Chapter 315: Long-awaited Negotiation
"Ask for advice? With all due respect, Harry, barging in wearing an invisibility cloak doesn't seem like asking for advice at all," Della said, but she raised her hand and waved Harry to sit on the sofa opposite her. "It also makes it difficult for me to entertain a guest like you who cannot see anyone. It would seem impolite of me."
Harry's face became even hotter when he heard this. He relied purely on his inner friendship for Della and Cynthia's affection for him as her godfather and sat down opposite Della without saying a word. When he sat down and looked up at Della by the window, the dazzling light from the snow flakes dazzled him.
This kind of one-on-one conversation also happened between him and Della in Hagrid's hut on Christmas Eve in his second year. At that time, Della made him slightly change his attitude towards Slytherin with just a few words.
That was also the first time he could remember feeling anger towards Della, and Harry was still enjoying the vitality of his ever-smiling friend.
Harry was still pleased with Della's outward display of emotion, but he also personally experienced how difficult it was to deal with Della when she was at full power and full of sarcasm.
If Della, who possessed such logic and expression, was a pure-blood believer like Malfoy, Harry had no doubt that Della would have the means to make the pure-blood theory a truly noble thing that was sought after.
Fortunately, Della is not a supporter of such bad ideas.
Ah, I’m getting off topic.
Before he opened his mouth, Harry, who had not been alone with Della for a long time, recalled the purpose of his coming here. "Cynthia, do you know her, Della?" He said this without any doubt in his tone, and then quietly added a detail that Della would not deny, "I see she is holding your wand."
Della's old wand, which was tightly held in Cynthia's hand when she was found unconscious, was quite conspicuous evidence. Mr. Ollivander, who remembered every wand, easily pointed out the owner of the wand, but no one had asked Della about this until Harry spoke.
This unusual thing is actually easy to explain. The investigating officials consciously ignored the daughter of the Dark Lord, who might need their favor in the future. Ignoring this shows their flexibility and tact. Those who were concerned about Cynthia's face found it hard to accept but were secretly happy about the return of the old friend, but could not accept losing her for the second time. Ignoring this shows their evasion and hypocrisy.
"If I deny it, will you continue to question me about my brother's attempt to hurt Cynthia at the beginning of the school year?" Della smiled. Knowing Cynthia's character a little, she probably guessed what happened.
"I will," said Harry, smiling as well, feeling Della's friendliness and cooperation on this topic.
"It seems that there are still too many loopholes. Tell me, what do you want to know, Harry," Della shrugged, "I will answer your question after I consider it."
"I don't ask about her background and..." Harry swallowed the word 'appearance', and his hands on his knees twisted together, "It's about the amnesia she kept talking about. Last night, she told me that it was not the case..."
Harry repeated what Cynthia said last night. He felt a little embarrassed when he said those things in front of Della, which he could express naturally in front of Ron. He felt that Cynthia was wrong, but Della happened to be the correct example that Cynthia could use to refute him in some ways.
Harry finished the section about Cynthia without any subjective comment, and then supplemented the past that Sirius had told him about him and Cynthia. When he talked about those things, he brought some of his own emotions and made his indignation public.
"From the perspective of someone who doesn't know Sirius Black," Della said after Harry finished speaking, "I don't hate Cynthia's actions."
Oh! Della is a Slytherin!
This was Harry's first feeling when he heard Della's words. He felt that it was a bit ridiculous for him to discuss selfishness with a Slytherin.
Della saw through Harry's dissatisfaction without saying a word. She smiled knowingly and continued, "I don't know if you wanted to ask me for advice at the beginning, or if you wanted me to give you a way to force Cynthia to testify for Sirius, but since there are only you and me here, please let me focus on you first."
"What?" Harry looked into Della's dark eyes and asked in confusion.
"We are now talking about other people's affairs, about what you think others have done wrong. If you define wrongness more broadly," Della paused, "for example, having unknown abilities and being born in disgrace, do you find this scene familiar?"
