[HP] The Dark Duke's Candy

As the holiday approached, Candice wrote a letter to Riddle, asking him to meet him at the Astronomy Tower on the night of December 31.

The reason why she chose to write a letter instead of speaking in person was because she hadn't seen him at school these days.

She was embarrassed to go directly to Slytherin to find him. The feeling of being probed by that man in the Slytherin carriage at the beginning of school was once in her life, and she didn't want to try it again.

So she finally chose to write a letter.

After sending the letter, she waited steadily for her birthday.

Hogwarts will hold a Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, attended only by the remaining students and professors.

There are very few people staying in Gryffindor this year, including Candice, there are only three. She is not very familiar with them, and the seats for the few people are a little sparse, and they look quite lonely.

Candice looked at the long Slytherin table opposite, there were seven or eight people sitting there, and there was no Riddle inside.

She thought at first that he was planning to come later, but she didn't see him until the party was over.

Could it be that he didn't want to go to the dinner party, so he didn't come?

According to his personality, it is not impossible. Candice has doubts in her heart, but she is not very troubled.

When the 31st approached, she arrived at the Astronomy Tower on time with the cake she made herself under the tearful eyes of the house elf, as well as the birthday present she had prepared for him.

She patted her school robe, tightened the golden-red scarf, and leaned over the railing to look out.

Tomorrow is the new year, and they are one year older. It feels so good to celebrate their birthday together.

Until this time, she was still imagining what Riddle would look like after receiving her birthday gift, and whether she would say thank you jerky to herself like last time.

She even wondered if she wanted to hug him after he said thanks like she did the last time they had a birthday together.

She turned around with a blushing face, her blue eyes retracted from the starry night sky, and she saw a few Slytherin girls at the bottom of the stairs walking up the steps at a leisurely pace.

Candice stared at them in surprise, never wanting to think of people so badly, she thought they were here to "play", and said politely: "Sorry—are you here to play? I'm waiting for someone, I may have to stay for a while, will it affect you?"

She was nice, but the girls were not nice.

They laughed and exaggerated: "Are you waiting for someone here? Dumbledore's favorite?"

Candice frowned, the hand hanging by her side was slightly opened, the wand slipped from her cuff, and she held it in her hand.

"Let me guess." One of the tall and strong girls smiled while holding a wand, "Are you waiting for Riddle?"

Candice's face turned pale, she would be a fool if she didn't notice something was wrong at this time.

She raised her foot and wanted to leave, but several girls stopped her. She glanced at the other's thick arms and said coldly, "Get out of the way, Gore."

The lady of the Gore family smiled and said, "Get out of the way? Are you fantasizing? Bell."

Another girl said: "It seems that Miss Bell hasn't figured out the situation yet—we finally tricked you here, how could we let you go back so easily?"

After she finished speaking, several girls laughed dangerously. Two of them were in the fourth grade, one was in the third grade, and two were in the second grade. Candice was a first-year freshman who looked like She was not as tall as them, and being blocked by this group of people, even if she had a quick reaction and mastered a lot of spells, she probably wouldn't be able to last long.

Candice took a few steps back and looked under the stone railing of the Astronomy Tower. It was too high, and if she fell, she would definitely be smashed into meatloaf.

Candice took a breath, and said to the girls in Slytherin school robes, "What do you think? I don't remember provoking you, why did you trick me into coming here?" She pursed her lips and said, " ... Tom didn't stay at school during the Christmas holidays, you guys lied to me on purpose." She said palely.

"You finally realized this? It's a pity it's too late." Miss Goyle said with a sneer, "You still call him so intimate - Dumbledore knows you are so 'favored' to a Slytherin student '?" She said in a strange tone, "I'm really curious about the ugly expression he will have when he finds out."

"You are not allowed to involve the professor." Candice said a little angrily, "Why do you involve the professor in the matter of the students? You want to teach me because I am close to Tom? You don't want people from Gryffindor to get along with Tom. Leitlin's student relationship?"

Goyle snorted and said, "Access—oh, no, of course not. Affair is nothing, at least you're a pureblood, not that annoying. But you shouldn't..." She took a step forward, forcing Candy to Si leaned directly on the stone railing, "You shouldn't seduce him!" She said viciously, "You're too presumptuous Bell, don't think that with Dumbledore protecting you, you can do whatever you want! I’m going to let you know today what it’s like to seduce someone else’s fancy!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she cast a petrification spell at Candice, who would dodge and panted, "You are violating the school rules, and the principal knew—"

"The principal won't know what happened today." Another girl said with a smile, "No matter what happened to you today, others will think that you accidentally fell off the Astronomy Tower."

