Author: Muduoduomu

The original story page: http/onebook.php?novelid=3415654

Chapter 67. Concern of marriage

"Hermione, why are you the only one here?" When Harry and Ron came back, they saw she doing her homework in the common room. "Where's Della?"

She and Della studied Occlumency with professor Snape, it's said they did terrible.

Hermione looked up from the pile of books, "are you finished with your class today? How are you doing?"

Ron sat down: "It's okay."

Harry shook his head, sat down and said, "Sirius said we all need to work harder. The current progress..." He exchanged a look with Ron and said together, "is zero."

Hermione was unbelievable: "Then why don't you make efforts?"

Ron explained, "we did. I swear I've never worked so hard!" He said, "but it's too hard to empty my brain, it's full of things even when I sleep."

Harry was worried. "Sirius suggested we read more books," he was a little depressed, "He also said... my father used to study very well."

Ron imitated him: "Oh, Harry, James never used to study hard, he always gets E easily!"

He patted Harry sympathetically. "It doesn't matter. I've been compared by Bill, Charlie and Percy since I was a child. Even Ginny's grades are better than me." He muttered, "I should be the person to feel bad."

Hermione was angry: "Then you should read books, go practice! Instead pf comforting each other here!"

Harry and Ron decided to change the topic.

Ron cleared his throat: "You haven't answered where Della is, shouldn't she be with you?"

Hermione was also disappointed. "Professor Snape said I had learned enough and didn't have to explore, he kicked me out. Della still needed to continue her study, so I came back early to do my homework."

Harry and Ron looked at each other in shock: "Have you succeeded?"

"Did you empty you mind?"

"Did you keep him out?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Hermione nodded with understatement, "I did it. It's strange how you can't."

"Come on! Della didn't neither! Only you!" Ron said, "so, what's the secret?"

Harry also pricked up his ears.

Hermione: "Concentrate. You'll find it very easy!"

In the dungeon, Snape patted the desk hard: "Concentrate! Focus! Your one year younger friend had learned Occlumency in only three days, how can you still make no progress after a week!"

Della had begun to doubt her IQ.

Snape took a deep breath and strode out from behind the desk with his wand. Della couldn't help leaning back -- she had suspected he wanted to beat her during this week.

Snape was not rough though, in fact, she was suiprised to find that he had good patience. No matter how mant times she failed, he could say "come again".

Sometimes she hoped he could not bear to drive her out, she thought so every day during training in the past week.

Snape: "Come again, Miss Bush." Della immediately sighed and looked depressed. Before he started, he knew there would get nowhere this time.

Snape gave a perfunctory comment: "In fact, there are signs of improvement."

Della believed it right away!

"Is it?"

Snape rolled his eyes imperceptibly. "Yes, yes, you've made progress. Let's try again. Try to concentrate and push me out."

A light ignited on the wand tip slowly, seemed like slow-motion.

She had enough time to see the light of the spell before she began to prepare for resistance.

Concentrate, Concentrate.

She chanted in her heart.

It's alright right. Professor said she's making progress.

...But she couldn't remember how she did last time she made progress.

How did she empty her brain and resist him?

Afterwords, she recalled with professor the scene when she broke up with Fred. Yes, it was a terribly humiliating time for her!

She waited him a long time, with anxiety and fury, so she jumped on "Fred" directly after seeing him. He was stiff, but she didn't notice! He tried to push her away, which riled her up and wanted to kiss him.

He was freaked out and pushed her down.

Then she was about cry.

Before seeing her tears, "Fred" confessed he was actually George. Fred didn't come, and send him a word to her to make another appointment.

George was nervous, "he asked me to tell you he's in haste and would date with you next time. I was about to say..."

She's extremely humiliated, ever!

So she got up from the ground and threw him a word "tell him we're done!" and ran away.

Opened her eyes, Della covered her face.

Snape glanced at the clock which pointed to eight o'clock. "All right, that's it for today. You're free. Remember to come at six tomorrow."

Della slunk away.

Snape sighed deeply and went to the headmaster's office. The man had asked him about his teaching progress today, he could answer him right now the progress was zero.

There was only Dumbledore inside the office.

"Sirius just left. Come in, Severus. How's Della doing?" asked him.

