Chapter 238
Dinner at the Black residence was proceeding in complete peace, with occasional conversations flowing among those gathered around the table.
Albert Black had finally begun to feel the warmth of having a family. Although the atmosphere was still overshadowed by the fears brought about by Voldemort's return, the presence of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and the Weasley family filled the house with a sense of comfort.
Suddenly, knocks echoed from the front door.
Everyone lifted their heads toward the entrance. Sirius exchanged a glance with Albert and then Remus before rising and making his way to the door.
When he opened it, three figures stood outside.
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, his magical eye spinning in every direction as it carefully inspected the surroundings, his wand gripped cautiously in hand.
Beside him stood Nymphadora Tonks, her bright pink hair and broad smile impossible to miss. She wore a long black leather coat that made her seem as though she belonged to an entirely different world.
The third was Kingsley Shacklebolt, carrying his usual dignity, his polished bald head reflecting the light as he stood in dark blue robes, gazing calmly into the house.
Sirius smiled broadly and spread his arms.
"Oh, you're finally here! You're a bit late—we were almost finished with dinner without you."
"Well, we can't leave the Ministry of Magic to collapse without proper supervision, can we?" Kingsley replied in his deep voice as he stepped inside confidently.
Moody merely grunted as he entered. Then he stopped and looked at Albert Black, first with his normal eye and then with his magical one, which spun twice in its socket before he allowed himself a faint smile.
"You look well, considering you nearly died two months ago. And... thank you for what you did for me before."
Albert rose from his chair and approached Moody, shaking his hand with a warm smile.
"It's nothing, Professor! Anyone in my place would have done the same."
Afterward, Albert turned and shook Kingsley Shacklebolt's hand, receiving an appreciative nod in return. Then he moved to greet Nymphadora Tonks.
The moment he took her hand, she raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked with an amused smile,
"Do you know me?"
Albert chuckled softly.
"Of course I do. You're Nymphadora Tonks, my father's cousin and Andromeda Tonks's daughter. How could I not know you?"
Tonks's eyes widened, and her surprise quickly turned into genuine delight.
"Oh my goodness! Finally, someone who doesn't need me to explain how we're related!"
She lightly punched his arm before grinning happily.
"It's nice to finally meet Sirius's son. I've always wondered about you!"
Sirius laughed as he watched his son interact with their relative, while Remus shook his head with a smile.
"Well, now that everyone's here, how about we sit down and finish dinner?" Arthur Weasley suggested, gesturing toward the empty seats.
Everyone settled down. Tonks quickly joined the conversations, while Kingsley listened quietly to Albert's observations about developments in the Muggle world. Moody, meanwhile, continued watching everyone at the table with his magical eye as though expecting someone to turn into a conspirator at any moment.
After Moody settled into his chair, he naturally took control of the conversation with his rough voice. His magical eye continued spinning endlessly, examining every corner of the room as though searching for an invisible threat.
The atmosphere remained lively, but suddenly Moody noticed something.
"Where are the Weasley children?" he asked loudly, directing his gaze toward Arthur, who was still chewing a piece of meat. "I haven't seen them in ages. And where's Harry? I want to see the boy who defeated the Dark Lord!"
Arthur raised his eyebrows and briefly glanced at Sirius before swallowing and replying calmly,
"Well, the children are upstairs. They're all together. Even Hermione is up there."
Before he could continue, Sirius interrupted him with a serious tone.
"As for Harry... he's at his aunt's house."
Moody looked at him intently, and Sirius continued,
"Dumbledore said it wasn't safe for him to stay here after You-Know-Who returned. That house is the safest place for him."
Signs of dissatisfaction appeared on Moody's face. He chewed his food aggressively before declaring enthusiastically,
"So what?! After dinner, my apprentice and I will go there with Kingsley and bring him back. What could happen to the boy while we're protecting him?"
Albert chose not to answer Moody.
Having lived a second life, he knew that Moody would eventually die protecting Harry Potter. He didn't want to spoil this rare happy atmosphere by mentioning such a thing.
Silence filled the room for a few seconds before Kingsley let out a soft sigh.
