Chapter 557 — You for a Weasley!!
After returning from sending the letter, everyone gradually calmed down.
They sat at the table and began to eat.
Darren once again ran over to the Gryffindor table without restraint. He noticed Malfoy glaring at him several times, but Malfoy didn't come over to stop him.
The Slytherins were already used to Darren's unruly behavior.
Darren was eating steak when he saw an owl drop the Daily Prophet in front of Hermione.
She skimmed through it, then said softly, "No… I didn't say anything bad about you, and I didn't say anything bad about Dumbledore either."
Then Darren took the paper and read it himself.
His gaze stopped on a piece of news near the top.
There will be major changes within the Ministry of Magic.
As everyone knows, the Ministry of Magic had previously granted Hogwarts a great deal of freedom, allowing it to operate independently.
But this had also resulted in a mixed and chaotic teaching staff at Hogwarts.
Therefore, the Ministry of Magic will soon take steps to rectify Hogwarts. Some individuals will be expelled from our wonderful campus!
Hermione had also read it.
She said sharply, "Does this mean Fudge is preparing to interfere with Hogwarts directly?"
"It's obvious."
Darren handed the newspaper back to her and said helplessly, "The Ministry thinks Headmaster Dumbledore's management has gone against their will.
"So next, they'll send someone to take control.
"I think the person in charge will probably be Umbridge—she's very good at being a lackey."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[…]
Hermione and the others looked shocked. Darren saying something like this felt unusually blunt.
Darren was silent for a moment, then finally sighed.
"Too many things have happened lately. I've realized that I've been too gentle with some people.
"She actually dared to make Harry write humiliating lines in her office, and even leave scars on him.
"She's no better than Voldemort."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding… Harry lowered his head, pretending not to care.
But when he did, his eyes quietly reddened.
Every change Darren went through… it was all because of him.
Was he always the one ruining everything?
"Brother," Darren said gently, "people aren't static.
"If I never changed, then I'd thank God for letting me return to being a teenager.
"But since I have changed, then I should thank Him for making me mature. Don't you think?"
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding… Darren smiled as he said this.
Harry and the others felt a little lighter.
Of course, that was also because Hermione quickly changed the subject.
She glanced at her timetable and said, "I think we should start doing homework.
"For example, Professor Sprout's herbology essay—we have to hand it in on Monday."
Darren had never been more grateful.
He had been forcing his quill to keep writing over the past few nights.
The quill itself was starting to grow irritable from being overworked.
It looked like it was close to giving up.
He thought he might need to go to Hogsmeade to buy a few more. Buying quills had to be done quietly—if anyone found out…
A dignified Little Father secretly using a self-writing quill to do homework would be absolutely disastrous.
After Darren finished his homework, and since Harry wanted to watch Ron try out as goalkeeper, Darren was dragged along to the Quidditch pitch.
He sat in the stands, watching them practice, and almost laughed.
Ron's technique was… honestly not great.
It might also have been nerves.
He either missed the ball completely or hit it too hard and knocked someone down.
Angelina was furious.
She even threatened that if Ron kept this up, she'd replace him.
Darren felt Ron's biggest problem had something to do with Slytherin.
The Slytherin Quidditch players had also come to watch, laughing nonstop, faces full of smug pride.
"Weasley missed again!"
"Weasley can't catch anything!"
"Weasley is a—"
Malfoy shouted from below.
Darren immediately covered Malfoy's mouth.
Malfoy exploded with rage and slapped Darren's hand away.
"If you're not cheering for Slytherin and instead running around with Scarhead all day, now you're even hitting me for a Weasley?"
Darren was speechless.
So childish.
Still, he put on a guilty expression.
"Sorry, I didn't go cheer for Slytherin… but I didn't mean to hit you either."
There was genuine confusion on his face.
What exactly was going on inside Malfoy's head all day?
"But I think you should stop shouting," Darren added. "Ron hasn't trained for long. Mocking him like this—"
[Ding, Father +10]
[Ding, Holy Father +30]
[Ding, Father +10]
[Ding…]
Darren's words didn't earn much Holy Father value.
He suspected the thirty points came from Harry.
Even good intentions couldn't really outweigh Ron's current performance.
Malfoy also seemed a little embarrassed.
He probably realized how foolish he'd sounded just now.
Before Darren could say anything else, Malfoy abruptly turned away and led the Slytherin team to the other side of the stands.
With the Slytherins gone, Ron did a little better—but still not great.
By the final stretch, Ron managed to block three goals.
Angelina still scolded him loudly.
Ron's face flushed bright red.
When they returned to the common room, exhausted, Hermione asked curiously how it had gone.
She'd seen Ron rush out earlier, and now he was back looking completely dejected.
"Utter humiliation. Total disaster," Ron said miserably, throwing his broom onto the floor.
"Then you should do your homework," Hermione said coolly.
"If you were like Darren and finished all your assignments, maybe you'd have time to practice Quidditch later.
"But unfortunately, you haven't even finished your homework."
Hermione teased him mercilessly.
Then she handed Darren a glass of juice.
"You've been outside for so long… it's cold. I used—"
"The Freezing Charm?" Darren said admiringly. "Hermione, you're a genius."
Hermione smiled shyly.
She was just about to say something when she heard Harry and Ron complain jealously beside her.
"Why didn't you bring any for us?"
"The two of us were actually playing, and Darren was just sitting there in the shade, almost falling asleep!"