After the end-of-term feast, Hogwarts officially went on holiday.
Wade and his classmates received their exam results.
This time, Wade achieved the top score in every subject.
Hermione had performed excellently as well, but during the practical exams, Wade displayed a level of skill far beyond his peers, prompting the professors to unanimously award him extra points.
The following morning was the day to take the Hogwarts Express home.
Students packed their belongings, which house-elves would transport to the train. As usual, they gathered downstairs for breakfast at the scheduled time.
The SSC group sat together at the Hufflepuff table.
"I'm so jealous of you, Harry," Padma said, poking at the cake on her plate with a glum expression. "Once you get off the carriage, you can just turn a corner and be home. We have to sit on the train for a whole day."
"I'm jealous of you," Harry replied with a smile. "I think sitting together in a compartment is a lot of fun."
He enthusiastically invited everyone to visit his house during the holidays, promising this time they wouldn't need to help with chores.
The group politely declined.
During the long summer break, most of them already had plans to travel and go on vacation.
Harry looked pitiful as he watched them discuss their plans, clearly envious.
"Don't worry," Wade said reassuringly. "I bet Remus and Sirius will definitely take you out somewhere. For wizards, distance isn't really an issue, and traveling abroad isn't very expensive."
Hearing this, Harry looked both expectant and slightly nervous.
As they spoke, a gray owl delivered a note to Harry. He unfolded it and froze for a moment.
"Who sent you a letter?" Hermione asked.
"Dumbledore," Harry replied as he stood up with the note in hand. "He wants to see me."
The boy walked along the passage between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, passing behind the other students busy eating breakfast, and then exited through a small door.
Wade watched him leave, and faintly guessed what it might be about.
…
In a room adorned with numerous portraits, Dumbledore sat on a long bench. His lake-blue robes were patterned with circles, triangles, and hexagrams.
Harry knocked on the open door and stepped inside.
"Professor Dumbledore?"
"Oh, Harry, you're here."
Dumbledore gestured for Harry to sit down. Behind his half-moon glasses, his blue eyes regarded the boy kindly, almost with a hint of pity.
Harry avoided his gaze. He instinctively felt uncomfortable under such a look, as though something bad was about to happen.
"Professor, what did you want to see me about?" Harry asked.
"I noticed something, Harry," Dumbledore began.
"The house-elves told me that you left a note on your trunk, asking them not to load it onto the train but to leave it on the platform instead?"
"Yeah," Harry said, confused. "I'm not taking the train. You know that… Sirius's house is in Hogsmeade."
After six months, Harry had finally grown accustomed to the fact that he had a godfather and understood that, legally, Sirius was his rightful guardian, more so than Remus.
"Yes, I'm aware," Dumbledore said softly, interlacing his fingers. "But I must tell you, Harry—you need to go back to the Dursleys'."
"What?!"
Harry shot to his feet, unable to control himself as he shouted at the headmaster. "Why?! I hate them, and they hate me! And… and Sirius is my godfather! He wants to take me in!"
"Yes, which is why I spoke to both Sirius and Remus," Dumbledore explained. "At first, they opposed the idea, just like you. But in the end, they agreed with me."
Harry froze, and his hands and feet became cold. After a long silence, he finally asked in a trembling voice, "…Why?"
"It's related to the magic your mother left behind," Dumbledore said. "I believe you remember—last year, in the hospital wing, when you asked me why Quirrell couldn't touch you, I explained it to you."
"Yes," Harry murmured, recalling the moment. "You said… my mother's powerful love left me with a kind of charm… it's hidden in me… that's why Voldemort felt such unbearable pain when he touched me…"
"Precisely," Dumbledore confirmed. "Your mother used a very ancient magic to protect you when you were one year old. It protected you again when you were eleven. But this magic has conditions for its continuation."
Dumbledore explained, "Lily's magic is carried in your bloodline. It's the blood connection between you and Petunia Dursley. For the protective barrier to remain, you need to return to the place where she resides and stay there for a period each year."
Harry stared blankly into Dumbledore's eyes, with his heart aching.
He couldn't tell whether the pain came from the weight of his mother's sacrifice or from the realization that he would have to return to the place he thought he had escaped.
…
When Harry stumbled back into the Great Hall, the others were already preparing to leave.
Noticing his dazed, almost soulless appearance, Ron, who had been chatting with his dormmates, grew worried. He ran over and put an arm around Harry's shoulders.
"Hey, mate, what's wrong?"
Ron asked, eyeing the others around them suspiciously.
"I have to go back to the Dursleys…" Harry said with his face showing visible despair. "At least for a month…"
"What?" Ron was even more shocked than Harry. "Are Sirius and Lupin too busy to take you in?"
"No… it's not that… it's because…"
Harry glanced around at the nearby students and decided to hold back the rest of his explanation.
"But you're the guy who stabbed a basilisk in the eye with a fang!" Michael said, puzzled. "What could those Muggle relatives of yours possibly do to you?"
"You're not allowed to use magic during the holidays," Ron explained.
"But…" Michael remained confused. "You didn't use magic to take down the basilisk, did you?"
"But I can't exactly stab Uncle Vernon in the eye with a steak knife either, can I?" Harry replied helplessly. Despite feeling utterly downcast, Michael's comment almost made him laugh.
"Why not tell them about what you accomplished this year? Maybe they'll feel proud of you," Hermione said optimistically. "It could be a chance to improve your relationship with them."
Harry shook his head. "They'll just think I'm threatening them and get furious. If they hear that even basilisk venom didn't kill me, they'll probably get even angrier…"
"Don't worry," Wade chimed in, offering advice. "Remember why they backed off before? What the Dursleys did to you is illegal. If they try to mistreat you again, you can report them. People like them are terrified of the police showing up at their door."
"But…" Harry said hesitantly, "what if Uncle Vernon takes my wand and locks me up? Then I won't be able to call the police."
"Take a page from your Book of Friends in advance and hide it somewhere they won't find," Wade suggested. "If they do lock you up, just send a message to any one of us. We'll come to rescue you right away."
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
[email protected]/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------