Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 307 The Facts

When Theodore received Thea's invitation to afternoon tea, he was in his office... slacking off.

There's no way around it; people have different talents. Compared to Thea, a genius who was favored by the Creator and had almost unlocked all her talents, ordinary people like Theodore are the norm.

Even though his youthful nature compelled him to try his best to get closer to Thea, but...

It can only be said that some things cannot be achieved simply by trying hard.

After struggling for half a day, Theodore happily gave himself a break, and just then, he received an invitation.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Theodore carefully opened the envelope, though his smile was bitter.

He wasn't entirely stupid; the ecstasy of his dream coming true was followed by a chill that gradually seeped into his bones from his back.

He became a pawn in Voldemort's scheme against Thea.

It's not a knife because he's not qualified.

But even though it wasn't a knife, he still managed to hurt Thea.

Theodore couldn't recall the devastation he felt after figuring it all out; all he remembered was the lifeless, unrecognizable body that remained after he understood everything that night.

It's ridiculous. He had the heart of a shield, but in the end, he became the spear that pierced the deepest part of that person.

Before opening the letter, Theodore had considered many possibilities.

But the most likely outcome is only one: as always.

As the paper was gradually unfolded, familiar handwriting came into view.

"Let's have tea on the second-floor terrace."

Concise and to the point, and... as always.

Even though he had anticipated this, Theodore was still stunned for a long time when the result was actually presented.

His gaze lingered on the string of English words for a long time, as if trying to guess Thea's true purpose.

Will she resent me?

No, she's such a rational person.

What will she do?

Should we team up and go find Voldemort to annul the engagement?

It seems... that's possible.

But Theodore was more convinced that this invitation was written by Thea at Gella's instigation, and that the other party had secretly laid an ambush, just waiting for him to attend this trap.

Just as Theodore was pondering, the fingers holding the note seemed to sense something.

He slowly turned the paper over—

A few lines, not very clear, seem to be faint marks.

He slowly tilted the paper at a slight angle, allowing the sunlight to evenly illuminate every inch of it.

Finally, he could see what it was.

"...dating...engagement...discussion..."

“…Tea…Gella…”

These are several invitation messages that their owners crossed out.

She seemed to have struggled with the wording and excuses for the invitation, even scrapping many that she wasn't satisfied with, until finally she wrote that one sentence of invitation.

Unconsciously, the bitter smile slowly faded, replaced by a silly grin.

Theodore seemed to have found some enjoyment in this as well, constantly scrutinizing the words in the light. With each word he clearly saw, he was like a dragon that had found a gem, lingering slowly and reluctantly before continuing his search for the next gem.

Even if she asked me to go to Voldemort to annul the engagement (and beg for death), I would set off without hesitation.

My struggles of the past few days vanished upon hearing Thea's invitation. Rather than being a spear that wounds her, I would rather be a stepping stone that helps her reach the top.

Theodore wasn't worried about what the Nott family would face.

Given his father's cautious and cunning nature, Voldemort wouldn't do anything to him until he was no longer of any use.

Furthermore, knowing Theodore's father as he did, if Old Nott had received news of Theodore's death just moments before, he would have been capable of doing a series of actions within five minutes: expelling the unfilial son from the family, scrambling to beg Voldemort for mercy, and offering up half of his fortune.

Having figured all this out, Theodore's steps became lighter and his smile sweeter, just like a young man preparing to go on a date with his sweetheart.

In fact, he truly was.

--------

"...Thea?"

As darkness fell, Theodore couldn't help but urge Thea on.

Who could have imagined that?

He was prepared to die, waiting for Thea's order, but where... where is that order?!

Theodore looked somewhat bewildered.

This sense of bewilderment appeared the moment he sat down.

The terrace was nicely decorated, with roses everywhere and huge floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery outside. The melodious piano music started playing just as Theodore took his seat.

Theodore: "…………"

Theodore felt the scene looked familiar, and when he realized that the setup perfectly matched the date location, the phrase "sitting on pins and needles" seemed tailor-made for him.

Before he could freeze, Thea changed the subject, mentioning the potion she had recently taken.

When it came to his profession, Theodore relaxed.

After gathering his thoughts, he spoke confidently.

Thus, despite some minor setbacks, Thea's skill in steering the conversation was so remarkable that their conversation continued almost non-stop from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

From potion-making to physical healing, from exquisite and elegant illustration art to cold and rational potion extraction, from imaginative flying ideas to the combined power of basic spells…

Overwhelmed by a multitude of topics, Theodore, still somewhat dazed, was given a dismissal invitation by Thea.

Only when the terrace returned to calm did the person who had been hiding in the shadows reveal themselves.

It's Gala.

"If you clearly don't want to, why—"

Before she could finish speaking, Thea's instantly pale face and limp body successfully stopped Gella from saying anything more.

After all that fuss, Thea was finally tucked into the blankets.

Seeing Thea's face half-covered by the blanket, making her look even more innocent, Gella's resentment, which had been brewing all afternoon, dissipated completely.

"You...you need to think more about yourself."

As she finished speaking, Gella couldn't hold back her tears, and her voice choked with emotion.

However, this time Thea did not comfort the other person, nor did she even look at her; she simply stared straight at the bed curtains.

Only after Gella had calmed down did she speak softly:

"He started checking my medication."

Gella was stunned, then felt a chill run down her spine.

"!!!"

“Don’t be so surprised,” Thea chuckled softly. “I knew this day would come sooner or later, the moment he took the first step.”

Theodore had altered the medicine he gave me.

"Incorrect dosage."

"This isn't a difficult thing for him, is it?"

Strangely, even though she was in a warm room, Gella felt as if a cold wind was penetrating her heart.

How could anyone have such a father?!

To kill your own child for some vague and unattainable goal?

Is he even human?!

After saying a few words, Thea seemed to have run out of strength. She turned her head and coughed slowly twice. When Gala came over to help her, she waved him away.

“Gella,” Thea’s face finally showed a different expression—like the sadness of a young child who had been hurt by some monster.

"It took me a long time to realize that I was not entitled to ask for fatherly or motherly love."

"And not long ago, I discovered that I might have to spend some time accepting the fact that my father wanted to kill me."

"I thought he wouldn't be that cruel."

"And the truth is, it's always so absurd yet... self-evident."