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Chapter 1230: Departure
🕑 Added 2024-09-13 14:53:41 +0000 UTCHarry nodded in agreement. Dudley was raised like a pig, and he should be thankful he did not receive the same treatment...
Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were furious at what Dumbledore said, and clearly hadn't realized the problem yet.
Their baby Dudley was now no different from a pig, except for a tail.
Or perhaps they had realized it, but hadn’t considered it to the extent of calling it abuse.
If even this didn't count as abuse, then there was no worse abuse imaginable!
"I am very disappointed with your attitude towards Harry..." Dumbledore said, the coldness in the air around them thickening and freezing, "Just as Sirius told you when he visited before."
Uncle Vernon opened his mouth, but in the end no words came out.
“I don’t wish to dwell on the past, but the magic I evoked fifteen years ago means that Harry has powerful protection while he can still call this house ‘home’. However miserable he has been here, however unwelcome, however badly treated, you have at least, grudgingly, allowed him houseroom," Dumbledore continued. "This magic will cease to operate the moment that Harry turns seventeen; and he will leave here. So, I ask only this: that you allow Harry to return, once more, to this house, before his seventeenth birthday, which will ensure that the protection continues until that time."
None of the Dursleys said a word, they were silently thinking about what Dumbledore had said.
Dudley was frowning slightly, as though he was still trying to work out when he had ever been mistreated.
Uncle Vernon looked as though he had something stuck in his throat; Aunt Petunia, however, was oddly flushed.
Harry had heard his uncle and aunt mutter before that if Sirius was willing to pay a large sum of gold every year to cover his expenses here, they would still be willing to have him come back during the summer vacation...
But he didn’t want to stay here any longer. He only had one more year to endure, and then he could finally break free from this place.
Seemingly satisfied that everything was clear, Dumbledore stood up from the sofa.
“Well, Harry … time for us to be off,” he said at last. “Have you packed your things?"
“Everything’s ready!” Harry said quickly.
He immediately rushed back upstairs and brought down the trunk that had been packed four days ago along with Hedwig's cage.
Dumbledore was waiting for him in the hallway, leisurely admiring the potted plants.
The Dursleys huddled in the doorway of the sitting room, the air thicker than frozen custard.
"Well, we'll take our leave then … until we meet again," said Dumbledore to the Dursleys and he put on his hat.
Uncle Vernon snorted, and from the looks of them they hoped they would never see each other again.
"Bye," said Harry hastily to the Dursleys and followed Dumbledore.
"Professor, where are we going now?"
"Go get Evan and Hermione," said Dumbledore, looking at Harry's trunk and Hedwig’s cage, and drawing his wand. "We do not want to be encumbered by these just now. I shall send them to await us there. However, I would like you to bring your Invisibility Cloak, Harry … just in case."
It took Harry some effort to pull the Invisibility Cloak out of the trunk. He had placed the Invisibility Cloak at the bottom of the trunk. Because of the things Sirius had given him before the summer vacation, he had to pack much more this year than in previous years. Sirius bought him a lot of food, magic props, and many things that a normal boy should and should not have. Harry didn't want Dumbledore to see how messy his trunk was.
As soon as he had stuffed the Invisibility Cloak into an inside pocket of his jacket, Dumbledore waved his wand, and the trunk, cage, and Hedwig vanished.
He then waved his wand again, and the front door opened onto cool, misty darkness.
The streets were dark, with only the faint light of stars.
"And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty, temptress adventure."
Dumbledore’s words thrilled Harry. At last, he could go on an adventure with the headmaster.
Despite the fact that he had spent every waking moment of the past few days hoping desperately that Dumbledore would indeed come to fetch him, Harry felt distinctly awkward as they set off down Privet Drive together.
He had never had a proper conversation with the headmaster outside of Hogwarts before; there was usually a desk between them.
Evan had gone on adventures with Dumbledore many times. Last year, even Hermione and Elaine joined him, but Harry had never done so. Every time, Dumbledore refused his request to join and did not let him participate in the adventure.
Harry had dreamed of going out with the headmaster countless times, and now he finally had the chance!
But he wasn't sure what to do, and Dumbledore seemed very easygoing.
"Keep your wand at the ready, Harry," he said brightly.
"But, I thought I’m not allowed to use magic outside school, sir?"
"If there is an attack," said Dumbledore, "I give you permission to use any counterjinx or curse that might occur to you. However, I do not think you need worry about being attacked tonight."
"Why not, sir?"
"You are with me," said Dumbledore simply. "This will do, Harry."
His tone was filled with unquestionable confidence, and he came to an abrupt halt at the end of Privet Drive.
"You have not, of course, passed your Apparition Test," he said.
"No, normally you have to be seventeen. I looked it up," Harry answered, and then he added, remembering that Evan could Apparate, "Well, normally, anyway..."
"Yes, that is the normal situation," said Dumbledore. "So you will need to hold on to my arm very tightly."
Harry gripped Dumbledore's proffered forearm and noticed that he was wearing a ring on his finger.
He had never seen him wear it before, and there was a complex dark green rune on the back of his hand.
One end of the pattern was connected to the ring, and the other end extended up his forearm...
"What's the pattern on the back of your hand?"
"An accident," Dumbledore said simply, covering the back of his hand with his sleeve, "Let's go, it's getting late, don't keep Evan and Hermione waiting."
The next second, Harry felt Dumbledore's arm twist away from him and redoubled his grip, and then everything went black.
He was being pressed very hard from all directions; he could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around his chest; his eyeballs were being forced back into his head; his eardrums were being pushed deeper into his skull and then…
He gulped great lungfuls of cold night air and opened his streaming eyes.
Harry felt as though he had just been forced through a very tight rubber tube. It was a few seconds before he realized that Privet Drive had vanished. He and Dumbledore were now standing in front of Evan’s house. Hermione was already running towards him.
