Revive, My Love! (12,000 Words)

Cassandra's smile vanished.

However, it was dark, and Harry couldn't see the changes in her expression.

But Harry's intuition told him that Cassandra was definitely not happy right now.

"So, your happiness came to an abrupt end after you saw me, right?"

Cassandra's voice was soft, but enough for Harry to understand the unpleasantness in her heart.

Harry was actually quite embarrassed, to be honest—and that was indeed the case.

Anyone would find it annoying if a haughty girl suddenly appeared while they were happily chatting with a new friend, and she immediately tried to recruit them as her follower.

Looking back now, Harry might think Cassandra quite nice, but back then he really couldn't accept it.

"I was little then, Cassandra," Harry explained.

"That's your subconscious, Potter, no explanation needed," Cassandra scoffed.

Even in the darkness, Harry could imagine Cassandra with her arms crossed, looking down at him.

"Subconscious?" Harry asked, puzzled.

Before Cassandra could answer, a dizzying sensation struck.

He found himself in a nighttime setting once again.

"Where am I?" Harry looked up at the sky.

The night sky was cloudless, with only a full moon hanging in the sky.

All around was a blanket of white snow, and the distant forest was also covered in snow, its branches bending downwards as if they could no longer bear the weight.

"Wait, here..."

Cassandra's eyes flickered.

Is it Black Lake?

"Perhaps it's Hogwarts," Harry said, walking over and sitting down to look at Cassandra's happiest memories.

He certainly remembered Hogwarts that year; it was his first year there, and even the snowfall after winter was much heavier than in previous years.

He had never seen such a heavy snowfall before.

"Why Black Lake?" Cassandra tilted her head slightly, seemingly unable to accept it.

No, how could that be...

Harry shrugged and didn't answer.

Not long after, Cassandra saw Harry, a first-year student, walking over carrying a box.

"I remember now!" Harry stood up and looked at Cassandra. "It's Christmas in the first year, you..."

"I'll set off fireworks with you." Cassandra's gaze softened.

They weren't looking at Harry, but at little Harry carrying the box.

She walked over to little Harry.

"It's so heavy, what is this, Miss Malfoy?" Little Harry looked up and asked Cassandra.

"It's fireworks," Cassandra said, just like before. "Muggle Family like yours must have never seen fireworks before, right? How pitiful... It's good that you met me—you can't expect me to do this kind of chores like setting off fireworks, can you?"

"Yes, Miss Malfoy." Little Harry obediently put down the box and stood awkwardly to the side with his hands at his sides.

"Open the box, and I'll teach you how to set off fireworks," Cassandra ordered.

Harry followed the steps Cassandra taught him, arranged a row of magical fireworks, placed them on the ground, and lit them with magic.

In an instant, colorful flames burst forth, blooming into countless clusters of fiery trees and silver flowers in the sky.

The wind blew down, and stars fell like rain.

Little Harry had never seen anything like it before. He cheered and jumped for joy, reaching out his hands as if he wanted to pluck the blooming star.

"Is it pretty?"

Upon hearing Cassandra's voice, little Harry thought she was angry and immediately shrank back.

After a long pause, he stammered, "I'm sorry, Miss Malfoy, I... my uncle never lets me..."

"If you like them, I'll have my dad buy some more and send them over. Ha, what a Muggle..."

Harry's eyes reddened.

"Thank you, thank you, Miss Malfoy."

"Hmph..." Cassandra gave a soft hum. "Keep watching, the fireworks will be over soon. I don't want you to cry because you can't see the fireworks, as if I've bullied you again."

Little Harry hummed in agreement and looked up at the sky again.

In Cassandra's eyes, the dazzling fireworks in the sky were reflected in her emerald green eyes.

That's wonderful, she thought.

The most beautiful fireworks I've ever seen in winter were those sparks that fell into your eyes on the Black Lake when I was a child.

Harry sat to the side, quietly watching everything that had happened.

He never imagined that this would be Cassandra's happiest memory.

Just as the two were lost in their memories, the fireworks in the sky vanished in an instant, and at the same time, little Harry suddenly disappeared from Cassandra's sight.

"Potter!"

