To be honest, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley's garden is truly beautiful. The lawn has been meticulously groomed and extends gracefully alongside one side of the house, adorned not with the usual flowers but rather with exotic plantings. They've clearly invested a significant amount of effort into maintaining it. If there were a grand prize contest for lawns in the best English suburbs, they might just win it.
"It appears that the Dursleys have truly departed," Evan remarked in a hushed tone as they stood in front of the pitch-dark and silent house. Not a single lamp was lit in Harry's room, leaving them in the dark about his whereabouts.
"Wait!" Moody exclaimed, turning in his cloak and clutching a peculiar silver object in his thick, frozen hands. With a quick press, a nearby streetlight promptly extinguished, followed by a second one. He continued to press, until all the streetlights on Privet Drive had gone out, leaving only the bright, moonlit curtains in the windows to illuminate the night sky. If anyone had been looking outside at that moment, they wouldn't have spotted this group of unwelcome visitors.
"What's this contraption?" Evan inquired, eyeing the silver lighter-like object in Moody's hand. It seemed to involve intricate alchemical knowledge, and Evan was tempted to dismantle it to examine its internal structure. His expertise in deciphering magical runes made him view such magical artifacts as precious pieces to study. However, he hesitated, aware that dismantling such objects might render them irreparable.
"It's an extinguisher," Moody replied in his deep, gruff voice, slipping the device into his pocket. "It prevents Muggles from seeing out of their windows. Now, come in quickly, we can't risk being detected here."
Moody deftly waved his wand, and the Dursley's front door swung open, allowing everyone to enter forcibly.
"Where's that child?" Tonks eagerly asked, scanning their surroundings.
"He's inside the house. I'll go call him," Evan said, heading up the dimly lit staircase.
"I'll come with you," Moody followed, discreetly observing their surroundings. He roughly pushed open Harry's bedroom door, hoping not to discover any embarrassing situations inside. If something untoward were found, it would be extremely awkward.
In the small room, Harry had rolled up on his bed, clutching his wand defensively. He had clearly heard the commotion and was terribly frightened.
"Hello, Harry," Evan greeted with a smile.
"Evan!" Harry looked at Evan in astonishment, unable to believe his eyes. His heart raced uncontrollably as he regarded his friend, still holding onto his wand.
"Come on, everyone's downstairs," Evan said, moving toward the bed to pull Harry up. Since the last time he had seen Harry, the boy had grown several inches, resembling more of the thin, black-haired boy with glasses that Evan remembered. He appeared a bit frail from the rapid growth spurt he had undergone over the past few months. Harry was dressed in shabby Muggle clothes – torn jeans, a loose-fitting T-shirt with faded colors, and worn-out sneakers. It seemed like his summer break had not been pleasant, and Evan couldn't help but wonder if the Dursleys were mistreating him.
"What's going on?" Harry asked anxiously, lowering his wand but still somewhat cautious. He couldn't believe that Evan had suddenly appeared.
"You know I was in Egypt with Hermione," Evan replied vaguely, fully aware of Dumbledore's plan to have Harry spend the entire summer at the Dursleys' home, under the protection of their blood relative. The recent Dementor attack had made it impossible for Harry to leave. However, for Evan, it was a non-issue. He could visit or have Harry over whenever he pleased, given his and Harry's wizarding statuses, and the Dursleys wouldn't dare object.
"Yes, you were in Egypt," Harry said, his initial joy diminishing as he spoke. A sense of resentment welled up within him. "Ron has been busy with other things. I don't understand why you didn't even bother to contact me. It's like you all forgot about me."
"We couldn't tell you everything," Evan explained. "They wanted to keep an eye on you." Moody urged them to hurry, reminding them of the importance of discretion.
Hearing Moody's voice, Harry quickly raised his wand. "Professor Moody?" he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Come, we're taking you away from here. Ron and Hermione are waiting for us," Evan said, leading Harry towards the door. "We'll explain everything to you soon. I promise you'll learn all you need to know."
"Wait, young man. We must confirm that you are indeed Harry Potter," Moody interjected, his gruff voice carrying an air of caution. "We can't be too careful. There's always the risk of Death Eaters posing as him and causing trouble. You can answer questions that only Harry Potter would know, or we can use Veritaserum."
"Alright," Evan agreed, acknowledging Moody's concerns. "Harry, what form does your Patronus take?"
"A stag," Harry replied anxiously.
"Correct. And what's my Animagus form?"
"A black cat," Harry replied confidently. "A few months ago, you, Sirius, and Hagrid went on a mission to find Rowena Ravenclaw's lost trail. Did you succeed?"
"I'll explain the details in a moment," Evan said, turning to Moody. "I believe this is Harry."
As the three of them made their way downstairs, Tonks and the others entered the house and began discussing the situation, their wands lighting up the darkness when Tonks cast a Lumos spell.
As everyone made their way up the staircase, they looked up at Harry with intense curiosity, Tonks especially focusing on him. Several people strained their necks, trying to get a better view.
"Oh, he looks just like I thought he would," Tonks remarked, raising her wand with a Lumos spell to illuminate the scene.
