《Harry Potter: The Fake Gryffindor Warrior - HP / Hogwarts》 Chapter 1 - I Don鈥檛 Want to Live in a Closet. [Chapter Size: 1800 Words.] --------------------------------------- Harry¡¯s high fever lasted for three full days, but finally, on the morning of the fourth day, his temperature dropped. This brought a slight sense of relief to the young doctor from the community hospital. He was under thirty, inexperienced, and had been assigned here due to his limited skills. Even so, he could sense that the two guardians standing by the boy¡¯s bedside, one towering and the other much shorter, were not in a good mood. In fact, despite Harry¡¯s fever breaking and the danger passing, both still looked deeply unhappy. The Dursleys were unhappy. Of course they were. Harry¡¯s sudden high fever had alarmed them. Though they had countless complaints about his parents, whom they preferred not to mention, they didn¡¯t dare be too harsh on the boy. God only knew what would happen if something went wrong with him. His kind, those dreadful, unnatural people, would surely come looking for answers. The last thing the Dursleys wanted was any form of contact with them. Unless, of course, it was to take the boy away permanently. The only silver lining was that the child rarely got sick. In fact, since he had come to live with them, this was the first time. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª When Harry woke up again, his eyes were filled with confusion. It felt as though he had been dreaming for a very long time. In his dream, he had met an old man with an incredibly long white beard. The old man had been terrifying, he had chased after Harry, forcing him to run and run. But in the end, the old man couldn¡¯t catch him. Exhausted, he collapsed onto the ground, and then, before Harry¡¯s eyes, he dissolved into countless silver-white specks of light. And then, Harry had woken up. As he looked around the room, a strange feeling washed over him. The entire world seemed different. At that moment, Harry¡¯s mind was flooded with unfamiliar knowledge, as if the old man from his dream had left something behind. It wasn¡¯t that Harry had never had dreams before, he had, but they always faded from his memory the moment he woke up. This time was different. He could recall everything with perfect clarity. He even remembered every wrinkle on the old man¡¯s stern face. And more than that, the knowledge from the dream felt real, as though it had been carved into his mind. The old man¡¯s name was Neil. He was a sorcerer from the Aegean continent. And apparently, he had been quite powerful. He had been assassinated, but his soul had been too strong to vanish immediately. Instead, it was swept into a rift of time and space, eventually drifting into this world, into Harry¡¯s mind, or perhaps even deeper, into his very soul. Neil had originally planned to devour Harry¡¯s soul and take over his body. However, after being weakened by the turbulence of space-time, he had failed. Instead, the struggle had consumed what little remained of his energy, and in the end, his soul had dissipated entirely, leaving behind only scattered memories and vast amounts of knowledge. "How could I have such an absurd dream if it feels so real?" thought Harry. Then. "¡­¡­%%&¡­¡­&¡­¡­&%¡­¡­" Harry raised his hand and muttered a string of strange syllables. It was part of the knowledge he had gained from the dream, a spell. If it worked, it was supposed to summon a fireball. His target? Dudley¡¯s baseball bat. But nothing happened. "How foolish of me to believe in dream nonsense." Harry pouted and shook his head. And yet, the very next moment! "Snap!" A tiny spark flickered in the palm of his hand. It was faint, like the small electric sparks from a lighter flint. Easy to miss. But Harry had been looking at his hand, mid-complaint, so he saw it. "What was that?" Harry blinked in disbelief. "Did I¡­ just do that? Could the things I dreamed about actually be real?" He tried again.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Nothing. He waited. Still nothing. "Maybe I imagined it." thought Harry. Harry pursed his lips in frustration, but then, suddenly, an overwhelming fatigue crashed over him. His limbs felt heavy, his head spun, and before he could resist, he collapsed backward onto the bed. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his head. Excessive consumption of mental and magical energy. The phrase surfaced in his mind. Among the fragments of knowledge left by Neil, there was a description of this exact condition. And there was a solution to it. Meditation. A clear instruction appeared in his thoughts. Without questioning it, Harry followed the guidance, closing his eyes and imagining a peculiar symbol in his mind. Once the image became vivid, he attempted to change its color, just as the instructions dictated. It wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded. Just forming the symbol clearly in his mind took time, and making it change color was even harder. It remained stubbornly multicolored instead of turning into a solid hue. Controlling the shift was nearly impossible. But Harry didn¡¯t give up. After what felt like an eternity, he finally succeeded. And as the symbol in his mind solidified, the piercing headache vanished. Not only that, but Harry felt sharper. It was a subtle shift. He couldn¡¯t suddenly hear Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon¡¯s voices downstairs, nor could he sense air currents or anything dramatic like that. But something was different. Harry got out of bed and sat cross-legged on the floor. A thin layer of dust and scattered debris floated around him, this room had once been Dudley¡¯s toy storage, and Aunt Petunia rarely bothered to clean it. Harry had only been moved here when the Dursleys decided they couldn¡¯t stand having him around any longer. That