Cassandra called out instinctively, and even Harry could hear the hint of anxiety in her voice.

"I'm here," Harry replied.

Upon hearing Harry's response, Cassandra paused for a moment, then gave him a disdainful look.

"What's going on?" Harry asked. "Why didn't we fall into darkness after this memory ended, but instead remained in...?"

He pointed to the Forbidden Forest, then to Black Lake: "Like this."

"I don't know," Cassandra said, shaking her head.

"Let's move on, Cassandra," Harry said, standing up. "You see, perhaps we should go to the castle; maybe the key to Awakening you lies there?"

"Alright," Cassandra nodded.

The two walked one after the other, Cassandra in front and Harry behind, as they trudged through the snow and into the bright sunshine of midsummer.

When they entered the castle, they found that the scene in front of them suddenly changed, and they found themselves in a small and cramped space.

Harry immediately recognized it as the stairwell cubicle where he used to live in the Dursley family.

"Where is this?" Cassandra asked curiously as she saw Giant Spider crawling down from the floorboards.

However, she noticed that Harry quickly pulled a Giant Spider from his pocket and tossed it aside.

"This is where I used to live," Harry said to Cassandra. "Do you remember? It's the stairwell I told you about when Dursley family— "

Cassandra certainly remembered what Harry had told her, but the stairwell...

Even with all her imagination, she could only come up with the size of the Malfoy family's storage room, but she never imagined it would be such a cramped space, so narrow that she couldn't even straighten her back.

So that's how it is...

Harry fumbled around under his pillow and soon found a letter.

"This is the letter I received back then," Harry said to Cassandra, tearing open the letter. It read:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Phineas Black

Dear Mr. Potter:

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

On behalf of the entire faculty and staff, I extend my warmest congratulations on your outstanding magical potential.

We eagerly await your arrival on September 1st, when the Hogwarts Express train will be ready to take you to our beloved school.

The envelope contains a list of supplies you need, essential books, and a ticket for the Hogwarts Express train. Your parents or guardians are welcome to accompany you to Diagon Alley to purchase the necessary items.

Congratulations again on receiving your acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! We eagerly await your reply via owl before July 31st.

Deputy Headmistress (female)

Matilda Weasley

"I remember the last sentence, that 'Congratulations again on your acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,'" Harry said to Cassandra with a smile, waving the letter in his hand. "He asked Headmaster Black to add that to Mrs. Weasley's letter. I heard it from Gareth —he said his aunt berated the arrogant Headmaster Black for it at the family dinner."

Cassandra's lips twitched slightly as she turned her head away.

"Open the door," Harry said to Cassandra.

The two of them stepped out of the cubicle and found that they had arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

"That's how I got here a hundred years ago, Cassandra," Harry said to her. "I don't know why, but I pushed open the door and found myself here... I initially thought the letter was just a prank... You know, my cousin Dudley loves to play tricks on me."

"Oh, I know," Cassandra said lightly, "The pig with the wig, right?"

"Although it's not a very good way to describe him, I don't object," Harry said with a smile. "Dudley told me the other day that he's planning to start boxing."

While he was speaking, he was still responding to questions from Mr. Abe, the bar owner.

A short while later, Deputy Headmaster Weasley appeared in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Mr. Potter," the Deputy Headmaster Weasley greeted Harry, "I'm the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. Mr. Abe told me you suddenly appeared at the Leaky Cauldron, is that right?"

"Yes, Lady," Harry nodded.

"Come with me for a moment, Mr. Potter," said Deputy Headmaster Weasley, before rising and walking toward a corner of the bar.

"Although I don't know what happened, I suspect your letter is a Portkey," said Deputy Headmaster Weasley. "Please let me see your letter, okay?"

Harry took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to Deputy Headmaster Weasley, who examined it for a moment before putting it away.

"I understand the situation. Tell me about your family—like your address. I think your family would be very sad if they knew you were missing."

"I'm sorry, Headmaster, my mom and dad have both passed away," Harry said softly. "I'm staying with my aunt and uncle now, they shouldn't be worried about me..."

After chatting for a while, Professor Weasley said, "I understand the situation. Welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Potter."

"Yes, Professor," Harry nodded, "But—we are now..."

