"Black mistletoe, what's that?"
Hoffa was curious. He had seen a lot of mistletoe. In the past, Hogwarts would use this thing to decorate their front every Christmas and hang them all over the corridor.
However, they were basically green or brown in color. They were a very thin parasitic plant and were very fragile.
"You finally remember." The little monster in the glass ball said, "It's a very special magic plant. However, if you're a wizard, it shouldn't be hard to get."
"How special?"
"You should know when you ask."
The little monster closed the ball. "See you in the next nightmare." It said at last.
See you in the next nightmare … Hoffa shuddered. What kind of creature would feed on nightmares? He couldn't understand. However, he decided that it would be better to sleep less. If possible, he would use meditation to replace sleep. He wouldn't give this guy any chance to pry into his thoughts.
Walking out of the wooden house built for him by the house fairies, under the moonlight, he was instantly energized and refreshed. It was as if he had taken stimulants.
At this time, the wizards who were carrying out missions in Bournemouth were returning to Cloud Base one after another on Night Terrors. Under each Night Terrors, there were dozens of low-level blood thralls tied up with ropes. Their mouths were sealed and they couldn't make a sound.
The house fairies on the ground shuttled around like ants, quickly creating iron cages after iron cages to imprison the low-level blood breeds. After losing their leader and higher-ups, the blood breeds were no match for the adepts. Soon, they were all wiped out.
Fluorescent lights flickered in the distance. Some reporters stood on wooden boxes and pulled the wizards who returned from Bournemouth to interview them. They wanted to get first-hand news.
Afraid of being recognized, Hoffa pulled his hat and planned to meet Slughorn to ask what the black mistletoe was.
However, after taking a few steps, a vigilant voice came from behind him. "What are you doing?"
He turned around and saw Tom Riddle looking at him sinisterly. "Why aren't you leaving? Who are you looking for in the middle of the night?"
Beside him, there were a few Slytherin. These future Death Eaters looked at him. Although they didn't look disgusted, there was a sense of rejection.
Hoffa was amused. So this guy had been spying on him all this time even though he wasn't sleeping. It wasn't easy. He was worried that Hoffa would reveal the news of his patricide to the people in the magic school.
But after seeing him, Hoffa temporarily gave up the idea of looking for Slughorn and asked directly, "Do you know what black mistletoe is, Tom?"
"What are you talking about?"
Tom Riddle was puzzled. "What black mistletoe?"
It seemed like he didn't know. Hoffa thought that he still had to find Slughorn.
However, at this moment, a hoarse whisper came from behind Tom Riddle. "I know … Hoffa …"
"Shut up, idiot." Tom Riddle immediately turned around and scolded, "I can't save you no matter what I say!"
Hoffa's expression changed slightly. He turned sideways and found that Tom was still holding a familiar guy with a chain. That person's face was bruised and swollen. One of his eyes was big and the other was small. The yellow-black school robe on his body was tattered and his originally tall figure had become crooked.
It was Ryan. Ever since he left after delivering the letter, his whereabouts were unknown. When he saw him again, he was actually Tom's prisoner. At first, when Tom said to lock him up, he thought it was just confinement. Now it seemed that it was far from the case. He had been subjected to very vicious physical abuse.
"What did you do, Tom?"
He frowned and asked.
"You should ask him, what did he do?"
Tom Riddle opened his hand and grabbed Ryan's chin, forcing him to raise his head. "He actually took advantage of his position to have an affair with a vampire in Bournemouth. If I hadn't caught him, I'm afraid that bastard would have sold all the secrets of our school to those monsters."
The few Slytherin behind him laughed softly, their eyes full of disdain.
Hoffa looked at Ryan's chin being grabbed and felt very uncomfortable. This guy had liked to tease creatures weaker than him since he was young. Although he had restrained himself a little after coming to Hogwarts, his nature had not changed.
"How did you know?" He asked coldly.
"When I found him, he was feeding blood to a vampire. I suspected that there was something wrong with him. When I came back to get the truth serum, I found out that he had quite a lot of stories."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh. He shook Ryan's chin. "Hey, next time there's something good like this, remember to call us. Don't keep it to yourself."
