Chapter 94 Looking Back

The rain has been falling non-stop since we got on the train. It was dark outside the window. When the train slowed down slowly and was about to pull into the station, a muffled thunder exploded in the sky. For the first time, Daphne did not join Pansy's circle. Instead, she pulled Astoria and Mu Yu to sit together. There were only three of them in the box. Mu Yu never talked much on such occasions. She just turned the pages of her book quietly. Daphne and Astoria were silently looking at the pattering rain outside the window.

It wasn't until the train began to slow down that Daphne said her first words in half a day: "It is said that there will be a grand Christmas dance this year. Students from other schools will also participate."

The competition is not a secret to them.

Mu Yu immediately thought of the dress that Tom had forced into her luggage, and then thought of her actions this morning, and unconsciously touched her lips. Tom Riddle was a madman, and she quickly put her hand down: "I'm looking forward to it."

White and gypsophila really don't suit her.

Astoria noticed her little movement and she blinked quickly and looked away.

"Who do you want to dance with?" Daphne seemed to be energized. She knocked down the book from Mu Yu's hand, "Yu, you can't dance with the book."

She snickered: "Do you want to seriously consider competing in the World Cup? I told you. I bet you ten gold galleons. As long as you show a little intention, Theodore will agree without even thinking about it."

"Daphne, have you accepted Theodore's gold?" He was joking, but his eyes were very cold. Grandpa was very strict with her, especially after what happened later...

She no longer felt the longing of an ordinary girl for a strange relationship.

Astoria pulled Daphne at this moment: "Sister, please stop pestering Yu. I also bet ten gold galleons that if Blaise invites you, you will definitely agree without even thinking about it."

Daphne's face was filled with anger. The ground turned red.

This was the first time Astoria had spoken to her head-on in two years. Mu Yu couldn't help but glance at Astoria, and she avoided her gaze. Daphne rolled her eyes. There was always a tacit understanding between her and Astoria. She patted Astoria gently: "If I knew there was something you two were hiding from me..."

" What's the matter?" Astoria muttered softly.

The train finally stopped at this moment, and the bright yellow lights in the compartments became the only bright color in the hazy rain and fog. Daphne and Astoria both had something on their minds, otherwise they wouldn't have been so silent all the way. Thinking of what Daphne said to her during the Quidditch World Cup, she had roughly guessed what they were thinking.

They may have noticed something strange about their father. Not only confused by the inexplicable future, but also frightened by the deterioration of family ties.

When they walked on the muddy path to the place where they took the carriage, Mu Yu saw another creature that looked like a horse but not a horse pulling the carriage. Lu Ping said last semester that this was not her imagination... "

Yeqi." Odo's voice suddenly sounded behind them. The boy's voice was particularly hoarse due to the change in his voice, and he said to Astoria and Daphne, "You don't mind if we two ride in a carriage. I have a question to ask Yu."

This was what Theodore Nott said in front of others . The longest sentence, perhaps because I am not used to dealing with people, always sounds a bit stiff.

The atmosphere was instantly stiffer than freezing rain.

The dim light from the front of the car illuminated Theodore's eyes, which were dark and blue, and rainwater dripped down the ends of his hair, outlining his ridiculously haggard cheeks.

"Theodore," Astoria grabbed her sister before Daphne could say anything, "You're so rude."

Theodore Nott ignored her warning and focused on Mu Yu who said nothing. .

This is interesting. I wonder what Old Nott hinted to him. Mu Yu patted Astoria and said, "You and Xiao Di should go up first, otherwise you will be late."

She walked directly towards the other carriage. Although she did not give a clear response, her attitude was very clear. Astoria wanted to persuade her again, but Daphne pulled her sleeve: "Leah, it's time to go. We are the only ones left here. Do you want to be detained by Professor Snape on the first day of school?"

Astoria Tolia was pulled all the way into the carriage by her sister. When she turned back, the carriage behind had moved slowly, and the windows blurred by the rain could only reflect two faces with unknown meanings.

"Yu has no interest in Theodore at all. You are like this..." All complaints stopped abruptly when they touched my sister's dejected face.

