The steaming water boiled and the black tea was brewed. An invisible hand in the air was operating the teapot and cup. The lid containing honey lemons opened by itself. The lemons jumped into the black tea one by one. The big pot poured out a little more milk. Seasoned.
"This is how I served Harry the last time he came here as a guest," Dumbledore moved a plate of cheese and ham sandwiches in front of Draco, and scones and jam jumped on the sandwiches, "Somewhere between the house elves Breakfast isn't ready yet, so you can fill your stomach with these, Mr. Malfoy."
This was Draco's first time as a guest in the principal's office - the last time it involved Sirius, he really just came in and out - he nodded stiffly, not looking around like Harry did, but keeping his head at a decent angle, reserved. He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, and then frowned at the sweetness. He then cautiously reached out to the scones and took a bite. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found that the scones were of normal sweetness.
"You can relax, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore pointed. Draco looked up in that direction and found that the walls of the principal's office were covered with portraits of the principal. However, it was too early and all these people were napping in the portraits. " I think most people are in a sweet dream now. It’s just the two of us here. You can relax more. I invite you here just because a boring old man wants to talk to his students."
"What do you want to talk about?" Draco asked sincerely, extremely nervous.
"Anything is fine," Dumbledore put down the cup, "Ah, let's start with that mirror - if I remember correctly, this is the second time you have seen this mirror, Mr. Malfoy."
The first thing that flashed through Draco's mind was how to explain his night parade, but then he thought that Felton had already over-deducted this matter, just like if the goods were paid for and taken away, it would not be called stealing, so he still Calm down.
"Yes, Professor," Draco pursed his lips, "Although many people are saying that it can see the future, Professor Felton explained its inscription to me."
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded in agreement, "It is a magic mirror - but not a prophetic mirror. I think you already know this very well. In this mirror, hungry people will see food, and cold people will see food." When you see warmth and belonging, you will see your lover; when you feel pain and loss, you will see the deceased. The more the person in front of the mirror wants, the more charming the things shown in the mirror will be to him. , which is why I kept the mirror moving, I was afraid that some students would be addicted to it." He blinked, and Draco suddenly understood why most people found the mirror once and could not find it the second time.
"Then why don't you put it away." Draco was very surprised by this, "Even if it is placed in the principal's office - no one can find it." After saying that, he wished he could give himself a slap - you don't want to look in the mirror Already? ! Then give yourself a second slap - do you still want to see that kind of scene? ! What is that mentality? !
"Because I was also very curious," Dumbledore said. "This mirror was originally used for other purposes. When it could no longer fulfill its original purpose, I put it on a whim in this castle and moved it a few times every day. Sometimes, some students will be obsessed with what they see in the mirror, and I will come forward to communicate with them. Some students have strengthened their goals through it, and these students have benefited from it; and some people, they can't see anything but themselves."
harry. Draco thought.
"You're lucky, Mr. Malfoy, that when you got up this morning, the mirror hadn't started to move yet," said Dumbledore. "If you don't mind satisfying an old man's curiosity - could you tell me what you saw in it? You didn't look like you were obsessed. You knew it was a magic mirror, but you looked for it a second time. You were the only one among the students who did this, so I stopped you. "
Draco was almost out of breath when asked this question——
——That’s because none of them saw themselves holding hands with their friends, wearing tights and wearing... wedding rings! ! ! Wedding ring! ! !
"...This...is too personal," Draco said with a sullen face, thinking about how to politely refuse the principal's request, "This involves privacy issues, Professor."
"Oh, oh, that's indeed my fault," Dumbledore's attitude was beyond Draco's expectation. The old man was not tough. He thought that only gryffindor was the old man's darling. Oh, there may be more. Everyone liked Harry Xavier, and now the old man put sugar into his black tea, which made Draco have a toothache. It looked too sweet, "You seemed a little confused when you looked in the mirror. Mr. Malfoy."
