Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

He had witnessed various magical phenomena before, but none of them could compare to the shock brought by this anti-gravity magic wall.

This was magic that shattered the common sense of the Muggle world and overturned established perceptions, allowing him to truly experience the wonder and magnificence of the magical world.

Seeing that Harry had arrived safely, Hagrid immediately stepped forward, gently patted his shoulder with his broad hand, and then pointed to Penny beside him, taking the initiative to formally introduce the two of them.

"Let me introduce you. This is Penny Lestrange, the owner of this Golden Dragon Magical Shop. Like you, he is also a student at Hogwarts, currently in his second year."

After saying that, Hagrid explained his purpose: "Didn't you tell me before that you didn't want to go back to your aunt's house and suffer during this holiday? Puni will be staying in Diagon Alley to manage the shop for the whole holiday, and I was thinking of asking him to look after you for a while so that you can have a peaceful holiday."

“Hey, don’t make decisions for me without my permission.” Puni raised his hand and nudged Hagrid’s waist with his elbow. “I’m busy with things at the shop every day and don’t have much free time. I can’t just agree to take care of someone.”

"It's just a matter of taking care of the kids a little more, it's not a big deal."

Hagrid smiled broadly and said, "You know, he's Harry Potter."

Hagrid's expression became exceptionally solemn and proud simply by uttering his name.

It's no wonder he felt this way. As the only boy who survived a great calamity, Harry's existence kept Voldemort in hiding for a full ten years, making him a legend in the entire wizarding world.

“Of course I know Harry Potter!” Puni said matter-of-factly. “Precisely because I know him, I need to figure out the whole thing. How did it suddenly become my responsibility to look after him? If something happens to him under my nose, if he gets lost or encounters danger, I will have no way to find him. I can’t bear that responsibility.”

These words sound like a deliberate attempt to criticize Harry for getting lost, but objectively speaking, it's not an exaggeration.

Harry is thin and weak, with no ability to protect himself. Any sudden situation could put him in danger.

At first, Puni's idea was simple. Like all curious wizards, he just wanted to see the legendary boy who had survived the ordeal and confirm with his own eyes whether the rumored lightning-shaped scar really existed.

He never imagined that he would suddenly be entrusted with taking care of a newlywed.

Harry stood still, tilting his head slightly to watch the interaction between the two people in front of him, listening quietly to their conversation.

Penny was already over 1.6 meters tall, and compared to the burly Hagrid, he still had to look up. But for the thin and frail Harry, he was already a tall figure that he had to look up to.

Harry had no idea that the second-year student was so tall and imposing when he was looking at him from a distance downstairs.

He always thought the other person was only one year older than him, and that the difference in their physique wouldn't be too great.

Not only that, Puni's clothes were loose and refreshing, and his forearms were neat and firm, with faintly visible well-proportioned muscle lines, which made Harry feel envious.

He secretly fantasized that if he could have such a strong physique, he wouldn't have been constantly bullied and manipulated by Dali and his companions in the Muggle world.

Penny looked down at Harry's thin and frail figure, then turned to Hagrid: "And his health is so poor. Was he mistreated in his Muggle family?"

Hagrid's face darkened, his expression grave. He nodded heavily in response, suppressing his anger and heartache.

"That's why he was so determined not to go back to his aunt's house."

Hagrid looked at Penny and sincerely explained the reason, "He wants to stay in Diagon Alley this month to adapt to the magical world and learn more basic knowledge, but I will be returning to Hogwarts soon and will not be able to take him with me."

“I’m really worried about leaving him here alone. It’s too dangerous without anyone looking after him, so I came here specifically to ask you if you could help take care of him for a while.”

Today is July 31st, and the Hogwarts return-to-school train is scheduled to depart on August 31st.

According to the original plan, Harry was supposed to stay at his Muggle aunt's house for the entire month before school started.

Having witnessed firsthand the freedom and wonder of the magical world, Harry could no longer tolerate the oppressive and cold life on Privet Drive.

Hagrid felt sorry for his plight, which is why he came up with the idea of ​​temporarily staying in Diagon Alley.

However, in Puni's view, this temporary plan was full of loopholes and could not be considered reliable.

Puni quickly sorted through the key information in his mind.