"Remember, Mr. Potter," Deputy Headmaster Weasley said softly, "Don't tell anyone about your affairs—about what's happening a hundred years from now, not even Headmaster Black, understand?"

"I understand, Professor." Harry nodded hastily, then asked again, just as he had before, "But—I don't have any money, Professor. I don't know if I should pay my tuition..."

"Oh, that's not necessary, child." Deputy Headmaster Weasley's gaze softened. "The school has rules and regulations. In your case, you can apply for a grant... Now come with me, I'll take you to Headmaster Black. You need his approval to apply for a grant."

"Okay," Harry nodded obediently.

Deputy Headmaster Weasley stood up and walked forward, gradually disappearing from their sight.

Subsequently, all the customers in the Leaky Cauldron disappeared from this scene of memories.

"How touching, Potter." Cassandra rested her chin on her hand, a playful smile on her face, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye quite striking. "Like Cinderella escaping that stepmother... Good heavens, I feel like I'm reading Grimm's Fairy Tales. Shall I get you two pairs of crystal high heels?"

Harry instinctively retorted, "Did you wear that?"

Cassandra was stunned.

Then she gave her a look of utter disgust.

"You're still as annoying as ever, Potter," she said. "But if you really want it, I'll satisfy your perverted desires—after all, you're the one who saved me, aren't you?"

Harry was a little embarrassed; in fact, he regretted saying those words as soon as he did.

Asking for shoes that girls have worn... that sounds a bit unpleasant and doesn't look good either.

Why would a man like me want a girl's secondhand shoes?

To hide his embarrassment, he could only take two steps forward, trying to push open the door of the Leaky Cauldron and walk out.

To his surprise, the door could not be opened; he pushed it several times without any response.

"We seem to be trapped here, Cassandra," Harry said to Cassandra. "This door won't open—see if there's another way out?"

Cassandra was even more disgusted.

"You're such a silly little Troll, Potter."

As she spoke, she reached out and drew her wand, tapping it against the wall of the Leaky Cauldron nearby.

"Don't tell me that Deputy Headmaster Weasley didn't teach you, like this... count three pieces up, then two pieces across."

The brick they had knocked on began to shake and move, creating a small hole in the middle. The hole grew larger and larger until soon a wide archway appeared in front of them, leading to a winding, endless cobblestone street.

"Does this road lead to Diagon Alley?" Harry asked curiously, reaching out to pat the hole.

"I don't know," Cassandra said casually, "But at least it's clear we can get out of here, isn't it?"

Harry nodded and walked to the entrance of the cave.

"The next memory should be mine, you perverted little Troll." Cassandra stretched out her hand to block Harry. "So logically, shouldn't I go out first?"

Harry had no choice but to let Cassandra go first.

He followed Cassandra, walking on the cobblestone ground, and soon they arrived at the Malfoy Manor.

Malfoy Manor a century ago was not the same as it is today—although they look exactly the same from the outside, it was clear that the area in front of the Malfoy family estate was much more bustling a century ago.

As the Minister Darkness, Septimus Mr. Malfoy's word carries more weight than the Minister for Magic's.

However, Mr. Septimus is now facing considerable troubles.

A carriage came from afar and stopped at the gate of the Malfoy Manor.

Mr. Septimus stepped down from the carriage, and soon little Harry followed closely behind him.

They didn't say a word. Although Mr. Septimus seemed very unhappy, he was still quite gentle with little Harry.

Of course, the Mr. Septimus in Harry's memory was also a very gentle person.

"Let's go, follow them," Cassandra said to Harry.

The two followed, with Cassandra filling the gap between Harry and Mr. Septimus.

Harry was led up to the second floor by a maid after they entered the Malfoy family mansion, while Cassandra stood behind her father.

"Come with me, Cass," he said sternly.

Upon entering the room, Mr. Septimus looked up and stared at Cassandra with a serious expression.

"I need your explanation, Cass," Septimus said coldly. "You should know that we are Pure-blood families, and that Potter is a Muggle-born kid—"

"Muggle-born, so what?" Cassandra smiled. "I'm just looking for a male servant to practice Charms with, Father—you don't have to be like this."