Snape: "I'd like to listen to the teaching situation from the other side first, if I can get some guidance and assistance..."

Dumbledore wiped his glasses, "Harry and Ron are not going well, they're stuck."

Snape looked much better when hearing this. "Miss Bush still hasn't made any progress this week."

Dumbledore nodded, "I've guessed it. Occlumency is not easy to learn. I thought it was gratifying to have improvement before the end of this year."

Snape was bursting with retort: "Granger only took three days!"

"I only spent one day," Dumbledore looked at him, "there will always be some people with special talents in this world, but we can't ask all people to be as good as her."

"Well, I can have more patience." Snapped Snape.

Dumbledore thought for a moment and asked, "did you see anything else?"

Snape shook his head. "No, I only saw how Miss Bush got rid of the Weasley twin and refused his proposal."

"Fred has proposed?" Dumbledore said in surprise, "he's in seventh grade this year, by the way. Then why did she refuse?"

"I don't know," Snape said briskly, "all I saw was when Weasley had nearly pulled out the ring, Miss Bush was scared away as though she saw a Dementor."

Dumbledore exclaimed, "young girls are so unpredictable, I thought they would get married as soon as they graduated."

Snape couldn't hide his gloating smile: "It looks difficult now."

"I read in the book that prophecy can not be seen from memory. Some seers don't even remember the prophet himself." Snape said.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded, "I have the honor to meet two real seers. Before Della, I thought the seers looked like another way. Della's way was special. Did you remember how she described the prophecy?" Snape repeated: "A story had been finished."

Dumbledore stood up and took him to the cubicle.

There was a long table in the room with a row of things on it: A black notebook with a big hole in the middle; A blackened twisted circle, as if made of silver; A gold locket with Slytherin's mark on it; A ring with a dull Blackjewel and a triangular pattern on it.

Dumbledore stood at the table and was staring at them.

"Della's prophecy is true. According to it, I found these, it's almost the total. Now there's only one remained in the Gringotts, and the one on Harry's forehead."

"I was hoping you to see the whole story, but since you haven't, it's no pity." Dumbledore sighed, "we've got enough."

Snape was afraid to approach the table, he didn't even dare to gaze at it for a long time.

"Are they all?" He asked quietly, as if afraid being heard.

Dumbledore shook his head, "no. Even count the one from Gringotts and the one on Harry's head, the number is still wrong. One is missing."

Snape: "Seven? You've known?" He immediately realized why Dumbledore wished him to see something in Della Bush's brain.

"She forgot one!" Snape said viciously.

"Don't be too hard on her." Dumbledore said solemnly, "she's a child, and she left us a clue, but we didn't find it."

Snape frowned: "I've taken everything out of Umbridge's head. And her house was sought for even a fur, but still found nothing." Dumbledore: "So, maybe she hasn't got it yet. We need to let her out and let her do what she has to do. Don't go to her until she gets what she deserves."

On Monday, Della and her friends got the news that Miss Umbridge, the senior inquisitor who had been acclimatized since she arrived at Hogwarts, has recovered. She would review the professors and students from today.

Fred said at the breakfast table, "what does she want to examine? Check our homework for typos?"

He turned to talk to his honey, but only saw the back of her head.

During the whole morning, she didn't give him a gaze. Finally, he had to go to class in frustration.

When Katie and Della went to class, she couldn't help asking her, "are you angry because he only cares about training?" Della nodded but shook her head, "kinda. I remembered an unpleasant thing in the past, it was similar to now. I just relived the mood at that time."

There was no difference between now and then. She still wanted him to think more about her when he was busy with his own business, instead of merely saying nice words at the table.

If they get married in the future, she didn't want to become a poor wife who could only talk to her husband at the dinner table.

At present, it showed that it's possible!

Fred would be busy at work, while she could only do housework at home, take care of the children, and grab anytime to talk to him at the table.

"I can't stand that life!" She whispered to Katie in Divination class.

Katie was speechless, "...I didn't know you had thought so deeply?"

Marriage and family life? Contradiction of husband and wife?

Forgive her for not being able to give advice.

Katie hesitated, "otherwise, shall I ask my mom? Maybe she has a good idea."