After Christmas, Harry paid visits to the families of Hermione, Cho Chang, and Astoria, one after another.
Hermione certainly didn't expect that the very first visitor of the New Year would be Harry.
"Hermione, someone's at the door. Go open it," a woman's voice called out.
"Alright, alright," Hermione replied weakly.
She was in her pajamas, half-asleep, and when she opened the door, she let out a piercing scream: "Aaaah!"
Bang!
She slammed the door shut again.
Fully awake now, she leaned against the door. Harry's at my house—my God—I haven't even washed my face, and my hair's a complete bird's nest!
She dashed upstairs, leaving Harry standing outside in the cold.
"That girl, honestly…" came a warm voice as Hermione's mother opened the door. She looked at Harry in surprise, and thinking about Hermione's reaction just now, she began to suspect that her daughter might have a boyfriend.
Visiting Hermione's home was a curious experience for Harry. Her parents were very kind, yet they treated him like a burglar they had to keep an eye on. In the end, Hermione's mother even whispered to Harry that they weren't looking to become grandparents just yet.
Harry: "⊙▽⊙"
…
Harry had always wondered what kind of family could have raised someone as gentle and serene as Cho Chang. He had imagined that her father must be a cultured gentleman and her mother a textbook example of a virtuous Chinese wife.
But today, he learned that Cho had actually grown up in her relatives' home.
When Harry introduced himself as Cho's classmate, the man of the house gave him a strange look and responded with cold indifference—until Cho appeared and called him "Uncle."
Cho told Harry quietly that her parents had died when she was very young, and she had been raised by her uncle's family ever since.
She didn't like her uncle's family—they were cold to her and always treated her like an outsider.
Harry realized that Cho had had a much tougher time than he did. The Dursleys made no effort to hide their hatred for him, so at least Harry never had to pretend. But Cho had grown up in a stifling environment, burying everything deep inside herself.
"I just want to become an adult as soon as possible and leave this place," Cho said softly.
"You can leave right now if you want to."
Cho blinked. She had never considered that option before. She hesitated, then said with some confusion, "But where would I go? I have no home."
"I'll take care of you," Harry said, completely unfazed.
Cho smiled. "You're still a kid yourself. Do you even have a home?"
True enough, Harry didn't have a real home either. If anything, Godric's Hollow was his only true home, but it had long since become a ruin.
The only place he currently lived was the Broken Axe Tavern, and that hardly counted as a home.
Harry sighed. "Alright then. So if I buy a house in the future, will you come live with me?"
"You should go live with your Hermione instead. Hmph," Cho replied.
…
Astoria's home, like the Malfoys', was a vast manor estate.
Her parents were the opposite of Hermione's—they were thoroughly pleased with Harry and made it very clear that they wanted to marry Astoria off to him.
Among wizarding nobility, early engagements were quite common. Children would start attending banquets and social events in their early teens, often as a precursor to arranged marriages. By eighteen, the marriage would be official.
What could Harry say? Of course he agreed enthusiastically.
…
A few weeks later, students began returning to Hogwarts.
In one of Lockhart's Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, he was proudly recounting how he had helped a village get rid of a water demon.
Suddenly, two wizards walked into the classroom. "We're from the Auror Command," one of them announced. "You're under suspicion of involvement in multiple assaults against wizards. Please come with us."
Lockhart burst into tears on the spot. He had no idea how his secrets had been exposed, but he knew—he was finished.
His signature radiant smile vanished. The "Best Smile Award" was now a complete joke.
Rumor had it that Lockhart wet his pants on the way out.
Hermione asked, "Was that your doing?"
"I just wrote a report," Harry said. He didn't want to see Lockhart's face anymore. At one point, he had considered feeding him to the Basilisk as a public service, but in the end, that felt too much—so he simply handed the matter over to the Ministry.
The next day, The Daily Prophet, Britain's largest wizarding newspaper, ran the story.
Two side-by-side photos: one of Lockhart grinning as he accepted an award, and the other of him being led away in handcuffs, dejected and grim.
The headline was eye-catching: "Shocking! The Greatest Fraud of the Century!"
The article exposed all of Lockhart's crimes in detail. Every honor he had ever received had been won through deceit. The witches and wizards he had bewitched with Memory Charms had all been found and were now receiving treatment at St. Mungo's.
The Order of Merlin had officially revoked his Third-Class medal. Bookstores pulled all of Lockhart's titles from their shelves, grumbling about the financial losses. As he was being transferred from the Ministry to Azkaban, countless angry housewives pelted him with books, eggs, and vegetables.
"Scumbag! You broke our hearts!"
Students at Hogwarts erupted in celebration. With the Chamber of Secrets incident still hanging over the school, this was the first happy event in a long time.
Even the professors seemed relieved—finally, the idiotic Lockhart wouldn't be telling them how to do their jobs anymore.
Professor Sprout's Mandrakes were almost fully matured, and the potion to cure petrification was expected to be ready within two weeks.
The students all relaxed, feeling a new sense of security—after all, there hadn't been a new petrification case in quite some time.
They were all waiting for the victims to wake up… and point the finger at Harry Potter.
…
In a remote corner of the castle—
Two shadows stood—one male, one female.
The boy was Percy Weasley, prefect of Gryffindor and Ron's older brother.
He summoned his courage and said, "Penelope, I've liked you for a long time. Will you go out with me?"
Penelope Clearwater, sixth-year prefect of Ravenclaw and one of the most famously beautiful girls at Hogwarts—Harry had met her once.
She sighed. "Weasley, I've told you before—I don't like you. And please, call me Clearwater."
Percy refused to give up. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, his expression turned to one of terror as he looked behind Penelope.
Crack.
He turned to stone.
Penelope felt a gust of wind blow past her, lifting her long hair—and then she, too, became a statue.
When their petrified forms were discovered, the entire school was thrown into chaos.
This time, things were different.
Previously, the attacks had only harmed a cat and two Muggle-born students. Given the wizarding world's general disregard for Muggles, most people hadn't been overly concerned. That's why the Board of Governors had been able to suppress the panic.
They had assumed that, as in the legends, the Heir of Slytherin would target only Muggle-borns.
Most of Hogwarts' students came from wizarding families, so the parents had been reassured that their children were safe.
But now… now they couldn't hold back the rising tide of panic.
Penelope Clearwater was Muggle-born, yes, but Percy Weasley was not—he was a full-blooded wizard, part of the respected Weasley family.
Now that even pure-bloods weren't safe, who knew what might happen next?
One thing was certain: within a few days, something would have to give.
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THE REBIRTH OF HARRY POTTER
⚡🦉 THE REBIRTH OF HARRY POTTER 🦉⚡
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📢 MAGIC REBORN! 📢
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The wizarding world is changing.
Old destinies twist, familiar names return under new shadows, and magic itself may follow a different path this time.
🪄 A second chance.🌙 A different fate.⚡ A wizarding world reborn.
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