Chapter 168: Consolation

The wind blew over the grave, like a belated funeral.

The tombstone in front of me is short and simple, and it is close to the tomb next to it. It does not reflect the status of the tomb owner in life. There are not many patterns on the stone tablet, only two words are simply engraved.

Ivan.

The snow covering the hills melts little by little under the warm winter sun.

"I thought his funeral should have been over long ago, and you wrote a letter begging me to come alone because you have other important matters." Mu Yu raised the letter in his hand, read it under the warm light for a while, and suddenly threw it away. On the ground, "Barty Crouch Jr., did Ivan teach you to play such a boring trick?"

The letter fell into the snow and was buried in the white snow. Barty Crouch Jr. seemed not to hear the accusations and anger, and only grasped the key points and refused to let go: "But you are still here," there was still a weird smile on his face that Mu Yu was all too familiar with, "Not for two years. After we actually met, I still miss the days when we worked together."

Mu Yu couldn't be moved by mentioning old things. He knew this, and squatted down to sweep away the remaining snow in front of Ivan's grave: "I always remember the time you sent him. He showed me the true essence of what I said and taught me how to put it into practice. The life of an outstanding politician can be used as a bargaining chip by him," he stared at the tombstone as if sarcastically. Can you believe that his only last wish was to be buried with the people next to him?"

The words engraved on the adjacent tombstone had been exposed to the weather and had long been mottled. He still stared at it intently, as if trying to study something through the monotonous stone tablet.

He was so serious that Mu Yu found the perfect opportunity to think about him. After wearing the mask for a long time with the polyjuice potion, the face always seemed distant and inaccessible, but when he stared at the tombstone, he looked so small, as if the mask had been removed and all that was left was fragility.

"You are also outstanding." She was caught off guard and gently touched his forehead. The sunlight fell into her eyes, making it difficult to distinguish the true color of her eyes for a moment. This kind of action did not show any ambiguity between men and women, and was a little more tender. "I came here alone, learned to deal with Muggle politics, dealt with the traitors, and caused heavy losses to the Magic Congress. I took over Ivan's burden, Lead the situation in the direction we want. Barty, you are better than I thought."

Barty Crouch Jr. seemed to be surprised at first as if he did not expect her to say these words suddenly. , not even bothering to look at the tombstone, desperately trying to dig out something in the eye color that merged with the warm light. Unfortunately, no matter how he looked, he could only touch a soft light and shadow.

"I also miss that time, when we worked together to capture Moody and figured out how to let Potter die without attracting Dumbledore's attention," Mu Yu ignored his reaction and continued talking to himself, "After receiving your letter, I put aside everything and came here alone. I know you don't want to see him under such circumstances."

She was always sincere and gentle when looking at people, and this time was no exception. Even after going through so much and claiming to have spied on many of her secrets, Barty Crouch Jr. still couldn't tell whether she was acting or not, and he didn't want to tell.

He gave up looking for the real color under the light and shadow, and deceived himself and regarded the illusory light and shadow as reality: "I didn't understand many people before. I didn't understand Ivan, I didn't understand Snape, I didn't understand how they could regard death as Tool, or glory, or even..." He looked into those eyes without blinking, "I don't understand that my mother, that weak and useless woman, obeyed my father all her life, and finally she was willing to die."

Mu Yu. He moved his eyes but said nothing. She is always good at listening and weaving ideals for others. This time is no different from the countless times before.

"I seem to understand now," he was still looking for the genuine tenderness scattered in his eyes, "I have had a very difficult time in the past two years."

"I know it all." Mu Yu accepted it very naturally.

"I can't sleep well in a day. Every step must be cautious and careful. I don't want to make a mistake, let alone not make a mistake." Unknowingly, he took off his entire disguise, showing his vulnerability. "Making mistakes is more terrifying than death."

"I have also made serious mistakes, and I almost let the Order of the Phoenix take away the foundation of Norway." Mu Yu retracted his hand and looked at him more softly, giving him the illusion that he could tolerate everything, "Don't blame yourself too much." He said

gently The voice softened the howling cold wind, which only made his voice choked with dismemberment, and made him not satisfied with the tenderness found in his eyes. He kept picking up and putting his hands down, as if he was feeling the setting sun with little warmth, or as if he wanted to touch the tombstone again.

Mu Yu always waited patiently for him.

Finally, he stretched out his hands towards Mu Yu, but when he spoke, he was facing each other as if they had just met, and they were tense: "I hated you from the beginning. Without you, once I complete the task, I will become his closest person. My son is still close, but I understand him." The words were said in a confusing and confusing way, but he still maintained the same twisted expression as before, "In the end, I misunderstood."

