Chapter 336: Valuing Friendship?!!
How could it be?
How could Darren not want his brother?
Harry could be reckless sometimes, but he wasn't stupid.
Darren would never truly abandon him.
Even if they had argued, even if they had fallen out… Darren would never do this.
So there was only one possibility.
Malfoy had done something.
It wasn't just Harry who thought that way. Ron felt the same.
Before, Darren would always find a way to help them with Potions.
Even when they were in trouble, even when Snape was glaring at them, Darren would quietly step in.
But this time—
Darren didn't even look back.
It didn't make sense.
Something had to be wrong.
Finally, Hermione spoke.
"I still have a class with Darren today. I'll talk to him…" she said softly. "He broke with you, but why is he ignoring me too…?"
She looked exhausted.
Dark circles hung under her eyes, her face pale like she hadn't properly slept in days.
But Harry and Ron didn't notice.
They were deep in their thoughts.
Because Hermione's timetable very clearly said she shared a Muggle Studies class with Darren.
But that class…
It was at the exact same time as Potions.
In other words—
Darren was supposed to be in two classes at once.
How was that possible?
Neither of them spoke it out loud yet.
Before they could, Malfoy's voice cut through the air again, full of mockery.
He looked straight at Harry and sneered.
"My dad is going to sue that stupid oaf. And this time, I'll make sure he pays the price."
Then he narrowed his eyes.
"You'd better pass that on to him, Scarhead. Tell him to wait."
After saying that, he deliberately glanced at Darren.
The look was loaded with meaning.
Darren understood immediately.
Malfoy was warning him — behave, don't interfere, don't help Harry.
He wanted Harry to be scared.
And Darren, being the "kindhearted Holy Father," would obviously listen.
At least, that's what Malfoy thought.
So Darren lowered his head.
His eyes were slightly red.
His fingers trembled faintly.
He looked pitiful and helpless.
Harry clenched his fists the moment he saw it.
Both he and Ron were certain now.
Malfoy had used Hagrid to threaten Darren.
They knew Darren couldn't be that heartless on his own.
Only when Potions class finally ended and they rushed out to look for him—
…did they realize Darren and Hermione were already gone.
They had disappeared nearly an hour ago.
The moment they stepped into the empty corridor, Hermione suddenly grabbed Darren's sleeve.
"Darren, why are you breaking with Harry?" she burst out. "He's your brother. Why would you do this just because of that one sentence…?"
She was clearly holding it in.
These past few days, Darren hadn't responded to Harry.
He hadn't responded to her either.
She held it in, and in, and in.
And now it finally overflowed.
"Is it really that serious?" she said, her voice trembling. "Was it really that unbearable?"
[Ding, sensing that there is a scene played by the Holy Father system around the host, now release a temporary task:
Looking at Hermione with a bitter expression, handing her the time turner, and saying: Looks like we really need to calm down! ］
[Ding, after the task is completed, get the trouble card ×1, will the host take the task?] ］
…Huh?
Not even letting him bargain for the time turner now?
Did the system really think all his classes were interfering with his missions?
Darren felt a little helpless.
Ever since the system appeared, it felt like his life had completely gone off-script.
"Trouble card"?
What kind of card was that?
A card that causes problems?
He paused to look through the system panel, then tapped accept.
Then he lifted his eyes and looked at Hermione.
The pain on his face wasn't fake.
He was silent for a long time before he finally spoke.
"Hermione… even now, you still don't know why I broke with you," he said quietly. "Maybe… we really do need to calm down."
His expression was full of sadness.
Clearly, he was the one pulling away.
But he looked even more hurt than she did.
Hermione froze.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
For the first time, she suddenly realized something terribly unsettling.
They didn't really understand Darren at all.
Right now, he was clearly hurting.
But they didn't even know why.
"Darren, maybe we can—"
Before she could finish, he interrupted her.
He gently took the time turner off from around his neck.
Then he held it out to her.
"Help me apologize to the professor," he said softly. "I… might not be suitable to keep using this anymore."
Hermione's composure snapped.
"Is it that you don't want to use it anymore," she demanded, "or that you don't want anything to do with me anymore?"
Her emotions flared.
She couldn't accept this.
The time turner…
That had been one of their happiest memories.
Studying together.
Rushing between classes.
Sharing secrets of time itself.
Now he was giving it up?
"What do you mean?" she said hoarsely. "Do you really not want to care anymore?"
"We've been together for two years. Two whole years!" her voice cracked. "And now you don't even want to use the time turner with me anymore?!"
Her eyes reddened.
She grabbed his sleeve tightly.
Darren pursed his lips.
Not really.
It was just for his Animagus mission.
One month.
Just one month more and everything would be over.
But he couldn't tell her that.
So he chose another truth.
A quieter one.
"Hermione… I told you," he said gently, with a bitter smile. "I just want space to calm down."
"Yes. Of course," Hermione blurted out miserably. "You're always right. Friendship doesn't matter to you at all, does it?"
Her words struck like a blade.
Darren froze.
He stared at her in stunned silence.
He clearly hadn't expected that.
For a moment, he didn't seem to know whether to laugh or cry.
In the end, he only let out a quiet sigh.
"I always thought my actions proved that I cherish friendship… and family," he said slowly. "But have you ever cherished me?"
"I know what you're thinking. You believe you have."
"But you never respected my friends."
"You never once sat at the Slytherin table with me."
"You hate my house."
"You hate Slytherin."
And you hate it every time I mention where I belong."
"When I talk about Slytherin, you look at me like I've done something unforgivable."
"But I really am a Slytherin."
"I'm not a Gryffindor."
"I'm not Ravenclaw."
"I'm not Hufflepuff either."
"In your hearts… maybe I've always been someone who disgraced Harry. Someone who embarrassed you."
"You've just never said it out loud."
"…So be it."
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding... ］
Darren let out a quiet breath.
All those doubts…
He had kept them buried for so long.
He just never had the courage to say them.
Until now.
Hermione stood there in a daze.
Her mind slowly replayed every time Darren had invited them to sit with him.
Every time he tried to bring them closer to Slytherin.
Every refusal.
Every careless joke.
Every dismissive comment.
They had never said it outright.
But their attitude had already hurt him.
And now, standing here—
She suddenly realized something that made her chest ache.
She couldn't imagine how Darren felt…
Every single time he heard them reject him.