didn¡¯t mean Harry himself was particularly tidy, either. Tracing a strange pattern on the floor with his fingers, he whispered a series of unfamiliar syllables under his breath. For a second, nothing happened. Two seconds. Still nothing. Three seconds passed. No change. "Why isn¡¯t it working again?" Harry frowned. "Were the memories from the dream real? The sparks, the headache, and that so-called meditation technique were all illusions?" Just as confusion started creeping in, the pattern on the floor suddenly glowed. A moment later, a tiny ball of water, no larger than the tip of a thumb, appeared above the symbol. It hovered silently in midair. "Ah!" Harry gasped, startled. In his shock, his hand brushed against the drawn pattern, accidentally smudging part of it. The small water sphere lost its support and plummeted, splashing onto the dusty floor and dampening a tiny patch. "It ''s real! Everything from the dream, it was real!" Harry¡¯s eyes lit up. "Magic. It¡¯s real. Magic actually exists in this world!" The pattern he had drawn on the floor, according to the memories from his dream, was something called a magic circle. Though, if Old Neil¡¯s knowledge was correct, this particular spell was supposed to summon a water dragon. Instead, all Harry had managed was a droplet smaller than a marble. But still, the water had appeared from nowhere. So why wasn¡¯t it working as intended? Was it his fault? Or was it because this wasn¡¯t the world called Aegean? Harry delved into the fragments of knowledge lingering in his mind. The information was messy and scattered. Judging by the fragmented, chaotic memories left behind by Old Neil, it was likely that the sorcerer¡¯s soul had suffered severe trauma when it was torn through the turbulence of space-time. The sensation of recalling these memories was unlike remembering his own past. Instead, it felt as if his mind contained countless books, books without covers. He had to open them one by one to discover their contents. But once he opened a book, he instantly grasped its general knowledge. It was an exhilarating feeling, so much so that Harry found himself immersed in it, unable to stop. Finally, a particular piece of information caught his attention. Elemental intensity. Elements, or magical elements,were the foundation of all magic. When absorbed and stored within a person, they became magical powers. The world of Aegean was rich in these elements. Sorcerers there wielded their own magic power to manipulate nature¡¯s elements, creating extraordinarily powerful spells. But Aegean sorcerers had also discovered that in some places, planes, as they called them, the elements were sparse. One such place, which they referred to as the Astral Plane, contained almost no magical energy at all. Harry couldn¡¯t find any references to an Astral Plane in his inherited knowledge, but he began to wonder. Could Earth be one of these magic-starved worlds? He had no way to confirm it. At least, not right now. "If that¡¯s the case, then no wonder my magic isn¡¯t working the way it should." thought Harry. Earth was likely a world with very few magical elements. Without enough magic in the air, and with his own power still weak, his spells couldn¡¯t manifest properly. "What a shame." Harry sighed in disappointment. At the same time, another thought crossed his mind. "Were there other magic users in this world?" ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª "I want Harry¡¯s room!" Dudley whined loudly over dinner. "I want to put my TV and game console in there! Harry can¡¯t live there anymore!" "Well..." Uncle Vernon hesitated, clearly annoyed. Harry¡¯s illness had cost him a considerable amount of money. Though the Dursleys were relatively well-off, medical care in the UK was expensive, especially when you needed a doctor to visit your home. Public hospitals were cheaper, but getting an appointment could take at least two months. "Harry¡¯s already staying there. Where else do you expect him to sleep?" Vernon grumbled. "I don¡¯t want him in the living room. He¡¯d just get in the way of the telly." "Put him in the cupboard!" Dudley shouted. "He¡¯s so scrawny anyway, looks like a rat!" "That¡¯s¡­" Vernon hesitated. "That wouldn¡¯t be right, would it?" Child abuse was a serious crime in the UK, and forcing a minor to live in a cupboard would undoubtedly fall under that category. "There¡¯s nothing wrong with it." Petunia scoffed. She, of all people, Harry¡¯s own blood relative, was the first to dismiss the concern. "As Dudley said, he¡¯s thin enough, isn¡¯t he?" Harry was seriously ill, but the people who should have been worried, his mother''s kind, didn''t show up. Petunia was starting to think they had forgotten about the boy. Harry, watching her closely, found himself unsettled. Not because of her words. That kind of cruelty was nothing new. What unsettled him was the fact that, for the first time, he could see her emotions. He could read them. There was disgust. There was hatred. And there was, jealousy? Harry shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He had more pressing concerns. He wasn¡¯t going to live in a cupboard. No matter how thin he was. ---- you can read more advance chapter on my patreon: pat reon.com/DylanBriak Chapter 2 - Uncle Vernons Mentality. [Chapter Size: 2000 Words.] --------------------------------------- Harry sat cross-legged on the cot, now inside the storage cupboard under the stairs. Although he had been reluctant to enter, how could a seven-year-old child resist two adults and a fat boy who weighed more than some grown men? ¡°But I can''t let this be. There are less than two weeks until September, when I start second grade. If my classmates come over to play or if the teacher visits, should I tell them I live in a cupboard?" thought Harry Seven-year-old Harry didn''t realize that if his classmates or teachers at school found out he lived in a cupboard, his aunt and uncle, who constantly bullied him, would be in trouble. He wasn''t aware of that, he was only wondering how he could convince Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon to let him move back into the small room he hadn''t even liked that much before. Harry was very smart, but his intelligence was still within the range of ordinary people. In the end, he was just a very clever seven-year-old. That¡¯s why the solution he came up with embarrassed him so much that, years later, he wanted to scratch the walls every time he thought about it. Yet, Harry was grateful for his choice because, in the end, things turned out well. