Bab 608: Chapter 608 Dinner (2 in 1)
There was a knock on the door outside Harry's small bedroom.
"Harry - come out to eat-" Aunt Petunia said dryly, and if it wasn't for the tattered cloth stuffed in Harry's ears that distorted the voice slightly, he would have been able to hear a hint of unnaturalness in her tone with much more politeness and courtesy than usual.
"Got it." Harry muttered, chewing his quill and staring at the scribbled handwriting on the parchment. Finally, he frowned and crossed out the word 'courage' and replaced it with 'firm, unwavering conviction', and after reading it over carefully he felt it made a lot more sense.
It would be better if I gave a few more examples. It would make it easier to understand, Harry thought.
"Harry-" The voice became noticeably impatient.
"Coming!"
Harry sprung up from his chair, removed the cloth from his ears, and proceeded to haphazardly gather the parchment together and press it underneath the Quidditch Through the Ages book before opening the door.
At the door was Aunt Petunia's long, thin, horse face, her long, thin eyebrows furrowed together in a tight pile and twisted into a lump at the center of her brow.
Harry froze.
Aunt Petunia had never been very kind to him, and he was used to that. What surprised him was something else; she's unexpectedly standing at his bedroom door today and seemed to be waiting there on purpose, which he had never expected at all. It took him a few seconds to realize how unsightly his current disposition is - he was stretched out, yawning halfway through, his right hand rubbing his dry eyes, his glasses pushed to his forehead, his whole body twisting unnaturally.
Aunt Petunia's lips were tightly pursed, and she barely managed to squeeze out a smile.
"There's a guest at home."
"Do you want me to pretend I'm not home?" Harry asked in a bored voice, mentally calculating that maybe he could slip out the window and get something to eat at Sirius' place.
"It's someone you know!" She said in a lowered voice, her bony knuckles turning white as she tightly clasped her two hands together.
Harry was taken aback, he was about to retort, how could that be possible? But there was indeed a faint sound of chatter coming from downstairs. Who could it be? He guessed randomly, it couldn't be Mr. Bagshot, could it? Did he successfully make it through the interview?
Harry raised his feet and ran downstairs -- Aunt Petunia who's behind him reached out her hand in desperation, her lips trembled as she mouthed: Harr ... but Harry was no longer in sight, as he stomped along the stairs, and the voices from downstairs became clearer, one of them was Uncle Vernon, the other one--.
"Grunnings Drill-making Company? Yeah, I know ... I worked at Neil's, didn't stay long, just a small director ... Ah, you're a director too? What a coincidence ..."
"Professor Hap!?" Harry exclaimed in disbelief.
He rubbed his eyes hard, doubting that he was dreaming. Professor Hap, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley were sitting at the dinner table, talking to each other amicably - from Harry's point of view, as long as Uncle Vernon didn't storm off and Dudley didn't cower in the nearest corner where he could hide, it was a fairly amicable atmosphere.
"Oh, Harry?" Felix looked over and couldn't help but chuckle, "Your hair-"
Harry touched the top of his head, knowing just by the feel of it that it must be a messy one, as he hadn't even bothered to take care of it lately, and now that this unkempt look was seen by the professor, he was a little embarrassed and tried to smooth it out with embarrassment.
"I have a comb here if you need it-"
"Thanks!" Harry shouted, walking over and sitting next to Professor Hap, staring at him as he pulled a comb out of his exquisite jacket pocket, Harry was a little stunned that the Professor still carried such a thing with him. But when he noticed that the professor was handing it over with his left hand, he grinned broadly.
This kind of secret will never be revealed to someone from the outside world due to the Ministry.
So Uncle Vernon and Dudley could only stare at the emerald ring and the comb in Felix's hand with their identical little eyes.
Aunt Petunia appeared with dragging feet, and since there was one more person than usual - and Harry reckoned none of them had the courage to sit with Professor Hap - she had to squeeze in between her husband and son, looking like a layer of spinach between two thick slices of bread.
Dinner was not exactly sumptuous.
It was all simple food, especially when it was set off with the exquisite glass bottle of wine that was clearly not supposed to be on this table. Harry was surprised to see a hint of embarrassment on Aunt Petunia's face, and he was inwardly amazed, as he wondered what kind of magic that Professor had cast.
