---
Chapter 718: Don't Ask Him to Go?!!
"But we can't even go outside," Hermione said weakly. "We don't have anything left to eat…"
Ron kicked the table leg hard.
"I've been bleeding since yesterday! And that's all I've eaten!"
Harry suddenly felt anger surge inside him.
"Then why don't you go face those Dementors yourself!"
Ron glared back.
"I'm just saying that if you were paying attention, you'd remember I'm injured!
If Darren were here, I wouldn't have to say anything like this!"
Harry's face went pale.
In his mind, only one thought remained.
He had killed Darren.
Ron kept muttering.
"You've got nothing to say now, do you…"
Suddenly Hermione slapped her forehead.
She grabbed the locket from Harry's neck and pulled it off.
"What are you doing?!" Harry shouted.
But the moment the words left his mouth, realization hit him.
The Horcrux.
"You're not… being influenced, are you?" Hermione asked cautiously.
Harry shook his head quickly.
"No. I remember everything I said."
The locket hadn't controlled him.
It had simply magnified everything already inside him—pain, anxiety, anger, suspicion.
"Can we eat now?" Ron asked irritably.
Harry ignored him.
Hermione let out an exasperated breath.
"Fine. Harry, come with me."
"I saw a farmhouse nearby. We'll borrow some food."
Ron's expression finally eased.
---
At noon they ate toast and eggs Hermione had brought back from the farmhouse.
After finally filling their stomachs, they felt slightly more human again.
Harry made a suggestion.
"We need to go back."
They had to find out what happened to Darren.
Ron and Hermione agreed.
But they didn't Apparate directly into Grimmauld Place.
Instead, they approached the area cautiously from nearby streets.
They had expected members of the Order to be on guard.
But there was no one.
Not a single person.
"Something's wrong."
They said it at the same time.
A terrible unease settled over them.
Had something happened to Darren…?
"Harry!"
A voice suddenly called out.
It was Lupin.
The moment he saw them, he spoke urgently.
"Verification first. Where did we meet?"
"The Hogwarts Express carriage," Harry replied immediately. "You saved us from the Dementors."
Then his voice trembled.
"But I need to know—how is Darren?"
Lupin raised a finger to his lips.
"Quiet."
They waited silently for several seconds.
Only then did Lupin speak again.
"He's alive."
He handed Harry a newspaper.
The headline blazed across the front page.
Darren Potter Rescued as Victim — When Will Fugitive Harry Potter Surrender?
A large photograph showed Darren lying on the ground, covered in injuries.
Harry felt his throat close.
He forced himself to read.
> Yesterday the Ministry located Darren Potter, who had reportedly been abducted by fugitive Harry Potter.
During his rescue operation, he was found suffering severe mistreatment, with hundreds of spell injuries across his body.
He remained under treatment at St Mungo's for an entire day before his life was finally stabilized.
The article continued.
> Darren Potter has now been returned to Hogwarts under the supervision of the new Headmaster, Severus Snape.
Further down was a statement from the Ministry:
> "For Darren Potter's safety, his magic has been temporarily sealed.
The young wizard appears to have been manipulated by dangerous fugitives such as Harry Potter.
He repeatedly attempted to harm himself, believing separation from Harry Potter meant death.
These measures were necessary for his protection."
Beside the text was another photograph.
Snape holding Darren upright.
Darren's eyes stared straight into the camera.
Full of hatred.
Harry's hands shook.
He didn't know what Snape had done to him.
But he knew it must have been brutal.
His vision blurred.
Tears threatened to spill.
"You don't need to react like that," Lupin said firmly.
"He's alive.
And Harry—you are not going to rescue him."
Harry stared at him in disbelief.
"Darren ordered it."
Lupin continued quietly.
"Before you left for the Ministry, Darren arranged for everyone to evacuate Grimmauld Place.
He expected he might die during the operation.
And if that happened, Grimmauld Place would no longer be safe."
Lupin's voice grew more serious.
"He also left instructions.
No matter what Voldemort does to him, you are not to return to rescue him.
It's a trap.
They want you to come."
He looked directly at Harry.
"They'll be waiting with overwhelming force.
Even if you tried, you wouldn't succeed.
You'd only get yourself captured."
Harry's tears finally fell.
"Darren's final instruction was clear.
You must continue your mission.
Find the Horcruxes.
Kill Voldemort."
---
Meanwhile—
The "poor victim" they were worrying about was currently enjoying an excellent meal.
Darren sat comfortably in his dormitory at Hogwarts.
In front of him was a table full of food delivered by his house-elf.
He sighed happily.
"As expected… food tastes better outside the hospital."
He was still living alone in his dormitory.
Whether Snape had forgotten to change the arrangement—or Voldemort had ordered it—no one knew.
There were certainly guards outside.
But thanks to Darren's carefully maintained "Holy Father" disguise, the Death Eaters monitoring him saw nothing unusual.
To them, he simply stared blankly into space all day.
Darren had overheard them whispering outside.
Some even suspected he had gone mad.
Out of boredom, he spent the entire night reading novels.
Unfortunately, the story was terrible.
The hero had his legs broken and the heroine was sold into a brothel.
Darren stared at the book in disbelief.
He suspected the author was trying to take revenge on society.
The result was that he barely slept at all.
The next morning, the dark circles under his eyes were worse than ever.
But that wasn't a real problem.
After finishing the French breakfast prepared by Pagie, Darren immediately ordered the elf to "politely warn" the author.
Fortunately, the author wasn't from ancient times.
Darren went back to bed afterward and picked up another novel.
This one was much better.
At least it was impossible to put down.
As for attending classes—
Absolutely not.
He had been "forced" back to school, hadn't he?
Going to class now would completely ruin the dramatic atmosphere.
Darren happily continued reading while eating snacks Pagie kept bringing him.
Outside the door someone knocked loudly.
Probably a Death Eater.
They kicked the door a few times and shouted something about delivering food.
Darren rolled his eyes.
Look at that attitude.
How could he possibly go to class with people treating him like that?
Surely they weren't expecting him to beg them.
Voldemort's subordinates were far too rude.
Darren decided firmly.
If they wanted him to attend classes—
They would have to ask properly.