"Moody, you know it's not that simple. The protection surrounding Harry at his aunt's house cannot be replaced by ordinary guards. Dumbledore himself confirmed that it's the best option for now."
Moody waved his hand dismissively.
"Fine. We'll discuss it later. I still have my doubts about this plan."
The others returned to their meals and conversations, trying to ignore the tension evident in Moody's voice.
---
Meanwhile, Harry had just received a letter and began reading it.
Dear Mr. Potter,
We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at 9:23 p.m. this evening in an area inhabited by Muggles and in the presence of one of them.
Due to the severity of this violation of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Representatives of the Ministry of Magic will shortly arrive at your residence to destroy your wand.
In light of your previous official warning for violating Article 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that you are required to attend a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at nine o'clock on the morning of August twelfth.
With best wishes,
Mafalda Hopkirk
Improper Use of Magic Office
Ministry of Magic
Harry read the letter twice.
He barely registered what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were saying.
Only one horrifying truth pierced through his mind:
He had been expelled from Hogwarts.
Everything was over.
He would never return.
He looked up at his aunt and uncle.
Uncle Vernon was red-faced and shouting, while Aunt Petunia held Dudley, who had begun vomiting again.
Harry's frozen mind suddenly focused on one sentence from the letter:
Representatives of the Ministry will shortly arrive to destroy your wand.
There was only one solution.
Run.
But where?
He had no idea.
Yet he knew one thing for certain:
Inside Hogwarts or outside it, he needed his wand.
Like someone moving in a dream, Harry drew his wand and turned toward the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Uncle Vernon shouted.
When Harry ignored him, Vernon rushed across the kitchen and blocked his way.
"I'm not finished with you, boy!"
"Get out of my way," Harry said calmly.
"No! You'll stay here until you explain what happened to my son!"
Harry raised his wand.
"If you don't move, I'll curse you."
Uncle Vernon growled.
"You can't fool me. I know you're not allowed to use that thing outside that madhouse you call a school."
"I've been expelled from that madhouse," Harry replied coldly. "I'll do whatever I want. Three seconds to move. One... two—"
A loud bang echoed through the kitchen.
Aunt Petunia screamed.
Uncle Vernon shouted and ducked.
For the third time that night, Harry looked around for the source of the disturbance.
Finally, he saw it.
A disheveled, bewildered owl sat on the outside kitchen windowsill, having just crashed into the closed window.
Ignoring Uncle Vernon's cry of "Bloody birds!", Harry hurried over and opened the window.
The owl extended its leg, which carried a small scroll. The moment Harry removed it, the bird shook its feathers and flew away.
His hands trembling, Harry opened the second letter.
Large black ink stains covered the hastily written message.
Harry!
Dumbledore has just arrived at the Ministry and is currently trying to resolve the problem. Under no circumstances are you to leave your aunt and uncle's house. Do not perform any magic. And do not surrender your wand to anyone!
Arthur Weasley
Harry whispered,
"Dumbledore is trying to solve it... What does that mean? How much influence does Dumbledore have within the Ministry? Is there still a chance I can return to Hogwarts?"
A faint spark of hope ignited within him, though panic quickly smothered it.
How could he refuse to surrender his wand without using magic?
He would have to fight the Ministry representatives, and if he did, Azkaban would surely await him.
His thoughts raced.
He could run and risk arrest.
Or he could stay and trust Arthur Weasley and Dumbledore.
The first option tempted him more, but Arthur had always cared about him.
And after all, Dumbledore had solved far worse problems before.
Harry looked at Uncle Vernon.
"You're right. I've changed my mind. I'll stay here."
He sat back at the kitchen table facing Dudley and Aunt Petunia.
The Dursleys stared at him in confusion.
Aunt Petunia looked helplessly toward her husband.
The vein on Uncle Vernon's forehead throbbed violently.
"Where do all these blasted owls keep coming from?" he roared.
"The first letter was from the Ministry of Magic informing me that I've been expelled," Harry replied calmly. "The second was from Ron's father, who works at the Ministry."