The ear-piercing laughter came one after another, and Hoffa felt more and more uncomfortable. He didn't know why, but he felt like his little brother was being bullied, even though Ryan wasn't his subordinate.
Hoffa stepped forward. "He's one of Hufflepuff's people. Even if he did something wrong, he should be dealt with by Hufflepuff's people."
"What does it have to do with you?" Tom Riddle retorted without hesitation. "This is our Hogwarts's internal affairs. Do we need an outsider like you to interfere? Who do you think you are? Ravenclaw's Prefect? "
Hoffa didn't move, and the laughter slowly subsided.
Tom held his head high and pulled on the chain. Ryan's hands were tied, and he stumbled forward a few steps. When he walked past Tom, he said, "Are you done with your questions? If you're done, then hurry up and leave. Whether you ride a Night Finch or turn into a bird, it's up to you. "
"Stop."
Hoffa stopped Tom.
"Are you done yet?"
Tom threw the chain aside. "What else do you want?"
"I haven't finished my questions. He knows the answer."
Tom Riddle looked at him suspiciously. "Just one question?"
"That's right. I'll leave once I'm done."
Tom muttered to himself for a moment, then pushed Ryan's shoulder in front of Hoffa. "If you have any questions, ask them here."
After that, he and the other Slytherin retreated to the side. They chatted while looking at Ryan. The way they looked at him was similar to how a policeman would look at a thief.
Hoffa looked at the pitiful Hufflepuff boy in front of him and felt a little guilty. At that time, in order to find the nun, he tricked him into going to have some fun. He thought that everything was under his control, but in the end, everything that happened was out of his control. Their various situations took a turn for the worse. It seemed that this Hufflepuff boy was even more pitiful than him.
"I'm sorry, Ryan."
Hoffa scratched his head and said.
Ryan looked at him, his lips moving. "They wanted to burn Keelia to death, and they even wanted me to watch …"
Keelia Borman. Hoffa facepalmed. He still remembered the name of the female Blood Breed. After pursing his lips and thinking for a moment, he asked, "Are you still willing to believe me? I can take you out of here."
Ryan looked at Hoffa with his right eye that could still open. He shook his head and looked like he was about to cry. "Each of you is more ruthless than the other …"
"Give me another chance, brother." Hoffa anxiously whispered into his ear. "I lied to you once. I promise I won't lie to you again."
"Don't talk about irrelevant things."
Tom's cold and warning voice came from the side.
"I know, I know." Hoffa waved his hand impatiently and asked Ryan, "Tell me what the black mistletoe is. Hurry up, we don't have much time left." He emphasized the word 'time'.
Ryan looked at Hoffa's golden eyes, as if he was trying to figure out the credibility of his words. In the end, he nodded. "I can't explain it to you directly. I have to … I have to take you to see it."
"Where are we going?"
"The herb warehouse."
Hoffa immediately said to Tom, "It's hard to explain here. He wants to take me to the herb warehouse."
"Why are we going to the warehouse again?"
Tom asked vigilantly as he stood up straight from crossing his arms.
"To get a mistletoe."
It was Ryan who answered him.
"Just a mistletoe?"
Hoffa nodded.
Tom and his companions gathered together and whispered for a while. Soon, they came to a conclusion. Tom picked up the chain that tied Ryan up from the ground. "Alright, come with me. You really have a lot of things to do."
.....
.....
The group arrived at the herb warehouse in Cloud Base. It was very similar to the botanical garden in Hogwarts. In the flowerbeds made of wood, there were many colorful plants. Most of them were used for healing and medicine. Hoffa was very familiar with them. There were only a few that he did not recognize.
Ryan stopped in front of a crooked apple tree. He pointed at a patch of green on the branch. "This is what you want."
Huo Fa stopped to take a look and was greatly disappointed.
On the branches of the apple tree, there were a few thin green branches. They had many forks and looked very fragile and soft.
Hoffa had seen many of these things. During Christmas in Hogwarts, these things were hung all over the corridor.
"I want black mistletoe. Black."
