Harry's Troubles, A Respectable Way

Harry lay on the bed, distressed.

As soon as he got home, all the spellbooks, wands, cauldrons, brooms, and other magic-related items were locked away in the storage room under the stairs by his Uncle Vernon.

Harry could only be thankful that at least he wasn't thrown back into that cramped and crowded storage room.

The thought of living there years ago, surrounded by dust and spiders, only intensified Harry's longing for Hogwarts.

Although he had only been here for a day, Harry was already nearing his breaking point.

Hogwarts castle, portraits, ghosts, fun lessons, friendly companions...

"Coo--"

Hearing the hooting of the owl, Harry turned his head and glanced at the owl locked in its cage.

"Poor Hedwig, Vernon won't even let you leave the room..."

Thinking about this, Harry became even more frustrated. If Hedwig couldn't go out, how could he write letters to his friends?

"Knock knock."

A soft knock on the door suddenly interrupted Harry's worries, but he didn't immediately realize who was knocking.

Because of the other family members, Uncle Vernon would pound on his bedroom door and yell loudly, while Dudley would never knock; he would either open it directly or kick it open. As for Aunt Petunia...

"Knock knock."

Well, it wasn't Aunt Petunia either; she never knocks a second time.

Harry rolled out of bed, putting on his glasses as he opened the door.

He saw a beautiful woman dressed in black and white standing at the door.

Harry was completely bewildered, utterly unable to comprehend why such a person would appear in his home.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Harry Potter?"

The woman spoke, her voice very gentle.

Harry nodded instinctively.

"Young Master Lucien is downstairs. He asked me to find you; he needs to discuss something with you."

Upon hearing the woman mention Lucien's name, Harry was immediately overjoyed and, without paying attention to the title "young master," hurriedly ran downstairs.

Thank you for telling me!

Harry ran quickly downstairs and headed straight for the living room.

But when he saw what was happening in the living room, he was stunned.

Lucien sat alone in the center of the sofa, his posture elegant, nodding slightly from time to time, as if he were a boss listening to someone give a report.

Uncle Vernon sat opposite Lucien, speaking cautiously with a forced smile, clutching a handkerchief in his hand, which he would use every few words to wipe the sweat from his forehead and cheeks.

Aunt Petunia and Dudley squeezed onto the smallest sofa, feeling very cramped and barely daring to breathe.

When has Harry ever seen anything like this?

Uncle Vernon was always the arrogant patriarch of the family, Aunt Petunia was always agreeing with Vernon and praising Dudley. As for Dudley?

I spend most of my time eating.

At this moment, Lucien noticed Harry, waved to him, and smiled:

Good afternoon, Harry.

After Harry sat down next to Lucien, he listened to Lucien and his uncle's conversation in a daze for the entire time.

Lucien did most of the talking after that, nodding once for each sentence Uncle Vernon said.

"Harry has just begun learning magic, and this is a stage where he needs to lay a solid foundation."

When Harry heard Lucien mention the word "magic" so openly, Harry heart skipped a beat. He quickly looked up at Vernon, afraid that his uncle, who vehemently disliked magic and wizards, might unleash his fury on Lucien.

Vernon's fat face twitched violently, clearly still instinctively disliking anything related to magic.

To Harry's utter astonishment, Vernon picked up a handkerchief and wiped his cheek.

"Yes, you're absolutely right. Harry definitely needs to build a solid foundation. He needs to study hard, study hard..."

Even my uncle is using honorifics now!

Moreover, Harry had never seen such an ingratiating expression before.

Vernon sometimes invited business clients over, but never like this, this...

Is there a hint of fear beneath the flattery?

"Studying is definitely the top priority, but things like diet and rest are also very important; these are essential factors for ensuring a child's healthy growth."

"Yes, yes, this, Harry's usual diet..."

Vernon got stuck while he was speaking.

Lucien glanced at Dudley, whose very round and plump figure looked like a king penguin chick nestled next to its penguin parents, who were about the same size.

Then look at Harry next to him. He ate well at Hogwarts for a year before he barely escaped the category of being skinny.

It's obvious that Harry had a tough time at his aunt's house.

I can't eat well, and I can't sleep well.

The family's attitude towards Harry is extremely contradictory: he's the baby suddenly abandoned at the door, the child of that fearsome freakish sister and brother-in-law, and the child adored by a group of magicians who call themselves wizards...

They raised Harry for ten years, and they also mistreated him for ten years.

Because the protective magic cast on Harry needs the protection of his family and the bond of blood to strengthen it.

So Harry had to stay at his aunt's house.

Lucien knew it was complicated, a mixture of love and hate.

"He's treated the same as Harry's cousin, Dudley, in terms of food."

"After all, Mr. Dursley's salary is sufficient, isn't it?"

Vernon nervously wiped away his sweat and repeatedly agreed.

Dudley, who was standing to the side, wanted to protest, but Petunia covered his mouth and whispered words of comfort to him.

"Oh right, how's Harry's room...?"

Hearing this, Vernon and Petunia secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they had changed Harry's room last year, moving him from the storage room under the stairs to Dudley's empty toy room, although they only did so after being threatened by that terrifying, tall, and strong man.

They discussed Harry's education further, with Vernon confidently stating that he would definitely give Harry ample time to study.

Finally, after politely declining Vernon's invitation to dinner, Lucien took Loris and left Number Four, Privet Drive.

"Wait, wait, Lucien..."

Harry jogged after him.

Lucien stopped and turned to look at Harry.

"Lucien, that one, it's..."

Harry fidgeted, clearly struggling with what he wanted to say.

Do you know where I can exchange Galleon for Muggle currency? I'd like to exchange some.

Lucien initially didn't understand why Harry asked that question, but he quickly began to guess.

Harry continued:

"If possible, I'd like to give this money to my aunt and uncle."

"I didn't know my Mother left me so many Galleon. I... I actually knew that raising a child costs a lot of money, and my uncle had complained about it, but..."

Lucien thought to himself, "As expected, Harry wants to 'compensate' his aunts and uncles, at least financially."

Harry endured ten years of being a dependent without receiving any child support, suffering scorn and discrimination.

This kind child...

"No problem, this is easy to handle."

Upon receiving Lucien's reply, Harry quickly thanked him and then asked the question that had been puzzling him:

"By the way, Lucien, how did you manage to get Uncle Vernon to treat you with such respect?"

Lucien said calmly:

"Just become a shareholder in your uncle's company."