Chapter 7 The Eve Before Dawn
As night fell, Hogwarts Castle was immersed in silence, with only the occasional growl of wild beasts coming from the forbidden forest in the distance.
Draco was sitting alone on the top floor of the castle.
The moonlight shone on him through the tall windows, its silver glow intertwined with his platinum-colored hair, forming a quiet picture.
He leaned his back against the cold stone wall, his gaze passing over the vast Hogwarts Castle and the lake surrounding the mountains. Tiny points of light twinkled in the moonlight, like countless stars hanging upside down, falling on the water.
Draco's eyes were filled with a depth and complexity that was disproportionate to his age.
His usually harsh face now revealed a barely perceptible vulnerability, as if only in this deserted night did he dare to let down all his defenses and face his true self.
The wind on the top floor was a little chilly, but Draco didn't seem to mind. He tightened his cloak around himself and continued to stare at the snowflakes dancing over the winding lake.
In Slytherin, he still had to show Malfoy's arrogance and indifference, but in this quiet place that belonged to him, he could temporarily forget the burden and let his thoughts drift freely.
Draco thought about the crazy Voldemort and Bella, the wizards and classmates who kept their distance from the Death Eaters and Slytherins, and the gloomy and irritable classmates.
Draco slowly closed his eyes and gently rubbed the ring on his finger that represented the heir of the Malfoy family.
Should he follow in his family's footsteps and walk the path chosen by two generations of the Malfoy family, or...
[What I'm saying is, live in the light, Draco, live in the light. No one says crows can't live in the light with doves, right?]
Draco only knew that if he stayed in the darkness for too long, when warmth shone upon him, he could not help but absorb it greedily.
Just like now, even in the dark sky, Draco could still feel the faint sunlight shining on him from the distant clouds.
He opened his eyes and looked at the savior sitting next to him, and for the first time he smiled without any meaning.
His smile was light, almost emotionless, but Harry was still shocked. His face, usually scornful and indifferent, now showed a faint smile, like a winter morning covered with the first snow.
A Draco who was defenseless and harmless, a Draco who was smiling at him...
The heart is like a pond gently stepped on by a dragonfly.
"Harry Potter, there are two secrets here. Do you want to know the golden secret? Or the silver secret?" Draco raised his two fists with interest and put them in front of Harry's eyes, with a rare ease and cunning look on his face.
Harry blinked, and it wasn't until Draco called his name again that he came back to reality.
"What I want to know is neither the golden secret nor the silver secret, but the ordinary iron secret." Harry shook his finger and looked at Draco sincerely.
"Are you sure?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Of course," Harry answered firmly.
"Then listen carefully—" Draco moved his fist away, put it in front of his mouth, and said mysteriously: "Before the secret is revealed, you have to answer me a question. Who do you think came first, the You-Know-Who or the Death Eaters?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Harry said without hesitation, although he was confused. "Of course Voldemort came first."
"And shouldn't you have told me the Golden Secret, the Silver Secret, and the Iron Secret at the same time?" Harry asked puzzledly.
Draco sneered and curled his lips, saying, "Don't be ridiculous, baby Harry, you chose the iron secret yourself, so of course I only tell you the iron secret."
"Okay..." Harry shrugged, spread his hands helplessly, and lay down with his head in his hands, "Then please reveal the answer now."
"Before the Death Eaters, You-Know-Who also formed an organization, the Knights of Walpurgis." Draco paused for a few seconds. "It was a group whose purpose was to learn and help each other. Its members covered the four major schools of Hogwarts and two other schools. It was the predecessor of the Death Eaters."
"That's not right," Harry shook his head doubtfully. "As far as I know, the Death Eaters have always been in hostility with the Wizarding Union due to their violence and madness. Could it be that this is why the You-Know-Who later formed the New Death Eaters?"
"No." Draco sighed.
Harry was surprised: "Is there something else hidden in this?"
Draco sighed and continued, "The reason why the You-Know-Who formed the Death Eaters is simple—he hopes to gain absolute power in the wizarding world through the Death Eaters and achieve immortality!"
"Undead?" Harry frowned.
"Yes." Draco nodded, "The You-Know-Who's goal from the beginning to the end has been to pursue immortality. He rules and controls all wizards and magical creatures only to achieve his ultimate ideal.
Whether it is the original Walpurgis Knights or the current Death Eaters, they are just the white gloves of the mysterious man in his pursuit of immortality and plundering resources.
"Unlike the Death Eaters who were brainwashed by the You-Know-Who's pure-blood supremacy theory, the Walpurgis Knights believe that ability is king. The composition of the trainees is even more diverse and complex, and even the You-Know-Who, one of the builders, cannot fully control or direct them.
It wasn't until 1970 that the You-Know-Who rebranded the Ministry of Operations, which he had recruited and overseen, as the Death Eaters and led them in a war against the Ministry of Magic, only to be stopped by Dumbledore. A conflict ensued between the members of the Walpurgis Knights and the You-Know-Who, leading to a complete split between the Walpurgis Knights and the Death Eaters. From then on, the Death Eaters gradually became a violent organization known for its reign of terror and violence within the wizarding world.
Harry was stunned.
Draco fell silent after he finished speaking, but Harry fell into silence for half a minute.
Draco's words had a huge impact on Harry.
"That organization still exists, right?" Harry muttered. He turned to Draco, "Why are you telling me this?"
Draco smiled bitterly: "The mysterious man is contacting the current ministers of the Knights of Walpurgis, intending to drag them into the war between him and Dumbledore."
"Harry, if Knight Walpurgis is really involved in this war..."
Draco's words stopped abruptly.
Harry looked up at the sky.
A bright full moon hung in the night sky, and its silver moonlight enveloped the entire Hogwarts Castle.
In the moonlight, Harry's handsome face looked very resolute.
Harry looked at Draco and said firmly: "I will stand at Hogwarts! With Dumbledore"
Draco was stunned. He looked at Harry and opened his mouth, but in the end no words came out.
"Thank you for telling me that." Harry smiled and nodded at Draco.
He didn't tell Draco that he had made up his mind. After all, it was not certain yet. Harry planned to wait until he met Dumbledore and explain his thoughts to him.
"Voldemort has seven Horcruxes." Draco looked at Harry's back, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Harry, be careful."
Harry smiled and said, "Thank you, Draco."
Could crows live in the light alongside doves? Draco didn't know, but he wanted to try.
He didn't like Voldemort or Dumbledore. He didn't want to kill or be killed. Helping Harry was the only solution he could think of.
Harry Potter, please win.
Draco watched Harry's gradually disappearing figure, then looked down at the lake. The moonlight illuminated the lake, creating shimmering waves.
Draco stretched out his right hand and caught the snow elf that was swaying and floating down.
"The snow has stopped"
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