From Hogwarts to Sturhaven

Ivy was very excited by the love-hate relationship between the young wizards, but Dumbledore obviously didn't like this kind of scene. Perhaps the magic of love and friendship was more to his liking.

“A very clever strategy, Malfoy.” Cassandra had already figured out Malfoy’s motives. She shook her head and added, “But perhaps you should trust your companions a little more. This is just a test…”

There's no need to betray them.

These were things Cassandra didn't say aloud, but Malfoy clearly didn't see it that way.

"I don't like being friends with a bunch of arrogant Gryffindors, and this is going to be a competition!" Malfoy shook his head, meeting Ron's angry gaze.

"We saved your life!" Ron shouted angrily. Just moments ago, he had secretly thought that Malfoy wasn't so bad after all, at least not as unapproachable as that undead giant.

“Although I didn’t ask Scarface to do that…” Malfoy paused for a moment, “but rest assured, the Malfoy family has absolutely no one who defaults on their debts.”

Such arrogant remarks undoubtedly enraged the proud Ron, who clenched his fists, seemingly hesitant to pounce.

“Granger, please don’t let them fight, okay?” Cassandra looked at Hermione beside her and said softly, “For the sake of the fact that we fought together.”

Cassandra had always considered herself a ruthless avenger, but now it seems that perhaps her understanding of ruthlessness referred to how she treated herself, rather than how she treated others…

She shook her head, banishing her wavering thoughts, and turned to walk into the black flames.

“Alright, Ron!” Hermione came to Ron’s side, trying to persuade him. “No matter how wicked his plot was, it didn’t work, right? We have to believe in Harry.”

Harry, or perhaps Hermione would be better off not mentioning that name.

Although Ron doesn't deny that he's Harry's best friend, just look at what he's done tonight!

Bickering with Malfoy? Cheering Harry on as he rides his flying broomstick? Getting the chessboard violently overturned when he's about to show off his skills and play what is arguably the best game of wizard chess in Hogwarts history? Or being forced to drag Malfoy through a pool of corpses? Or serving as a rag for him in this room, just to get a new robe or two?

Ron had never realized he had so many thoughts; it felt like a thousand ducks were quacking in his head. In this magnificent castle, he had always lived like a clown. Perhaps it was time for the clown to unleash his fury and let that arrogant Slytherin experience the wrath of a lion.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” spoke a man who should never have spoken, Dumbledore revealing his imposing figure, startling the three young wizards in the room. “You have all done very well, whether it is Miss Granger who solved the puzzle and the devil’s web, Mr. Weasley who was able to set aside his prejudices and pull his opponent away from danger, or even Mr. Malfoy who racked his brains to achieve victory.”

Ron's anger came and went quickly. Dumbledore had just praised him—the greatest white wizard of the century had praised him. This immense honor (in Ron's view) had even somewhat clouded his judgment.

Ron noticed a glint in Dumbledore's blue eyes and a hint of a smile at the corners of his wrinkled eyes, and he lowered his head in embarrassment.

“Oh…” Hermione exclaimed, “Professor Dumbledore! You…you’ve been here all along?”

“Not just me,” Dumbledore smiled kindly, “but also Professor Victor.”

Hearing that Dumbledore was calling on him, Ivy had no choice but to remove the Disillusionment Charm from her body and simply greeted him, "Good evening."

Ivy is now certain that Dumbledore has been maintaining Legilimency all along; otherwise, he would never have chosen to suddenly appear at this time. It seems that he has also made monitoring the mental health of young wizards one of his responsibilities as headmaster.

Chapter 136 Avada Kedavra

“Avada Kedavra!”

A dazzling green light flashed, and Harry was back where he started, the piercing screams still echoing in his ears.

Even now, he still can't understand what happened.

The evening breeze ruffled his messy black hair, and Harry snapped out of his reverie, looking at the row of brick and stone country cottages in front of him.

Harry wasn't sure whether they belonged to wizards or Muggles, because until now, he hadn't seen any wizarding buildings other than Diagon Alley and Hogwarts.

Unlike the crooked houses in Diagon Alley, the row of houses in front of them looked quite neat. Half-height hedges separated the front yards from the path at Harry's feet, and many lush green ivy clung to the walls of the houses. Bright, warm light shone from the windows of each house, making them look exceptionally cozy.

Harry felt a sense of relief and walked along the concrete path towards the end of the row of houses.

This is the only house without lights on. It appears to have three floors and is probably a cozy little home for a couple.

Harry placed his hand on the iron gate, which looked very smooth and must have been used frequently.

Perhaps the homeowner had simply gone out to buy supplies? Harry was curious about what kind of person the homeowner was.

His gaze shifted to the side and he saw a brass plaque on the brick wall.

“Potter.” Harry smiled. This surname is not uncommon in England. It seems to have originally referred to a bricklayer or potter. There are a large number of Potters among Muggles.

The lights in the three-story house were suddenly turned on, as if they had been turned on just for him.

Harry loosened his grip on the iron gate, but it opened for him. He hesitated for a moment, then slipped into the neatly arranged courtyard. Standing before the bare wood door, he was at a loss for what to do.

Just as Harry finally raised his hand to knock, a woman pushed the door open from the inside.

She was clearly startled by Harry standing outside the door, but immediately a beautiful smile bloomed on her face.

