Chapter 163 Illusion

"It's not time to warm up by the fire yet." The gloomy voice was accompanied by the smoke when the fire went out. As soon as he heard the words, Malfoy extinguished the last flame as quickly as possible in his life, stood up and blocked the fireplace.

"Talk to a friend," he had never been so quick to make up a lie in front of his father as he was today, "you know, Durmstrang's friend."

"I can't see," Lucius Malfoy said without getting angry. However, the half-smiling expression was far more frightening than the anger, "It's a friend from Hogwarts whose surname is Greengrass."

"Dad, dad..." He muttered and tried to step back, bumping into a wall brick and almost falling into the fireplace.

"You still remember that I am your father, yes." Lucius Malfoy always smiled kindly, and the more he did, the more annoying he became. "Remember this, you should not forget that all of our floo networks will be under surveillance. "

In front of him was his father pressing forward step by step, and behind him was the still-steaming fireplace. With no way to retreat, Draco Malfoy rarely had a hard time with his father: "I didn't say anything. Leah was bewitched by those mudblood hybrids and pure-blood traitors. I just explained to her the consequences of her stubbornness and asked her to come back..."

"You still can't see clearly what the situation is now!" There was a snap of the snake-head cane as he wiped his. The shoulder was embedded in the fireplace, and the obvious cracks on the staff were enough to prove that the force used was not light. This shattered Draco Malfoy's hard-earned courage, and he almost fell to the ground if he hadn't been holding on to the wall.

"I'm sorry, Draco. The Ministry has been restless recently." Seeing his son acting like this, he couldn't help but soften his tone, and wisely pointed out the affairs of the Ministry of Magic. His expression was still stern and gloomy, "Astoria used to be a sensible person. Little girl, Greengrass has been hopeless since Albert, and his two daughters are now worse than pure-blood traitors."

Without waiting for his son to refute, he looked around quickly and cautiously, as if he was thinking. What to check, then he leaned closer and whispered: "This time I can help you clean up the mess while they are away. Next time, and next time, after I die." Speaking of this, he fell in love with Draco Malfoy. Still lowering his head and looking at his toes, he couldn't help but feel angry, and emphasized his tone, "You want Malfoy to become the second Shen family?"

When Draco Malfoy mentioned the Shen family, he trembled even more, as if recalling A memory that I tried my best to avoid. Seeing him like this, Lucius Malfoy shook his head silently, and continued without caring about his feelings: "If you want to persuade that girl back, you can," he pointed at the front door, "I will personally send you to Hogwarts. , From now on, Sissy and I will treat you as our son. I will naturally report to the Ministry that there is a traitor in the Malfoy family who is involved with Greengrass."

"Dad..." Draco Malfoy already looked pleading.

"You can continue to be a member of the Malfoy family," Lucius Malfoy did not relent because of this. If he continued to relent, the whole family would most likely be buried with him. He forced out a ferocious smile, "Although there are still a few days before school, Durmstrang is remote, so it is not difficult to apply to arrive at school early."

The hands firmly pressed on his shoulders pressed Draco Malfoy. Almost out of breath: "You are not young anymore, Draco. I will choose a pure-blooded, well-behaved and sensible wife for you." The hands pressed hard again, as if this could suppress all the inappropriate thoughts. He thought to himself, "I remember that you and Pansy Parkinson have a good relationship. The Parkinson family is happy to marry us."

He looked into those emotionless gray eyes and swallowed the rejection that came to his lips. Even as the family talked more and more about the esteemed status purebloods enjoyed after the abolition of the Statute of Secrecy, he could still clearly feel his father's haggardness and exhaustion.

The omnipotent father I thought of when I was young was actually not as indomitable as I imagined.

The worry in those eyes always reminded him of the ubiquitous news posted on the streets and alleys, where bodies were hung and swayed on electric poles. Through the paper, he could imagine the ticking sound of blood flowing.

Durmstrang's common room was a hundred times colder than Slytherin's in the cellars.

