[HP Doujin] 1943

December 1981, Northern Scotland.

Leaden clouds hung low over the dead Stuart Valley, and the icy wind knifed across the frozen black earth and burrowed through cracks in the sand and gravel, blowing blow after blow. A mournful cry.The river valleys were all frozen over, and the gray Stuart Manor stood high on the cliffs by the sea, the closed doors and windows were dark and lifeless.At the end of the long driveway, the black wrought iron gate is tightly locked with thick chains, withered branches and leaves are piled up at the bottom of the gate, and the branches of oak, birch, and heather hedges have invaded the middle of the driveway. It has been neglected for many years.

There were no Muggle settlements in this area, and there were scattered wizarding villages scattered under the valley.When people look up at the gray castle standing tall among the mountains, they will inevitably sigh: "It's really a dead house. However, I heard that it was lively decades ago."

Even though Stuart Manor has been in decline for decades, the regulars in Alice's bar still like to chat about this topic.After all, in this lonely and boring village, there has not been any greater news than the death of Mrs. Stuart in the past few decades.Whenever weird foreigners come here to rest, the hospitable villagers in the bar will always describe the grand occasion of the Stuart Manor to them vividly and tirelessly.

Ever since the accident of the Potters and the disappearance of the mysterious person, the little Alice bar has been bustling with activity, and the business has been very good.Everyone gathered here to talk and talk, and they didn't leave until midnight.

On a snowy night at the end of December, a witch in a black cloak opened the door and walked into Alice's bar.She pushed open the creaking wooden door, and the bottom of the cloak was smeared with mud and rain.When the door was opened, the cold wind swept wet and cold snowflakes into the room, and several people sitting at the door shrank.

A rusty copper bell rang softly above her head.She raised her head to look at the gray copper bell, and her dark eyes reflected the bright candlelight suspended in mid-air.

She went to the bar, took a seat in an inconspicuous corner, and asked a young waiter for a cottage cheese, a loaf of white bread, and a mug of hot butterbeer with honey.

Her tone was calm and indifferent, without a trace of exhaustion.The waiter noticed that she had bright, piercing black eyes.While speaking, she calmly took off the white sheepskin gloves on her hands, and then took off the hood covered in rain and snow, revealing the face of a woman in her fifties.Her hair was originally a mottled gray-black, tied into a tight bun at the back of her head.

The young waiter keenly noticed that this was not an ordinary woman.Her tone of voice was calm and calm, as soon as she heard it, she was used to giving orders to servants.Although her cloak was stained with mud and water, it was of high quality. The neckline was covered with smooth black rabbit fur, and the buttons were round crystal pearls. It didn't look cheap at all.She wore exquisite and expensive sheepskin gloves, and a diamond ring on her finger shone brightly under the light.For a woman in her 50s, her skin is well maintained, and anyone can tell that she must have been very beautiful when she was young.

The waiter brought the food ordered by the strange woman on a tray, she said "thank you" casually, and took out a tip of three Sickles from her pocket.

Sure enough, the waiter thought to himself, he rarely encountered such a generous guest.

"Good evening, ma'am, I'm Sam," he said, taking the coins carefully, and accosting her with his usual cheerful smile, "Where are you from?"

The strange woman took a sip of the butter beer, and her complexion looked much better.She cast a sharp look at Sam, and said coldly, "London."

Sam was taken aback.

"Hey," he said, wiping the glass in his hand with a towel, "we're remote and deserted here, and I've never seen a visitor from London in this freezing season!"

"It's not likely," a man with a gray beard heard Sam's words, leaned his head from the other side of the bar, and interjected, "When the Stuart Manor was in its heyday, every Christmas, the whole London The rich and powerful circles will come here! You can't imagine how lively the scene is, and the whole village is called to work in the manor as a temporary worker. Sam, I bet you have never seen such a beautiful scene in your life The cutlery and food, such elegant gentlemen and ladies, even the band was brought in from London!"

