HP: Hogwarts Snake

Easter holidays arrived in the blink of an eye. After a simple and reluctant farewell to Draco, Della boarded the Hogwarts Express.

She saw Harry at the train station. He hesitated for a while, but ultimately did not board the train home.

Della thinks Harry probably wants to go back to see his godfather, so what's holding him back and preventing him from going home?

I guess Cynthia did something.

Della learned from Maggie how Cynthia had been tricked and brought here, and finally realized that this unscrupulous doll did indeed have unusual feelings for Sirius Black, but because of these feelings, she always stood by the man who had risked his life for her...

Cynthia White certainly wouldn't do that; she would definitely return to the safety of France, and would probably only promise to wait—that's the limit of her being 'bound'.

Della gradually came to understand Cynthia, and even now she still envied her willful nature, a selfish and capriciousness that she herself lacked.

Fortunately, she had passed through that phase of excessive self-pity. After returning to Riddle Manor, she began to discuss with the newly arrived house-elf Luca the preparations for entertaining guests. She also planned to take some time to visit Leah and explore the Muggle world together; she wanted to go shopping.

It's been a long time since I've experienced the feeling of buying things with my own money.

I wonder how Belinda is doing...

After a moment of melancholy, Della, following local custom, went through the fireplace in the hall to Leah's tavern.

As one of the bosses, she has the right to visit her subordinates without prior notice, but this impromptu visit was more to give Liya a surprise.

The next second after passing through the fireplace, Della found herself in a dimly lit office, where she immediately noticed a wall of wine displayed directly opposite the fireplace.

Lia really doesn't put on any pretense. There are only a few pieces of paper on her desk, with cigarettes on top of them. You can't see a single book in the entire office.

The thick mahogany door was opened a crack, a large eye darted around twice before slamming the door shut. A short while later, Lia opened the door and ran in.

The door slammed shut, and Leah pulled Della into a tight hug. "I've finally seen you again! Della!"

“I’ve been wanting to see you for a long time, Leah.” Della felt the warmth of Leah’s embrace, patted her strong back twice, and said softly.

"How are you? Are you alright outside?" Lia released Della and carefully examined Della's cheeks and brow, wanting to see if she had gained weight and if her melancholy was still there.

Della's cheeks were much rosier, and she was far from being so thin that you could see her bones. On the contrary, she was a bit more sturdy when you hugged her.

As for melancholy, it's not entirely absent, but it seems to have become a garnish of relief, no longer prominent.

“You’re doing well,” Leah said with a sense of assurance and relief.

“And you’re the first person to say that after I came back,” Della smiled and sat down on the sofa next to her with Leah. “Others always think that I suffered the same pain of separation as they did while I was away, but actually, I was doing quite well, so much so that I didn’t want to come back.”

“Now that you’re back,” Leah asked tentatively, “how does it feel?”

“It’s no different from before. Playing with people, playing with those who try to play with me, and perhaps being played with without even realizing it,” Della sneered. “Isn’t this how the world of fame and fortune has always been, from the past to the present?”

Leah felt relieved. She could tell that Della had come to terms with things and was in a better state of mind. She smiled and said, "So, did you come here today to see a little bit of my Vanity Fair?"

“I think it would be better to watch it at night,” Della shook her head. “Are you busy right now, Leah? Why don’t you come with me to the shopping street first?”

“That’s no problem, of course. But would you like to come with me, or would you like to meet at a place like King’s Cross Station?” Leah said. “My fireplace only leads to your place. If I go out on my motorcycle, you’ll be seen suddenly appearing.”

Ok?

Leah should know this isn't a problem, because on the day of the Quidditch World Cup, she used an invisibility charm to ride on the back of Leah's motorcycle.

Della's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't immediately give a response, instead giving Leah a chance to continue. "What do you think, Leah?"

“The other day, Maggie asked me to tell Fred as much as possible that there was something unusual about my office, something that seemed to be related to the frozen Sadolin in the meeting room,” Leah said cautiously. “If something ‘unusual’ happens today…”

“You’re really good, Leah,” Della raised an eyebrow and nodded approvingly. “Do it this way, and make sure to start the motorcycle engine as loud as possible.”

"No matter how good I am, it's because you're willing to flatter me, Della." Lia gave an OK sign, while not letting up on her flattery.

Before long, the buzzing engine sound attracted Fred's attention, who was focused on the sound of motorcycles. He eagerly leaned out of the window to greet Leah, and saw Della carrying Leah as they rode the motorcycle.

Before Fred could even shout, all that was left was a trail of smoke from the motorcycle.