Chapter 1279

Severus told me that you were irritable because you were guided by Voldemort to the Department of Mysteries in your dreams."

"Snape didn't teach me Occlumency properly at all, he made me even more irritable, my mind was even more open to Voldemort."

"It's Professor Snape, Harry, I believe in him, he wouldn't do that."

"But he didn't teach me Occlumency!"

"Darren allowed this, Darren felt that you were about to have exams and didn't want you to be so tired.

Didn't you notice that every time Occlumency was mentioned, he felt a bit guilty?"

Harry thought about how every time Occlumency was mentioned before, Darren would quickly change the subject.

He thought Darren was because he didn't know Occlumency himself, he didn't expect Darren was worried about him being too tired.

"Didn't you tell me to learn Occlumency? How could Darren say let me stop, and I just stop?"

"So, this is Darren's third mistake, he shouldn't have let you stop on his own, although I feel that because you saw Severus's memories, it's probably unlikely.

He could continue to teach you.

But he should have insisted on letting Severus teach you, if he had insisted, I think Severus..."

"I don't need you to blame him in front of me!"

Harry looked viciously at the old man in front of him. Why did he push all the mistakes onto Darren?

If it weren't for Snape's attitude toward him, how could Darren have stopped Occlumency because he was worried about him?

"Yes, Harry, all of this is because of me. I should have told you everything early on.

When you were just born, I was the one who put you at your aunt's doorstep.

Many people advised me that I should send you to be adopted by a wizard family, but I refused.

Because I knew long ago that Voldemort would return, he would become more powerful, and by then, even I wouldn't be able to defeat him.

I couldn't let you become a carefree little prince, especially since although Voldemort had fallen, his Death Eaters were still rampant at the time.

They were desperate to kill you to avenge their master.

Your mother's blood protection before she died protected you, as long as you were placed at your aunt's house, her blood protection protected you, and Petunia and the others."

"But they hate me..."

"Yes, but they are your only relatives."

As long as you still consider that place home, and go back once a year, you will continue to be protected by your mother's blood protection.

Then came your first year, your first year was carefree.

Darren appeared by your side, and you showed extraordinary power. You protected the Sorcerer's Stone together, you faced Voldemort together.

When you were lying in the hospital bed, waking up weakly, I was thinking, should I tell you the truth?

I hesitated, I didn't say anything, I lied to you, and I lied to Darren."

"You were suspicious of Darren!"

Harry pointed this out without hesitation. Dumbledore nodded.

He sighed and said: "Yes, you're right, at the beginning, I was also suspicious of Darren, my doubts about him never disappeared.

So in his second year, second-year Darren showed Parseltongue, when I learned this news, I was almost stunned.

I even thought Darren was sent by Voldemort, so I used Veritaserum on him.

And I also noticed that in his mind, just like you, there was something of Voldemort's.

I guessed that thing fell into his soul when Voldemort tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse in his first year.

This made me inexplicably panicked, I didn't know how to deal with him, one more thing of Voldemort's, one more risk.

I even wanted to kill him, yes, I really wanted to make that decision at the time, but I couldn't, just like anyone else, I knew he was a good child.

So I made a decision, I wanted to cultivate Darren just like I cultivated you.

Then in the third year, you saved Black and protected Buckbeak, I knew you were becoming more and more powerful.

Should I tell you everything?

I hesitated again, I made a mistake that many people make, I thought I could control everything, but I didn't.

So in the fourth year, you started having nightmares, when I heard Sirius mention it, I understood that he was coming back.

During the Triwizard Tournament, you and Darren were taken to the graveyard by him, I watched the whole thing.

Watching you being tortured by him, and then you brought Mr. Diggory's body back, Darren was admitted to St. Mungo's.

He couldn't even sleep, waking up every night.

You were the same, you were constantly plagued by nightmares, the excuse that you were still young had been used up by me, you saw him return with your own eyes, I should have told you...

But looking at your dark circles every morning, Darren's trance, your irritability, I delayed this time again.

I wanted to wait a little longer, wait until the Ministry of Magic's affairs were handled, wait until I could let you relax and safely accept all of this, and then tell you.

Then came the time I let Severus teach you Occlumency, that was after you saved Mr. Weasley.

I knew Voldemort had realized that you could see some things.

I hoped that with Severus's help, you could successfully complete Occlumency..."

"I couldn't do it, I couldn't practice it, I still had that dream every night... Hermione and, and Darren kept reminding me, telling me to close my mind... I couldn't do it, if I had done it, I wouldn't have had that dream, and I wouldn't have been lured there, and Darren wouldn't have..."

Harry's tears burst forth.

"Darren told me he was very uneasy... he told me to verify it, Kreacher told me... Kreacher lied to me!"