Mr. Septimus was so angry he laughed, and the look in his eyes as he looked at his daughter clearly said, "You think I don't know what you mean?"

"Only Muggle-born children can be used as targets for me to practice Charms, right, Dad?" Cassandra said again, seemingly trying to convince her father, or perhaps trying to convince herself.

Septimus scoffed and said, "If you're willing, if you just say a word, countless wizards from Pure-blood families will volunteer to be your targets."

"But I don't need it, Dad," Cassandra said nonchalantly. "That's not what I want. I trust my choices more—I won't be wrong, Dad."

"Well..."

Mr. Septimus let out a long sigh.

"Since you insist," Mr. Septimus rubbed his temples, "If you regret it later, don't come crying to me."

Cassandra glanced at Mr. Septimus with a puzzled look.

"I just wanted someone to practice my Charms with, why would I regret it so much that I'm crying to you?"

But Cassandra froze after saying that.

At that time, she certainly didn't know why she would go to her father crying and complaining about needing a target to practice her Charms...

But now she knows just how much pain she went through after Harry disappeared.

So much so that they were willing to abandon everything to search for Harry across time.

She knew, of course, that wizards had very long lifespans; barring any unforeseen circumstances, living to around 150 years old was a breeze.

From 1892 to 1991, it was only 99 years, which is not a lifetime for wizards.

But like Veratia, she didn't want Harry to see her grow old.

Just as Cassandra finished speaking, everything in the Malfoy family disappeared.

Cassandra remained seated, lost in thought, seemingly reminiscing about the past.

Harry didn't interrupt her reminiscence, but stood aside and waited silently until Cassandra raised her head again.

"Let's keep going," she said. "We'll soon escape god of death's clutches."

"Yes," Harry nodded and arrived at the front door of the Malfoy family's house.

He opened the door, and in front of him was a long, winding gravel road that stretched on and on.

"Let's go," he said, turning back to Cassandra.

The two continued walking forward without saying a word.

Just as Harry was about to lose his temper, Cassandra suddenly said, "Tell me about what's happened to you these past two years—what I didn't expect was that you would revert to being thirteen years old..."

"It's eleven years old, Cassandra," Harry corrected. "Actually, I don't know why, but after I came back, I became like this—and even went back to Hogwarts... If you came back, maybe you could go back to Hogwarts like me."

"I'm over twenty, Harry," Cassandra said with a chuckle. "You know, adults can't go to Hogwarts."

"But you look only sixteen, Cassandra," Harry corrected.

"No, not sixteen years old, this is just my consciousness space—" Cassandra shook her head and said, "The me you see is not..."

Harry interrupted her, saying, "But you look sixteen too."

Upon hearing Harry's words, Cassandra paused for a moment, then turned her head and said, "I should have taught you, Potter, that it is very impolite to interrupt someone while they are speaking."

There was a moment of silence between them, and then they suddenly noticed a castle at the end of the road.

"A castle?" Cassandra looked at Harry in confusion. "This is your happy memory? I don't remember you having such a wealthy friend."

Harry was a little embarrassed.

Because... he was very familiar with the castle in front of him.

This is Christmas in 1891, in Nurmengard Austro-Hungarian Empire.

"This is the Austro-Hungarian Empire."

Harry said only one sentence, and Cassandra's eyes sharpened.

Austro-Hungarian Empire...

She knew this country all too well.

If possible, she would rather not have taken Harry and his father to Vienna in 1888.

Silence fell between them again.

"It was that Christmas, in 1891."

Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest—yet even when Two-Way Mirror, she was far smaller than Veratia.

"If I remember correctly, you and that— Grindelwald, right?—went to the Austro-Hungarian Empire together for Christmas."

"Yes, yes," Harry, sounding a little guilty.

"Yes, how sweet," Cassandra said with a soft laugh. "Come on, let me see your sweet memories—you don't mind, do you, Potter?"

"No, it's not sweet," Harry sighed, trying to correct Cassandra.

However, to his surprise, the gates of Nurmengard Castle were opened, and Veratia appeared at the castle entrance.

"Harry ~"

She waved her arms, beckoning to Harry, creating a surge of energy.

