Harry shook his head as he watched Dudley inexplicably start wolfing down food again.
Of course, he had no idea what was going on in Dudley's simple mind.
All he knew was that this summer might be a little more... peaceful than he had imagined?
His maternal cousin was as impressive as ever. He had actually managed to handle Uncle Dursley.
Harry carried his trunk into his little bedroom.
He set Hedwig's cage on the desk and opened the window, letting the hot July breeze blow in.
"Whatever happens, we're back, Hedwig."
Harry spoke softly, taking the protective Jade Plaque Douglas had given him from his pocket and gently rubbing its engraved Ginkgo Leaf.
"Even here, we're not fighting alone anymore."
Aunt Petunia's shrill voice rose from downstairs:
"Dudley! Stop eating that junk food! If you get any fatter, there won't be a school uniform you can fit into!"
"But I'm hungry! Mum! I want braised pork! Like the kind that... that Cousin Douglas made!"
"Oh, shut up! Don't mention that name!"
Listening to the everyday squabbling downstairs, Harry smiled faintly and flopped onto his not particularly soft bed.
This was life.
On one side was the resurrected Dark Lord; on the other was his cousin, who wanted braised pork.
That sense of disconnection actually gave him a feeling of reassurance he had not felt in a long time.
The air in the upstairs bedroom was stifling.
Harry had only just lain down, and had not even had time to recover from that jarring sense of returning to the Muggle World.
A sharp pop suddenly rang out in the room.
The sound was particularly piercing in the quiet room, like a dry twig snapping beside his ear.
Almost on instinctive muscle memory, Harry sprang off the bed like a tightly