Chapter 574: Darren's Punishment!!
When Darren arrived at the Quidditch pitch, he was full of sympathy for Ron.
Because this group of guys—apparently in order to make Slytherin win—had begun to target Ron, someone whose mentality could easily be shaken.
When he came over,
the group was singing "Weasley Is Our King." He could clearly see Ron's pale face.
Darren immediately showed an angry expression.
He looked at the Slytherin students and shouted, "Stop singing! Victory is not martial—victory is not martial!"
[Ding, Father +10]
[Ding, Father +20]
[Ding, Father +10]
[Ding…]
"Enough, Potter! If you're not cheering for Slytherin, then don't say such hypocritical things here!"
A Slytherin first-year shouted angrily.
His words caused the entire Slytherin stand to fall silent. Darren looked at the student.
Indeed, a first-year. An aristocratic child—Phelps.
Because he looked a bit like him and had a good background, he had good relationships at Hogwarts. Even Snape treated him with a better expression.
It was obvious that the kid was acting out of arrogance.
Although there were probably many who thought it was inappropriate for Darren to stop Slytherin and shout like that,
Slytherin had been "disciplined" by him for so many years and had long grown used to his thunderous methods.
They were shouting like this precisely because they had seen that he was looking unwell recently, so they seized the chance to bully Ron.
Of course,
it wasn't only because they were used to Darren's pressure—it was also because of his strength. Students across the entire school were deeply aware of how terrifying he was to Slytherin.
No matter what Phelps said,
the students beside him looked at him as if he were an idiot and subtly moved a little farther away from him.
Darren pretended not to notice their movements. A bitter expression appeared on his face.
He opened his mouth for a long time, and finally spoke painfully.
"I thought that when others said Slytherin was sinister and cunning, it was their prejudice… but now I see it was my fault."
He raised his wand.
The entire Slytherin stand was silenced by him.
With an angry expression, he reprimanded them, "I don't care what you do on the pitch, but using such insidious methods to mock others—is this the elegance you pride yourselves on?
Copy the house rules one hundred times. Does anyone have objections?"
No one refuted him.
Perhaps it was because Darren had silenced them.
Or perhaps because, even if they used all their strength together, they still couldn't break Darren's restriction spell.
Phelps looked furious, clearly full of grievances.
But unable to speak, he rushed straight to the teachers' stand.
He went to Snape, asking him to lift the Silence Charm and punish Darren.
However, after Snape lifted the spell and learned that it was Darren who had cast it, he immediately re-applied it to Phelps.
Snape sneered and said, "Do you think I dare to break his spell?
Are you even a Slytherin? Before you entered the school, didn't you ask who you absolutely must not provoke?
Copy the Slytherin house rules one hundred times—Darren already said it. Then go serve your detention yourself. Don't make me repeat it."
Phelps stared at Snape in disbelief.
Of course he had asked.
His family had told him that Darren Porter was very strong and warned him not to provoke him.
But after being in Slytherin for so long, he hadn't felt Darren was that strong—especially this year, when Darren's face was always pale. He truly couldn't see any trace of power.
So he looked toward Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall had always treated him kindly.
Other Slytherins would subconsciously smile at him.
Because of this, he had always thought he was the school's favorite.
Clearly—
he was not.
Professor McGonagall merely glanced at him and said seriously, "I think Darren is right, isn't he? Is this still the elegance of Slytherin?
And since you are a Slytherin student, it should be your Head of House—not me—who punishes you."
Phelps was chased away by Snape, seething with anger.
As he turned away, he heard Professor McGonagall say proudly, "Darren has really grown up—he even knows how to punish people now."
That wasn't all.
Even Professor Snape, who usually only treated Darren with occasional restraint, nodded slightly at this moment and said, "He still has a long way to go. If he had silenced them from the beginning, he wouldn't have had to let a student come to me."
"Don't be like that, Severus. Children need praise too. Darren is too self-effacing—I think that's entirely your fault. You didn't guide him well."
That was Professor Flitwick.
Even Professor Sprout nodded in agreement.
"Yes. Although I haven't been here long, I've also heard about this child's inferiority and shyness."
Phelps heard the other professors as well.
All of them were either worried about Darren or praising him.
From their mouths, there wasn't a single bad word about Darren.
It was as if Darren were gentle, shy, self-effacing, handsome, and kind.
Forgive Phelps for freezing in place.
Because he felt like he was about to vomit.
Especially when he returned to his seat and met Darren's eyes, he almost felt as if he were looking at his own grave.
Darren didn't intend to deal with this kid right now. But perhaps in the future, if he had the opportunity, he would.
Just like Mr. Diggory, who died at the hands of Voldemort because of a few careless words.
Life and death are governed by fate—why provoke him?
Darren stood quietly in the center of the Slytherin stands, watching everyone copy the Slytherin house rules.
The other houses were lively and noisy.
Only Slytherin was silent.
Darren watched them copy the rules while also watching Ron play Quidditch.
As he watched, he burst out laughing.
Ron couldn't guard the goal at all—it was like a sieve.
But—
Harry still caught the Golden Snitch after Ron had let in nearly ten goals.
He did so at the risk of nearly being smashed apart by Crabbe's Bludger.
The entire stadium erupted. Harry and George charged at Crabbe, and everyone was furious.
Everyone—
except Slytherin.
They glanced at the pitch, then lowered their heads even further.
The speed at which they copied the house rules increased. They didn't dare look up, overwhelmed by shame.
Gryffindor had not lost.
Darren jumped directly from the stands onto the pitch and punched Crabbe.
Goyle tried to help, but Darren punched him in the eye as well. He fell to the ground without a sound.
Darren looked at the remaining Slytherin team. Even Malfoy took a small step back.
"It's fine to be insidious and cunning," Darren said coldly, "but could you at least not do something so stupid?
You all call yourselves noble yet your actions are so low , that you resort to violence and cheating.
Not elegant. Useless. And unable to accept your own failure. I've been in Slytherin for nearly five years—don't suddenly make me feel ashamed to belong here, alright?
Copy the house rules. Everyone, keep copying. Only after you finish can you leave."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]