Cassandra stared at Veratia's obvious superiority over her, a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of envy, jealousy, and resentment flashing across her eyes.

"Let's go," Harry said to Cassandra, forcing himself to speak.

The two entered the castle, Veratia immediately hugged Harry's arm.

"Come in, Harry," she said. "Gale and I have been waiting for you. He's been asking me about you."

"Ask me? Ask me what?" Harry asked, puzzled—he still didn't quite understand why Gellert and Veratia kept asking him.

In his memory, Gellert had always disliked him.

"He likes you very much," Veratia said with a smile. "I've already asked Luchi to prepare a sumptuous dinner, especially your favorite beef stew with potatoes."

Cassandra suddenly turned around, her cheeks twitching as if she was trying hard not to vomit.

"Especially your favorite beef and potato stew, oh my..." she whispered, mimicking Veratia's somewhat cloying voice, "Shameless Germany woman!"

She knew, of course, that Harry's favorite dish was beef stew with potatoes—so whenever Harry came to the Malfoy Manor, this dish would always be on the table, even though it was somewhat unrefined.

After entering the castle, they went straight to the restaurant on the second floor.

A sumptuous Christmas dinner was laid out on the table, with a dazzling array of dishes that could almost dazzle the eyes.

A blond boy sat at the table, looking clearly reluctant. When Veratia walked into the dining room, he forced a smile.

"This is my brother, Gale... oh, Gellert Grindelwald," Veratia introduced to Harry. "He loves Britain and the Britain —I think you two will get along well."

The young Gellert flashed an adorable smile that was bursting with sweetness, while inwardly thinking— the Britain? Even if I, Gellert Grindelwald, were to die, to die out there, to jump off the Alps, I would never like a Britain!

"Hello, Mr. Potter," the Sun Conure stood up and said politely, "I've heard my sister talk about you a lot, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, Mr. Grindelwald," Harry returned the greeting, still inwardly marveling...

What a lovely child he was, so cute! How did he turn into that mean and annoying person he became?

Forget about him being Dark Wizard; with that smug look, you could believe he was Captain Harry, a pirate captain.

However, what he didn't know was that even this cute little boy version of Gellert secretly wished he could tear the Scarhead Veela kidnapped his sister to pieces.

"This is Grindelwald's younger brother?" Cassandra looked at the Little Parrot with disdain. "He doesn't look like much..."

"Thirty years from now, he will grow into Dark Wizard who will shake the entire Wizarding World," Harry said, seemingly sighing. "He'll even be mentioned on Chocolate Frog Card —though it'll be listed among Dumbledore's achievements."

Cassandra was initially skeptical about the Dark Wizard was said to have shaken the entire Wizarding World, but when she heard that it was written on Chocolate Frog Card, she immediately believed it.

"Oh, Dumbledore." Cassandra thought for a moment and asked, "The Dumbledore you're talking about, is it Percival Dumbledore and Kendra's son? I seem to have heard of that. I think Percival was imprisoned in Azkaban for attacking Muggle?"

"Yes, because those Muggle boys attacked his daughter, Ariana." Harry briefly explained what had happened to Cassandra.

Cassandra nodded knowingly and said, "I've heard my father mention this before. He sympathizes with Mr. Dumbledore, but there's nothing he can do but try to take care of him in Azkaban."

"Why?" Harry asked with interest. "I remember Mr. Septimus didn't like to interfere in such matters..."

"Such trivial matters, right?" Cassandra snorted. "This is none of your concern, Potter —I suggest you focus on your role right now and play house with your girlfriend over this Christmas dinner—I don't want us to be discovered by god of death and lose our lives."

"She's not my girlfriend." Harry didn't know why he was explaining, he just subconsciously felt guilty and made the explanation.

"Oh, you seem to have some regrets." Cassandra's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Let me think... You must be regretting it, right? Good heavens, Miss Grindelwald isn't my girlfriend... Did you and Grindelwald spend all that time in that Love Nest without ever making it official? I'm so curious..."

At this point, Cassandra covered her lips with her small hand, clad in a white lace glove, and feigned surprise, saying, "Could it be—you're just indulging in wishful thinking, and she doesn't like you at all? Oh my god, poor Harry, being played like a puppet by Miss Grindelwald..."

