---
Chapter 724: Godric's Hollow!!
While Darren was arguing with the Death Eaters about refusing a late-night snack, Harry and Hermione were shivering in their tent, discussing where to go next.
Hermione had stopped crying in the past few days.
Instead, she had begun rereading the fairy-tale book Dumbledore had given her.
Harry didn't understand why a children's story needed to be read so many times.
But he didn't dare say that aloud.
Besides, he was busy trying to persuade Hermione to go with him to Godric's Hollow.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
Back then, Darren had mentioned Godric's Hollow repeatedly.
At the time it had seemed casual.
But now it felt like a hint.
Maybe Darren had planned something there.
And when Darren later hinted through Phineas's portrait, it seemed even more likely.
Harry finally spoke.
"Hermione, I think we should—"
"Harry, look at this," Hermione interrupted suddenly.
She pointed at a strange symbol in the book.
A triangle.
Inside it, an eye.
And through the pupil ran a vertical line.
"It looks similar to symbols used in Ancient Runes," Hermione said slowly.
Harry stared at it for a moment.
Then realization dawned.
"That symbol…
I've seen it before."
Hermione looked at him sharply.
"Where?"
Harry hesitated.
"I heard Darren mention it once.
He said it was the symbol of Grindelwald."
"What?" Hermione exclaimed.
"Are you sure?"
Harry nodded.
"Darren told me about it once.
He said that symbol represented Grindelwald.
Apparently he had even met some former followers of Grindelwald.
He believed they had changed for the better."
Hermione frowned.
"He trusts people far too easily."
Then she shook her head.
"That's not the important part.
Why is Grindelwald's symbol in a children's storybook?
And if Scrimgeour saw it before, why didn't he notice anything strange?"
Harry didn't know.
He just wanted to bring the conversation back to Godric's Hollow.
"Hermione, I still think we should go to Godric's Hollow."
"Actually," Hermione said quietly, "I've been thinking the same thing."
Harry blinked.
Hermione continued thoughtfully.
"I kept remembering what Darren said.
At first he probably just wanted to see your childhood home.
But after he returned to school, he tried to pass us information through Phineas.
So maybe he realized something."
She looked at Harry seriously.
"We have to go there.
Once we reach Godric's Hollow, we can tell Phineas.
If a Death Eater shows up, we leave immediately.
But if something else happens…
then Darren's plan worked."
Harry felt his heart pounding.
Darren wasn't with them—
But it still felt like he was guiding them.
Hermione began planning immediately.
"We'll use Polyjuice Potion the entire time.
And keep the Invisibility Cloak ready.
We should change appearances several times along the way.
Also, we should prepare a Portkey in case we need to escape quickly."
Harry wanted to leave the next day.
But Hermione refused.
If Phineas reported their location to Darren, then Death Eaters might also discover it.
They had to be cautious.
She spent an entire week preparing.
Finally, on Christmas Day, they were ready.
Harry disguised himself as a middle-aged man.
Hermione transformed herself into an ordinary teenage girl.
The two of them walked along the road beneath the Invisibility Cloak.
Snow was falling.
Their footprints stretched across the ground.
Hermione frowned.
"This was a mistake.
I thought snow would help hide us, but I forgot about footprints.
We should have erased them."
Harry shook his head.
"No.
Let's take off the cloak.
Standing still leaves footprints anyway.
Since we're already disguised, no one will know it's us."
He looked around thoughtfully.
"We'll find somewhere dark.
Night will hide the tracks.
Then we'll call Phineas."
Hermione considered it.
Finally she lowered her wand.
They stepped out from beneath the cloak.
Harry stared at the houses around them.
One after another lined the quiet street.
He wondered which one had been his parents' home.
When they reached the village square, the ground was packed hard from people walking.
No footprints appeared.
"Hermione," Harry whispered.
"Call him."
Hermione's face turned pale.
They ducked under the Invisibility Cloak again and pulled out Phineas's portrait.
Phineas appeared immediately, grumbling.
"What do you want this time?
And don't tell me where you are, don't let me ask questions—
Wait…
you didn't blindfold me!"
He looked around in surprise.
"This is… Godric's Hollow!
I've been here before.
How nostalgic."
Then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"So now that I know where you are, who exactly do you expect me to inform?"
Hermione quickly forced a polite smile.
"Please tell Darren.
Please."
Phineas sniffed.
"So now you finally trust me?"
He looked smug.
"He did ask me to locate you earlier.
But have you considered what he could possibly do?"
"We don't know," Harry said firmly.
"But Darren must have a plan."
"We know you can get the message to him quickly," Hermione added.
Phineas snorted again.
"That boy already took my portrait from the school corridor.
Filch smuggled it into his dormitory.
Just like you, he secretly uses me to pass messages."
Then he gave them a mocking look.
"If you had asked me to deliver messages earlier, perhaps you wouldn't have starved like this."
Harry and Hermione looked embarrassed.
But neither replied.
In truth—
They still didn't fully trust Phineas.
If Darren himself confirmed something, they would believe it.
But Phineas alone?
Not completely.
After all—
If they had trusted him too early, they might already have been captured.