Do You Even Have a Heart?

The two went to the backyard. Ron put on his Insulated Boots, stood in the middle of the yard, and made an exaggerated starting gesture.

Come on! Let the storm rage on!

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was some kind of storm petrel about to face a tempest.

You'd better be more careful!

Harry raised his wand, thought for a moment, and instead of using the more powerful spells, tried a small red Spark Spell first.

A spark struck Ron's boots, causing a faint Blue Light on the surface before the spark dissipated instantly.

"It's alright!" Ron shouted.

Harry increased the intensity, switching to Stunning Spell.

The red beam of light struck the boots, but was still blocked by the Blue Light; Ron simply took a step back.

"Great!" Harry got excited and tried several different spells— the Freezing Charm, the Cutting Charm, and the Exploding Charm —and the boots held up perfectly.

Finally, Harry tried a slightly stronger Disarming Charm.

This spell is quite powerful; it generates an impact force when it hits a target.

Ron was forced to retreat several steps, but his boots remained undamaged, only their surface flashed Blue Light a few times.

"It's done!" Ron jumped up excitedly, "It really is done!"

He ran over and hugged Harry tightly. "Harry! I did it! I was able to contribute to this mission!"

Harry was a little breathless from the hug, but he still smiled and patted his back, "Yes, you did it, Tonks deserves a lot of credit too."

Tonks watched from the side, her hair turning a happy pink.

Hermione walked over, and unusually, instead of complaining, she patted Ron on the shoulder like a loving mother. "It was really great."

Ron paused for a moment, then blushed.

Why are you blushing over a bubble teapot?

At noon, Ruby a sumptuous lunch to celebrate the success of the Insulated Boots.

Ron was allowed an extra chicken leg, and he was so happy he almost did a backflip on the spot, but Hermione stopped him in time.

In the afternoon, Kingsley returned from the Ministry of Magic with some news.

Observers from the American Ministry of Magic have arrived in London and will visit Grimmauld Place tomorrow.

"A visit?" Veratia raised an eyebrow. "What do they want?"

"Officially, they're here to gather information, but really they're assessing our preparations," Kingsley said. "The head of that Observation Team is Graves, a seasoned Auror, and supposedly quite formidable."

"Let them come," Veratia said calmly. "It'll show them we're not playing house."

The following morning, the Observation Team from the American Ministry of Magic arrived on time.

There were three people who arrived. The one in the lead, Graves, was a wizard in his fifties with short, silver-gray hair, sharp eyes, and an impeccably tailored black robe. The other two were younger, a man and a woman, who appeared to be his assistants.

Kingsley welcomed them into the Living Room. Ruby served tea and snacks.

Graves glanced around, his gaze lingering for a moment on the old Black family tapestries on the wall, then turned to Veratia: "Ms. Grindelwald, it's an honor to meet you."

"Mr. Graves, please have a seat." Veratia gestured for him to sit down.

The Observation Team took their seats, and the atmosphere became somewhat subdued.

Graves cut to the chase. "Ms. Grindelwald, we're here to confirm the preparations for the Purification operation. The American Ministry of Magic is very interested in this operation and wants to know the detailed plans, personnel allocation, equipment, and risk assessment."

"Of course." Veratia nodded. "Kingsley, give them the information."

Kingsley took out a thick folder and handed it to Graves. Graves opened it and frowned slightly. "This information seems insufficient. For example, the Infiltration Squad's roster only has code names, not real names? The equipment list also lacks specific performance parameters."

"For security reasons," Veratia said, "The identities of the Infiltration Squad members need to be kept secret before the operation. As for the equipment specifications, you can test them on-site, but you cannot take them away."

Graves stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded. "Makes sense. Can we test the equipment now?"

"Please go ahead."

Ron became excited upon hearing that the equipment would be tested. He took out the Insulated Boots and placed them in front of Graves. Graves's assistant—the young witch—took out a complex testing instrument and began scanning.

"Energy absorption rate 94%, impact resistance level A+, magic stability----" she read out a string of data, Graves ' expression changed slightly.

"Did you develop this yourself?" he asked.

