Albus Dumbledore's shiny silver hair and purple wizard's hat were certainly conspicuous. Mrs. Rosmerta recognized Albus at a glance, but Albus waved at her, motioning for her to be quiet.

At this time, Rosmertaugh realized that Albus was followed by a wizard, who was wrapped in wizard's robes, and his face was completely visible, and even when he entered the tavern, he had an icy chill. Mrs. Rosmerta couldn't help but take a step back.

"Ellie, ask for a butterbeer and a glass of flame whiskey. Albus said calmly, and Mrs. Rosmerta nodded. Albus sat in the corner with the mysterious wizard.

"Tom, Flame Whiskey, I remember you liked this, it was when you were in school, there was a prefect party, you drank a lot, and you said a lot on that time..."

"Well, old man, although I am also old, I don't like to recall those tattered pasts, I prefer to look forward to a brilliant future. "Well, Tom, to be honest, it doesn't make a difference whether you're old or not. Albus put his wand on the table, and Tom Riddle - yes, the Dark Lord--- spread his wand on the table as well.

"Don't be tempted, don't try to reveal anything, you know, I didn't bring up today's meeting first, Headmaster!"

"Of course, I do have some things that I would like to know from you. But before I can do that, I have to be clear about one thing. ”

Mrs. Rosmerta came with the tray, and both fell silent.

Butterbeer and flaming whiskey were placed in front of Dumbledore and Voldemort hidden under the hood, respectively. Mrs. Rosmerta wanted to say something more, but the two on the other side did not speak, and the atmosphere was inexplicably delicate, so she walked away with a sense of humor.

Dumbledore raised his glass and took a big sip. "It's been a day since I've been here," he says pleasantly, "and the butterbeer in Rosmerta is always the best." He thought for a moment, and added, "Except maybe mead...... Oh, and the red currant liqueur is good too. ”

Voldemort nonchalantly played with the flame of his whiskey with his fingers, turning it from indigo to golden and from golden to gray-green. "You're not really going to tell me about your eating habits, and I'm not interested in knowing. I'm not interested in being you, or poisoning you, it's too much trouble. His expression and tone were flat, "Don't waste your time. ”

"Are you really impatient, or do you just want me to think so?" Dumbledore asked softly, his smile unchanged.

The corners are already dimly lit, and they are all the more mysterious in the light of the ever-changing flames. "Is there anything you can't see?" replied Voldemort with a slight mockery. "Also, a kind reminder - don't take yourself too seriously, Dumbledore. ”

"Oh, I don't think I'm that important. But as an adversary, I'm sure the vast majority of people still think that I need to be wary. Dumbledore replied calmly.

"It's like that Auror named Delix, isn't it?" Voldemort smirked, but he didn't give Delix a single corner of his eye. "Don't you tell me you once took him seriously?"

Dumbledore didn't answer immediately. After a while, he said in a low voice, "He is also my student." ”

Voldemort's fingers playing with the flames paused for a moment. He was convinced that Delis could not be compared to him, just as he was convinced that he did not want to discuss the teacher-student relationship with Dumbledore. "So what the hell are you trying to say today?"

Dumbledore took another sip of Butterbeer, his brow frustrated. "I'm assuming you've noticed, it's been a month and a half since school started. ”

"I'm sorry, Albus, I have a lot of things to do, and I don't care about Hogwarts' schedule. Voldemort scoffed, a little impatient.

"Of course, of course, so what do you feel about Harry, I mean Harry Potter, do you have any special feelings?" Dumbledore said, turning to Voldemort, "Considering all the factors, I have to think that this is the premise of any agreement we can make--- I have to protect Harry and make sure he is not harmed by you." ”

"That's what you want to say," Voldemort stared at Albus, both of them were top Dementors, both trying to break through each other's defenses and see the enemy's weaknesses.

The Dark Lord became more and more impatient, "You should also know that the boy you call the savior, in fact, he is nothing, just a lucky boy. ”

Dumbledore bowed slightly. "Sure, but sometimes luck is part of strength, isn't it, Tom?"