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª "Dudley, I have something to discuss with you!" Harry approached Dudley with a shy expression and a smile. He would never have done this before, Dudley and his friends usually treated him like a punching bag. Harry always stayed as far away from Dudley as possible. This move obviously made Dudley a little uncomfortable. The chubby boy stared at Harry blankly and asked, almost instinctively, "What do you want to talk about?" "It¡¯s working!" Harry was thrilled. Of course, he had prepared before daring to approach Dudley. This was a small form of mental magic called mind control, which could influence the emotions of people with weak wills. Harry had tested it before, his mental power (a concept from the Aegean world) was still too weak, meaning he couldn¡¯t affect strong-minded individuals. Normal adults, like Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, were completely immune to his influence. So, the only ones he could affect were children or small animals? Harry had tested it, and Mrs. Figg¡¯s cats proved it worked, at least on small creatures. So, he decided to try it on Dudley. The defenseless Dudley froze for a moment as Harry approached, and that was all the opportunity Harry¡¯s mental magic needed to slip in. "Dudley, you know there¡¯s going to be a test at the start of the school year, right? Are you ready?" Harry felt like the Big Bad Wolf tricking the little pigs. Dudley¡¯s expression instantly twisted in discomfort. Elementary school subjects were incredibly simple, at least, that¡¯s what Harry thought. But all the energy Dudley got from food was used to fuel his physical growth, especially horizontally. That had affected his brain function to some degree. He wasn¡¯t exactly stupid, but he certainly wasn¡¯t bright. On top of that, he hated studying, so his grades were terrible. Every test was almost a nightmare for Dudley because the results were sent home by letter. These were the only times that Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia ever argued with Dudley, although occasionally, they did it together. For example, in the third monthly exam of the previous school year, Dudley had scored a zero in math. "You have a solution?" Dudley asked hesitantly. He was confused about why he was suddenly willing to listen to this cousin he didn¡¯t even like. And yet, something about what the other boy was saying made sense. Seeing Dudley¡¯s expression, Harry knew he had taken the bait. Smiling, he said, "I have a special study method that can help you quickly master the material you need for the exam. But I have to get back to my old room." Dudley eyed him suspiciously before finally raising his fist. "If you dare lie to me, I¡¯ll use you as a punching bag to test out my new boxing gloves." "No problem!" Harry replied proudly. That night, Dudley cried and screamed for Harry to return to his original room, which made Uncle Vernon furious. Even though Harry''s bed was foldable and easy to move, carrying it up and down the stairs was still a difficult task, especially for someone of Uncle Vernon¡¯s size. However, except during exam season, Dudley was the absolute favorite in the household. So, in the end, Harry got his small room back, though half of the space was still taken up by Dudley¡¯s miscellaneous junk. Harry was more than satisfied. As for what to do with Dudley next, he already had a plan.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. A Special Study Method? Of course, Harry had no intention of actually teaching Dudley anything! But he did have a bit of magical shorthand. This spell allowed people to retain a large amount of information in a short period of time. Its original purpose was to help wizards memorize highly complex magical arrays. After all, drawing a magic circle had to be completed within a limited timeframe. The sequences involved were often so intricate that even experienced wizards struggled to memorize them all. So, when necessary, they would consult books or notes, use the shorthand spell to commit the circle to memory, and then transcribe it. The only drawback? The spell¡¯s effects lasted for just seven days, and since school started in September, with the first exams happening around that time, it was perfect timing. Harry was thrilled. It was the first time he had truly used magic, and both the process and the results felt amazing. Of course, dealing with Dudley alone wasn¡¯t enough. If he truly wanted to live comfortably in this house, he had to get along with his aunt and uncle as well. But that was easier said than done, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon seemed to despise him from the depths of their souls. Still, Harry now had leverage. All he needed was time. