Chapter 28 Packet Capture
During the Christmas holidays, Voldemort intensified Della's lessons and made her practice dark magic in the Room of Requirement all day long.
He was extremely anxious.
If you walk by the river often, you will get your shoes wet.
On some unknown night, Quirrell and Della were caught by Professor Snape, who was obviously well prepared.
The revealing spell hit them when they were unprepared, and when they looked up again, they saw Snape, who looked stunned and angry.
He stared closely at Della's face with her pupils slightly dilated, his always stern face full of disbelief. Snape first glanced at Quirrell who was also panicked, then shot a vicious look at Della.
"Miss Riddle, I think you owe me an explanation."
Snape's voice was as slow and low as ever, but the anger in it was not concealed at all. Della responded to his gaze without saying anything. She glanced at Quirrell and took a step back to his side.
This action undoubtedly ignited Snape's anger. He rushed forward and pushed Quirrell against the wall, grabbing the young man's collar with both hands, and spoke directly, ignoring the other's panicked words.
"You don't want me to go against you, Quirrell."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. And," he paused and turned to look at Della who was still standing beside him, "I also need an explanation from Miss Riddle."
There was no emotion on Della's face. She frowned and responded to Snape's captivating gaze with her dark eyes. Things happened too suddenly and she hadn't figured out the situation yet. As for the explanation Snape wanted, she was sorry because it concerned her life.
The man's gaze suddenly paused, and his sight, which had been focused on Della, also shifted to other places. Following his gaze, there was only an empty wall. Snape seemed to be suddenly pulled by something and reached out to grab it, but he caught nothing.
"You need to figure out who you are loyal to."
Snape came back to his senses and turned around to continue whispering to Quirrell. Suddenly, a dim light shone in front of them. It was Filch.
Seeing the two professors, he paused. When his eyes met Della, Filch became fierce in an instant. He picked up another broken oil lamp and spoke to the two approaching professors.
"Look at this, professors. I found it in the restricted section," he said, glaring at Della fiercely. "It's still hot. A student must have slipped out of bed."
Della lowered her head and said nothing. The two professors' faces suddenly turned ugly. Obviously, their conversation just now was not something that could be heard by outsiders.
"We caught this student from somewhere else. There are other disobedient students in the library," Snape said as he waved the other two back. "I think you will go back obediently. Also, remember to find me for detention at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, Miss Riddle."
As they were talking, the three of them ran away in the direction of the library and disappeared from Della's sight.
Listening to their footsteps receding, Della did not move. She turned her head sharply like Snape just now, and quickly turned around and kept moving forward. As she got closer and closer to the wooden door, a muffled groan was heard after the dull impact sound.
"You shouldn't have been looking at me."
Della had already drawn her wand and was pointing it at the source of the sound. She narrowed her eyes and smiled slightly.
"It's me, Della."
A familiar voice came from the front, and along with it Harry's frightened little face appeared. His face was suspended in the air and he looked at Della. The scene was extremely weird.
Just at this moment, the sound of overlapping footsteps appeared again. Without bothering to ask, Della reacted quickly and pushed open the door in front of her. After both of them jumped in, she gently closed the wooden door.
The two of them leaned against the door, holding their breath, and paying attention to the movements outside. They didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the footsteps faded away and the outside world returned to silence.
Harry had taken off his invisibility cloak and looked at Della in front of him with a complicated expression. Her black hair became a little messy due to panic, but she still looked as obedient as usual.
"Della, you," Harry spoke first. He hesitated, his always bright green eyes wrinkled in confusion, "Why are you with them? And, it's been a long time since I saw you."
It seems that he has been there from the beginning, Della thought in her heart, wondering what attitude she should adopt to deal with Harry.
"Don't lie to me, Della."
The boy's slightly pleading voice came, and the scene of Quidditch that day reappeared in front of her. Della's throat choked and she sighed slightly.
"Harry, there are some things that I don't want to say, but I can't say them." Della looked up at the pair of green eyes filled with suspicion and worry. For a moment, she didn't know whether to sigh at how complicated people's emotions were, or to admire the savior's eyes that made it impossible to keep secrets. "But I can tell you what I'm doing."
"This matter is not in line with the norms, and in a sense, it concerns my life. I don't ask you to keep it a secret, Harry." Della smiled as usual, with her eyes full of tenderness. "I believe you will not put me in danger, and I also believe in your friends."
"Quirrel is teaching me the Dark Arts." Della said slowly as she watched Harry's face become increasingly serious. As expected, the boy's pupils began to grow larger. "As for the reason, that's beyond my scope to say."
"I only have one request, Harry. I beg you not to cause trouble for Quirrell. No one, no one."
"Why, Della, why?" As the girl's voice fell, Harry immediately asked anxiously.
"These are all things I cannot say." Della's expression did not change, she still looked at Harry gently.
"Then..." Harry seemed to be deflated all of a sudden. He frowned and thought, "What about Snape? Hermione said that you also noticed Snape chanting during the Quidditch match."
"Quirrel sat behind him that day, Harry. And today was also my first time interacting with Professor Snape."
Pupils trembling, this is the most appropriate way to describe Harry at this moment. He looked at Della with wide eyes, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"Let's put it this way, Harry. For some reasons, we can't get too close. You should know how much time I usually spend in the library. If you trust me, we can exchange information after the holidays."
"Well... okay." Harry agreed to Della's suggestion in a muffled voice. The doubts in his heart kept piling up, but he had no clue what to do.
The two stopped talking and the atmosphere was stagnant for a moment. Perhaps to break this atmosphere, when Harry caught a glimpse of the large mirror in the empty room from the corner of his eye, he pointed at it and shouted to move forward.
Della turned her head and saw the big mirror. Harry had already walked in front of her. Following Harry, she looked up at the two lines of words at the top of the mirror.
Mirror of Erised
'I don't reflect your face, I reflect your desires.'
This is something that appeared in those alchemy books. Its origin is no longer traceable and it has no practical value. It can only be said to be very interesting.
Harry had already stood in front of the magnificent large mirror. Through the mirror, Della saw Harry's eyes suddenly widen and then he turned his head as if to confirm something. When he faced the mirror again, Harry touched his shoulder and said to Della with trembling voice.
"Della, look, my parents are in there."
"The Mirror of Erised will reveal the deepest desires of one's heart." Looking at Harry's happy yet sad expression in the mirror, Della walked closer step by step. "That's not real, Harry. Although he is harmless, he will make people waste their time."
Della walked to the mirror, and as her eyes fell on herself in the mirror, Harry disappeared in the mirror, leaving only her own desire. She narrowed her eyes, put her right hand around her thin neck, and pressed her thumb upwards on the corner of her uncurved mouth.
"Harry, you saw your parents, do you remember them?"
"No, I don't remember them. I think they were from when I was very young. What did you see, Della? Did you see your parents, too?"
"They are things I have never seen before. They may come from my lost memories from my childhood, but my parents are not in them. I only see myself."
Among the countless alchemical instruments that have been read and not read, there stood a man with a face similar to Della, with a curve at the corner of his mouth that was not evil on Della's face.
His right hand was also on his neck, with his thumb pressing the curved line. A huge white snake was wrapped around his thin body, leaning docilely on his neck and spitting out its tongue. On the neck of the white snake, there was a dark green family emblem that Della had seen before.
Why did the Cling Graydon family crest appear in her desire?
Does she want alchemy?
On the pillar pediment, which neither of them noticed, Maggie's dark yellow eyes were staring at Harry quietly.