Sam showed a look of surprise on his face, and he let out a sound of admiration, but he did this only to attract the attention of the strange woman on the bar. Mr. Heath's description of Stuart Manor had already been I've heard it so many times that I don't need to be so surprised.These kind and good villagers in Stuart Valley have a habit. Whenever they see strangers, they always like to use the story of Stuart Manor to win their admiration, so that they know that Stuart Valley used to be and great places.

The woman in the black cloak breaks open the white bread, gracefully brings a slice to her mouth, and slices off a slice of cottage cheese with a knife.She didn't look up to listen to old Heath at all, and the expression on her face was indifferent and distant. Sam and old Heath glanced at each other and walked away in self-defeating manner.

"Londoners," Sam muttered, and turned to chat with the other customers at the bar.

He chatted happily with a group of villagers, and soon forgot about this strange woman.More than half an hour later, as he turned to tend the teapot, he heard a cold sharp voice calling behind him: "Sam!"

He looked back, surprised to see the woman in the black cloak looking at him.She had finished her bread and cheese, and sat upright, holding a silver Sickle in her hand.

"Pour me another hot butterbeer," she said. "Any rooms upstairs?"

"Yes," said Sam at once, wiping his hands on his apron, and turning to get the beer jug, "you want to stay here, madam?"

The woman nodded.

Sam filled her mug of mug of hot beer, silver Sickle, and drew a thick book and a broken quill from a drawer.He □□□□□ index finger, quickly opened the book, and asked happily: "Madam, we need your name to check in."

Holding a warm wine glass in her hand, the strange woman looked directly at Sam with dark eyes, and replied in a cold and calm tone: "Ann Bullock."

Seeing the woman's sharp black eyes, Sam's hand trembled violently, and with a chuck, the tip of the pen made a long cut in the notebook.

"I'm sorry," Sam said quickly, smiling unnaturally.

Sylvia Black didn't speak, just watched him calmly finish writing her name, then bent over and took out a key.

She certainly didn't use her real name.Now that she is wanted by the entire British wizarding community, it is not a wise choice to use the name Sylvia Black to check in.

"Room 13," said Sam.

"Thank you." Sylvia said, she turned her head towards the door, and asked in a casual tone, "It's still not possible to apparate within the boundaries of Stuart Manor, is it?"

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Bullock," said Sam, "although the Stuarts never show up, but some come every year, you know, to clean the manor, fix the wards and things like that, I guess so, of course I don't know the specifics. You are right, the Stuart Manor is a private property. Although it is deserted, no one can enter it. They have put a lot of protection on the boundaries of the manor. curse."

Sylvia listened to Sam in silence, sipping her butterbeer.Several guests on one side heard Sam's words, and they all came over to talk about it.Stuart Manor was always their favorite topic.

"Isn't it? Last time when I was hunting, I accidentally approached the border of Stuart Manor, hit hard on the protective layer, and bounced back more than three meters." A man said gruffly. Complained, "No one can get in."

"Mr. Charles Stuart is really a mysterious man, just like his father. I only saw him once at the funeral of old Mr. Francis." Mr. Whitebeard who had just spoken spoke happily again "Old Mr. Francis passed away six or seven years ago. I heard he died of depression. He hasn't been back since he moved away in 55, but he is still buried here after his death."

"Stuart's family cemetery is also within the boundaries of their estate. Have you really seen the funeral of old Francis?" Someone asked suspiciously.

"When I was young, I worked in Stuart Manor. They didn't have enough manpower at the funeral, so I was called there." Old Heath was immersed in the memory, and seemed to be in a particularly good mood. "In this village, No one knew the Stuarts better than I. Old Mr. Francis was buried between the graves of his two wives, Lady Laura, and Lady Elizabeth. Few of the family attended his funeral, Since the death of Lady Elizabeth, old Francis has become a recluse and has almost no contact with the outside world. Let me think..." He stretched out his fingers and counted, "There is his eldest daughter Eleanor—that His daughter with his French mistress—and Melinda, his daughter with Lady Laura, and Charles, his son with Lady Elizabeth. Charles was heir to the Stuarts when Francis died. Oh , I almost forgot, and Estella Randall, she is the daughter of Tony Randall. After her parents died, she lived with the Stuart children."

