In a desolate alley, a man stands by the wall like a statue. The occasional breeze www.biquge.info a few leaves flew by, making him move his head as if he was waiting for something.

Suddenly, a man appeared from the void, flames flashed, and the figure lowered his wand and walked quickly.

"Good evening, Professor Snape. Phoenix looked away from an old war monument and put his hood down with his hands.

"Good evening, sir. He looked around, "This way." ”

He walked briskly, past an empty tavern and several houses. Judging by the bell of a nearby church, it was almost midnight.

"Can you be sure he's home tonight?" Phoenix said.

"Yes. "Snape," he had been changing places of residence a lot lately, and many of the Death Eaters wanted to bring him in. ”

Snape twisted his arm unnaturally.

"Have they been contacted?" he continued.

"Professor Slughorn is disgusted with the Death Eaters, he has been hiding from us, and I am afraid I would not have been able to know his whereabouts without the men you provided. Snape walked ahead as they turned around a street corner, past a phone booth and a bus stop.

Two pedestrians on the road hurriedly passed by them, complaining about the weather. It's summer, but the UK is foggy and the temperature is unusually right.

These were of course the work of the Dementors, and the Muggles who could not see them had to blame themselves for the cause, which led to several demonstrations. It was terrifying for Dementors to break away from the control of the Ministry of Magic and start breeding without restrictions. Scrimgeour was almost helpless, and his limited manpower was a drop in the ocean for the rapidly growing number of Dementors.

They walked up a steep, narrow street lined with rows of houses. Behind them, the church bell rang for midnight.

"Shrewd old man, he should have been in school in the same year as Dumbledore—" Phoenix whispered, tightening his travel cloak, "-I mean, we just seem to have broken some kind of protective magic. ”

"Invasion Charm?" said Snape immediately.

"Possibly, but fine. At least he knew someone was coming to visit him late at night," and they turned down another straight side street, "not knowing how he would react." ”

"Is there a plan?" said Snape, changing the subject.

"Yes, I've refined Dumbledore's idea. Phoenix looked smug, but did not elaborate, and Snape did not press on.

"Did Voldemort go to school?"

"Can't wait, he asked me to let him in that night. "I think he's supposed to be done, he's going to do it." In recent days, he has been in a good mood. ”

Phoenix snorted.

They approached a neat little stone house nestled in a garden. On the side of the well-tended path, the hinges of the front door were open, and the door hung crookedly.

Snape immediately drew his wand and hid in the shadows of the wall.

Phoenix looked across the street, and there seemed to be no one.

"Death Eaters have been here?" he whispered.

"I don't know. Snape whispered.

"I think it's more likely to be his welcome ceremony, without the Dark Mark. Without even taking out his wand, Phoenix pushed open the front door and walked quietly down the garden path, Snape following close behind.

"Fluorescent flicker!" his whole hand lit up, and the light source was flung out by him, flying down the porch to different corners. Step over the carpet in front of the door and into the living room on the left.

Several glowing balls, floating up and down in the air.

There was a mess in front of them, an old clock shattered at their feet, the clock face cracked, and the pendulum lay a little farther away, like an abandoned sword. A piano topples over on the floor, keys scattered everywhere. Nearby, a fragment of a broken chandelier was glittering. The mats were thrown everywhere in a mess, already deflated, and feathers were burrowing out of the cracks. Broken glass and porcelain shards were sprinkled like powder.

Several glowing balls, floating up and down in the air.

"Sir," Snape called out to Phoenix, following behind, pointing his wand at the ceiling. There was a lot of dark red gooey splashed on the wallpaper.

"Blood. Snape said heavily.

Phoenix glanced at it a few times, then stood beneath the bloodstains, and carefully examined the broken fragments at his feet through the light.

Phoenix calmly walked over to the only intact armchair in the room.

"I know, you're right here, sir. We have no ill intentions, we just want to talk to you. After saying that, he sat down.

The chair let out a scream: "Ouch!"

"Huh!" Phoenix jumped up, "God, I don't see that." ”

It was still an armchair just now, but in the blink of an eye, it turned into a bald fat old man squatting there. He rubbed his thighs and looked at Phoenix with a pained, tearful eye.

"Young man, it's really not light or heavy. He said angrily, struggling to get up, "It hurts me to death." ”

"It's not that exaggerated. Phoenix said embarrassedly.

The light shone on his bright bald head, his bulging eyes, his walrus-like silver-white beard, and the shiny buttons on the brownish velvet coat on the outside of his lilac nightgown.

"How did you show it?" he asked in a gruff voice, staggering to his feet, still bending over and rubbing his thighs.

"Do you want me to say chronologically, or alphabetically. Phoenix said with a smile.

"Are there a lot of loopholes?" said Slughorn in disbelief.

"First of all, there are no Dark Magic marks. If the Death Eaters had come, it would be unreasonable to look at the scene in front of them. Secondly, the blood on the ceiling is also very wrong, you must be seriously injured if you can splash so high, but there is no blood on the floor - do you want me to continue?"

"Good boy, clever enough. He muttered, "I feel a little—ah, yes, it's too late." As soon as I adjusted the chair cover, you entered the house. ”

He sighed heavily, blowing the tips of both beards up.

"Long time no see, Professor. Do you want me to clean it up for you?" asked Snape politely. That tone was something Phoenix hadn't heard before, and it seemed respectful and a little flattering.

"Please, Severus. He said.

They stood up back to back, waving their wands.

One by one, the furniture jumped back to its original position, the decorations returned to their original shape in mid-air, the feathers burrowed back into the cushions, and the broken books were automatically repaired and neatly arranged on the shelves. The oil lamp flew to the small table by the wall and was lit again. A large mass of shattered silver frames flickered across the room and landed on a desk, shining as bright as new again. Broken, torn, and open areas throughout the room were restored to their original state. The stains on the walls are also automatically wiped clean.

"What kind of blood is that?" Phoenix saw as the blood turned into a thin line and flew into a small crystal bottle.

"It's dragon blood on the wall. The wizard named Horace shouted in reply, and the chandelier jumped back to the ceiling with a deafening creaking and tintinling sound.

With the final sound of the piano, the room finally fell silent.

"Yes, dragon blood," said the wizard with great interest, "my last bottle is prohibitively expensive at the moment. However, it may still work. ”

He walked to the sideboard with heavy steps, picked up a small crystal bottle on the top of the cabinet, and looked at the light carefully to see the viscous liquid inside.

"Well, it's a little dirty. ”

He put the vial back on the sideboard and sighed. (To be continued.) )