Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 221 Return to England

The cruise ship did not stop in the Mediterranean Sea and quickly passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, returning to the North Sea.

Two days later, amidst the long, drawn-out whistle of the cruise ship, Vaughn, Dumbledore, and everyone else on board went up to the deck, breathing in the thick moisture of the gloomy weather, and watching a city standing by the sea gradually emerge from the horizon.

That's London!

When the cruise ship could see London in the distance.

In the humble dwelling, Molly waved a feather duster and called everyone out.

"Percy, my dear, get out of your little hut and your desk. You need to get some sun, Merlin. I can smell the mustiness even standing at the door!"

"Fred! George! You two troublemakers, put down your research, stop fiddling with those strange materials and your sticky crucibles, and now go take a bath right now to wash off all the symbols you've drawn on your bodies and that pungent smell!"

"Ron, get up—I've had enough of your laziness and playfulness. Were you lying in bed reading Muggle stories again last night? How many times have I told you to go to bed properly and not stay up late? Why don't you listen? Looks like I have to warn you—"

"It's over, Ronald!"

"Disappeared!"

As the incantation faded, Ron's desperate cries echoed throughout the Burrow.

(Please remember to visit [website name] for the most comprehensive book search and the fastest chapter updates.)

In the room, Harry looked at the Muggle storybook he had given Ron in his hand, which vanished instantly with Molly's spell, and his expression shrank.

He recognized the spell; Vaughn had demonstrated it to him and explained the principle using Muggle scientific terminology.

So he could understand it, and therefore he was especially afraid.

After all, who wants to be broken down into atoms?

Fortunately, Molly's feather duster wasn't pointed at him, and she remained warm and kind: "Oh Harry, you didn't get enough rest in this unfamiliar place, did you? I'm so sorry, darling, it was my oversight."

Harry was embarrassed: "No, Mrs. Weasley, you and Mr. Weasley have already taken good care of me—"

"That's right, child. Alright, get up quickly and go to the bathroom to tidy yourself up."

Molly left, and a short while later, her voice, filled with anger, could be heard from downstairs as she berated Mr. Weasley.

Harry wiped away his cold sweat, looked at Ron who was still depressed about the storybook's "disappearance," and comforted him, "Don't be sad, Ron. Things that disappear with the Vanishing Charm will come back."

How did you know?

"I saw Vaughn use it, and he said—" Harry was about to explain when he suddenly remembered Ron's deep dislike for his brother, so he stopped and said, "Anyway, he said the things can be returned."

Ron hates Vaughn.

But he didn't doubt Vaughn's magic. Hearing this, he felt a little better and stopped being so withdrawn. He complained, "She can tolerate Percy locking himself in his room all summer, looking like a stinky mop. She can tolerate Fred and George making all sorts of pungent smells in the house and neighborhood, but I can't even read a storybook—one day, I'm going to leave this house—"

Harry glanced sideways.

How dare you compare your behavior of reading storybooks to Percy burying himself in his studies or the twins doing alchemy research?

He was too embarrassed to call him out, so he could only laugh awkwardly and change the subject: "What did Mrs. Weasley want us to do?"

Is Vaughn coming back?

During this time, he also kept a close eye on Vaughn's actions; he couldn't help but pay attention.

The Daily Prophet is now almost entirely filled with news about Vaughn and WAC, reporting the day before which Pacific regime Vaughn met and what kind of cooperation was reached.

Then it was reported that he appeared in Egypt and spoke with Egyptian dream messengers.

Then, the focus shifted again, delving into Vaughn's series of experiences in North America, analyzing the obstacles his reform measures encountered in the stubbornly conservative North America, which led to his failure.

In short, Vaughn and WAC have become darlings of the wizarding media.

This is not surprising. England and even Europe, which have been at peace for too long, don't really have much to pay attention to in their daily lives. Before Vaughn came out of nowhere, the news published by major media outlets like the Daily Prophet was usually about someone getting into a fight with their Muggle neighbor, turning their neighbor into a toad in a fit of anger, and being arrested by the Aurors.

Or perhaps some wizards wander into Muggle society and are detained by Muggle police for inappropriate clothing and behavior.

These trivial matters are nothing compared to the sensational news that Vaughn creates.

Two days ago, The Daily Prophet published a report saying that a wizard had spotted a cruise ship belonging to the Federation in the Mediterranean Sea heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar.

The photos of the cruise ship he took were exactly the same as the one he took when he visited Pacific countries, and everyone said he was about to return to England.

Some say that although Vaughn suffered setbacks in North America, he brought back a group of werewolves, which fully demonstrates the current state of the magical world, which urgently needs reform.