"...There may be something wrong with it." Draco curled his lips and said concisely. As for what kind of problem it was, he thought it was better not to tell anyone.
"Professor Felton also had such doubts after you left," Dumbledore said suddenly, smiling in Draco's shocked eyes, "and I checked the mirror after he said so, and there was nothing wrong with it. I guess you Like him, everyone saw a scene and thought, 'This is not what I want.'"
felton looked in the mirror and thought there was something wrong with it - but there was nothing wrong with the mirror.
The amount of information contained in this sentence was huge. Draco sat there with his mouth open for a long time before he came back to his senses and responded to the old principal's question.
"Y-yes, Professor," he almost couldn't speak, almost biting his tongue, "what it showed me... rather, what was it? I would have thought that was ridiculous even in my dreams."
Maybe Dumbledore did have the most powerful magic to confuse people. Maybe it was because the old man with the white beard gave people the feeling that he was safe and suitable for chatting. Draco's vigilance was first disrupted by the news about Felton, and then showed signs of softening.
"Is there really nothing wrong with that mirror?" Draco's voice contained a sense of urgency and help that he couldn't explain himself. "I...I don't even know what that scene represents! Is it out of frequency? For example This was probably someone else's delusion that was mistakenly saved and displayed in..." At this point, he silenced again. If this was someone else's delusion, why was it him and Harry?
"I don't quite understand what wrong frequency means," Dumbledore said, "but I probably understand what you mean, Mr. Malfoy. You don't need to be so nervous. What it shows is just such a moment. If you come back to see this next year Mirror, maybe it will show you something different.”
This is nonsense. How can a person want the same things at ten years old as at twenty years old? Draco thought.
"Sometimes magic can always understand what you want better than you yourself," Dumbledore explained kindly and slowly, "You know, the magic of the mirror does not mainly affect your heart, it is more about making you Eyes that see your heart...let yourself see your own things, it doesn't really read anything, Mr. Malfoy, someone did set an evil spell on this mirror, everyone who sees it People will be invaded by desire, but that is no longer the case, this mirror is completely harmless."
"As for your Professor Felton," Dumbledore shook his head, "Although I don't know what he saw, I think he may have misunderstood what the mirror expresses. The mirror will show something that makes people happy and attractive." scene, and he didn’t seem to think so.”
——I don’t think so either!
Draco glumly picked up the teacup and took another sip, his heart beating faster and faster - did he really want to do that kind of thing? Wearing tight clothes, shouting that I am the king of this world and the only hero, and then leading a Harry Xavier in tight clothes, and becoming a married person?
……Wait. Maybe it's just because they are too good friends.
Draco's eyes lit up.
If they were too close to each other and bought the same wedding rings... that would make sense. Although Malfoy always only wanted something unique, if it was Harry, he seemed to be able to accept it.
——You have to accept it even if you can't accept it. Otherwise, does he really want to wear matching rings with Harry? What a joke!
Thinking of this, Draco exhaled. Yes, there was no comment on the mirror. Even if he understood it wrong, it would not be shameful. It would be even worse if he understood it like that... That scene was very misleading. How could it be his own? Wrong!
It seemed that his friendship with Harry would really get that good. Draco thought proudly that those who expected them to break up during this period would probably be disappointed for the rest of their lives.
"I guess I'm smarter than him," Draco thought happily. "Felton misunderstood the scene, but I didn't."
"You seem to have realized something, Mr. Malfoy."
dumbledore said kindly.
"Your words helped me," Draco smiled, "I think I figured it out, thank you."
Perhaps the elderly do have wisdom beyond the reach of ordinary people. Draco even thought this way, and Dumbledore was indeed the greatest wizard in Britain. With just a few words, the problem that he had been tossing over and over for hours was solved.
"Professor," Draco knew this time that the principal was very tolerant of students, "you were in the mirror..." He held the words in his mouth and turned around before looking at the other person's eyes and boldly revealed it. , "...what did you see?"
dumbledore's smile deepened.
