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Chapter 189 — Darren Is Missing!!
After Harry told Ron and Hermione about Dobby's midnight visit, they pushed further into their theory.
Maybe Lucius Malfoy had opened the Chamber of Secrets during his time at Hogwarts—and now Draco was continuing the family's work. The Malfoys hated Muggle-borns. It made sense.
"We have to hurry," Hermione said. "Let's get back before Darren starts worrying and comes looking for us."
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Sunday Morning
News of Colin Creevey's petrification spread through Hogwarts like wildfire.
Everyone was terrified.
Whispers passed from table to table:
"Will I be next?"
"Is it the Chamber of Secrets again?"
"A Slytherin student is missing—Darren hasn't been seen!"
But the rumor halted abruptly when Kassandra and Betsy reported Darren's absence to Snape.
Snape stormed into Darren's dorm room himself.
Inside, the bed was neatly made—perfectly folded blankets and sheets.
On the pillow sat a note.
It was Darren's handwriting:
"I need some time alone. Don't come looking for me."
But this note didn't calm anyone.
Because Darren didn't turn up at breakfast.
Nor at lunch.
Impossible.
Ever since Harry warned Darren about Slytherin activity, Darren had stuck to him like glue.
He would never disappear like this.
And worse—more than a dozen Slytherin students were also missing. All ones who had disliked Darren. Including Flint, who'd yelled at him yesterday.
Even other Slytherins put the pieces together:
They kidnapped Darren.
They forced him to write the note.
Darren was always too gentle—too easy to threaten.
The entire castle went into chaos.
Professors immediately launched a full-scale search.
Darren's disappearance disrupted the entire functioning of Hogwarts.
Students were ordered to stay inside their common rooms.
Portraits wandered the corridors, watching for clues.
Harry was locked inside Gryffindor Tower.
He felt like he was suffocating.
How could Darren just vanish?
To get information, Harry decided to sneak to the staff room using his invisibility cloak.
But when he pulled it from his trunk—
Hermione and Ron were already waiting in the common room.
"Don't just stand there," Hermione whispered. "We want to know about Darren too!"
She lifted the cloak, and the three slipped out.
They sneaked into a professor's office—completely empty. The staff must still be searching the castle.
Harry was about to leave when hurried footsteps echoed outside.
Two sets.
One of them—Harry would bet his cloak—was Snape.
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"Dumbledore, I recommend we arrest them all and interrogate each student with Veritaserum immediately. We will learn the whereabouts of the Potter brat at once!"
Only Snape could say something so awful.
Harry seethed.
"Severus," Dumbledore answered, voice heavy with exhaustion, "who exactly do you intend to interrogate?"
"Of course—"
Snape stopped suddenly.
He narrowed his eyes, staring straight toward where Harry was hiding.
Harry's heart jumped into his throat.
It felt like Snape could see straight through the cloak.
Compared to the cloak they had borrowed from from darrens cat , Harry's own cloak felt flimsy. Cheap.
And with Darren missing—Harry's mind spun.
If Snape wasn't frantically searching right now, Harry might have suspected him of killing Darren.
That greasy, miserable man always disliked them.
He had nearly fired Darren the other day!
Harry didn't expect anything kind from him.
And sure enough—
Snape sneered:
"Dumbledore, I suggest we arrest Harry Potter and interrogate him first."
Harry's blood boiled.
Snape continued, voice full of venom:
"After all, Potter Jr. said he wanted to 'go out and calm down.' Obviously, he was upset about something. Perhaps he forced Darren to write that note. Perhaps he lured Darren somewhere private… and killed him. It would prevent Darren from stealing his spotlight again!"
Harry blinked.
…what?
Was Snape—was Snape shaking as he said that?
But before Harry could process it, Snape pressed on, urging Dumbledore to arrest and detain Harry in his office for questioning.
Harry was shaking with fury.
Ron and Hermione latched onto him, preventing an outburst.
Dumbledore sighed softly.
"Severus, that is far too harsh. Darren's disappearance—"
"Enough!"
Snape snapped, angrier than Harry had ever heard him.
He looked just like he had when they defeated the troll last year.
Harry stared through the cloak, confused.
Why was Snape so furious?
Last year, Harry assumed Snape was furious because he hated seeing them accomplish anything.
But this time… it felt different.
And why would Dumbledore use Veritaserum on Darren without hesitation—but not on Harry?
Did Dumbledore trust him more?
That couldn't be right.
Darren was kind, honest, gentle.
His heart was as clear as glass.
Dumbledore adored him.
Harry swallowed.
If Darren really had a bad heart, he thought helplessly, I—his older brother—wouldn't be celebrating, would I?
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