The protective magic that Harry has maintained for many years is powered by the blood ties he shares with his aunt Petunia.

After a moment's thought, he quickly assessed the situation. Ten years of continuous nourishment had brought this protective power to its peak, and being separated from his aunt for a short period would not immediately diminish its effectiveness.

After weighing the pros and cons, Puni looked at the still bewildered Harry and asked, "What was your exact address in the Muggle world before?"

Harry's eyes lit up immediately. He could tell that the senior Hagrid trusted had agreed to help.

He didn't dare delay and immediately gave the detailed address: "4 Privet Road, Little Huigkin, Surrey."

The moment the words left his mouth, Puni understood instantly.

The bloodline protection magic left by Harry's mother has an effect mechanism extremely similar to the Fidelity Charm, and has a very strong exclusivity.

However, there are loopholes in the rules. Now that Harry has revealed his permanent address, it means that the exclusive protection mechanism of this residence will no longer apply to Puni and will no longer be able to keep him out.

With Harry giving his address, Penny gained access to Number 4 Privet Drive and could freely travel to that Muggle residence at any time.

At this moment, the bloodline protection charm on Harry has undergone subtle changes, and the rules have been quietly rewritten.

From now on, the shield's counterattack mechanism will only be triggered if Puni takes the initiative to harm Harry; otherwise, the shield will almost never activate on its own.

Puni secretly wondered about the logic behind this ancient magic, recalling how Harry had dueled with Severan in public during their school days. At that time, Harry, facing the attack head-on, did not trigger any spell rebound.

Such lenient judgment criteria are truly perplexing.

Even so, he dared not let his guard down; acting prudently was always the best course of action.

"It turns out to be a suburban area, and the location is indeed remote enough."

Puni nodded slightly, making up his mind, "I will send a letter later to inform that Muggle family about the matter, to give them advance notice."

As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Harry.

Harry's clothes were obviously too big and bulky, hanging loosely on his thin body and looking particularly ill-fitting.

Puni then inquired about his accommodation: "Do you have enough money to rent a place at the Leaky Cauldron for a month?"

Before Harry could respond, Hagrid burst into laughter, full of smugness.

“You don’t need to worry about that at all! Harry’s parents have already left him a huge inheritance in Gringotts, a whole warehouse full of wealth, enough for him to live a life of comfort and ease.”

"And I arranged it all in advance! I booked a room for Harry for a month at Old Tom's in the Leaky Cauldron. You see, we came empty-handed, without any luggage, because his personal belongings were already arranged in advance."

Hagrid looked confident and in control.

This move left Puni feeling helpless, and he instantly realized that he had been outmaneuvered.

“I see.” Penny said irritably. “Hagrid, you actually planned to trick me all along. What were you going to do if I hadn’t agreed to look after Harry?”

“There’s no way you could be wrong!” Hagrid raised his hand and patted Penny’s shoulder heavily, his sincerity evident. “I’ve known your character for a long time. You’ve always been kind-hearted and would never leave little Harry unattended and adrift alone.”

Puni listened to this praise.

These seemingly complimentary words are, in reality, just a way of giving myself a "good guy" card, and I unwittingly accepted this troublesome task.

He muttered to himself, silently making a mental note of his frustration, and planned to go back to school to clean up the giant spider's nest again to vent his frustration.

Although she had reservations about Hagrid's scheming, Penny did not take it out on Harry and remained gentle and patient with the bewildered newcomer.

Just as he was about to continue the conversation, a loud and deep bell suddenly rang throughout the entire shop.

In the short time it took for the group to chat, the shop lobby, which had previously had many empty seats, was already filled with a steady stream of young wizards.

Chapter 144 Harry: It's fun! I love to play!

Young wizards from all directions gathered here to await the unveiling of the new cards today, preparing for the upcoming Golden Dragon Battle tournament.

Seeing the store packed with customers, Puni's frustration vanished.

The booming popularity meant booming revenue, which meant a steady stream of Galleons coming in, instantly putting him in a good mood.

After calming herself down, Puni turned to Hagrid with a serious expression and urged him on, "I promise you, I will take good care of Harry and won't let anything happen to him."

