Chapter 528 – You Are Good People?!
Moody shouted in a low growl.
Harry ignored him.
He knew this was not the time to be naïve. He pushed his broom harder, flying with all his strength.
He couldn't waste the chance Darren had fought for. Darren was still facing six or seven wizards!
Harry's eyes burned red.
He tried to accelerate, to fly even faster—
But then a spell struck him.
In an instant, Harry found he couldn't move at all.
The Firebolt was no longer under his control and began to plummet. Harry stared desperately at the sky.
He thought he was going to fall to his death.
And Darren would see it happen with his own eyes.
He would break down.
"Well now, don't make it so dramatic. We're not going to kill you."
Moody's voice rang in his ears.
Harry felt even more despair.
So… he really had been caught.
"Then kill me!"
Harry roared.
Then he froze.
He could still speak?
Moody glared at him.
"If you two pull something like this, Molly will definitely want to skin us alive."
Molly?
Mrs. Weasley?
Harry didn't understand.
Subconsciously, he even wondered if they had disguised Mrs. Weasley too.
"You'll all die horribly!"
Harry roared again.
This time, even Mad-Eye Moody ignored him.
Moody reached out and yanked Harry straight off the broom.
Harry realized the Firebolt had already dropped to barely a meter above the ground. He was hauled up roughly.
Moody waved his wand, and Harry felt strength return to his body. He struggled—
But Moody held him firmly, like a farmer carrying a squawking chicken.
"Hmph. You like flying, do you? Of course I can catch you."
Moody said disdainfully.
Harry felt miserable.
Even more painful was when he realized—
Moody was dragging him toward Number Four, Privet Drive.
He tried to shout, to alert the people around him that he was being kidnapped.
But everyone walked past as if they couldn't see him at all.
"They're under a Muggle-Repelling Charm. They won't notice you."
Harry turned.
It was the witch whose hair kept changing color.
Just moments ago it had been multicolored; now it was sky blue.
"Oh, right. I'm a Metamorphmagus, not an Animagus. Name's Nymphadora Tonks."
Tonks smiled lightly.
Harry frowned.
Something about this situation felt… off.
If these people were Death Eaters in disguise, why would they introduce themselves so openly?
No matter how much he thought about it, Harry couldn't have guessed—
This was all part of a carefully staged performance to squeeze out Holy Father value at the last possible moment.
When Moody dragged him into the house, Harry saw Darren.
Darren's face was filled with shock.
Harry felt ashamed.
Darren had held back so many people for him, yet he was still caught.
"What do you want?! Let my brother go!
I'll do whatever you want—I promise!"
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding…]
A massive wave of Holy Father value poured in.
Darren was delighted.
Earlier, when Lupin tried to explain who they were, Darren had pretended not to believe him, insisting they were fakes.
He hadn't stopped resisting either.
Even without magic, his fists alone had been enough to keep them busy.
"Give up resisting!"
Moody snorted.
"Harry's with us now. If you keep this up, we'll teach him a lesson."
Harry panicked.
He saw hesitation flicker in Darren's eyes.
"No! Darren, you go! Inform Dumbledore—they're here to save me, you—"
Moody clapped a hand over Harry's mouth.
"That's enough. Don't let him spout nonsense.
Darren, stop resisting. You don't want anything to happen to Harry, do you?"
Darren slowly lowered his fist.
Despair flashed across his face.
With a pleading expression, he said:
"Please… don't hurt my brother. I'll do anything."
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding…］
"Very good."
Moody glanced at Darren, his expression complicated.
"Then follow instructions and drink this."
He pulled out a small bottle.
Inside was a clear liquid.
A Draught of Living Death.
"You might need to sleep for a bit on the way."
Moody sighed.
Harry inexplicably heard helplessness in that sigh.
Still, he shouted in terror:
"Darren, don't drink it!"
Who knew what they would do to Darren after that?
They might even kill him.
"Shut up!"
Moody barked, pointing his wand at Harry.
"If he doesn't drink it, I'll kill you."
"I'll drink it! I'll drink it! Don't hurt my brother!"
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding, Holy Father value +200]
[Ding…］
Darren raised his head and drank the entire bottle.
He expected to collapse instantly.
Instead, he only felt slightly dizzy.
427…
After checking with the system, he realized he was already immune to ordinary Draughts of Living Death.
Still, he pretended it had taken effect.
His body went limp, and he collapsed into Tonks's arms.
"Oh Merlin, that's terrifying."
Tonks helped Darren and laid him gently on the Dursleys' couch.
Then she turned to the Dursleys, who were huddled in the corner.
"Hello. I'm an Auror from the Ministry of Magic—Nymphadora Tonks.
Dumbledore sent us to pick them up. This is his letter."
She pulled out an envelope and offered it to them.
The Dursleys were so frightened they refused to touch it.
Tonks sighed and tapped the letter with her wand.
The parchment unfolded and began to speak.
"Petunia,
I have sent several Aurors and Darren's godfather to bring the boys with them.
Due to certain misunderstandings Darren has about the Ministry, some forceful measures may be necessary. Please do not worry.
I will personally send them back this summer.
—Albus Dumbledore."
The letter finished.
Aunt Petunia trembled.
"S-so… you're good people?"
"Yes," Tonks replied.
"It's just that Darren misunderstood the situation.
He thought we were going to take Harry away and abandon him, so he ran out first.
Dumbledore asked us to retrieve them once he realized what happened, but who knew Darren would arrive so much earlier than us?
They were already preparing to flee.
If we hadn't caught Harry first, we wouldn't have been able to bring them back at all."