After the media interviews, the banquet lasted into the evening.
Vincent to be in a bad mood throughout.
Lockhart may be a bit effeminate and flamboyant, but he's not to the point of suffering Voldemort's curse.
He could understand Newt Scamander's good fortune in surviving decades of being plotted against.
It's understandable that Quirrell has ulterior motives and is trying to play the long game.
"What's wrong with you?" The Wayne couple had actually noticed something was wrong a long time ago.
"No, I was thinking about the new professor."
"That position that brings bad luck to whoever gets it?" Eric casually picked up his glass and took a small sip.
"Your headmaster can't possibly bring back another dark wizard, can he?"
"Hmm!?" Vincent twisted his stiff neck. "Right, he must have a serious problem!"
His voice was a bit loud, attracting the attention of several nearby tables.
"Please forgive me, I was just too excited."
After a polite apology, those gazes were withdrawn.
Some were even more concerned, such as Hermione, who kept glancing over.
Evelyn's voice was soft. "Who has a big problem? Your new professor?"
Vincent gestured towards Lockhart, who was posing for photos with the guests, and said, "That's him. Usually, people with such an upright image are secretly doing some shady things."
"Are you talking about yourself?" Eric suddenly nodded emphatically in agreement. "Indeed, you've done quite a few bad things behind the scenes."
Evelyn rolled her eyes at him. "You weren't much better, were you in Eastern Europe before—"
Eric quickly covered her mouth. "It's nothing. She was just talking about the dark wizard we encountered before."
It would have been better not to explain, but now that I've explained, Vincent is even more suspicious.
"Stalin's Organ?"
"Only Germany call that, right?"
"The Fuhrer's Nightmare?"
"That's right!"
Well, Katyusha is definitely on its way.
"Uh—I didn't."
Eric, realizing he had been exposed, confirmed that his earlier predictions had indeed come true.
Vincent put down his cutlery. "I want to postpone my trip to Hawaii for another week."
"Whatever you want." Eric filled his glass. "Can we leave before August?"
"Sure, one of my classmates has gone missing, and we're planning to go to their house to check on them."
"Okay, who is he?"
"Harry".
His hand trembled, and the rose-red wine spilled onto his coat.
"Okay, go ahead."
Vincent stood up with a wicked grin. "I'm going to talk to them. Remember to call me when you leave."
Eric waved his hand with a dark expression.
Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey County.
Along the neat streets stand rows of houses in the same style.
This is a rather quiet place, and completely unrelated to magic.
The only jarring element was the iron railing installed outside the small window of the attic at number 4.
The lights outside gradually went out, and it was time for Harry inside to go to sleep.
"Goodnight, Hedwig." He put the letter he had finished reading into the drawer of his old desk, then turned off the light and lay down on the bed.
Hedwig, who was in the cage, was noticeably thinner.
It was trapped by that Scabbers lock.
This house, however, trapped Harry.
He was unable to contact the outside world, and he couldn't even escape.
"Gu Gu— "
In the dead of night, another letter arrived.
"Harry! Get that damn owl away!" came shouts from downstairs.
For more than half a month, from summer vacation until now, the Dursley have been making a lot of noise every time.
Harry fumbled to put on his glasses, and his face lit up with joy when the light came on.
It's here, it's here.
It arrived dressed in a little dress.
Gu Gu's already fierce eyes turned murderous when it saw Hedwig locked in the cage.
"Gu Gu!!!"
"Damn owl!" This roar provoked an even louder roar from downstairs.
Harry quickly pressed himself against the iron bars outside the window. "Hurry up, you must tell Vincent—"
With a loud bang, the door was violently smashed open.
A tall, burly middle-aged man walked in carrying a broom.
He was so fat that you could hardly see his neck, his face was a deep reddish-purple with a beard, and his small eyes were blazing with anger.
Fuck!
"Your weird wizard friends actually dared to send over a fleshy blob dressed in a tuxedo!"
"It's not a ball of flesh!" Harry quickly protested. "It's an owl, the most distinguished owl in the whole school."
"I don't care about prestige!" His uncle Vernon Dursley raised a broom. "I won't allow any more owls into this house!"
The iron fence was pounded loudly, but the Gu Gu outside weren't afraid at all.
Its large, mocking eyes once again angered Vernon.
Amidst the deafening sound of brooms banging against the iron fence, there was Harry's cheerful smile from his school days.
"What happened?" A thin, blonde woman walked into the room.
She had very light-colored eyes, and a neck twice as long as others supported a face like a horse.
"Where is Dudley?"
"I told him not to come up."
"Great, Petunia, hurry downstairs and bring up my hunting rifle!"
"No—" Harry's smile vanished instantly, "You can't treat Gu Gu like that!"
Vernon angrily threw down the broom. "Gu Gu? That doesn't sound like a proper owl's name at all!"
Petunia quickly brought him a hunting rifle.
"Get out of my way!" He shoved the pleading Harry to the ground. "Or I'll kill you too!"
Hedwig, inside the cage, quietly looked out at the Gu Gu.
Its surname is Wayne.
"Gu Gu— " came the hooting of an owl outside the window.
As Vernon raised his shotgun, a series of Gu Gu sounds came from within.
Harry looked out the window.
In the dim moonlight, a dark cloud was rushing towards us.
Gu Gu cast a disdainful glance at the Dursleys inside, then flapped its little wings and flew upwards.
"Damn it! Damn it!" Cursing, Vernon loaded his bullets and fired a shot at the iron fence.
After the spark flashed by, countless owls swooped down.
The Dursleys had never seen anything like it.
Petunia screamed and ran downstairs.
Vernon loaded bullets very slowly.
The instant the iron railing was knocked away, he was also thrown to the stairwell.
He rolled down like a wheel.
Harry, stunned, raised his hand and gently patted his face.
"Merlin's big shorts! I'm not dreaming!"
"Gu Gu— " The Gu Gu that slowly flew in stopped in front of Hedwig's cage.
Its meaning is quite obvious.
Harry looked around the room and finally picked up the loaded shotgun.
With a "thud," Hedwig was free.
"I can't go with you," he said with a forced smile. "My luggage is locked in the storage room."
Gu Gu tilted its neck left and right, then turned and flew away with Hedwig.
Behind them followed countless owls.