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Chapter 680 is a nightmare!!
Harry had never felt that Snape could seem so reassuring.
"Professor—Professor, I didn't know—"
But Snape ignored him.
Snape began to chant a spell.
It sounded like a low, secret melody.
"Vulnera Sanentur… Vulnera Sanentur…"
Malfoy's wounds stopped bleeding.
Then Snape wiped the blood from Malfoy's body and recited the spell again.
The gashes closed completely.
Myrtle was still wailing above their heads.
At that moment, Darren rushed in as well.
He grabbed Harry first.
After making sure Harry wasn't hurt, he looked down at Malfoy.
During the whole process, Darren didn't say a single word, yet Harry felt that Darren seemed to understand everything already.
"Good. Darren—Darren Potter—take Malfoy to the hospital wing.
If Madam Pomfrey uses Essence of Dittany in time, there may not even be a scar."
Snape saw Darren and spoke in a deliberately calm tone.
Darren lifted Malfoy.
He squeezed his eyes at Harry.
Harry understood—Darren was telling him to behave and not provoke Snape further. After all, he had been the one to make the first mistake.
Darren didn't worry about Harry confronting Snape.
Snape wouldn't expel Harry anyway. His attention was entirely on Malfoy.
Malfoy's pale face still carried weakness—and mockery.
"Watching your brother turn me into this, does your heart ache?"
Malfoy sneered.
Darren shook his head.
That only seemed to make Malfoy angrier.
"Then if you're not here to gloat, get lost. I don't need you to watch my jokes!"
Malfoy tried to shove him away.
But he couldn't.
Darren almost laughed.
But he didn't.
He showed a worried expression and asked in a voice so low it was almost inaudible:
"… what is he forcing you to do?
Professor Slughorn… the Room of Requirement…
Is your target Headmaster Dumbledore—or me?
If it's me… you can take me right now. I won't resist."
[Ding, Holy Father +30]
Malfoy froze.
Then he laughed mockingly.
"Do you want to drag me to fight the Dark Lord with you?"
"No… if I can help you, even if you kill me now…"
[Ding, Holy Father +50]
"Stop meddling!"
Malfoy pushed Darren away.
He forced a laugh.
"You think your little life is worth anything?
The Dark Lord doesn't care about your life at all!"
He glared fiercely at Darren and struggled toward the hospital wing on his own.
After walking a few steps, he seemed to realize Darren was still standing there.
He suddenly whispered:
"Tell Dumbledore… to be careful."
---
"What? He told you to Tell Dumbledore… to be careful."
Harry asked in disbelief.
Darren nodded.
He looked sorrowful.
"They're still classmates. I always felt he wasn't truly evil.
He can be bad—but when it comes to killing, he can't do it."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]
Harry wanted to say Malfoy was rotten to the core.
But in front of Darren, he knew Darren would never believe that.
So he changed the angle.
"He might have said it on purpose!
Voldemort already wants to kill Dumbledore.
Telling you to warn him just makes you trust him more—he knows you're soft-hearted and kind!"
Harry said viciously.
Darren neither agreed nor denied.
On the surface, he protested that Harry was overthinking.
Harry felt he was right.
But seeing Hermione's sharp glare, he shut up.
"Enough about Darren," Hermione snapped.
"Harry, explain what YOU did first!
I told you that Half-Blood Prince book was dangerous!
Who invents dark spells for fun?
Now you're in detention and banned from matches—"
Hermione was interrupted.
Not by Harry—he was listening gloomily.
It was Professor McGonagall.
"Mr. Potter… Darren, not you—Harry Potter, please come with me."
Harry nearly collapsed.
He knew she had heard about the duel.
Fifteen minutes later, Harry returned.
His face was full of resentment.
"Malfoy attacked first—why am I the one being scolded?"
"Your ban from Quidditch is your own fault!"
"Is that how a Head of House talks?
Why doesn't she go yell at Snape and ask that greasy bat to postpone my detention?"
No matter how Hermione lectured him afterward, from the next day Harry faced endless taunts from Slytherin.
They believed Gryffindor would lose without him.
Even Gryffindors were annoyed—
their captain had gotten himself banned.
Worse, Snape forced him to hand over the Potions book.
To avoid that, Harry hid it in the Room of Requirement.
Now his "Potions genius" reputation was crumbling.
---
Finally Saturday came—Snape's detention.
Harry dragged himself to the dungeon.
"These are old files from Mr. Filch.
You will rewrite every unclear line—including the rat bites.
Many names here will be familiar.
Their crimes should give you some enlightenment."
Snape sneered and threw a card at him.
James Potter & Sirius Black:
Used an Engorgement Charm on a classmate, inflating his head.
Snape laughed triumphantly.
"Think your father was brilliant?
People die—but their criminal records remain."
Harry trembled with rage.
But he had no reply.
He copied the cards, staring at his father's and Sirius's names, thinking about the match outside.
He endured Snape's malice until midnight.
Only then was he released.
---
The corridors were silent.
Harry saw no one.
He stood nervously outside Gryffindor Tower.
Then he pushed the door open.
A roar of cheers exploded.
And—
he saw Ginny kissing Darren deeply.
What a nightmare!
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