"Hopefully he'll always have that good luck. Voldemort replied with a sneer, "Anyway, you kind of people always thought that tomorrow would be better, things wouldn't get worse--- I really wondered, where did you get the courage?"

"What kind of people are we?" Dumbledore repeated.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it? Or do you want to argue, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore lowered the glass in his hand. "That's—" he said, his hands habitually on his fingertips, "you should have noticed that Wizarding Britain is now on the verge of extreme danger, and I would even say that Wizarding Britain is on the verge of destruction. ”

"What a tact. Is there still Wizarding England? Do you think that poor Ministry of Magic represents Wizarding England, or do you think Hogwarts is Wizarding England?" Voldemort pointed out politely.

Dumbledore didn't stand up for himself. "Either way, what the Ministry of Magic has done before has been catastrophic. I know Fudge: That's all in the past, and now it's important how to face the future, do you have any thoughts on that. ”

Voldemort twisted his fingers again, and this time the whiskey flame turned orange. "You think I'm going to work with you, with your rotten powers, Dumbledore?" he snorted.

Dumbledore continued to stare at Voldemort, his blue gaze sharp. "That's right. Tom, in the current form, you alone, or on us alone, can't stabilize the situation, we will be broken by each other..."

Voldemort looked back steadily, a sneer on his lips. "Whatever you want, I don't have that mind, just as you rejected me in the first place, and I will give you the same answer. He swallowed the wine and flame down his throat and stood up, "I wish you a long life, and it is better not to die at my hands - if you are not killed by your own stupidity." ”

Dumbledore's gaze moved with Voldemort's movements. Just as the other party was about to turn away, he spoke again: "Are you so confident?"

Voldemort paused. "I've always been confident, don't you know?"

"I don't think you've ever been a person who admits to your limitations, but I hope your self-confidence doesn't cross the red line, it can turn into a terrible arrogance," Dumbledore assessed calmly, "and that will only lead to flaws and faults." ”

Voldemort's chin line tensed slightly. "Whatever you want, Dumbledore, it's naïve if you think that will convince me. He snorted coldly.

"Well, maybe you need to think about it, Tom, I hope you understand that this is an opportunity, an opportunity to atone for your faults, for your sins. Dumbledore pushed his slipped half-moon glasses upwards.

"Atonement?" do you know what you're talking about, Albus?" Voldemort replied quickly, without blinking.

Dumbledore pondered his words, seeming a little distressed. "Yes, perhaps more than atonement. ”

"Haha, Albus, you should be the first listener of that prophecy, you should know the relationship between me and that boy, one of the prophecies must die, but what about the other? Albus, aren't you destined to be a murderer?" Voldemort laughed contemptuously, "Do you want me to wait for death or what to do?"

"Is it, Tom? do you really think so? you heard that prophecy, I mean the full prophecy?" Dumbledore asked, his expression and tone much more serious than before.

Voldemort also looked even more impatient than before. "I don't know what answer you're expecting, but I don't mind reminding you again—" He leaned slightly, narrowing their gaze slightly, "I killed the boy's parents, with my own hands." ”

Dumbledore's gaze seemed frozen. It took him a long time before he sighed deeply. "You probably still don't understand, Tom...... A person who has no love in life deserves more pity than the dead. ”

For a moment, Voldemort's face was as gloomy as the sky before a rainstorm. "Your old problem, Dumbledore," he said word for word, bordering on gritting his teeth, "you've always had too naïve expectations of people. ”

"Maybe. Dumbledore said softly. "But at least I'm sure Harry has done more than I could have expected in fifth year. ”

Voldemort glared at Dumbledore and straightened up. As if he couldn't bear it any longer, he brushed his sleeves away, leaving not a word.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneaked away as the black-robed wizard left, all believing that the frost on that face was more terrifying than the raging snow outside.