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Four Years Later The Dursleys, who lived at 4 Privet Drive, had become the most admired and envied family in the entire neighborhood. It wasn¡¯t just because they were now the richest household on the block. No, what truly set them apart was the fact that both of their children had outstanding academic records. It was unbelievable. That chubby boy, who usually looked like a complete fool, somehow aced every test. At one point, his teacher even suspected him of cheating. But after multiple observations, it was confirmed that he definitely wasn¡¯t. In the end, the teacher concluded that Dudley was simply an exam-focused student, not particularly remarkable in class, but exceptionally skilled when it came to taking tests. Of course, if that were the only thing, the neighbors would have felt jealous, but not in awe. What truly amazed people was how kind the Dursleys were to their nephew, who was staying with them, just as kind as they were to their own son. It was wonderful that Mrs. Dursley treated her late sister¡¯s child so warmly, but what was even more rare and admirable was that Mr. Dursley did the same. It was true that, over the years, Vernon and Petunia had been very good to Harry. But to say their kindness was genuine? Not exactly. The real reason they treated Harry well was purely motivated by profit. For Aunt Petunia, it was simple: she was extremely pleased with Dudley¡¯s consistently high test scores ever since he started spending time with Harry. But even more than that, what truly delighted her was that Dudley never got sick anymore. Harry himself had never been sick since childhood. The only exception was a high fever when he was seven years old, but apart from that, he had never even caught a cold. Dudley, despite being chubby and strong, used to fall ill at least two or three times a year, which was normal for a child. However, ever since he started spending time with Harry, he hasn''t gotten sick even once. That alone saved the family a fortune in medical expenses, even though their income had significantly increased over the past few years. And speaking of increased income. That was exactly why Uncle Vernon¡¯s attitude toward Harry had changed. It all started three years ago, when Vernon¡¯s company, Grunnings, was competing for a major international contract. At the time, the company had several strong competitors, and no clear advantage over them. For weeks, Vernon had been in a foul mood, snapping at everyone, even Dudley wasn¡¯t spared. The turning point came on the final day of a crucial multi-party meeting, where each company had to present and defend their proposal. As a supervisor, Vernon was in charge of presenting on behalf of Grunnings, and he was extremely nervous about it. That morning, Harry handed him a tiny paper star, saying it would bring him good luck. The Dursleys hated anything remotely unscientific, so Vernon angrily rejected it. But Dudley, being Dudley, made a huge fuss and stuffed the star into Vernon¡¯s briefcase. Vernon, not wanting to waste energy arguing with his son, let it slide. He planned to deal with Harry later, maybe even scold Dudley a little while he was at it, to remind everyone who was in charge. But then, something incredible happened. That day, Vernon¡¯s luck was unbelievable. He had a smooth drive to work, avoiding traffic and narrowly missing a group of troublemakers on the street. During the presentation, he spoke with confidence, debated skillfully with the academic panel, and impressed everyone in the room. His performance even brought honor to the entire company. The deal was secured. When Vernon returned to his office and began sorting through his briefcase, his eyes fell on the tiny paper star at the bottom. Had this been a one-time coincidence, he wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it. But it kept happening. Again and again, for the next three years, every time Vernon had a major business opportunity, things would mysteriously go his way. Until earlier this year, when Vernon secured a massive deal that earned him a promotion to General Manager of the entire Northern Region. At that point, he had no choice but to believe it. Maybe, just maybe, the boy he had despised all these years really did have some kind of strange gift. "After all... his parents¡­" Vernon violently shook his head, pushing away thoughts that had no business being in his mind. He refused, absolutely refused, to think about anything related to magic. "Luck! Luck is enough!" That was the most absurd concept Vernon was willing to accept. If Vernon had a more vivid imagination, perhaps he would have thought of an ostrich at that moment, because his mentality was exactly like one. Burying his head in the sand. As if that would protect him from the dangerous reality lurking just outside his field of vision. Of course, Harry wasn¡¯t actually making people luckier. Fairy tales might talk about wizards who could brew liquid luck, but Harry didn¡¯t have that ability. What he had used on Vernon was a small mental spell called Renewal. For years, Harry had been experimenting with magic from the Aegean world, but elemental magic didn¡¯t seem to work well on Earth. It wasn¡¯t completely useless, but the effects were severely weakened. However, mental magic was a different story. This particular spell, Renewal, could temporarily enhance a person¡¯s mental state, making them more alert, energetic, and quick-thinking. The effects included: -Faster reasoning -Sharper memory -Increased energy levels The side effect? A deep exhaustion that would last a day or two afterward. That day, during the presentation, Uncle Vernon had been at his absolute peak, sharp, persuasive, and brimming with confidence. Naturally, things had gone perfectly. And as for the fatigue afterward? Well, it was only natural to feel exhausted after an intense work period, wasn¡¯t it? At least, Uncle Vernon had never questioned it. He was too busy believing it was just luck. A very stubborn ostrich indeed. ---- you can read more advance chapter on my patreon: pat reon.com/DylanBriak Chapter 3 - Letter. Thank you so much terrance smith, Julius, ahmarijah, DarkDrBubbles, Cams797, Halli, Nikita Shtobert, Hyndratos, Deja