Getting up from the table, Richie turned to his classmate:
"Justin, Harry and I are going for a walk. I might be late for History of Magic."
"No problem, Richie," Justin waved his hand carelessly.
On the way out of the Great Hall, Potter said with a hint of envy:
"You're so cool! At our department, just try to tell them you want to skip class-they'll give you hell! Of course, we'll lose points..."
"We don't care about points," Richard replied. "Friendship and hard work come first, everything else is secondary. How did you spend your holidays?"
"Uncle Scott was busy, so I had to stay at Hogwarts," Harry replied sadly. "Ron, when he found out I was staying at the castle, decided to keep me company. And his brothers stayed with him, so it wasn't boring. Um... Richie, it's like..."
- Don't drag it out, the most I can do is skip History of Magic, I still want to get to Potions more than detentions.
Potter chuckled and replied:
"I understand. I wouldn't want to end up in detention with Snape myself. Anyway, Richie, I got a strange gift for Christmas-an invisibility cloak. At first I thought it was from you, until Darth Vader brought your version of the ninja suit with the invisibility cloak."
- Harry, I need details.
Harry Potter pulled a silvery fabric from his bag. It was light, almost airy, and took up very little space. It was unlike any invisibility cloak Richard had ever seen. It was a masterpiece, like an intergalactic starship juxtaposed with a modern space rocket.
After examining the robe, Richie returned it to its owner, who quickly put it back in his bag.
"There was a note," Potter continued, "saying that this was my father's robe, which Dad gave to the donor for safekeeping shortly before his death. And now he is returning the robe to me."
"Wow!" Richard was taken aback and stumbled. "Harry, do you even understand what this means?"
- What?
"This man... the wizard... He was indirectly involved in your parents' death. Or maybe not indirectly."
Harry frowned and scowled, he slumped his shoulders, rubbed the scar on his forehead with his index finger and looked closely at Richard.
"Why do you think so?" he asked.
"Imagine that time. A terrorist group is rampant among the wizarding world. Your parents, as far as I understand, were at risk, since your mother was a Muggle-born witch. And in those harsh times, when any means of saving the family is worth its weight in diamonds, your father gives such a unique invisibility cloak to an unknown person."
- Unique?
"Yes, Harry. It's perfection itself. I've never seen an invisibility cloak of such quality. It could have saved your parents' lives."
Harry Potter clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. His face twisted with rage. He hissed quietly,
- Who do you think this bastard is, Richie?
- I have one guess...
"Who?!" Potter hissed angrily.
"Don't you have any idea?" Richard raised his right eyebrow.
"Dumbledore?!" Harry whispered quietly.
Richard nodded and said:
- There is no evidence, but all circumstantial evidence points to this.
"You old bearded whore," Potter hissed with incredible fury. "I'll kill him-"
Richie covered Harry's mouth with his hand, leaned over his ear and whispered:
- Quiet. Quiet, Harry. Not here. And anyway, get into the habit of not making threats out loud, or it's not far to jail. We need proof. What if we're wrong?
Harry shook Richard's hand off his mouth, his nostrils flaring in anger and his eyes bloodshot.
"What evidence?" Potter asked in a hissing whisper. "Whenever something bad happens in my life, Dumbledore's fingerprints are always visible. He's a bastard, a psychopath, a dictator..."
"A madman with a lot of quirks, but he still holds important positions. Basically, an ordinary politician," Richard stated. "People like that are the ones who usually rise to power. They're extremely dangerous. I can tell that even from my own experience. I'm still just a political larva, but I'm no pushover either. So we'll figure something out, Harry. We'll definitely sort this out. But don't get carried away just yet. Revenge is a dish best served cold."