"I can't stay here anymore, how long will this take..." Draco complained bitterly as he opened the schoolbag he brought and put it all into the small pocket given by Felton.
"Oh~"
"...And I'm different from them. I'm a wizard, and I don't want to sit among a group of mutants who kill without mercy..." He threw out a few more books to reduce the weight, since there would be new ones anyway.
"Oh~"
"...I don't believe them. No, I'm not talking about Harry's uncle Eric, I'm talking about someone else. And Felton didn't know what medicine he took wrongly, but he actually followed them and walked slowly, mixed in with the large army, and They all asked to leave the 'child' in a safe place and looked at me as if I didn't exist..." Draco took off his overheated coat again and took out a nimbus from the bag in his pocket. 2001 is the one he usually can't put down.
"Hmm~"
"...What do you mean!!!"
Draco flicked his eye knife and threw it at the portrait of the great Godric Gryffindor that was tied to his waist, like a small brand.
"It's okay, kid," Godric said very magnanimously. "Stealing your parents' swords, packing your luggage that you think is reliable, and sneaking away at night with a goal that is different from adults, this kind of thing happened to me when I was young. Did it."
"…………"
Draco was not moved by his tolerance at all, but his face turned green. For a pure-blooded child whose family has been born in Slytherin for generations, this is completely derogatory and ironic, even though the person who said it did not have any malice at all.
After staring at the portrait for a long time, Draco gave up trying to compete with it. He let the broom float in the air, sat on it with his legs crossed, and then flew very high in a few seconds as if he had found his own three grams of soul. In the air, he rushed towards the pyramid-shaped temple.
Because he was brave and flew high enough, no one really looked at him, so he rushed over and then descended, circling around a few times to find the entrance.
"Where's the gate?" Draco still has some artistic and cultural accomplishments, so don't expect to find the back door in a place like this. However, he initially thought that the place with strange runes was engraved on it as a pyramid, and he quickly found the door of the pyramid along the surface. On the side where he should be, he found the painted pillars and an ugly statue at the door, but he was stunned and couldn't find the door, so he flew high to look for it again, and said angrily: "It is indeed a 'false god', a false god." , fake sacrifices, even the temple is not formal!”
Wizards are originally a race that is very close to "mystery" and "legend". Draco was born in a pure-blood noble family, and has the financial capital to travel around, as well as precious documents and pictures. In other words, he is a true legend of all kinds. He has long been familiar with the specifications of the temple, what kind of sacrifices there are, what kind of taboos there are, and the reasons for these - it is that he often reacts too slowly.
Felton took him along all the way - of course wizards can apparate, but Felton took him for a long way under the scorching sun as if he was deliberately tormenting him - this distance was enough for them to inquire about this person. The deeds of the 'god' who declared war on the world.
Kill people, promote prestige, drive away or directly bulldoze all the buildings and most of the residents on this land, and then show your 'divine power'. More and more believers will come to offer offerings and sacrifices, kneel down and quickly build your own guard. and the 'Four Angels', calling for more mutants...
After listening to it all the way, even if he had an unknown fear of this 'god' who could make a declaration in the minds of people all over the world, Draco still instinctively despised it - what is this and what, look where did this come from? What have the 'false gods' done? The sacrifices did not even have fat cattle or sheep for burning, nor did they set up priests, nor did they have their own dedicated symbols. They did not allow believers to live on the land. Look at this temple again. Is this also called a temple? Neither the worshipers nor the worshipers can enter this land. What kind of temple is this?
Praying to God is what all believers have to do, but if this God cannot do anything for believers, then fewer and fewer people will pray to him. This is a truth that Draco has known since he was five years old - just like a woman Pray to Hera for a safe marriage, pray to Aphrodite for perfect love, or as the priests did in the past, when Agamemnon kidnapped his daughter and refused to give it back, he prayed to the sun god to bring disease. Agamemnon's army was miserable.
Felton still sneered at his complaints.