Cabell, Lucy, Clearly_False, Foolie, tunicsauce and graine nobert for subscribing to Pa tre on! --------------------------------------- [Chapter Size: 2000 Words.] --------------------------------------- Harry was surprised to discover that he could talk to snakes. This wasn''t like speaking to dogs or cats, where you could use simple commands to make them perform actions or respond in limited ways. With snakes, he could actually communicate. The snake could understand what he said, and he could understand what the snake said in return. It was truly magical. He had almost managed to separate the memories and fragments of knowledge that belonged to Neil from the Aegean world. There was a lot of chaos among them, most of the information was fragmented and couldn''t form a coherent system. This was probably because Neil¡¯s soul had been severely damaged. Harry had already come to terms with the fact that someone from another world had somehow ended up inside his mind, once even trying to fight him for control of his body, but ultimately failing. Although most of Neil¡¯s knowledge was scattered and disorganized, making it largely unusable, there were still many valuable bits. Harry had used them to significantly improve his family¡¯s financial status. And, of course, he had no intention of letting anyone know that he had mastered magic. First, because his aunt and uncle despised anything related to magic, and Harry had no desire to get into unnecessary conflict with them, especially now that his life was relatively stable. Second, because he had watched plenty of TV shows and movies where people with special abilities were eventually captured by secret government agencies, taken to labs, and experimented on. The last thing he wanted was to end up strapped to an operating table under blinding lights while some scientist in a white coat dissected him to see if he was different from an ordinary person. Even though he had mastered several strange little spells, Harry was certain that none of them would allow him to understand what other animals were saying. Then, earlier today, something unexpected happened. It was the day before summer vacation, the last day of elementary school. In just a few months, both Harry and Dudley would be starting middle school. Since it was Dudley¡¯s birthday, the Dursleys had taken him, Harry, and one of Dudley¡¯s best friends to the zoo. Near the end of their visit, they arrived at the reptile house, where Harry and Dudley became fascinated by a massive Brazilian python. As Dudley tried to provoke the lazy, unbothered snake, Harry suddenly realized that he could understand what it was saying. More than that, the python could understand him, too. The snake kept repeating, "I want to get out. I want to get out." Harry stared at the thick, reinforced glass. He knew at least a dozen ways to break it silently, ensuring that no one would ever suspect he was involved. Although the magic he had accumulated over the years wasn¡¯t yet powerful enough to perform the spells he truly wanted, he had still mastered a few useful tricks. But why would he help a giant python escape? What if it decided to eat him? Harry wasn¡¯t exactly large, his small body would make for an easy meal. In comparison, Dudley was much safer. With his size, even the massive python in front of them would have trouble swallowing him in one bite. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª When Harry got home, he was still thinking about the enormous snake from the zoo. It occupied his mind so much that when Dudley asked him to play one last game on the Nintendo, he refused. Normally, he would have joined happily, thoroughly beaten his older cousin, and then laughed at Dudley¡¯s frustrated, unwilling expression. Even though Dudley was overweight, he was surprisingly athletic. Apart from running and football, where a lighter body had an advantage, Harry wasn¡¯t a match for Dudley in most sports. What frustrated Harry the most was that he couldn¡¯t even beat him in basketball. "A big, nimble guy under the basket" that was a perfect description of Dudley! But when it came to video games, Harry could completely crush Dudley, no matter what kind of game they played. Although Dudley¡¯s arms and legs were quite strong, his fingers didn¡¯t seem flexible enough, at least not when using the controller. Harry, on the other hand, had quick, nimble fingers, capable of playing the piano. In fact, he had practiced piano for a while, but since he didn¡¯t progress much, he eventually gave up. Lying in bed, Harry was lost in thought about the Brazilian python when Aunt Petunia¡¯s voice suddenly interrupted him, calling him down for dinner. He got up, ran his fingers through his slightly messy hair, and tied it back. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Yes, Harry had long hair, down to his waist. It was one of his little quirks, something he used to mislead people. Before the age of six, Harry had been an adorable little boy, just cute, nothing more. But after turning six, everything changed drastically. His facial features became softer, his eyes grew larger, his chin became more pointed, his nose slightly upturned, his lips smaller, and his skin noticeably paler. But the most remarkable change was his eyes. Once a bright emerald green, they gradually shifted to a light brown. All of these changes happened in just one year, between the ages of six and seven. If you compared a photo of Harry before six to one taken after seven, almost no one would believe it was the same person. The transformation was so strange that Harry sometimes wondered if it had something to do with the magic he had learned from Neil. Then, one day, Aunt Petunia accidentally remarked, ¡°Harry, you look so much like your mother when she was a child, except for the eyes.