"Of course I..." He clenched his fists to fight off the chill that spread over him, "I will be a qualified Malfoy."

"Very good," Lucius Malfoy pulled out the cane with a hint of amusement on his face. With a truly warm smile, he said, "We can't make the wrong choice again."

"Why is the ministry so restless again?" Malfoy had never straightened his back so straight, and tried his best to appear natural and casual. Seeing his father's secretive look, he tried his best to correct his expression, "I have grown up, and I should learn what maturity is."

He tried his best to face his father's sharp inspection: "These are also her exact words."

"Someone I hope I risk something I shouldn't do at the Wizards' Union Meeting." He finally chose to trust his biological son's progress, "They can't succeed. Why should I die with the idiots?"

He raised his head with disdain. , completely unaware that Draco Malfoy had rubbed the corners of his clothes into disarray.

"Learn to recognize a fool, Draco. Staying in Durmstrang and not causing trouble means that you have finally grown up." He wanted to touch Draco's head, but after not being so close for a long time, his hand could only stay stiffly. Mid-air, "Graduate safely in two years. The Malfoy family property will be enough for you to spend your whole life. With your current pure-blood status, it is not your turn to worry about the development of your family." "

Are they still in the East?" Draco said as soon as he said it Malfoy seemed to realize that this was not what he should ask, and looked at his father uneasily, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to..."

After looking at him for a long time, seeing that he seemed to be really upset about his slip of the tongue, Lucius Malfoy snorted. With a sound, the extremely absurd thought that suddenly appeared was dismissed: "I hope you will do what you say."

He tapped his cane and walked away. The sound of crackling like marbles hitting the eaves was incompatible with the rhythm of the cane hitting the floor. The words match.

It's raining.

Mu Yu stood in the rain and stared at the magnificently built wordless tomb in front of him. Although the tomb is tall and richly decorated, it occupies a large area of ​​deserted land alone. From this angle, you can barely see the lights of the city reflected in the night sky, but there are only luxuriant grasses around it, and it is difficult to see even a decent tree. .

She did it on purpose.

The heavy rains in summer seemed to be afraid of the stark desolation around the solitary tomb, leaving dry land for the tomb.

"Now that the final rebellion has been resolved, Kunlun should resume normal enrollment. The draft drawn up by the Zhou family makes sense. The previous enrollment model was loose and unfair. It is important to establish the grades within the sect as soon as possible, plan the operation model, and recruit more talents. Have the opportunity to step into a door that was once unimaginable." She still stared at the monotonous marble tombstone, as if there was a manuscript on it, "From now on, all students can only have one and only one way."

Shen Yi stood respectfully. Half a step behind her, her lowered eyelids concealed her surging emotions: "Then will you stay?"

Mu Yu turned her head, as if she suddenly became interested in him, and even stared at the tombstone for a long time. I forgot all about it, rubbing my chin and thinking about him.

He took another step back and expressed absolute humility: "You grew up in the East, and this is your hometown after all." When he raised his head, there was no more unnecessary emotion in his eyes, "The other side of the ocean has experienced drastic changes, and we have always had a relationship with that side. Subtle. I will feel more confident when dealing with you."

"I won't interfere too much in negotiations, discussions, or visits," Mu Yu was still studying him, as if there was a treasure buried under this body. "You understand the rules."

He leaned forward, paused for a moment, and then asked: "There is something wrong with the Ministry of Magic."

"You are testing me," she touched the jade pendant and focused her attention on the wordless tombstone again. Cracks criss-crossed the jade pendant. A piece of beautiful jade had been completely destroyed, but it had not broken to this point. She rubbed the cracks without distinguishing between joy and anger, "Duplicity and looking at Shu from Long is the biggest mistake your cousin has ever made."

The blood drops that accidentally dripped into my mouth that day still make me feel sick to my stomach from time to time.

"You are a smart person. You understand how much effort it would take to secure this position if it weren't for the orthodoxy we granted you." She sounded so gentle and approachable, but she didn't take him seriously at all, "Shen Yi, do As long as you can pay the price, I won't care who you ask for more power.

