Over the next two days, Harry adopted a tighter marking. But as he expected, he didn't even see the corner of Snape's robes. It was said that everyone would attend the prom, but he deliberately lingered outside the teacher's lounge a few times, and sure enough, he heard the news that the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor politely declined the invitation to the prom.

"Wouldn't it be better if he didn't come?" said Ron, "I doubt he'll embarrass us when he appears!"

At this time, the three of them had just finished lunch and walked out of the auditorium. Harry didn't know how to explain to Ron, who didn't know anything, so he had to keep his mouth shut.

"Speaking of which, who did you date?" Ron asked with interest, "Parvati or Padma? I think there are a few pretty ones in the lower grades." ”

Hermione coughed hard. "Everybody was wearing masks. She emphasized.

Ron seemed to want to say that it could be removed, but when he saw Hermione's expression, he was a little sneering.

Hermione snorted, turned and strode away, looking for directions to the library.

"All I know is that if you don't settle down, Lavender will come and ask you out. He gestured grimly behind Ron.

Ron and Lavender are in a relationship that is slimy like kraft candy, and Ron shuddeers every time he mentions it. Hearing Harry say that, he didn't dare look back. "No, no, no, I'll go find a better one at once! You help me drag Lavender! I'll be grateful to you, buddy!" he said, and before he could finish speaking, he ran away.

Harry, who pretended to be successful, almost burst out laughing. His two friends had been going around for too long, but this time it would work. Kind of a good thing, he thought, and began to walk towards the tower. As he ascended the marble staircase, he couldn't help but think that if only Snape could do it with a feint...... But it wasn't possible at all, no wonder Hermione said he had chosen a path that was too difficult.

The next day was Halloween Eve. A swarm of live bats flew around the enchanted auditorium ceiling, while hundreds of pumpkin-carved figures squinted at every corner, filling the castle with the sweet and enticing scent of pumpkin pies.

From early in the morning, the students were excited, chattering about the prefect's masquerade ball. Harry heard Ernie McMillan swear to the junior that he could cast the Vanishing Charm on his head to bring the Headless Horseman to life, and someone on the Slytherin table had lit a ghostly fire.

"I've got two identical troll masks!" Ron said to Harry with a frown before Hermione could get out of the tower, "and besides, Fred and George heard that I had an appointment with Angelina and were willing to give me the full outfit for free!

"Congratulations," said Harry, genuinely happy for them, "be nice in front of her, you can do it." ”

"Yes, the wisest thing I've ever done in my life is to listen to your advice yesterday!" Ron blushed with delight, "I should have acted sooner......" He chattered for a while, and suddenly reacted, "Have you found a dance partner?"

Harry could only shake his head. "I don't want to dance. ”

Ron's excitement was instantly extinguished. "Why?" he bewildered, "this may be our last prom before we graduate!"

"Nothing," Harry said, with a covert cover, "just not much to bring up. ”

Ron frowned at Harry, and suddenly it dawned on him. "You quarreled with Ginny, didn't you?" he asked, but there was not the slightest doubt in his tone, "while it might make you suspect that I was looking for my sister, but to be honest, girls are like that sometimes--- you have to always make them right." He patted Harry on the shoulder sympathetically, "She's my sister, but she's also a good girl—she's beautiful, isn't she, really...... Alas"

Harry had nothing to say, because Ron was basically right.

"Look away, buddy. Ron said in a serious tone, "Leave him alone these days." Let's think about how to say good things to Ginny, I dare say, if you invite other girls this time, you will suffer in the future, I remember Fred once broke Ginny's toy, and the two of them were tortured for a whole summer vacation.... It's scary to think about. ”

"Hmm. Harry didn't know how to explain the conflict between him and Ginny--- Ginny felt that Harry had spent too little time with her--- so she could only nod her head indiscriminately.

Ron was satisfied, and began to play with the two masks again. Harry began to eat his share of pumpkin pie, which tasted like chewing wax.

In the morning Charms and Transfiguration class, almost everyone had no intention of learning. By the time everyone entered the auditorium in the late afternoon, it had completely changed. The four house tables were missing, the ceiling was filled with shrill screaming, bouncing Cornish elves, and the four corners were full of realistic minotaur busts, and paper spiders of all sizes crawled all over the walls.

