---
Harry stared at the map in disbelief.
It was moving.
Nas shifted slowly across the parchnt.
He saw Dumbledore inside his office.
Snape was in the Slytherin common room.
Peeves was drifting through a second-floor classroom.
Mr. Filch wandered restlessly through empty corridors.
And then—
Harry noticed sothing else.
Several hidden passages branched off from the castle walls.
Each one led beyond Hogwarts grounds.
Straight to Hogsade.
His heart began to pound.
---
He hesitated only a mont.
Then he clenched his teeth, ran back to his dormitory, grabbed his Invisibility Cloak, and threw it on.
After that, he slipped through the corridors silently.
His destination: the statue of the one-eyed witch.
The map had marked it.
---
Harry unfolded the parchnt.
Right where he stood, glowing clearly—
Harry Potter.
Beside it, words appeared beside the statue:
Left side separation.
Harry whispered the phrase.
Then tapped the witch with his wand.
With a low grinding sound, the stone statue shifted—
A dark tunnel yawned open beneath it.
---
Harry slid inside.
---
He no longer rembered how long he walked.
Only the cold.
The tight darkness.
The growing ache in his legs.
Finally—
His head bumped into sothing hard.
A board.
Harry pushed it.
Then climbed out.
---
A cellar.
Boxes stacked everywhere.
Bottles.
Dust.
And—
"Ugh… jelly slugs…"
---
A door opened nearby.
A pair of feet entered.
Harry imdiately ducked behind a stack of crates.
He watched as the owner of those shoes lifted a large box and carried it away.
---
Harry followed.
---
The mont he stepped out—
Sound crashed over him.
Laughter.
Shouting.
Footsteps.
Voices from every direction.
---
"Mom! I want this candy!"
"Ewww! This one's disgusting!"
"Would Darren like this Euphoria Elixir?"
"You drugged him?!"
"Of course not! It's literally called Euphoria Elixir!"
"You scared to death!"
---
Harry almost burst out laughing.
He leaned over and peeked.
It really was just a drink.
For a second he actually thought soone had slipped Darren a potion.
---
With the crowd pressing in from every side, Harry squeezed through awkwardly.
"Stop pushing!"
"Hey! Don't shove!"
"There are too many people!"
"Wait your turn!"
---
It took real effort.
But he finally escaped the crowd.
---
At the far end of Honeydukes.
A small corner sign read:
Unusual Flavors.
---
Darren was there.
Hermione was there.
Ron too.
---
Ron was holding a bloody severed finger made of sugar.
"Let's bring this one for Harry!"
---
Harry leaned closer and imdiately recoiled.
No.
Absolutely not.
---
"My brother definitely won't like that."
Darren said seriously.
---
Ron grinned.
"Why not? What if he loves it?
You don't know until you try!"
---
Ron wasn't wrong.
Darren actually did want to bring it back to scare Harry.
Only…
He could already sense Harry nearby.
---
So instead, he hesitated awkwardly.
Stared at the finger.
Got slightly horrified by it himself.
Then finally said firmly:
"Forget it. My brother would be scared."
---
[Ding, Father value 100]
[Ding, Father value 100]
[Ding, Father value 100]
[Ding... ]
---
"Oh, so you do know best?"
Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak.
---
Darren's eyes widened.
Then he laughed brightly.
---
"Brother! Did the professor let you out?"
"That's great!"
"I've always wanted to co here with you—I'll take you to eat lots of delicious things!"
---
Only then did Harry feel sothing loosen in his chest.
He wanted to tell the truth.
But his mouth refused to open.
So he simply nodded vaguely.
Then hurried to change the subject.
---
"Let's go already!"
"It's not easy to get here!"
"Don't just stand in one place!"
---
He avoided Hermione's eyes completely.
He didn't dare et her suspicious gaze.
---
Looking at Darren walking obediently beside him, Harry finally breathed out slowly.
---
Thankfully… Darren really was the simplest.
Not sharp like Hermione.
Not suspicious like her.
---
Of course Darren believed him.
---
He was his brother.
---
Harry smiled secretly.
---
They left Honeydukes together.
The cold wind hit imdiately.
Harry wrapped the cloak around himself again tightly.
Darren shivered beside him.
The Warmth Charm was useless against such biting cold.
---
"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks for butterbeer!"
Ron imdiately suggested.
"We'll freeze if we don't!"
---
No one objected.
Harry agreed faster than anyone.
---
The Three Broomsticks was crowded and warm.
Its owner, Madam Rosrta, stood behind the counter.
Beautiful.
Graceful.
Every wizard who passed looked at her a little too long.
---
Ron turned red.
He stood up nervously.
"I—I'll order the drinks…"
---
Darren glanced at Madam Rosrta.
Then sighed silently.
At his age, admiration was about all he could manage.
In the end, he decided—
Better drink more.
---
But when Ron ca back carrying the tray—
Sothing was wrong.
---
Three mugs of butterbeer.
One glass of lemonade.
---
"This one's for you," Hermione said.
She slid the lemonade in front of Darren.
---
She avoided his eyes slightly.
Then said awkwardly:
"If you want to drink, we can get it to go."
"But not here."
"You don't want to fall asleep here again, right?"
---
Fall asleep?
Where?
With Madam Rosrta?
…Wait.
No.
She didn't an that.
Probably.
---
Darren rembered second year.
How he had pretended to be drunk so Hermione could sneak into the Slytherin common room.
How he ended up in the infirmary afterward.
Even if it was because he was secretly talking to Gellert…
Hermione clearly rembered.
---
As a small Holy Father, Darren had no argunt.
He obediently took the lemonade.
---
Cold wind brushed across his hair.
He shuddered violently.
Then he looked back—
---
Professor McGonagall.
Professor Flitwick.
Hagrid.
And Fudge.
---
All walking in together with smiles.
---
Hermione instantly flicked her wand.
The Christmas tree in the corner slid forward—
Blocking the adults from view.
---
At the sa ti—
She kicked Harry under the table.
Hard.
---
"Don't make a sound," she whispered.
"If you're discovered…"
"You take responsibility."
---
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