¡± That was when it hit him, he really did resemble his mother as a child. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t a single photo of his mother or father anywhere in Aunt Petunia¡¯s house, so he had no way to see for himself just how much he looked like her. And this is where things got interesting. Although Harry had a boy¡¯s body and was completely normal in every way, his face looked remarkably like that of a girl, a very pretty girl. In the UK, students often changed schools or transferred frequently, with more than half of the classmates being replaced every couple of months. Because of this, many new students were confused about Harry¡¯s gender. Many girls assumed he was one of them and would invite him to play. Many boys also approached him, thinking the same thing. However, while his face resembled a girl¡¯s, his voice was unmistakably that of a boy. To make things even funnier, his voice had started changing early, becoming rough and deep. Whenever he spoke, he would often startle new classmates. Harry found this incredibly amusing, so he simply decided to keep growing his hair out. His hair was in excellent condition, even better than that of most girls, cascading down his back like a waterfall. And since his body was still small and hadn¡¯t changed much yet, people continued mistaking him for a girl, only to be shocked when he spoke. Harry thought the whole situation was hilarious. And it wasn¡¯t just him, Dudley and the others found it amusing too. Even the students who had been tricked ended up enjoying the joke. In fact, many of them eagerly watched to see others fall into the same misunderstanding. Of course, how much of their amusement came from wanting others to be fooled so they wouldn¡¯t feel as stupid themselves was another question entirely. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia weren¡¯t exactly pleased with Harry growing his hair out, but in the end, they allowed it. And in doing so, Harry¡¯s status in the family became clear. He casually smoothed his hair, put on his glasses, he had been slightly nearsighted for a while now, though not severely. It was probably due to all the time he spent reading comic books and playing video games. During dinner, Aunt Petunia announced that both Harry and Dudley would be attending her and Uncle Vernon¡¯s old school, Smeltings Academy. It was a prestigious institution with strict admission requirements. If Dudley had tried to get in without Harry¡¯s help, Uncle Vernon would likely have had to pay thousands of pounds in tuition and scholarships. But with Harry¡¯s assistance, Dudley passed all the entrance exams effortlessly. Getting accepted was easy, and for Harry, it was no challenge at all. Even without using magic, his memory was sharp enough to handle almost any test. Smeltings Academy uniforms were elegant and of excellent quality, but they were also quite expensive. Students could either order them directly from the school or purchase them independently. The former was costly, but the latter could be significantly cheaper if they found the right supplier. During dinner, Aunt Petunia discussed where to get tailored uniforms. She was clearly reluctant to let the school make extra money off her, especially after they had already profited from her once. Uncle Vernon, however, saw no need to rush. Both Harry and Dudley were growing fast, and if they bought the uniforms now, they might not fit properly by the time school started in two months. Aunt Petunia admitted that his reasoning made sense, but Dudley insisted that, for now, they at least get him a Smeltings stick. His parents didn¡¯t object. In fact, ever since Dudley¡¯s academic performance had drastically improved with Harry¡¯s help, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon rarely denied him anything. So, in the third week of summer vacation, on the first day of July, Dudley got his cane. Harry wasn¡¯t particularly interested, it wasn¡¯t a necessity. And since he never brought it up, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon simply pretended it wasn¡¯t an issue, saving themselves a considerable amount of money. Harry didn¡¯t mind in the slightest. He and Dudley had a great relationship. At first, it was because Harry had helped Dudley improve his grades before the entrance exams, but over time, they had simply become close cousins who had grown up together. And, if Harry ever wanted to mess around with it, Dudley¡¯s cane could easily end up in his hands. As it turned out, Dudley was only interested in his cane for about a morning. By the afternoon, he had already tossed it into some corner of the house. Instead, he eagerly dragged Harry back to play video games. Though the outcome was predictable, a crushing defeat, he refused to give up, swearing that next time, he would beat Harry. The two of them played until late at night, and as a result, they stumbled downstairs for breakfast the next morning, yawning and half-asleep. Harry went to the front door to collect the newspaper and check for any mail. Ever since Uncle Vernon¡¯s promotion, the amount of mail arriving at the house had increased significantly. Many were letters from his business colleagues or partners wanting to stay in touch. There were also several bills, mostly from Aunt Petunia¡¯s credit card purchases, which had noticeably increased since Uncle Vernon became a regional manager. Sure enough, when Harry picked up the newspaper, he found four or five envelopes along with it. Three were from the bank, addressed to Aunt Petunia, and one was for Uncle Vernon. But the last one. The last letter was addressed to him. This wasn¡¯t the first time Harry had received a letter. He often got notes from his classmates, both boys and girls, though mostly from girls. Harry was, undeniably, very handsome. Though he had grown older and no longer looked like a girl as he had in previous