"Then you should pay attention," the man said lightly. Often when he said 'you should pay attention', Draco's feeling was particularly different. "This shows that the people he wants to protect are not the human believers. He himself I think there is someone else whom God wants to protect.”
"There!" Godric hung as a portrait on his waist. It was different from the field of view he saw. When the broom rotated diagonally around the pyramid, he suddenly found the suspended entrance. The two people passed by. That, there, that's where' and 'where, where, where on earth is' after meaningless arguments, we finally landed on that small platform.
Draco shook the broom, put it into the small space bag on his waist, swallowed, mustered up the courage to walk into the seemingly bottomless corridor, but as soon as he took a step, Godric called out urgently. stop.
"Did you see those candles? Cast a Bubble Charm before going in. Just looking at these candles makes me feel like my career as a portrait will be shortened by a few years." Godric exaggeratedly lifted up his cloak and covered his mouth. Nose, "Quick, quick, quick, the head soaking spell is not difficult!"
It's not that difficult, it took me three days to learn it. Draco cursed as he took out his wand and cast a Bubble Charm on himself. Of course, at this time, he couldn't care about the Ministry of Magic's rule that minors could not perform magic outside of school. Rather, in his opinion, the Ministry of Magic's rules were all bullshit.
"It's like if you were soaked in water, your painting career would not end immediately." The boy made a muffled sound in the big bubble created by the soaking spell, and then sprinkled the invisibility powder he bought in advance On the body, although the effect is not as good as Harry's heirloom, it is still stronger than the Ignore Spell that he can use even with Harry. "Merlin, please protect me from getting lost."
"Go straight ahead, you're right." Godric said.
"I forgot to ask you," Draco looked at the candles beside him that were said to shorten his life if he smelled them. He frowned and sounded suspicious, "Where did you get the confidence to say that it's okay for me to do this? When you ran out, you also It’s okay for me to do this. Have you been here? Or have you heard about that ‘god’?”
Godric blinked his blue eyes: "Actually, it's very simple."
"Um?"
"Before I died, I cast a tracking spell on Salazar's portrait. It's connected to my portrait. I can feel that chasing him in this direction and speed is absolutely correct!" Gryffindor's ancestor gave a thumbs up.
Draco: "………………"
………………
"So your explanation is that you and Professor Felton ran away from the school, and then you ran away from Uncle Erik's team. You just walked along the corridor and ended up walking into the maze, and that's how you found me. "
Harry was speechless after listening to Draco's explanation (of course it was an abridged version) and summed it up word for word. His head was still a little confused, but this did not prevent him from noticing that Draco quietly stuffed the small portrait around his waist back into his pocket. inside.
"How did you find me? What are you here for? Why did you follow Professor Felton out like this? What is Professor Felton here for? Did the principal ask him to come here?"
Despite hearing the abridged explanation, it was impossible for Harry not to ask him other questions.
"Dumbledore is busy talking nonsense to the Ministry of Magic - and who knows what Felton is here for. Maybe he just likes you?"
Maybe there are other reasons. When Draco mentioned this, his heart began to beat wildly. He felt like there was a sword of Damocles hanging above his head. The moment it fell, he would die like a heart attack patient, holding his heart in fear.
Because he instinctively felt that all of Felton's... secrets would not be very good for him.
"As for what I'm here for - am I the one who left a bunch of words to the Auror and turned around and walked away?" Draco's tone was serious and slightly sarcastic: "I came to see if you are still alive?"
He actually wanted to persuade (or rob) Harry to return to Hogwarts - he had always believed that it was the safest place in the world. No, even if it wasn't there, it couldn't be here. This could be said to be the frontline place.
Draco simply suspected that Harry was a fool - shouldn't the adults be the ones standing in front of this kind of thing? What the hell is Harry running around for? What can be done?
Harry was touched again, but he didn't know whether he should laugh or cry.