“Wool socks,” he said. “I’ve always wanted a pair of wool socks, but every Christmas, people just give me books.”
"…………"
It's definitely a lie. Draco thought. But of course, he couldn't say this directly to one of the greatest wizards, so he just nodded vaguely and said: "Then you can use all your Christmas gifts to exchange gifts with Granger and Harry... I think they I can’t wait to eat the library.”
Dumbledore actually smiled and nodded, and let out a cry of surprise: "Oh, that sounds like a good idea. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco: "…………"
………………
Finally, Draco carried two pockets of strawberry cream fudge and walked out of the principal's office with a full stomach. This was the first time that the old principal, who his father said was "racing against time to seize the legitimate interests of pure-blood nobles," treated Longbottom and Xavier was also stuffing sweets, drinking tea and chatting. His expression at the moment was very dreamy.
He took a few steps towards the corridor, then was startled by a voice.
"Is the tea in the principal's office delicious?"
The voice was cold and so familiar that Draco almost shouted for help.
Felton was leaning against the gargoyle in front of the principal's office door, still wearing the same black cloak and a face that showed no emotion, as if the person who yelled at Draco to get out last night was not this man. .
"You, you, you... why are you here?" Draco was so frightened that he took three steps back and looked back at the door. He didn't know if there was any point in running back to find the principal for help.
"I no longer expect that your remaining etiquette training will allow you to call me professor politely," Felton said, "but if you can't even speak clearly, then you should do something as trivial as bullying Longbottom earlier."
After saying that, he reached out and grabbed Draco's collar by the back of his neck, forcefully dragging him towards the cellar.
Maybe it was because he had been reading too many movies and comics recently, and a series of extremely tragic consequences such as murder, kidnapping, anatomy, etc. flashed through Draco's mind, and he immediately bared his teeth and tried to break free.
"If you want to murder the only heir of the Malfoy family because of this," he said, "then I'd better do something like bullying Longbottom!"
"Your mother is working hard to give birth to a second heir," Felton sneered, "Where did you get the only excuse?"
"I have to warn you, it's useless to sow discord!" Draco shouted bitterly.
"And, do you think Longbottom is still the Longbottom of the past?" Felton stopped, pulled him upright, and whispered in his ear, "As long as you don't want him to die, one day he will become a being that scares you. .”
Draco was stunned - even the fat man who usually pranked the Gryffindor, often called him a shameful thief, a clown who wanted to be in the limelight, and a liar who relied on his uncle's authority to pretend to be innocent, he had never thought of Neville. Longbottom go to hell.
And what did he say? That longbottom became a person that Malfoy feared? !
"Are you finally crazy?" He growled in disbelief, "Or are you going to make some wonderful prophecy again?"
"This is not a prophecy," Felton said coldly. "Based on the current situation, he will be more promising than you, and his future will be brighter. You will probably never be able to reach his height - he can be killed now. An Acromantula escaped from numerous Acromantulas... Don't contradict me, do you need me to throw you into the Forbidden Forest to see what you can do?"
cannot! !
What is an Acromantula? Class A non-trade goods, dangerous magical creatures! Even the dragons have a breeding base, but the Acromantula's base currently only has legends and no real facts, which shows how dangerous they are! And who the hell knows if longbottom actually killed that thing with his own hands?
To be honest, Draco always felt that the heroic stories that spread all over the world were made up by Gryffindor.
He glared at Felton, the meaning already obvious.
"Since you can't beat him to death right now," Felton sneered, "don't offend him. Not everyone will forgive someone who always bullies you."
"If everyone thought like you," Draco retorted unwillingly, "Azkaban would have been overcrowded."
"Azkaban?" Felton said contemptuously, "Unless it can bring the dead back to life - what's the point? Can putting people in it make everything they did over again?"
"...Huh?" Draco was confused by his remarks, "What do you mean - are you going to say anything criminal?" He was a little more wary.
"You come with me."
