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Chapter 58 — The Twin and the Rules of Slytherin
"What did I even do wrong?"
Harry's voice was tight with frustration as they walked across the lawn.
Darren gave a small, helpless shrug. He didn't need to answer — they both knew the truth.
Harry's only real crime was looking like James Potter.
And Darren's blessing was looking like Lily.
If Snape ever saw a girl who resembled Lily, Darren thought dryly, the man might hit Voldemort with an Avada Kedavra on sight.
"Cheer up, mate," Ron said, trying to lighten the mood. "Fred and George lose points to Snape all the time, and they're still breathing, aren't they? Anyway, can I come with you to Hagrid's?"
"Of course," Harry said immediately.
By the time they reached Hagrid's hut, the clock had just struck three.
"Oh, kids! Come in, come in!" boomed Hagrid as soon as he saw them.
The hut was small but cozy — a single large room filled with hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling, a massive bed in the corner, and a roaring fire that made the air warm and thick with the smell of tea.
A huge boarhound, Fang, sat by the door, drooling lazily.
"Sit down, I'll get yeh a drink," Hagrid said cheerfully, setting out three enormous mugs of tea.
Darren took a cautious sip. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite his taste either. He politely set it back down.
Then came the infamous rock cakes.
Most students learned to fear Hagrid's baking, but Darren — ever the curious one — picked one up and bit into it. It was hard enough to break a wand, but he managed. It reminded him of those diet biscuits he'd chewed on in his past life — nearly unbreakable, but good enough to stave off hunger.
He decided they'd make excellent midnight snacks.
Harry and Ron, seeing Darren's calm expression, each took one as well — only to nearly crack their teeth trying to bite through. But to be polite, they smiled painfully and pretended to enjoy it while updating Hagrid on everything that had happened during their first week.
Naturally, most of it centered around Snape.
"Oh, Professor Snape," Hagrid said with a dismissive wave. "He don't like many people. Don't take it personal, Harry."
Harry frowned. "But it is personal. I can tell. He looks at me like— like he hates me."
"Hate yeh? Nonsense," Hagrid said quickly, though his eyes darted away. "You an' Darren are twins — does he hate Darren?"
The evasiveness in his tone was obvious. He changed the subject almost immediately.
"How're things in Slytherin, Darren? You settlin' in all right?"
"I'm doing great, actually," Darren said with an easy smile. "Everyone's been nice. I even get a room to myself sometimes. And… well, I've learned a lot."
He didn't add that his "learning" involved collecting Father Points from morally charged situations.
Hagrid's thick brows furrowed. He clearly didn't believe a word of it — nor did Harry or Ron.
They all assumed Darren was just too kind to admit he was struggling.
As Hagrid kept fussing over Darren, Harry's gaze wandered around the hut and landed on a piece of newspaper beneath Hagrid's teapot.
The headline read:
"Latest Report on the Gringotts Break-In"
Harry's pulse quickened.
That was the same day Hagrid had taken him to Gringotts — 31 July.
"Wait," he said suddenly. "Hagrid — the day Gringotts was broken into… we were there too, weren't we?"
The half-giant froze mid-motion.
Harry pressed on. "That vault we went to — number 713. The one that was empty the next day?"
Hagrid avoided his gaze completely.
After several minutes of Harry's relentless questioning, he finally mumbled something vague about "official Hogwarts business" and hurriedly changed the subject again.
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By the time they left Hagrid's hut, the sun was setting behind the Forbidden Forest.
Darren carried a small sack of leftover rock cakes back toward the castle.
As he descended into the dungeons, he noticed something odd — the corridors of Slytherin House were unusually quiet.
When he pushed open the common room door, the silence broke like a crack in ice.
Every student in Slytherin was there.
Some were pretending to read, others doing homework, but every head turned toward him as he stepped in.
Malfoy smirked first. "Well, well. Did Harry Potter give you those treats, then?"
His tone dripped with mockery.
Darren blinked, genuinely confused for a moment.
"This? Oh, no — Hagrid gave them to me," he said simply. "They're quite nice, actually."
The room tensed. A few older students shot Malfoy warning glares for breaking the unspoken tension too early.
Then Betsy stood up. Her tone was cool and clipped.
"Well, Potter. Put your things away and come back here. You do realize you broke Slytherin rules today, don't you?"
She tapped her wand against her palm.
Darren kept his face perfectly blank, then nodded and turned back to his dorm.
As soon as the door closed behind him, he covered his mouth to stifle a grin.
It had begun.
Time to play the saint again.
He took a deep breath, straightened his face into calm resolve, and walked back into the common room.
Betsy's voice carried through the air.
"Frank, you'll stand watch by the door. If Professor Snape comes, tap once and leave immediately."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Frank squeaked, casting Darren a pitying glance before hurrying out.
Betsy turned to another student. "Miss Parkinson, guard the door from inside. If you hear the knock, alert us at once."
"Yes, Betsy."
Finally, she turned to Kassandra.
"Miss Vorely, you may wait outside as well—"
"No."
Kassandra's voice was sharp. Her chin lifted defiantly. "I'm a first-year prefect. I have the right to observe."
Betsy studied her for a moment, then gave a curt nod.
"Very well," she said coldly. "Then let's begin."
Darren stood perfectly still, every inch the picture of calm innocence — even as the Holy Father System chimed quietly in his mind, already calculating how much virtue this "punishment" might earn him.
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