"Whether it's interesting or not, it's not up to us. Yu himself knows it. Leah, even the best friends can't share everything." Daphne glanced out the window, the headlights of the carriage in front of her were in the dark night the only guide.

She didn't want to look at Astoria, she was afraid that the longing and hope in her eyes would scare her sister who was always sensitive.

Sometimes it is good to be alone and have no worries.

When her sister didn't look at her, Astoria curled her lips in frustration.

You treat her as a friend, what on earth does she treat you as?

However, seeing her sister's current state, Astoria couldn't bear to say the words, so she could only say half-jokingly: "I think Yu has someone he likes.

Daphne knocked her head, and there was no trace of sadness in her eyes: "What nonsense are you talking about? How did you know about it?"

"You said she touched her lips for a long time during the Christmas party. " Well, she actually said she was looking forward to it. When have you ever seen her interested in things other than books? Maybe..." She was still shy after all, and she was embarrassed to say the next thing. "Anyway, I think she is. Something's wrong."

This sentence sounds like it has another meaning.

Daphne stared blankly at Astoria, who was blushing with embarrassment. She didn't realize that Astoria had changed so much. The abnormally white skin coupled with the red cheeks must be frightening. Nowadays, her face still has a sickly pale look, but it is no longer so scary.

It was precisely because of this that the chill in Daphne's heart was better than the cold wind and rain outside. She would never show the slightest concern

about what her father had done

in front of her sister. She knocked Astoria again: "You are so out of touch. You might as well care more about yourself if you care about Yu. I tell you. "I don't like any of the boys chasing you now."

Astoria lowered her head and muttered helplessly: "Don't make fun of me."

She also took the opportunity to cover up. There was a hint of loss in his eyes.

There seemed to be a lot of fun here, but in the other car there was outright embarrassment.

As soon as he sat down, Theodore Nott said quickly: "Before the summer vacation of the second grade, you said on the train that your grandpa hoped you would be safe and happy." Once he started, the rest of the words became much smoother. He took a deep breath. , forcing himself to look directly into those peaceful black eyes. He did not allow himself to hide like a coward anymore, "You hope so too, right?"

Mu Yu pulled up his sleeves when he said the first word: "This seems to be my private matter, Theodore. "

My father once again hinted that I should inherit the family business," he tried to sit up straight, as if this would give him more courage, "but you know where my real interest lies."

Nott is indeed a fool. Mu Yu leaned back and looked at him as if he were looking at a commodity, repeatedly weighing whether it was necessary to collect it.

"Perhaps Godric's Hollow is too small," his hesitation and flinching seemed to fade away as he talked, and he became more determined. "I'm getting older too, and I think it's time to leave the UK and see around. Can you read it? It doesn't matter if you finish Hogwarts. What I want to go to the most is the East. I heard that there are rare medicinal herbs everywhere like wild flowers, and there won't be anyone there who wants you to inherit the family business every day. Madmen or fools repeatedly want you to join them, only..."

Only, only He Muyu looked at the piece of dry and necrotic skin on his left hand, which was slightly smaller than in the morning.

She shook her wrist, and her long sleeves once again covered her palms tightly: "The East is not as beautiful as you said. It is the same everywhere in the world."

She meant something. If it was a beautiful place, there was only one place left in the world, and she might never go back to it.

The home that once stood halfway up Mingyuan Mountain.

The carriage swayed to a stop, once again blocking all Theodore Nott's unfinished words.

"You can go and see for yourself, Theodore, if this is really the path you want to choose from the bottom of your heart," she held the car door and jumped out lightly, her gentle words could not give anyone the slightest warmth, " It won't be too late to make a decision then. "

The opening ceremony of Hogwarts was the same as before, there was nothing new, even the pouring rain and the muddy road were exactly the same as last year. Mu Yu was already distracted when the sorting ceremony was going on. She poked at the food on her plate and looked at the vacant seat on the teacher's bench. Moody, disguised as Barty Crouch Jr., had not yet arrived.

