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Chapter 309 — Diagon Alley Meets Black!!
"Darren!"
Hermione shouted Darren's name with bright excitement.
But the next second, Ron shoved her aside.
"Oi! You've finished all your greetings—what am I supposed to say now?"
He strode in and hugged Darren too, then leaned in to whisper beside Darren's ear:
"Don't mind her. She's been acting weird all morning. She had a fight with Ginny—over which candy tastes better. Tell me, is that normal?"
"Huh? So who won?"
Darren asked curiously.
"Hermione," Ron grumbled. "Because she said her favorite candy is also your favorite candy. Ginny couldn't top that, so she lost."
Ron let out a dramatic sigh.
"Girls are strange. And what's worse—Mum and Dad said it means Hermione and Ginny are 'growing up.' Mum and Dad just like girls. I swear, if I ever get in a fight, they'll scold me instantly!"
Darren opened his mouth.
Child… you truly have no idea why they fought, do you?
He sighed inwardly and decided not to comment.
After all, as the good little Holy Father, he never has opinions about such things…
Besides, Hermione had already turned to Harry.
"Harry, did you really blow your aunt up?"
She sounded furious. Her brows knitted together as she pressed, "Do you have any idea? Using magic during summer break can easily get you expelled!"
Darren immediately rushed to intervene.
"Hermione," he said earnestly, "Harry's right. Even if I had been there, I don't think I could've held myself back better than him."
He frowned, hurt flashing in his eyes.
"Aunt Marge insulted our parents… and she scolded my brother.
If I knew how to scold someone properly, I would've scolded her too.
Why should she treat my brother like that?"
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
"She even called Darren a little idiot!" Harry added angrily.
"That's right—she deserved it! Good thing they didn't expel me!"
Hermione exhaled and nodded.
Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out ten Galleons.
"My birthday is coming, so I want to buy myself a present," she said happily. "Harry has Hedwig, Darren has Lezi, Ron has Scabbers. I need a pet too—preferably a special one."
Darren glanced at the rat in Ron's hands.
Peter Pettigrew…
The thought alone made the corner of his mouth twitch.
If only the Weasleys knew they had been raising a full-grown wizard all these years… Mr. Weasley's reaction would be priceless.
But of course no one else knew yet.
So Darren simply looked away, waiting for Hermione to choose what he remembered from the original book—a big ginger cat.
Crookshanks.
The one who later teamed up with Sirius to constantly snatch at Scabbers…
Honestly, magical animals caused way too much drama.
Even his own pet cat, Lezi, once stole his Invisibility Cloak.
If he hadn't found it quickly, he would've thought the Cloak vanished for real.
Darren complained inwardly.
Soon, they arrived at the pet shop.
The smell inside was… questionable.
Darren stayed outside.
He stood by the door, watching the flow of witches and wizards moving along Diagon Alley.
Then his gaze shifted to the street corner.
A large black dog was sitting there.
And the dog… was staring directly at him.
The big dog stared so intensely it almost looked foolish.
[Ding, sensing that there is a scene of the Holy Father system playing around the host, now releases a temporary task: after Blake is bullied, go forward to stop the person who abused Blake, and buy some food for him.]
[Ding, after the mission is completed, get Blake's favorability level +20, will the host take the task?]
[Pick up!]
Darren accepted immediately.
Just then, he saw a wizard approaching the black dog.
"Ugh, what rotten luck. Why is such an ugly beast here? Shoo! Out of the way!"
He lifted his foot, clearly about to kick the dog.
Normally, Sirius—Black—would've dodged.
But today, he had been too busy staring at Darren to react in time.
"I'm sorry!"
Darren rushed forward, cutting off the wizard's movement.
"Please don't kick him," Darren said earnestly. "I'll take him away."
"Hogwarts student?" the wizard asked, eyebrows raised.
Darren nodded.
The man brightened immediately.
"I knew it! I'm an alumnus too. Good to meet you! Listen—these big black dogs are unlucky. Some believe they bring misfortune."
He leaned closer, almost conspiratorially.
"And you look like a nice boy. Tell me—are you Gryffindor or Hufflepuff? As long as you're not Slytherin, we can be friends!"
Wizards really did make friends like this.
Unfortunately…
He happened to pick the wrong target today.
Darren sighed helplessly.
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm… what you think is a Slytherin.
Sorry to disappoint you."
The wizard froze.
Darren merely shook his head and tugged gently on the black dog's ear.
"Come on," he sighed. "I'll get you something to eat. Then I'll find someone willing to adopt you. You can't keep eating trash forever."
"WOOF—!!"
Sirius barked frantically.
His eyes were wide with absolute shock.
Slytherin?!
Darren was sorted into Slytherin?!
He had read about Darren in the papers—so many good deeds, so much praise—he was absolutely sure Darren was a Gryffindor.
But Slytherin?!
Wasn't that where Dark wizards came from?
Why would someone like Darren end up there?
Unless…
Unless Darren carried Voldemort's blood?
Or—worse—the boy had been pretending all along?
He remembered the stories: Voldemort had once appeared gentle and well-behaved in school.
Was Darren walking the same path?
Rage swelled in Sirius's chest.
He felt completely deceived.
He couldn't believe he had actually admired this Slytherin cub earlier!
He wanted to leap up and bite the boy's throat.
But he couldn't kill a child who had done nothing wrong.
So all he could do was bark wildly, desperately trying to break free.
Yes—this was another reason he doubted Darren.
How was the kid this strong?
Just one hand on his ear, and Sirius—grown man, Animagus, battle-hardened—couldn't even get away.
James, your little child is going to get me killed today…
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