"There doesn't seem to be enough food, so if you don't mind, I can cast a spell-"
"No!" Aunt Petunia squealed excitedly and Uncle Vernon's thick neck jerked up a notch, Harry knew that the professor's words had offended the Dursleys, who didn't want to hear any words related to magic, so he was very surprised that the professor wasn't fazed and even had a faint smile on his face.
"Really? But I think he's looking forward to it." Felix said.
Harry immediately turned his head to look at his cousin Dudley and saw a strong desire in his eyes, thus he became aware of the reason why he said that, Professor Hap would have never missed such blatant clues that they showed - who exactly was in charge of this house. Harry had grown sick of seeing it since he was a child, not to mention the case that had just played out in the past few days: the whole 'comic book stay/leave debate' that had ended in failure despite Aunt Petunia's weepy, painstaking persuasion.
He was simply amazed that the Professor had found out the truth in such a short time.
Felix snapped his fingers lightly.
Rows of gleaming golden plates descended from the empty space. Sausages, pastries, pies, steaks, smoked fish, salads, pumpkin juice, and orange juice ... packed the table to the brim. Harry is by no means a stranger to this food, and it seemed to him that the Professor had moved the Hogwarts kitchens over.
Aunt Petunia's eyebrows knitted tighter and her body leaned back as hard as it could as if to escape from her chair. After failing to do so she turned her head nervously from side to side, fearing that a neighbour would lean over the window and see this scene, and Uncle Vernon gasped for breath, his face turned a fleshy shade of vivid purple.
Dudley flinched at the sight before he sprung into action.
Honestly, the scene was still quite a shock, and if he wasn't used to seeing it, Harry reckoned he wouldn't be able to remain calm either. But he was hungry now, and it was a novel experience to be able to eat school food on a summer holiday, so he happily stuck his fork into a chicken leg.
"Er, can we have dinner now?" Harry asked as an afterthought.
"I'm a guest," Felix said vaguely, his gaze sliding past Vernon, Petunia, and finally landing on Dudley. "It's up to you ... I'm well familiar with both sides of the world, and these dishes should be to your liking, Harry had them at school." Then he added, "Unless you guys are on a diet."
Gulp.
Dudley swallowed hard. The power of that word was immense, Harry thought. Dudley has been trying to rebel against his family's diet menu for the past two years, ever since the summer of his third grade, when the school nurse at his school had sent Aunt Petunia a warning letter about his obesity.
"Dudley -" Aunt Petunia called out sternly.
Dudley looked at her with his small eyes, his one hand stubbornly creeping up to the table. Vernon coughed dramatically, his moustache twitching in a flurry, and the pig-hoofed-like hand paused hesitantly. After waiting a few seconds, it began to move again, insistently pushing the vegetarian salad they were meant to eat far away from them, in a silent expression of protest from its owner.
Uncle Vernon sighed heavily and picked up his fork, "Okay, you win, dinner is served." With that, he thrust up a chicken leg - which Harry was already chewing on - and he viciously tore off a chunk of meat.
Dudley stabbed up a whole steak in one swift motion and took a juicy bite.
Aunt Petunia seemed determined not to eat a single bite. She sat back in her chair, with her arms folded across her chest, staring into the air in the middle of the table. Even Harry could sense her determination, and he turned his head towards Professor Hap, who seemed to be oblivious to it, and was using a ladle to scoop up the mushroom soup.
By the time he was halfway through eating, Dudley had completely cast aside his scruples; he had eaten more meat tonight than he had all week combined and his mouth was oozing with oil. He seemed to have forgotten his fear and bravely stood up to reach for the smoked fish that was placed in front of Felix.
"Is it good?" Felix suddenly asked.
Dudley, who was bent over, froze for a moment and muttered as he looked up, "Yummy."
"Then why don't you serve some for your mother too?"
The fat outstretched arm of Dudley remained suspended in the air, his face froze as he looked at Felix, as if Felix had just told an awesome riddle, and it seemed clear from Dudley's face that he was performing a complex series of mental activities. After a moment's struggle, he placed a smoked fish on Petunia's clean, empty plate.