Candice dodged another spell, and said calmly, "Don't be wild, as long as I tell the truth, a flashback spell will tell you what you did to your classmates."

Gore said with a smile: "Do you think we will be unprepared for this? Don't worry, Bell, someone will help us deal with your memories that shouldn't exist! What are you still dawdling about? She still has the strength to threaten us here , clearly not afraid at all! You really shouldn’t have angered me by saying these words, Bell, you should kneel down and beg for mercy, maybe I’ll let you go when I’m happy?”

Candice opened her eyes wide and watched several girls shoot spells at her together. Their only bottom line was probably that they didn't use black magic - but that was enough for her to bear.

Candice tried her best to protect herself, but she still suffered a lot of attacks. Her whole body hurt, her legs couldn't move, her body lost her balance. The only thing she could do was to tightly hold the wand in her hand, and then fell back weightlessly go.

She was standing on the edge of the stone railing of the Astronomy Tower, so if she fell down like this, she would definitely fall down.She closed her eyes in desperation, knowing that she might be in danger today—this was a premeditated and organized "prank". It was the first time she felt such extreme malice in others, but she didn't know what would happen in the future. Is there still a chance to remember it in my heart?

The moment she fell off the Astronomy Tower, a white light flashed, and the phoenix's cry resounded through the night sky. Candice opened her eyes excitedly and looked - it was Fox!Professor Dumbledore's pet!

Several Slytherin girls panicked when they heard the phoenix's cry. Goyle stared at the swooping phoenix and said nervously: "Isn't Dumbledore not at school? What's going on? How did you find out the news?!"

The others were dumbfounded. They wanted to run away in a panic, but when they turned around, they saw Dumbledore walking up the steps slowly.

Dumbledore was wearing a long silver wizard robe, holding a wand in his hand, and his wand pointed at Candice, who was about to fall off the Astronomy Tower, and was gently floated to his side.After she landed, Dumbledore immediately lifted all the confinement spells on her body, put his arms around her shoulders protectively, and looked lightly at a few Slytherin girls with ugly faces.

"I think—bullying classmates, even causing them to almost fall off the Astronomy Tower, is a very serious violation of school rules." Dumbledore said softly, "I will tell Armando and suggest that he invite some of your parents to Come to school."

When she heard that the parents were invited, Gore seemed very flustered, and she immediately said: "We were just joking with her! She didn't suffer any serious injuries, and she won't really fall off the Astronomy Tower. We will use floats for her." Cursed!"

When she said this, the others immediately agreed, and Dumbledore seemed to smile, but there was no warmth in his blue eyes.

It was the first time they had seen Dumbledore so directly callous to his students.

"I will have to deduct five hundred points from Slytherin House for your behavior." He turned around, took Candice and left, Fox fell on his shoulders, and he said sideways, "As for what you said Just kidding, it will take the headmaster, and your headmasters and parents, to judge after seeing the spells in your wands."

He flicked his wand slightly, and without even saying a spell, all the wands of the girls were confiscated in his hands.

Dumbledore held the wands of the girls and took Candice away without looking back.

Gore froze in place, trembling all over, not knowing whether it was because of the cold weather or fright.

The lady of the Crabbe family trembled her lips and said, "Five hundred points deducted, and you still have to call the parents, Naomi, it's all your fault!"

Naomi Gower said angrily: "What do you mean it's all my fault? Don't you guys applaud this plan?! Our only omission is Dumbledore! He didn't leave the school, who is responsible for finding out the news Yes! I will write to Walburga quickly!"

No matter how much they pursue their own responsibilities, the consequences cannot be changed.

Candice was rescued by Dumbledore in time, but she was also injured. After getting down from the Astronomy Tower, she passed out without even having time to thank Dumbledore.

Dumbledore stopped using the Levitating Curse, he directly hugged Candice and walked towards the medical wing as fast as he could.

On the way, the pockets of Candice's school robes were loosened, and the cakes and presents that had cast the shrinking spell fell out of them. Dumbledore frowned and cast a spell to put them back into her pockets.