Harry opened his eyes and immediately realized that Della was talking about himself, who was once isolated by his classmates because of his Parseltongue, and her, who was now ostracized by society because of her birth. His behavior at this moment turned him into the person who once isolated him and now ostracized Della.
Am I looking at things too much from my perspective?
Harry wavered. The fact that he had not been able to refute Cynthia last night also became a kind of evidence for this statement. "Familiar..." He answered Della's question in a low voice, "Now I am a little ashamed..."
"Why should you feel ashamed because of other people's mistakes, Harry?" Della's tone rose, and her two consecutive sentences with opposite meanings made Harry completely confused.
The previous sentence undoubtedly expressed that it was his subjective opinion that convicted Cynthia, but how come this sentence now means that Cynthia is indeed guilty?
"I don't hate what Cynthia did, but objectively speaking, isn't it a crime to conceal the truth and be proud of it?" Della looked at Harry's reaction, a hint of helplessness mixed into her smile. She saw that Harry was still too naive. "People always have reasons to refute, and arguments that blur the truth always have an audience. Obviously, you who are hesitant and unable to act now have become the audience of Cynthia's rebuttal."
"Does this scene seem familiar to you?" Della repeated the words again, "Harry, two years have passed, and you are still looking at yourself from someone else's perspective."
Even though his brows were furrowed, Harry's eyes were still wide open. He seemed to have grasped something from Della's words, but he couldn't tell what it was.
"Endless internal friction caused by others," Della said this sentence that Cynthia once said to her, and suddenly she was deeply moved. She felt that this was a very correct sentence, and it was because she felt that this was a very correct sentence that she told Harry. It was really ironic that she was now using Cynthia's words to let others deal with her, "No matter whether you are in a weak or strong situation, you have made yourself weak psychologically."
"I didn't," Harry raised his voice suddenly. Such a high tone was his opposition, but the tone of this opposition fell faster than expected. In the next sentence, his voice became low and without fighting spirit again. "I came to you now, isn't it because I think she is wrong and want to change her..."
"Excuse me, is this the attitude of a Gryffindor when he is about to do something?" Della asked in return, "Harry, it is easy to tell whether you want to do something or not. In my opinion, you have the capital to act, and I think you also know that capital."
"Cynthia's face and the photo album with her mother's face in your hand," Della pointed out, "this is the truth that can be publicized to persecute Cynthia."
"Using rumors to oppress others is shameless." Harry frowned.
"Rumors? That's the truth, Harry, and do you think Cynthia cares about you at all?" Della laughed sarcastically, "Or is Cynthia, who doesn't care about you, more important than your dear godfather?"
"Of course not!" Harry's voice got louder again, and there was no further words after that.
"Gryffindor's sense of justice and chivalry are admirable, but the world doesn't work like a fairy tale," Della's smile faded. "You came to me for advice because you wanted a solution that would have the best of both worlds. However, things are often difficult to achieve perfectly. Some sacrifices must be made, and if you don't make those sacrifices for others, you have to make them for yourself."
"Really, there is no better way?" Harry asked unwillingly.
"As for Cynthia's matter, what I just said is the best solution I can think of, because her personality is really unique. I dare say that even if Black comes, her determination will not be shaken at all." Della looked at Harry and attacked his naivety step by step. "And if you can't make up your mind, you can only sigh at Cynthia's back forever."
"I understand..." Harry's eyes drooped dimly, and he no longer refuted Della's words. However, his conflicted expression showed that he was very likely to fall into the second ending of eternal sighing that Della mentioned.
Della saw it, but didn't say anything more. It's impossible for a person to completely change because of a few words. She just wanted to show Harry some indifference and cruelty first. After Voldemort was resurrected, those would be things he would have to experience.
Della did not doubt Harry's fighting spirit. What she said just now was so realistic. In fact, she did not hate Harry's sense of justice that was too strict with himself. It was a very charming quality. However, the charm of being considerate of others would not necessarily bring good results.
"Besides, you have to remain vigilant, Harry. Two years have passed, and you are still so easily swayed by my words." Della sighed, "I hope you can understand that I have made some sacrifices."
Harry listened in a daze, opened his mouth several times, but in the end no word came out.