In the wedding photos that Sirius had given him, Harry had never seen his aunt and uncle.
They had not attended the wedding, but from what he knew about his parents, it was impossible that his mother had not invited the Dursleys.
From Uncle Vernon's tone, perhaps there had been some problems during their first meeting …
In the past, Harry would have tried to figure out what his father had said to Uncle Vernon, or maybe he would have made Uncle Vernon apologize to his father. If he had been more agitated, he would have taken out his wand and done something to his uncle, just like he had done to his aunt three years ago. But now, it did not matter. He knew his father well enough to know that he was not as perfect as he had thought.
Perhaps it was not Uncle Vernon who had done wrong …
For the current Harry, the past hatred of the Dursleys was nothing!
Although he did not want to admit it, Harry had actually forgiven them in his heart, or perhaps he did not care about it at all.
The things that had been the most important to him in the past had become less important as he grew older.
In the past, he had done everything he could to fit in with this family, to gain the approval of his aunt and uncle.
But time and time again, he had only received disappointment and unfair treatment, as well as growing disappointment and hatred.
Even now, Harry still remembered his childhood thoughts, but it did not matter anymore. There was a wider world waiting for him.
Looking back at the small house that had been imprisoning him, his aunt and uncle were not as bad as he had once thought.
They had their own views, just like most Muggle families had towards wizards. Moreover, the Dursleys had taken Harry in even though they knew that it would be dangerous.
For a Muggle family, this was already a great move.
They could have sent Harry to an orphanage, just like what Lord Voldemort had experienced, even with Dumbledore's letter …
Sixteen years ago, Lord Voldemort had personally chosen Harry and marked him, but his misfortune had not been replicated to Harry. As Dumbledore had once said, his childhood with the Dursleys might not have been very good, but he had still been protected, raised, and learned what love was!
Yes, love!
Harry remembered what Elwyn had said to him, telling him to apologize to Snape on behalf of his father. Although he felt that he might never forgive Snape, the Dursleys were not Snape, so it was not as difficult to say some things.
"If my father said anything rude to you back then, I apologize on his behalf," Harry suddenly said to Uncle Vernon. Harry suddenly said to Uncle Vernon in a low voice, but it carried unmistakably to everyone present, 'And good-bye!'
Vernon Dursley was stunned, as if he had not expected Harry to say this.
For a moment, he stared blankly at Harry, not knowing what to think. Then he waved his hand irritably.
"Boy, what are you talking about? I … Damn it, are we leaving or not?! We've been delayed for too long. "Dursley awkwardly left the room.
"Yes, yes!" Dedalor Digo said. He had looked at the scene in confusion, as if he did not understand the strange relationship between Harry and the Dursleys. Now that Vernon Dursley urged him again, he seemed to come to his senses. "We really have to go, Harry …"
He hurried forward and grasped Harry's hand tightly with both hands.
"Good luck. I hope we'll meet again. The hope of the wizarding world rests on your shoulders."
"Oh!" Harry said. "Okay, thank you."
"Goodbye, Harry!" Hester said, holding his hand tightly. "We'll miss you."
"I hope everything goes well," Harry said, glancing at Aunt Petunia and Dudley.
"Oh, I'm sure we'll be good friends," Digo said cheerfully. He waved his hat and left the room.
Hester followed. At this moment, Dudley gently freed himself from his mother's embrace and walked toward Harry.
Harry had to resist the urge to threaten him with magic. Dudley held out his fat, pink hand. Aunt Petunia started sobbing again. Harry also held out his hand. He felt that Dudley had changed a lot, but since even he had said those things to Uncle Vernon, it did not seem to matter.
Ever since Harry rescued Dudley from the Soul Catcher's mouth, their relationship had undergone a change.
"Goodbye, Harry," Dudley said. He suddenly came up to Harry and hugged him. "I'll miss you."
"Okay... I'll miss you too, maybe..." Harry said uncertainly. He pulled himself out of Dudley's embrace. "Take care, D."
Dudley almost smiled and hobbled out of the room.
Harry heard his heavy footsteps on the gravel driveway and the car door slam.
Aunt Petunia, who had been burying her face in her handkerchief, looked up at the sound.
At this time, only the two of them were left in the living room.
She did not seem to expect to be alone with Harry. She hurriedly stuffed the wet handkerchief into her pocket and said, "Well, goodbye."
Then, without looking at Harry, she strode toward the door.
"Goodbye," Harry said.
Aunt Petunia stopped and turned around. For a moment, Harry had a strange feeling that Aunt Petunia wanted to say something to him. She looked at him strangely and timidly, as if hesitating to speak. Then, with a jerk of her head, she rushed out of the room and chased after her husband and son.
Looking at the empty living room, Harry has an inexplicable feeling. In the past sixteen years, he has never felt so empty here.
Goodbye, Uncle Vernon!
Goodbye, Aunt Petunia!
Goodbye, Dudley!
Harry ran upstairs to his bedroom and rushed to the window, just in time to see the Dursleys' car turn off the driveway and onto the road, Dedalus' top hat in the backseat between Aunt Petunia and Dudley. The car turned right at the end of Privet Drive, the windows glowing like fire in the slanting sun, and then disappeared.
Harry picked up Hedwig's cage, his crossbow, and his knapsack. He took one last look at the unnaturally tidy bedroom, then stumbled down the stairs to the living room, where he placed the birdcage, broom, and knapsack at the foot of the stairs.
The light quickly dimmed, and the living room looked shadowy in the twilight.
It was quiet. Harry stood there, knowing that he was leaving the house forever. It was a strange feeling.
The strange feeling he had felt when they parted came back again, stronger than ever.
Long ago, when the Dursleys had gone out to have fun and left him alone in the house, those few hours of solitude had been a rare treat. He would grab a quick snack from the fridge, then rush upstairs to play Dudley's Game Boy or turn on the TV, choosing whatever channel he wanted.
Thinking of those times, he felt an inexplicable melancholy, as if he were thinking of a lost brother.
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