Felton said these words lightly and walked forward. Draco originally wanted to run away, but he followed out of curiosity - besides, he also wanted to ask about the painting that scared him yesterday.
As long as he thought of that painting, Draco couldn't help but feel cold and trembling in his heart. The psychological shadow caused by fear could not be completely eliminated in a day or a night, with a few words of comfort and explanation.
As a matter of course, they walked all the way to the cellar and Felton's office. The painting that scared Draco to tears yesterday was gone. Even the place where the painting tools were originally placed was completely empty. Felton waved his wand, and a few bricks on the wall were gone. Gradually it moved away, revealing a jar half a meter high.
"Go and see." Felton said softly.
Draco looked back suspiciously and glanced at the jar:
“What the-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
The next moment, Master Malfoy's high-pitched scream almost penetrated the ceiling of the cellar and reached the sky.
…………
Sean, Alex, Moira and Raven are walking on an exotic trail.
An unusually deserted trail.
"There used to be markets and buildings here," Moira wiped the sweat from her head. The last time she came, she had to be wrapped in black cloth tightly like a local woman and speak a proficient dialect, but now she has none of this. Necessary, "Now that everything has been destroyed, only that building is allowed to exist here."
She waved and pointed, and Sean, who was originally thinking, "Of course I'm here to work for the professor," immediately looked like a tourist. He even murmured and exclaimed: "Oh my God, is this a pyramid?"
"En Sabah Noor seemed to be from Egypt at first. That's not surprising." Alex put on his sunglasses to avoid the glare of the sun. "Where have all the people here gone?"
"Isn't that right? Are your eyes blind?" Sean pointed at a group of people walking not far away, and Moira quickly asked the other three to hide aside and sprinkle on invisibility powder - this was Harry's name from Some of the ones bought in the store as toys for students are now being put to use.
"This thing only lasts five minutes," Raven warned the others, "and you can't hide your voice, so be careful."
It can be said that this place is deserted, with only some strange stone pillars that seem to be newly built. Some of them are rhombuses, some are tetrahedrons, and the patterns drawn are also very strange, but they can finally give them a place to hide.
Raven looked at the group of people walking towards them, and saw that the group consisted of men and women, wearing strange silver-black uniforms, with streamlined armor attached to them, making them look like a group of soldiers, but other than that They couldn't see anyone else.
She booed the people behind her and walked out first.
"Hey," she said to the man at the head of the group, using the patois Moira had told her before, "I'm here to visit my married sister, but I think I'm in the wrong place - can you tell me if I want to go to the market?" Where should the city go?"
"You went to the wrong place?"
The leading soldier was quite suspicious, "This is not a place where everyone can come in and go out again."
"Everyone who breaks in here will be punished, that's the rule." Another soldier said.
Raven raised her eyebrows slightly: "What kind of punishment?" As she said that, she stretched out her hands and hugged the neck of the soldier closest to her passionately. The latter was in a daze, and before he could stop laughing, he was slammed by the beautiful woman in front of him. The elbow hit him hard and he fell backwards. Then Raven hit and pushed again, and the three soldiers fell to the ground together.
"Sean!" She yelled back. She kept moving her hands and strangled a female soldier's neck. She punched her in the abdomen, causing her to faint from the pain and then jump away. Then Sean yelled, making the rest want to The besieging soldiers were knocked unconscious and hit the unknown buildings on the roadside hard, losing their attack power.
"Let's go!" She squatted down and searched for the fallen soldiers. After finding a few things that looked like keys and identification tags, she simply said to the remaining people. The group of people walked along the soldiers. direction to go forward.
"I can't let you go."
Just when they ran less than fifty meters, a girl's voice came from above. Raven clicked her tongue, while Moira grabbed her hat and the map in her hand in the sudden strong wind. Information, shouting: "She is one of the Four Angels!! Look at her wrist! I have seen her!"
