Chapter 30 Turnaround
"The professor also delved into the counter-spells of his own dark arts?"
In the dim basement office, Della raised her eyebrows and looked at Snape, who was busy marking homework. She had been a frequent confinement student of Snape this semester. After the Christmas holidays, Snape found an excuse in the Potions class and put her in confinement for a month.
"I want you to shut up and study hard, it will be good for both of us." Snape raised his head slightly and glanced at her coldly, with his usual disgust on his face.
After that incident, Quirrell's health deteriorated a lot, and Della began to be taught entirely by Snape. This girl was indeed very talented, even terrifyingly so.
Being able to receive guidance from two masters of the dark arts at such a young age will undoubtedly make him progress faster than a dark wizard like him who studies on his own, but will also be more dangerous, after all, he is so young.
"I just feel that the professor is not quite the same as the Death Eater I imagined." Della bit those three words, narrowed her eyes and looked at Snape with a smile.
"Don't think you have the status to suppress me!" Snape raised his head suddenly, and a complex flame burned in his always dead black eyes, as if to burn the small figure in his pupils to ashes.
"Professor, there are some things that I can't choose." Della's expression suddenly became sincere. If the fire was coming, then she undoubtedly had the darkness that annihilated everything. "It's not just you who can't be trusted, it's me too."
Snape didn't say anything. He had sat up straight, the lines between his brows deepened, and he looked deeply at Della, who also smiled and looked at him.
"Go on, you daring fellow, Miss Riddle."
His whispered words sounded like an order. Della's smile widened, revealing a few white teeth. In such a dim environment, it glowed eerily.
"My father, that man, hid some things from the professor, and while most of them are within the scope of my oath, there are still some things I can tell you."
Snape in front of her still had that deep look on his face, so Della cleared her throat and continued, "First of all, that person wants to be resurrected, there is no doubt about that. Secondly, and what follows is just my guess. Maybe I am now a host other than his original target."
"What's your basis?" There was no emotion in the deep voice.
"For someone like me to have received such a huge amount of knowledge about the Dark Arts is very telling. I think he must have been restricted in some way. I can tell you that it was not the first time I saw him that day. You may have guessed that it was something that was taken away from me."
Della paused, her eyes sweeping across the jar of unknown red liquid on the table and the bright yellow candy that stood out from the crowd. "It helped him regain some of his strength, and the way he trains me now is more like trying his best to train him in the future."
"Your guess is as far-fetched as those Gryffindors."
"You can say that, but as a timid person, I can only make some preparations based on my expectations. I really hope to get your help."
"Are you so sure that I will help you?"
A hint of coldness appeared on that serious face, with a very malicious arc appearing.
"You can say I'm naive," Della smiled sweetly. She picked up the yellow-wrapped candy on the jar. "The lemon Sherbet candy gave me some confidence in negotiation."
Looking at the candy, Snape let out a breath, and buried his head in the homework at hand again, saying only this lightly.
"Practice your dark arts well. He needs to see results. I think I will take you to the restricted section occasionally."
"Thank you very much, Professor."
This conversation is undoubtedly a gamble, but facing the seemingly foreseeable ending ahead, Della understands that she and Maggie alone cannot resist it. The lemon candy that appears on the table may be a signal or a trap. Instead of welcoming fate in panic, it is better to make some thrilling gambles.
The oath at that time was to keep the secret of "today", not all secrets in the future, but the boundary of "assisting in the resurrection of the great Dark Lord" was rather vague, and Della was not sure whether she was breaking the oath before she spoke.
Testing the boundaries of both Snape's attitude and the Unbreakable Vow at the same time, she was indeed bold.
That kind of heart-pounding excitement is truly addictive, especially when it comes to one's own life.
With the excuse of being put in solitary confinement, Della no longer needed to use those spells on the way back. She walked alone in the basement with green light hanging, with only the sound of footsteps echoing.
Della sorted out the clues in her mind and began to think.
The last time she bled Quirrell, she saw him in a very bad condition. If it were just his pale face and bloodshot eyes, it would be fine. But when facing those eyes, Della could hardly tell the emotions in them. Maybe there were some fluctuations, but they were minimal. During the conversation, except that his stuttering was more natural than before, there was no similarity with other times.
Puppet, this was Della's inner evaluation, and recently Quirrell had not come to see her except for bleeding, which was not a good sign. Voldemort might be manipulating him to prepare something, leaving even less time for herself.
