Unrecorded Organism (Seeking Votes, Seeking Follow-ups)

"Why are you asking about him?" Petunia looked uneasy.

Vernon, who had just walked through the door, narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Him?

A man he had never heard of, making his wife act in such a way.

"He's my professor now," Harry said, pushing his luggage aside and sitting on the sofa. "It seems he knew my mother."

Petunia gritted her teeth. "They knew each other long before they went to that freak school!"

"Ever since she met him, Lily became completely unhinged!"

Harry raised an eyebrow.

That was truly unexpected.

"Can you tell me more about it?" he asked, leaning forward.

Petunia took a deep breath and sat on the other end of the sofa. Vernon followed suit, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "Your mother, Lily, was very bright. She was exceptional from a young age."

"We were still living in Cokeworth back then. Snape was a boy from the slums nearby. I still remember—he lived in the poorest part of Spinner's End. He was filthy, and so was the alley he lived in."

Harry added, "He still is, mostly."

Petunia faltered, pausing for a moment before continuing. "When she was nine, strange things started happening to Lily, just like with you."

"She could make withered flowers bloom again, or heal injured birds..."

As she spoke, a flicker of faint envy appeared in her eyes.

"That's how she met Snape. They were very close, and then they went off to that school together to become wizards."

"But when they were fifteen, they suddenly went their separate ways and stopped speaking."

"Or rather, it was Lily who unilaterally cut ties with Snape."

"I saw him lurking near our house several times—many times."

So...

The photograph of his mother in the drawer was from when she was fifteen.

The past, oh the past—what was hidden within it?

Harry asked again, "What was the reason?"

"I don't know." Petunia shook her head, a hint of satisfaction in her tone. "But isn't it a good thing that Lily kicked that wretched boy to the curb?"

"You never asked her about Hogwarts?" Harry continued.

Petunia shook her head. "No."

"You wanted to be a witch yourself, how could you not ask about these things?" Harry was surprised.

Petunia's face turned fearful. She glanced instinctively at Vernon. "No, how do you know about that? I never told anyone..."

"Dumbledore told me," Harry replied.

Petunia gritted her teeth. "How dare he!"

Harry sighed. He had assumed that since Petunia and his mother were sisters, she would know more, but the reality was an eye-opener.

"Was there some kind of conflict?" Harry inquired.

Petunia didn't seem keen on talking.

"Let me guess," Harry stared at Petunia. "You hate wizards, so this is about the letter you sent to Dumbledore?"

Petunia's expression shifted.

"Did my mother see it and say something unkind?" Harry watched her face change as he continued.

Petunia grew impatient.

"And did Snape get involved?" Harry raised an eyebrow, adding another point.

Petunia looked at Harry, terrified and suspicious.

Vernon stood up, placing himself in front of Petunia, and roared at Harry, "Enough, you brat! You are not allowed to use your damn mind-reading magic on us!"

"I didn't use any spells," Harry said with a sincere expression. "Young wizards aren't allowed to use magic outside of school."

"It seems the relationship between Aunt and my mother was even worse than I thought. You didn't even know that?"

Vernon nodded, his face and tone shifting to one of pleasant surprise. "Aha! No using those strange tricks—that's a damn good rule!"

"I suggest you don't get any funny ideas," Harry said calmly. "Even if I can't use magic, I think I can still handle you."

Vernon locked eyes with Harry.

He remembered what happened last year and instinctively reached for his waist.

After a moment of hesitation, he sat back down and pulled Petunia close.

Harry stopped hoping to learn more about his mother from Petunia, and a new impression of her formed in his mind—her emotional intelligence might not have been very high, much like Hermione's.

He spoke in a gentle tone: "Aunt, thank you for your help. In return, would you like to help Dudley shed some of that extra weight?"

Petunia shrieked in terror: "What are you planning to do to my precious son?"

Vernon patted her back: "Potions, my dear, it's potions."

"You two have such interesting reactions." Harry waved a hand. "I just happened to learn a slimming potion; if there's a need, I could brew a batch."

Vernon shook his head vigorously: "Impossible, I tell you, absolutely impossible. Our family won't be drinking any of your strange..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Dudley poked his head out from the stairs: "Dad, I think I need it!"

Vernon froze, and he and Harry both looked over.

Dudley took a deep breath and emphasized his tone: "I really need it!"

Harry stood up, walked over to his luggage, and began dragging it toward the stairs: "Of course, I'll send it to you as a Christmas present."

"Why not now?" Dudley asked, feeling entitled.

Harry shook his head: "No magic allowed during the summer holidays, my dear cousin. I just said that; it seems your brain isn't much better than a Troll's."

Dudley pursed his lips. He didn't dare to boss his cousin around as he used to, and he nodded quite reluctantly.

They met on the stairs.

