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Chapter 6 — The Spy and the Saint
The Father Value he'd earned just now wasn't as much as when the system issued a task, but Darren still smiled with deep satisfaction.
It was the kind of smile that wasn't hazy or forced — one that made people instinctively relax when they saw it.
And sure enough, Dumbledore's expression softened immediately, clearly infected by it.
> "Oh, my dear boy," Dumbledore chuckled, "surely you don't think I'd use my own money, do you? Your parents left you quite a few Galleons... Well— I suppose I haven't told you what a Galleon is yet. You can ask Professor Snape — your future Potions Master. He's right there."
Dumbledore pointed toward the window.
Darren turned — and nearly lost it.
Outside, pressed awkwardly against the glass, was a tall, sallow man in black robes. His hooked nose was squashed against the pane, making him look for all the world like a sad bat that had just hit a wall.
Snape.
Even this version of him was pure comedy gold.
Darren almost burst out laughing, but then remembered the "Light of the Holy Father" buff he'd just been using.
He quickly tugged at his hair, forcing a shy, embarrassed look onto his face, trying to hide the grin that threatened to escape. Then he hurried to the door, his voice full of concern.
> "Professor Snape! Is Kenley all right?"
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[Ding! +50 Father Value.]
---
Darren accepted the bonus with practiced ease, though his mind was already racing.
Dumbledore had mentioned his parents' Galleons — which meant money.
And that reminded him: Kenley had been injured.
Mrs. Linda, that greedy witch, would definitely try to demand compensation.
What if Dumbledore, touched by his "kindness," decided to actually pay her?
That was his inheritance!
Kenley was built like a mountain — Darren suspected the boy had distant giant blood, maybe a cousin of Hagrid or something — and yet Mrs. Linda would still call him a "poor child" and try to shake them down.
Darren's thoughts spiraled. Should he… pretend to faint?
Maybe that'd stall things long enough for Snape to handle it.
---
To anyone watching, Darren's expression looked pained and conflicted — like a boy grieving for someone who'd hurt him but whom he still couldn't bring himself to hate.
Snape stared at him for a long moment, something flickering in his dark eyes.
Lily.
So much of her in this one.
He finally spoke, voice low and slightly rough.
> "With that brain of yours... do you really think I'd still be standing here if the boy were dead?"
Right. Wizards who hurt Muggles could end up in Azkaban — even professors like him.
Luckily, Snape had already disguised the incident.
The idiots at the Ministry of Magic apparently believed that Kenley was a twenty-something half-giant who'd attacked him.
> "He'll be fine," Snape added flatly. "In about ten minutes, he should show up."
---
Darren's eyes brightened instantly.
So Kenley was alive — and he didn't owe anyone money!
Brilliant!
He couldn't help admiring Snape for a moment. No wonder the man was the most famous double agent in wizarding history — he was good at this kind of cleanup.
Still, Darren was curious. How did Snape get the Ministry to clear him so quickly? From Dumbledore's arrival till now, it had been barely an hour.
Since when was the Ministry that efficient?
Of course, as the "innocent boy who knew nothing," he couldn't ask.
He just needed to know Kenley was safe — and his wallet was safe.
---
> "That's good! That's really good!" Darren sighed in relief.
He'd earned so many Father Points off that brute already. Without Kenley, his system would've had fewer triggers for temporary missions.
Now that he thought about it — why hadn't the system released any new ones yet?
---
[Ding! System detected host's thoughts. Starting today, three temporary missions will be issued daily. The rest must be self-triggered by the host.]
---
Ah. So that's how it worked.
No wonder there hadn't been any new prompts — only three per day.
Still, the rewards from those were solid. He couldn't help wondering what tomorrow's missions would bring.
The thought made his eyes light up, his face filled with innocent joy — like a child happy just to know someone else was safe.
---
Snape's hand tightened unconsciously. For a second, something soft — almost nostalgic — flickered beneath his usual cold mask.
Lily.
Yes, this was Lily's child.
The red hair, the green eyes, that delicate face — and that unbearable kindness.
He couldn't even bring himself to hate him the way he hated James.
Lily had two sons — Darren Potter and Harry Potter.
Both had her bravery, her warmth, her heart.
If they stood side by side, identical red hair and green eyes shining back at him, how could he be cruel to either of them?
Dumbledore had warned him that Voldemort would return, that he'd have to play both sides — spy for the Order, spy for the Dark Lord — and that he couldn't show affection to these boys.
But looking at Darren now… he couldn't find a reason not to care.
Every glance, every smile, every word — all of it reminded him of Lily.
The same gentle strength. The same light.
Damn it all. He couldn't even pretend this boy was James Potter's son.
He was hers.
---
Because of Lily's death, Snape had avoided Privet Drive all these years, even though it was practically down the street from his own miserable house. He'd told himself that not seeing Harry would keep him strong, that avoiding them would protect his resolve.
But here, in front of Darren Potter, that resolve was already crumbling.
---
(Author's note: In the original books, it's never confirmed whether Snape secretly saw Harry before Hogwarts. In this fanfic, he didn't. Don't argue — let's just go with it!)
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