HP: Hogwarts Snake

The 27th was the day Della and Snape were going to Diagon Alley to buy supplies for the new semester, and it was also the day Leah was leaving. They met that morning and exchanged farewell gifts.

Della gave Leah a snake-patterned tag she made herself, with her name engraved on the back of the tag, and she also had a thin silver chain on her hand.

Raising the silver chain in her hand, Della looked at Leah in confusion.

"This is one of the few good things I have. Keep it well, little girl. I'm very happy these days."

After returning Maggie to Della's shoulders, Leah smiled and ruffled her long black hair, with a hint of reluctance in her deep brown eyes. "Okay, I'm leaving. Crich and the others can't get up early."

"You will always be invincible, Leah." Della stood on tiptoe to put a coarse linen sun hat on her. After giving Leah a gentle hug, she waved goodbye to her and watched her slowly disappear in the morning mist.

"Said goodbye to your Muggle boyfriend? I see you see him every day these days." Snape walked out of the door and glanced coldly at Della.

"Professor, Leah is not..."

Della sighed and stopped talking halfway. She didn't argue any more. Instead, she touched the silver chain on her hand and looked up at Snape with a smile. "I think I'm ready, Professor. Are we going to Apparate to Diagon Alley?"

"It's necessary to change your appearance, but you have to go somewhere else first."

Snape grabbed Della's arm and said, "Focus if you don't want to be torn apart."

In an instant, the tearing and squeezing feeling that they had experienced before came back. When Della was gasping for breath and helping Snape to look up, they were already standing in front of a shop called Borgin and Burke's.

After feeling that Della had stood firm, Snape took two steps forward and pushed open the door. With the short ring of the doorbell, he led Della into the gloomy shop. As soon as they entered the store, they were dazzled by the familiar light gold color.

"Lucius?" Snape spoke first. After seeing the usual arrogance on Lucius's face, he raised the corners of his mouth sarcastically, "It seems that Malfoy Manor is not immune."

"Who knows what those Muggle fans in the Ministry of Magic are going to do? Aren't you here too, Severus?" Lucius stroked his cane twice and lowered his proud head slightly, but still showed an arrogant attitude.

"What do you think the professor is doing research on? I'm here to buy new research materials." Snape raised his hand and shrugged. There seemed to be helplessness on his face, but there was a lot of boasting in his tone.

"You!" Lucius gritted his teeth, then quickly snorted and returned to normal. He looked at Della, who was wearing a skirt behind Snape, and forced a smile at Snape, "It seems that you are getting along well with your new daughter, Severus. It's gratifying that you are not so lonely anymore."

Snape snorted and walked to Lucius, shaking his robe, and waited with him for the Borgins to come out. Della turned her eyes away from the alchemy in the store, looked at Lucius obediently and greeted him.

"Hello, sir." Della also greeted Draco as she turned her gaze to the side, who was looking around the store. "Long time no see, Draco."

Looking at Della's usual smile, Draco felt a pang of pain in his heart, but before he could reply, the Borgins came out with hunched backs.

This middle-aged man was covered in the dust that most wizards have. At this moment, he had a deliberately flattering smile on his face as he greeted the two adults in front of the counter.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Snape, it's nice to meet you," Borgin showed his yellow teeth, eager to sell the items at hand, "We just received a batch of new things recently, please let me show them to you."

"Borgin, I'm here to sell something today, Draco."

Lucius called out, and after Draco responded by opening the wooden box in his hand and placing it on the table, he lowered his voice and said to Borgin, "The Ministry of Magic has been conducting searches like crazy recently, and there are rumors of drafting a new Muggle Protection Act. I don't want them to find out about these things."

"Please put your things out, Borgin, I'm here to purchase goods." Snape added coldly.

"Severus, you!" Lucius gritted his teeth and glared at him.

No matter what kind of open and secret struggles the adults were involved in, Draco, who had just handed over the box, glanced at his father and professor who were concentrating on the negotiations, then gently held Della's arm and walked to the Iron Maiden on the side.

"I didn't know that father used to be like that that day, Della."

Draco opened his mouth, as if he wanted to explain, but after saying this dryly, he could no longer organize any more prophecies. His pale little face wrinkled, full of impatience, "I, I, Della, I don't want to..."

"It's okay, Draco." Della held his hand and looked at Draco with her dark eyes comfortingly. She knew the cowardice hidden under his arrogance. "Let's go back to school and talk."

"Della..." Draco also covered her hand. He murmured Della's name, his blue-gray eyes looking at her intently, biting his lips and revealing a shy smile.

"Well, Draco, we should go," Lucius raised his cane, looking even more domineering. He glanced at the two people leaning against each other next to the Iron Maiden and raised his voice, "Draco!"

"Okay, father." Draco pursed his lips, glanced at Della, and hurriedly followed Lucius out of the store.

"What a charm, Miss Riddle," Snape said coldly after the doorbell rang. "You can walk around here. I don't think you will touch things everywhere like little Malfoy. I will watch for a while longer."

"Okay, Professor Snape." Della looked at the light gold gradually fading away outside the glass, and then glanced at the pupils of the Iron Maiden in front of her. In the end, she didn't do much. She patted her shoulder, motioned Maggie to come out, and then walked around in this dark shop.

Snape's unique sarcastic tone came to her ears from time to time. Della looked at the alchemical creations in the store casually. These were different from the system of the Clingredon family. Just looking at them would not bring Della any benefits, but she did not care about these. She had a clear goal.

And her mind is not on this now. The few days she spent with Leah made Della realize her luck. Whether this luck was intentional or unintentional, it is undeniable.

Similarly, these intentional or unintentional fortunes made her accustomed to them, and to some extent contributed to her indifference and cowardice. The cowardice here refers to the self-righteous shrinking in action.

Just like she knew clearly that Draco was cowardly and had long understood what kind of person he was, but in her heart she still used the excuse of "why doesn't he be brave for once" to avoid writing to him.

Even if you don't want to communicate under the nose of Big Malfoy, such an idea is too self-righteous. When you don't get the results you want, you can't subconsciously resent others.

"Well, Miss Riddle, it's time for us to go to the next place."

"Okay, Professor."

Della responded to Snape's words obediently, and followed him out of Borgin and the Blog in her little leather shoes, but when the door closed, she still frowned and looked at the iron virgin.

But why was Harry there?