As for Snape, he should be Dumbledore's man. It is a bit hasty to conclude this based on just a piece of candy. In fact, what influenced Della's inner decision was the look in his eyes when he looked at Harry during the first Potions class. There must be some origin between them, and it was this small weight that determined the tilt of the scales.
And this time he also got some very good information. The Restricted Section might contain a way to break the Unbreakable Vow. It was estimated that Maggie had already gone there. He swam upstream as soon as he left Snape's office.
It was Harry... On this point, Della admitted her meanness. She did intend to drag this savior into trouble that day, but Harry must have concealed the conversation that day from Ron and Hermione. He never contacted her privately again, and always avoided her eyes when they met. Ron complained as usual about her focus on her studies, and Hermione still liked to exchange learning experiences with her.
This is enough. I shouldn't have thought of involving them.
If life remains dull and hypocrisy becomes a habit, will you feel happy?
This is a sad assumption.
"Riddle?"
A familiar voice came from behind her. Della turned her head and the first thing she saw was the shining golden hair.
"Malfoy? How come I didn't know you had detention today too?"
"I'm not in detention. I saw those three guys from Pott sneaking out today, so I followed them." Draco had already caught up with Della in two or three steps. He was panting, but his words were full of joy. "Not only did they go out after curfew, but that sloppy Hagrid also secretly raised a dragon! I complained to Mrs. McGonagall and made them lose 150 points. Hagrid even sent the dragon away!"
"You are so insidious, Malfoy." Della laughed, laughing at this naive yet bad boy. Looking at the bouncing golden hair, emotions flowed in her black eyes.
"Humph, I'm no match for that McGonagall," Draco gritted his teeth again. "She actually made me do detention with those three guys tomorrow, and she said I broke the school rules too!"
"I think Professor McGonagall gets 100 points for that."
"You! I forgot that you are in cahoots with them!" Draco's face turned red when he heard Della's indifferent voice with a hint of mockery. After seeing Della's raised lips, he stomped the ground angrily a few times.
"You've come to talk to a Mudblood like me. I'm really happy, Draco." Looking at that arrogant little face, Della's eyes narrowed slightly, appearing narrower. The corners of her mouth still had that subtle arc. "You know, I really enjoy seeing you make fun of me."
It was the same undisguised banter as in the Astronomy Tower. After Draco came to his senses, he turned his head away, not facing the eyes that made him nervous. He snorted coldly and spoke.
"Since you are sensible and don't often bother me, I won't bother with you. Last time, I just didn't react in time. If it happens again, I won't let you be so powerful."
Draco felt deeply ashamed when he thought about how he had obediently followed this Mudblood back to the common room without saying a word after being scared last time.
He also thought about getting back at his enemies, but this person was even busier than Granger. He was in the library after class and went back to the dormitory after dinner. He even entrusted Maggie to others' care.
After several failed attempts at stakeout, Draco let the matter go and focused on causing trouble for the savior who always wanted to be in the spotlight.
There was no more sound coming from the side, and Draco could not help turning his head to look at her. The girl covered her mouth, a smile flowing out from the gap between her eyes, and her charming black eyes were completely narrowed into slits, radiating light continuously.
"What are you laughing at?!" Draco was a little confused and his face turned red. The dim light added some warmth to his little face, making him look as tempting as a red apple.
Della's senses have always been sharp. She had long since caught the boy's awkward affection for her. Normally, she would not take it seriously, but today she wanted to have fun with it.
Draco, a bad boy who lives in love, his parents' love is the basis for his evil deeds and also the capital for his willfulness.
Della envied that love and was jealous of the unrestrained nature of it.
She couldn't help wanting to touch him, as if that would allow her to touch everything she had longed for in the past, touch another possibility.
"I just think you're so cute," Della laughed out loud, and she raised her other hand to wipe away the tears that were about to overflow. "You are always so perfect for me, Draco."
"You you! Aren't you ashamed, Muggle-born?!" Those words, which were almost a confession, made Draco's face turn red completely. No, no, he shouldn't be so panicked, he should say some insulting words to make this dirty mudblood recognize his identity!
But his throat seemed to be blocked, and looking at those curved eyes, he couldn't utter a word.
It was at this moment that the pair of eyes came closer and closer to her, and then she felt her arms drooping. She was actually holding her hands!
Although he should have struggled to break free, Draco was frozen and unable to move. He mechanically followed Della's movements and walked forward, the girl's clear voice that seemed to still carry heat echoing in his ears.
"Okay, walk with me for a while, Draco."
Yes, innocent boy who has everything that makes me jealous, please walk with me for a while.