Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 234 The Journey Home (Part 1)

"Percy..." Hermione murmured the name, realizing it had been a long time since she'd heard it. Ever since he chose to trust Fudge and became the minister's secretary, the name had become a taboo subject, never to be mentioned again. Not to mention the many wrong things he'd done with Fudge afterward.

However, it's always good that they're back; it's a sign they've come to their senses. Ginny seems happy too, even though she's still grumbling, but after all, they're family.

Ron's speech didn't last long; Snape's arrival instantly silenced the chaotic scene. Surprisingly, he only made a few cold, sarcastic remarks before leaving, unlike his previous malicious behavior in class.

This was somewhat unexpected; it was completely different from the old bat the little lions had in mind, and some even thought he was under a soul-stealing curse.

Unfortunately, Snape overheard this, and Gryffindor lost ten points. However, it wasn't a big deal; even without those ten points, Gryffindor remained in a commanding lead in the House Cup.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna each received an extra 50 points, bringing the total to 250 points, which made everything a foregone conclusion.

Soon, the end-of-term banquet arrived, and as expected, the Great Hall was filled with curtains embroidered with the Gryffindor crest. The atmosphere was lively; Dumbledore had indeed protected the young wizards of Hogwarts very well. They were all smiles, seemingly unaffected by anything outside.

Throughout the entire auditorium, it seemed that only a handful of people were not part of the lively atmosphere.

The next morning, the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade Station right on time. The young wizards left school and crowded onto the train. Harry and D.A.'s group were basically crammed into one compartment, packed to the brim, even taking up part of the aisle.

After all, they had practiced and trained together for almost a year, and the friendship between them was very deep.

So, Malfoy, who chose to cause trouble for Harry under these circumstances, was in for a rude awakening. Before Harry and Ron could even lift a finger, he, Crabbe, and Goyle were given a severe beating, tied up, and thrown onto the luggage rack. Unable to break free, they could only wriggle helplessly.

This was a long-standing grudge. As the main force of Umbridge's investigative task force, Malfoy and his team had caused trouble for other houses quite a bit, resulting in a significant deduction of points.

After playing around for a while, they released Malfoy and mocked his disheveled escape before returning to their respective private rooms.

This was just a minor incident; most of the journey was peaceful. Harry and Ron played wizard chess, Hermione read the Daily Prophet, and Ginny read The Quibbler, perhaps influenced by Luna, since, apart from the issue featuring Harry's interview, The Quibbler's sales hadn't been very good.

The train gradually slowed down, indicating that they were about to arrive at their station. Once the train finally came to a complete stop, everyone took their belongings and disembarked in an orderly fashion.

Harry, dragging his suitcase and carrying Hedway's cage, followed Hermione and Ron across the platform and then met the group of people who were waiting. This seemed to be the biggest surprise he had received all year.

Mad-Eye Moody pulled his hat down low, obscuring his demonic eye, and wore a large cloak that concealed his ugly wooden leg. Tonks stood beside him, his beautiful pink hair framing his face, chewing something as he waved enthusiastically. Lupin stood close to Tonks, his clothes still worn but surprisingly clean and tidy.

Sirius Black was also there; he had unusually tidied his hair and looked very smart in a brown suit. The Weasleys and their twins were also there, and they seemed to have dressed up as well.

"Ron, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley said, coming up and embracing her two children. "And dear Harry, how are you?"

"It's fine." Harry smiled and came over to hug Mrs. Weasley, then went to Sirius Black and hugged him tightly.

"I was thinking of bringing you to live with me, but Dumbledore told me something..." Sirius said, patting Harry on the back. "So, you'll have to go back to your silly uncle's house this summer... But you can come see me anytime, just don't stay overnight."

"That's already very good." Harry patted Sirius on the back, a bright smile on his face.

"Alright, go say hello to them all. There's a long road ahead." Sirius released Harry and pushed him aside.

The twins greeted him with smiles and gave Harry a warm hug. Looking at their brand-new clothes, he joked, "Looks like you're living quite well now. What's that made of?"

"Brand new dragon skin," Fred replied. "Business is booming, this is a treat for us."

Just then, Lupin arrived. Harry knew Lupin's personality, so he simply hugged him and greeted him casually.

"Why are you all here?" Harry asked, waving to Tonks beside him, who had just turned her hair into a scrolling marquee.

"We'd like to talk to your aunt and uncle before they take you home," Lupin replied with a smile.

"This...isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

"I think this is a good idea." Moody came over, leaning on his cane, and patted Harry on the shoulder. "That's them then."

Harry looked in the direction Moody was pointing, and sure enough, there the Dursleys were there.

"Hey Arthur, we can begin!" Moody called out, and Mr. Weasley stopped his pleasantries with Hermione's parents and walked over to the Dursleys with Sirius, Lupin, and the others.

"Hello, my name is Arthur Weasley, you probably remember me, right?" Mr. Weasley extended his hand with a smile and shook hands with Uncle Vernon, who looked terrified.

"This is Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. I don't think you've met him yet." With that, Sirius Black shook hands with Vernon with a cold expression.

"You are...?" Vernon was taken aback by the situation. He pulled Aunt Petunia and Dudley behind him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Well, we have a few words we'd like to say to you about Harry," Mr. Weasley said, still smiling.

"Harry... what's there to talk about..." Vernon muttered, before Moody snapped, "About how he was treated in your house!"

"We know very well how he's lived in your house all these years. If we find out this year that you've abused Harry or prevented him from contacting his friends..." Moody tapped his cane, making a loud thud, "I swear, you won't want to know the consequences. It will be cruel."

"You!" Vernon was genuinely frightened by Moody. He involuntarily took half a step back, but finally stopped. "Do you think I'm scared? Do you think I'm afraid of you?!"

"You will!" Moody lifted his hat, his magical eye flashing and startling the Dursleys. Clearly pleased with their reaction, Moody turned and patted Harry on the shoulder, saying, "Alright, we're done talking. If you need anything, let us know, and we'll send someone over..."

Goodbye, Harry.

Goodbye, Moody.

(End of this chapter)