---
Chapter 347: Malfoy's Unease!!
The Potter family portrait agreed to Darren's request with shocking speed.
By the next morning, Darren had officially obtained all those so-called "broken scraps"—
—Paige's virtual currency.
And not only that.
The system also transferred to him the remaining ninety percent of Firebolt's shares.
Darren was so excited that he almost fell asleep hugging the certificates.
Only after that did Harry finally find out what had happened.
He exploded.
He paced back and forth inside the dormitory, furious.
He wanted to summon Paige and curse the Potter family portrait through her—
But Paige no longer answered his commands.
Because Paige was no longer the Potter family's elf.
She was Darren's.
He tried to write to the ancestral portraits directly.
But he didn't even know where the Potter ancestral home was.
There was no way to contact them.
Then Harry wanted to scold Darren himself.
But the moment he saw Darren's exhausted face—
His anger disappeared.
Only dull guilt remained.
The money had been given by the Potters.
The shares had been given by the Potters.
Yet they only left Darren twenty thousand Galleons.
Should he curse Darren for being stupid?
Or curse himself for being heartless?
The more Harry thought—
The more uncomfortable he felt.
What if Darren had no food?
What if he ran out of money?
Harry couldn't stand it anymore.
He decided—
He would reconcile with Darren as soon as possible.
He would not let things continue like this.
---
That day, he waited outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.
He planned to stop Darren and talk to him.
But the moment Darren saw him—
He turned and left.
Harry stood alone in the corridor.
The weak smile at his lips slowly deepened.
Would Darren really ignore him?
Would he stop talking to him forever?
Without Darren by his side—
Every day felt incomplete.
Uncomfortable.
Like something important had gone missing.
"Harry? Why are you standing here?"
Professor Lupin's voice sounded gently behind him.
Harry looked up.
His eyes turned red.
"Darren is angry with me…
"No—he was threatened by Malfoy.
"Malfoy said… if Darren didn't follow him, Lucius would sue Hagrid for intentional homicide…
"Darren had no choice except to become Malfoy's follower.
"And he had to stay away from us…"
Harry stopped himself halfway.
He suddenly felt embarrassed.
It sounded like he was complaining about Hagrid.
Even though…
He was complaining a little.
But somehow—
Lupin gave him a warm, trustworthy feeling.
And the truth slipped out.
When he finished speaking—
He noticed something strange.
Lupin looked… amused.
"Do you think that's funny?" Harry asked, unhappy.
Lupin chuckled faintly.
"From what you've told me…
"Lucius Malfoy is only preparing to sue the hippogriff.
"And even that case is shaky."
Harry froze.
"Lucius has already been mocked by half of the noble families.
"Because his son foolishly ran toward a hippogriff and verbally provoked it.
"Frankly, young Mr. Malfoy looked more like a reckless Gryffindor than a Slytherin."
Lupin smiled.
"Lucius was furious over it.
"He scolded Draco severely.
"As for suing Hagrid for murder—
"That's impossible.
"Dumbledore would never allow it."
Then Lupin laughed helplessly.
"You children…"
Harry stared at him.
His whole body went cold.
Then—
Hot.
They were fooled.
Completely.
"Professor… thank you."
Harry bowed deeply—
Then bolted.
---
That Night
Ron immediately wrote to Mr. Weasley.
By early morning, a reply arrived.
Mr. Weasley confirmed:
Lucius Malfoy could not sue Hagrid for murder.
The only thing he could do—
Was file a case against the hippogriff.
The hippogriff might be executed.
Hagrid would not.
To be safe—
They also asked Professor McGonagall.
She was stunned.
So stunned—
She dropped the papers in her hand.
"Sue Hagrid for murder?!
"Nonsense!
"Even if Draco hadn't worn protective charms, he wouldn't have died.
"And so long as a person doesn't die on the spot—
We can heal them."
She looked at Harry sternly.
"Hogwarts has existed for centuries.
"Students are injured every year.
"But professors are still here, alive and well.
"Harry—you need to understand wizarding law properly!"
Harry didn't even hear the lecture.
He turned to Ron and Hermione.
Eyes blazing.
Malfoy's lie—
Had been completely exposed.
He had played Darren.
For nearly a month.
Tomorrow—
It would be one full month.
Harry clenched his fists.
They should've asked earlier.
They should have known.
Darren had suffered because of a lie.
And they had believed it.
---
Divination Class
That afternoon—
Divination was a joint class with Slytherin.
Professor Trelawney continued staring at Darren and Harry with dramatic sorrow—
As if both were walking corpses.
Harry especially.
Because Darren no longer reacted to her predictions—
So she redirected her obsession to Harry instead.
"Closer to death every day…"
It annoyed Harry.
Usually.
But not today.
Because—
Malfoy was sitting beside Darren.
Smug and arrogant.
He sneered at Harry.
"Some people are so pathetic…
"Even their own brother doesn't want them.
"So they just cling to fox-hearted friends who laugh behind their backs—"
Normally, Harry would have exploded.
Today—
He just stared.
Cold.
Silent.
It made Malfoy uneasy.
Before Malfoy could speak again—
Harry stood up.
And walked straight to Darren.
Then sat down beside him.
Slytherin students froze.
Shock rippled across the room.
But—
Harry had eaten at the Slytherin table before.
Sitting beside Darren in class…
Wasn't impossible.
Just…
Wasn't Darren avoiding him?
Malfoy's smile finally cracked.
For the first time—
He felt afraid.
---
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