Hogwarts: I Obtained the Paternal System

A lone little bed, with a small cabinet beside it.

Next to the cabinet was a set of worn-out desk and chairs.

Whenever visitors came to inspect the place, the desk would be covered with a tablecloth, making it look much brighter.

But it was not inspection time now, so everything still looked terribly shabby.

Darren did not mind any of that. He opened the cabinet and took out a piece of mirror.

It was a shard from a mirror Mrs. Linda had once broken, divided among the children.

Darren did not mind that either. He wiped it clean, then leaned close to look at his reflection.

The moment he saw himself, he was astonished.

No wonder Snape had looked at him with such nostalgia.

This face was simply far too beautiful. It had the sweetness of a child, along with the handsome features of someone about to grow up.

His emerald-green eyes were bright and watery. Whenever he looked steadily at someone, it seemed as though he were gazing intently at the whole world.

A head of vivid red hair lay softly over his scalp. For some reason, one lock at his temple stubbornly curled upward, looking a little like an ahoge.

His little face was slightly pale, and there was a scar on his forehead. The skin around it was bruised, yet it did not look ugly. Instead, it made people feel sorry for him.

The system was fucking awesome!

Darren fiercely praised the system.

Only then did he put the mirror back where it belonged.

He did not plan to take that mirror with him. He would leave it for those who came after him.

The rest of his things, however, had to be taken along.

Not because he would need them later, but because they would make people pity him.

After all, who could bear to blame such a miserable child, even if he made a few mistakes?

Even Snape had carefully considered his wording when speaking to him. The sort of lines that stabbed Harry right in the heart had never appeared.

That was the importance of being pitied.

Of course, throwing away all of the original owner's belongings would indeed be immoral, and it would not fit his current Paternal persona either.

Darren sighed and took another set of patched clothes from the wardrobe, along with a pair of little underpants with a huge hole in them.

Two biscuits that were nearly moldy.

And a pencil that had only been used a few times. It was the pencil Mrs. Linda used to make them write.

Though they were only allowed to use it when visitors came to inspect the place.

Looking at this small pile of belongings, Darren could not help feeling sorry for himself.

Fortunately, he had obtained the system. Otherwise, he would have had to stay in this orphanage for a while longer before finding a way out.

And it would not even have been a reliable way out.

"Oh, my dear child, have you finished packing your things?" As Darren turned around, Dumbledore's voice sounded behind him.

Chapter 8: An Alternative Angle

"Professor... I've finished packing!"

Darren held up his clothes, his tone still cheerful as he pretended not to notice Snape and Dumbledore frowning at the same time.

Surprised?

As the younger son of Lily and James, and the younger brother of the famous Harry Potter, he only had two sets of clothes.

Darren could more or less guess what the two of them were thinking right now.

But he had no intention of comforting them. Who told him to be this miserable?

"Severus, I think this child may need some daily necessities and a change of clothes... Oh, dear little Darren, I hope you will accept this belated gift from an old man. He does not know what else he can use to make up for the guilt in his heart."

Before Darren could put on his Paternal act, Dumbledore cut him off.

Darren rolled his eyes.

It was not as though he had not planned to spend his own money on clothes, but he could not miss an opportunity to act like a Paternal figure!

However, as someone determined to display his Paternal nature at every possible moment, Darren found another unusual angle.

Tilting his head, he looked up at Dumbledore and suddenly said gently, "Mr. Dumbledore, Mr. Snape, I think I understand. You feel guilty because you did not find me all these years, so you want to compensate me.

"I forgive you. Really. I think this is what you want to hear. You do not owe me anything.

"If—if you truly cannot put it behind you, perhaps you could find me a place to live. That might make you feel a little better."

[ Ding, Paternal Points +100 ]

Darren was delighted.

Having received the Paternal Points, he now had several hundred of them. He still did not know what Paternal Points could do besides controlling the Obscurus.

He would check when he had time.

For now, he still had to deal with Dumbledore and Snape.

He had a feeling that he might gain another batch of Paternal Points.

The boy's eyes were full of comfort. He had not said those words against his will.

He sincerely wanted them to feel better, and was even willing to accept their compensation.

But that only made Dumbledore and Snape's feelings more complicated.

They should have been the ones comforting this child, yet the child had turned around and comforted them instead.

James and Lily had protected the Wizarding World. Their child should have lived a life that was not necessarily wealthy, but at the very least, the life of a normal child.

Yet Darren did not even own a single piece of clothing without patches.

He was often beaten, never had enough to eat, and was bullied by others.

That was all their failure.

And this child was worried that they would feel bad, so he comforted them instead.

This child truly stood at the complete opposite extreme from Voldemort!

Dumbledore took off his glasses and wiped at his eyes before sighing. "Child, I hope you can accept our compensation. Consider it the most sincere request of an old man.

"As for a place to live, for now, you will need to stay at Hogwarts. I think Harry will need some time to adjust to your presence as well."

"Alright, I have no objections, Professor Dumbledore. And if Professor Snape feels the same way, I will accept your gift too.

"Although I feel like I am taking advantage of you, if this can make you feel better..."

[ Ding, Paternal Points +50 ]

Darren was a little disappointed. This time it was not one hundred, but had gone back to fifty.

Still, getting it with just a few words was not a loss.

As for Dumbledore saying Harry needed time to adjust to his existence, Darren did not believe it.

Dumbledore was probably worried that he might have hidden issues. After all, the old man was suspicious by nature.

And he needed to explain things to Petunia too. Thinking of Petunia and Vernon's personalities, Darren could not help feeling a headache on Dumbledore's behalf.

As Darren smiled, Dumbledore smiled as well.

With a genial smile, he said, "Severus should be very willing to buy you a gift. He is not good with words, so you only need to accept it with peace of mind."

After Dumbledore said that, he and Darren both looked at Snape.

Snape had maintained a vacant expression the entire time. Only when Darren looked at him did he let out a grunt through his nose.

If Darren had not had such sharp hearing, he might have thought Snape had snorted instead.

"Alright, if you are done talking, then it is time to leave this place. Oh, and your 'friend' who may have troll blood is over there!"

When Snape said "friend," he emphasized the word. Then he raised his chin, the tip of his greasy nose pointing in a certain direction.

Darren followed his gaze and saw Kenli standing with several children, peeking over at them.

From their expressions, they seemed to have completely forgotten what had happened earlier.

Thinking about Snape giving each of them an Obliviate with the same expression he would use to cast Avada, Darren could not help silently mourning for them for a second.

But he soon became a little sad.

He was leaving this place. He had originally planned to keep farming Kenli's rewards at the orphanage, but life was truly unpredictable!