" Freaks get it. Shen Yi almost forgot how to breathe. Although there was a spell to block it, the cold rain seemed to almost penetrate into his bones. It would be okay if she got angry. Such gentle admonishment would be more uncomfortable than cutting flesh with a slow knife.

She was sure of his jealousy towards his cousin from the beginning, used her strength as bait, and slowly amplified the slightest bit of jealousy. As expected, he bit the bait and fell into a dilemma.

"What happened in Norway could never happen in the East." He lowered his head and made a firm promise, and had no choice but to swallow all the feelings in his heart alive. If possible, he never wanted to see this freak again in his life.

Mu Yu waved her hand towards him, and he immediately understood the meaning. Without saying any nonsense, he disappeared in front of her as quickly as possible. When she heard the people behind her leave completely, she showed no scruples in mocking the tombstone.

"Unless everyone can see through the nature of power, you will never be able to make a comeback." She carefully drew symbols on the tombstone, as leisurely as if she was chatting with a friend. "You have known it for a long time, Qitong. You know it is impossible. Just do it, why?"

She looked at the stone tablet, her doubts and troubles were all sincere. They sacrificed their lives one after another for the will that was destined to be destroyed. She has always been puzzled by such behavior.

The tombstone stood alone and determined in the rain, unable or unwilling to answer her again.

She touched the tombstone for the last time and passed through it as if it were nothing: "But now, the answer is not important."

Even this tombstone is just an extremely empty shell, a piece of useful material. Disposable tools.

As soon as I stood still, the cold wind couldn't wait to penetrate into my bones. The small cell has no doors or windows. If you stay there for a long time, you will lose the concept of time. As soon as she raised her foot, she stepped on a mixture of blood and unknown liquid on the ground.

The limbs of the bloody man nailed to the wall were twisted at incredible angles, and there were only two holes left in the eye sockets. Apart from the cold wind blowing and the howling of ghosts and wolves coming from nowhere, there was no other sound in the cell.

Azkaban was a cozy little home compared to this prison. Mu Yu glanced at the several types of magic flowing on the ceiling before continuing to look at the almost shapeless person on the wall. When it comes to torture methods, if Bellatrix is ​​number one, no one dares to be second.

"It's all my own idea," no matter how slight the footsteps are, the person on the wall can hear it. It's hard not to develop keen hearing after staying here for a long time. Only his lips were the most complete part of his body. He mumbled and repeated the words thousands of times, "No one else was involved."

They could only dig out this sentence from their mouths and heads.

According to the procedure, what follows will be Bellatrix's maniacal laughter and appetizer-like carvings of the bones, followed by harsh curses that echo throughout the cell when nothing is pried out. If he is lucky, his body will become a test subject for a new type of research.

Not usually so lucky.

"You are still a fool."

The soft and warm voice should not belong to the cell filled with blood and cruelty at all, painting the dark and gloomy air with colorful colors. He hadn't been able to twist his limbs in a big way for a long time, and he had almost forgotten the feeling of controlling his body.

The pain reminded him that this was not the sweet train compartment filled with sweets that he had dreamed of countless times, nor was it the afternoon when the sun was too bright and made people sleepy.

She is coming.

The eyeball is gone, it doesn't matter. Even with his eyes closed, he could picture her standing tall and graceful in front of him. Ever since he saw through the disguise at the entrance party, his surging curiosity prompted him to keep copying and sketching, trying to carve out the depth of the lake. He underestimated the danger of the deep lake, and was seduced by the waves. He was about to turn into white bones and rot in the mud at the bottom of the lake.

He grinned, but found that even such a small move was difficult now.

They only preserved his ability to speak, not the privilege of smiling.

"I've become a fool, can I let you come back?"

Even though she couldn't see, his eyes could still look at her accurately, but Mu Yu could no longer see his own reflection in his eyes.

Not from the start.

