the Gambler

Autumn is crisp and clear, and the pace of Halloween is slowly approaching.In the first Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Harry easily caught the Snitch, and Monta was even more useless than Flint.There was still a celebration party in the tower after the game, and butterbeer and fire whiskey were smuggled in by senior students. As for how they escaped Filch's inspection, Harry didn't know and didn't plan to figure it out. Questions to think about.

For example, how to get rid of those coquettish witches, the pungent perfume made him sneeze several times.

Something is quietly going bad.

The sudden discovery a few days ago shocked Harry to the point of dismay. What was worse than that was the memory Dumbledore showed him. Tom was a dark lord who disregarded human life. Take the life of anyone in the blink of an eye.

This cognition gave him a subtle sense of contradiction.

Harry slammed his schoolbag on the sofa next to Hermione, and the witch glanced up at him, knowing that he was distracted by recent events and didn't say much.Harry opened the Potions textbook and previewed it carefully. After leaving Tom, these things became much more difficult to understand. Fortunately, Hermione was still around.

The sudden noise brought Harry back from his thoughts. Near the door, Ron yelled aggressively at a passing low-grade girl. Brow cast a repair spell, the sound of glass shattering attracted Hermione's attention, and the witch snorted loudly.

"You shouldn't vent your unhappiness on innocent people!" Hermione reprimanded sharply, "You're a prefect, for Merlin's sake, be more mature!"

Ron grunted under his breath and sat down beside Harry, avoiding Hermione's angry gaze.He took a handful of karst cake from the plate in front of him, stuffed it into his mouth and chewed it, the sugar splashed all over his front, Ron snorted rudely with his sleeve, and turned his head to chat with Lavender as if unintentionally. About what he had heard in the aisle about McLaggen showing off the Slug Club Yule Ball.

Hermione shook her head.

"Slughorn's Christmas party, I need a dance partner," Hermione said in a light voice talking about the weather, and Harry, aware of the witch's sudden blushing cheeks, shook his head and looked out the window.And Ron even interrupted the chat with Lavender directly, and looked at Hermione in half-surprise, "Actually, I want to invite you to come with me, Ron."

"Really?" Ron looked a little overjoyed. "I thought McLaggen was going to ask you to be his partner. You know, he has a little bad idea for you."

"I know very well that my boyfriend's surname is Weasley." Hermione raised the rune textbook in her hand to block Ron's scorching sight, her voice was a little unnaturally sharp, "Then do you want to be my dance partner? "

"Of course, Hermione!" Ron jumped to sit next to Hermione, dancing with joy, "Of course, that's my honor."

Lavender snorted dissatisfiedly, and Harry pretended to concentrate on studying the patterns on the carpet. Even though he had prepared himself for so long, he was still a bit overwhelmed when he really faced his friends sticking together and kissing like glue.He got up and walked around most of the lounge and sat down near the window.There were still three months before Christmas, and there was no way he could avoid Tom. He knew that the other party knew this fact very well. Tomorrow, he would not only get rid of Tom, but also get Slughorn's memory.

The thought of the Design Professor made Harry feel a little bit of subtle guilt, but after a few days of relief from Hermione and Ron, the feeling was much lessened.Harry took out the tightly corked glass bottle, the golden liquid reflected an unusually warm color in the sunlight.Felicia, this is Harry's best weapon.Yes, for the greater good, he doesn't mind using a little contraband.

The sudden hand on the shoulder woke the boy up from his contemplation. Ron grinned silly and noticed Harry's raised eyebrows. He scratched his hair in embarrassment and smiled silly.

"I've made a big fuss these days," Ron muttered, his face flushed, and he kept rubbing his arms a little nervously, "I hope you don't mind and get back together with me?"

"Finally out of your jealous shell?" Harry slapped Ron on the shoulder, and the latter relaxed instantly.

"Come with me for a game?"

"Are you two dating now or something?" Hermione asked suddenly when Ron went to get snacks in the dormitory. She was amused by Harry's shocked expression, "Oh, don't make a fuss, Harry, you The sky has alienated Marvolo again, which makes me realize that you guys were particularly sticky a few days ago?"

"We're not dating and we're not sticky!" Harry was even more frustrated because of Hermione's disbelieving expression, thinking about how to convince the other party that he really had nothing to do with that Tom who got paid a thousand dollars!He casually cast a freezing spell on the teacup, and the gears in his mind were spinning fast. When he opened it again, he had calmed down and said calmly, "He's the future Dark Lord, isn't he? It's impossible for me to fall in love with him, Hermione."

"But he's not the Dark Lord." Hermione tilted her head and smiled narrowly. "Except for those life-threatening episodes, the two of you flirt almost every day, and it's in full view. Oh, look at Merlin For the sake of—" He took Harry's hand and put the emerald ring under the boy's eyes, "he has already claimed his sovereignty."

"That's the subject of Rune." Harry said calmly, drawing back his hand.

