Chapter 614 My Mother Really…!!
The next day.
Hermione nagged Harry the entire day.
She kept telling him to be sensible and not drag Darren into something so dangerous.
"You could both get expelled!"
Hermione said anxiously. Harry didn't care at all.
"If I can't see Sirius, I'd rather be expelled."
"Are you insane? You really are insane. What on earth is going on that makes you willing to risk both of you being expelled just to see Sirius?"
Harry remained unmoved.
He pretended not to hear her at all.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Darren headed for Snape's office.
Harry and the others were going to Professor McGonagall for career counselling.
As for Darren, of course, he was doing his career consultation with Snape.
When Darren entered the Potions classroom, Snape was already brewing a potion. Seeing Darren come in, his face showed clear displeasure.
"Why are you so late?"
Darren put down his bag and walked over to help Snape with the potion. Snape's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
"It's my brother and Hermione… they're worried you'll kill me."
Darren said awkwardly.
Snape sneered.
"A bunch of idiots."
Darren wanted to argue, but Snape didn't give him the chance.
"If you say Miss Granger isn't stupid, I'll agree. As for the other two, I can't find anything intelligent about them."
Darren had nothing to say.
He lowered his head and continued brewing the potion.
Snape watched his movements with a satisfied expression, then asked casually, as if it meant nothing,
"Do you plan to stay at Hogwarts after graduation?"
"No. I'm going to be an Auror."
"No."
Snape refused without hesitation.
Seeing Darren's surprised expression, he said firmly,
"Aurors are too dangerous. I think you're more suited to a safer job."
"But if I stay at Hogwarts, as long as he exists, isn't it just as dangerous?"
Snape fell silent.
After a moment, Darren said softly,
"In short, if he isn't dead, I won't stay at school. Either he dies, or I do. I'm going to be an Auror."
Snape glared at him, speechless for a long time.
Only after Darren finished the potion did Snape finally say,
"Go. Get to class."
---
Five o'clock in the afternoon.
Darren was already waiting outside Umbridge's office.
Harry had just finished Umbridge's Defence Against the Dark Arts class. He nodded at Darren.
Then he slipped into Umbridge's office.
Darren stood outside the door, keeping watch for him.
At the same time, he paid attention to what Fred and George were doing outside.
As for what Harry was going to ask inside, Darren already knew.
It was nothing more than whether James Potter was truly a good man.
Inside the office, Harry grabbed a handful of Floo powder, threw it into Umbridge's fireplace, and shouted,
"12 Grimmauld Place!"
His body collapsed to the floor while his head spun through the flames and appeared in the drawing room at Grimmauld Place.
Only one person was there—Remus Lupin, reading the newspaper.
Lupin froze when he saw him.
"Harry? What happened?"
"Remus, call Sirius for me. I need to ask him something!"
Harry said urgently.
Lupin didn't hesitate and rushed upstairs. Soon, Sirius came down with him.
"What's wrong, Harry? Do you need help?"
Both of them crouched by the fireplace.
Harry didn't bother with embarrassment and blurted out,
"I want to ask about my father…"
He told them everything he had seen in Snape's Pensieve.
He almost mentioned Darren's poisoning too, but remembered that even Dumbledore didn't know about it with Occlumency in Darren's case. Telling them would only worry them and wouldn't help.
( T: Occlumency ??, well it is harry i guess, at least he didn't say Expelliarmus)
Darren would be fine sooner or later.
So he focused on the real issue.
"I don't understand. Why would he do something like that? If Darren knew…"
His voice was heavy with sadness.
Lupin and Sirius fell silent.
After a long pause, they said shamefully,
"There's no excuse. We were stupid back then. A lot of fifteen-year-olds are like that… though I admit it—both you and Darren are far better than we were. If Darren knew about this, he really would be heartbroken."
They explained a lot, but Harry's frown didn't ease.
He asked painfully,
"Did my mother really choose to marry my father?
I mean… she hated him back then. And whenever I hear Dementors, I hear them arguing. Did my dad force her?"
Harry looked miserable.
This time, however, Sirius and Lupin laughed softly.
"I can tell you very clearly—your mother and father truly fell in love later.
Your mother was an upright, principled woman. If she hadn't wanted it, she would never have allowed anyone to touch her—let alone have children with them.
As for the arguments you heard… that was probably because of me."
Sirius's voice grew guilty.
"I threw Darren away.
James suspected it. Lily probably did too, but she thought James ordered me to do it.
So she hated James, yet she couldn't leave him at that time. I adored your father, and that caused endless quarrels between them.
Your father regretted it deeply afterward.
He wanted to bring Darren back. We were preparing to hide from Voldemort, so we brought Darren back—but there was no time…"
The room fell silent.
Then Lupin suddenly asked,
"Harry, how did Snape react when he realised you saw those memories?"
"He was furious. He almost killed me."
"Is he still teaching you Occlumency?"
Lupin asked quietly.
Harry shook his head.
They were practically mortal enemies now.
"I'll go find him," Sirius said angrily. "Dumbledore ordered him to teach you!"
He stood up to rush out, but Lupin stopped him.
Lupin looked at Harry seriously.
"Harry, you must continue learning Occlumency from Snape. You have to.
Even if you have to beg him—it's for your own good. Do you understand?"
"I'll go too."
Then Lupin suddenly paused.
"What was that?"
At the same moment, Harry heard a knock.
It was Darren's signal—their agreement.
Harry immediately pulled his head out of the fire, threw on his Invisibility Cloak, and stepped aside.
The next second, someone rushed into the room.
It was Phelps.