Drops of blood and tears fell on the palms of my hands.

"The potion you refined can damage the soul. You had the opportunity to become a potion master and make full use of your talents, or you could live in seclusion and become a potion dealer. I don't care. Theodore," she said gently She wiped away his blood and tears, but there was not much emotion in her words. "Why"

she could understand the righteousness of Dumbledore and others, but she was really curious about Theodore Nott's choice. After all, she stopped by and she didn't mind wasting a little time.

Theodore Nott just stubbornly repeated: "If the potion is not discovered, will you come back?"

Then he wiped away the bloody tears, and soon another line of brand-new hot blood beads slipped down.

She no longer cared about the flowing tears and admired the human form in front of her. Lestrange has the means, but unfortunately he doesn't understand art.

"I've always been here and never left." She changed the direction of the arm nailed to the wall and whispered as softly as singing a lullaby.

"No, you're gone. Watching you smile in the mirror in the first grade was the closest I got to you." She touched him for the first time, and the coolness numbed the pain. "After the end of the second grade You were studying alchemy and black magic on the Hogwarts Express." He

hadn't taken in water for a long time, and his throat was extremely dry. He licked the blood and tears that fell to the corners of his mouth and swallowed the blood down his throat: "Alchemy shapes life, and it's taboo. Taboo. Yu, why are you studying this?"

The blood was too sweet. He choked and coughed. More tears oozed from his eyes. The little blood in his body seemed to be exhausted today: " For him?"

Mu Yu paused, not expecting to get an unexpected response. She touched some of the blood drops, looked at it for a moment, raised her hand to wipe away the tears that continued to pour out of him, and covered his eyes: "For him."

It turned out that Nott had realized it a long time ago. Then all absurd behaviors seem to be connected by reasonable logic. She didn't want to think deeply about this logic, which was also her taboo.

But she understands the extravagant hope hidden behind it.

His hands were soaked in blood.

"I thought we were the same kind of people. I have a talent, but I have lost my loved ones, and I don't believe in the slogans preached by crazy people. I thought I would be lucky enough to live in Godric's Hollow with someone in the future." He made a whooshing sound in his throat, and he didn't know what it was. Because of sobbing or simply swallowing too much blood, "I also looked in that mirror."

"What you saw was a peaceful and secluded life without being disturbed by anyone." A trace of nostalgia that was so weak that it couldn't be more faint was drawn in my heart. However, Mu Yu also covered those eyes with his hands, as if he could cover up the past, "That mirror can reflect the deepest desires in the heart. Only when you ask for something but don't get it can it become a desire. Theodore, you haven't yet I know what I saw in the mirror."

She actually couldn't remember the details. She only remembered that it was a delusion that was full of warmth when she was young and that the world where her grandfather lived was specially constructed for her. But that didn't stop her from leaning down and whispering the answer: "It's light."

If you can't get it after asking for it, then don't ask for it.

The blood and tears could no longer stay, maybe the blood had dried up.

"I don't have any accomplices, it's all my own fault," he began to repeat the confession he had told a thousand times. "It's jealousy. I'm jealous that he discovered your story and pulled the girl sitting in front of the mirror further and further away. "

He thought that what he saw at first was the ripples of the lake, but he didn't expect that the ripples were just a fleeting illusion of the sun dancing on the lake. The hallucination tempted him to explore, toss and turn, to be bitter and angry, and finally pushed him into the fire of jealousy.

It's time to wake up from the illusion.

Mu Yu put down her hand. The smell of blood was not so pleasant. She unexpectedly smelled the sweetness of pudding.

She dug out every bit of the plate of pudding that was presented to her at the entrance banquet, even though she hated the mango flavor the most.

Maybe I was too hungry.

None of it makes sense.

She walked straight through the wall without looking back, carefully wiping the blood on her hands, turning a blind eye to Bellatrix who was very angry because of her sudden arrival: "No need to ask, there is nothing you can ask. "The weird sweetness dissipated completely, "Take good care of it and give him a break."