Candice was admitted to the hospital wing on her 12th birthday.

Dumbledore didn't tell Mr. Bell, lest he worry that the man had already lost his wife. If he knew that his daughter had suffered such exclusion and bullying at school, he might have asked Candice to drop out of school and go to Beauxbatons studying.

"Myra, please." Dumbledore put Candice on the hospital bed in the medical wing and whispered as he watched Mrs. Hill, who was treating Candice's wound.

Mrs. Hill wore a white turban and looked very kind. She didn't show the slightest impatience of being disturbed during the festival. She looked at the unconscious girl distressedly and said, "It's so pitiful, how could Hogwarts This kind of thing happened? Although Gryffindor and Slytherin have always been at odds, such a serious injury..."

Dumbledore pursed his lips without saying a word, Tom Riddle's face appeared in his mind, his hand holding the Elder Wand was tightened, and he said softly, "Anyway, please take good care of her and minimize her pain."

"She has a broken rib." Mrs. Hill said helplessly, "I have to prepare a bone-making potion for her, Albus, it's impossible not to drink that kind of potion without pain."

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Please leave this to me, and I will give you the potion soon."

Mrs. Hill blinked and said, "I've also heard that you have a favorite child—it seems to be her, isn't it?"

The smile on Dumbledore's face disappeared little by little. He lowered his eyes to look at the lifeless Candice, and murmured, "Maybe it's because of my preference that I killed her."

Mrs. Hill shook her head and pursed her lips without saying a word.

After Hogwarts reopened, Candice still lived in the hospital wing and couldn't leave.

Her bones grew well - thanks to the potion brewed by Professor Dumbledore himself, she didn't even feel the pain of growing bones.She couldn't be discharged yet because Mrs. Hill felt that her mental state was still not good enough.

Candice leaned on the pillow bored and ate the candy Dumbledore brought her. Beside the hospital bed were the angry Fremont and the extremely worried Anita and Euphemia.

"I should have stayed in school with you if I knew it earlier!" Fremont said angrily, "I've heard that those nasty Slytherins, even girls, are treacherous and cunning!"

Euphemia said with lingering fear: "You look so ugly, Candice. I don't even know how you faced them at that time. You must be scared, right?"

Candice smiled and said, "It's actually not that scary. Professor Dumbledore rescued me in time. I'm fine now, and I should be able to go back to class soon."

Anita pursed her lips and said, "We were scared to death when we heard the news. Slytherin was deducted [-] points, and now their gems have been overtaken by Ravenclaw. You don't even know that Ravenclaw's The students thank you so much."

Candice blinked her blue eyes and said, "Then I did a good thing unintentionally?"

Fremont patted her on the head angrily: "Are you still in the mood to joke? Let's see if you dare to act alone again." He said incredulously, "You will take me with you no matter what you do in the future, understand? "

Although Candice probably won't do it, she agrees because she doesn't want Fremont to worry.

"I see, I'm really fine, you guys still have class, go back quickly." Candice started to chase people away after eating the last candy, "Otherwise Mrs. Hill will come, and you will be scolded again .”

Freemont was reluctant to leave, but it was time for them to go to class. The next class was still the dean's class, so they couldn't and dared not be absent.

"Then you have a good rest." Euphemia said, and together with Anita, they pulled Fremont away.

Candice smiled happily as she watched Freemont slamming the door and refusing to leave.

She is grateful for friends visiting her.

But she still couldn't forget what happened that night.

And...she has a question she doesn't understand and needs someone to explain.

She met the man after the night's curfew.

She was sleeping at the time, and felt that she was being stared at in her sleep, so she tried to open her eyes.

She vaguely saw the black-haired, black-eyed boy, and immediately woke up.

She sat up from the bed, rubbed her eyes, and then looked at the person standing beside the bed—it was Riddle.

His face was a little pale, and he stood there quietly watching her, expressionless.

"You're here." Candice broke the silence between the two and whispered, "Why did you come after the curfew? You can come during the day."

Come during the day?Don't get too fancy, now that Slytherin and Gryffindor are having a quarrel because of the Christmas holiday accident, if he came here to find her in front of other people during the day, it would be very unfavorable to his situation at the moment.

Riddle pursed his lips slightly, and naturally he would not really answer her why. He said directly to her, "I haven't received your letter."

