Chapter 506: Arianna!!
"It didn't hurt… but, Headmaster Dumbledore, how do you know my scar hurt during the summer?"
"Oh, you're not the only one writing to Sirius," Dumbledore replied calmly.
"I've been corresponding with him as well—and I'm the one bringing him back."
He spoke without lifting his head, his gaze fixed on the Pensieve.
Harry and Darren both looked shocked.
But they quickly accepted the explanation.
Harry hurriedly asked, "Headmaster Dumbledore, why can I see those scenes through my scar?"
"On the night Voldemort tried to kill you," Dumbledore said quietly,
"that failed curse created a connection between you and him."
As he finished speaking, he turned his eyes toward Darren.
"Darren, have you ever seen the scenes Harry sees?"
"No," Darren answered honestly.
Harry looked confused.
"Wasn't that curse only supposed to connect me to Voldemort?"
Dumbledore shook his head.
He hesitated briefly, then said,
"In your first year, when Voldemort tortured Darren with the Cruciatus Curse, he also created a connection with Darren."
Harry's face turned pale.
He remembered.
Back then, when he and Hermione had once entered Dumbledore's office and seen Darren after he'd been given Veritaserum, Dumbledore had spoken to Snape.
At the time, Dumbledore had said that Darren was connected to Voldemort.
Harry hadn't paid much attention then.
But now…
He had never imagined that Voldemort, after torturing Darren for so long with the Cruciatus Curse, had also bound him to himself.
"Of course," Dumbledore continued,
"it was only a very weak connection—nothing like the one you have with Voldemort. Otherwise, Darren would have felt far more."
Then he paused.
"But… Darren, can you open your mind and let me examine it once more?"
At that moment, Darren suddenly remembered something.
In addition to Voldemort's soul fragment, there was also Arianna's soul fragment in his mind.
Because Arianna was always chattering away, Darren had been afraid that one day he might respond to her out loud and expose everything.
So he had used the system to block his connection with Arianna.
Back then, during Dumbledore's first probe, Arianna had hidden behind Voldemort's soul fragment, which was why Dumbledore hadn't discovered her.
Darren didn't know whether Arianna would reveal herself this time.
Originally, he hadn't wanted Dumbledore to know about Arianna's existence.
He was worried—if Dumbledore truly saw his sister in such a state, would he lose control?
But now…
Darren carried both Grindelwald's and Dumbledore's bloodline.
He believed Dumbledore would never harm him.
So Darren smiled, stepped forward, and said,
"Headmaster, go ahead. You can look directly."
Dumbledore sighed softly.
This child was always so unguarded.
He raised his wand and placed it gently against Darren's forehead.
Though he had seen the soul fragments in Darren's mind before, he didn't know whether anything had changed.
As Dumbledore began probing, Darren temporarily lifted Arianna's mental barrier.
He immediately sensed her presence.
After two years, Arianna still looked like the same cute little girl as before—
still chattering nonstop.
"Brother is tricking people again! Darren is so pitiful—bad brother!"
"Should I let bad brother see me?"
"But… that soul fragment is gone…"
Arianna sounded conflicted.
Darren realized that Voldemort's soul fragment—already small to begin with—was now barely there.
It was on the verge of disappearing entirely.
What on earth happened?
Why was Voldemort's soul fragment almost gone?
Unable to ask Arianna directly, Darren asked the system.
After paying one thousand Holy Father points, he finally learned the truth.
Arianna had eaten Voldemort's soul fragment.
…Eaten it.
Darren felt utterly stunned.
He had disliked Voldemort's soul fragment from the start, but—
Eaten?
This little girl had quite the appetite.
Fortunately, because the absorption happened internally, the bonuses provided by Voldemort's soul fragment had not disappeared.
As long as Arianna's soul remained within him, the benefits would remain.
If Arianna ever left his soul, he would either have to spend Father points to retain those bonuses—or give them up entirely.
Darren decided one thing very clearly:
If Arianna ever wanted to leave his soul, she would have to agree with him first.
Otherwise, he would never let her go.
Eating souls… truly impressive.
Meanwhile, Arianna continued chattering:
"Brother is so annoying, always searching everywhere for that soul!"
"That soul was so bad—it wanted to eat Arianna, and eat Darren too! So Arianna ate him first!"
"I'm hiding!"
"Now I'm hiding again!"
"You can't find me, you can't find me—ah! Waaa! Brother found Arianna!"
"Arianna doesn't want to go! Arianna wants to live here!"
"Arianna doesn't want to be separated from Darren!"
She began to cry softly, clearly frightened that Dumbledore might take her away.
But she worried too much.
Extracting her was extremely difficult—even Dumbledore couldn't do it easily.
And Darren certainly wouldn't allow it, at least not until everything was over.
Dumbledore, however, was deeply shaken.
He stood frozen for a long time, utterly stunned.
Only when Harry cleared his throat did he finally ask,
"Headmaster Dumbledore… how is Darren? He—"
"Very good," Dumbledore interrupted with a laugh.
"Very, very good!"
He laughed so loudly that Harry was startled.
Dumbledore looked at Darren, smiling warmly.
"This is wonderful news, Darren. What Voldemort left in your mind has been consumed by another little soul."
"I don't know how she entered your mind, but she digested what Voldemort left behind."
"Yes… souls can consume one another."
"I don't know how she arrived, but Darren—you and she are safe."
"For that, I am grateful."
"And I am even more grateful for you."
Harry hesitated, then said nervously,
"But, Headmaster… whoever entered Darren's mind, isn't that dangerous for him?"
Dumbledore looked at him with approval.
"Very brave of you, Harry. I think I know why Darren always admires you so much. You're just like him—you're willing to do anything for him."
Then he said firmly,
"Harry, that child's presence in Darren's mind will not harm him in the slightest."
"She is already dead—an old friend of mine. What remains of her somehow found its way to Darren."
"I did wish to see her again… but I couldn't. And I won't force it."
"She can absorb what little remains of Voldemort inside Darren, and Darren is the best place for her to stay."
"Darren, would you be willing to come occasionally and let me see her?"
"I swear—I will never allow her to hurt you."
"You don't need to swear," Darren replied softly.
"I believe you. Sometimes, I think I can feel her."
"I think… she must be a very lovely young lady."
[Ding, Father value +100]
[Ding, Holy Father value +10]