Harry looked Dudley straight in the eye—before school, he had been shorter than Dudley, but now they were nearly the same height: "Perhaps you should say something to me?"

Dudley stepped back half a pace, frowned, struggled to think, and finally managed to say: "Thanks."

"You're welcome, my dear cousin," Harry replied.

He dragged his luggage back to his room, read for a while, and then went to sleep.

The holidays were far more tedious than being at school. Without being able to cast spells, many things could only remain in textbooks, unable to be put into practice. He would have to endure at least a month like this.

Hermione's letters became Harry's best way to pass the time.

But after only three days.

The correspondence came to an abrupt halt.

Hermione hadn't sent a new letter for several days, and he had sent a letter to Ron, but received no response either.

Of course, perhaps they didn't want to reply, or they had simply forgotten.

But the speed of an owl shouldn't change; Hedwig had been returning far too early these past few days, saving nearly three times the usual amount of time.

Could owls go on strike?

Or was it...

Was someone intercepting his mail?

It was a pity he didn't understand bird language, otherwise, he could have just asked Hedwig directly.

He rolled up the parchment, stuffed it into an envelope, tied it to Hedwig's leg, instructed her to fly slowly, then threw on his Invisibility Cloak and quietly followed behind her.

Before they had even left Privet Drive, Hedwig had just flown over a house.

"Pop—"

A crisp sound rang out.

A creature as small as a goblin appeared out of thin air. It snapped its fingers, and Hedwig suddenly stiffened in mid-air, landing obediently in front of it.

It was nervous and cautious, carefully untying the letter from Hedwig's leg. After getting it in its hands, it did something that left Harry utterly bewildered.

It began banging its head violently against the ground with a loud thud. Clods of dirt flew, and before long, blood could be seen.

Was this...

Some sort of peculiar way of expressing joy?

Harry pulled off his Invisibility Cloak, walked behind the creature, and pressed down on its head: "Very well, so it was you intercepting my mail?"

The creature turned around in terror. Seeing Harry, it began hitting its own head even more frantically: "Bad Dobby, bad Dobby, Dobby has been discovered by Potter!"

"Your name is Dobby?" Harry grabbed its hands, twisted them behind its back, and held its wrists together. Like a hunter with his prey, he hoisted it up: "Stop celebrating now and answer my question."

"Dobby is punishing himself!" it shrieked shrilly. "Bad Dobby, bad Dobby!"

"Stop that!" Harry raised his voice, drowning out its cries.

It worked.

Dobby went quiet immediately, only whimpering and sobbing from time to time.

"Why did you intercept my letters?" Harry asked.

Dobby's face turned fearful: "Dobby must protect Harry Potter, must keep him here, cannot let Harry Potter return to Hogwarts."

"I don't think this is protecting me." Harry shook his head. The creature's eyes were clear, and there was no malice or any ill intent in them. He chose to believe it for the moment: "Why are you doing this?"

"A plot, there is a plot!" Dobby's face grew even more terrified: "A terrible thing is going to happen at Hogwarts this year!"

"What terrible thing? Is it more terrible than Voldemort?" Harry continued to press.

Dobby shuddered, his entire body trembling violently: "No, it is not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Tell me, what is it?" Harry's tone softened slightly.

Dobby shook his head: "No, Dobby cannot say!"

Harry raised his hand and made a gesture—he had confirmed with Professor Flitwick that the power of the Sign seemed capable of evading the detection of the Trace.

Axii!

A white light sank into Dobby's head.

Harry was just about to speak.

Dobby snapped back to his senses almost immediately: "Oh, no, what is Harry Potter trying to do to Dobby?"

Harry was somewhat surprised.

The Sign had lost its effect so quickly?

"Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts!" Dobby quickened his pace.

Harry frowned: "Tell me the reason, or I will chop your head off."

Dobby was not afraid of this; his tone was very calm: "Harry Potter would never do such a thing, he is so great, so kind..."

Suddenly, he froze.

"Dobby must go."

"Dobby's master is calling Dobby."

Pop—

Just as he had arrived, he vanished without a trace.

Harry looked at his empty hands. Just like that... he left?

What kind of creature was this, exactly?

The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them he had read mentioned no such creature, nor had he seen it in any other literature.

A thin, small frame, with barely a trace of magical aura detectable, yet this ability...

Wandless and non-verbal magic; not even many professors at the school could achieve that.

Harry picked up Hedwig, who was standing on the ground looking dazed, and walked back toward his house with a heavy heart.

Three chapters today and tomorrow~

Thanks to Shadow of Dawn for the tip.

Thanks to Deer Call in the Deep Woods and book friend ending in 5830 for the tips.

Thanks to book friend ending in 1913 for the tip.

Thanks to book friend ending in 5830 for the tip.

Thanks to The Person Under the Moon Has Passed Away and Super-Spacetime Rescue Team for the tips.