Chapter 121 Communication
Before Della and Harry could communicate, Theodore Nott found the opportunity to stop her at the stone window near the library.
"Can we talk, Riddle?" he said to Della who tilted her head to look out the window.
They are here to call for punishment. It seems that Harry's Parseltongue really confuses everyone.
Della withdrew her gaze from the familiar figure. She met Theodore's light black eyes and revealed a somewhat harsh expression. "I know what you are going to say, Theodore, but I don't want to get entangled with you on this issue."
"You..." Theodore frowned. He seemed to want to argue something, but was interrupted by Della's gesture of silence.
"Wavelengthy loyalty is cheap, Theodore." A snake poked its head out from Della's scarf. Theodore recognized it as the black snake from the duel club that night, and his eyes widened.
"I know it's hard to break my father's rule, but I also hope you can be more courageous," Della walked up to Theodore and whispered in his ear, "You have to think about what kind of glory you want."
Della said this lightly, and she put on the attitude of a superior, and left without looking back, leaving the pale and thin boy struggling there.
Faced with an ambitious and wavering Slytherin, Della still knew how to deal with him with power and status. She suddenly understood some of what Dumbledore said. The high position she just held in front of Theodore was obviously given to her by Voldemort.
For the first time, Della despised her own character of making the best use of everything, but she didn't intend to change anything.
When they were far away, she pinched the little snake inside the scarf and said, "You saved me a lot of trouble today, Apep."
Perhaps it was the empathy she felt that night, Della took good care of the black snake after taking it home. She named him "Apep", but she might have spoiled him a little too much, as she had to ask Quasi to pack up some raw meat for him in private for the past two days, but today she still brought him out at the little snake's begging.
Apep in the scarf moved slightly, and Della sensed that he was in a good mood. She smiled unconsciously and walked out of the castle with ease.
Everyone was noisy on the road. Many people carrying their luggage gathered together to discuss their holiday plans. They were ready to take the Hogwarts Express to leave this noisy campus.
Della continued walking outside while greeting people she knew with a smile. She had just seen Harry going out on the second floor carrying something, and Della was sure that he went to Hagrid's hut.
It was actually a coincidence today, because Draco had to write back to his family, and he seemed to have a strong sense of personal awareness when writing letters, so he did not ask Della to be closer to him as usual.
Della had originally decided to go talk to Harry, and although she was interrupted by Theodore, Harry's going to Hagrid actually made things easier for Della, so they could talk more.
Hagrid was digging out some strange frozen fish from the snow. When he saw Della, he greeted her enthusiastically, "Hey, Della!"
"Hey, Hagrid," Della smiled back eagerly, "what are you going to do with all these fish?"
"Some of the little ones have always been obsessed with the taste of frozen fish, and fish frozen in the snow tastes much better than those made with freezing spells," Hagrid picked up a fish and smashed the ice crystals on it. He looked at Della as if he suddenly realized something, "You are here to see Harry, right?"
"I can't hide it from you, Hagrid," Della said apologetically, "To be honest, I'm a little worried about him."
"It's enough to make him happy that you can come. Go in quickly and don't let him immerse himself in the past that he has never touched." Hagrid said, greeting Della anxiously.
"Okay, Hagrid," Della said immediately. She walked quickly to the door of the cabin and pushed it open.
Harry looked up at the door. He was sitting by the fire with an old photo album on his lap. Seeing Della, he seemed a little surprised. "Why are you here?"
"I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time, Harry," Della took off her scarf and hung it aside. Apep obediently folded his hand in hers. Della raised her hand and showed it to Harry, "Do you want to see him?"
"That snake?" Harry's eyes widened, but his face looked uncomfortable. "I don't hate snakes, but now I feel a little..."
"I heard the students' discussion. If it makes you feel better, there are quite a few people in Slytherin who look upon you differently." Della sat down next to Harry. She saw the red-haired beauty with a flamboyant smile in the open photo album. Harry had the same green eyes as the beauty.
"You're just adding fuel to the fire." Harry glanced at Della helplessly. He said this with both anger and amusement, but his hand touched Apep honestly.
"Okay, I shouldn't joke around. I have to thank you first, Harry." Della's expression suddenly became serious. "You haven't told Ron and Hermione that I'm a Parseltongue, have you? You're really considerate of me."
"I know you won't be the heir. I didn't think enough that night." Harry took Apep in his hands. Apep squinted his black eyes comfortably under his touch. "And if others knew that you were a Parseltongue, they might also..."
Harry paused. Even though he had suffered so much criticism, he still didn't want to speak ill of his classmates directly, so he just sighed.
"......" Della looked up and down at the depressed Harry, and then set her sights on the obedient Apep, "Are you just worried about those gossips?"
"I..." Harry knew Della saw through his thoughts almost immediately, and he said with difficulty, "The Sorting Hat sorted me into Gryffindor at my request."
"Is Slytherin so bad?" Della looked at Harry calmly.
"No, no, that's not what I meant, Della." Harry blushed at Della's gaze. He stammered, trying to justify his words, but in the end he only said dryly, "You are different."
Della didn't speak immediately. She continued to look at Harry. When the boy's face couldn't get any redder, Della burst out laughing.
"You're so funny, Harry."