Could it be that Draco is here for others, or has the courage to save the world? Or do you really want to see if you are dead? Absolutely impossible.
Not everyone can have such a friend: someone who is not bold or stupid, but who dares to go deep into a place that is absolutely full of danger by himself, with less than a 20% chance of wanting to go there. Find yourself.
Harry felt that he had made up for the past ten years - when he was still in ordinary elementary school, he never thought that he would have such a good friend - such a non-mutant friend.
He couldn't help but feel that his whole body suddenly warmed up. The coldness caused by the cold sweat seemed to gradually disappear, and the warmth from the bottom of his heart replaced it. However, at the same time, he felt that his mouth became heavier, and he could open his mouth to speak some words. The words cannot come out of my mouth.
For example, it's too dangerous here, let Draco go back, etc.
Draco, who was taking out a broom from his pocket, looked at the ceiling above the maze and found that the gap was enough for Nimbus 2001 to come and go freely. When he was satisfied, he stepped on the broom, stretched out his hand to Harry, and pulled him on the broom: " What are you doing here alone? Scouting?"
Harry shook his head: "There were originally five of us and one ghost, but the maze dispersed us. This was an empty hall before we walked in."
A ghost? felton also bound a ghost.
Draco thought so in his heart, but still said flatly: "——None of the five people is reliable."
Then he drove Nimbus 2001 slightly and took them flying. Harry paid attention to whether there were any other traps around him. Fortunately, they were two people. If one person did this, Harry would not be able to ensure that he was flying. Also ensure safety, or the safety of others.
It's okay not to fly. The two of them can still retain the joy of meeting each other. Once they fly, it's terrifying!
A huge maze stood in the hall, and the winding road became smaller and smaller in their eyes, but at a glance, there was no one except the two of them! It's like there's some magic!
"..." Draco's hand was trembling as he pointed at the maze, "Are you mutants?" He felt awkward when he said this word. Harry was obviously a wizard through and through, but what he said before leaving With these words, Draco suddenly realized that this guy has another race, "And this... this... ability to build mazes and swallow people?"
Harry's expression suddenly changed, he slapped him hard, and said gently but nervously: "Don't be so dumb - I've never heard of this ability."
Draco still felt awkward after being slapped on the shoulder like this. He was no one else. He knew Harry - saying those words after leaving Hogwarts proved that in his heart, the mutant race is his race, and wizards are like Career, like identity, has no sense of belonging.
But when he thought about it again, Draco felt like a girl again, don't be awkward - Harry was born with such a dual race, and it was something that Merlin couldn't change even after he was reincarnated. If he was too entangled, he would be like those who listened to him in school. It's like a person who is scared to death of a rumor.
Anyway, Draco hated becoming that kind of person - becoming the kind of person he hated.
"Let's go up," Harry said. "The ghost who led us said that the top floor is where the 'false god' lives." After saying that, I felt regretful - if it weren't for the large number of people, I should have done this a long time ago. ! No matter how many mechanisms there are, if it flies and becomes as transparent as air, the safety factor will be much higher.
"What ghost?" Draco's attention was drawn away, "Is it reliable?"
"I told you before," Harry finished telling him all the words that Salazar translated, from the time they walked this section to Salazar explaining to them the anointed candle that took countless lives to brew, he finished. After waiting for a while, I found that the portrait in my pocket didn't add anything, so I concluded, "Ghosts always stay here because of obsession. It is useless for them to harm us...and only wizards can see it." meet him."
"An enemy of an enemy may or may not be a friend," Draco said with a miserable look on his face, and Harry could see the hatred in his face. "Maybe it's him who caused you to be scattered now!"
"Don't give up your vigilance when encountering anything," the portrait in Harry's pocket said, with a lesson in it, "But - being overly vigilant is not a good thing, it will expose your mentality. You two need to remember each other."
The two boys hurriedly said yes sir together on the slowly flying broom, and then planned what to do next, or thought about whether Harry's suggestion just now could be done.
