Darren suspected that the ten Holy Father points had probably co from Harry.
Because Harry was furious.
He almost roared in anger,
"I don't want anything living in Darren's mind!"
"Even if Darren agrees, it doesn't matter—I don't agree! He's always so stupid! The thing Voldemort left in my scar causes pain all the ti, and I don't want Darren to suffer the sa torture!"
"But, brother," Darren said softly, "don't I have to thank her? She absorbed Voldemort's remnants, and for that I'm truly grateful to her."
"As long as it's not Voldemort, anyone is fine…"
"Brother, I know how much that scar tornts you every day. I used to wonder why that scar wasn't on my face instead, so you wouldn't have to suffer."
"But now… at least we're similar. And in so ways, I'm even luckier than you—because what's in my head isn't Voldemort."
"When I found out he'd been digested, do you know how happy I was?"
"If it were possible, I'd really want to give you the one in my head, so the Voldemort inside you could be eaten too."
[Ding, Father value 100]
[Ding, Father value 100]
Darren then turned to Dumbledore, looking conflicted.
"Headmaster Dumbledore… can I give her to my brother?"
"Let her eat what Voldemort left in my brother's mind. I can give her my own body!"
[Ding, Father value 100]
[Ding, Father value 100]
Dumbledore shook his head helplessly.
"Silly child. Arianna likes you very much—she wouldn't want your body."
"And do you really think I have such abilities?"
"Moving such things between minds is full of danger. Even Voldemort himself didn't want to leave parts of himself behind."
"As for Arianna… if I could, I would have liked her to stay with instead."
His words made both Harry and Darren sigh in disappointnt.
After Harry repeatedly confird that Arianna was truly not a danger, he finally asked the question he'd been holding back.
"Professor Snape, he—"
"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted solemnly, "he is a good man. A double agent. I trust him."
Harry opened his mouth, then closed it.
He knew the conversation was over.
As he pulled Darren along to say goodbye, Dumbledore suddenly added,
"Harry, don't tell Neville about this. I think it's better for him to say it himself—when he's ready."
Harry nodded.
He thought of the gold Galleons Darren had donated to the Longbottoms, and of the scene he had just seen in the mory.
He rembered Mr. Crouch shouting about how the Longbottoms had been tortured—right in front of Neville.
He nodded heavily once more.
"I understand."
"I wish you good results in the Third Task," Dumbledore said with a smile.
---
"Does Dumbledore also think that man is getting stronger?" Ron asked nervously.
After returning from Dumbledore's office, Harry told Ron and Hermione everything that had happened—except the parts involving Neville, just as Dumbledore had instructed.
Their thoughts soon returned to Mr. Crouch.
"Fudge thinks this might have sothing to do with Krum and Mada Maxi?" Ron frowned.
"How is that possible? Krum's just a student, and Mada Maxi was nowhere near where Darren was attacked!"
Hermione snorted angrily.
"I know exactly why. It's because Mada Maxi has giant blood."
"Look at Hagrid! Once Rita Skeeter exposed that, people wrote letters telling him to die for the sake of his students!"
"I'm sorry, Darren—Hagrid wouldn't let us tell you. But now that it's over, you shouldn't bla yourself."
"Honestly, if it were , I wouldn't want to admit my giant blood either. If Mada Maxi did, it wouldn't just be Fudge doubting her."
"The entire wizarding world would turn on her—mock her, curse her, until she was driven to despair."
Darren nodded vigorously in agreent.
Hermione smiled sweetly at him.
"Oh rlin, we've been talking all night—and Harry still hasn't practiced his spells!"
"Darren, go back and sleep. You fell asleep in class today—you really scared ."
Darren nodded awkwardly and returned to his dormitory.
Lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, he sighed softly.
"Is a fairy tale about to beco reality…?"
After a mont, he realized it didn't seem to affect him much.
At worst, he'd be dragged in a little.
That thought made him relax.
The only problem was—he couldn't fall asleep.
So Darren pulled out his ani stash.
If there was any advantage to sleeping through class in the afternoon, it was that he'd be wide awake at night.
Unfortunately, the next morning he woke up just as sleepy and dazed.
Harry and the others unanimously concluded that Darren was under too much stress.
Yesterday's events must have shocked him badly.
They comforted him for a while.
But what truly made Darren helpless ca later.
As the Triwizard Tournant approached, Professor McGonagall's dark circles grew worse by the day.
Her standards in class beca increasingly strict.
She kept reminding them that final exams were near.
Soon, she began calling students up one by one to assess their spellcasting.
When she reached Darren, she finally smiled.
"Oh, no need to test Darren."
"When will you ever see spellwork at Darren's level?"
"I'm certain there will be a place for you in the Triwizard Tournant."
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and practice!"
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