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Chapter 1227: Harry's Summer Vacation
🕑 Added 2024-09-13 14:52:59 +0000 UTCHarry finally went downstairs to tell his aunt and uncle the news only an hour before Dumbledore arrived.
As he expected, after a brief shock, they immediately began to complain. Aunt Petunia began to look out the window in panic, and Uncle Vernon loudly grumbled about how no one would come visiting at eleven o'clock at night, and whether wizards were like owls that didn’t need to sleep.
Harry didn't explain. He walked back to his room, feeling relieved. After all, he was finally going to get rid of the Dursleys this year.
Moreover, he hadn’t expected that it would be Professor Dumbledore who would come to pick him up.
He knew Sirius was not in the country, and originally thought that it would be Lupin, Tonks or Hagrid who would come...
Unexpectedly, it was Dumbledore who came in person.
Harry held a piece of parchment in his hand, written to him by Professor Dumbledore.
This letter had been delivered four days ago. Since receiving it, Harry had taken it out to read from time to time. Although it had been delivered in a tightly furled scroll, it now lay quite flat, covered in thin, slanting writing.
Dear Harry,
If it is convenient to you, I shall call at number four, Privet Drive this coming Friday at eleven p.m. to pick you up.
I have arranged with Evan and Hermione. They will be leaving at the same time as us, and you will spend the remainder of the summer with your friends. If you are agreeable, I should also be glad of your assistance in a matter I have to do. I shall explain this more fully when I see you.
Kindly send your answer by return of this owl. Hoping to see you this Friday,
I am, yours most sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore.
Harry had read this letter many times and had memorized its contents by heart.
He kept wondering what Dumbledore might need their assistance with, and he was happy to soon be seeing Evan and Hermione, especially Evan, whom Harry hadn’t seen in a long time. Evan had set off for Egypt before the end of the last term.
This made Harry quite envious, and he often talked about it with his friends at school, speculating about what Evan might encounter.
His other two good friends, Ron and Hermione, had both been to Egypt before, but being able to attend the International Alchemical Congress was a very rare experience. It was said that this alchemical event was only held once every ten years, not to mention the ancient ruins full of mystery!
Harry expected that Evan's trip would be unusual, and subsequent developments confirmed his guess, even beyond his expectations.
Just look at the newspapers lately — they were almost entirely filled with news about Evan. It was hard not to notice.
From his battle with the powerful demon in the Ruins of Amun Ra to Evan's various past experiences, all were dug up.
They praised Evan as a wizard as powerful as Dumbledore and Voldemort. Harry was not sure about this. He knew that Evan was strong, but he didn't know how strong he was. However, Harry disagreed with the other reports in the newspapers.
He thought they were exaggerating, just like before the start of this summer, when the newspapers were full of stories about him.
They portrayed him as the Chosen One, analyzing him over and over, expecting him to defeat Voldemort...
This was simply ridiculous, when less than a year ago he had been Potter the Fraud, a mentally ill wizard.
The Daily Prophet was worthless. If Sirius hadn't asked Harry to do so, he wouldn't have subscribed to it. Many of his classmates had stopped subscribing to it and instead subscribed to Hogwarts Magic, a newspaper founded by Evan.
But Sirius said that the Daily Prophet was strong overseas and would get a lot of the latest news from other countries.
He was right. Since the beginning of the summer vacation, Harry soon realized that the situation in Britain was relatively calm. There had been no large-scale panic or attacks due to Voldemort's return. Perhaps they had gradually accepted the news, but the situation abroad was gradually becoming chaotic.
Various Dark organizations that Harry had never heard of before declared their allegiance to Voldemort.
In addition, there were endless attacks and murders.
At first, it might have made him feel angry and excited, but Harry quickly realized that knowing about these events did nothing to change the dire situation. He couldn’t even leave the house, let alone stop Voldemort.
The constant reports of attacks and deaths soon became tiresome to him.
The newspaper was of no use at all except making him more nervous and irritated.
The new Minister for Magic, Scrimgeour, announced new initiatives every week, but like the depressing Daily Prophet, they were completely useless. Ministry officials were running around, contacting Aurors from other countries, but they couldn't even find any trace of Voldemort and his followers.
They did arrest a lot of people, but they were all insignificant characters; people like Mundungus, whose most dangerous act in life was buying a batch of dubious cauldrons.
The Ministry of Magic gave every wizard a safety manual, a purple leaflet emblazoned with the words:
̶ ISSUED ON BEHALF OF ̶
THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC
PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND FAMILY
AGAINST DARK FORCES
The wizarding community is currently under threat from an organization calling itself the Death Eaters. Observing the following simple security guidelines will help protect you, your family, and your home from attack.
1. You are advised not to leave the house alone.
2. Particular care should be taken during the hours of darkness. Wherever possible, arrange to complete journeys before night has fallen.
3. Review the security arrangements around your house, making sure that all family members are aware of emergency measures such as Shield and Disillusionment Charms, and, in case if underage family members, Side ̶ Along ̶ Apparition and using a wand to set off emergency fireworks.
4. Agree on security questions with close friends and family so as to detect Death Eaters masquerading as others by use of the Polyjuice Potion (see page 2).
5. Should you feel that a family member, colleague, friend, or neighbor is acting in a strange manner, contact the Magical Law Enforcement Squad at once. They may have been put under the Imperius Curse (see page 4).
6. Should the Dark Mark appear over any dwelling or other building, DO NOT ENTER, but contact the Auror Office immediately.
7. Unconfirmed sightings suggest that the Death Eaters may now be using Inferi (see page 10). Any sighting of an Inferius, or encounter with same, should be reported to the Ministry IMMEDIATELY.
8. Given the current situation with the Dementors...
Harry had thrown the leaflet aside after receiving it. However, when packing his things, he thought for a moment and decided to put it in his trunk. It listed a hundred different protective measures, some of which were quite ridiculous — like expecting underage children to learn Apparition on their own. Was this a spell that underage wizards could perform on their own?
But some were really helpful, such as the one about agreeing on security questions so as to detect Death Eaters masquerading as others by use of the Polyjuice Potion...