Ron groaned weakly from beneath the troll mask. “…… Nobody told me there were spiders!" His trachea seemed to be choked, "and so many!"

Harry took a closer look. "They seem to have to climb only on walls. ”

"Then I'm not going to go near any wall!" Ron said immediately, "if it weren't for the rare opportunity......

"Oh, let's go, Ron. Angelina stifled a smile and pushed him through the door.

It didn't take long for the auditorium to fill up. Dumbledore saw that the time was almost there—he was wearing a flaming phoenix mask, but his long gray hair and beard couldn't hide it at all—and announced that the ball had begun.

"Youth is so good, enjoy the good time now, although it is cloudy outside, turbidity waves, but don't panic, don't be depressed, as long as we still have love in our hearts, there is hope, beauty will eventually come...."

Albus saw the door open, and four young wizards entered the auditorium side by side, they wore four different masks, the male witch in the middle wore the mask of the eastern holy beast unicorn - Albus knew about this animal, Andrew introduced--- the witch on his left wore the mask of Qingluan, and the girl on the right wore the mask of the egret, and next to the egret was a phoenix.

The wizard is Andrew Lee, Luan Bird is Cho Chang, Egret is Hermione, and Phoenix is Ginny--- Harry apparently didn't follow Ron's words to persuade Ginny.

Everyone's eyes lingered on the four of them slightly, and they began to talk again. Harry was a little embarrassed to see Ginny Weasley's red hair as proud as a phoenix in a phoenix mask.

Andrew sought Harry from the crowd.

"Hey, Harry, you forgot your girlfriend outside. Hermione said, her egret mask looking exaggerated, especially the white feathers.

"Hmph, I'm not the Savior's girlfriend, he doesn't like me—" Ginny squinted at Harry at a forty-five-degree angle.

"Alright, don't quarrel with each other, Harry, hand over Ginny to you, and you have to take care of her. Hermione put Ginny's hand in Harry's hand.

The three of them left the pair, and Cho, who took Andrew's other hand, said, "Hermione, you seem to be very good to Ginny." ”

"Yes, we're best friends. ”

A burst of elegant dance music came from the magic gramophone, the bonfire in the room went dark, and the ball began.

Because of the presence of those paper spiders, Ron couldn't wait to pull Angelina into the first dance. Malfoy brought himself a butterbeer and watched them circle around the dance floor from afar. He could also see that some of the girls' eyes searched everywhere but did not linger on him--- could it be that they had heard about the Malfoy family's recent experience?

That can't be, Draco Malfoy is supposed to be the protagonist of the ball, why do all those stupid girls sneak a peek at that fool Harry Potter?

Malfoy took a sip of his beer, making him feel a little better--- it was so exhausting that Draco felt like he was about to break down, he couldn't tell anyone what he was doing, no one could tell him--- but nothing was going on, no progress!

"Why, it seems to have been busy lately, Malfoy. A deep voice rang out, with a hint of cold mockery.

Malfoy turned around and found Andrew behind him at some point. "Regardless of your business, Andrew, you take your Yangguan Road, I take my single-plank bridge, we don't invade each other. He said without thinking.

"I'd love that too," Malfoy could still hear the cold contempt in Andrew's tone even through the mask, "It's a pity that being a Death Eater means that I can't let you do whatever you want."

Malfoy shuddered, then he let out an ugly laugh, "What Death Eater, what are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend, Malfoy, you and I are smart people, and besides me, I can guarantee that at least Albus Dumbledore knows exactly what you're doing. Andrew turned his head to look at Albus Dumbledore on the podium--- the Headmaster who had taken off his mask was also looking at him, and Andrew said meaningfully, "Don't think everyone else is a fool, Malfoy, do you really think that the Dark Lord took a fancy to you to let you do the impossible?

"You...... Get out of the way," Draco shuddered all over, "I don't have to worry about my business...."he growled.

Dumbledore's blue eyes were bright and sharp, as if he could see through the conversation between the two.