"Miss Estella has inherited all the property of the Randall family," said the chubby cook in the bar. "What a lucky girl."

"Her father died during the August siege, and her mother was seriously injured and disabled during the August siege, and soon died of depression. Do you think this girl is lucky?" Sam said angrily, "I think she is very pitiful."

"How many children born in those big families are really happy?" Old Mr. Heath sighed and said heavily, "It is the fault of the mysterious man that the Stuart family ended up like this. Bernard During the "August Siege" of De Valley, the mysterious man hijacked Mrs. Elizabeth as a bargaining chip against the Ministry of Magic, and finally caused the tragic death of Mrs. Elizabeth in a car accident. It was the mysterious man who caused the car accident and killed Elizabeth. Madame, to avenge Mr. Stuart who has been hunting him down. He knows he can come back to life, doesn't he?"

There was a murmur of approval from the bar, and everyone was silent for a moment, thinking of the rebirth of the mysterious man many years ago at the funeral of Mrs. Elizabeth.That scene has been passed on by word of mouth of countless people, and many details have been distorted. This story has become the scariest legend in the hearts of all the villagers in the Stuart Valley.

"What a crime," the fat cook said, wiping her tears with her hand. "Fortunately, the mysterious man has disappeared, which can be regarded as a consolation to the Stuart family."

Everyone was immersed in sadness, and no one noticed that the strange woman in the corner of the bar quietly left.

The mysterious person hijacked Mrs. Elizabeth and concocted a car accident that resulted in her death. This is the official statement given by the Stuart family, and it is also the version that everyone believes.The mystery man came back from the dead at Elizabeth's funeral and blatantly led Death Eaters to kill Victoria Stuart. This incident once shocked the entire wizarding world.

From 1955 to the present, nearly 30 years have passed, the story of Elizabeth and Francis has become an increasingly perfect love story in folklore, and the mystery man has become more and more hideous.Elizabeth's portrait appeared on postcards and landscape paintings, her name appeared in songs and essays, and she became a legendary figure in people's hearts, the Mrs Stuart who symbolized both beautiful love and romantic tragedy.All the girls wanted to be her, to have all the white camellias all over the Stuart Valley.A jeweler even designed an "Elizabeth Camellia", which has been welcomed by countless witches in the wizarding world.

Sylvia Black returned to the upstairs room.Standing in front of the window, she looked at the dark wasteland outside the glass window, and her indifferent face gradually revealed heavy sadness and vicissitudes.

She stretched out a hand and touched the cold glass lightly with her fingertips. She saw her eyes reflected in the thick darkness, and there were countless sorrows flowing in the darkness.

"She's gone, and you're gone," she slowly leaned her forehead against the window, whispering softly into the darkness, "After all these years, do you still remember what you wanted at the beginning? No, You forgot, we all forgot. You started revenge, you started to lose your mind, you don't remember the original you. Your soul left with her 30 years ago. You left with her .”

A drop of warm tears rolled down her old and tired face.The jet-black deep glass was covered with a layer of faint white water vapor.She closed her eyes, with boundless sadness on her face.

The cold winter night was endless, and after the bar downstairs was finally quiet, Sylvia put on her cloak again and quietly walked on the path leading to Stuart Manor.When forcibly breaking through the protective layer outside the manor's boundaries, she was hit by the curse, and spit out a mouthful of salty blood.She knew that Charles Stuart, thousands of miles away, must have been warned of a break-in.She smiled coldly, turned around and cast a new protective spell on the outside of the manor.

No one can enter but her.

