cycle

Just as I faced the shocked and unbelievable eyes of Hermione, Ron and Harry, and cleared my throat to tell them the details, Luna waved to us from the window facing the garden: "Hey, I think There's something wrong with Neville, but he told me to come find you."

Fleur insisted that Hermione and I wrapped ourselves in thick scarves before letting us go out. As soon as we walked into the garden, we saw Neville kneeling on the dewy grass in the morning with a pale face and sweat on his forehead.

"Luna... go into the house." Neville seemed to squeeze out these words through his teeth, and after she left, he let out a long breath, and Harry and Ron hurried over to hold him up. To him aside.

"He got the Elder Wand, and he's very happy now." Neville's eyes were wide open, and the blue sky and white clouds that he couldn't see were reflected in his pupils. At this moment, he seemed to have fallen into a nightmare that he couldn't break free from. , "He had been looking for Gregorovich according to Ollivander's words... and then found that the wand was no longer with him."

"Has Gregorovitch been beaten?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Steal... the young Grindelwald stole Gregorovitch's Elder Wand, he saw memories." Neville breathed very heavily, while being pulled into Voldemort's perception, he still had to stay awake and explain to us It obviously made him miserable, but he kept saying in a broken voice: "The Elder Wand... made Grindelwald stronger, we all know..."

"Then Dumbledore went to duel him." Hermione's face showed a sudden realization, "You mean—"

"Yes, Dumbledore had the Elder Wand." Neville nodded. "It's in—"

"Hogwarts!" Harry and Ron said in unison, both of them seemed very excited, "You should have told us earlier, we're going to-"

"No, no." Neville shook his head, as if trying to get some unpleasant thought out of his head, "he's already been there, took it. A few hours ago... I saw Malfoy take him... …then he told Malfoy to leave, to go it alone."

"Didn't he punish Malfoy for our escape? Disappointing—"

"Ron, that's not the point now!" Hermione interrupted Ron's muttering irritably, "Professor Snape has escaped, and Voldemort still needs someone to help him monitor Hogwarts!"

"Well, Malfoy must have been punished, with bruises on his face and hands - Ron, you'd be glad to see it with your own eyes, er, but that's not the point." Neville struggled to spit out a few words.In the quiet morning, the sun finally climbed to the top of everyone's head to radiate sunlight to the surroundings, and the sea breeze was no longer as cold and biting as it was at night.Neville's hoarse voice was the only one left in the garden. All of us unconsciously held our breath and felt a tremor in our hearts. "Then he opened Dumbledore's tomb, and with his yew wand .

As we exchanged glances in silence, the sound of the ebb and flow continued in our ears, like the sleeping breath of some gigantic monster.Hermione was the first to break the unbearable silence, she said: "I think we should turn our attention back to finding the Horcruxes, Dumbledore should not want us to find the so-called Deathly Hallows in the first place-he didn't Leaving the wand to Neville or Harry and taking it to the grave means he doesn't want it being used again."

"But that's an invincible wand," Ron whispered. "We'd have a better chance of winning with it, and maybe Dumbledore just put it in a place where it was easy to think of, but we didn't think of—"

"Dumbledore knows Neville and Harry, and he knows that the two of them will never break into their tomb to get something!" It seems that Hermione has recovered a lot after a night, and she can already be like before Raising his voice to get more approval from those around him, "Bringing the Elder Wand to the grave means he doesn't want Neville or Harry to have it!"

"Hermione is right." Neville was dragged up from the grass by Harry and Ron, and a large piece of dew was wet on his knees, "We should continue to find Horcruxes... there is no more time to waste, so I Choose to talk to Griphook about Gringotts first."

"You guys." Fleur in an apron appeared at the garden gate with a shovel in her hand, instantly reminiscent of the aggressive Mrs. Weasley in front of the Burrow, she threw back the silver hair on her chest, Pointing at us with a shovel unceremoniously, "Come in and have breakfast, then go upstairs to sleep and rest."

"No," said Harry immediately. "We haven't buried Tallus yet."

"Bill is already thinking about this." Fleur came over and grabbed my arm with one hand, and Hermione with the other, "You all fled to my house suddenly with a group of people, everyone has Bearing the traces of being imprisoned and tortured, as the master, my only requirement is that the survivors continue to live well—to do great things, heroic things, and sleep first to replenish energy, see Look at how emaciated you all look!"

