"Oh, it was sent from home..." Tom said casually to Padma, "Can I open it and take a look?"
"Of course." Padma nodded.
Harry clenched his fists nervously. He didn't know why the box appeared in Padma's hand. Now he just wanted to knock the box out of Tom's hand, then grab Padma by the collar and question her.
Why did you want to harm Tom, Hermione? But seeing Tom's calm look, he couldn't get angry, so he could only stand aside and stare at the box.
Tom was also a little confused. Padma's attempt to get Hermione to touch the cursed necklace was undoubtedly malicious, so why didn't Hermione's anklet sound an alarm?
It can't be that Padma and Voldemort happened to use the same packaging box, right?
A conjecture came to his mind.
The anklet cannot detect any malicious intent, which means that Padma has no malicious intent at all.
This may seem like nonsense, but it actually means that Padma has no idea that the necklace in the box is cursed.
"You said it was sent to you from your home, can you tell me when it was sent?" Tom showed a strong interest in the box.
"Uh," Padma was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect Tom to ask such a question. She recalled it and said with some uncertainty, "It seems like this morning?"
Harry and Hermione were speechless: Can't you remember this?
No matter how dull they are, they can still notice that something is wrong with Padma's state: How could someone not remember when the gift from their home arrived? This is not a long time ago, this just happened this morning
Something.
"Who sent it? Your father or your mother?" Tom continued to ask gently.
Padma was speechless.
This time, she herself realized something was wrong.
In her eyes, this necklace is a gift sent to her from her family, but once she is asked about the specific details, she will get stuck.
"This is my dad...no, it's my mom. Wait, that's not right, my mind is a little messed up." Padma held her head in her hands, with a look of pain on her face.
"This is not something sent from your family at all," Harry put his hand on Padma's shoulder and shook her hard, trying to wake her up, "You were bewitched by a horse or someone using magic!"
There was no substantial evidence to convict Malfoy, so Harry changed his story midway.
Hearing what Harry said, Padma was stunned for a moment, and then the expression on her face gradually became vivid. Padma's cognitive obstacles were like a thin membrane that disappeared after being pierced.
She looked at the box in Tom's hand and screamed: "I picked up this box in the corridor this morning! I was just curious about what was inside and planned to open it and take a look before handing it to Professor McGonagall.
As soon as I touched the box, my mind started to wander! It seemed like a voice was telling me that this was a gift from my family, and asked me to take it to Granger to see... so I did.
."
At this point, Padma was also startled and broke out in a cold sweat. If Granger really opened the box and found something wrong, she might not be able to get rid of the suspicion.
"Is it the Imperius Curse?" Listening to Padma's description, Harry thought that she might have been under the Imperius Curse and controlled, but Tom shook his head.
"The Soul-Seizing Curse is not that easy to remove. I think it is a Confusion Curse. This spell can be easily seen through with the help of outsiders, but you often don't realize the logical problems on your own, and it is much more difficult to cast a Confusion Curse.
The Imperius Curse should be low."
Several people recognized this possibility.
"Who cast a confusion spell on me?" Padma raised her slender eyebrows, her eyes flashing with anger. She vowed to find this person and teach him an unforgettable lesson.
"I suspect it's Draco Malfoy." Harry finally revealed his suspicion.
"Malfoy? I haven't offended him?" Padma couldn't help but be startled when she heard the name. She usually had no interaction with Malfoy, so why would he harm her?
"Sometimes you just have bad luck." Tom put the box into his trouser pocket and led a few people towards the direction of the principal's office.
It is still a bit difficult to find someone in such a huge castle, but if Dumbledore gives the order, it will be much more efficient.
Dumbledore was speechless when he saw Tom again: Yodel was the most diligent student who ran to the principal's office he had ever seen in his life. Other students, even though Dumbledore was an amiable grandfather, stayed away from him.
.Normally I can’t wait to walk around the principal’s office, let alone run inside every two days.
However, after meeting Padma, a rare visitor, Dumbledore faintly sensed something was wrong.
Padma was so nervous when she first entered the principal's office that she didn't even know where to put her hands, but Dumbledore took the initiative to ease her mood.
"Miss Patil? I didn't expect to see you here today? Would you like some finger cakes? I didn't see you in the auditorium just now."
In just two sentences, the tension in Padma's heart melted away, and she had the illusion that she was visiting her neighbor's grandpa's house next door.
"Thank you, if you can..." She actually hid in the corner holding a plate of maple finger cakes.
"Professor, look - don't touch the things inside, little one." Tom handed the wooden box to Dumbledore, reminding him that the things inside were cursed. If Dumbledore accidentally touched the necklace, he would be cursed.
It's funny, what Voldemort was thinking about but couldn't finish, Tom finished it for him...
Dumbledore very carefully opened the lid of the box with the tip of his wand, and saw the gold necklace inside. His expression became solemn, because he could clearly feel the magic contained in the necklace. This necklace can
Easily take the life of a student!
"Where did it come from?" He stared at Tom with burning eyes.
After hearing the whole story, Dumbledore turned to look at the portrait on the wall. At this time, the previous principals of Hogwarts had already woken up, and what Tom told them made them very angry.
It's really shocking that someone brought such a dangerous item into campus and used a confusion spell to instigate classmates to take the necklace to harm others.
"This is a disgrace to Slytherin College!" the principal named Phineas roared extremely angrily, because he saw something different in the eyes of the other principals.
"This is an isolated case. Don't be biased against all Slytherin teachers and students because of this isolated behavior..."
"Hmph, everyone should be wary of the negative impact that a large number of routine actions will have on Slytherin College." One of the principals sneered unceremoniously, causing Phineas's face to turn the color of pig liver.