Some argue that Vaughn's defeat demonstrates the wizarding world's yearning for social stability.

Harry didn't understand why the newspaper articles were so interested in what Vaughn had done; he was too old to understand politics.

He simply hadn't seen Vaughn in a long time and missed his friend.

Yesterday, Ron and Mr. Weasley picked him up from Privet Drive, and he had been looking forward to seeing Vaughn back as soon as possible.

Seeing his expectant expression, Ron scoffed, "No way! If Mom knew his exact itinerary, she'd bring the whole family to the Muggle port, making us stand on tiptoe in the cold wind to greet him!"

Ron is jealous.

Harry immediately figured it out, chuckling, "What's that smell? It's so sour! Ron, can you smell it?"

"You—humph!"

Ron snorted, but still gave his assessment: "It's probably because of Ginny's schooling."

As it turned out, Ron's judgment was correct.

After Harry and Ron changed their clothes and cleaned up in the bathroom on the first floor, everyone was already standing in the living room when they came out.

Percy had unusually combed his hair and changed into formal attire, while Fred and George were no longer the disheveled figures they had been in recently, now wearing robes.

They were teasing a girl whose hair looked like flames.

Arthur Weasley sat at the head of the table, smiling as he looked at his son and daughter.

Molly, who was standing next to him, saw the two of them come out and quickly called out, "Dear Harry, come and sit here."

Harry was hastily pulled to Molly's side by the enthusiastic girl. Ron, who was used to being ignored by everyone, sat down opposite Fred and George with a long face.

"Slap! Slap!"

Molly clapped her hands twice, drawing everyone's attention to her. Then she looked around at the children, her eyes welling up with tears of emotion: "You should know what day this is. More than half a month ago, we were sitting here just like today, anxiously waiting for a letter from Hogwarts—"

"Yes, your sister, the youngest member of the Weasley family, received her Hogwarts acceptance letter more than two weeks ago, and in a few days, she will become a formally enrolled wizard, just like you!"

Splash!

The twins led the applause, and everyone, including Harry, clapped and smiled at Ginny.

The girl blushed and hid behind her mother.

"My dear sister, don't be shy. You'll be a witch soon, so be confident!"

Fred started shouting, and George next to him whistled.

Percy glared at them both and asked, "Mom, are we going to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies for Ginny?"

"Yes, Percy." Molly nodded.

Percy fell silent; spending money was a rather heavy topic for this family.

On the other side, the twins who had just been cheering looked at each other and stopped clapping.

Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Harry chuckled foolishly and clapped along with everyone else. Then, he blinked and seemed to understand something.

Only Ron remained, looking around foolishly.

Seeing the children's reactions, Molly didn't show anything unusual. She just looked at them lovingly and explained with a smile, "Before we go to Diagon Alley, I have something to tell you. You don't need to worry about Ginny's school fees. In fact, Vaughn said last year that he would cover all of Ginny's expenses for seven years of schooling."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Molly noticed their movements. The short, plump witch sighed and said, "I called you here so you would know what Vaughn has done—yes, Vaughn is very rich, and it's his own business that he's willing to pay for Ginny's schooling."

"But as your parents, I don't want to see you think Vaughn's sacrifices are normal."

"Yes, it's our responsibility to take care of Ginny. It shouldn't be Vaughn's sole burden, even if the money isn't much to him."

"In fact, Vaughn wanted to sponsor this family as early as two years ago, but your father and I refused because the family shouldn't be the burden on him. It's unfair to him, do you understand?"

The atmosphere became somewhat somber for a moment.

Percy, Fred, and George felt ashamed for the unconscious relief they had just felt.

Ron also felt a little embarrassed.

He remembered that he still owed Vaughn money, and recalling how he had recently shown his resistance to Vaughn in front of Harry, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

Seeing the somber atmosphere, Molly clapped her hands and said to everyone, "Okay, Mom and Dad didn't mean to blame anyone. As parents, we only hope that you siblings love each other, understand each other, and respect one another—"

So, let's all go shopping with Ginny in Diagon Alley first, and then we'll head out to welcome Vaughn back to England, how about that?

Ok?

So this was the real purpose?

Ron, realizing what was happening, instinctively rolled his eyes.

But no one paid attention to his reaction. Percy was the first to agree, and even said eagerly, "Mom, I have some pocket money. I can buy Ginny a new robe."

The twins on the other side weren't to be outdone: "Mom, we can squeeze out some of our research funds to buy Ginny a new crucible."

Everyone was in high spirits and generously donated.

