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Early the next morning, a car from the Ministry of Magic arrived to pick them up.
This ti, in addition to Tonks, several Aurors were present.
Their expressions were extrely serious, spreading out around the vehicle and escorting it closely.
Darren even overheard one of the Aurors muttering that just standing near him made him nervous.
It felt a bit like standing beside Dumbledore.
Darren pouted inwardly.
He was clearly a handso, gentle boy—what was there to be nervous about?
Of course, that might also have sothing to do with his increasingly notorious reputation.
Before they got into the car, Fleur appeared once again.
She grabbed Darren and kissed him hard on the cheek.
"Oh, darling, have a wonderful school year!"
Ron froze on the spot.
Ginny imdiately kicked him hard in the leg.
"Nothing!" she snapped irritably.
Then she climbed into the car herself.
Hermione said nothing. She sat quietly by the window, watching the scene with a trace of jealousy.
When Darren looked over, she smiled sweetly, as if nothing were wrong.
When they arrived at King's Cross Station, the Aurors who had been guarding Darren finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Standing outside Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, they wiped the sweat from their foreheads and muttered quietly that this job was truly exhausting.
Darren followed Harry onto the train, and they found an empty compartnt.
Ginny soon followed, but after saying she still had sothing to do, she left again.
Not long after, Luna and Neville arrived.
The mont they saw Darren, both of them nearly jumped with excitent.
"I knew you were still alive!" Neville said happily.
"Gran blad herself so much. She thought that if she'd been ho that day, nothing would have happened to you."
"She was upset all sumr," he added softly.
"She even said that if sothing had really happened to you, she wouldn't know how to go on."
Darren was startled and quickly shook his head.
"I'm really fine. I didn't actually suffer much."
"I just fell in, and when I ca out, more than a month had passed. I don't even rember what happened in between."
"So please tell Mrs. Longbottom not to bla herself," he said earnestly.
"If she feels guilty because of , I wouldn't dare trouble her again in the future."
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding…]
"And this was my own fault," Darren continued.
"I only ca out of St. Mungo's the day before yesterday. If I'd known how worried everyone was, I would have written to each of you first."
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding, Father 100]
[Ding…]
His words made the compartnt fall quiet.
Darren had always been like this—so gentle that no one could bear to say another word to him.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
A girl stood outside holding three invitations.
She blushed deeply and stamred at Darren,
"H-Hello… this is… this is from the front carriage… I was asked to deliver them…"
Darren had just taken the invitations when the girl turned and ran away.
"Charming," Ron muttered as he ca in from the corridor.
Hermione shot him a glare, then turned to Darren.
"What is it?"
Darren opened the envelopes.
> Darren,
I would be honored if you would join for lunch in Car C.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Slughorn
Hermione frowned slightly.
"This is the professor Dumbledore brought Harry to visit during the sumr," she said suspiciously.
"Why would he invite you?"
Harry and Neville had received invitations as well.
Harry shrugged.
"Well, it looks like we don't really have a choice."
When a professor invited you—especially for the first ti—refusing wasn't exactly an option.
They made their way toward Slughorn's compartnt.
On the way, they ran into Cho Chang.
The mont she saw Darren, her eyes lit up.
She rushed over and hugged him tightly, tears soaking into his robes.
"You're really back… you're alive…"
She choked out the words, unable to stop crying.
It wasn't until Harry ntioned that they were heading to Professor Slughorn's compartnt that she reluctantly let go.
When they finally arrived, they discovered that Slughorn had invited quite a few people.
But his enthusiasm toward them was obvious.
"Oh my goodness—Harry, my boy!" Slughorn exclaid.
"Thank you for coming!"
"And this must be Darren," he said eagerly.
"I've heard your na so many tis, but this is our first eting."
"You really do look like your mother," he continued happily.
"A brilliant witch—and you, a genius among geniuses!"
Finally, he turned to Neville.
"And this must be a Longbottom! A good boy—very good indeed!"
He shook Neville's hand warmly, then placed an arm around Darren's shoulders.
"Darren, this one is from your house—"
Before Darren could speak, Blaise Zabini stood up quickly, nodded stiffly, and stepped aside.
Since the Dark Lord's return, he clearly had no intention of offending Darren—or getting close to him again.
"This is Michael," Slughorn continued.
Michael stood up and shook Darren's hand.
"Nice to et you, Darren."
"And this is Belby," Slughorn said cheerfully.
"She just told she likes you very much!"
Belby's face turned bright red as she covered it with her hands.
Slughorn laughed heartily.
"And of course—Ginny."
Ginny made a face at Darren.
"All right, everyone, sit down!" Slughorn said briskly.
"I brought my own lunch. Darren, try this pheasant—it's excellent."
"Oh, Marcus," he added, turning suddenly,
"How is your brother? I must introduce Darren to Damocles one day."
"Geniuses should exchange ideas—imagine the inspiration!"
Marcus hesitated.
"I… don't get along very well with him. He argues with my father all the ti…"
His voice trailed off.
Slughorn's expression cooled imdiately.
Later, when the food was passed around, Marcus was "accidentally" skipped.
Slughorn turned his attention elsewhere.
"McCall, wasn't your uncle from Norfolk?" he said brightly.
"I rember hunting there with Rufus—before he beca Minister, of course!"
Harry finally understood.
Everyone in this compartnt—except Ginny and Darren—had been invited because of who they were connected to.
Mrs. Weasley hadn't been wrong at all.
Professor Slughorn truly did enjoy surrounding himself with people of influence.
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