When the last dessert on the table disappeared, Mu Yu's eyes met with Snape's. Snape did not avoid her and seemed to maintain a normal teacher-student relationship with her.

Even if he still felt that something was wrong with Snape, at least for now there was nothing wrong with him.

There was an uproar in the auditorium when Dumbledore regretfully announced that the Quidditch competition would be canceled this year, and his next words silenced everyone: "Because this year the energy of the entire school staff will be focused on another grand event... "

The door of the auditorium was slammed open, and a scary-looking man slowly stepped into the auditorium on crutches. With every step he took, his fake wooden leg made a thumping sound on the ground.

Even the Weasley brothers, Gryffindor's favorite jokers, didn't dare to say a word at this time. Just as he was about to walk towards the teacher's desk, a bolt of ball lightning struck the enchanted ceiling, illuminating the pitted scars on his face.

Barty Crouch Jr. imitated Moody's temperament perfectly.

Dumbledore stood up and held his equally scarred hands. Mu Yu dared to conclude that the polyjuice potion had deceived Dumbledore's eyes at least at this time. Dumbledore asked him a few questions in a low voice. He shook his head and walked to the seat that had been vacant. He picked up a piece of sausage and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Please allow me to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Professor Moody."

There were sporadic applause when Lu was introduced last year, but today no one was willing to applaud. Only Dumbledore and Hagrid clapped their hands. When Dumbledore realized that no one responded, he wisely lowered his hands.

He continued what he had just said: "There will be a tournament at Hogwarts this year." Before some people who knew the inside story could ask why it was not the Triwizard Tournament, Dumbledore had already explained directly, "Yes, it was supposed to be It is the Triwizard Tournament, a friendly competition held between three schools in Europe. After being discontinued for several centuries, we think it is time to re-organize it. But times have changed, and the magic of various countries needs to communicate with each other to progress, so in the international arena. Under the coordination of the Wizards' Federation and the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Magic, in addition to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, representatives from Kyushu and the United States will be sent to Hogwarts in October. A precious treasure provided by the International Federation of Wizards."

He even wanted to cancel the game after he learned that Voldemort had been resurrected last night, and Kunlun even wanted to withdraw after the dean died unexpectedly. But it was too late. Several magic schools concluded a contract in July, and no party is allowed to withdraw.

At that time, or even earlier, they were forcibly pulled onto the chessboard.

This might as well be an opportunity. He wanted to see how many competing forces a game could bring out. The faces of the students under the auditorium are still shining with excitement. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are new and mysterious to them, while most people’s impression of Ilvermorny Magic Academy remains at A school on another continent. As for Kyushu, it is a distant legend to them. And when I heard that the competition rewards were no longer just gold galleons, the auditorium was completely filled with excitement.

"Eternal glory!" Some people's faces turned red, as if they couldn't wait to compete and win this honor.

"The foreign dignitaries will eat and live under the same roof with you. I believe you will be warm and friendly to them." As long as he is here for one day, he will be able to protect these young people. "Eternal glory Ah, I understand your feelings, but for safety reasons only wizards who are over seventeen years old can sign up for the competition."

The Weasley brothers at the Gryffindor table broke out in excited protest.

Daphne pulled Mu Yu: "What a pity, otherwise I would have dragged you to sign up no matter what. You know more spells than some seventh graders. I also want to see your competition with those oriental people. "

It's not a cricket fight," Mu Yu pulled her away with a smile, without any loss. She already had several lives from the three major colleges on her hands, how could she compete over such trivial matters, "I don't care about glory."

She did care . Only fun and eternity.

"There will be an impartial referee to determine who is eligible to participate. No one should expect to get away with it." Dumbledore's eyes mainly fell on the Weasley brothers. "A stormy night is the best time to lie down." Enjoy a good night's sleep in a warm and comfortable bed, and go to sleep."

"Yu," Dumbledore, who was talking to Moody when the Slytherin team filed past the teacher's bench, suddenly walked over and said, "You can occupy it. Could you please give me a moment?"

Two eyes focused on him from the teacher's desk, one was Snape's and the other belonged to Barty Crouch Jr.