"Yeah, he's a spitting image of James," Kingsley agreed. "Except for that eye," Hestia added, noting the resemblance to Lily. The wizards continued to discuss Harry's appearance, as they had known his parents before.
Harry felt a bit overwhelmed; he couldn't believe that all this was real. For four weeks, he hadn't received any messages or signs that he would be leaving Privet Drive. Yet suddenly, a group of wizards appeared at his home as if it had been planned all along. He looked at Evan and then at the wizards gathered in the entrance hall, all of them eagerly staring at him. Harry suddenly became self-conscious, realizing he hadn't combed his hair for four days. He felt quite embarrassed.
"I... um, you've come at the right time. The Dursleys have just left," he stammered nervously.
"That's good, Harry. This was arranged. Tonks sent a letter via Muggle post, informing them that they've won a prize in the 'Best English Suburbs Lawn Grand Prize Contest,' and they're receiving an award," Evan explained when he noticed Harry's confusion. "I should introduce you..."
As Evan began introducing Harry, the boy offered awkward nods to each wizard. He hoped they would soon avert their gazes, as their scrutiny made him feel like he was suddenly thrust onto a stage, and it was quite uncomfortable.
"Introduction's done. We'll have time to get acquainted later," Moody said in his gruff voice. "Harry, have you packed your things? We have about 15 minutes. Once we get the signal, we'll need to leave immediately."
"I haven't packed yet. What's the situation?" Harry asked, turning to Evan. "And why... the Dursleys..."
Several wizards made a hissing sound, and Diggle's oversized hat tumbled from his head. "Quiet!" Moody snapped. "Don't mention that name!"
"What's wrong?" Harry asked in surprise. He had no idea why their reactions were so strong.
"This house is being monitored. It's not safe to discuss sensitive matters here," Evan explained. He suspected that there were surveillance measures in place, given that the Ministry of Magic had been involved. They could monitor Harry's use of magic or any other activities. However, the surveillance was likely blurry and didn't pick up everything. Voldemort's name, though, was a sensitive term.
"We can't talk about anything here; it's too risky," Moody grumbled, his normal eye fixed on Harry while his magical eye remained motionless, staring at the ceiling.
"Damn!" Moody exclaimed irritably and removed his magical eye with a squelching sound, as if extracting a piston from a strained vat. "I always get caught when I wear this thing. It's gone wrong."
Tonks, in a friendly and kind tone, remarked, "Mad-Eye, you're quite the odd character, aren't you?"
"Excuse me, Harry, could you get me some water?" Moody requested.
Harry walked to the kitchen, fetched a clean cup, and filled it with water, while the wizards continued to gaze at him intently. Evan, noting Harry's discomfort, understood that these people were making him uneasy.
"Thanks," Moody said when Harry handed him the cup. He submerged his magical eye in the water, and it floated as it rotated, observing everyone in the room one by one.
"On the move, I'd like to have a 360-degree field of vision," Moody muttered.
"Let's hurry and pack our things. Once we get the signal, we must leave immediately. I'll help you, Harry," Evan said, nudging Harry gently, as if he were handling a delicate treasure.
"I'm coming too!" Tonks chimed in cheerfully, looking around curiously. "This place is really something," she remarked. "Almost too neat, if you know what I mean. It doesn't feel quite natural. My father had Muggle heritage, but he was the epitome of a slob. I think Muggles, like wizards, come in all shapes and sizes, and this place is just..."
As they entered Harry's room and he switched on the light, Tonks nodded in agreement. Harry felt embarrassed; his room was much tidier than most of the house. After four days of staying at home with a sour mood, he hadn't had the energy or inclination to tidy up.
Most of his books were scattered on the floor because, in an attempt to distract himself, he had opened each one and then tossed it aside. Hedwig's cage needed cleaning and had started to emit an unpleasant odor. His trunk was wide open, revealing a haphazard pile of Muggle clothes and wizarding robes, some of which were strewn across the floor. Harry hoped that, after he tidied up, Evan and Tonks would return for a more pleasant visit.
"This is quite alright," Evan said. He wasn't responsible for packing; Dobby the House Elf was handling that task. Dobby was doing an excellent job and tidied everything up each night without anyone noticing.
Evan had unknowingly gained a valuable assistant when he first took in Dobby. Harry might consider getting a house-elf for his room. Evan and Harry chatted while quickly selecting books and notebooks to throw into his trunk.
Tonks stopped in front of Harry's wardrobe, which he had opened, and scrutinized her reflection in the mirror on the inside of the closet door.
"You know, I don't think violet suits me," she said, tugging at a strand of hair. "Do you think it makes my face look too sharp?"
Harry's gaze shifted from a book titled "Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland" to Tonks.
"Uh?" Evan also looked up and noticed Tonks's hair subtly changing.
"That's it," Tonks said confidently, closing her eyes with a determined expression, as though she were straining to recall something. After a moment, her hair turned a bubblegum pink.
Metamorphmagus, a branch of Transfiguration, was an unexpected gift that allowed her to change her appearance at will, making it one of the most versatile and impressive forms of magical ability.