And before he could aim for a second smoked fish, his mother cried out.
"So, so nice, Diddy ..." her skinny arms wrapped around Dudley with a death grip, "what a, what a sweet boy, my baby ... "
Felix and Harry exchanged a silent glance and kept their opinions on this with reservations.
But Petunia was no longer resistant to eating.
Harry marvelled at Professor Hap's behaviour, and seemed to have discovered the trick: once he got hold of his cousin's emotions, the Professor became invincible. And now it seems that Dudley does not reject Professor Hap, or rather, does not fear him that much...
That comic book series must have played a vital role.
Well fed, Felix snapped his fingers once more and this time dessert appeared. No further questions were asked, as Dudley was the first to pounce. When it was all over, Felix waved his hand, and it all disappeared into thin air.
"Tell me," Vernon asked in a strong tone as he picked his teeth and sat limply on the sofa, "what kind of conspiracy are you up to?"
"A conspiracy?" Felix asked with some amusement.
There was a sudden silence in the room as if everyone realized that the visit would not come to an end in an amicable atmosphere. Harry pricked up his ears, Dudley was holding a cauldron cake, and even Aunt Petunia, who was pretending to be busy in the kitchen and clinking bottles and jars, was standing in the entrance at some point.
"That's right," Vernon said gruffly, "I give it a thought while I'm eating, don't think I'm easy to fool or that I'm going to be softer because of a meal ... Let me tell you, there is no chance! But you're a bit smarter than that big silly man I've seen-"
"Hagrid's not a big silly man!" Harry was enraged.
Uncle Vernon narrowed his eyes.
"Ah, I see, you want to talk to me about some serious topics." Felix said.
"You're right!" Vernon turned his head quickly and kept talking to the air, "You've once worked for Neil's, it's a big company ... but you see, I'm not that bad either, I'm a brilliant sales director, and I've seen all sorts of people ... If someone is plotting against my property or my house ..."
"Are you mad?" Harry shouted. "Me? Coveting your house?"
"I'm not mad, on the contrary quite sober." There was a shrewd gleam in Vernon's eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, "There have been signs for a while now, haven't there? That - that Voldemort fellow, he's been caught, boy, there's no reason for you to stay here any longer ..."
"Vernon." Aunt Petunia shouted from the kitchen entrance.
"First listen to what I have to say! That Voldemort has been captured ... we're safe, but this boy is still stuck here and refuses to move out, Petunia, think about it, why is that?"
"I want to know why too!" Harry yelled.
Felix cleared his throat.
"It seems that there is very little communication between you all. All it would take is a little understanding about the wizarding world for you to realize that this concern is completely unnecessary and just a delusion."
"Delusion?" Vernon glowered.
"That's right," Felix nodded, crossing his legs and extending his hand, and with a wave, a cup of steaming tea appeared in his hand. "Originally I had made no plans to help someone answer their questions, but I can spare a few minutes now because it's easy to explain."
Vernon mustered his energy to negotiate, his small eyes fixed on Felix's face with a firm gaze. Petunia did the same too.
"First of all, this house," he paused to look around with interest, "is in the care of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts - you know who he is, don't you?" His eyes settled on Petunia and her expression stiffened. " Then it is simple, being a powerful wizard, he has placed a high level of protective magic around this house, using the bloodline of kinship as a bond, which serves not only to protect Harry, who is not yet an adult, but also to protect you all from harm."
"The effects of the magic will last until Harry will become an adult and during that time Harry must stay here for a period of time each year, it doesn't have to be much, just a few weeks."
"Now that Voldemort has been captured, his henchmen are almost wiped out. The reason Harry is still here, well - I can only guess because I'm not the one making the decisions: it's probably because Voldemort isn't dead yet, and it's preferable to not let the magic expire, as a matter of caution."
"And he will manage to escape?" Vernon said with disgust, " Place him on our side--"
"There are plenty of jailbreakers this side too." Felix added with a slight nod. Vernon's face turned red with suffocation.
"Wizards and Muggles - that is, ordinary people - are alike in some ways, such as emotions; but there are a few areas where they differ - especially the parts related to magic - that can be vastly different. For example, Voldemort is a rather fearsome dark wizard in the context of what we're talking about."