She looked regretful, as if she genuinely felt sorry for Harry.

Harry understood Ron's pain for the first time. He lay on the table, puffing out his cheeks, not daring to be angry or speak out.

He was caught red-handed and felt guilty.

"Tsk tsk, beef stew with potatoes."

Cassandra remarked with a touch of admiration, "It seems she really remembers your preferences, Potter."

"Stop talking, stop talking..." Harry lowered his head.

Beside him was Veratia's sweet, melodious voice; opposite him stood the smug-looking young boy Gellert; and behind him was Cassandra, constantly mocking him...

"Fine, "Harry thought, "Since you're in my mind now, I'll let you off this time."

A short while later, Veratia and Gellert disappeared from the castle.

"It's time for the next scene, Cassandra," Harry said, standing up, a little impatient. "We'll be out soon, won't we?"

"If nothing unexpected happens," Cassandra wiped her eyes, denying any tears, "What a touching sentiment, that you're so eager to escape this memory..."

Harry ignored her.

"Let's go," he said. "Let's leave the castle first. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Hopefully your jinx won't work."

Having said that, Cassandra stood up and walked out of the castle.

Outside the castle, the night was silent and dark, with only a few stars twinkling in the sky.

Following the path in front of him, Harry found himself back in the Forbidden Forest.

"The Forbidden Forest again." Cassandra frowned and said to Harry, "Given your jinxed mouth, I suggest you be careful; this might just be god of death's trick."

Harry cautiously reached into his pocket, but found nothing.

He forgot that he was currently in Cassandra's consciousness space, where magic could not be used.

I waited here for ages, but nothing came of it.

"Let's keep moving forward," Cassandra said to Harry. "Perhaps we should move forward instead of waiting here like idiots."

The two continued along the path in the Forbidden Forest, where the occasional howls of wolves echoed from its Forbidden Forest, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Harry suddenly remembered the legends about the Deathly Hallows, so he said to Cassandra, "I remember, some time ago in Nurmengard, Headmaster Dumbledore told me that when he was young, he frantically pursued the power of the Deathly Hallows, along with Gellert Grindelwald... It's said that if you become the master of three Deathly Hallows, you can conquer death and become the master of god of death..."

Cassandra scoffed at Harry's words.

"It's just a hallucination caused by mediocre wizards consuming too much Blood Thistle," she said. "Think about it, the legendary Deathly Hallows originated from the creation of god of death —do you think possessing these items makes you the master of their creator?"

"Moreover, since the Peverell brothers were the creators of the Deathly Hallows, it's even less likely that they could become the masters of god of death by possessing Deathly Hallows."

"Then how do we stop god of death?" Harry asked hesitantly, "Stop god of death from taking you away?"

"We can't stop god of death, at least not forever," Cassandra said with a light laugh. "All men must die, Potter. If your brain wasn't filled with the pink bubbles of your romance with Grindelwald, you'd know we're just wizards, not gods."

"I remember you told me that wizards are gods." Harry stopped and looked at Cassandra. "You told me that if a wizard is powerful enough, he can use any magic, anything."

"But that doesn't include the megalomaniac, Potter." Cassandra glanced at him. "Even after suffering a great loss at Runcorn's hands, you haven't changed your character—you're still as arrogant and conceited as ever..."

The two continued walking, and at the end of the road, the outline of the Malfoy Manor came into view.

"I never expected to end up here," Cassandra sighed.

Indeed, Cassandra did not feel that there were any memories left at the Malfoy Manor worth looking at.

However, when she reached the entrance of the manor, she suddenly realized that something was wrong.

"This doesn't belong to any of my memories, Potter." Cassandra reached out and grabbed Harry's arm. "Watch out—"

No sooner had they finished speaking than they arrived outside Mr. Septimus's room.

"We've finally met, Miss Malfoy."

A playful voice sounded from behind them. Harry and Cassandra turned around and found an elderly woman in a suit standing behind them.

"Who are you?" Cassandra asked warily. "Why are you here?"

"You know perfectly well, Miss Malfoy," the old woman said, looking at Cassandra with amusement. "You've been hiding from me for a long time, let me think... it seems like you've been hiding from me for over ninety years. You should have known this ever since you drank that potion."