Della laughed as she spoke. Harry, who had realized what was happening, was a little annoyed, but also very curious about Della's emotions, which she had never shown so openly before. He quickly retorted, "It seems I'd better take back what I said before."
"That's really sad, but that's true," Della slowly regained her composure. She held up her face and looked at Harry. "I am indeed different, both to you and to Slytherin."
"That's right, not every Slytherin can be adopted by that miserable old bat." Harry's dejection faded a lot, and he spoke of Snape in a strange tone.
"Haha, it's more than that, Harry." A helpless and mocking smile that Harry had never seen before appeared on Della's face. He heard the girl say faintly, "They have been taught since childhood not to get close to people of my background."
"What?" Harry didn't quite understand, and he subconsciously retorted, "But I see you guys always have a lot of fun chatting."
"They have their own revision plans. I know there is a view that some people think my talent comes from a certain family. They seem to think that I am the product of a Death Eater who stayed in the Muggle world."
"What? What are Death Eaters? Are those people wizards too?" Harry was even more confused.
"Death Eaters is a nickname for the You-Know-Who's men. They are the people who think that Muggles and Mudbloods are the lowest class of people," Della said calmly. "And when facing the lowest class of people, there are more ways to torture them than just killing them."
Della's words were very cryptic, and it took Harry a while to realize that simple sentence contained a message that was not relevant to people of their age. He was so shocked that he almost jumped up.
That was undoubtedly an insulting conjecture, and the malice conveyed in such words even made Harry want to punch those people hard. However, Della was so calm when she said these words, as calm as if she was only discussing whether tomorrow would be a sunny day or something, which blocked all Harry's emotions.
"This is so insulting, how did you..." Harry wanted to ask Della how she stayed calm under such speculation, but he felt that such words were too pale.
"They have always been jealous of my excellence, but now they are afraid and covetous of the dean behind me." Della extended her hand to Apep.
"Didn't you tell Snape? He will help you, right? You are his daughter now." Harry asked anxiously.
"Do you think this is an action that can change anything, Harry?" Della looked at Harry together with Apep who had already wrapped around her hand.
Harry choked. He felt that Della in front of him had become himself. He couldn't refute or make any suggestions.
"Yes, it is difficult to change the environment, but we can't let those people succeed, right? What do they want to see? They just want me to cry and lose my concentration in class, so that they can criticize me again from their original position."
"If I'm bothered by this, wouldn't that be exactly what they want?" Della said aggressively, staring at Harry's confused green eyes, "and my abilities, including my own, are not wrong."
"Della..." Harry said blankly. He saw that the girl's usual smile suddenly appeared on her face.
"So I know what to do best. I don't have to pay attention to them. My ability will be the best way for me to turn the situation around." Della stood up and prepared to take the hanging scarf. "Don't only look at your abilities from other people's perspectives, Harry, otherwise you will just become someone else."
Harry couldn't say a word. He had never felt Della so strange before. This conversation was like something given to him by Dumbledore, the kind of Dumbledore from Slytherin.
It was not until the cold wind that came in as Della left and blew on his face that Harry realized that they had ended their conversation without even saying goodbye. He felt that Della seemed to be angry about something, but he couldn't tell whether this anger was directed at him, Slytherin, or something else.
However, he did not think that this was an unpleasant conversation. He was even a little relieved by Della's anger. To be honest, he felt it was terrifying that Della could speak so calmly before.
Thinking about it more carefully, he seemed to have never seen Della making a fuss, as if this word could never be associated with her, but how could anyone be so calm all the time?
Even if he did something unreasonable like Snape, Harry would think it was a living proof.
He suddenly remembered the smile Della gave him on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning. After Della entered Slytherin, he seemed to have never seen Della smile like that again.
Slytherin sucks, doesn't it?
But could this statement be because he had already seen things from someone else's perspective? Just like he couldn't think that Della wasn't happy in Slytherin because she didn't smile as much anymore?
Harry was thinking in a mess. In front of him was Malfoy's ugly face, and then he saw the care that the Slytherin president showed to Della. He thought of the sinister Snape and the smiling Della.
Harry's mind was in a mess and he couldn't come to any conclusion. When Hagrid asked him to go back to the hall for dinner and those suspicious and fearful eyes returned to him, he remembered his current situation.
Harry hugged the photo album tightly in his arms, trying his best to keep a calm expression as he walked forward, and in a trance he brought himself into the shoes of Della. She might have been facing such unfriendly gazes since she started school, but she could still become so powerful.
Her own predicament turned out to be her daily routine.
Compared to Della, is he too timid?
He couldn't help but think so. At this time, Harry no longer felt that Della was terrible. Instead, he felt that she was quite pitiful. He immediately confirmed his conclusion. He thought that Slytherin might be nothing, but the Slytherins around Della were terrible, and it was a miracle that Della could still be a normal person in such an environment.
Thinking of Della's words by the fire, Harry had another impulse. He now wished he could get a good snake on his body so that everyone who whispered to him would know that he was indeed a Parseltongue.
Yes, what's wrong with a Parseltongue? It's just the ability to talk to snakes. As long as you haven't done anything harmful to others, no one can drive you out.
Hmm...would that be too Slytherin?
The thought amused Harry, but when he smelled the scent wafting from the Great Hall, he put everything aside.
He no longer had the same loss of appetite as he had in the past few days. Harry felt surprisingly hungry and just wanted to have a good meal.