"Of course, sir." Mu Yu said quickly, pretending to be confused. She didn't look at Barty Crouch Jr. twice.

She followed Dumbledore through the crowds, each portrait making various eccentric salutes to Dumbledore as she met him. They climbed up the changing stairs to the top of the west tower, a place she knew all too well.

The principal's office was still the same. Almost all the portraits at night were gone. Fox was not standing on the horizontal bar where he usually liked to be. There was only a gray fledgling bird under the horizontal bar.

"The process that the Phoenix must go through. When times are tough, he will get through it." Dumbledore walked behind the round table, as if it was yesterday that Mu Yu was practicing Patronus here. "It doesn't seem appropriate to have a drink before going to bed. "

I feel sorry for what happened to Mr. Xu." Her gaze has not shifted since she came in.

She flashed a trace of sadness and anger at the right time: "Grandpa Xu...Although I don't know the internal affairs of Kunlun, I know very well about Grandpa Xu's character. He has retreated again and again. How crazy are people who do such things, Even an old man whose old wounds are difficult to heal has to..."

She sobbed softly twice, as if she was sad that the sad thing was mentioned again.

As she sobbed, a strange silence fell into the principal's room.

If Dumbledore didn't speak, she wouldn't either. The two of them had a silent stalemate in the spacious principal's office.

Ever since she learned the Patronus Charm for the last time and bowed to Dumbledore three times, their fate had ended.

From now on, there are no more principals and students, elders and juniors, only games on the chess board and fights on the battlefield.

She knew what Dumbledore wanted to say, or he had already developed suspicions, and she was waiting for him to make his move.

"Forty-nine years ago, I went to Kyushu once and wandered endlessly in Kunlun, or exiled myself." Mu Yu guessed that Dumbledore would test her. There were too many things that could be tested. Norway, at the Quidditch World Cup The missing deacon, and even what happened last night, she didn't expect that Dumbledore would tell her about the past forty-nine years ago at this time.

He didn't hesitate to reveal a small part of his secret to her.

"Everyone has trauma," Dumbledore suppressed the past stories in his calm tone. The heavy rain outside the window and the cold rain in Nurmengard gradually merged into an unrecognizable memory. "Some traumas stay on the surface and are healed together." The curse can make it disappear without a trace. More wounds penetrate deep into the soul. If we allow them to fester in the soul, and the necrotic wounds infect our souls and erode our original hearts, the final result will be extremely terrible.”

Mu Yu listened patiently, like a child sitting by the fire listening to an adult tell a bedtime story.

"The East pays attention to exploring the mysteries of life and soul, so I rushed to Kunlun and explored the mountain gate of Kunlun on foot like those pilgrims. I wanted to seek an answer, and your grandfather gave me an answer. He told me that life will always be instinctive The earth grows towards the light, even if you go through thousands of sails, even if you explore the end of the universe, don't forget to look back at your original appearance."

However, she has been thinking about this question since she became conscious, and no one has given it. A satisfactory answer.

Dumbledore always subconsciously didn't want to think too badly of others. He didn't know that the tomb at the foot of Mingyuan Mountain would eventually bury not only her grandfather, but also the original her.

"I know," she just knew that she wouldn't do it and couldn't do it, "Good night, sir."

When she was completely integrated into the darkness under the steps, Dumbledore suddenly called her: "Yu," a flash of lightning Crossing the sky again, it illuminated a tear shed from the half-moon glasses. She intuitively felt that the tear was not shed for her, "You are not the person who will make all the wrong choices."

From the time she did not look back, Dumbledore Then he realized that the conditions assumed by the prophecy fell apart at this moment.

He regained his composure surprisingly quickly. Now that the hypothesis was gone, there was no need to dwell on it; he had more to think about.

Nordic Arvidus couldn't touch the Muggle leader if he didn't want to be easily exposed, but Britain... Fudge was still blinded by power. He must ask Kingsley Shacklebolt to take action. Once the Muggle Prime Minister is controlled, the consequences will be disastrous.