Chapter 353: Even Going to the Bathroom Counts?!
Darren stammered.
Others weren't scared yet—but he himself had already gone pale.
And thanks to that…
He somehow looked even more pitiful than everyone else.
"Enough talking. Everyone, get into your sleeping bags."
Professor McGonagall's voice was strict.
"If you're not inside within ten minutes, I'll deduct house points."
Darren obediently wriggled into his sleeping bag.
He planned to stay awake and wait for news.
Unfortunately—
The moment he lay down, sleep attacked him like a spell.
He didn't even hear what Harry said beside him.
And then—
He completely passed out.
---
When Darren woke up again, it was because of voices.
Snape.
And Dumbledore.
"…Headmaster, Black is not after Harry Potter."
"He came for Darren Potter."
"Did you see the door to that child's dormitory?"
"It was smashed to pieces."
"That wasn't searching. That was rage."
"If Black had found him…"
Snape's voice lowered dangerously.
"He would have killed him."
Hey?!
My door was smashed?
Black, you're way too violent, aren't you?!
Darren lay still, eyes closed, heart thumping wildly.
Was Black really after the Invisibility Cloak?
No.
Impossible.
No one knew he had it.
Paige didn't.
Rozier didn't.
Even the system was sealed.
There was no way the information had leaked.
And Rozier and her people weren't stupid enough to expose something that could trace back to them.
Then that meant—
Black must have had another target altogether.
But Darren had no idea what it was.
"…Headmaster," Snape continued coldly.
"I think Black didn't get into Hogwarts alone."
"You know exactly who I'm implying."
Dumbledore answered slowly.
"No, Severus."
"There is no one in this school who would willingly help Black."
"If he entered…"
"Then it was by a method we have yet to discover."
Snape clearly wasn't convinced.
His gaze swept over Darren's direction.
Darren didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't breathe too loudly.
Perfect corpse mode.
Harry, however, was not nearly as professional.
Snape caught his eyes instantly.
"Eavesdropping on a professor?"
"Gryffindor… minus ten points."
Snape sneered.
Then he glanced at Darren one last time—
And left.
---
The next morning—
Darren finally returned to the dormitory.
Everything had already been repaired.
Worse—
His desk was neat.
Too neat.
His "alchemy notes" were sitting where they always were.
Those books were fakes.
Props created by the system so everyone would believe he was "hardworking".
The pages were deliberately worn down.
The edges were rough.
Usually, Darren didn't even touch them.
But today—
One page was folded.
Faintly curled.
As though someone had flipped through it.
Carelessly.
Darren frowned.
He turned to the bent page.
It described…
The structure of his necklace.
"…No way."
His first thought—
Black didn't smash the necklace, did he?
The chills ran up his spine.
That thing was durable.
Extremely durable.
But this was Black they were talking about.
The man who treated walls like paper.
If the necklace really broke…
Then it would make sense why someone tried to remake it.
Darren shut the book slowly.
And placed it back as before.
---
From that day on—
All Hogwarts talked about was Black.
Some said he sneaked in disguised as a flower.
Some said secret passages.
Some whispered…
That someone inside the school had helped him.
Darren strongly suspected that rumor came straight from Snape's mouth.
But rumors weren't the problem.
The real problem was—
Everywhere Darren went—
There was a professor.
If no professor was free—
Then Cassandra was assigned to him.
Cold.
Silent.
Sharp.
Students instinctively kept ten meters away whenever she stood near Darren.
Harry wasn't spared either.
Percy guarded him like an overcooked egg.
Proud.
Tense.
And irritatingly energetic.
Finally—
Snape called Darren in.
"You will not leave the castle grounds from now on."
"This is a decision made by all professors."
"Black remains at large."
"No one knows whether he will come for you next…"
"…or Harry Potter."
"But—my brother still has Quidditch."
"I want to follow him…"
"I'm worried something will happen to him…"
[Ding, Holy Father value +80]
Snape immediately cut him off.
"The greatest protection for Harry Potter…"
"…is that you remain alive."
"You have a talent for attracting disaster."
Then—
Without discussion—
Snape declared:
"You will follow the Slytherin team from today onward."
"No wandering."
"No Gryffindor."
"This order stands until Black is captured."
"…!"
Stay in Slytherin?
Permanently?
That was basically—
Destroying his Holy Father profession.
How was he supposed to generate goodwill in Slytherin?
His eyes instantly reddened.
Snape's fingers twitched.
After a moment—
He sighed sharply.
"Fine."
"If you insist on staying near Harry Potter—"
"Then follow him."
"At all times."
"…?!"
Darren's soul nearly left his body.
Follow him?
ALL the time?!
What about when Harry went—
To the bathroom?!
Follow him there too?!
Misunderstandings would be born.
Legends would be written.
Reputations would die.
Darren rubbed his face in despair.
He hadn't even had time to look for any pretty girls yet.
And now—
He was officially assigned as Harry's shadow.