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Chapter 295: Ginny's Regret!!
Harry was just getting ready to speak.
But the door to Dumbledore's office suddenly burst open.
He froze mid-sentence and looked up.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick rushed inside, both pale with anxiety.
"Headmaster, something's happened—Darren, Harry, and Ron have disappeared—"
Professor McGonagall abruptly stopped.
Because all three boys were standing right there.
"You—what on earth happened to you?"
"Yes, Darren, are you all right?"
"And Lockhart—this is…"
They crowded around Darren, stunned and breathless.
Harry quickly tried to explain everything.
Halfway through, the door flew open again.
This time it was Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley.
Their eyes were red from crying.
Clearly, they had already been told about Ginny's situation.
And likely that Harry, Darren, and Ron had gone missing as well.
Because the moment Mrs. Weasley saw them, she lunged forward and crushed all the boys into her arms, squeezing them so tightly they couldn't even breathe.
Thankfully, she released them before they suffocated.
"Dumbledore—what is going on?"
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were trembling with shock.
They had prepared themselves for the worst.
They thought their only daughter might be gone.
But instead, all the children were alive and standing here.
"Please sit," Dumbledore said gently, conjuring several chairs with a wave of his wand. "Harry was just explaining what happened."
Harry resumed his account.
He described how he and Darren had been able to hear the mysterious voice…
And how Darren had jumped into the Fiendfyre.
"Oh, Darren—how could you do such a thing?"
Mrs. Weasley gasped, staring at him with horrified worry, as though afraid he might crumble at any moment.
Professor McGonagall sounded even more distressed. "Child, what made you think that? Even if it were a curse, we would never send anyone to their death—especially when you weren't even casting anything!"
"Yes, Darren, you should have come to us!"
"Darren, are you sure you're truly all right? Do you need to go to St. Mungo's?"
The professors surrounded him, clearly shaken.
This child was too gentle.
And his kindness had nearly killed him.
"Professors, I… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Professors… Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley… I just… didn't think. I thought…"
Darren's eyes reddened.
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
"Well, well, don't blame Darren," Professor McGonagall said firmly. "He's only a child. It is we who should have paid more attention to his health and state of mind."
Her tone was solemn, but the content was unmistakably soft.
If Harry hadn't known better, he would have suspected Mrs. Weasley had Polyjuiced into McGonagall again.
But even then, McGonagall's concern was nothing compared to Mrs. Weasley's.
She grabbed Darren into another tight hug, eyes brimming. "My poor dear Darren—you must have been terrified. Everything that happened this year, not a single moment of rest—of course you're exhausted, of course you're frightened. It's our fault, dear."
Harry caught Ron mocking his mother silently, copying her tone under his breath.
He clamped his mouth shut as if he wanted to say something snarky, but didn't dare.
Darren still noticed Ron's sour expression.
He quickly wriggled out of Mrs. Weasley's grip, pointed at Ron, and said:
"Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley—Harry and I only managed any of this because Ron helped us. He's amazing, and he knows things we don't. He's an irreplaceable part of us."
Darren continued earnestly, "He and Harry even worked so hard to get to school after Mr. Weasley's car flew them here, right? And when the acromantulas nearly killed us, it was because of Mr. Weasley's car that we survived. Thank you, Mr. Weasley!"
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
Darren spoke with complete sincerity.
Dumbledore, however, had a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Clearly, he knew perfectly well that car wouldn't have acted on its own unless someone intervened.
After that, Harry and Darren finished recounting the rest—the attacks in the school, Riddle's manipulation.
But they left out everything involving Ginny's possession.
Ginny stood quietly to the side, face pale, hands trembling.
She still hadn't dared look anyone in the eye.
She waited for the moment Harry and Darren would mention her… her conversations with Tom Riddle, the things she had unknowingly done…
But neither of them said a single word about her involvement.
She finally lifted her head.
Harry was speaking fiercely now, insisting everything had been orchestrated by Tom Riddle.
And Darren—
Darren's face was tight with worry.
He looked even more anxious than Ginny herself.
Every time he glanced at Dumbledore, his eyes flickered with uncertainty.
Ginny had never imagined Darren lying.
His honesty was one of his defining traits.
But the emptiness in his eyes suddenly vanished.
As though he'd made a decision.
He abruptly cut Harry off.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Darren said, voice trembling, "actually… it was me. It was me and Tom Riddle… the conversation went too deep… I didn't realize how evil he was…"
He swallowed.
"His control over me—he petrified me from the inside. That's why I always appeared first at the scenes. Because I did it. You can send me to Azkaban. I'll go now."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
The Father System chimed repeatedly.
Darren's expression grew even more earnest.
"I've lied to all of you. My brother—they don't know anything. Headmaster Dumbledore, Professors… I didn't lie to you before. I'm telling you the truth now…"
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