Ron, however, blushed. He had long since spent all his allowance and was now heavily in debt. He could only sit there awkwardly, unable to utter a single word.

Only after Molly, having enjoyed a peaceful family time, announced their departure did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, freeing himself from his embarrassment.

The way to get to Diagon Alley is through the fireplace.

Everyone else in the house was a familiar face, but it was Harry's first time meeting them, so Molly and Arthur gave him special instructions.

The first time I used the fireplace and Floo Powder was perhaps because I was focused enough, or perhaps it was because I was a first-year student and had been trained by Vaughn.

Harry made no mistake; amidst the rising green flames, he appeared precisely at the public fireplace in Diagon Alley.

Ron followed closely behind.

"vomit"

The dizziness made Harry lie on the roadside and dry heave a few times. Ron gently patted his back: "You should try more, Harry. If you can't even adapt to the Floo Net, I don't even want to think about what you'll do when you learn Apparition!"

Harry didn't want to talk to him.

As the most advanced technology in the magical world, this dizzy state did not last long. By the time Molly and Arthur finally led Ginny out of the fireplace, he was able to walk freely again.

Molly fed Harry a piece of chocolate, then clapped her hands and said to everyone, "Alright kids, it's free time now. Your dad and I will take Ginny to buy a wand first, and we'll meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour!"

"Okay, Mom."

Molly and Arthur left with Ginny.

Percy left quickly, with Fred and George following him. Before leaving, the three of them were discussing: "Should we still buy things for Ginny? Mom said Vaughn left enough money."

"Probably not—maybe we should buy Vaughn a gift?"

"Hmm—maybe. Come to think of it, he's always been very supportive of us."

"Yes, Percy, you suddenly become adorable when you say that."

"Shut up, Fred!"

"I am George."

"Shut up, George!"

"Hey, I'm George!"

The three walked away, their words echoing in Ron and Harry's ears. Ron remained silent, but Harry suddenly said, "You have a wonderful family, Ron. You have Vaughn who has always been there for you, your parents who are understanding and fair, and your brothers who love your family."

'

After a moment of silence, Ron rubbed his nose and stubbornly replied, "I don't think so."

Harry chuckled at his stubbornness and defiance: "You're lucky, Ron. Maybe Fred and George scared you, Percy scolded you, and Vaughn disciplined you, but I have to say, it's nothing. Your resentment and resistance stem from not having a brother like Dudley—you have no idea how envious I am of you!"

Ron was even more speechless.

He'd heard Harry complain about his cousin Dudley many times, and thinking about it carefully, if Vaughn were like Dudley, then—

He shivered.

On the other side, Harry looked out of the alley. With the start of school approaching, Diagon Alley was bustling again, and the streets outside were crowded with people, much more prosperous than a month ago. He was thinking about where he should go.

After listening to Percy and the others' conversation, he also felt that he should prepare a gift for Vaughn upon his return from North America—

After all, Vaughn had helped him a lot last semester, giving him special training and helping him fight Voldemort.

But—what gift should I choose?

Harry was a little embarrassed, because in his memory, Vaughn seemed to have everything he needed.

As the two were pondering, the green fire in the communal fireplace behind them reignited, and a short, stumbling wizard stumbled out and collapsed in front of them.

The young wizard was wearing a cloak, which flipped over when he fell, revealing short, platinum blonde hair.

The color was so striking that Ron and Harry instinctively exclaimed, "Malfoy?"

"Potter! Weasley!"

Draco Malfoy probably never expected that he would run into these two mortal enemies when he came out of the fireplace.

And they even saw me in such a disheveled state.

His fair face flushed bright red instantly, making one suspect that he might explode at any moment.

His embarrassed and annoyed expression immediately reminded Ron, who instantly forgot his earlier embarrassment and frustration, and looked at Draco with a mocking smile: "Malfoy, are you kneeling before me and Harry? Hahaha."

"you--"

Draco angrily pointed at Ron, his hand instinctively reaching for his waist. But then, remembering something, he ignored Ron, straightened his clothes, and resumed his usual arrogant demeanor, looking at Harry: "Potter, I'll say it again, being friends with someone like Ronald will do you absolutely no good. If you're willing to change your mind, I can still consider taking you in—I must remind you, only someone of my background can provide you with safety and protection, understand?"

"?"

Harry was completely bewildered and couldn't understand what he was saying at all.

But Draco clearly didn't want to talk to them anymore. He snorted, didn't even glance at Ron with disdain, and walked away arrogantly.

Harry was left bewildered, and Ron, whose laughter had turned to confusion halfway through.

