"Why should I take on this issue?"
At 10 PM, as Harry, with his exhausted body, took off his glasses and collapsed onto the bed, he deeply regretted his decision.
The reason for his exhaustion was not because today was the day for a deep clean, nor because he had been busy in the garden all day, trimming the lawn and fertilizing the flower beds surrounded by a hedge with beautiful blooms. In fact, the Dursleys had not assigned him any household chores.
Instead, it was because, since the decision was made at breakfast, they had given him an emergency training to avoid any mishaps during his visit to the Brain Manor tomorrow.
From the posture of walking, the expression of smiling, the tone of greeting, to the etiquette of dining, they tirelessly and chattered at him about all sorts of details, their dullness was comparable to the only ghost professor's History of Magic class at Hogwarts.
The bedroom light was turned off, but the living room downstairs was still brightly lit, and occasionally, sounds of rustling could be heard. That was Aunt Petunia frantically helping Harry make a decent dress - they only realized at bedtime that Harry had no decent dress to wear for visiting the upper class.
By nightfall, the mall was closed, and it was now too late to go out to buy a dress. After a flurry of activity, Aunt Petunia suddenly remembered that last summer, for the sake of hosting the Masons, builders, they had prepared a dress for Dudley.
That brand-new dress that Dudley had only worn once was never worn again, because with Dudley's rate of growth, he rarely had clothes that fit for more than two years.
Now, Aunt Petunia only needed to cut and sew the dress, and she could make Harry several outfits out of those fabrics.
"Why should I take on this issue?"
Harry, with his head buried in the blankets, pounded the bed in frustration, but he actually knew the reason himself.
It's not just because it's a great opportunity to retrieve his magical book and wand broom, but also because he hopes to teach the Dursleys a lesson.
The Dursleys have always treated magic with the most contempt, referring to it as a ghost trick, which Harry is extremely angry about but helpless, but the appearance of this event has given Harry a chance. If he can really play a role, then the Dursleys may be able to slightly face up to the magic.
In that case, the few summer vacations he would have to endure before graduating from Hogwarts might be a bit better than now.
Harry thought so, as the sound of mechanical cutting gradually lulled him to sleep.
"I hope you all realize the importance of today's visit!"
Early the next morning, when the golden sun was still a bit cool, everyone in the house gathered in the living room to listen to their family head's speech.
"Last summer, if I had been able to secure that order, we should already be living in an luxurious villa on the island of Maltacca. But due to some unexpected events, we have lost the chance to change our destiny!"
Harry, who felt all wrong for the first time in his life wearing a dress, lowered his head. He was well aware of what Uncle Vernon was talking about, but it wasn't his fault. Who could have predicted that Dobby would show up at that exact moment and drop an entire cake on the couple's heads to prevent him from returning to Hogwarts?
It was evident that the visit to Mr. Brenn was causing the Dursleys a great deal of tension. The car ride to Brenn Manor in the wealthy neighborhood of Mayfair in London was filled with an oppressive silence, even Dobby was adjusting his brightly patterned tie, which he wore around an invisible neck.
Harry, who was tightly pressed against the car door by Dobby, was also affected by this atmosphere and felt a bit nervous. He struggled to remember how Madam Pince always asked about his illnesses whenever he stayed in the infirmary.
Once they entered Mayfair in Westminster, the sky seemed even more azure.
Compared to other residential areas in London, there were few people around here, and the fresh air was filled with the delightful fragrance of roses.
Aunt Petunia opened the car window and gazed out with envious and jealous eyes at the vast expanse of green grass on either side of the road. There were women, holding expensive breeds of dogs, chatting and laughing in leisure while walking on the grass without worrying about household chores, and this was exactly the kind of life she had always dreamed of.
At the end of the immaculate road, there stood an expansive mansion, with a main body in pure white and gold decorations glittering under the sunlight, reflecting a dazzling brilliance that captivated onlookers.
At the center of the neat lawn in front of the manor stood a colossal fountain with its jets shooting water as high as sixty feet. The four walls surrounding the courtyard were lined with well-maintained maple trees, and dozens of gardeners climbed up and down those trees, busy trimming back their overly lush branches.
"This is it--" Uncle Vernon said in a low voice.
Dobby greedily gazed at everything, his chubby face distorted by the window. Harry, on the other hand, seemed indifferent. Indeed, this manor among the houses he had seen was the most luxurious, but in his heart, the dark and gloomy Hogwarts castle was still his paradise.
"I am Vernon Dursley, here to visit Mr. Brenn, we have an appointment..."
Harry looked at Uncle Vernon, who was standing before the grand iron gates with a stern expression, his voice trembling. Suddenly, he felt a strong urge to laugh. To be honest, he had never seen Uncle Vernon speak to anyone with such an attitude!
Because foreign vehicles are not allowed into the estate, Harry had no choice but to walk with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, carrying flowers and fruit baskets, towards the manor.
As they walked along the straight path paved with cobblestones, Harry's cousin Dobby constantly squeezed the corners of his clothes and darted his small eyes around, but he dared not say a word. It was obvious that he knew this was not a place where he could indulge in whims or express his personality.
Perhaps it was because the master of the estate was seriously ill, as they got closer to the manor, the air became more solemn. Even the staff managing the estate, who were bowing with their luggage as they passed by, had quite serious expressions on their faces.
Through all this, Harry probably understood that the current condition of the estate's owner was very poor.
"Ah, Mr. Lawrence--"
Uncle Vernon, with sweat beading on his flushed face, suddenly exclaimed in surprise. He stepped away from behind the rigid Aunt Petunia and walked towards a thin man with shiny hair and a small mustache above his lips, dressed in a perfectly creaseless suit that made him look quite old.
"That's Mr. Brenn's butler,"
Aunt Petunia whispered to remind,
"In the past two years, he often delivers Mr. Brenn's orders, and he's very trusted. Remember to show respect to him... especially you!"
Harry naturally knew that the 'you' mentioned by Aunt Petunia referred to him. He looked at the butler for a moment and suddenly remembered the very unpopular castlekeeper, Filch, at Hogwarts.
"Maybe they both do similar jobs..."
Harry thought to himself, forcing a smile at Lawrence.
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Reading Pavilion