Candice was stunned. She didn't expect that the question she couldn't understand was suddenly raised by the other party and explained, but she still couldn't respond.

"I just saw that letter from the professor these few days." He took a step forward and said, "They robbed my letter."

Candice had a dazed expression on her face: "So it's like this..." She laughed and said, "I just said, if you received my letter, why didn't you tell me that you didn't stay at school during the Christmas holiday... It seems that I am still too stupid, thinking that you did not reply or return my letter, and you just acquiesced. I was fooled by others in such a muddle."

It's not that she's stupid.

It's that there are many details about this matter that she cannot know.

Although the people who actually came forward to do this matter were those girls who besieged Candice, there are definitely many people who are behind the scenes.

Riddle would never admit that he was aware of the girls' plans and had allowed them to intercept the letter from Gryffindor.Candice's owl is very recognizable, it's white, a small ball, and there is only one at Hogwarts.He had seen it when it appeared in Slytherin's sphere of influence and dropped the letter.

Walburga took the letter.

And he looked at the handwriting belonging to Candice on the letter, and didn't stop her.

"I'm fine." Candice said with a hearty smile, "Professor Dumbledore showed up in time to save me. I'm all well now, but I'm still a little mentally exhausted. I should be discharged from the hospital soon." gone."

Riddle stood upright by the hospital bed, he said very little, she said a long sentence, and he only replied a few words.

"That day, you invited me to celebrate my birthday?" He asked, his tone a little hoarse at night.

Candice said generously: "Yes! I heard them say that you are going to stay in school. I think you are alone in school. Those close friends have all gone home. It must be very lonely. I don't want you to live alone. It's my birthday, so I can't go home because I wrote a letter to my father temporarily." She was a little embarrassed, "I didn't expect them to lie to me...Did you receive my birthday present?"

This is where Riddle feels the most complicated.

Even though she had encountered such a thing, even though she might have doubts about herself, she still sent him a birthday present while she was sick.

When he saw the snow-white owl appear, his mood was extremely depressed.

He stared slightly, stretched out his hand and said, "I received it."

Candice looked over and watched him pull open his sleeves, revealing a hand-woven chain rope on his wrist, with an emerald gemstone in the middle of the chain rope, very, very beautiful.

The only fly in the ointment is that this chain is too delicately braided. At first glance, it looks a bit like braids used by girls to tie their hair.

Especially like the braids Candice used to tie her hair.

Candice touched her face and said, "My aesthetics seem to be too fixed. You seem a bit girly in what you wear? If you don't like this style, I can make another one for you..."

Riddle interrupted her: "This one is fine."

As he spoke, he put down his sleeves, and the wide school robe covered his slender wrists.

The depression in Candice's heart was swept away, and the corners of her mouth raised, and she couldn't help showing a sweet smile.

Riddle looked at her with dark eyes. After a long time, he spoke again. At the same time, he took out a box from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "Happy birthday."

Candice looked at him in surprise, as if she didn't expect to receive a gift.

"You prepared a gift for me?" She seemed to be used to giving to him, and she was flattered to receive something in return at this moment.

Riddle put the gift directly on her lap covered with the quilt, whispered "Let's go first" and turned to leave.

Candice looked at his back, he quietly disappeared into the medical wing after the curfew, and she... reached out to pick up the gift box with his body temperature, opened it slowly, and saw a star lying quietly inside. sugar.

It's just a candy.

She can eat as much as she wants whenever she wants.

During the time she lived in the medical wing, Professor Dumbledore would come to accompany her and take care of her every day. He would bring her all kinds of candy, almost every day was different.

If someone gave her such a gift, she would definitely feel that the other party was perfunctory.

But for some reason, Candice looked at the big chocolate candy that Riddle gave her, and her heart was sour.

She took out the candy, put down the box, slowly tore off the candy wrapper, and unexpectedly found that there were words on the candy wrapper.

"Candy for Candy"

…the nickname for her name and the word sugar, although spelled differently, sound very close in pronunciation.

At first glance, it sounded like a gift to Tangtang.

Candice slowly put the candy into her mouth. The taste of the chocolate was slightly bitter, but she quickly ate the filling.

Very special sweet.

