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Chapter 177 – The Unattainable Fawkes!!
At Darren's insistence, Harry—who clearly had no desire to return—still obediently went back to Gryffindor Tower.
Of course, Percy stayed behind. He claimed he needed to speak with Professor McGonagall, but Darren strongly suspected he was actually waiting for Penelope so they could "coincidentally" go together.
For someone as straight-laced as Percy, he was unbelievably shy. Hogwarts was in danger, students were petrified, and he was still thinking about romance. If Darren weren't constrained by his "saintly" persona, he would have dragged the two of them out by the collars.
Falling in love was cruel—to dogs.
And anyway, early dating wasn't right!
But he could only maintain his innocent face, pretend to know nothing, and head toward Dumbledore's office.
---
[Ding—Sensing a Holy Father System event nearby. Temporary mission triggered:]
Ignore Harry's tracking and create an opportunity for them to enter Dumbledore's office.
[Mission Reward: Voldemort Soul Fragment ×1]
Accept mission?
[Accept]
…Tracking?
Harry and the others are following me?
Darren didn't look back.
He felt around with his senses—nothing.
Impossible. They all suddenly became this good?
He couldn't detect even a trace of them.
Were they evolving?
Getting smarter?
But the system wouldn't be wrong.
If the system said Harry was following him, then Harry was following him.
Which meant only one thing:
Dumbledore wanted them to overhear something.
The reward was even a Voldemort soul fragment.
That was… suspicious.
Would it really be what he was imagining?
A "mind-read," a "truth potion," a "glimpse into memories"?
And naturally, Dumbledore had definitely already noticed Harry's soul fragment.
But Darren understood Parseltongue too.
Of course Dumbledore would be suspicious.
Still — Dumbledore's suspicion wasn't harmful. So Darren calmly proceeded as if nothing were happening.
Actually — this time, he really couldn't sense anything.
He genuinely didn't know where Harry and the others were.
---
Dumbledore's office was still guarded by the ugly stone gargoyles. Darren muttered passwords until finally the statues stepped aside.
"Headmaster Dumbledore lets you in."
"Thank you," Darren said politely.
Right then, a faint ripple of magic brushed past him.
Ah.
There they were.
[Ding—Mission complete. Reward obtained: Voldemort Soul Fragment ×1]
Voldemort Soul Fragment:
Automatically increases the favorability of all merit-aligned magical creatures by +20 after fusion.
[( T: i don't know what this merit mean )]
Can be removed by consuming 1000 "Father Values."
Reward disappears if removed.
(On the night Lily was tortured, Voldemort—unaware—may have lost a piece of his soul.)
Lose a soul by accident??
What was this — loose change?
The system could at least come up with a more believable explanation.
But fine.
---
Dumbledore's office looked the same as always.
Except—Fawkes.
The phoenix had finished being reborn and now looked majestic, radiant, shimmering with new feathers.
It perfectly embodied:
"Yesterday you looked down on me; today you are unworthy of me."
Fortunately, Darren had always treated Fawkes warmly.
So he smiled and greeted the phoenix.
Fawkes fluttered down to his shoulder, rubbed affectionately against his cheek, and then lifted off again.
Only then did Darren remember Dumbledore and Snape were also in the room.
"I'm sorry, Headmaster Dumbledore—I forgot to greet you first… Ah—Professor Snape is here as well. My apologies…"
Dumbledore smiled with squinted eyes.
Snape's expression was… darker than usual.
"Oh, don't worry, dear Darren," Dumbledore said warmly. "No one can resist Fawkes' charm. Now then—what brings you to see me? Though as it happens, even if you hadn't come, I asked Severus here because I intended to call for you."
Darren blinked.
So this part was real.
Snape and Dumbledore must have been discussing him.
But he kept his expression honest and began recounting everything he'd seen.
"You mean… you only saw a pair of brass-colored eyes?"
[Ding—Headmaster Dumbledore is attempting Legilimency. Forge memory?]
[Transmit exactly what I prepared.]
The boy crying silently the night as Voldemort tore tortured him.
The boy living quietly and happily at the Burrow.
The boy's fear when he discovered Harry missing from Gryffindor Table.
The boy instinctively shielding Percy.
The chilling brass eyes.
Dumbledore felt the killing intent through the memory alone.
Darren seemed unaware of any intrusion, simply answering Dumbledore earnestly.
"Yes, Headmaster. I only saw a pair of brass-colored eyes. They were terrible.
That's why I insisted Harry go back to Gryffindor Tower immediately. Then I came straight here to tell you…
I hope… please… try not to let students wander. I really don't want anyone else hurt.
I don't want to see someone like Mr. Filch collapse again."
[Ding—Father Value +100]
[Ding—Father Value +100]
[Ding—Father Value +100]
[Ding—Father Value +80]
[Ding—Father Value +50]
The smallest one must have been from Dumbledore.
The old fox was as emotionally restrained as a Slytherin.
Darren stood quietly before him, waiting.
Finally, Dumbledore tapped the desk with his wand.
Two glasses of lemon juice appeared.
He pushed one toward Darren.
Darren braced himself.
Would he use Veritaserum?
A memory extraction?
A direct probing?
But instead, Dumbledore said gravely:
"This matter is extremely serious… Darren, you did exactly the right thing. Thanks to you, I now have a clearer idea of what we may be dealing with.
I will handle the investigation with the professors.
But there is another matter I must understand.
Your body.
Darren… have you ever lost control?
I don't mean by accident—I mean out of… darker impulses.
Tell me honestly."
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