Harry could swear it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

The woman standing at the door was also beautiful, with deep red hair and green eyes, exactly like Harry's.

"Harry!" the woman called Harry's name affectionately and pulled him into the house. "I was wondering where you'd gone off to have fun again! Why aren't you back for dinner? Alright, sweet boy, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner. Dad is already waiting in the dining room."

She is my mother.

Harry was absolutely stunned.

It was only then that he realized that his mother and the image reflected in the Mirror of Erised were exactly the same, only that the two-dimensional image had suddenly become a real person, which caught Harry off guard.

Tears blurred his vision without him realizing it, but he didn't want to waste time wiping them away; he just wanted to take one more look.

Lily Potter was talking about the mundane things a housewife does, just like Harry had dreamed countless times. She noticed the change in her son behind her, turned around to look at him, and saw tears streaming down Harry's cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Lily Potter hugged her son, just like eleven years ago, holding him tightly in her arms and patting his back with one hand.

“I just…” Harry didn’t know where to put his hands at first, but finally obediently placed them on his mother’s red hair behind her back, “I just missed you so much…”

"Hehe." Lily Potter's laughter was lovely. She touched cheek to cheek with Harry and said softly, "I've always been here..."

"Boom!"

Harry turned his head; the commotion was coming from the foyer, and he wasn't the only one who had been alerted.

A male voice approached rapidly from the direction of the restaurant: "Lily? Are you alright, Harry!"

He was a tall but thin man, also wearing round glasses, with messy black hair and a tuft of hair standing up unruly at the back of his head, just like Harry's.

“You guys go inside, I’ll go out and check,” James Potter said, standing at the restaurant entrance. Then he added to Harry, “You’re a good boy now, Harry. Protect your mother, okay?”

Harry nodded and watched James Potter leave. He suddenly wanted to touch the scar on his forehead, but all he found were beads of sweat from nervousness.

“Dad!” Harry called out.

James Potter turned around, gave his son an encouraging smile, and then disappeared behind the door.

The green fluorescence reflected off the walls and into the living room. Before Harry could figure out what was happening, he heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.

A figure shrouded in a black robe floated in from the entrance hall, a withered, pale hand raised from beneath the robe, clutching a magic wand.

Harry felt his mother hug him tighter than ever before.

“Avada Kedavra!”

The green light seemed to have been flashing for a century, and Harry had never felt breathing so difficult.

The air seemed to condense in his chest; a chill penetrated his skin, reaching his chest and his very heart...

He was engulfed by the cold, his ears pounding as if water were lashing his body. He sank deeper, and the roar in his ears grew louder...

Screams came from afar—terrible, frightened, pleading screams.

……

Harry took a deep breath, like a drowning person finally surfacing...

He stood on the street at dusk once again.

Underfoot was a cement road covered with moss, and neat hedges lined the roadside. A row of tidy houses were covered with lovely green ivy.

Harry quickened his pace, heading towards the house at the end of the road...

€€€€€€€€

"Truly brilliant magic." Dumbledore and Ivy stood before the final barrier to the Mirror of Erised, an illusion created by Ivy using ancient magic. Although from the outside it appeared to be an endless grassland, Ivy himself had no idea what those who entered would actually encounter.

A goat peered out from inside the wall, seemingly very curious about whether the white-bearded creature in front of it was one of its own kind.

“This is much more exquisite and lifelike than the portraits that cover Hogwarts.” Dumbledore studied it for a while, but finally gave up. “It seems that the two young wizards have already gone in.”

“I can’t think of any other possibilities.” Ivy pointed her finger at the wall, creating ripples.

"Can we see what they went through inside?" Dumbledore's blue eyes were full of curiosity; at his age, he rarely saw anything new anymore.

“Yes, just like with the Pensieve, we’ll stand beside them.” Ivy nodded, took out the ancient magic wand made of goblin silver, and stirred it in the water on the wall. A vortex gradually expanded, eventually becoming an entrance as tall as a person. “Please, Professor Dumbledore.”

Chapter 137 Illusion

"Where is this?" Ivy crouched down at the street corner. Several pumpkins were piled on the ground, and candles were lit in the carved mouths with sharp teeth. "It seems the townspeople are celebrating Halloween?"

"Amazing...it's truly amazing..." Dumbledore's face was full of a daze as he looked around in astonishment. There was a small square not far away, where several children dressed as pumpkins were chasing each other. Paper spiders crawled all over the shop windows, and some small bats hung under the electric lights.

“A Muggle town?” Ivy asked uncertainly. He didn’t know that the magic would create such an illusion, but he keenly sensed that Dumbledore seemed to have been here before.

“No, no, no.” Dumbledore seemed to only then remember that he was traveling with Ivy. “I’m afraid it’s been a long time since I’ve been here… I can’t be sure… but… let’s look again… let’s look again…”

“Where is Harry?” Ivy asked again. “We should be with him.”

“It should be in the town…” Dumbledore’s voice sounded like he was talking in his sleep. He opened his eyes wide to distinguish each street, and finally locked onto one. “Let’s head in that direction.”

This is not a request for opinions or a suggestion; it is simply a plain statement.

The two drifted across a small square decorated with various Halloween ornaments and headed toward a newer, darker street.