"Who would engrave the magic pattern on the ring? Don't be stupid, Harry, Marvolo can use other jewelry instead, such as bracelets, earrings, pendants, etc. Why choose something with such an obvious meaning "Hermione laughed even more exaggeratedly at Harry's terrified expression, "Breathe, Harry, breathe—it's not such a bad thing, I can see the strong chemistry and mutual attraction between the two of you. "

"we do not have--"

"Don't interrupt me." Hermione jokingly pushed Harry's chest lightly, "Since the accident at the Ministry of Magic, he has been very concerned about you, if he was a little restrained before, now he has no scruples. Perhaps the revelation of his identity emboldened him?"

Harry pursed his lips, so their interaction was really that obvious?Even Hermione noticed?

"You seem to enjoy his company. In all fairness, not everyone would dare to deal with Marvolo like this. He is scary, I have discovered this early on. That cruel and insidious Slytherin." Hermione flipped her hair casually, and her slightly trembling voice betrayed her calm mask, "You restrain his cruel side, and he will become softer when you are with you , I believe you have also noticed this. Slytherins look at you differently now, and you have become their 'savior' to some extent. After all, not everyone can bear the capricious Marvolo .”

"I don't see why you're telling me this, Hermione," said Harry dully.Wouldn't Hermione be encouraging him to accept Tom while Harry himself was struggling?Oh, he had already noticed, with Tom in the cellar for so long, without any keen observation skills, those Slytherins would eat him alive.Yes, the moment he realized that he appeared, the arrogant and conceited little snakes would relax unobviously.

"If you feel happy with him, be with him."

Harry felt like he had been kicked in the head by Buckbeak, and he was in a daze.Hallucinations?He pinched the bridge of his nose and asked carefully, "What did you just say?"

"Get out, you two," repeated Hermione, suddenly raising her voice, "Merlin, I'm actually suggesting that you have a relationship with the Dark Lord! I've probably read a lot lately—oh, it doesn't matter, Harry, You have to think about it, if he can really make you happy, I don't think it's too bad, or great, you make him suppress the side that is close to Voldemort. Headmaster Dumbledore said you will let him learn Love isn't it? Maybe he can really be influenced? I don't know, but you always work miracles."

Blood ran up his cheeks.Harry himself is not yet clear about the ownership of this relationship, and he is even less willing to respond to Hermione's speculation.Falling in love with Tom brought immoral temptations, bit by bit eating away at his already restless heart.He buried all the memories about the other party deep in his heart, and he didn't even dare to reveal them to his closest friends.If Hermione learned of Tom's unscrupulous methods, it would be absolutely impossible for Hermione to support her, and perhaps she would jump in after him further. She would not just watch Harry deal with the murderer.And that was the last thing he wanted to see.

Harry looked away: "No, Hermione, I don't know why you all think Tom likes me. In fact, he only desires and has no feelings for me. It's a subtle but indisputable fact to admit, More than once he tried to have sex with me—”

Hermione raised her eyebrows: "Marvolo is not the type who will wait patiently. If he seduces you again and again, it can only show his persistence. You know his possessive desire best, don't you?" The way he looks at you recently seems to want to swallow you in his stomach," she bit her nails, and continued to add, "Oh, in that sense to swallow you in your stomach."

"You just made it sound more scary."

"Back to the topic, Harry, do you enjoy his company?"

Does he enjoy it?

Tom was funny, or the funniest Harry had ever met, and every second he spent with Tom he had to speculate about his intentions.Unlike Draco, to be precise, the Draco before the relationship, although that Slytherin was quite challenging, but after a long time he could figure out the routine of the blonde wizard, and soon, he became bored.But Tom is completely different. His emotions and behaviors are easily out of the scope of normal thinking, so weird that Harry has to think about whether he needs to turn a corner and think about the other party's actions. several layers of meaning.

There was no doubt that he enjoyed Tom's company in a way he had never experienced before.

Harry nodded.

"Then all problems are solved." Hermione clapped her hands excitedly.

"No, Hermione." Harry said firmly. He still remembered how Tom brutally killed the Riddle family and framed Morfin Gaunt as the blame. It seemed that every time Harry tried to separate Tom and Voldemort, someone always Will jump out to remind him that they are one.

"You can try dating him, anyway—" she bit her lip, and said after a moment of consideration, "Before he goes back, there's nothing wrong with enjoying the feeling of being in love."

Suddenly, as if falling into an ice cave, his emotions were completely frozen.Harry couldn't believe how easily he had put it behind him.Tom will go back to the past soon, and Principal Dumbledore mentioned that the research is progressing very quickly, and he and Tom will not have much time to spend together.Harry kept rubbing his toes against the hard floor. If they really loved each other, could he accept each other's departure?

Obviously not, Harry won't let go, it might as well give up from the very beginning and disturb the already delicate balance.They can get along well as friends, without the complicated title of lovers.

"No, I will not associate with him. The more important thing at this stage is to prevent Tom from going to Voldemort before he returns to the past."

"But Harry—"

"I've made up my mind, Hermione."

No matter what she said, it was useless, Harry's decision could not be questioned.The witch shook her head and sighed, she could only hope that Tom's strength could make Harry wake up, although the idea of ​​falling in love with the Dark Lord itself is absurd, but if this makes two people who like each other become shackles that bind each other, in a certain way It's kind of sweet too.

Hard as it is to believe, they were a perfect match.