She drove us back into the house like a hen with spread wings, and we didn't have much appetite for breakfast, but she was forced to eat everything on the plate-she directly gave the protesting Harry downed a bottle of calming potion, which made him slump on the table after gulping down the bowl of onion soup with fennel root in one gulp.

The little glass bottle in the pocket of Fleur's apron is not really needed, the group of us has already been exhausted to the extreme - except for Hermione who has been unconscious for several hours due to the Cruciatus Curse, the rest of us have been in a coma for more than a day She hadn't closed her eyes all night, and those hours weren't really much of a break for Hermione.In my perception, my forehead just touched the soft pillow, and just a second after I closed my eyes, there was a strange noise from downstairs.

I jumped up immediately, and ran barefoot to the door before I remembered I hadn't got my wand yet.Hermione and I, who were also awakened, exchanged vigilant glances and then stuck to the door. Fortunately, the voices of Bill and Fleur came from downstairs at this time, and they seemed to be talking to someone.

"I admit that you're right, Mr. Black, and that's why we're keeping those kids from telling you. But for Merlin's sake, we all know how dangerous Godric's Hollow is right now—if they really If you escaped from Malfoy Manor, then You-Know-Who probably learned of Tallus' death from the Death Eaters, and he will definitely take advantage of this—to take advantage of the deep friendship between the group of children—"

"I don't care," replied a voice hoarse as a beast. "My children need to go back to my wife. And I would very much like Voldemort—"

"Mr. Black!"

"I hope he can send more people to watch over there." The voice sounded completely out of reason, "They need to pay for this, they should pay for it! For my son, my wife, my brother... ..."

"Mr. Black." Hermione who was standing on the stairs interjected timidly. The man with sunken eyes downstairs, like a skeleton, looked at us frantically. His dirty messy hair was hanging down to his elbows. It wasn't that those eyes were still bright, I probably thought it was just a dead body manipulated by black magic.

"Mr. Black...Alice said that the last words Tallus left her was...to tell her not to tell you about this." I followed Hermione who was going downstairs, holding my wand tightly in my hand, because At this time, Mr. Black seemed likely to launch an attack on the surroundings at any time, "I think he meant that he hoped that you would not completely lose your belief in living because of his departure—"

"I won't let myself die until I avenge them." Mr. Black's eyes were gloomy and terrifying, "I won't blame you, let alone Harry... My son is the same as my wife. Died for what they wanted to protect, and I will avenge them."

"We're doing the same thing." Hermione's tone was pleading, "We know the right way! Mr. Black, we've lost too many people, and there shouldn't be any more worthless sacrifices."

"Then tell me the correct way." Mr. Black said softly, staring into Hermione's red eyes.

Hermione choked, and turned to me and the boys who woke up and stood upstairs who didn't know when to ask for help.

"We can't." Harry said after a long silence, "I'm sorry, but we promised Dumbledore—"

"I can't hide myself in a corner, huddled there, waiting for someone to tell me that everything is over." Mr. Black pulled the corners of his mouth and laughed, but the laughter reminded people of the sudden The lone wolf who lost his home and wandered in the wilderness growled at the moon, "Azkaban... I've been locked up long enough, long enough, I don't care about your ways. I'll let my son and my The wives reunite, and then work my way through things."

"Tell me now, Harry." Mr. Black showed his yellow teeth. "Who was the Death Eater who killed my son?"

There was another silence, the suffocating feeling amplified by the incessant sound of the waves.

"James will definitely tell me." There was a trace of disappointment in Mr. Black's voice, "He will understand me... You didn't stop me before—"

"I've always understood you, Sirius," Harry replied in a strained voice, "but you're the only family I have in this world now."

"He—he took Talus away!" Hermione, who ran out the door after chasing Sirius, yelled helplessly outside the door, "Apparated!"

Until night fell, we sat blankly in this shell house standing on the cliff, our ears were full of the tide of the sea and the chirping of seagulls, even though we were all crowded in the crowded living room, this kind of The constant sound makes people feel a kind of isolation from the world.Diluted by exhaustion and sleep, the shock and sadness of losing Talus came back to each of us with the arrival and departure of Mr. Black. We can guess that he took Talus back to Go Derek's Hollow - but what else did Voldemort leave waiting for him there?

"Tallus left that sentence because he knew his father." Facing Bill's apology and explanation, Harry shook his head, "But you're right, even I—I can't decide to put Talus on my own. It would be disrespectful to Sirius to ask him where he is buried."

"For parents, burying their own children is one of the most cruel things." Hermione leaned on my shoulder and added Harry's words softly, "but even if you don't know the truth until it's over... Will be driven mad with guilt."

