"Thank you, Orli. I really didn't know where else to go," Harry said, clutching a teacup in his hands as he sat on the sofa. His fingers fidgeted nervously, and he looked visibly uneasy.
"I ran away from the Dursleys. I don't have a single Muggle penny on me. Hermione and Ron are both abroad. Maybe you'd let me stay here for a while… but I don't know what to do. The Ministry of Magic might be after me, and maybe I've already been expelled from Hogwarts."
"Why would the Ministry of Magic be after you?" Orli asked, frowning slightly. She felt as though she had missed some crucial plot point. Sirius Black hadn't escaped from Azkaban, and she read The Daily Prophet every day.
Harry lowered his head and took a sip of tea. He swallowed with great difficulty, as if his tongue had turned into a cactus.
"I... I blew up my aunt," he admitted.
---
About an hour later, Harry and Orli had finished dinner, and Harry had finally recounted the full story of how his aunt had floated into the air.
Orli began to wonder if she had inadvertently set Harry up for trouble—if Sirius Black hadn't escaped, would Fudge still let Harry off so easily this time?
The next morning, two individuals who looked like Ministry of Magic officials knocked on the door of the Waters Family House.
"We're here to locate Harry Potter. He violated the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery by performing magic outside of school at 5:58 PM yesterday, and he also breached the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy," announced a short, stocky man as he pulled out a piece of parchment and read from it in an official tone.
"I'm sorry, gentlemen," Harry sighed, looking resigned to his fate. "What happened after that?"
"Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were dispatched to Privet Drive yesterday afternoon. Miss Marge has been restored, and her memory has been modified. She doesn't remember anything. That's the end of it—no harm done," replied the other man, a tall, dark-skinned wizard.
"My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt. It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry," he added, extending a hand.
Harry, looking a bit puzzled, shook his hand. The shorter man cleared his throat and resumed reading from the parchment.
"Underage witches and wizards are not permitted to perform any magic outside of school. Any further violations will result in your expulsion from Hogwarts. Additionally, you are reminded to comply with Section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy: any magical activity that risks being noticed by Muggles constitutes a serious offense. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. I mean, I understand," Harry replied, his eyes wide as he waited for them to continue. But the shorter man appeared to have finished. He rolled up the parchment.
"This matter wouldn't normally be resolved so easily, but you're Harry Potter. Not many wizards would want to see headlines about you having your wand snapped," Kingsley said in a low voice to Harry.
"We could have just sent you a warning letter, but the Minister insisted we come in person. This sort of thing won't be tolerated a second time," he added.
"Understood. I promise," Harry said, exhaling heavily as the tension in his shoulders eased.
"If you're worried about how your aunt and uncle reacted, I won't deny—they're furious. However, as long as you stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and Easter, they're planning to let you return next summer," Kingsley continued.
"I'd be happy to spend every Christmas and Easter at Hogwarts. Honestly, I'd rather never go back to the Dursleys' house for any summer holidays," Harry said.
"Harry, the truth is, it's a bit more complicated than that. I'm afraid you'll still need to stay with them for a few more summers," Kingsley said, patting Harry on the shoulder.
---
Note:
The Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes oversees:
1. The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad
2. The Obliviator Headquarters
3. The Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee
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