"Darren Potter!"
Umbridge glared fiercely at Darren.
Darren t her gaze calmly, without the slightest panic. His composure seed to wake many people up at once, and voices finally broke out in the classroom.
"Our previous professors—even that Death Eater disguised as Moody—taught us a lot!"
Dean shouted loudly.
Parvati followed angrily, "We're taking our Ordinary Wizarding Levels this year! Are you expecting us to go straight into the exams without any practice?"
"I repeat," Umbridge said sharply, "you only need to rember the theory clearly—"
Darren looked at her coldly.
"What's the use of theory?" he said flatly.
"Facing Death Eaters, should we just stand there and wait to die, like ?"
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding…]
"Enough!" Umbridge scread. "Darren Potter, if you speak to like this again, I will punish you!"
"Why didn't you kill outright?" Darren said coldly.
"I really can't imagine that while Death Eaters are rampaging outside and Voldemort is roaming free, you want all students to study theory."
"Do you want them to face those people and use your theories to block the Killing Curse?"
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding…]
The classroom fell completely silent.
Only then did Harry and the others finally understand why Darren was acting so differently today.
He simply didn't want his classmates to face Death Eaters unprepared—waiting helplessly to die.
But Darren's words pushed Umbridge to the brink.
She shrieked, "Darren Potter, detention! I will speak with your Head of House, Professor Snape, tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow afternoon, you will co to , and I will listen carefully to your theories!"
"If you don't like it, you can expell directly," Darren said icily.
"When I'm expelled, let's see how I hunt you down. I hope you'll use your theory to compete with ."
Umbridge's face went deathly pale.
She stared at Darren as if she wanted to say sothing—but no words ca out.
Darren didn't even look at her.
He pulled his bag out from the desk, slung it over his shoulder, then kicked the classroom door open and walked out.
Harry stared at his back in shock.
Suddenly, Harry stood up as well.
He sneered and said, "Oh, and Cedric Diggory's father died by his own choice."
"And all the wounds on Darren's body were just an act put on by him and Dumbledore."
"He nearly died too—just because of his own vanity!"
Umbridge glared at Harry.
She was afraid of Darren—but she was not afraid of Harry.
After all, Darren was truly powerful.
Even if she insisted that last year's projection was fabricated by Death Eaters, she knew very well what Darren was capable of.
No matter how much the Daily Prophet tried to sar Darren's strength as fake, no one among them truly believed it.
They all knew that Darren's strength was no weaker than Dumbledore's.
Against Dumbledore, they could only slander him. Face him directly? None of them dared.
And firing Darren?
As Darren had said—he really would hunt them down with his wand.
Umbridge swallowed her anger and redirected it toward Harry.
"Co here, Mr. Potter," she said coldly.
Harry walked over.
He saw what Umbridge had written on the parchnt. She rolled it up and handed it to him.
"Take this to Professor McGonagall."
Harry took the parchnt. It was sealed when it reached his hand, and he didn't think much of it.
He rushed out imdiately, trying to find Darren outside.
But no matter how much he looked, Darren was nowhere to be seen.
With no other choice, he went straight to Professor McGonagall's office.
When Professor McGonagall saw him, her expression instantly turned serious.
"What is going on?" she asked sternly. "Why aren't you in class?"
"I was sent here," Harry said stiffly.
He shoved the parchnt toward her.
Professor McGonagall touched it, and the sealed parchnt automatically opened.
She read it for a long ti.
Finally, she let out a quiet breath.
"Where is Darren?" she asked.
"Huh?"
Harry froze.
He had expected to be scolded—but instead she was asking about Darren.
"I… I don't know," he said honestly. "I tried to find him, but I couldn't."
Professor McGonagall frowned.
Harry asked tensely, "Is she going to expel and Darren?"
If they were really expelled, he and Darren would leave the wizarding world imdiately.
In fact, when he heard during the sumr how frightened Darren was, Harry had already thought about leaving.
Darren was afraid sothing would happen to him.
Harry was afraid sothing would happen to Darren.
Sotis he even felt like taking Darren away—forgetting everything—and living in the Muggle world together from then on.
They were both fifteen now. Fifteen-year-olds could probably find work. At least they'd still be alive.
Not fighting anymore. Not sacrificing anymore.
Harry knew the thought was selfish. After all, he was the so-called savior.
If he left, the Order of the Phoenix might collapse.
But weren't they just two fifteen-year-old boys?
They had already done so much for the wizarding world.
Darren had done so much.
And yet this was how the wizarding world treated them.
Harry closed his eyes.
In previous years, he had desperately wanted to stay at Hogwarts.
But now, he felt only distance and alienation.
If the person he cared about might die at any mont—why should he endure such humiliation?
"Expelled?" Professor McGonagall looked at him sharply.
Harry froze.
Not expelled?
"Sit down," Professor McGonagall said. "And don't look at like that. I've never misunderstood either of you."
"I'm just worried about you."
"Harry, don't provoke Umbridge. She's the kind of person who punishes students secretly and makes it impossible for them to report it."
"But Voldemort is back," Harry said urgently. "And like Darren said, we can't face Voldemort with theory alone!"
"I know…" Professor McGonagall sighed softly.
"But what they want is for you and Darren to bow your heads and submit."
"She has forbidden Darren from attending her Defense Against the Dark Arts classes."
"That ans Darren has no class assessnt score at all. If he wants to pass his O.W.L. in Defense Against the Dark Arts…"
"He'll have to get full marks."
"You tell him that."
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