"Mum!" Dudley clutched his backside, howling as he stumbled downstairs.
Dobby seemed very pleased with his masterpiece. He bowed deeply to Harry. "Harry Potter must stay here. He cannot return to Hogwarts this year. I am sorry, sir, Dobby has no other choice, it's all for..."
As soon as Dobby finished speaking, with a pop, his figure gradually vanished into thin air, leaving the two boys stunned in the room.
"Sorry, I hope I didn't scare you!" Harry sighed.
"What was that just now?" Aiven asked curiously.
"Dobby, the house-elf," Harry explained dejectedly. "I'm finished. Dudley has a pig's tail again. Uncle Vernon will kill me."
"But you didn't do it. I can testify for you."
"It's no use, they won't believe it." Harry leaned against the wall, trying to support himself.
In fact, his guess was completely correct. A few seconds later, Vernon Dursley came running up, panting, his face contorted, and a devilish glint in his small eyes, completely disregarding Aiven's presence.
"Boy, I warned you! How dare you use those… on Dudley!" Vernon Dursley roared at Harry.
"I didn't, it was Do..." Harry weakly defended himself.
"Read this!" He waved the letter in his hand and roughly shoved it at Harry. "Take it, read it!"
Looking at the pale Harry, Aiven leaned in curiously and saw the letter read:
Mr. Potter,
We have received a report that at twenty past eight this evening, you used a Transfiguration Charm at your residence. As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to use magic outside of school. Any further instances of such behaviour may result in your expulsion from this school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph 3).
Please also remember that, according to Article 13 of the International Statute of Secrecy, any magical activity that may attract the attention of non-magical individuals (Muggles) is a serious offence.
Have a pleasant summer!
Mafalda Hopkirk, Improper Use of Magic Office, Ministry of Magic.
Harry looked up, feeling a lump in his throat.
"You didn't tell us you couldn't use magic outside of school." Vernon Dursley's eyes gleamed with a mad light. "Forgot to mention it, slipped your mind, I suppose..." He bore down on Harry like a large bulldog, teeth bared. "Ah, I have good news for you, boy. I'm going to lock you up. You'll never go back to that school, never! If you use magic to escape, they'll expel you!"
"Mr. Dursley, you can't do that." Aiven quickly stopped him. "I can prove that Harry didn't do what happened just now."
"Child, you don't understand!" Vernon Dursley panted, seemingly not having completely lost his mind, as he still remembered who Aiven was.
"I think I saw the whole thing. What happened just now was done by a house-elf." Aiven looked up and saw everyone at the doorway. His parents were looking at him worriedly, and Mrs. Dursley was sobbing softly, with Dudley wailing loudly in her arms, clutching his backside.
"It makes no difference…" Vernon Dursley mumbled.
Ignoring him, Aiven walked over to his parents and whispered to them. Harry stood there miserably, sadly contemplating his future. He knew Uncle Vernon was absolutely not joking. Now the Dursleys knew he couldn't use magic outside of school. He had lost his only weapon. If he was trapped here and missed the start of school, he might very well be expelled. If he used magic to escape, he would also face expulsion. Ron and Hermione might try to rescue him, but now all communication was cut off by Dobby the house-elf, and no one would know his current situation.
Dobby might have saved him from a terrible disaster at Hogwarts, but he had lost the only joy in his life. And Harry wasn't sure how the Dursleys would treat him; he might starve to death here.
Unless that boy named Aiven could help him. A glimmer of hope rose in Harry. He saw Aiven talking to his parents, seemingly pulling a letter from his pocket, pointing at Dudley one moment, then at himself the next. The Masons' expressions first showed great surprise, then they seemed to be convinced by their son. They gathered with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, discussing in low voices.
The atmosphere suddenly became a bit strange. Dudley gradually stopped wailing, his plump body trying to lean forward to hear what they were saying. Harry wanted to do the same, and then he saw Aiven turn around and give him a reassuring smile.
Time passed. After a heated argument, nearly half an hour later, the four adults finally reached an agreement.
"Boy, don't ask anything. Now go downstairs, pack your things, and get out!" Vernon Dursley's forehead was veined, and he roared at Harry.
"What?!" Harry wondered if he had heard wrong. Uncle Vernon was telling him to leave the house, and Aunt Petunia, not far away, pursed her lips and surprisingly didn't object. Oh, goodness, if he weren't certain that the Masons were Muggles, Harry would have thought they had cast a powerful Confundus Charm on the Dursleys.
"Go on, what are you waiting for?" Aiven secretly tugged at Harry.
"What did you just say? I feel like something's off." Harry asked, surprised, looking at the smile on Aiven's face.
"Nothing. If you'd like, I'd like to invite you to stay at my house for the rest of the summer holidays."
"Is that true?!" Harry's voice suddenly rose, then dropped again. "My aunt and uncle won't agree. I can't go anywhere. I think they'll keep me locked up."
"You don't have to worry about that. You heard what your uncle said just now!" Aiven winked. "After my dad promised Mr. Dursley a large order for drilling rigs, your aunt and uncle are very happy for you to stay at my house until the end of the summer."
"Oh, goodness! Thank you, Aiven!" Harry hadn't expected such a significant turn of events. "As long as I can leave here, I'm willing to go anywhere. But why are you helping me so much? We've only just met…"
"Haha, it's nothing. As your senior, I don't think you'd mind talking about Hogwarts with your dear junior." Looking at Harry's surprised expression, Aiven pulled out the letter from his pocket, shook it, and continued, "Also, I'd like to borrow Hedwig for a bit. You know I don't have my own owl to reply to the school."
"Aiven, you're a new student at Hogwarts! That's amazing!" Harry was overjoyed. He had never imagined he would be so lucky. He felt like today was his lucky day. First, Dudley was unlucky, and he didn't have to suffer any punishment. He could also escape the Dursleys more than a month early. Most importantly, he had met a new classmate.
"Hurry up, unless you want to stay and say goodbye to the Dursleys."