Mu Yu understood every word and understood what he said. No export request.

She was always happy to comply with innocuous requests. Following the outstretched hand, she gave Crouch a gentle hug, a hug that couldn't be more pure. The latter was stunned, not expecting that she really understood the unspeakable request. It was also as if he hadn't hugged anyone for a long time, and his whole body was stiff and trembling.

Drops of warm water fell on her shoulders, and then became more and more fierce, forming a spreading pool of water, accompanied by inaudible sobs. Mu Yu didn't ask, just let his clothes get wet and slowly patted his back.

"Will it hurt?" He stopped looking at her and tried his best to control his long-deformed voice, "The Muggle who performed Ivan's autopsy said he didn't suffer much. The Magic Congress was also very fast, and it was gone with just one blast. It's..."

Mu Yu paused, then patted him with a softer rhythm: "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt at all," she said vividly, as if she had already experienced it, "Maybe there will be a sound, but maybe you won't have the chance to hear it again. , and there are some useless memories that make you weak, they are all illusions." She

was obviously trying to comfort you, her voice was as low as singing a lullaby, in a place where no one could see her, facing the meager sunshine in winter. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, but there was no emotion in his eyes.

"I will stay here and accompany you to complete the task you need to do." She made a promise, never caring about the importance of this promise to the other party.

The water stains that spread from the shoulders seemed to continue to extend.

"It will take at least two months. I must do my best to ensure that no accidents happen."

"Of course, I will wait." She responded without hesitation.

The water drops no longer fell on her shoulders, and a chuckle came from her ears. While staying away from her, Crouch helped her straighten her collar, barely covering a part of it: "On the neck," he said Pointing, his smile was filled with amusement for a moment, and then he straightened up again. They looked like two people, "You will stay by his side and never leave."

He asked a similar question two years ago. Question, there is no possibility of denial this time.

Mu Yu first touched his neck, then calmly erased the traces. While touching the cracked jade pendant, she looked directly at him without any guilt: "I will stay by his side," she added considerately, "Ba Ti, you have always done a good job, and your position has never been replaced, not even by Bellatrix."

"Black is a lunatic who is not very smart," Crouch grinned, Mu Yu could understand clearly. Recognizing that this smile was pure and white, without any filth related to interests or calculations, she said, "It's time for me to go."

She would no longer dwell on unnecessary things, and kept spinning her jade pendant. After closing the distance, her gentle temperament became empty and unreal: "I won't give it away."

Crouch took a step forward, then looked back, as if he was still expecting something: "You didn't lie."

She handed over the diamond He picked up the jade pendant, put it to his lips and pressed it gently: "What I said today is all the truth."

The language was different, but she didn't lie.

The sound of the phantom's movement caused snow to fall from the treetops not far away. It fell to the ground with a thud and merged with the snow water.

This hill is in an excellent location. Even if you stand halfway up the mountain, you can take in the well-planned town. Rows of identical rooftops are bathed in the sunset and dyed with a gloomy atmosphere. Even if it is shrouded in bright light, every corner of the city is still lingering. Surrounded by the decay that seems to be nothing.

The setting sun is still struggling on the horizon. The more it struggles, the closer the dim light becomes to blood red, further dyeing the withered and dead atmosphere surrounding the town with blood.

After seeing enough of the sun's futile struggle, when there was only a ray of light left in the distance and the deep darkness gradually eroded the purple sunset, dyeing it into an ominous gray-black, Mu Yu stared at the locket and looked at the carvings inside. How the letters tried to trap the last light: "I know you are here, madman."

"You are sad for him." The slender hand touched his neck, and he paused for a moment when he found that the trace had been erased, and then It was a more pointed sarcasm, "You convinced him to make this choice."

She stared at the increasingly weak light on the locket for a long time, preferring this to looking at him again. Once such an idea took root , it seemed more difficult than ever to suppress her anger: "Crouch is a loyal servant, but that's all."

Mu Yu was also tired of the light disappearing on the locket, and there was still a little light, enough for her to see Look at the faces of people around you and draw their outlines clearly. She always boasted that she had an extraordinary memory, but she always felt that she could not remember it. Therefore, even though she had read it a thousand times, she still didn't know what it was like.

"So I want to give Ilvermorny a surprise in person," she stretched out her hand very naturally, "and we are together."

With just one word, Riddle could no longer arouse any anger, as if leaving The closer the final end was, the more he indulged himself, allowing all kinds of meaningless emotions - attachment, obsession, to stay a little longer, a little longer.

Not only did she hold it, but she also pulled him closer, stroking the face that was reshaped by her own hands and could not be copied out of thin air: "I didn't lie to you, madman, you can do whatever you want tonight."