After thinking about it, they decided not to do it - because to be honest, they had no other option, and at the same time, they each had different ideas: one wanted to persuade the other to go back to a safe place, and the other also had the same idea. idea.
——It's better than being trapped in a trap on the road or attracting a large number of soldiers.
They thought so at the same time.
…………
"You will be reborn..."
Charles heard this voice in a state of confusion. This voice was warm, negative. Human body temperature could not warm the coldness, and this coldness brushed against his ears and touched the base of his ears. It seemed intimate but made him tremble.
The same coldness descended on his waist, followed by his buttocks, thighs, calves and even smooth ankles, but since his lower body had no feeling, he had no way of knowing, but he could guess.
"The world always gives suffering to great people, Charles..." The magnetic voice was still saying softly, as if reciting poetry and the Bible, "This suffering will now be ended by me..."
Those are extremely deceptive words. Everyone who hears it probably feels that it is full of consideration and tolerance, and people who are really suffering will be particularly touched, and may cry or be grateful.
It's a pity that Charles has never been such a person.
And immediately, he felt his waist - yes, he felt it! The waist that had never felt anything except under the influence of drugs now has feeling. It felt like a drop of concentrated paint dripping into colorless pure water, which was obviously too much. First there was the coldness, then the long-lost friction of human flesh, and then there was a pain like the tip of a knife piercing into the bones and the heat like hot oil pouring on his legs.
"What I want to give you is freedom, true freedom, and you will become perfect because of it... Yes, you are the most perfect one. Even though I have seen so many people, you are still the one who attracts my attention the most... …You are so special…”
Words of love and gifts continued to flow, but the pain became more intense and clear. Charles's lower body had not felt such intense pain for a long time, so he couldn't help but grit his teeth, and some small cries came out from inside. .
"No need to be afraid, no need to cry... This is the new life I give you..."
It does seem to be new.
The bones twitched and stretched, the muscles readjusted, and the meridians and blood vessels seemed to be re-broken and moved. It seemed that something was biting all of Charles's pain-sensing nerves, making him feel as if he was dead, but he still felt that his lower body had never stopped. There is no such clear "alive".
"You have a good body, but there are some flaws." The voice whispered, "It is about to usher in a new life. There is no need to mourn, just welcome it. Rejoice, Charles, this is what I give you. Sincerity..."
The pain aroused all of Charles's instincts more and more. He could not restrain himself and let out a miserable cry without any awareness. His fingers were about to scratch every inch of the soft fabric underneath him, and his teeth were painful to bite.
But the person who had brought him all this pain touched his closed eyes with cold blue fingers. His every move was filled with addiction and desire for something, and his eyes wandered.
…………
If Draco hadn't held Harry down tightly and covered his mouth, he might have screamed a long time ago. And the person he held down, Harry, used all his strength not to scream loudly. stand up.
He was unexpectedly calm by Draco, because he didn't say a word and led Draco down, as if he didn't see the tragedy inside through the high window, as if they had never found Charles, Harry's father. Usually, he didn't utter a single syllable, but when they finally returned to the maze, which could be said to be relatively safe, Draco himself used his trembling hands to scratch his face, and found that his lips were covered with bloody marks from bites. , was stained with blood, and the tip of his tongue was also bright red, but his face was frighteningly white, which was shocking.
And when he spoke again, Draco completely suspected that he had heard wrongly.
"...What did you say? Tell me again?!"
"I said," Harry's face showed a strange calmness. He wiped away the tears and said firmly, "I want to do something. And before I do it, I will open a door and immediately Send you back to Hogwarts... Don't be afraid, I won't let you go with me, and I won't let you encounter any danger."
He paused and repeated the last words he had just said in a hoarse voice.
"If you can't help but be angry because of this...if you want to just pretend you've never made me a friend..." I can accept that too. Harry hasn't finished speaking yet.
"...What do you mean?" After Draco asked this sentence blankly, he immediately cursed the second sentence sharply and loudly, "What do you mean, Harry Xavier!!!"