The driveway immersed in the darkness twisted and turned, and she walked and walked like a wandering spirit, but she couldn't get to the end.She felt that the spell just now was slowly eroding her life, and the warmth brought to her by the previous butter beer was slowly dissipating.Her consciousness gradually blurred, and the surrounding darkness seemed to be gradually fading away. She saw that the tangled tree roots on the ground were slowly retracting, and the alienation of gnawing teeth and claws gradually became regular, green and tidy, and black cars were full of loads. Laughing guests drove across the driveway and stopped in front of the grand front entrance.She saw the newlywed Elizabeth dressed in white and standing arm in arm with Francis to welcome the guests in the foyer. Her smile was sweet and bright, as if it could melt the ice and snow all over the world.

She saw him.

Ah, there he stood beside her, so handsome, so young, so ambitious, so confident, so high-spirited.She heard him asking her: "Francis can take her person, but he can't take her heart. She will always be mine."

She walked slowly to the cemetery with a faint mist, and all the phantoms disappeared at once, and the Stuart Manor became desolate, lonely and lifeless again.She walked to Elizabeth Stuart's grave, knelt down slowly, and picked up a red rose tied with a black ribbon with trembling fingers.

Blood-red roses bloom in the snow in the dark night, heralding love in the kingdom of the dead.

She staggered and fell to the ground, raised her head, and shed tears in the boundless darkness.

"I know you're here," she murmured, with a strange smile on her lips, "I know, if one day you leave this world, this must be the first place you visit."

There was a rustling sound of wind in the woods, as if ghosts were passing by.Immediately afterwards, she heard a familiar yet illusory voice ringing in her head.

"Sylvia," there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "in the end, of all my followers, you are the only one who is loyal to me."

"Tom?" Sylvia trembled all over, and stood up while supporting Lizzie's tombstone. "Is that you? Is it your ghost?"

"I'm not dead," his voice said impatiently, as if Sylvia had just insulted him.The outburst of temper made him a little weaker, and after a moment of hesitation, he said slowly, "I'm not dead. It's just that I'm too weak to make a sound. I need to go to a place where there is no one to rest, and wait for the day when I can make a comeback .”

Sylvia looked around, but only saw a strange cold wind blowing through the woods.

"Tom..." she said quietly, "do you remember what you wanted in the first place?"

He was silent for a moment without speaking.

"Tom," she called his name again, with a rare tenderness in her voice, "the first thing you wanted was her. The road of revenge and killing will never end, do you really want to go on?" ?”

His voice rang in her head again, with a mechanical repetition: "I can make a comeback. I know I can. Of all my followers, only you are true to me. Come with me, the Dark Lord will come." I will definitely reward you well."

Tears rolled down her cheeks silently, Sylvia buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling violently.He could no longer understand her, and he no longer knew who Tom Riddle had been.

She has realized this since Lizzie passed away, but she has been unwilling to believe that Tom really left with Lizzie like this.But gradually, she discovered that the Dark Lord in front of her was a shell of madness, he had no reason or emotion.He has Tom's shadow, but he is not Tom.

He wasn't the same Tom who had made Hogwarts his home and Lizzie his love.

He is just a shadow of Tom.

He's just a machine Tom made himself on the road to self-destruction.

"Tom, I'm not your follower, I never was." She tried to hold back the choking and trembling in her voice, "I am the one who loves you deeply. I don't need your reward, I just want to be with you Just you."

"I thought you were loyal to me." The voice in Sylvia's head was cold and high-pitched, not like a human voice.

Sylvia closed her eyes, letting the tears flow freely.

Tom is dead.

Tom is really gone.

She didn't know if there really was an afterlife in this world.Tom divided his soul into remaining fragments and stayed in this life. I am afraid that his soul will never reach the Land of the Dead, but will be wiped out in this life, forever.

Sylvia pulled out a silver knife from inside the cloak, and laid the sharp blade across her neck.

"Goodbye, Tom," she said quietly, closing her eyes slowly.