"Shaless!"
Harry cursed loudly.
But there was nothing he could do.
Still, aside from the anger, he felt a bit secretly excited.
"I hope Umbridge goes after Snape," Harry whispered to Ron, careful not to let Darren hear. "Then Snape won't have the energy to keep targeting ."
He was afraid Darren would scold him for being disrespectful to a professor.
Their first class that morning was History of Magic, taught by Professor Binns.
Harry and the others had thought Umbridge would co to inspect Professor Binns's class—but she didn't.
She didn't show up at all.
Professor Binns still looked like he might drift off at any mont and droned through the lesson exactly as usual.
After History of Magic ca Potions.
Umbridge, the so-called "High Inquisitor," still didn't appear.
Instead, the howork Harry handed in was flung back onto the desk by Snape.
A large, unmistakable D was written on it.
Snape said coldly, with mockery dripping from every word,
"If you submit sothing like this in your Ordinary Wizarding Level exam, then this will be your final result."
Harry was furious.
And Snape clearly wasn't done.
After collecting the assignnts, Snape sneered at the entire class.
"I believe you are all wizards of normal intelligence."
"But after reading your howork, I realize my own knowledge is still far too shallow—because so of you have brains filled with paste."
"If anyone receives a D on the next assignnt, I believe they'll be ready to enjoy so extended detention with ."
"Did anyone else get a D?"
Malfoy put on an exaggerated expression of shock and turned to look directly at Harry.
He obviously knew perfectly well who it was.
Harry clenched his fists.
He was sure Ron's howork wasn't any better than his—but he was the only one who got a D.
Snape was clearly targeting him.
Snape continued, almost lazily:
"O stands for Outstanding. Only one student in this class received that grade."
"E—Exceeds Expectations. Only one student achieved that as well."
"A—Acceptable. Many of you managed that."
"P—Poor."
"D—Dreadful."
"I suggest you rember these grades carefully, and try not to be the one receiving a D every single ti."
"If I had the authority, I would truly love to give soone a T."
"Yes, T—for Troll."
"Because that person's brain works exactly like one, and it fills with deep doubts."
The entire class fell silent.
In order not to receive another D in Potions, Harry followed every single step Snape wrote on the blackboard with extre care.
Although the potion still wasn't perfect, at least the color was close.
Snape had demanded sky blue.
Harry's potion was light blue.
"As long as you work hard, there's at least so result, right?"
Hermione comforted him as they walked out of the classroom.
Harry gave an awkward smile.
Then his gaze fell on Darren.
Because Darren's expression during Potions class had beco strange lately.
He didn't even greet Snape anymore.
Although he still went to Snape's office every day for detention, he always ca out looking faintly irritated.
Harry had asked him about it before.
Each ti, Darren said Snape had been saying unpleasant things about him and Dumbledore, which made him uncomfortable.
At first, Harry thought it was nothing—maybe Darren was overthinking things.
But now, seeing Darren like this, Harry began to wonder whether Snape really did have a problem.
"Darren?"
Harry asked cautiously.
It was as if Darren had only just snapped back to reality.
He smiled lightly and said, "It's fine. I was just distracted."
This was exactly how Snape had instructed him to act.
Snape didn't ask Darren to perform convincingly—only that he stop watching Snape or responding to him in class.
After class, Darren just needed to look absent-minded in front of Harry.
No matter how complicated the plan, Darren refused to cooperate further.
After all, the little Father System couldn't exactly let others know that he was exceptionally good at acting.
This was already his limit.
It left Snape completely helpless.
All he could do was find ways to reduce Darren's performance-based assessnts.
Harry fell for it completely.
"Darren… do you still think Snape isn't a good person?"
Harry asked seriously.
Darren fell silent for a mont, then shook his head with a tired smile.
"I don't know. Maybe I just haven't been resting well lately. I keep overthinking what other people say…"
"It might really just be thinking too much."
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
"Still not sleeping well?"
Hermione asked worriedly.
Darren nodded.
This, too, was part of what Snape had taught him.
Because Darren often stayed up late making up howork, the dark circles under his eyes had returned.
Snape believed Darren was becoming anxious again.
After trying—and failing—to fix it, Snape told Darren to tell Hermione the truth instead of lying.
At least this way, Harry wouldn't imdiately suspect Snape.
They couldn't let Harry realize directly that Snape had a problem.
The contradiction had to deepen gradually—until Harry discovered it himself.
Only then would Harry be convinced.
And only then would Voldemort be convinced.
Harry and the others were genuinely worried.
On one hand, Darren seed to think Snape had a problem.
On the other, they thought Darren's condition might be the real issue.
Either way, everything was unfolding exactly according to Darren and Snape's plan.
No—according to Snape's plan.
A little saint like Darren would never admit that such a sche ca from him.
He had only raised one or two small questions on the side.
It had nothing to do with him.
After lunch, Hermione dragged Darren to the hospital wing with Harry and Ron.
They wanted Madam Pomfrey to prescribe him a Sleeping Draught.
Madam Pomfrey refused.
She said that either Darren would need to be hospitalized, or he should stop relying on those potions altogether.
She was afraid that without supervision, Darren might beco dependent on sleep-inducing potions.
It was better not to start at all.
Her words disappointed Hermione.
They also suggested that Darren stay in the hospital wing for a few days.
Darren refused imdiately.
Live in the hospital wing?
Absolutely not.
That was sothing he could never explain.
Darren lowered his eyes, looking troubled, and whispered,
"No… I can't be hospitalized."
"If I am, the Daily Prophet will definitely exaggerate it and say my brother and I are unstable."
"I can't cause more trouble for my brother—or for Headmaster Dumbledore."
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding…］
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