He pointed to Hagrid's inner coat pocket and continued, "You should return to Hogwarts as soon as possible. Aren't you worried about delaying important matters or losing important items?"

"I've been deliberately holding back from asking too many questions, but the magical aura emanating from your pocket is too dazzling and has a very strong penetrating power. It looks extraordinary."

Puni added, half-jokingly, "You'd better get back to school as soon as possible; Headmaster Dumbledore must have been waiting for you for a long time."

Harry, standing to the side, instantly understood. He immediately realized that the radiant and valuable item Penny was referring to was the mysterious package that Hagrid had just retrieved from the Gringotts vault 713.

Hagrid had specifically instructed him not to mention this matter to outsiders. It was supposed to be an extremely secretive object, but he never expected that the spiritual light it emitted would be so strong, making it easy for people to see through its secrets.

"Oh no!" Hagrid realized instantly, quickly raising his hand to tightly cover his coat, remembering this important matter. "I had completely forgotten about it until you mentioned it! I'll head back to school immediately and borrow your shop's fireplace for passage."

“Do as you please.” Puni pointed to the crowded fireplace passageway inside the shop. “However, all the fireplaces are currently packed with wizards passing through. If you can squeeze in, I have no objection.”

Hagrid looked down at the crowded people, his eyes showing no fear.

In terms of physique and strength, he has never lost to anyone, so squeezing through the road is naturally no problem for him.

He then slowly walked down the magic wall to the third-floor stands, and without saying a word, he pushed through the crowded people, squeezing out a passage amidst the gasps and dodges of the young wizards, and successfully stepped into the green flames of the Floo Pink Fireplace.

Watching the rising emerald flames slowly dissipate, Puni shrugged gently, then focused all his attention on Harry beside him.

Looking at Harry, who was full of curiosity beside him, Puni suddenly decided to take the opportunity to chat briefly with the newly minted wizard.

“Harry, I have a question for you,” Penny asked. “You’ve just entered this completely new magical world and discovered countless people who know you even though you’ve never met them before. How do you feel right now?”

“It’s really magical.” Harry thought for a moment and then added, “It feels like a beautiful dream, and I hope I never wake up from it. But I’m always uneasy, afraid that I’ll hear a knock on the window the next second, that it’s my aunt calling me to get up and do chores and prepare breakfast, pulling me back to my old life.”

The two had only known each other for less than ten minutes, but Harry inexplicably developed a strong sense of trust in this senior, and was willing to openly reveal his deepest anxieties and expectations.

This sense of trust did not arise out of thin air. Part of it stemmed from his gratitude towards Hagrid, which subtly transferred to Hagrid's friend Puni. Another part came from his sincere admiration for Puni.

At such a young age, Harry admired and trusted his peers who already owned their own magical shops and had established themselves in the magical world.

Puni looked at Harry quietly and instantly understood the boy's heart.

Harry grew up in a Muggle family and was oppressed and mistreated by the Dursleys for a long time. He harbored a deep-seated inferiority complex and was in a state of depression for a long time.

Suddenly stumbling into a wonderful magical world, after the ultimate surprise comes endless fear.

He had never experienced warmth and beauty before. The sudden gift made him unsure if it was real, and he was constantly worried that everything would vanish in an instant.

In Penny's observation, Harry's values ​​at this stage are exceptionally pure, with the absolutist cognition unique to children.

He was used to dividing everything in the world into two extremes: good things were flawless, and bad things were degenerate. He didn't understand the nuances of human nature and worldly affairs, and viewed problems in black and white terms.

This is why people and things encountered for the first time leave deep-rooted stereotypes in his mind, which have a long-lasting impact on his judgment and mindset.

This is normal for young people whose minds are not yet mature; it is a stage that everyone must go through in their growth.

Puni had no intention of correcting Harry's worldview.

Guiding and teaching Harry's growth was Dumbledore's responsibility. The headmaster had already planned Harry's path to growth and would not allow others to interfere at will.

He positioned himself perfectly, knowing he didn't need to become close friends with Harry, nor would he intentionally seek to become his enemy.

For now, all we need to do is maintain this gentle and reliable initial impression and keep an appropriate distance in our interactions.

Just as the two were chatting, a few clear chimes came from the shop counter, their rhythm bright and regular.