Chapter 267: Dementors and Five Owls
Under the railway bridge tunnel, Dudley thought Harry was behind everything, so he punched him, knocking his wand away, then quickly ran off with obvious panic.
Suddenly, a cold current struck. The entire bridge tunnel's lights instantly went out, and puddles on the ground froze into ice.
Dudley slipped on the ice blocks and slid all the way to the end of the tunnel with terrified screams.
"Lumos," Harry said, casting wandless magic for illumination.
Light appeared, revealing two Dementors with obvious menace.
One Dementor grabbed Harry's throat and pressed him against the wall.
The other Dementor moved its gaping mouth toward Dudley with deadly intent.
Harry's eyes rolled back. Suddenly, a strange power enveloped the entire area.
Harry's green eyes changed to heterochromatic amber and blue with mysterious transformation.
An invisible dreamscape covered the area, turning everything into clouds. Scorching white light flashed, completely obliterating the two Dementors.
"Huff... huff..." Dudley said, turning completely pale and sitting on the clouds, gasping for breath.
Harry cautiously held his wand, looking around to guard against possible dangers.
Then he saw a beautiful face with obvious recognition.
"Aiden!" Harry exclaimed with obvious delight.
"No, what's left here isn't the main body, just a precautionary measure the main body left on you," the exquisite figure before him said, seeming mechanical like a doll.
"Then what's the situation now? Where are we?" Harry asked with growing confusion.
"Cough cough, diverted a bit of processing power here. Wow, you're really something, kid!" The originally mechanical doll suddenly came to life with an obvious personality.
"Ah!" Dudley said, startled by the transformation.
"Hello, Dudley Dursley. I'm Aiden Prewett, your cousin's classmate, but not his boyfriend," Aiden said, giving Dudley a calming influence.
"As for where you are, you're in my dream. There are quite a few Dementors outside. I need to wait for the wizard protecting you to arrive before I can let you out," Aiden explained patiently.
"Protection? Why do I need protection? And who..." Harry said, his words being cut off.
Then they heard familiar cat meowing from outside.
"Hello to you too, Tibbles," Aiden said, going over and petting the cat's head.
"Alright, it's time for you to go back," Aiden said, waving his hand as the two began falling from the clouds.
"Wait..." Harry said, still wanting to ask clearly, but the falling sensation interrupted his words.
The two crashed to the ground and struggled to get up with obvious difficulty.
Outside, an elderly woman holding a wand was using the Patronus Charm to drive away Dementors.
"Harry Potter," the old woman said, putting away her wand and approaching.
"Mrs. Figg!!??" Harry said, his eyes widening in shock.
He never imagined that Mrs. Figg, who had been with him for fifteen years, was actually a witch.
"You're a witch?" Harry asked with obvious disbelief.
"Recently became one. Come with me," Mrs. Figg said, beckoning to them.
Harry shouldered Dudley and followed with obvious struggle.
"What's going on, Mrs. Figg?" On the way, Harry struggled to carry Dudley while questioning Mrs. Figg.
"Dementors appearing in the Muggle world... the Ministry's power struggle has entered a white-hot stage," Mrs. Figg warned grimly.
"Since Voldemort returned last year, did you think Dumbledore would still let you wander around alone? My Lord, Mr. Prewett told me you were quite clever."
Mrs. Figg held her wand alert, escorting Harry and Dudley all the way to Number Four, Privet Drive.
"By the way, Mr. Prewett asked me to tell you... you won't be expelled," Mrs. Figg said and turned to go home.
With a spatial flicker, a short man appeared. Mrs. Figg directly grabbed his ear and dragged him inside with obvious authority.
After Dudley entered, he immediately vomited on the carpet, frightening Aunt Petunia into screaming.
"Vernon, Vernon!" Petunia screamed for Vernon with obvious panic.
Vernon came over and saw Dudley, looking at Harry with obvious disgust. "Now you're satisfied... turning my son into an idiot."
Then an owl flew in with a letter. The letter turned into a mouth, notifying Harry that he'd been expelled from Hogwarts and someone would come to destroy his wand.
"Justice is served," Vernon said, laughing with obvious satisfaction.
Then another owl flew in, also turning into a mouth, with Mr. Weasley's voice coming from inside.
"Potter, listen... Aiden and Dumbledore have intervened in the case. There's now a turning point. Don't leave your residence, don't surrender your wand!"
A third owl flew in again, notifying Harry that his expulsion was postponed.
A fourth owl brought a note from Sirius.
"What misfortune," Vernon complained with obvious frustration.
The owls circling the living room reminded Vernon of the scene when Harry enrolled four years ago.
"I think you owe us an explanation," Vernon said, suppressing his fear and glaring at Harry.
"It's Voldemort. He's back, with his ambitions, assembling an army..."
Left with no choice, Harry had to tell the Dursley family all about the major events that had happened in the wizarding world.
"You say Vol-what? What does this have to do with us? Why should my child suffer this kind of harm!" Vernon sneered with obvious dismissal.
"Vernon, don't say that person's name," Petunia said, knowing Voldemort's terror and stopping Vernon.
"This child is too dangerous. He'll implicate us. Drive him away, Petunia!" Vernon muttered quietly with obvious fear.
But just as Vernon had this thought, a fifth owl appeared.
It dropped a letter on the sofa and quickly fled.
"This is a Howler. I suggest you open it quickly," Harry said, sitting in the corner with green eyes wide, looking at the three of them.
"Ha, do you think we'll fall for your tricks again?" Vernon said, shaking his head left and right.
Then the letter on the sofa flew up and burnt in mid-air.
A terrifying voice came from inside, echoing throughout the Dursley house.
"Don't forget your promise, Petunia!"
Petunia lifted her head with obvious difficulty, while Vernon swallowed hard.
"Let him... let him stay here, Vernon!" Petunia said, making some kind of resolution.
Seeing his wife like this, Vernon didn't pressure her further.
"Now get back to your room," Vernon said, pointing his finger toward the second floor.
Harry lowered his head and went upstairs with obvious defeat.
Then Harry spent four extremely torturous days at the Dursleys'.
He wrote notes to several friends and his godfather, but since Hedwig was out hunting, he had to delay.
After a while, well-fed Hedwig finally flew back.
Harry couldn't help mocking with obvious frustration, "You actually know to come back!"
Hedwig looked at Harry strangely.
Harry quickly tied the letters to Hedwig and fell into deep self-reproach as Hedwig flew away.
Over the next few days, Harry had no communication whatsoever with the Dursley family.
But Petunia still brought him three meals a day upstairs.
On Friday, a figure in platinum robes came to the Dursley house's front door.
A mental breeze swept through the Dursley house, magnifying the three Dursleys' desire to travel.
Then they actually went off happily on vacation with sudden enthusiasm.
Leaving only Harry alone to watch the Dursley house.