"You're god of death?!" Harry asked in shock.

"And you, Potter." God of death didn't deny his identity. "What drove those people to pay any price to come a hundred years into the future to find you... Was it really friendship that drove them? I'm very curious..."

"Alright, let's not waste any more time on this nonsense, Miss Malfoy." God of death looked at Cassandra. "Potter has many years to live, but you, Cassandra Malfoy, should have died long ago. I advise you to leave with me."

"What if I say no?" Cassandra asked, tilting her head.

"I deeply regret it." God of death smiled slightly. "But I believe you will change your mind in a moment, Miss Malfoy."

With that, god of death vanished before their eyes.

"What kind of trick is she playing?" Harry asked, puzzled. "I suspect she's used some kind of method. You need to be careful, Cassandra."

"Um."

Cassandra nodded slowly, but before she could make any move, Ignatius Malfoy's voice came from behind them.

"Cassandra?"

He looked at Cassandra with some surprise, quickly walked over, and looked her up and down.

"Merlin's beard, I've been looking for you for so long! Gringotts, Diagon Alley, even Knockturn Alley, I've searched everywhere, but I couldn't find you! I can't believe you've already gone home!"

"Go home?" Cassandra asked suspiciously and warily. She racked her brains but couldn't recall which part of her memory this scene belonged to.

"Yes, Dad was frantic with worry." Ignatius sighed. "You went around like a madman, looking for that mud... Muggle-born boy. God knows how heartbroken we were for you. But it's good that you're back. Dad must be waiting for you inside. Come in with me."

Cassandra was stunned.

She realized that this memory... belonged neither to the past nor to the present.

Or rather, this isn't a memory, but something that happened after she drank the potion—what would have happened if she hadn't chosen to drink the potion and had instead gone home.

Ignatius seemed not to see Harry, walked past him, and pushed open the door.

Cassandra followed and went into the room.

Harry, who was watching from the side, did not know the reason; he simply assumed that these were Cassandra's memories.

Could Cassandra have run away from home? He wondered to himself.

Upon entering the room, Harry noticed that Mr. Septimus seemed older than he had ever seen before.

He was also a little confused; what exactly was going on?

"Cass?!"

When Mr. Septimus saw Cassandra, he jumped to his feet. He looked at his daughter in disbelief, his expression filled with the joy of having found a lost treasure.

"Dad." Cassandra walked up to Septimus with a slight smile.

"You've finally given up on that Potter, Cass." Mr. Septimus patted Cassandra on the shoulder with satisfaction. "Very good, very good..."

Cassandra didn't speak, but just stared blankly at her father.

"Let's go have a meal together, Cass," said Mr. Septimus, looking at Ignatius. "Come on, Ignisius."

They left their room and went to the mansion's spacious and bright dining room.

Seemingly to welcome Cassandra home, the Kitchen prepared a lavish feast, several times more abundant than the Christmas dinner Harry had at Nurmengard Castle.

Harry stood behind Cassandra, just as usual.

"You sit down too, Potter," Cassandra said, turning to Harry. "Come sit next to me."

Mr. Septimus seemed completely oblivious to Harry; he was only concerned with Cassandra, asking her what kind of man she liked and promising to grant her wish if she desired one.

"Have some beef stew with potatoes, Cass," said Mr. Septimus. "I remember it's your favorite dish, isn't it?"

"Yes." Cassandra nodded. "Thank you, Dad."

Harry sat watching, unsure whether he should interrupt—he instinctively felt that Mr. Septimus and Ignatius were problematic, but he couldn't bring himself to speak up to stop Cassandra.

Yes, Cassandra has already lost her family, so what right does he have to stop her from enjoying a moment of warmth from her family?

The meal lasted for more than an hour before Septimus reluctantly ordered the House Elf to end the feast.

He stood up and began to walk slowly through the Malfoy Manor with Cassandra.

"Do you remember this place?" Mr. Septimus pointed to a small house and said, "This house, the one where you and I had a fight—let me think, it was when you were six years old, right? Merlin, you actually awakened some magical abilities at the age of six, and you concealed yourself in this little house. Your brother and I were so worried back then... Camille was the one who found you."

