Harry nodded in agreement. Dudley had been raised as a pig, so he should be glad that he did not receive the same treatment...
Aunt Penny and Uncle Vernon were furious at Dumbledore's words. Obviously, they had not realized the problem.
Their precious Dudley was now no different from a pig. The only thing he lacked was his tail.
Or perhaps they had realized it, but they had not raised it to the level of abuse.
If this wasn't considered as abuse, then there was nothing more terrifying than abuse!
"I'm very disappointed in your attitude towards Harry..." said Dumbledore. The air around them was filled with coldness. "Just like what Sirius told you when he visited."
Uncle Vernon opened his mouth, but no words came out in the end.
"I don't want to talk too much about the past, but the magic I cast 15 years ago means that Harry will receive strong protection while he is still able to treat this place as his home. No matter how pitiful, unwelcome, and abused he is here, you at least reluctantly gave him a place to stay. " Dumbledore continued, "When Harry turns 17, that is to say, when he becomes a man, the magic will lose its effect and he will leave this place. So, I only ask one thing: you must allow Harry to return to this home before his 17th birthday. This will ensure that the protection will continue until then. "
The Dursleys did not utter a word. They were silently thinking about Dumbledore's words.
Dudley frowned slightly, as if he was still wondering what kind of abuse he had received.
Uncle Vernon looked like he had something stuck in his throat, while Aunt Penny's face was inexplicably red.
Harry had heard his aunt and uncle whisper that if Sirius was willing to pay a large sum of gold every year for his expenses, they would be more than willing to let him come back during the summer holidays...
But he did not want to stay here anymore. As long as he persisted next year, he could completely leave this home.
Thinking that he had explained everything clearly, Dumbledore stood up from the sofa.
"Well, Harry, it's time for us to go," he said at last. "Have you packed your things?"
"It's done!" Harry said hurriedly.
He immediately rushed upstairs and brought down the box he had packed four days ago along with Hedwig's cage.
Dumbledore was waiting for him in the hall. He was enjoying the potted plants.
The Dursleys huddled in the doorway of the living room, the air thicker than frozen custard.
"Well, then we'll be on our way. See you next time!" said Dumbledore to the Dursleys, putting on his hat.
Uncle Vernon snorted, and from their expressions it was clear that they hoped they would never see each other again.
"Goodbye!"
Harry hurriedly bade farewell to the Dursleys and went to Dumbledore's side.
"Professor, where are we going now?"
"To pick up Elwyn and Hermione," said Dumbledore. Dumbledore said, looking at Harry's salute and Hedwig, and pulled out his wand. "They can't be in the way now, I'll send them over first, and let them wait for us there. But I want you to wear the Invisibility Cloak, Harry, you know, just in case. "
It took some effort for Harry to pull the Invisibility Cloak out of the box. He had put it at the bottom of the box. Because of the things Sirius had given him before the summer vacation, his luggage this year was a lot more than usual. Sirius had bought him a lot of food, magic tools, and a lot of things that normal boys should have and shouldn't have. Harry did not want Dumbledore to see the mess in his box.
When he stuffed the Invisibility Cloak into the inside pocket of his jacket, Dumbledore waved his wand, and the box, cage, and Hedwig disappeared.
Then, he waved his wand again, and the door opened into the cold, foggy night.
The street was dark, and only the faint starlight could be seen.
"Alright, Harry, let us walk into the night, and chase after that frivolous and seductive witch. Adventure."
Dumbledore's words made Harry very excited. He could finally go on an adventure with the principal.
In the past, as long as he was awake, he would fervently hope that Dumbledore would really come to pick him up.
But when the two of them set off together, walking on Privet Drive, he felt very awkward.
In the past, he had almost never had a serious conversation with the principal outside of Hogwarts.
Usually, there would be a table between them.
Elwyn had gone on adventures like this with Dumbledore many times. Last year, even Hermione and Elaine had joined in, but Harry had not done it even once. Every time, Dumbledore had refused his request to go along, not letting him participate in the adventure.
Harry had dreamed of going out with the principal countless times, and now he finally had the chance!
But he was not sure what he should do. Dumbledore was very easygoing.
"Get your wand ready, Harry," he said in a brisk tone.
"But, I don't think I can use magic outside of the school, sir?"
"If there is an attack." Dumbledore said, "I will allow you to use any magic and incantation you can think of to fight back. But, I don't think you need to worry about an attack tonight."
"Why?"
"Because you are with me," Dumbledore said simply, "and that will be all right, Harry."
His tone was full of unquestionable confidence. At the intersection of Privet Drive, he suddenly stopped.
"By the way, surely you haven't passed the Apparition exam?" he asked.
"No, I think I have to be at least seventeen. I've looked it up." Harry replied. Remembering that Elwyn could already Apparition, he added, "Well, under normal circumstances..."
"Yes, under normal circumstances," said Dumbledore. "Then you need to hold my arm."
Harry grabbed Dumbledore's outstretched forearm and noticed that he was wearing a ring.
He had never seen him wear it before. Also, on the back of his hand, there was a complicated dark green rune.
One end of the rune was connected to the ring, and the other end extended up the upper arm...
"What is the rune 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 let Elwyn and Hermione wait too long."
The next second, Harry felt that Dumbledore's arm was about to break free from his grasp. He quickly grabbed it tighter, and then he found that his surroundings had become dark.
He felt strong pressure from all directions, and he could not breathe.
His chest felt like it was tightly strangled by several iron bands. His eyeballs were squeezed back into his head, and his eardrums were pressed deep into his skull. Then...
He took a deep breath of the cold night air and opened his teary eyes.
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