"What is that guy saying? Is he crazy?"

"Uh—I don't know."

"He might really have gone mad. I heard Lucius Malfoy has been selling off his family's things all summer. Maybe he's been terrified by the 'Dark Magic Items Investigation Act' that my dad submitted earlier." Ron's face lit up. "That must be it. Everyone knows that Lucius Malfoy used to be a Death Eater."

"Is he a Death Eater?"

"Yes, you—sorry Harry, I forgot you don't know about these things. When Vander was active, many pure-blood families were members of the Death Eaters, including the Malfoys. However, after Vander fell, many people were arrested, but the Malfoys somehow escaped trial. I guess their family must have paid a large sum of money to atone for their sins."

Like Muggles, wizards in England are not ashamed to talk about exchanging favors; this is probably a part of the traditional culture of Onsa.

Even children like Ron and Harry didn't find the idea of ​​paying money to atone for sins shocking.

I'm just a little annoyed that the other party got away with it.

"I heard from my dad that Lucius Malfoy has been claiming that he is being controlled by a mysterious man. Only a fool would believe such nonsense."

Harry nodded repeatedly, about to say something more.

Crack!

The air trembled, and a green, fuzzy creature draped in a pillowcase squeezed out of the air.

It glanced around, then, in a high-pitched voice, politely asked Ron and Harry, "Gentlemen, may I ask—"

It suddenly stopped, its large eyes staring at Harry, its expression visibly changing from shock to ecstatic joy: "My God—Harry Potter!"

"Well----"

Before Harry could react, the strange creature snapped its fingers and appeared in front of him, staring at him with fervor: "The boy who survived, the savior of the wizarding world! Good heavens, Dobby never dreamed he'd see Harry Potter alive!"

"

That sounds a bit strange.

Then Harry saw the creature who called himself Dobby suddenly tense up and shout in a shrill voice, "Mr. Harry Potter, please leave Diagon Alley, leave this place!"

What?

The next second, he saw Dobby raise his hand and snap his fingers.

A strong instinct for danger surged within him. White mist filled his vision, and a whisper echoed in his head, causing him to instinctively reach for his wand: "Protect yourself!"

The moment the translucent shield of the Ironclad Curse appeared, a streak of red light, like lightning, struck the shield and bounced back.

Duo Bi was knocked away.

Wow!

Ron exclaimed in surprise, "Harry, when did you become so amazing?"

"----I----"

Harry was also confused. He looked at Dobby lying over there, then looked down at his own hands and the wand in his hand.

He didn't know how he did it either.

Of course, he had no idea that at this moment, deep within his mind, amidst countless memories and countless fleeting thoughts, something was happening all at once.

Wisps of white mist drifted out, floating in the vast and empty "space," influencing his consciousness and controlling his body.

He also used his senses to "observe" the outside world and make records!

Outside, Dobby, who had been blasted away, had begun to self-harm: "Stupid Dobby! Stupid Dobby! I can't stop Master! I can't stop Harry Potter!"

Harry and Ron stared in disbelief as Dobby, who had been so fierce just moments before, suddenly went berserk, banging his head against the ground.

"Stupid Dobby! Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby shouldn't have betrayed his master! And he even lost Draco—yes—his master!"

Dobby suddenly remembered something, stopped self-harming, and looked at the two men with his big, watery eyes: "The mighty Harry Potter, the red-haired Weasley, esteemed gentlemen, have you seen young Draco?"

Harry & Ron: "————"

The two hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the right outside the alley: "He walked that way—"

"Thanks."

Dobby stood up, glanced at Harry hesitantly and timidly, tried to say something several times, but only banged his head against the wall and the ground. Finally, he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

The alley fell silent again, as if nothing had happened a moment ago.

Ron touched his nose, looked at Harry, and hesitated. "Were we just hallucinating?"

"No, Ron."

"Well—the Malfoy family really are all lunatics, even their house-elves are no exception!"

"House-elves?"

Another piece of new knowledge he didn't understand. Harry habitually looked at Ron, who habitually provided the explanation. Only after explaining did Ron realize his mistake and said with disdain, "You really should learn more about the wizarding world, Harry. You can't always rely on me, right?"

Harry was speechless.

Who would have thought that he would one day be disliked by Ron, the academic underachiever?

Looking around, Ron said, "Never mind the weird Malfoy, Harry, let's find somewhere to wander around. We need to meet up with Mom and the others later!"

"Where should we go?"

Ron beamed, "There are so many great places, but the most interesting one is Zonko, we—"

Before he could finish speaking, Harry suddenly said, "Ron, why don't we go and see?"