"I remember," Cassandra said to Mr. Septimus, her gaze tender as she looked at the little house.

"And here, your study," Mr. Septimus said, pointing to the study. "You wouldn't let anyone in... Ever since you left, I've ordered this room sealed off, and no one is allowed to enter..."

"Since I left?" Cassandra frowned, seizing on the flaw in Mr. Septimus's words.

"Let's go, let's walk a little further ahead," Mr. Septimus said.

They explored almost every corner of the Malfoy Manor, but neither Harry nor Cassandra had ever seen this side of Mr. Septimus.

Cassandra had never seen her father show this side of herself before.

They walked all the way to the Malfoy family's secret vault, where Mr. Septimus waved and opened the vault's doors.

"That treasure left by Merlin, you stole my keepsake while I was away, didn't you?" Septimus said. "I was very angry at the time. I thought you would abandon your father and brother for a boy... But I was also worried that someone would have their eyes on that treasure, so I expelled you from the family. To be honest, I have always regretted it."

"Dad?"

Cassandra suddenly looked up and realized that the person in front of her was her father.

Mr. Septimus said nothing, but gave Cassandra a sly smile.

Before he could say anything, god of death's voice suddenly came from the side.

"Septimus Malfoy".

Harry looked up and discovered that god of death had somehow appeared in the Malfoy family's vault.

But god of death's expression remained calm, and he didn't seem angry at all.

"Remember our agreement, Mr. Malfoy," she said calmly.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Septimus smiled gently at her.

He looked at Cassandra again and reached out to wipe away the tears on Cassandra face.

"If you want to get out of here, you have to stick with it, Cass," he said. "Don't question the choices you've made; that's the last thing I can teach you."

After saying that, he patted Cassandra on the arm, turned to god of death and said, "Thank you for letting me talk to my daughter for so long. It's time for me to go back."

When he got to Harry's side, he patted the man on the shoulder.

"Mr. Malfoy..." Harry looked up and said.

However, Mr. Septimus said nothing, calmly brushed past Harry, and walked to god of death's side.

"I respect my daughter's choice, Lady Death," Mr. Septimus said to god of death, "whether a hundred years ago or now—"

Upon hearing Septimus's words, god of death's expression darkened slightly.

She snapped her fingers, and the entire Malfoy Manor, including Mr. Septimus, disappeared from sight.

Now, they have returned to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.

"What a great fatherly love," God of death said leisurely. "It seems your father won't blame you for this, will he, Miss Malfoy?"

Cassandra hesitated for a moment, then wiped away her tears. Her expression gradually hardened as she raised her head to look at god of death.

Harry reached out and took Cassandra's hand.

At the same time, the sky gradually turned a pale white.

Deep within the Forbidden Forest path, a dazzling light gradually illuminated the entire grove, making it appear as if it were daytime.

"Let's go," Cassandra said to Harry. "Let's follow this path straight ahead..."

"Don't be in such a hurry, Malfoy," God of death suddenly interrupted her. "You'll never escape my pursuit—and you, Potter, you should know that Grindelwald and Sweeting are the same..."

"Run!" Harry grabbed Cassandra's wrist and turned to run with her.

The two ran quickly along the path in the Forbidden Forest until they reached the end of the path.

At the end of the road was a door, just like the one Harry had seen, sealed by Ancient Magic.

The door was spacious enough for both of them to enter together.

"Let's go in together," Harry said, still not letting go of Cassandra's hand.

Cassandra didn't speak; she shook her wrist, but couldn't shake off Harry's tightly gripped hand.

Harry pulled her along and stepped through the door.

In the Merlin's Chamber, Harry suddenly woke up, gasping for breath as if he had been holding his breath for centuries and craving fresh air.

He struggled to his feet and looked at Cassandra lying on the Stone Platform in front of him.

Just then, a tear suddenly rolled down Cassandra's cheek.

"Cassandra?" Harry called out anxiously.

Cassandra slowly opened her eyes and looked at Harry with a complicated expression.

"I take back what I said, Potter. I shouldn't have had any hope for you, who's not much smarter than Troll."

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