For the accident that happened at Hogwarts during the Christmas holiday, some people thought that since the results of the treatment had been resolved, it was considered as an end.But no.Maybe the case is closed with the headmaster, but not with Dumbledore.

On this day, after the second grade's Transfiguration class, Dumbledore stood on the podium and said slowly: "Mr. Riddle stays, and the others can leave."

Tom Riddle paused when he put away his books, and then continued after a few seconds.

Dumbledore watched him, and after everyone had left, he took a step, walked up to the young and experienced student, looked down at him and said, "Can I ask you a few questions, Mr. Riddle. "

Riddle raised his eyes slightly, and said calmly, "Of course, Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore's blue eyes blinked behind his glasses, and he said slowly, "About the accident at Christmas school—were you completely ignorant when those girls planned it?"

He found out.

Dumbledore is Dumbledore after all.

He could hide it from other professors and rely on their good impression of him to stay out of it, but not here with Dumbledore.

Riddle ticked the corner of his mouth, quickly suppressed it, and said solemnly: "Of course, professor, I don't know at all. They robbed Candice's letter from me. I didn't know that she invited me on the 31st." It’s time to go to the Astronomy Tower for my birthday together.” He said righteously, “If I knew, I would definitely tell Candice that I didn’t apply to stay in school.” He seemed very angry when he said this, and frowned, “ I do have some responsibility here, Professor. I failed to protect Candice, and as her friend, I caused her to be hurt by those girls because of me, and I feel very guilty."

Dumbledore looked at him blankly and said, "Do you really feel guilty?"

Riddle said without changing his face: "Of course, professor. Why do you ask that?" He pretended to be surprised, "Don't you believe me?"

Dumbledore raised his lips slightly and smiled inexplicably.

After a while, he patted Riddle on the shoulder and said, "Tom, you are a smart and excellent student, and you will have great achievements in the future, provided you can walk on the right path."

Riddle's smile became a little forced, and his hands under the school robe were tightly clenched into fists: "I don't understand what you mean, professor."

"Don't let others influence you, Tom," said Dumbledore. "I can understand your intention to deny the facts. With your origin, it is very rare to be able to achieve today's status in Slytherin. I did not ask those children and their Your parents revealed your background in order to give you a chance to make a name for yourself."

Riddle pursed his lips in an ugly face, and he was almost about to announce that he had discovered that he might be of extremely noble birth. He wanted to tell Dumbledore that he was nobler than everyone else in Slytherin House, but was rejected by Dumbledore. Lido interrupted.

Fortunately, it was interrupted.

"Don't rush to defend yourself, Mr. Riddle," he said with a smile. "The reason I'm asking you and telling you this today is because I already know—you know very well that Candice is wrong to think you'll stay. Check this fact."

Riddle froze, still insisting on denying: "I really don't know, professor..."

"Mr. Riddle." Dumbledore looked at the young man who was still quibbling expressionlessly, and said something very irritated——

"You should know that Candice gave you something you didn't deserve," he said.

Tom Riddle, a teenager who had already realized his true origin, after hearing Dumbledore's words, showed a mocking expression that he had never shown since he was in school.

Something he doesn't deserve?If that was true, what was there in the wizarding world that he didn't deserve?

Thinking of Candice's bright smiling face and trust without any doubts, even though she was puzzled about the letter, she still chose to believe him without hesitation under his simple excuse.

And how did he do it?

When the whole thing came to pass, he wasn't just sitting on the sidelines.In a sense, he is also a member of the fuel. He is using to hurt Candice, the Gryffindor who is valued by Dumbledore, and using her to improve his reputation and image in Slytherin.

Candice was born in a Gryffindor family. Her father was the director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters of the Ministry of Magic. She was beautiful and well-educated. Bullido's favorite - getting her admiration, inviting her, then hurting her badly and abandoning her, which will make the rest of Slytherin admire him even more.

Calculated in this way, his actions are indeed not worthy of Candice's sincere treatment of him.

Dumbledore was probably right - she gave him what he didn't deserve.

Still, his hands, hanging by his sides, fell slowly behind his back, gripping his wand tightly.

The mockery on his face was replaced by a gentle and polite smile, and he said lightly, "Really, professor, if you insist on thinking that way... I can't help it."

He expressed that he was very rude, bowed slightly, and then turned and left the Transfiguration class classroom.

When the two were not facing each other, the expressions on their faces were terribly cold.