“…… It's scary," Ron said after the bar door opened and closed, rubbing the goosebumps that had exploded desperately, "I don't suspect he's a mystery now—he hasn't done anything yet, and I'm hairy!"

Hermione frowned, looking both ways. "Did they break up? Dumbledore didn't seem to be so angry?"

Harry also noticed that Dumbledore was continuing to drink his Butterbeer. "Probably. He replied absentmindedly, pondering what would make Voldemort feel like that.

The fact that the other person didn't look at him before he left usually represents two possibilities: that his previous guess was wrong and that Dumbledore and Voldemort were not here for him, or that they were talking about him but couldn't agree at all.

Harry had to admit that aside from Sirius being almost caught, he had one more thing to worry about.

“…… If nothing else, I'll go first. Andrew's voice unexpectedly drifted across from the opposite side of the potted plant.

Harry looked up casually, and saw that Andrew's glass was empty, and the other three were still half full.

"No more drinks?" asked Williamson.

Andrew shook his head.

Seeing this, the others did not continue to stay. "I'm going to go on patrol in Godric's Valley in the afternoon. Dlux reminded.

By this time, the light-haired man had already put on his cloak. He signaled with a small jaw that he had heard, and strode toward the door.

Harry's hand gripped the Cloak of Invisibility in his bag. It wasn't until the man walked past their table that he lowered his voice and said to Ron and Hermione, "I'll be back in a moment." ”

“…… Wait, you want?" Hermione's expression immediately changed back to horror.

But as she spoke, Harry had jumped out of his seat. He chased after him in three steps and two steps, pushing open the door that was still shaking.

Outside, there was a white expanse that covered the sky. The cold wind whipped the snowflakes into his neckline, causing Harry to shiver widely. When he looked at the road on both sides, he found that in this short period of time, Bedwell had disappeared. In fact, there wasn't a single footprint in the snow near the bar.

…… How could it be? Did the other party expect him to want to follow?

Harry didn't give up, and ran on both sides. However, neither Voldemort nor Andrew were nowhere to be found, so he had to go back the way he came.

If Harry's gaze could have pierced the snow, he would have seen two black winds whirling across the sky. They skimmed high above the mountains and rivers until Voldemort fell to the ground first.

Before it actually touched the frozen ground, the black wind behind it had coalesced into a human form - it was Bellatrix Lestrange. "Master!" she said, kneeling down without hesitation.

"Get up, Bella. Voldemort said calmly. In fact, his mood was a long way off, but if he was out of control, Dumbledore really succeeded. "Do you have something to report?"

Bella, respectfully obeyed the word. "Earlier today, I spotted Sirius Black at the Screaming Shack. ”

"Oh?" Voldemort didn't look surprised.

"Sirius Black is very weak right now, and I can easily catch him. Bella said, carefully observing Voldemort's face, "But I have your instructions firmly in mind - all matters involving Hogwarts must be approved by you." ”

Voldemort nodded appreciatively, his brow furrowed, "Is he the only one?"

Bella's face instantly became a little unnatural, and she thought for a moment before she said briefly, "There is also a female student, maybe a student of Hogwarts. ”

Voldemort immediately heard the unnaturalness of Bella's voice, and his serpentine gaze was fixed on Bella, who felt like she was being stripped naked in an instant, and she heard her own consciousness screaming.

Bella thought the Dark Lord would punish herself, but after a while, Voldemort did nothing.

"Just a little girl, a student. Bella replied tremblingly.

"Well done. Voldemort said, thinking a little.

Bella breathed a sigh of relief. "If the next time you run into Sirius Black alone, your instructions are, master?"

Voldemort didn't answer immediately. After a while, he asked an unrelated-sounding question, "What has Wormtail been doing lately?"

"As it was," Bella said irrepressibly in disgust, "muttering and grumbling all day long, insisting that she was worthy of the kiss of death. ”

Voldemort was noncommittal. "Blake won't be left alone any longer. He turned back to the subject, "But that's okay, I have a better way to deal with him." ”

Bella keenly read the meaning. "Do as you command, master!"