---
Chapter 315 – Eavesdropping on an Argument!
Leaving aside Percy's quarrel with the Weasley twins, Darren also noticed Ginny.
Ginny's face immediately flushed red.
However, she quickly steadied herself and pulled Darren aside.
"Don't mind them. Mum and Dad bought a lot of good food. You must be hungry. I'll take you to eat."
As Darren was being dragged toward the dining table, he heard Fred asking Mr. Weasley:
"Dad, how are we getting to school in a few days?"
"The Ministry of Magic will pick you up… They'll send two cars. Darren, your teacher said he will personally take you to school."
Sirius Black's escape had put the Ministry on high alert, Mr. Weasley explained.
He also secretly glanced at Harry and Darren to gauge their reactions.
Only when he saw that neither appeared eager to play the hero did he sigh in relief.
After the meal, Darren prepared to head back to Nicolas Flamel's home.
Harry looked reluctant to part but, knowing school was about to start, said nothing.
However, he pulled Darren aside to discuss the matter of Darren's 200,000 Galleons.
At that moment, they overheard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing.
"Brother… should we leave?" Darren whispered, embarrassed.
Harry nodded quickly and began to retreat—
—but froze when he heard their names.
"…There's no point hiding this. They're not children anymore. Harry and Darren have the right to know!"
Mr. Weasley's voice was tense.
Harry looked at Darren.
Darren looked equally bewildered.
Both stopped moving.
Mrs. Weasley spoke next, voice trembling:
"Arthur, the truth will terrify them."
"You know how gentle Darren is. When he hears this, he'll break down in tears!"
"We won't tell Darren—only Harry…"
Mr. Weasley still sounded unconvinced.
But Mrs. Weasley refused firmly:
"No. No matter how strong Harry is, he's still just a child…"
"At least when they don't know anything, they're happy. Didn't you see how happy those two were today? Do you really want them miserable every day from now on?"
Harry noticed hesitation in Mr. Weasley's silence.
But after a moment Mr. Weasley said:
"No. We have to tell them something. You know how reckless Harry and Darren are."
"Harry and Ron flew the car to school—and last year they went into the Chamber of Secrets!"
"And Darren… poor child, he gets into even worse trouble. What if he doesn't know the truth and gets deceived by Sirius?"
"Black is extremely persuasive. He lied to many people in school. Many admired him. What if he tricks Darren?"
"Or what if he uses something from the past to lure Darren away—or threatens Darren using Harry? What will Darren do then?"
"At the very least they need to take precautions so we can rest a little easier."
"And you know very well—Dumbledore cannot keep an eye on every child in the castle!"
Mrs. Weasley was silent for a long while.
Finally she whispered, pained:
"I can only say a little… And Dumbledore will certainly watch over Harry at school."
"Yes, Harry will be watched," Mr. Weasley said.
"But Darren is another matter. If Dumbledore cared for Darren as much as he claims, how could Darren have been captured by those people last time?"
Harry inwardly admitted this was true.
Dumbledore never paid the same level of attention to Darren.
Harry understood why—
because he was the famous Harry Potter.
He looked at Darren, feeling a strange guilt.
But Darren's eyes were gentle.
"Brother, don't misunderstand. I'm not jealous. I just feel bad for you. I've said before—you protect the world, so I'll protect you."
[Ding, Fatherhood Value +100]
Harry's heart twisted.
Because Darren had always protected him.
He had never protected the world.
"Brother, since you've already protected the world… now I'll protect you!"
[Ding, Fatherly Value +100]
Harry felt his throat tighten.
Darren had been at Hogwarts all this time.
He had suffered so much because of Harry.
Yet Harry had never managed to protect him.
"Darren, from now on—I'll protect you!"
Darren opened his mouth to respond—
—but Mr. Weasley's voice rose again.
"Molly, don't expect too much from Dumbledore."
"Yes, Harry will be safe under his eye. But Darren is different."
"Black is too cunning."
"When Fudge visited Azkaban this summer, Black calmly asked him for a newspaper—he wasn't insane at all."
"The guard said he kept shouting 'He's at Hogwarts' in his sleep. I was scared he was looking for Harry, but Harry has Dumbledore. As long as he doesn't rush out, he'll be fine."
"But Darren… Darren will run into danger if he thinks Harry is at risk."
"Black will do what Death Eaters always do—use bad influences to lure Darren away by mentioning Harry."
"The thought of Black doing that makes me sick."
"Darren could die because of it. We could lose him forever."
Mr. Weasley's voice choked.
Harry heard a loud bang—someone had slammed the table.
Mrs. Weasley cried:
"Does Dumbledore really not care about Darren? Darren is so young—so good—why doesn't he care for him?"
Harry wanted to ask the same.
How could his brother ever end up in the hands of someone like Black?
"If Black wants to come, let him come find me," Harry muttered fiercely.
He turned and saw Darren looking touched… and secretly yawning.
Darren, of course, said nothing about having already seen Sirius that afternoon—
nor about dragging him around Diagon Alley with a rope around his neck—
nor about giving him a necklace that allowed him to alter his appearance.
Even if Lupin exposed Black's Animagus identity,
Sirius wouldn't be easily found anytime soon.
---