He emphasized to Ryan.
"Black mistletoe …"
Ryan was in a daze. No one knew what he was thinking. After being nudged by Hoffa, he lowered his head and said, "Legend has it that during the prosperity of the gods, God Queen Frija blessed her youngest son, Balder, and made all things swear not to hurt him. All things swore because of Balder's beauty that they would never hurt him.
There was only one kind of creature that did not swear, the mistletoe.
Before the Twilight of the Gods, the God of Death plucked the mistletoe and gave it to the God of Darkness, Hodel, to throw the mistletoe at Balder. Balder died because of this. After the Twilight of the Gods, the mistletoe that killed the God of Light turned from green to black. "
After he finished speaking, Hoffa was stunned.
Tom Riddle at the side laughed out loud.
"Alright, I thought you were looking for something, Bach. We don't have anything from the legends here. These are all the household toys of ordinary wizards."
Ignoring Riddle's mocking, Hoffa asked Ryan, "Is there only one?"
Ryan shook his head. "That's just a legend. It's not rigorous and can't be verified. However, according to the unrevised original version of A Thousand Magical Herbs and Mushrooms, mistletoe is a plant that needs to kill other creatures to survive. It can't survive on its own. It usually parasitizes common trees such as poplar trees, apple trees, and squirrel trees. This kind of plant will insert its roots into the bark to absorb nutrients, thus causing damage to the tree. Some even cause the parasitized tree to deform and die. But it doesn't just kill plants. In fact, mistletoe can also feed on other things, including humans. After green mistletoe is used to kill a person, it will turn black. Once a mistletoe has tasted the taste of a soul, it will only feed on souls. Therefore, the only use of black mistletoe is to kill souls.
In the Middle Ages, it was used by the church to kill spirits or destroy the souls of pagans. But now, it has been completely eliminated because it's too inhumane. Now, even possessing black mistletoe is a crime punishable by murder. "
After he finished speaking, there was no sound in the herb warehouse.
Tom Riddle curiously touched the little green plant in front of him. His eyes were Sparkle, as if he was looking at a new species.
Hoffa stared blankly at the fragile little green plant in his hand. Who would have thought that this harmless little thing that hung all over the corridor would have such a hidden use?
He understood why Aldo wanted him to try the black mistletoe. The Manse's body was blessed by the God of Death. He would not die no matter how badly he was injured. So, the only thing that could be done was to destroy his soul.
"So, to turn it black, it has to taste the taste of a soul?" Hoffa asked uncertainly.
"That's right."
Ryan said in a low voice, "Humans or other creatures with souls, centaurs, murlocs, and the like. But there is no doubt that black mistletoe is an extremely evil plant … "
He didn't finish his sentence, but Hoffa understood what he meant. Do you have to kill someone to turn it black?
Directly killing a Manse with the mistletoe was not enough, because only physical damage would not be able to hurt him. Didn't that mean that he would have to kill another person before killing the Manse?
Damn it, where was he going to find someone to kill?
"I don't know why you want to know such unpopular knowledge." While the Slytherin's attention was on the mistletoe, Ryan pulled Hoffa and advised, "But I advise you not to try it. You can transform into hundreds of weapons for you to use. Why use the black mistletoe?"
"You're right."
Hoffa gave up on the idea of using the black mistletoe.
The surging power of the night gave him a lot of confidence. He felt that he could touch the threshold of a top wizard at night. If the Manse was only unkillable, he did not think that it could defeat him in a direct confrontation. Moreover, he wanted to capture it alive.
At this time, Tom Riddle also said, "You see, there is no black mistletoe here. Take a green one and go."
Hoffa nodded and casually plucked a mistletoe. He grinned and said, "Okay."
When he smiled, Ryan panicked. He dragged the chain forward and asked, "You're leaving?
"Why wouldn't I leave?"
Hoffa was surprised.
"You said you'd help me …"
"You believe what I say."
Hoffa laughed. "It's not like I haven't lied to you before."
Looking at the bright smile of the guy in front of him, Ryan's face was ashen. He felt dizzy for a moment and could barely stand.
