Chapter 345 – If They Don't Want You, Then I Do!!
Harry looked at the letter Paige handed him.
The letter stated that Paige had been dismissed.
The reason given was that she had made "a serious mistake" which caused the Potter family portraits to suspect she had been bribed. They no longer believed house-elves were safe to employ, and they were unwilling to let her remain in the Potter estate.
Harry frowned.
He wanted to say something.
But… in truth, there was nothing he could say.
He was only Harry Potter.
He had not yet inherited the Potter family.
If the family elders decided Paige was unnecessary, there was nothing he could do to change it.
Still, he asked worriedly,
"Paige… if you're thrown out, I can ask Dumbledore to help. You could work at Hogwarts. I heard the kitchens there are all run by house-elves."
Paige's eyes dimmed slightly.
But she still shook her head and said softly,
"No need… Paige is going to find Little Master Darren."
"All right… if you can, tell him… I'm sorry,"
Harry added quietly.
It had been nearly a month.
They had tried to sit at the Slytherin table again and again, but Darren ignored them every time.
This made them believe that unless they entered the Slytherin common room, Darren would never forgive them.
But the Slytherin common room was practically impossible to get into.
Snape was unbearable.
Harry half-joked to himself that Snape might as well hang a sign outside:
No entry for Harry Potter, Black, and stray dogs.
Harry even thought they might need Polyjuice Potion.
Though to be honest, he didn't even know why they were going through all this trouble just to enter Slytherin.
All of it weighed on him.
As for Paige's "bankruptcy"…
As long as you could still eat and drink, did it really count as bankruptcy?
Paige did not respond to Harry again.
She went straight to Darren's dormitory.
When Paige arrived, Darren was writing a letter to Nicolas Flamel.
The moment he saw Paige, he understood.
So… the "bankruptcy" had finally come.
He had waited years for this moment.
A future millionaire was being born.
"Paige? What's wrong?" Darren asked with a smile.
"Do you want some water? Why do you look so miserable? You're my elder. How can you look more upset than I do?"
The very next second—
Paige broke down in tears.
"Little Master Darren… Paige has failed you…"
"Paige made the Potter family go bankrupt…"
"There are only about five hundred thousand Galleons left in the vault… what will Little Master Darren eat in the future…?"
"Paige is useless… Paige deserves punishment…"
Paige began beating herself again.
Only then did Darren notice.
Her body was covered in injuries.
He froze for a second.
Then his face changed completely.
"Paige! Stop it!"
"I order you to stop!"
He grabbed her arm and dragged her straight toward the hospital wing.
"You're ridiculous, Paige. I don't care about Galleons at all!
And that money was earned by you!
"My brother and I lived so well these past two years because of you!
"You've already given us more than enough!
"You don't owe us anything—
we should be thanking you!
"You don't need to punish yourself!"
"Live properly.
I'll support you for the rest of your life if I have to!"
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding...]
Outside the hospital wing, Darren spoke firmly.
Paige sobbed quietly.
Though ordered not to hurt herself, she still cried and said,
"Little Master Darren… Paige was expelled by the old master's portrait…"
"The old master doesn't trust Paige anymore…"
"Paige… won't be able to serve you in the future…"
She cried like a child who had lost everything.
Darren's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"Why would they throw you out?"
"You're already so old—if they kick you out like this, no one will take you! Are they trying to make you die?!"
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding...]
House-elves were raised to devote their entire lives to their masters.
Once expelled, many chose to end their own lives.
Even if they didn't…
Most would wither and age rapidly.
House-elves like Dobby were exceptions.
Most house-elves, once discarded, simply faded away.
Muggle-born wizards rarely took them in.
Pure-blood families never accepted another household's expelled elf.
"Little Master Darren… you don't need to worry about me…"
Paige sobbed.
"After all… Paige really did something terribly wrong…
Paige doesn't deserve to remain in the Potter family…"
She looked as if she wanted to hurt herself again.
Then—
A pair of warm hands held her firmly.
Darren crouched down in front of her.
His eyes were red.
But he was smiling.
"Paige, don't you dare think like that."
"You're my family."
"After I came to Hogwarts, you were the only one who treated me kindly."
"I've always treated you as an elder."
"I still remember you running back and forth just to help my brother and me live better lives…"
"Paige."
"They don't want you anymore."
"But I do."
"If you don't want to be a Potter house-elf ever again, then from today on—
"You're my house-elf."
"As long as you're willing, I'll go to the family portrait myself and bring you back."
"I never blamed you."
"And I don't believe my brother would either."
"I don't believe you were bribed."
"And even if someone really did try to buy you—"
"Even if they wanted my life—"
"I wouldn't regret a single thing."
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding...]
Darren accepted the surge of Father value.
His emotions became even more sincere.
Paige stared at him in shock.
Then she collapsed into sobs.
"Pa… Paige is willing…"
"Paige is willing to be Little Master Darren's house-elf alone…"
Darren chuckled softly.
Then he asked Paige what had actually happened.
And that was when the truth came out.
It started like the rise of bitcoin.
A new form of "virtual currency" had been introduced to the wizarding world from the Muggle side.
At first, Paige only invested tiny amounts.
Cautiously.
Patiently.
Then the value kept rising.
Nobles began trading it openly.
Buying.
Selling.
Holding.
Paige followed.
Sometimes she bought low and sold high.
Sometimes she held long-term.
Then came the last transaction.
Paige spent almost the entire Potter fortune buying this currency at what she thought was rock-bottom.
She planned to sell when the price rebounded.
But then—
All the nobles suddenly vanished from the market.
Every last one of them had already sold.
To her.
What Paige was left with…
Was nothing but worthless virtual tokens.
No wonder the family portraits doubted her.
It looked exactly like betrayal.
Like she had given the Potter fortune away.
To strangers.
But Darren only smiled.
He thought quietly—
Just wait.
This "worthless" thing… will one day be worth everything.