Andrew didn't continue to ask, he waved his hand indifferently, "Remember what you said last time? If you think about it one day, you can come to me, I have the strength to fulfill my promise now!"

Draco didn't say anything before Andrew turned to leave.

"Can you really do that?--- including my family?" Draco's voice became steady.

"Of course, if you don't believe me, settle down a little bit in the last few days, and something unexpected will happen later. Andrew said without looking back.

In the middle of the dance, Hermione came to Ginny, Andrew and Autumn followed, and the three girls chatted - so it seemed that Harry and Ginny had eased up.

"The ball is not bad, young people like it. Albus Dumbledore suddenly appeared between Harry and Andrew.

"Of course, the pudding is delicious, not to mention so many beautiful girls. Andrew smiled.

"That's good, Andrew, you should smile more, I don't know how many girls have been killed, Hermione Granger, Cho Chang are the best girls, they want to be with you, it's enviable..."Albus joked.

"Headmaster, I would be proud of you for saying that. Andrew was stunned, he didn't expect Albus to say that.

"Haha, it's hard to see you like this, okay, I'm an old man who won't take up much of your time, just get down to business. "Is it appropriate to get down to business in front of so many people?"

"That's good. Albus smiled mysteriously, "It's about the incident before you." ”

"Those about Ms. Gray. Dumbledore said, nodding slightly, "I don't think you know it, her name was Helena Ravenclaw." ”

Harry was so shocked that he almost squirted the pumpkin juice that had just entered his mouth. "Ahem," he said, putting down the glass and wiping the corners of his mouth with his hands, "ahem...... What do you say, Ravenclaw? Is that the Ravenclaw I imagined?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Ravenclaw, as we know her, is her mother, the true owner of the crown. ”

Harry stopped in surprise. "The real owner of the crown?" he looked around nervously, no one paying attention to them, "Could it be that the mysterious person got the crown because of her daughter?"

Dumbledore nodded again. "It's a bit of a twist and turn, but that's pretty much it. I was suspicious of Ms. Gray, but she was reluctant to tell me. Until I told her that you saw her talking to Tom. ”

Harry wanted to say he didn't really see it, but that's not what matters right now. "If he tricks the crown out of shady ways, she'll indeed go to him!" he thought quickly, "what else did she say?"

Back then, she hid her crown in a hollow tree in the Albanian forest. Dumbledore replied, "This place name sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Albania...... Harry understood the whole thing in an instant. When he was in school, Snape of Tom Riddle learned of the whereabouts of the crown from Lady Gray, and after graduation, he went to find it and made it into his own Horcrux.

"But why is she crying?" Harry was still a little confused, "does she think she did something wrong, or is there something else?"

She thinks she's sorry for her mother because she stole the crown. Dumbledore said, his tone a little heavy, "That's exactly why she didn't want to tell me in the first place, it's dishonorable." ”

"Does Miss Gray want the crown back?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore looked at Harry approvingly. And she did. But Tom told her that the crown was still in the hollow tree. ”

“…… What?" Harry was taken aback, "he wouldn't ......" He wanted to say that it was impossible for the Dark Lord to put his precious Horcrux in the gloomy woods, but he suddenly realized something. "Is that true?"

Dumbledore nodded. "When you were in fifth grade, you talked to the crown many times, but now, it's just a tiara—and shortly after you mentioned it to me, I did at Ms. Gray's request and brought it back and buried it in her mother's grave. ”

Harry's eyes widened, and his heart was beating faster. "The crown is no longer a Horcrux...... What does this mean?...... The Dark Lord is on the move!" his voice began to tremble.

Andrew's brows furrowed---Voldemort was not a fool, he realized that Horcruxes were no longer his advantage, but became shackles!

"I'm also curious to know how Tom did it. Dumbledore sighed and said, "But in the three broomsticks, you saw it too—he couldn't have told me." ”

Harry felt he didn't have enough brains to comprehend what was in it - he didn't know he was still one of the Horcruxes--- "Thank you for telling me, sir!" Harry said loudly, looking blankly at Andrew.

"The Dark Lord is on the move, is Harry in danger?" Andrew asked in a low voice.

"Yes. ”