"B … b * stard … You tricked me!" He said with difficulty, then struggled to rush forward and waved his fist, wanting to greet Hoffa's face.
But before he could reach his face, the chain tightened and he could not take another step forward. In the distance, Tom's lips curled up. He held the chain tightly and did not let Ryan make the slightest move.
"How stupid would you be to pin your hopes on others?"
After scolding Ryan, Tom Riddle looked at Hoffa with praise. "I have to say, you're much smarter than before."
Hoffa shrugged and ignored Ryan's angry eyes. "Thanks for the compliment, Tom, but I have a small request."
"I'm in a good mood. Let's hear it."
"The female vampire you caught yesterday, I want to borrow it for a few days."
"What?"
Tom loosened his grip on the chain. "What do you want her for? Don't tell me you're interested in her beauty?"
"Not to that extent. All the high-level vampires in Bournemouth are dead. Only that one survived. I promised Professor Slaghorn that I would find the culprit of the Bournemouth murder case within a week. But the city is complicated. I need someone familiar with the terrain to lead the way."
"Impossible."
Tom Riddle refused immediately. "I caught her. She's my trophy. I have the final say on how to deal with her. Also, we're about to use fire to purify those vampires. The reporters from the Prophet Daily will come and see. At this point, it's impossible for you to take her away."
"Sigh, brother!"
Hoffa sighed as he chatted with his old friend. He unlocked the chain on Tom's hand without hesitation and pushed Ryan aside as if he was pushing trash. He whispered in Tom's ear, "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Didn't you call those reporters over to create a big news story?"
"Stay away from me …"
It was the first time he was so close to Hoffa. Tom was not used to it and wanted to push him away with a face full of disgust.
Huo Fa, however, chuckled and pulled his arm. "Burning her and those low-level vampires to death, how much Reputation can you get? Can you become a teacher at Hogwarts after you graduate with such a small amount of Reputation?"
Tom stopped moving. He looked at Hoffa darkly and said, "How do you know so much? Who told you these things? Or is there a spy among my friends?"
"Don't think too much, Tom. You've seen it for yourself. I'm no longer the ignorant person in the past. "
He coughed and said, "How about this? You hand that vampire over to me. I'll bring you down with me. When we find that guy, all the credit will be yours. You can say whatever you want."
"I don't believe it. I don't believe that there's any bullsh * t story about muggles poisoning vampires. I don't believe that you're kind enough to help me."
Tom Riddle laughed coldly and said, "You should get out of my sight right now. That's the best help you can give me."
Hoffa looked at him sadly and said, "Just because of a few small things from our childhood, did we have to come to this point? To be honest, I've almost forgotten about those things."
Tom Riddle was not moved at all. He laughed coldly and pulled Ryan forward.
"What a pity. Then I'll have to do it myself."
Hoffa sighed behind him. Maybe after this is over, I can consider going back to Hogwarts.
"It's up to you."
Tom Riddle said firmly and walked further and further away.
"Why should I go back to Hogwarts?" Hoffa continued to talk to himself. Maybe I should apply for a teaching position. I heard that Professor Meles from the Defense Against Black Magic class is going to retire … "
“XXX！！”
There was a sudden outburst of vulgarities.
Tom Riddle was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He no longer cared about the shocked looks of the people around him. He smashed a box carried by a passing house elf with a punch and kicked the elf far away.
"Hoffa Bach …!" His voice had completely turned into a low hiss like a snake. He bit his finger hard and only let go after a while. He actually left a bloody bite mark on his finger. He clenched his fist and released it. "If we can't find it when we go down, what do you think we should do?!"
"We'll only know after we find it." Hoffa spread out his hands.
"You … What else do you want? Just say it. Don't be like squeezing toothpaste. One after the other, another after the other," he said with difficulty, suppressing his rage.
"Okay."
Hoffa pointed at Ryan who had fallen to the side. "Then bring this guy along."
"Bring him for what?"
"Blood bag. If the vampires don't have anything to eat and starve to death on the way, wouldn't our trip be in vain?"
Hoffa said with an evil smile. Ryan, who was lying on the ground, turned pale.
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