"Can we have a farewell ceremony for Tallus tonight?" Luna suggested. "Just use the empty wooden coffin left behind. We can pick some flowers and put them in, and then everyone can say what they want to say to him."

"Find some blue flowers." I suddenly remembered the crumpled clump of petals that had fallen from Talus' pocket earlier. "He seems to like that color."

It was not difficult for us to conjure the desired flower, but that afternoon we all put away our wands and wandered around the beach in silence.There are all kinds of shells and seaweed washed up by the waves on the beach, and only a little weed can be found in the crevices of the rocks close to the land.In the end, Hermione conjured up a large bouquet of dewy blue pansies and put them in the fluffy haystack, and the boys spent the afternoon gathering wood from the garden to make a raft that could float-this It was Harry's idea.I understand what he is thinking. Tallus's only vision for the future is to travel around the whole world. Compared with the cold and hard soil, the sea can take a raft to some distant places that he will never have the chance to go again.

We watched the raft carrying the empty wooden coffin drifting away with the waves in the sea breeze at sunset, and gradually turned into a small black spot, gradually unable to distinguish the difference between it and the distant reef.

"Thank you very much, Talus, you rescued us from the dungeon." Luna was the first to speak, and the fading sunlight shone on her long pale golden hair, showing a hazy beauty , "I don't know you very well, but I know you have always been a brave and upright Gryffindor, and that someone as dazzling as you shouldn't have ended his life so early. This injustice makes me sad. I will always Remember everything you have done for us, I hope you have returned to the person you want to see at this moment."

She turned to look at us expectantly, Hermione stared blankly at the sunset, and only said with trembling lips: "Goodbye."

I opened my mouth, and found that like Hermione, I couldn't say anything superfluous, so I could only repeat: "Goodbye, Talus."

"Goodbye, Tallus." Ron cleared his throat and said hoarsely, "Thank you."

"Goodbye," Neville said softly.

"Thank you," Dean murmured, "I will always remember you."

"Farewell, buddy." Harry choked out. "One day...we'll meet again. Everyone...will meet again."

He raised his hand and used Astoria's magic wand to launch a series of dazzling rays of light towards the sea. We followed him and raised our magic wands. One after another, beams of light leaped into the starry night sky and then fell slowly. Entering the distant sea is like a meteor falling from the sky.

When we got back to Shell Cottage, Bill motioned us all to sit down in the living room, where a small piece of driftwood from the sea was crackling and crackling in the fireplace, the sound reminiscent of Gryffindor communal In the lounge, this warm feeling makes me feel a little safe.The radio was stuttering and playing the previous performances of the Weird Sisters, and Fleur tapped it with her wand several times but failed to make the sound smooth.

"Dear person / If you are going away tomorrow / Please let me break off the hawthorn tree in front of the house / Make a magic wand for your travel." A cover of the old ballad, "My dear / If you're going to be far away tomorrow / Please let me tear a ray of starlight from your eyes / Make a potion of it / You'll stay in my heart For a long time."

"I think we need to discuss future plans." After the song ended, everyone fell into silence, and the next happy dance song was obviously not suitable for tonight's atmosphere, Bill turned off the radio, "still Well it's Easter break and Ginny is on holiday at home - if she was still at Hogwarts, she would probably have been taken before we got in touch, and now she and Mom and Dad are being transferred to Aunt Muriel by me In-laws, the Death Eaters will definitely go to the Burrow to make trouble after finding out that Ron is acting with you - no need to apologize, Neville, this day will come sooner or later, Dad has long said that we are the largest pure-blood family of traitors .”

"If Professor Snape didn't refuse, your mother and him should be there for the time being." Bill turned to me. "I don't think it makes much sense to hide and lie at this time, Alice. Lupine told me your mother The situation cannot be blindly optimistic. Professor Snape was injured while fighting the Death Eaters stationed in Azkaban, but at least they are still alive. If they are still at Aunt Muriel's house, Mom and Dad must do their best Help save them."

"Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you very much."

"Is there anything to protect Aunt Muriel's house?" Harry asked.

"Faithful, Dad is the Secret Keeper. The same goes for this cottage, I'm the Secret Keeper." Bill replied, "So now we can't go to work, and we are missing from the eyes of others, but it doesn't matter much. My The idea is that there are limited rooms here, and after Mr. Ollivander and Griphook recover, they will also be transferred to Aunt Muriel's house, where there are plenty of rooms."