A girl with chocolate skin color and conspicuous silver-white hair stood steadily above them, supported by the strong wind. When she fell, the wind stopped slightly, but the originally bright and sunny sky was covered with dark clouds, and even lightning began to flash. Thunder.
"Mutants." Alex felt a little troubled and couldn't help but say.
"Without a doubt." Raven replied coldly, and looked at the girl in front of her, her eyes sweeping across a certain pattern on her gauntlet.
"It's you again." The girl obviously knew Moira. She showed an unpleasant look, but she was not very tough. She spoke English with a heavy accent, "Kevin doesn't want to see you or go back with you. You should go back."
"Have you seen me?" Moira asked doubtfully.
"We all know that Kevin has a mother," the girl said, "We have also seen you. The master knows everything. He just looked at Kevin's face. The last time he let you return safely from this land, you Shouldn’t come again.”
"A mother should always find her son." Moira said firmly.
So the silver-haired girl stopped talking to her and looked at Sean instead.
"Are you a mutant?"
Sean glanced at his mouth and said, "Yes, I am - do you want to start a fight?"
The girl shook her head.
"Then you can come in with me."
"Why?" Sean laughed and said.
"The master welcomes all mutants. He said that he regards all compatriots as his subjects and children. As long as they are willing, mutants can get his protection." The girl was obviously not very good at selling, and her tone was dry when she spoke. Babadi, "This is the first pure land he established for us, and humans cannot set foot in it."
"Then what if we are not willing to seek his asylum?" Raven interrupted the girl.
The girl didn't know why, but she glanced at her several times, showing hesitation, but she still leaned forward, making a vigilant and obviously hostile posture. .
"Then I will prevent you from entering here," she said, raising her hand, and lightning and lightning flashed on her fingertips, "and then I will take you to see the master."
………………
A man's head is quietly in the jar, sinking and sinking in the liquid contained in the jar.
A man's head.
head.
A strong urge to feel dizzy and retching suddenly took over all of Draco's senses. He immediately bent down, pinched his throat and retched several times. His whole body was shaking, and he almost vomited out all he had eaten in the morning.
"Cough, cough, cough!!"
He coughed violently, "What is this... what is this?!"
He didn't even dare to ask who this person was.
"I used to hate some people," Felton was unmoved in the face of his tragic situation. He put one hand on the glass jar and said softly, "I also tried my best to guard against some people. Some of them were very outstanding, and some It was very cruel, and some of them took away important people and things from me, causing me pain."
Draco almost fell to the ground, but Felton picked up the jar and handed it to him, saying softly, "This is the head of a person who has made countless people gnash their teeth and hate it."
"...Are you a pervert?!" Draco didn't dare to look at the jar at all, "Take it away quickly! Cough, cough, cough, vomit -"
"When I knew he would cause me a lot of damage," Felton said calmly, "I made a plan in the next second, and then killed him and cut off his head as a reminder. "
The sounds of retching and coughing stopped, and a shocked Draco forgot about vomiting and stared straight at him.
"One thing you need to be clear about is," Felton moved his thin lips up and down, but what he spat out were extremely cruel words, "No matter how popular a person is, no matter how powerful a person, no matter how strict the law, no matter how beneficial it is, The environment... Once you kill someone, that person is useless. No matter who he is or what background he has, death cannot be defeated. Public opinion, infamy, or the law are just things that can be broken away immediately. , it doesn’t matter in front of the goal.”
Draco opened his mouth and forgot to speak for a moment.
"So," Felton put the jar back, Draco's peripheral vision only dared to catch a glimpse of the label 'William Stryker' written on the jar, "You have to remember - if there is a person who is destined to treat you If it’s unfavorable, then don’t hesitate, and don’t think about framing or conspiracy, just do it, no matter what method you use—”
"Kill him, cut off his head, drain his blood, tear his body into pieces, make him nothing, make him unable to be saved by any magic...then the living will have the final say .”
At this point, he actually laughed.
"That way, you win." He said, "In the face of death, everyone is equal."