"The Ministry of Magic?" Uncle Vernon exploded. "People like you actually work in the government? That explains everything! No wonder this country's going to the dogs!"
When Harry didn't answer, Vernon demanded,
"And why did they expel you?"
"For using magic."
Uncle Vernon slammed his fist onto the refrigerator so hard that the door flew open, spilling several of Dudley's diet meals onto the floor.
"Aha! So you admit it! What did you do to Dudley?"
"Nothing! I wasn't the one who—"
Unexpectedly, Dudley muttered something.
Immediately, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia rounded on Harry.
"Quiet!" they shouted together.
"Go on, son," Uncle Vernon urged.
Dudley trembled.
"He... pointed his wand at me."
"Yes, I did!" Harry burst out angrily. "But I didn't cast—"
"Quiet!" Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia shouted again.
Uncle Vernon repeated,
"Go on, son."
Dudley shivered violently.
"Everything went dark... completely dark. Then I heard... I heard things inside my head."
Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia exchanged horrified looks.
"Which voices, sweetheart?" Aunt Petunia whispered tearfully.
But Dudley seemed unable to answer.
Harry couldn't help feeling curious.
Dementors forced people to relive their worst memories.
What had Dudley heard?
"How did you fall, son?" Uncle Vernon asked gently.
"I... tripped... and then..."
He pointed weakly at his chest.
Harry understood immediately.
Dudley remembered the freezing cold and the feeling of hope draining away.
"It felt horrible," Dudley whispered. "So cold... terribly cold."
"And then?" Aunt Petunia asked anxiously.
"I felt... I felt like..."
Harry finished for him.
"Like you'd never be happy again."
Dudley whispered shakily,
"Yes."
"So you've cursed my son!" Uncle Vernon shouted. "Made him hear voices and think he'd never be happy again!"
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Harry snapped. "It wasn't me! It was two Dementors!"
"Two what?"
"Dementors."
"And what the devil are Dementors?"
"They're the guards of Azkaban."
The words came from Aunt Petunia.
Silence followed.
Harry stared at her in disbelief.
Mrs. Figg was one thing.
But Aunt Petunia?
"How do you know that?" Harry asked.
Petunia looked startled by her own words.
"I heard that awful boy talking about them years ago."
"If you mean my father, why won't you use his name?" Harry demanded.
But she ignored him.
Harry was stunned.
Aside from one previous occasion years ago, she had never spoken about his parents.
Uncle Vernon stared between Petunia, Dudley, and Harry.
"So... they actually exist?" he asked weakly.
Petunia nodded.
Just as Vernon opened his mouth again, a third owl burst through the open window like a feathered cannonball, landing heavily on the kitchen table and terrifying the Dursleys.
Harry grabbed another official letter and opened it immediately.
Dear Mr. Potter,
With reference to our previous correspondence delivered twenty-two minutes ago:
The Ministry of Magic has revised its decision concerning the destruction of your wand. You are permitted to retain your wand until your hearing on August twelfth, when official decisions regarding your case will be made.
Following discussions with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry has also agreed to reconsider your expulsion during the hearing.
Until then, you are considered suspended from school pending further decisions.
With best wishes,
Mafalda Hopkirk
Improper Use of Magic Office
Ministry of Magic
Harry read the letter three times.
The painful knot inside his chest loosened slightly.
At least he had not been expelled yet.
Everything now depended on the hearing on August twelfth.
"And now what?" Uncle Vernon asked bitterly. "Have they sentenced you? Do your people have the death penalty?" The last question sounded almost hopeful.
"I have to attend a hearing."
"And will they judge you there?"
"I think so."
"Don't expect me to support you or hope for your survival," Uncle Vernon said smugly.
Harry rose from his seat.
"Fine. If that's all..."
He desperately wanted to be alone.
To think.
Perhaps to write to Ron, Hermione, or Albert.
"No!" Uncle Vernon barked. "We're not finished. Sit down."
Harry sighed impatiently.
"What do you want now?"
"Dudley," Uncle Vernon growled. "I want to know exactly what happened to my son."
To be continued...