Recaps

Darren and Harry faced the first Triwizard task, with Darren defeating the Hungarian Horntail and recovering from a poisoned wound. As they returned to school life, the friends investigated the house-elves, prepared for the Yule Ball, and arrived at the celebration, where Percy revealed that Mr. Crouch was ill.

• Rita Skeeter published an article portraying Harry as jealous of Darren, while Harry and Darren learned that the first task would involve dragons.
• Sirius warned Harry that Karkaroff might have arranged Harry’s entry into the tournament and used Cedric to involve Darren, and Harry struck Ron after Ron mocked him.
• Darren drew the Hungarian Horntail, negotiated with it, then staged a fight and took its egg, but he collapsed after being poisoned and Snape treated him.
• Darren reunited with Harry and Ron after recovering, and they reconciled while the students celebrated the brothers’ performance.
• Darren and Hermione visited the kitchens, where the house-elves thanked Darren for defending them, and Darren recognized Winky as connected to Barty Crouch Jr.
• Darren said he would invite Hermione to the Yule Ball but would not begin a relationship while he might die, then helped Harry and Ron find partners and advised Harry to listen to the Golden Egg underwater.
• Darren and Hermione attended the Yule Ball together, and Percy told them that he was Mr. Crouch’s personal assistant and that Crouch was ill.

Darren helped Hagrid face prejudice, supplied Harry with Gillyweed, and rescued the hostages during the Black Lake task. The aftermath brought Rita Skeeter’s attacks on Darren and Hermione, warnings from Sirius about Crouch and Snape, and a new misunderstanding over Darren’s money.

• At the Yule Ball, Harry and Ron overheard Hagrid asking Madame Maxime whether she was a Half-giant, and Hagrid later withdrew from teaching after Skeeter published an article attacking him.
• During a lesson in the Forbidden Forest, the unicorn Alicorn recognized Darren as the one who had cured it and offered him a reward, so Darren asked only for a tail hair.
• Darren reassured Hagrid about his giant heritage, while Harry struggled to prepare for the Black Lake task until Moody gave Darren Gillyweed for him.
• Darren objected to the plan to use sleeping loved ones as hostages, but Dumbledore erased his memories, leaving Harry unaware of Darren’s role until the task began.
• Underwater, Darren searched for the hostages, rescued Fleur and Krum, and freed Hermione and the others before agreeing to take Hermione and Ron’s places so they could reach shore.
• Darren earned forty-five points for rescuing his friends, and Sirius later warned Darren and Harry that Barty Crouch might use Darren as bait and that Snape was under suspicion.
• After Skeeter’s article prompted abusive letters to Hermione, Darren wanted to confront her, but Dumbledore kept him at Hogwarts and helped stop the letters from reaching her.
• Hagrid introduced the Nifflers, and when the students realized Darren’s Galleons had disappeared, they suspected he had given his money away and tried to find ways to help him.

Darren and Harry uncovered clues about Crouch, learned how Voldemort’s soul was connected to them, and entered the final Triwizard task. The maze brought them to Voldemort’s resurrection, where Darren tried to protect Harry and the returning ghosts urged them to escape.

• Darren recorded Mr. Crouch’s warnings before Moody drugged and stunned Darren and Krum, then Dumbledore investigated the attack and Darren revealed the hidden message he had left himself.
• Darren and Harry entered Dumbledore’s Pensieve memories, learned about Barty Crouch Jr.’s conviction, and discovered that Ariana had consumed Voldemort’s remaining soul fragment inside Darren.
• Darren confronted Malfoy over Rita Skeeter’s false article, triggering a Great Hall brawl that ended with punishments and heavy point deductions for Gryffindor.
• Darren entered the maze first, defeated its obstacles, rescued Fleur, and later subdued the Imperiused Krum before finding the golden Quidditch Cup with Harry.
• The Cup transported Darren and Harry to Voldemort, who killed Mr. Diggory, revived himself with Harry’s blood, and tried to recruit Darren before Darren attacked him to protect Harry.
• Darren and Harry reached the Cup, but Voldemort stopped them and summoned the Death Eaters, tortured Harry, and briefly revived Darren while giving Wormtail a silver hand.
• Harry refused Voldemort’s demand to sever his bond with Darren, and their duel caused ghosts including Mr. Diggory, Lily, and James to emerge from Voldemort’s wand and urge Darren to take Harry and leave.

After Voldemort’s return, Darren repeatedly risked himself to protect Harry and joined the Order of the Phoenix while struggling with grief and fear. His first mission left him gravely injured, but he survived and recovered, determined to grow stronger.

• Darren returned from the graveyard with Mr. Diggory’s body, and Harry learned Darren had been badly injured but would recover.
• Moody revealed he was Barty Crouch Jr., who had manipulated the Triwizard Tournament and helped Voldemort, and Dumbledore and the others subdued him.
• Darren attended Mr. Diggory’s funeral, then spent the summer with Dumbledore and later visited China before rushing to protect Harry from the Ministry.
• Darren escaped Grimmauld Place to reach Harry, but Moody and the Order brought both brothers back, and Luna helped Darren express his grief, and Dumbledore admitted him to the Order.
• Dumbledore assigned Darren to investigate Dean Thomas’s disappearance, and Darren confronted Voldemort at Dean’s home, where Voldemort killed Dean and two Death Eaters.
• Darren faked his death and injury to escape Voldemort, then returned badly wounded and explained that Voldemort had altered his memories and given him a potion.
• Dumbledore told Darren that a prophecy named Harry as the one who could kill Voldemort, and Darren vowed to live and become stronger rather than give Harry his Obscurus.
• Darren’s body fell apart when Fred bumped him, so Snape put him into a healing sleep, and five days later, Snape confirmed Darren had recovered.