Harry Has Something Up Again?

"How did you all get here?" Harry couldn't believe so many people were here for his birthday for the first time. Draco stepped forward and grabbed Harry's arm.

"How is it, Potter, does it hurt?"

"Hiss~" Harry nodded.

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"That's better! Come see the gift I prepared for you." Draco's gift was long. Upon opening it, Harry saw a black, solid wood cane. Harry curiously picked it up. "What are you giving me this for?"

Draco put his hands on his hips. "This is one of the essential accessories for a gentleman. After graduation, you'll be entering social circles too, so you can start practicing now. Isn't that right?"

Although Harry felt he might be more suited for a hands-on job like an Auror, he still smiled and said, "Thank you" to Draco.

Afterward, everyone else took out their gifts. The Twins' gifts were various gadgets for pranks. Hermione gave him broom maintenance tools. Ron chose a souvenir he bought during his trip to Egypt. Bing Huan, on the other hand, pulled out a whole box of talismans.

Ever since he had last argued with Fudge, the Ministry of Magic had urgently issued a decree prohibiting the widespread popularity of talismans. And look! They've developed a way to track the usage of low-level talismans (since they don't get their hands on the high-level ones at all).

"This is a new type of talisman that I had my Martial Uncle modify. It won't be tracked by the Ministry of Magic and its power is even greater!"

"I really need this!"

This was definitely the happiest birthday Harry had ever had. They had a feast, smearing cream on each other's faces. Ginny also took the opportunity to give Harry a small charm she had made. She still couldn't help but feel shy in front of Harry.

As it got later into the night, although Harry still felt like it wasn't enough, they urged Harry to go back to sleep so as not to arouse suspicion from the Dursleys. After cleaning up the scene and removing the surrounding enchantments, it was as if nothing had happened. The seven of them left Privet Drive.

After a night's sleep, Harry walked out of his room humming a tune. He hoped the good mood from last night would last until school started. Just as he was about to go downstairs, Harry saw his horse-faced Aunt Petunia tying Uncle Vernon's tie for him as he looked anxious.

Seeing Harry pointing at him, Vernon said, "Listen here, kid, Marge is staying for a week. You be careful."

"What?!" Seeing the Dursleys' retreating backs, Harry's good mood vanished instantly. To him, Marge was even more detestable than the Dursleys. Marge always treated Harry with the purest contempt, as if Harry were just a dog.

At dinner, everything went as Harry had expected. He became the target of Marge's insults. Even though he hadn't done anything, the thought of getting permission to go to Hogsmeade after enduring it made Harry pretend he was just listening to a dog bark. This infuriated Marge, and her insults towards Harry became even more excessive.

"Honestly, Vernon, don't blame yourself for the child turning out this way. Some people are just bad to the bone, and no one can do anything about it." She reached for her wine glass. "It's like dogs; if the mother is no good, the puppies she gives birth to won't be any good either."

"Bang."

The wine glass exploded. Petunia noticed Harry's eyes had changed and quickly tried to change the subject. However, Marge seemed completely oblivious and continued her tirade.

"But your sister was a disgrace. They say that happens in good families too. Later, she eloped with some scoundrel, a good-for-nothing, lazy bum, a liar, a completely useless fellow."

"He's not!" Harry slammed his hand heavily on the table.

Marge was about to continue her insults, but she suddenly realized she couldn't speak. Her whole body began to inflate. Her small eyes bulged outwards, and her lips stretched sideways.

The buttons on her clothes finally couldn't withstand the pressure and popped off. She floated up like a balloon, bouncing off the ceiling before flying out into the garden.

Enraged, Harry ignored the chaos at the scene. He returned to his room, grabbed his luggage, and walked out of the house.

After walking for a while, Harry became lost on the roadside. Although the Ministry of Magic hadn't sent him a warning, he knew very well that if he used magic again, there would be no turning back. But how was he supposed to get to London? He only had wizarding money on him.

He had no choice but to find his friends. Harry took out his communicator and dialed Bing Huan's code.

"Yo?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong? You're in a bad mood right after your birthday."

Harry told Bing Huan about Marge.

"...It really is true that birds of a feather flock together. Ah, but don't worry, there shouldn't be any major issues with the Ministry of Magic. If they really wanted to pursue it, they would have sent you a warning letter immediately. If there's no movement yet, it means either someone is covering for you, or it wasn't detected.

Where are you approximately? I'll have someone from a nearby outpost pick you up. You can stay overnight, and they'll take you to London tomorrow morning."

"Uh, I was so angry just now that I didn't care about the direction and just walked ahead. Now I don't even know where I am. There are no road signs here."

"That's difficult, tsk. I should have been more ruthless last night. Oh! Why are you hitting me~"

"Don't listen to him," Hermione's voice chimed in. "Harry, you're standing by the roadside with your wand raised, but don't use magic. This way, you can summon the Knight Bus. It's an emergency transport specifically for wizards in distress. You can go to the Leaky Cauldron and stay there. We'll meet you there in a few days."

"Okay. See you then."

"See you then."

"Stop pulling my ear!"

Following Hermione's instructions, a purple, three-story bus soon stopped in front of him. Before getting on, Harry caught a glimpse of a terrifyingly large black dog in the bushes, which flashed by.

The experience of riding the Knight Bus was very peculiar, almost uncomfortably so. However, on the bus, Harry finally learned about the character of Black, who had been appearing in the news all these days. As for the truth of it, that remained to be investigated.

Upon arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, before Harry could even ask the owner to book a room, he saw Fudge waiting for him.

He led Harry to a private room. Unlike his usual flustered self, Fudge now acted like a kind uncle doting on his favorite nephew.

It was as if Harry's current safety was his greatest comfort. He forgave Harry for the accidental use of magic and immediately ruled it an accident. However, he hoped that Harry would stay within the Leaky Cauldron for the next period and not wander around outside.

Hedwig also smartly arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. For the next few days, Harry experienced unprecedented freedom. He could decide his own wake-up time, eat whatever he wanted, and stroll through the streets of Diagon Alley whenever he pleased.

He could even openly take out his homework and contemplate it in coffee shops or ice cream parlors. Occasionally, friendly wizards would offer him guidance in their areas of expertise. Harry would also frequently visit shops to look at the latest Firebolts, his eyes gleaming with restrained desire.