"He is very different from the armed gangsters you remember, he is more dangerous, much more sinister ... For example, give him enough time, he could easily destroy London."
The Dursleys shivered.
"You, you don't think, we-"
"No matter how bizarre it may be in your mind, it is indeed true. Decades ago, he planned to take over the Ministry of Magic and spread his tentacles into the world of ordinary people. He and his men took pleasure in torturing ordinary people, and many of the clueless cases you know so well, in reality, were done by them."
"Harry's parents stood up against Voldemort at that time, and I don't know if they have ever told you this - but they did do what they thought was right. After that ... there were probably some deaths on both sides and Voldemort was unstoppable for a while until he came after the Potters -"
"The Boy Who Lived!" Dudley suddenly shouted, pointing at Harry, "He killed Voldemort."
Two inhalations of breath were heard.
"That was a misrepresentation," Felix corrected, "Voldemort didn't die, he just - well, in the words that you can understand, he was badly injured and had to go into hiding. There was also another fallacy, it wasn't Harry who seriously injured Voldemort that time, it was his mother, Lily Potter, who used a complex protection spell to defeat him. In short, a life for a life."
"Harry was sent to you for the reasons I stated earlier. He's not happy here, and although I'm in no position to accuse you, I would advise you from a neutral point of view, to restrain yourselves a little, after all, you won't be together for much longer. If those Fans of Harry know about it...
Yes, he has Fans. Quite a lot of them.
It is out of my hands what Harry chooses to do when he is an adult, that is his own business, but there are some things you need to know ..."
"For example, a wizard would never worry about a house. Take me as an example, I can build a town in a day if I have enough materials. And I do have plans for something like that, except it isn't for now."
The Dursleys stared, unable to figure out if the man in front of them was making it up.
"It's true," Harry said impatiently, "the Professor once built a castle over a hundred feet in a very short time. It's been two years now and that building is still being used as the headquarters of the 'Future World' company."
"The company? Who owns it?" Vernon asked sensitively.
"It's mine." Felix said cheerfully.
"Aren't you a professor at that whatever school?" Vernon promptly pressed on, seemingly pleased to find a hole in the conversation.
"Oh, I guess you have to allow me to have a side hustle."
Vernon muttered something with a suspicious look on his face as he pointed at Harry.
"This boy can build houses too?"
"Harry's talent isn't in that area, I'm just giving you a random example, there's a lot a wizard can make things like rockets for example - well, let's get back to the point, Harry is naturally magically active, maybe that must have caused some problems for you guys... ...but he is going to be a great warrior, just like his parents. In some ways, he has even gone above and beyond them. Voldemort's downfall is closely related to your nephew."
...
As Harry walked Felix to the door, he broke the silence by saying.
"Professor, what you have done is useless, I swear they won't change anything in the future."
"You're right, some people are incorrigible." Felix said approvingly.
"Then why-"
"As I said, how to deal with your relatives is your own business, and I have no intention of convincing them to change their minds with just a few words, that's not realistic. But at the very least, I don't want your relationship to get worse just because of my visit."
Harry looked down and mulled over the fact that the Professor seemed to have helped him, but the Professor himself would not admit it.
"Oh yes, almost forgot the main business, Harry, where does Mr. Bagshot live?"
"Just around the corner ... What's wrong?"
"Sadly, he can't come back, something bad happened ... I was asked to collect his luggage."
"He, he's dead?" Harry's eyes widened as the image of the frail, sometimes gentle, sometimes grim-tempered old man came to mind, and despite the fact that they had only been together for a total of a few days, and he had even urged him to cast a hex on the Dursleys, Harry had already come to think of him as a friend.
"Haha, a wonderful association!" Felix couldn't help but laugh, "I'll pass on your 'condolences' to him."
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[ Author:]
Basically, this is the end of the big storyline about the Dursleys, which may be mentioned sporadically later or appear in an epilogue. As Felix said, it's not realistic for a few words to change a person, he's just an outsider and can't and shouldn't make decisions for Harry.
In the original book, not even a near-life-and-death scenario could break the Dursleys' defences, and I can't think of a more earth-shattering scene to make it happen, so the change can only take place in Dudley's life.
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