"I did it with Tonks!" Ron puffed out his chest.

Graves glanced at him and nodded. "Not bad."

Ron puffed out his chest even higher.

Next, they tested Dyg's gadgets: Quartz Bead, misleading powder, and Transformation Silver Knife. Each item caused the testing equipment to emit an astonishing buzz, and Graves's expression grew increasingly serious.

"Where did you get all of these?" he asked.

"I collected them from all over the world," Dyg said proudly. "Some were from ancient tombs, some were traded with native shamans, and some I made myself."

Graves paused for a moment, then turned to Veratia: "Ms. Grindelwald, I must admit, your preparations are far more thorough than I anticipated. But I have one more question—who is the leader of the Infiltration Squad?"

Veratia looked at Harry.

Harry stood up and said calmly, "It's me."

Graves sized him up, his gaze scrutinizing. "Harry Potter? That the Savior?"

"That's what someone else called me," Harry said.

Graves stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Very good, I've heard about you. I hope you can return successfully."

"Yes, it will," Harry said.

After the Observation Team left, the Living Room was filled with a relaxed atmosphere.

Ron excitedly spun around in circles. "The look on his face when he saw my boots! It was incredible!"

"Alright, alright, stop spinning, I'm getting dizzy," Hermione said helplessly.

Tonks's hair was a bright yellow, and she was clearly very happy.

Kingsley rarely smiled, "It seems the America won't dare to make things difficult for us anymore."

"We shouldn't have made things difficult for them in the first place," Veratia said calmly. "However, this won't change their attitude towards us. Politics is complicated; they still haven't given up their dream of dominating the world."

In the evening, Ruby cooked another big meal.

The main course this time was Roast Lamb Leg, accompanied by roasted potatoes, carrots, peas, and a large plate of Yorkshire pudding.

Ron ate to his heart's content, even licking the plate clean.

"Ron!" Hermione glared at him.

"Ruby is so delicious!" Ron said matter-of-factly.

Ruby beside her.

After dinner, everyone dispersed. Harry, as usual, went to the courtyard to continue practicing, while Cassandra stood by the window watching him.

The night sky was cloudy tonight, and the stars were barely visible, but Harry's senses remained sharp.

He could feel the old tree in the courtyard breathing—although trees don't actually breathe like people, in his perception it was a pulse synchronized with the earth.

He tried to expand his perception to the houses across the street, and to the blocks further away.

But beyond a certain distance, perception becomes blurred, as if seen through a layer of fog.

"I need to keep practicing," he muttered to himself.

"You've made great progress," Cassandra's voice came from behind.

Harry turned around and saw that she had come out of the house at some point and was standing not far behind him.

Why did you get down here?

"I see you standing here alone, lost in thought." Cassandra approached and stopped beside him. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking that if I could extend my perception range to the entire Tornador Peak, I could spot all the traps in advance," Harry said.

"Then practice slowly," Cassandra said. "You still have time."

"Um."

The two remained silent for a moment. A night breeze blew by, carrying the faint sounds of the distant city.

"Go to bed early," she said. "You have training tomorrow."

Harry watched her figure disappear through the door, and suddenly smiled.

The next day.

Grimmauld Place was unusually lively today because George and Fred had arrived.

These two clowns popped out of the Floo Network, and as soon as they came out, they started looking around and muttering to themselves.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this place is still so gloomy."

"Exactly, it's like a haunted house."

"You two!" Mrs. Weasley's voice came from the fireplace. "Behave yourselves! Don't cause trouble!"

"Okay, Mom!"

"We're the most honest!"

The fire in the fireplace went out, and George and Fred exchanged a glance, both giving each other a "Do you believe me?" look.

Ron's eyes lit up when he saw them. "Fred! George! What brings you here?"

"Let's see how your preparations are going," George said. "And bring some new stock while you're at it."

Fred pulled a cloth bag from his pocket and dumped it on the ground—and out rolled a bunch of strange and wonderful things.

"This is the latest Portable Swamp Concentrate; one small packet can create a swamp ten meters in diameter." George picked up a small cloth bag.

