Ti passed quickly.
On the morning school was due to begin, the screams of Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Black rang out almost at the sa ti. One of them was shouting for people to hurry up, while the other was yelling for everyone to get out imdiately. Darren packed himself as fast as he could, only to realize that he had no luggage with him.
His trunk was still with Dumbledore, who had forgotten to bring it over.
Fortunately, they couldn't leave just yet.
Dumbledore had enough ti to ask the house-elves to bring Darren's luggage.
"Moody says one of the guards hasn't arrived yet. We have to wait for him before we leave," Hermione said worriedly.
Harry looked impatient. "We're just going to school. Why do we need guards?"
"They're there to protect you…"
"I think having Darren with is enough. As long as I stick with Darren, nothing will happen—unless Voldemort shows up right there on the spot."
Hermione shot him an annoyed look. "Darren isn't omnipotent. And Moody and the others are planning to keep Darren's recovery a secret for now, without telling anyone. If soone attacks you, you're supposed to cooperate with Darren and deal with them in one go."
Harry's mouth fell open.
He hadn't expected Moody to have such a plan.
What surprised him even more was how Hermione knew about it.
"Ginny and I heard them talking last night," Hermione explained. "They were arguing on the other side of our room . We didn't an to listen."
"That still doesn't make sense," Ron said impatiently. "How could You-Know-Who not know that Darren has recovered? He has potions…"
Hermione glared at him as well. "Use your brain. The reason You-Know-Who recovered was because Professor Snape brewed potions for him.
He thinks Snape is completely on his side, so he doesn't know that Snape also brewed potions for Darren. That gives us room to deceive him. Of course, unless it's absolutely necessary, they don't want Darren to act, because that would easily expose Professor Snape."
Hermione finished her explanation.
Harry and Ron looked at each other.
"It sounds like you're worried about Snape…"
"Of course I am. I think he's a good person. He's on our side," Hermione said seriously.
Harry and Ron clearly didn't believe her. They muttered among themselves, convinced that Snape didn't look like a good person at all.
Hermione didn't want to bother arguing with two people who refused to think, but since Moody wouldn't let them leave yet, she had no choice but to keep talking to them.
"Didn't the Daily Prophet report that Voldemort was injured?" Harry suddenly asked.
Hermione shook her head.
She slapped the Daily Prophet onto the floor and stamped on it. The headline on the front page made her sick. The Strongest Warrior or a Global Fraud?
The article was about Darren.
It claid that Darren becoming a warrior in the Triwizard Tournant might have been a hoax. According to the report, during Voldemort's last appearance, Darren being able to injure him was highly suspicious. They believed it was fake and exaggerated.
They suggested that Dumbledore had deliberately built Darren up. They even wrote that Harry Potter's "undeniable status" had made Dumbledore think another savior was needed, and Darren was the chosen replacent.
His strength, they said, was only partly real, with the rest being Dumbledore's own fabrication.
In the article, Dumbledore was portrayed as a mad old liar, Darren as a packaged powerhouse, and Harry as a ntally unstable boy.
It was no wonder Hermione was stomping on the newspaper.
"I noticed they never ntioned the discovery of You-Know-Who's remains at the site ," Hermione said quietly.
"Of course they wouldn't," Ron replied. "If they did, Fudge would have to admit that You-Know-Who really returned. Instead, he warned the Aurors, saying that the remains were fabricated by Dumbledore from You-Know-Who's old body. He even wanted to condemn Dumbledore.
This article was published after that incident to damage Dumbledore's reputation and make people hate him."
Hermione lowered her voice as she spoke.
She glanced at Darren uneasily.
Because Darren had picked up the newspaper.
"Don't worry," Darren said calmly. "I just want to see who wrote this. He went too far—how dare he say such things about Headmaster Dumbledore and my brother."
He looked genuinely angry.
In reality, he was more offended by what had been written about himself.
Completely unacceptable.
"Oh, the person who wrote this has already beco an obituary," Ron said smugly, pointing to a small column in the corner. "It says he tried an unsuccessful Apparition, split himself into five pieces, and died before the Ministry could save him."
"That's karma," Harry said with a grin.
Only Darren looked regretful.
When he noticed Hermione staring at him, he quickly added, "He was too young to die so early. If I'd seen this newspaper sooner, maybe I could have saved him while explaining where his theory went wrong."
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
Harry and the others were stunned.
Even though they thought Darren was being foolish, they still felt oddly moved.
"All right, children, enough talking. Hurry downstairs. Everyone's here," Mrs. Weasley called from the doorway.
Darren followed her down and saw that everyone had indeed arrived.
Even the house-elves had brought his luggage.
"Arthur wanted to borrow a car from the Ministry, but Fudge won't even lend him a piece of chalk now," Tonks said angrily.
She picked up Darren's suitcase, clearly about to head out, but then grabbed Darren's wrist.
"Oh, Darren, Moody asked to keep an eye on you, just in case you act on impulse…"
Darren had no choice but to let her hold his hand.
Hermione glared silently from behind but couldn't say anything to refute it.
The atmosphere was simply too tense.
Everyone crept out as cautiously as thieves.
Moody and the others drank Polyjuice Potion to avoid being recognized.
Sirius transford into his Animagus form and secretly followed behind Darren.
Fortunately, they reached King's Cross Station safely. Either Voldemort didn't consider this the right mont, or he was lying low and had no intention of making his return public again.
After all, the last ti he did, it ended in humiliation.
Only one Death Eater had died, Cedric Diggory's father —an unrelated victim. Darren hadn't died, Harry hadn't been killed either. It was no wonder most people refused to believe that Voldemort had truly returned.
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