"Okay, there is no definite evidence yet," Dumbledore said, suppressing the dispute among the previous principals. He asked the principals to search for Malfoy in the portraits in every corner of the school, and also invited Snape along.
The principals agreed with a bang and quickly disappeared into their respective portrait frames.
After a while, the office door was pushed open, and Snape strode in with a gloomy expression. He also brought in the suspect Draco Malfoy.
There is no surveillance system used by Muggles in Hogwarts Castle, but every portrait can actually have a surveillance effect. It is easy to find out people's whereabouts from them.
That's how Snape found Malfoy effortlessly and took him to the principal's office.
"Pull up his sleeves." Dumbledore looked at Snape, who silently pulled Malfoy aside and lifted up the cuffs of his robe.
During this process, Malfoy seemed to have resigned himself to his fate. From beginning to end, Malfoy said nothing and just suffered in silence.
When the bright red Dark Mark was exposed to everyone's view, a hint of joy appeared on Harry's face, and Dumbledore sighed. After what they imagined came true, their reactions were completely opposite. Harry was because of his
The old enemy rejoiced in suffering, while Dumbledore was saddened by the fall of a soul.
"Draco, you joined the Death Eaters after all." Looking at the Dark Mark on Malfoy's arm, Snape felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. The Death Eaters are by no means a good organization, and if possible, he must be
Against Draco joining it.
It's just that many times the development of things does not change according to human will.
"Aren't you the same?" Malfoy showed a sarcastic smile and looked at Snape.
Snape was silent.
"Malfoy, did you bring this box into Hogwarts?" Harry couldn't suppress his inner excitement and walked up to Malfoy and asked sharply.
Malfoy looked at Harry with dull eyes and refused to answer his question.
"We can use Veritaserum." Snape gave his own suggestion. He always kept a small amount of Veritaserum in his office and could use it at these critical moments.
"Perhaps we have other methods." Dumbledore looked at Malfoy's expression thoughtfully. He walked to Malfoy and tried to use an Imperius Curse to break the curse.
Malfoy's eyes regained their vitality, and when he saw the people in the room clearly, his face suddenly turned pale.
Good news: the Imperius Curse has been lifted.
Bad news: Dumbledore solved it.
"Professor..." Malfoy opened his mouth, but his tone was full of bitterness, and he didn't know how to explain it.
In the past, he should have called his father to give him peace of mind, but now he no longer had his father's protection. At this moment, Malfoy suddenly felt so powerless.
It turns out that without my father, I am nothing.
But thinking of Lucius in custody, Malfoy felt a sense of fighting spirit in his heart: He must not be sent to Azkaban or expelled from Hogwarts, otherwise who would save his father?
So he plucked up the courage and said to Dumbledore: "I am controlled by the Imperius Curse, and I don't want to do this!"
Malfoy's words are more like forced quibbling. Although the Imperius Curse can be lifted, there is currently no reliable way in the magic world to tell whether a person is controlled by the Imperius Curse or whether it comes from the heart. This is also the case for a large number of Death Eaters.
Reasons for acquittal after the war.
After Malfoy said this, he felt extremely uneasy. He knew that he was telling the truth, but it was hard to say whether Dumbledore believed it or not. His family's reputation had never been very good with Dumbledore.
Will he take the opportunity to convict himself and expel himself from Hogwarts? During that brief silence, Malfoy began to think wildly.
"I believe you." Dumbledore said softly. His voice was very soft, but it was like thunder in Malfoy's ears.
"Professor!" He raised his head and choked with sobs.
In the past, he always ridiculed Dumbledore for being pedantic and always offered people a second chance with a soft heart. Only now did he realize the value of this kind of character.
Perhaps after he leaves the principal's office and returns to Slytherin College to calm down for a few days, he will throw this idea out of the sky, but now he is truly grateful to Dumbledore.
Seeing that Dumbledore actually let Malfoy go, Harry was a little impatient. He wanted to say something, but Hermione behind him pulled his sleeve in time to calm him down.
Dumbledore naturally had his reasons for doing things.
Harry fell silent.
Malfoy began to tell his experience bit by bit.
After listening to Malfoy's confession, Dumbledore looked at him with his lake-blue eyes. He didn't speak until Malfoy became a little uneasy.
"I can understand your feelings about saving your father, and I can assure you that Lucius will get a fair trial."
Malfoy's face twitched: What's the difference between this and putting his father in Azkaban? Doesn't he still know what his father did?
"I believe you are all tired, so go back and rest first." Dumbledore waved his hand and ordered everyone in the room to be kicked out.
"Draco, I hope you won't do it again next time. I appreciate your courage to resist Bellatrix, and I hope you can keep this courage."
It is difficult to say whether Malfoy listened to Dumbledore's teachings, but there is no doubt that he did not have the courage to take on Bella's mission.
"How could he spare that guy? In my opinion, that is obviously quibble!" Harry walked out of the office with an indignant look on his face. He really couldn't understand why Dumbledore would let Malfoy go so easily. At this time, Pad
Malia, Draco and Snape had separated from them, leaving only Tom, Hermione and Harry walking in the corridor.
"Because it is really impossible to prove that Malfoy wanted to assassinate us, and his confession is also very valuable." As the target of the assassination, Hermione spoke up for Malfoy.
Regarding the Death Eaters targeting Hermione, Tom did not want to discuss it for the time being. He was more concerned about the content of Malfoy's confession.
"Malfoy didn't mention You-Know-Who, did he?" he said softly.
Harry and Hermione frowned at the same time.
"Is he lying?" Harry's first reaction was that Malfoy was hiding something.
Tom shook his head, preferring another possibility than that Malfoy had lied.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Harry understood Tom's eyes, so he was furious.
"You really need to learn Occlumency, Harry." Tom sighed.