"This is Lightning-Proof Umbrella. When opened, it forms an insulating shield that can accommodate three people." Fred picked up an ordinary-looking umbrella.

"This is Phantom Clone Firework. Once lit, it creates five phantoms that look exactly like you, lasting for three minutes." George picked up a sparkler.

"And this, the grand finale—" Fred mysteriously pulled out a small box, opened it, and inside was a row of colorful candies.

"What is this?" Ron asked curiously.

"Instant Transformation Candy!" George said proudly. "Eat one, and you can transform into anything you can imagine in ten minutes—of course, only a person or creature of similar size to you. We've tested it; one turned into an owl and flew around three times, another into a mouse and was chased by a cat for five blocks, and yet another turned into a stone and sat motionless for half an hour—"

"Turning into stone was me," Fred added. "I was almost mistaken for a statue and carried away by passersby."

Ron was stunned.

Hermione walked over, looked at the pile of things, and asked with a complicated expression, "Have all of these been security checked?"

"Of course!" George said, "We tested it ourselves!"

"That would be even less safe." Hermione said expressionlessly.

"Hermione, those words hurt us." Fred clutched his chest, looking hurt.

"Where are you injured? Let me take a look." George leaned closer.

"Heart."

Where is your heart? Do you still have a heart?

The two started joking with each other, making everyone burst into laughter.

Harry picked up the Instant Transformation Candy and examined it closely. "This thing—is it really useful?"

"Of course!" George, "Don't believe me? Try it!"

Harry thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Forget about punishment, I'm afraid it might turn into something strange and I won't be able to come back."

"It's alright, we have the antidote ready." Fred pulled out another box of candy. "Antidote Candy, eat one and you'll turn back in an instant."

"Then how did you prove you didn't need the antidote during your experiments?"

"Because the antidote was developed later," George answered honestly.

There was a moment of silence, then everyone burst into even louder laughter.

In the afternoon, George and Fred were demonstrating their new product in the backyard. The Portable Swamp really worked—a small packet of powder sprinkled on the ground instantly turned the grass into a muddy swamp. The Lightning-Proof Umbrella passed the test— Zahn stood in the middle of the yard holding Harry umbrella, and several Lightning Spell were blocked by the umbrella.

"Great stuff!" Zahn exclaimed excitedly, "Should we take these with us?"

"Of course, it's to prepare people for you," George. "But the quantity is small, only a few portions of each item, so we have to use them sparingly."

"Enough punishment, enough punishment." Kingsley, watching from the side, rarely showed an approving expression. "These things can be lifesavers in a pinch."

In the evening, George and Fred stayed for dinner.

Ruby prepared a large meal, which Zahn devoured. George and Fred ordered food as they ate, praising Ruby the skies.

"Ruby, your cooking skills are even better than the House Elf you raised at Hogwarts!"

"Exactly! Have you considered going to Wu Restaurant? It'll definitely be packed!"

Ruby's face was so red it looked like a tomato, and she almost spilled the soup.

After dinner, George and Fred said their goodbyes. Before leaving, Fred suddenly leaned close to Harry's ear and whispered, "Harry, good luck! I really believe in you!"

Harry paused for a moment, then laughed, "It must take a long time."

"That's good." Fred patted him on the shoulder and disappeared with George into the green flames of the wall.

Soon, the 31st day of the seventh month of the punishment period arrived.

Today is Harry's birthday. Early in the morning, Harry was awakened by a commotion.

He groggily pushed open the black door and found the corridor filled with prisoners— Zahn, Hermione, Cassandra, Anne, Sebastian, Kingsley, Lupin, Tonks, Bill, Phoebe, Dyg, Silva, and even Veratia was standing in the crowd.

"Happy birthday!" everyone shouted in unison.

Harry was stunned.

Zahn was the first to rush up and shove a large package into his arms. "This is from Hermione and me!"

Harry opened the package, inside which was a dark blue cloak.

The cloaked figure was incredibly soft and juicy, feeling like some kind of high-grade Dragonhide.

Hermione explained from the side, "This is made from Swedish Short-Snout dragon hide, with added magic resistance and invisibility Runes. It can save your life in a pinch."