Chapter 39 Conversation
"You're so brave!" Draco gathered his cloak together and followed Della towards the Whomping Willow with a look of panic on his face.
The unfriendly giant tree had already made him timid enough, but Della's unslowed pace aroused his desire to show off in front of the opposite sex, so he suppressed his inner fear and tried his best to keep up with Della who was moving forward.
"Don't worry, this is not the first time I go out like this." Della slowed down her pace a little, turned around and comforted Draco in a gentle voice. Her bright big eyes shone with a different kind of brilliance under the moonlight. After scanning the trembling boy behind her, her eyes paused for a very short time somewhere behind her before turning forward again.
"Are you really a Slytherin?!" At one moment, Draco even saw the shadow of Pott in Della, and he growled in a somewhat collapsed manner.
"You came here anyway, Draco."
When shyness overcame fear, the originally terrifying journey would be infinitely shortened. When he came to his senses, Draco and Della were already moving forward in the secret passage with fluorescent lights.
In this eerie secret passage, any sound would cause a huge echo. Draco looked around with an uncertain expression.
Perhaps he couldn't bear the echoes of the sounds knocking at his soul, so he was surprisingly quiet along the way. Only when he took Della's hand and climbed up through the wooden door to what seemed to be his destination did he complain twice in dissatisfaction.
"This doesn't look like a place where you can get a good thank you gift."
He grumbled and patted his dusty black robe, his light blond hair bouncing as he looked at him. He didn't use the hairspray after washing up tonight, and the messy hair blunted his usual edges.
"You look so cute with your hair down, Draco," Della praised without blushing, her usual smile appearing on her face. She waved to Draco, "Come with me, Draco."
Draco curled his lips, ignoring the open entrance to the secret passage under his feet, and followed Della as if he didn't care, but he couldn't hide his eyes that were sparkling with excitement because of the adventure.
The new room was just as dim as the previous one. Apart from the fluorescent light that kept flashing in Della's hand, the pouring moonlight added a bit of brightness. The expected scene did not appear, and Draco was really disappointed.
"What could be here?" Draco also used the fluorescent flash to look around. He soon noticed the dark red spell on the empty floor in the middle of the room. "What is that?"
"Draco, it's not a good idea to go near there," Della's voice was darker than ever before, and her narrowed eyes were obscure. "I think a little spell can tell you what that means, Draco."
As she spoke, she waved her wand and cast another spell Draco had never heard of. A spot of witchcraft light shot from behind him onto the floor, casting an ominous spell.
Quirrell, who was declared dead by Dumbledore, appeared above the spell. He was tied up and looked terrified, with pain on his face that Draco had never seen before. However, before Draco could turn around to question Della, a pair of soft, cold hands covered his ears with irresistible force and also fixed his neck, so that he could only stare with wide eyes at the phantom of Quirrell struggling.
Even though his ears were covered, the piercing wails still leaked out, and in just a few seconds, Qi Luo, whose face was twisted and bleeding and whose body was twisted into a strange shape, turned into ashes with his final liberation.
Even though it was just an illusion, the flying ashes seemed to be real. Draco was completely frightened and his body was so cold and stiff that he didn't even notice that Della's hands had left.
"Right there, Draco, I killed Quirrell."
Warm breath replaced the slightly cool hands, and Della leaned over to whisper in Draco's ear. It sounded like the devil's low moan or the whisper of lovers, but to Draco, it was a fatal spell. He broke free and tried to escape from here screaming.
"Is this too early for you, Draco..."
There was a strong sense of melancholy in Della's tone as she sighed. Draco even stopped for a moment, unable to restrain the urge to look back. At the moment when the golden hair slightly leaned back, Draco's eyes went dark, and Della's unreal voice was still lingering in his ears.
"Collapsed."
Della walked to the collapsed Draco, she squatted down, and played with the boy's smooth golden hair. She stroked it again and again, staring at the delicate little face.
"How far will it take for you to show up, Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"Have you always known I'm here?" In the corner of the room, Dumbledore's complicated white robe appeared. His brows were furrowed, and he confronted Della's dark eyes.
"I may have a keen talent in vision," Della's smile crept up the corners of her lips, although this tiny smile meant nothing. "Then, how will you deal with me? How will you deal with me, the descendant of the dark demon whose soul has been tainted?"
"Della, you seem to want to die right now." Dumbledore spoke carefully, choosing his words.
"This may be for the best, Dumbledore. I have no regrets about taking away a life." Della's hands were still playing with Draco's blond hair, her dark eyes were dead silent. "You are paying attention to Harry, and I believe that the lovely boy will do something. But, excuse me, sir, I don't even know what kind of person I am."
"..." Dumbledore didn't say anything, his wise eyes were filled with various considerations, and Della added coldly.
"At least not what you expect in your heart, Dumbledore. I must say that I will not accept many of your interrogations and arrangements."
"I think my soul is not beautiful, maybe just as incomplete as my so-called father. I can't guarantee that I won't go down a path that you don't want me to go down."
"You are right, Della, you have the same calmness and talent as him." Dumbledore said in a deep voice. He began to walk towards Della, who was already squatting on the ground with her legs spread out. As he approached, the girl also put her wand on the floor beside her. She closed her eyes and was ready to accept the fate she had chosen.
Unlike what she expected, a pair of rough, warm hands touched her head. "But he wouldn't tell me the truth like this, and he wouldn't give up his life for others."
Della opened her eyes, emotions kept flashing in her dark eyes, and finally disappeared. She did not get rid of the loving touch of the old man in front of her, but her throat rolled up and down.
"Didn't Professor Snape tell me about how I tortured mice? And didn't the way Quirrell died outweigh your consideration for my age?"
"I don't think your decision now is wise, Dumbledore. No one knows what will happen to a person as he grows up, especially someone like me. No one can guarantee that I won't be the next devil."
"Yes, no one can guarantee it, but no one knows, right?" Dumbledore retracted his hand, and several bright yellow candies appeared as his palm turned over. "Della, depriving a person of his life has many meanings, and my indifference to Quirrell is one of them. You know, he is not very smart, but he can't hurt Voldemort now, so I will abandon this talented young man just like you."
"You were asked to undo a life-threatening Unbreakable Vow. I do not blame a person for wanting to live. You are indeed born different, Della. You may be a Riddle like your father, but when you asked me to kill you, you were uniquely Della."
Della didn't say anything. Her dead eyes regained some spirit at this moment. She looked at Dumbledore's kind eyes, then at the candies in his hand, and reached out to take two.
"I must say that this is the last time I will put down my wand in front of you. However, I can also promise that I will not do anything to harm Hogwarts or Harry and the others."
"Just Harry and the others?"
"You can't expect me to like everyone in Hogwarts, Headmaster."
Dumbledore laughed, and the atmosphere of confrontation between the two men dissipated with the laughter. "Do you need my help?" Looking at Draco who was still sleeping on the ground, he raised his eyebrows and asked.
"A beautiful Obliquity, if you please, Professor Dumbledore, and I would like you to give us some alone time as children afterwards."
"I didn't know Mr. Malfoy was so charming." Dumbledore's subtle gaze lingered between the two children. Even Della felt her face burning, but the dim environment did not expose her.
"Then I wish you a pleasant date." Dumbledore said this after casting the spell skillfully.