years, he was still strikingly attractive. Because of this, many girls wanted to spend time with him. But Harry, having no particular interest in girls yet, never really saw the appeal. Even though receiving letters wasn¡¯t unusual, this one made him instantly more alert, shaking off his drowsiness. Because the address on the envelope was unusually precise: Surrey, Little Whinging, 4 Privet Drive, 2nd Floor, Second Room on the Left ¨C For Mr. Harry Potter. This was the first time Harry had ever seen a letter addressed so specifically to his exact bedroom. ---- you can read more 20 advance chapter on my patreon: pat reon.com/DylanBriak Chapter 4 - Harry鈥檚 Guess. Thank you so much elijah rabren, Michael S Mifsud, terrance smith, Julius, ahmarijah, DarkDrBubbles, Cams797, Halli, Nikita Shtobert, Hyndratos, Deja Cabell, Lucy, Clearly_False, Foolie, tunicsauce and graine nobert for subscribing to Pa tre on! --------------------------------------- [Chapter Size: 1800 Words.] --------------------------------------- "Is This a Prank from a Classmate?" Harry found it quite interesting. None of his classmates had ever played a prank like this before,it was really creative. The envelope of this letter was made of thick parchment, a material rarely used nowadays. After all, it was heavy and not the easiest to write on. The only advantage was its durability, it wouldn¡¯t tear easily. Still, modern postal services were reliable. It wasn¡¯t like centuries ago when letters had to be bundled together and tossed onto the back of a carriage, left to rattle around during the journey. The address was written in an unusual green ink, which immediately caught Harry¡¯s attention. However, what intrigued him the most was the absence of a postage stamp. Turning the envelope over, he noticed that it was sealed with wax. This was the first time Harry had ever seen something like that. There was a design imprinted in the wax, a capital letter "H" Handing the newspaper to Uncle Vernon, Harry sat at the table and carefully cut the wax seal with his dinner knife. He didn¡¯t want to damage such a delicate and intriguing envelope. Pulling out the letter, he read through it quickly and then broke into a playful grin. Laughing, he turned to Dudley and said, "Dudley, I just got a very interesting letter. I wonder who sent it, it''s really creative!" It was a letter claiming to be an acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry found it amusing that something like this had arrived on April 1st, rather than during the summer holidays. But he had to admit, it was a well-crafted prank. The letter and envelope were impressively made. "Hogwarts? What a ridiculous name!" Dudley scoffed, glancing at the letter and laughing. Harry was about to reply when he heard a sharp crash. His Aunt Petunia had dropped a plate, which shattered upon hitting the kitchen floor. There was no carpet to cushion the fall, so the ceramic broke instantly. "You scared me!" Dudley complained, annoyed. "Oh, oh, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­" Aunt Petunia stammered, looking flustered. Strangely, she didn¡¯t even call Dudley ¡°darling¡± as she usually did. Instead, she quickly grabbed a broom to sweep up the broken pieces before pulling Uncle Vernon, who had lowered his newspaper, his face unusually tense, into the other room. They left their breakfast unfinished. Harry watched them disappear behind the closed door, puzzled. Their reaction was odd. After a moment of thought, his expression shifted. Aunt Petunia had dropped the plate right after Dudley mentioned Hogwarts. Could it be that they had heard of this supposed magic school before? That didn¡¯t seem likely. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had no sense of humor whatsoever. They weren¡¯t the type to play along with pranks like this. Harry frowned, deep in thought. The Dursleys didn¡¯t look like they were reacting to a joke, on the contrary. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he considered their behavior. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were almost paranoid in their aversion to anything remotely related to magic. That was unusual, most old-fashioned school teachers wouldn¡¯t mind if a student casually said, "That¡¯s just magic!" when surprised by something. But the Dursleys? They reacted with strong disgust and hostility whenever magic was even mentioned. Harry had always found that strange. And now, for the first time, a thought crossed his mind: "Could magic actually be real? Was Hogwarts truly a real school of magic? And did Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon know about it?" Most people wouldn¡¯t even entertain such a wild idea. But Harry was different, because, deep down, he knew he could do things that others couldn¡¯t. If he could use magic, then it wasn¡¯t too hard to believe that others could as well. And if there were people who could do magic, then it only made sense that there would be a school to teach them. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Harry grabbed the letter from Dudley and unfolded the second page. It contained a list of required school supplies and some additional instructions. The more he read, the stronger his suspicion became. Maybe, just maybe, his guess was right. Returning to the First Page of the Letter Harry''s eyes fell on the last sentence: "We await your owl to deliver your response by July 31st." "Well, that''s awkward. Where am I supposed to find an owl?" Harry muttered. Bang, bang, bang! A sharp tapping sound came from the window. Harry turned toward the noise, and his eyes suddenly widened. A dark gray owl was perched on the windowsill, staring at him with round, unblinking eyes. As soon as it noticed him looking, it tapped on the glass twice. Up until now, Harry had only thought there was a small chance that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry might actually exist. But at this moment, his certainty shot up to 70, no, maybe even 80 percent. Just as he stood up to open the window and let the owl in, Aunt Petunia¡¯s bedroom door suddenly swung open. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon stepped out. The moment Petunia spotted the owl, she shrieked, rushed toward the window, and slammed it shut, scaring the bird away. Harry raised an eyebrow, sensing a wave of emotions radiating from her. His ability to perceive others'' emotions wasn¡¯t very strong, at least, not yet. He figured that if his mental power grew, he might be able to read people''s emotions more easily. But at this stage, he could only detect strong emotional fluctuations. And right now, Aunt Petunia wasn¡¯t just furious, she was also jealous. That was strange. Aunt Petunia was a petty woman, but she rarely harbored such intense hatred. In fact, Harry had only sensed this kind of emotion from her once before, when the wealthy wife of an important client had visited their home. That woman had been dripping in jewelry, and Aunt Petunia had been seething with envy. But despite her resentment, she had forced a smile and worked alongside Uncle Vernon to flatter their guest. Aside from that occasion, there was only one other time Petunia had felt such jealousy, when she looked at him. In the past, Harry had thought his aunt envied his good looks. After all, he was quite handsome, the kind of boy who could charm both boys and girls into giving him sweets. But later, he realized it wasn¡¯t him she envied, it was his mother. And that made sense. Since Harry was handsome, and Aunt Petunia had mentioned that he resembled his mother, it stood to reason that his mother must have been beautiful. But right now, as Petunia radiated that same jealous fury, a new thought crept into Harry¡¯s mind, one he had never considered before. What if magic truly existed in this world? What if Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon knew about Hogwarts? And what if Harry could use magic not just because of Neil, but for another reason, something inherent to him? Something genetic? Then a possibility he had never even imagined before suddenly took shape in his mind. "Could My Mother, or Maybe My Father, Have Been a Wizard?" Was it possible that his mother, or perhaps his father, was a wizard? And Aunt Petunia, clearly not having become a witch herself, had felt jealousy, which had then turned into resentment. After his mother passed away, that resentment had been redirected toward him, because he resembled her. It made sense. When Aunt Petunia turned around, she noticed Harry staring at her strangely. Forcing a smile, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat, let¡¯s eat. The grilled fish is quite good today¡­¡± ¡°Mum, you¡¯re acting weird today.¡± Dudley had finally looked up from his plate. He had been too focused on his food to notice anything before. All the noise around him had barely registered. ¡°Not at all, Dudley dear,¡± Aunt Petunia replied quickly. ¡°After dinner, go play with Pierre and Danny. I need to have a word with Harry¡­¡± Her voice had a distant quality to it. ¡°Oh.¡± Dudley didn¡¯t think much of it. He simply nodded and continued eating. His appetite was just as large as he was. Dudley left early after dinner, and before Uncle Vernon headed out to work, he gave Harry and Aunt Petunia a strange look, but in the end, he said nothing. Once they were alone, Aunt Petunia motioned for Harry to sit on the living room sofa. She sat across from him, her expression serious. ¡°Harry, you¡¯ve always been clever. Strange things have happened around you. I assume you¡¯ve already figured something out?¡± Her face was unreadable, but Harry recognized that expression. Four or five years ago, she used to look at him that way all the time. However, ever since he had helped bring good fortune to Vernon and improved Dudley¡¯s school performance, thereby increasing his standing in the household, she had stopped looking at him like that. Harry didn¡¯t overthink it. He simply nodded. ¡°It seems that magic really does exist in this world.¡± For a brief moment, Petunia¡¯s face twisted in disgust and jealousy, but she nodded in the end. ¡°Yes, magic¡­ Haha.¡± Her laugh was bitter. ¡°Your mother, your father, that Potter, they were all wizards. Graduates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry¡­¡± She paused, her voice trembling slightly. ¡°Can I see the letter?¡± Harry didn¡¯t hesitate. He handed it to her. Petunia¡¯s hands shook slightly as she took the letter, but as she flipped through the two pages, her expression became strange. Then, she let out a laugh, self-deprecating, almost hollow. ¡°Dumbledore¡­ After all these years, it¡¯s still the same name? I suppose wizards have quite long lifespans¡­¡± Then, she tossed the letter back to Harry and leaned back into the sofa, her face returning to its previous stoic silence. ¡°Harry, are you going? To Hogwarts?¡± ¡°Yes, I really want to go,¡± Harry answered honestly. ¡°Then go.¡± Petunia waved a hand dismissively as she stood up. ¡°But let me make one thing clear, I¡¯m not paying a single penny for you to attend Hogwarts!¡± Harry wasn¡¯t surprised. The Dursleys had always despised anything remotely connected to magic. And based on Aunt Petunia¡¯s reaction, Harry was 80% sure that she had once wanted to go to Hogwarts, but clearly, she had never received a letter. From admiration to hatred? It wasn¡¯t the perfect phrase, but Harry couldn¡¯t shake the thought. Still, if what she said was true, she wouldn¡¯t pay a cent for his tuition. Then how was he supposed to afford school fees and supplies? Harry suddenly felt a twinge of anxiety. Surely, magical schools weren¡¯t free? ---- you can read more 20 advance chapter on my patreon: pat reon.com/DylanBriak