Chapter 350: Encountering Cho Chang!!
"Darren Potter, my name is Luo chang. I'm Chinese. I used to be a Squib before I was seven, but I'm fine now.
"My sister said when I'm ten, I can go to Hogwarts too… Will you wait for me there until I grow up?"
Darren had been lost in thought when a small, timid voice interrupted him.
He looked down.
A slightly chubby little girl with a distinctly Eastern face stood in front of him, staring up with wide, hopeful eyes.
Her two pudgy hands were clasped together, fingers twisting nervously.
Darren didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"You're still just a kid! Don't say things like that yet—let's talk about it after you grow up, okay?"
Not that he'd ever admit it out loud, but if she didn't grow into a beauty, he had no intention of waiting.
But…
Chang Luo.
Her sister—
Wouldn't be Cho Chang?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he heard a familiar voice.
"Luo Luo, why are you here? Where's Mum?"
Darren turned toward the sound.
Cho Chang stood there, exactly as described in the books.
Beautiful.
Serene.
Gentle.
She truly deserved her reputation as Ravenclaw's most admired girl.
But maybe because Darren subconsciously favored familiar features, seeing a fellow East Asian girl in a foreign world hit him a little differently.
When she lowered her head to speak to her sister, several students around her froze outright.
Hermione huffed softly.
She stared at Darren.
Darren wore an innocent, confused expression like he hadn't noticed anything at all, then turned to Cho Chang politely.
"So she's your sister, Senior… I was just worried she might get lost."
He smiled lightly and prepared to leave.
Cho Chang blinked.
Only then did she realize the boy with her sister was Darren Potter.
"Well—um… why don't I treat you to something to drink? As thanks for finding her."
"Mum wrote that she'd come with Luo Luo today, but I couldn't find her… I was really worried."
She looked genuinely flustered.
Darren wanted to agree.
But Hermione cut in before he could.
"I think you should find your mother first," she said gently. "Your sister looks tired. She probably wants her mum more than anything right now."
Hermione's voice was soft, but her fingers were curled tightly at her side.
If it weren't for what had happened with Luna before, she might've dragged Darren away on the spot.
The girl in front of her—
Was simply too beautiful.
Beautiful enough to stir a quiet sense of inferiority.
But thankfully, Darren still didn't seem to realize that.
He wasn't sensitive to things like this at all.
At least, not yet.
Hermione glanced at him.
Just as she expected, Darren nodded immediately.
"Hermione's right. You should find your mother first. She must be worried sick."
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding...]
A flicker of sadness passed through Darren's eyes.
Hermione noticed it—and her heart softened instantly.
Everyone knew Darren had been taken from his parents from the moment he was born.
He'd never truly felt parental love.
"Darren…" Cho Chang hesitated, then spoke anxiously, "I really can't find her anymore… Could you help me look?"
For a split second, Darren's brain short-circuited.
But he recovered immediately.
Cho Chang didn't seem like the type who liked crude flattery.
And if he tried to play both sides, he'd only lose everything.
Still—
He couldn't just walk away.
So he put on his kind, clueless expression.
The "helpful little angel" routine.
Because clearly, everyone would feel too bad to call him out on it.
Darren almost laughed internally.
On the outside, he looked concerned.
And so—
The rest of the afternoon passed with Darren, Cho Chang, and Hermione drifting around Hogsmeade together.
Cho Chang bought him two ice creams.
And a bag of candy.
And a slice of cake.
The snacks Darren had planned to bring back for Harry?
All paid for by Cho Chang in the end.
For "thanks."
Darren couldn't remember the whole day clearly after.
The only thing burned into memory was—
Big.
Very white—
No, wrong—
Beautiful.
Meanwhile, while Darren was busy shopping, Harry wasn't idle either.
He'd run into Professor Lupin.
One thing led to another, and he found himself inside Lupin's office.
"If you hadn't told me… I would never have known Darren was living like this."
"Harry… I really must thank you."
"Otherwise, how would I have known he'd been mistreated like that?"
"It was my failure as an adult… as someone who should've protected him."
Lupin's voice was thick with regret.
Harry stared at him in surprise.
Lupin realized what he'd said and felt a sudden panic.
How was he supposed to explain his relationship with Darren?
Before he could even think—
The door burst open.
Snape stepped inside.
He was holding a cup of thick, dark potion.
When his gaze landed on Harry, a moment of cold flashed through his eyes.
Then it turned into his usual sneer.
"Well."
"Harry Potter."
"Catching up on lessons, are we?"
His eyes swept the room.
Then he sneered again.
"Lupin, I see you've taken in a Gryffindor stray."
"Should I assume you're now teaching Defense as poorly as you brewed Potions?"
"Or is Potter equally useless in both subjects?"
Harry's face burned.
He nearly exploded.
Snape never missed a chance to stab him in the chest.
Before Harry could snap back, Lupin interjected calmly.
"Severus, that's not why Harry is here."
"He came to talk to me about Darren… You know—"
Lupin paused.
He'd almost said it.
Godson.
It wasn't a secret.
But he still hadn't faced Darren properly yet.
As a godfather, he hadn't offered him protection.
Hadn't offered him a home.
Hadn't even been present when he was born.
Even if Sirius had been imprisoned—
Lupin still blamed himself.
Sometimes, he didn't even want others to know his relationship with Darren.
He feared Darren would be judged.
After all—
He was a werewolf.
And not one who could even control it on his own.
But Snape was already watching him sharply.
Old grudges made distrust second nature.
Lupin exhaled and lifted his head.
He was about to speak—
When Snape cut him off.
"Enough."
"I don't care what you were discussing."
"Drink it."
He shoved the goblet forward.
The potion inside churned thick and black—
Like liquid night.
Like it contained—
A thousand poisons.