Chapter 776: He's You!!
Voldemort's words left Harry completely stunned.
He couldn't understand it at all.
He had almost died that night—
and yet somehow, he had absorbed so many bloodlines and so much magic that Darren had ended up becoming a kind of… vessel.
But—
"Headmaster," Harry said slowly, still trying to make sense of it, "even if I absorbed too much magic and bloodline, and that formed Darren's body…"
"…what about his soul?"
"A soul doesn't just appear out of nowhere."
Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes. That is exactly the question."
He stepped forward, his gaze resting on Darren.
"That was always our greatest confusion."
"How could another soul suddenly exist?"
He paused, then exhaled quietly.
"But after seeing him here… I finally understood."
Dumbledore moved closer, circling slowly around Darren's motionless form.
Then he reached out, gently brushing Darren's hair back.
"Harry…"
His voice softened.
"…don't you see?"
A pause.
"Darren… is you."
For a moment—
everything went silent.
Harry froze.
Snape stiffened.
Even Voldemort looked taken aback.
Only Ariana remained focused on Darren, as if nothing else mattered.
Darren himself felt his thoughts tangle for a second.
What kind of explanation was that?
Him… Harry?
That sounded ridiculous.
Still—
he stayed quiet.
He wanted to hear how Dumbledore would explain this.
"Yes," Dumbledore continued calmly, "don't misunderstand. Darren is a part of your soul."
"I was never completely certain before. But now… I am."
"That night—your soul split in two."
"You lived on in your own body… and you also lived on in Darren's."
Harry stared at him, barely breathing.
Dumbledore continued gently.
"I know what you're thinking."
"You don't look alike."
"You believe your personalities are different."
"But are they?"
He met Harry's eyes.
"Yes, Darren is kind. Gentle. Intelligent. Brilliant."
"But Harry… don't you have those qualities too?"
"You do."
"Your talent is no less than his."
"It's simply that Darren's body… combined with all those bloodlines… allowed that talent to flourish more visibly."
Dumbledore's voice grew quieter.
"And more importantly…"
"He loves you."
"Completely."
"Without hesitation."
He paused.
"And tell me honestly—have you never felt that he cherished you more than you ever cherished him?"
Harry's gaze dropped to Darren.
And suddenly—
something clicked.
Yes.
Darren had always loved him too much.
Too openly.
Too intensely.
Harry had once thought—
maybe it was just like Fred and George.
Brothers could care for each other that way.
But no.
It wasn't the same.
Darren's devotion had gone far beyond that.
He had always chosen Harry first.
Even when he didn't have to.
Even when staying away would have given him everything—
status, admiration, a perfect life.
He still chose Harry.
Every time.
Harry's vision blurred as tears fell.
"…Why?" he whispered.
Dumbledore answered softly.
"It was a miracle."
"Or perhaps… an accident."
"Your soul split—and that fragment should not have survived."
"It wasn't a Horcrux. It wasn't a stable soul."
"It was incomplete."
"As he grew… he should have faded."
"Disappeared."
He looked at Darren again.
"But he didn't."
"Because he loved you."
"Love gave his soul strength."
"Love made him whole."
Dumbledore's voice trembled slightly.
"That is why I have always said—love is the greatest force in this world."
Silence followed.
Only Harry's quiet sobbing remained.
Darren, meanwhile, felt a strange mix of thoughts.
It sounded like Dumbledore was explaining the "original" Darren.
Not him.
But… it worked.
It filled in the gaps.
So he let it be.
Snape suddenly spoke.
"…And what exactly is the point of telling us all this?"
Harry also looked up sharply, his face pale.
A terrible thought crossed his mind.
Dumbledore wouldn't… try to merge Darren back into him, would he?
"No," Harry said immediately, his voice firm despite the tremor in it. "Even if he was once part of me… he's not anymore."
"He's his own person."
"I won't let anyone take him away."
"He's my brother."
Dumbledore raised a hand, stopping him.
"You misunderstand."
His expression softened.
"Darren's soul is already complete."
"If you absorbed him now… it would be no different from killing him."
"That is not what I want."
He turned slightly away.
"I told you this… because I regret something."
Harry's heart tightened.
"Darren is tied to your soul."
"As long as he lives—you will not die."
"But if he dies…"
"…you will not be affected."
Dumbledore's voice was quiet.
"So, Harry…"
"…be kind to him."
Harry nodded hard, tears still on his face.
Yes.
Loving Darren—
was the same as loving a part of himself.
More than that—
it was loving someone who had always chosen him.
"…Alright," Dumbledore said, straightening. "It's time to go back."
Voldemort's expression darkened.
Everyone was leaving.
Only him…
He was still thinking—
when suddenly—
a small hand grabbed his sleeve.
Ariana.
"He wouldn't want you to die."
She smiled gently.
Dumbledore said nothing.
He simply turned away, as if he hadn't seen it.
The space began to fade.
And in the next moment—
they were gone.
---
When Harry and Snape returned to the office—
they rushed straight to Darren.
And then—
both of them froze.
Darren was breathing.
Faintly—
but unmistakably.
Relief hit so hard it almost hurt.
Dumbledore spoke behind them.
"Good."
"Call the girls in."
"They can form the marriage contracts now… under our supervision."
He paused.
"…Hopefully more than ten."
But when the door opened—
even he stopped mid-sentence.
There were dozens of girls outside.
At least thirty.
Maybe forty.
All standing there—
dressed neatly—
watching him with nervous, hopeful expressions.
Dumbledore blinked.
Then slowly turned to Hermione and Ginny.
"…Are you certain… you intend to go through with this?"
"…with this many people?"
His expression was complicated.
Setting aside whether Darren would accept it—
were they really sure?
Hermione smiled, completely confident.
"Don't worry."
"He won't be able to bear the burden of so many lives."
"When he wakes up…"
"…he won't even think about dying anymore."
Dumbledore opened his mouth slightly.
"…That may be true."
"…Most people wouldn't be able to endure that."
He hesitated, then added,
"But Miss Granger… are you certain they understand?"
"If anything happens to Darren…"
"…their lives are tied to his as well."
Before he could finish—
the girls were already nodding.
One after another.
Without hesitation.
Hermione spoke again, her voice steady.
"I've told them many times."
"They all understand."
"They said… they're willing to die for him."
She looked at Darren.
"They stayed today. For him."
"I know they're sincere."
"And when he wakes up…"
"…he'll understand that sincerity."
Dumbledore looked at her.
"…And you?"
Hermione froze.
Then her eyes reddened.
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I just want him to live."
"When I saw him lying there…"
"…I wanted to die with him."
She took a breath.
"For years… we thought we would lose him."
"Now that we have a way to keep him…"
"…that's enough."