Chapter 755: Is This the Right Time?!!
"Is this really the right time?" Ron muttered under his breath.
But he couldn't help it—there was still a grin tugging at his face.
Ginny didn't smile at all.
She held onto Darren like she wasn't going to let go, like if she loosened her grip even a little, he might disappear right there.
Only when she finally pulled back did she look at him properly.
Her voice was low, but steady.
"If you die… I'll follow you."
For a second, it didn't even sound like a threat. Just a fact.
Then it hit her what she'd said, and her face flushed.
She turned and ran out before anyone could say anything.
Hermione gave a small huff, then grabbed Darren's hand tightly.
She didn't say anything at first.
Darren glanced at her, then gently patted her hand.
"Don't worry. When this is over—"
She cut him off immediately, pressing a hand over his mouth.
"No. Don't say it."
Her eyes were already a little red.
"I'll wait for you to do it. That's enough."
Darren paused… then smiled.
Ron groaned and dragged a hand down his face.
"Right. That's enough romance for one night. Can we focus?"
He pointed toward the door.
"We still need to get into the hidden room."
Hermione let go quickly, cheeks still warm.
They stepped out—and opened the entrance again, this time with a different intent.
---
The Room of Requirement shifted.
And when they entered—
it wasn't a room anymore.
It was a world.
Endless rows of discarded objects stretched in every direction, stacked into towering walls—books, broken furniture, strange magical artifacts, forgotten things that looked like they had stories of their own.
Darren stopped for a second.
His eyes lit up.
There was real treasure here.
Old spellbooks. Rare objects. things people had hidden and never come back for.
For a moment, he actually looked pained.
All of this… it's going to burn…
Even if the room restored itself later, the original things would be gone.
He shook his head, snapping himself out of it.
"Split up," he said quickly. "Look for the crown."
Hermione tried first.
"The crown—Accio!"
Nothing.
Not even a flicker.
She frowned. "That didn't work…"
"Then we search properly," Darren said.
---
Harry pushed through the maze.
Past piles of books. Old cabinets. broken magical items.
He passed the Vanishing Cabinet Malfoy had once fixed.
Then—
something clicked.
A memory.
A statue.
Half-hidden somewhere in all this.
He moved faster.
And then he saw it.
A bust of an old wizard… and resting on top—
a crown.
Harry's chest tightened.
"That's it…"
He stepped forward—
"Potter."
Three voices.
He froze.
Malfoy. Crabbe. Goyle.
All three with wands raised.
"Drop your wand," Crabbe said, almost eagerly. "Or we'll make you."
Harry forced himself to stay calm.
"How did you even get in here?"
He needed time.
Darren would come.
Crabbe smirked.
"No point stalling. Once I take you in, your brother won't matter anymore."
Harry clenched his jaw.
"How did you know we were here?"
"We were outside," Crabbe said casually. "Under a Disillusionment Charm."
A grin spread across his face.
"Your idiot brother was too busy kissing Ginny to notice."
Harry exhaled slowly.
That explained it.
Right then—
"Brother?"
Darren's voice echoed from somewhere deeper in the room.
Footsteps—fast.
Crabbe reacted instantly.
"Blow it up!"
A spell slammed into the surrounding piles.
The towering walls of junk collapsed outward.
Hermione screamed as she was buried.
"Reparo!"
Darren's voice cut through the chaos.
The debris snapped back—but not before buying Crabbe time.
"Stupefy!"
Harry dodged.
The spell smashed into the statue—
the crown tumbled down.
Harry lunged—
"Avada Kedavra!"
Green light flashed.
Malfoy shouted, "Stop! The Dark Lord said not to kill him!"
Crabbe snapped back, furious.
"Shut up! If I kill him, I'll be the one he rewards!"
He fired again.
Darren pulled Hermione free just in time, both of them dodging as green light ricocheted wildly through the room.
Harry shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Crabbe's wand flew—
but he grabbed Goyle's instead without missing a beat.
Then his expression twisted.
"You think you're better than me?" he spat at Darren. "I got punished while you ran off!"
His wand slashed downward.
And then—
fire.
Not normal fire.
It roared to life like something alive, devouring everything in its path.
Fiendfyre.
The flames twisted into monstrous shapes, swallowing the endless piles of junk.
Darren's expression changed instantly.
"That's Fiendfyre!"
He tried to counter it—water spells, containment—
nothing worked.
"It won't stop!" he shouted. "Move!"
Malfoy grabbed Goyle and ran.
Crabbe followed, laughing.
The fire chased them.
Relentless.
Hungry.
Darren dragged Ron out of a collapsing pile and pushed him forward.
"Go!"
They ran—but the fire closed in from every direction.
"What do we do?!" Hermione cried.
Darren glanced around once—
then acted.
With a sharp flick, he transfigured nearby debris into broomsticks.
"Up! Now!"
They took off, rising above the inferno.
Below them, everything burned.
Darren looked down—
and saw Malfoy, trapped.
Reaching out.
Calling for help.
Darren didn't hesitate.
He dove.
Straight into the flames.
"Darren!"
Harry and Hermione shouted together.
For a second, he disappeared completely—
then burst back out, dragging Malfoy and Goyle with him.
His broom shattered under the strain.
He grabbed one in each hand, barely holding on.
"Go ahead!" he shouted. "I'll follow!"
But then—
his eyes caught something below.
The crown.
Still there.
He made a split-second decision.
He threw Malfoy toward Harry's broom.
Goyle toward Ron's.
Then turned—
and dropped back down.
"Get out first!" he shouted. "I'll destroy it or bring it out!"
"Darren, come back!" Hermione yelled.
"Don't be stupid!" Malfoy shouted hoarsely.
But Darren was already gone—
swallowed by the fire again.