honeydukes in his hand. When he saw her, he smiled: "You are here, Candice." He raised his finger Pointing to the sofa, "Sit down, I have delicious food here, and you came just in time."

Candice smiled reluctantly and took her usual seat.

Dumbledore put the candy box in front of her, and Candice glanced at it without moving.

Dumbledore looked at her for a while and said, "It seems you know about that."

Candice lowered her head and said nothing, Dumbledore continued: "I thought you would know earlier." He said softly, "Did Mr. Riddle tell you this now?"

Candice raised her head and said, "I asked him, and he said it."

Dumbledore was a little surprised.

"Why did you reject him, Professor?" Candice stood up, very confused, "His grades are so good, can't he be qualified for that position?"

Dumbledore looked at the girl he had grown up with, and the second thing he regretted in his life was letting her be with Riddle.

If time could go back, he would choose to support her decision when she cut off Tom Riddle because of him.

"You're asking me for an explanation, aren't you, Candice." Dumbledore said in a complicated tone.

Candice shook her head.

She was silent for a while before saying: "I don't need your explanation, I trust your decision."

Dumbledore was surprised again.

His blue eyes stared at this increasingly beautiful girl, and she smiled hard and said, "I believe you must have your own judgment, I just don't understand a little bit, if you are willing to tell me the reason..."

"Of course I'd like to tell you, Candice." Dumbledore interrupted her self-deprecating words, and said bluntly, "Even if you don't come to me today, I will find you soon."

Candice frowned slightly, she was sensitively aware that something was wrong, and she resisted to hear it, but it was too late.

"I've got the evidence, Candice." Dumbledore looked at her impatiently, "I have thought about how to tell you this so that you will be hurt as little as possible, but—maybe you should see Looking at the deeply hidden content of Morfin Gaunt's memory, that kind of superb spell, I am surprised that Mr. Riddle can master it in fifth grade."

"...What do you want to say?"

"What I want to say is..." Dumbledore closed his eyes and lowered his voice, "I found Morfin Gaunt's real memory from him before he died in Azkaban. Kill The dead old Riddles are not Morfin, they are Tom Riddles."

Candice looked at him in disbelief, her legs gave way and she fell directly on the sofa.

"There is another thing. About Mr. Malfoy, although I can't get any testimony from him, Candice, I think you need to know this matter-whether it is Mr. Malfoy, or other graduates People like Lestrange, Mulciber, Dolohov or Nott and Rozier, they are all from Riddle." He was a little cruel but had to say, "I think, that one The scene you saw in Hogsmeade last year was just a show that Riddle asked them to do for you."

Candice was like a white, silky, beautiful plate. After Dumbledore said these words, she was thrown to the ground hard, smashed, and it was impossible to put it together again.

"If you don't believe me." Dumbledore took out several measuring bottles, "I have here..."

"Please stop." Candice quickly interrupted Dumbledore.

Tears were all over her face, she stared at Dumbledore blankly, and Dumbledore knew by looking into her eyes that she would not doubt him.

She trusted him as she had trusted Riddle.

If she had to choose someone she trusted more between Dumbledore and Riddle, that person would also be Dumbledore.

It's not that she doesn't love Riddle enough.

This is precisely because she loves him so much.

Because of this love, she will deliberately ignore many things, some suspicious points, some strange places, many, many, and sometimes she doesn't realize that she is deceiving herself.

Everything is not groundless.

Everything is traceable.

As long as she is willing to re-look at the road she has traveled, with a clear consciousness and posture.

Especially after he graduated.

They had less contact, he was busier, his whereabouts were erratic, and the Slytherins in her year often mentioned him.

She had overheard their whispers by chance.

They spoke of his greatness, of how much they wanted to follow him.

follow him...

When Candice heard this statement for the first time, she felt chills all over her body.

Women are sensitive animals.

Candice matured as she got older.

Her intuition gave her a sense of crisis very early on, and this sense of crisis was finally completely relieved at this moment.

It turned out to be the case.

Candice stood up slowly.

She went to the Pensieve in Dumbledore's office and asked him, "Can I see Morfin's memory, Professor."

Dumbledore did not speak.

He just walked over, opened one of the measuring flasks, and poured the silver memory into the Pensieve.

Candice took a deep breath and bent down without hesitation.

Albania.

Riddle was wearing a black wizard robe, walking in the jungle with a tall and straight figure.

He held something in his hand, it was shiny and looked very precious.

That is Ravenclaw's diadem.

It is a treasure belonging to one of the founders of Hogwarts.

He glanced at it now and then, imagining how it would look on Candice's head.

That must be beautiful.

He would wear Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem for her at their wedding with his own hands, something so sacred as to be worthy of his wife.

Before leaving Albania, he met a passing farmer, who was attracted by his strange wizard attire, and looked this way from time to time.

Riddle's wand was already in his hand, and he wanted to directly curse the farmer who offended him, but...

Perhaps the wand had been used by Candice and had stained her purity.

Or maybe he would soften his heart when he thought of her, anyway, in the end, the farmer escaped unharmed.

Riddle Apparates back to England.

He had heard the news of Morfin Gaunt's death in Azkaban, but felt nothing about it.

He started buying a house for his future home, and again turned down multiple invitations from the Ministry of Magic.

He had taken a rather unremarkable job at Borginbock's Dark Magic Shop in Knockturn Lane, hoping to take advantage of the place's convenience to find Slytherin's locket lost by his filthy and incompetent mother.

It is a relic left by Salazar Slytherin, and as Slytherin's heir, he must retrieve it.

He arranged everything well until—the servant at the school told him that something happened to Candice.

The fine porcelain cup in Riddle's hand fell to the ground, and Abraxas, who was standing aside, glanced at the person who reported the news, and frowned indistinctly.

"Who did it?"

After a brief silence, Lord Voldemort said lightly, "Who hurt her?"