Everyone said holidays flew by, but Harry felt as though summer dragged on forever. It was the time of year he hated most. At the start of this summer, the Dursleys had forbidden him from even taking out his spellbooks or Quill in their house. Last year had been different—they hadn't yet known that wizards couldn't use magic in the Muggle world.
It was because of Dobby that they'd found out he couldn't use magic outside school.
Even with Mr. Strange keeping him company through his Glasses this year, Harry couldn't bring himself to feel happy.
His birthday was only a couple of days away, and spending it at the Dursleys' was hardly an appealing prospect.
He had also received a letter from Hogwarts saying that students could visit Hogsmeade with their guardians' permission. He had been looking forward to going for ages. The Weasley Brothers and Will always brought back treats when they visited, and George and Fred made Hogsmeade sound like a town from a fairy tale.
But the Dursleys would never sign the form. They thought terribly of the wizarding world, and anything that worked against Harry suited them fine. He knew he had no chance of getting their permission to go to Hogsmeade, though perhaps George and Fred could take him out through one of the secret passages.
They had talked about those passages more than once.
Then, on Harry's birthday, things took a turn...
That morning, as Petunia Dursley got up to make breakfast, a black luxury car pulled up outside the Dursleys' house. It was a Porsche, and it looked expensive.
A handsome, well-dressed young man stepped out and rang the doorbell. Vernon had just finished washing up when he opened the door, and the Porsche gave him a start. He didn't recognize the