Chapter 9: The Calm Before the Storm
The remainder of Harrison's first year at Hogwarts passed in relative peace.
Despite the shadow of Halloween's attack and the expulsion of Professor Crowe from his post, no new disturbances arose. Whispers of Harrison's heroics still rippled through the corridors, but with time, even the most exciting tales became part of Hogwarts' ever-growing lore. The students settled into their studies, and life resumed its rhythm.
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### **Academic Excellence**
Harrison immersed himself in both magical and mundane subjects with a focus and intensity that left professors in awe. His command over Transfiguration impressed even McGonagall, who declared his practical work "on par with a seventh-year NEWT student." In Charms, Flitwick awarded him full marks on every assignment, his praise glowing.
In Potions, Harrison's analytical mind intrigued Professor Snape. Though Snape was loath to show favoritism, he couldn't deny Harrison's near-obsessive precision in potion brewing. By the time final exams arrived, Harrison had become the benchmark of his year.
On the day of the last exam, Harrison walked out of the Great Hall with a rare smile.
Fred and George flanked him immediately.
"Alright, O All-Knowing One," Fred said. "How many points do you think you earned us this year?"
"Enough to cancel our pranks," George added.
"I'm not a miracle worker," Harrison said with a laugh.
Lee Jordan, Cedric Diggory, and a few Ravenclaws joined them. Harrison's train compartment on the Hogwarts Express was unofficially claimed by a gathering of older and younger students alike—each seeking to bask in the aura of the boy who had faced darkness and come out stronger.
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### **Return to King's Cross**
The Hogwarts Express whistled sharply as it pulled into Platform 9¾. Families lined the platform, waving excitedly.
Harry, Daphne, and Astoria were already under the protection of the Potter wards. They would reunite with Harrison soon.
As he stepped off the train, Harrison was intercepted by none other than Albus Dumbledore.
The old headmaster's expression was unreadable. "Mr. Potter, a word?"
They stepped aside, the crowd parting instinctively.
"I have something that belongs to you," Dumbledore said, reaching into his robes. "It was left with me years ago, by your uncle James. He intended it to reach Harry, but I believe now that you may make better use of it."
He handed Harrison a silvery cloak that shimmered with ethereal light.
"The Cloak of Invisibility," Dumbledore said. "One of the Deathly Hallows."
Harrison took it with a nod. "Thank you."
Dumbledore lingered. "Do not underestimate the dangers ahead, Harrison."
"I never have," Harrison replied evenly.
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### **The Gaunt Legacy**
Three days later, beneath the glow of the crescent moon, Harrison stood before the crumbling remains of the Gaunt Manor. Located deep in the woods outside Little Hangleton, the manor was long-abandoned. The forest pressed in close around the rotting house, its walls leaning precariously, held together by old magic and hate.
He wasn't alone.
Harry stood beside him, clad in enchanted robes. Daphne and Astoria had remained behind under protective wards. Cedric had volunteered to scout but was sent back by Harrison. This mission required blood-bound magic.
"The air stinks," Harry murmured.
"It's cursed," Harrison replied, activating his eldritch sight. The house glowed with red-black energy.
They stepped forward. The wards resisted them—magic like oil and tar—but Harrison raised the Invisibility Cloak. As the Deathly Hallow brushed the edges of the curse, the wards sizzled and broke.
Inside, the manor was eerily silent. The remnants of the Gaunt family's descent into madness clung to the cracked walls. Harrison moved through the ruins with purpose, led by a pulse he felt through the Time Stone and his magical core.
In a hidden chamber behind a wall, sealed with Parseltongue, they found it:
A rusted box wrapped in snakeskin. Inside, nestled in rotting velvet, sat **Marvolo Gaunt's ring**—the second Horcrux.
Harrison didn't hesitate.
He formed a containment circle in Egyptian runes, then lifted the ring with a conjured prism of eldritch light. It screamed—an echo of Voldemort's soul writhing in the magic.
Harry shuddered. "Is that... him?"
"A piece," Harrison said. "We destroy it. Now."
Channeling the combined power of the Time Stone and his staff, Harrison conjured a void rift contained in a shrunken realm—an impossible fold of space only he could access.
The ring dissolved.
Voldemort screamed.
The forest fell silent.
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### **The Journey Ahead**
Back at Potter Castle that night, the cousins sat by the fireplace.
"That's two pieces down," Harry whispered.
"And five to go," Harrison replied.
Daphne curled up beside them. "We'll help. All of us."
Astoria added sleepily, "Born to conquer."
Harrison stared into the flames, fingers lightly touching the Cloak of Invisibility.
"Blood runs thicker than water," he said softly. "And we will finish what Voldemort started—by ending him."