"Ollivander, Griphook, Dean and Luna." Harry frowned, and he counted the number of people just given, "A total of four people—or five people, would Aunt Muriel mind? ? I remember her having a bad temper."

"It's an extraordinary time now, she can barely tolerate Fred and George, and it doesn't make any difference to that big house to go to a few more people." Bill stood up, "Stay here for the rest of the time and have a good rest , You seem to have not had a good night's sleep for a long time."

"Five?" I asked Harry softly after Bill and Fleur went upstairs, "Did you count me?"

"Yeah." Harry hummed, looked me in the eyes and said, "Don't you want to run over and have a look at Mom and Dad?"

I was conflicted, some part of me was screaming for Bill to apparate me even after hearing what he had just said, what does it mean my mother's situation can't be blindly optimistic?What does it mean that my dad was wounded fighting in Azkaban?This kind of vague description is aggravating my uneasiness.But Dad said "don't reply" to my Patronus, which shows that he thinks I should not contact him at this time, let alone meet him and my mother rashly-this can also explain that Dad violated his agreement with Voldemort He agreed to go to Azkaban to rescue his mother, and he still has the Dark Mark branded by Voldemort himself on his arm... For Voldemort, he is not only a member of the Order of the Phoenix, but also a Death Eater who deceived and betrayed him ( Although my father was coerced from the beginning, Voldemort must not care about the cause and effect), and his place must not be considered safe. I even doubt that he will leave alone as soon as his mother is stable.

And Voldemort already knows that I am also one of the children mentioned in the prophecy. After I escape, he will definitely hunt me down like he hunted Harry and Neville. No matter where I go, I may bring hunt and disaster to the people there.Aunt Muriel hides so many people there, and if anything happens to the Weasleys because of my visit——I felt at that time that I couldn't bear any more guilt.

And I know where the diadem is, and it's only when I think about it that I have to stay—even if I tell Harry how to make a request to the Room of Requirement, only I know exactly where the diadem is hidden in that maze.

"Horcruxes!" Harry sat up straight suddenly, almost hitting my jaw with his elbow.He yelled before remembering to see if there was anyone else in the living room. Luckily, both Luna and Dean had returned to the room, and we were the only ones left staring at the fireplace in a daze. "I almost forgot, you said earlier that you were sure the crown was in the Room of Requirement?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." I'm glad he's reminded me of it so I don't have to go to the trouble of citing the reasons why I had to stay.

Everyone else in the living room was visibly cheered up, so I went through all the horcrux clues I saw in Voldemort's memories. When I talked about the fat woman with the gold cup, Harry and Na Wei seems to have completely believed what I saw.

"This matches up with the house-elf Hokey we saw in Dumbledore's Reminiscences! The big lake in the locket corresponds exactly to what Kreacher said - but are you sure you're looking at it in the Room of Requirement Is the diadem I got the same one from Ravenclaw?" Neville eagerly wanted me to confirm, "The diadems are very similar in shape, and we won't have time to make mistakes if we break into Hogwarts."

"I confirm." I tried to compare the memory with the memory again, "Although the crown was rusty and tattered, I picked it up and put it on a statue. That crown looks exactly the same."

"Remember the memory of him going to Dumbledore's to apply for a job?" Harry slammed the armchair, and habitually looked up to find someone on the arm of Hermione's chair, but found it was empty, "He— When he returned to Hogwarts that year, his appearance had changed, and if he had hidden the diadem made into a Horcrux in the Room of Requirement at that time, everything would have been right!"

"That is to say, we have identified the locations of the remaining three Horcruxes." Hermione raised three fingers, "The snake—beside the mysterious man, the golden cup—according to our speculation, is in the ancient spirit. The Lestrange vault in the pavilion, the diadem—the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, and the remaining question is in what order do we find and destroy them."

"Whether it's getting close to the You-Know-Who, breaking into Gringotts or breaking into Hogwarts, we will be discovered by the You-Know-Who, and he will probably realize what we are doing right away." Harry pondered for a while, "Also That is to say, we must destroy three Horcruxes in one go, otherwise there is no point."

"In other words, no matter what, we must persuade the goblin to cooperate with us before Bill transfers them? After all, breaking into Gringotts without the help of a goblin is like digging one's own grave—I don't think it's much worse with his help." Luo En looked a little frowning, "That goblin is too cunning. Bill warned us not to try to make any agreement with goblins when he was working in the bank. What they think in their minds is completely different from our wizards."

"Then we have to give it a try." Neville smiled wryly, "We have no other choice."