"These things," Harry paused, lowered his head, and stroked the cold snakeskin of Haierbo on his sleeve, "it has nothing to do with you in the first place. You didn't need to accompany me. I will send you back. Professor Felton will I probably won’t come back to school to find you again…”
"Harry Xavier!!!" Draco interrupted him with a high-pitched scolding, his face turned blue with anger, "I-I have already run here, do you think what I want is for you to send me back?! Send me back?! Should I go back to a safe place? These things have nothing to do with me?!"
He grabbed Harry's collar, and the anger and grievance he had been holding back for a long time finally burst out at this moment, after Harry said those words: "What qualifications do you have to say that to me? What kind of amazing person do you think you are? 'Send me back'?! What do you think I'm here for? If it weren't for the fact that you damn sure came here, I-"
His voice stopped abruptly.
Because the person opposite stretched out his arm and hugged him. At this time, he wanted to stab him and see if he could wake him up.
"I know, Draco, you always talk badly and like to play pranks on others," said the man who hugged him and made him so angry, "but you are actually the best to me."
He may be bad to others sometimes, but he is very good to me. Harry thought.
Draco is the best to me.
Draco was hit hard by such a word, and his cursing stopped abruptly. A numb feeling spread quietly from his trembling fingertips. It was hot, numb, and strange to death... It was like being hurt by the softest person in his heart. That place was pressed down by something and it seemed like I couldn't move.
Am I the best to you? How have I treated you well? How can I be the best to you? What is your good thing? I'm just afraid that you'll catch a cold and I'll put a scarf on you. I can't help but watch you die because of me and I'll feel terribly guilty. Or if you say don't hit longbottom, I'll stop, or if you beat me up, I'll admit defeat? Do not make jokes! You think I'm the best to you, why do you want to drive me away?
——Harry, what exactly is he thinking?
He thought blankly, feeling a feeling that he didn't even recognize welling up in his heart... and a sudden amount of panic.
"But you have to know this is not a 'let's hold hands and get through this together' situation."
Harry let go of him, held his hand, and said seriously, "You can't even beat me, Draco." He emphasized his tone.
Of course Draco understood what he meant - so his face turned red with anger for a moment.
"...In short, you just think that I am a waste that is not as good as you, and it is right that you should stay in a safe place, because otherwise I will hold you back," Draco waved his hand away, speaking fiercely. He pushed it back. The moment he said it, he felt happy and regretful. He felt complicated. He gritted his teeth and didn't care where he was. He spoke louder and louder, "Say it, say it, that's how you see it - and then I'll do it right away." Walk!"
"I never had such an idea!"
Harry looked hurt for a moment, but then answered him without wavering.
"You're my best friend, Draco—not that I think you should be somewhere safe, but that I want you to be somewhere safe."
he said sincerely.
"I hope you're safe."
————But my hope is that you can be safe!
Draco looked at the face that was completely devoid of any pretense or reluctance. While silent, he shouted loudly in his heart.
He glared at the other person, suppressing his face to turn red. When Harry started to open a door in the air, and a scene of hogwarts appeared inside the door, he realized that Harry was really going to send him back.
No, no, no. He doesn't want to go back, he doesn't want to go back.
He didn't come here to go back. Harry Xavier could use his fists to tell him to settle down on every little thing, but this was definitely not what Draco wanted to hear!
But then again, how could he become like this? To be honest, Harry's suggestion was very good, and it was very considerate of him. Draco didn't think he was brave enough at all, nor did he think he was a very powerful person, but in this situation, he actually even Not willing to take a step back.
He refused to accept Harry's proposal or arrangement. He had never been so confrontational with Harry, and Harry was not even angry.
"Run!" The portrait stuffed in his pocket reminded him in a low voice, and Draco didn't hesitate. He immediately took out the broomstick again——
——Before Harry turned around, he had already fled out of sight.
