Harry groaned as he reached out from under the blankets to silence the 9 am alarm. He wanted a few more moments of sleep before he was off to Hogwarts again. After the day he and the twins had met Mr. Randolph Spudmore, he had spent the days flying or swimming with Abigail, or playing quidditch at the Quidditch pitch whenever the Weasleys came over.
Now that they were using the entire mansion, Harry had started exploring to find new things now and then. It was just yesterday he had found a secret passage from the main living room to the dungeon cellar. And who knew that the mansion had a secret tunnel passage below the Quidditch field that led to a cave on the cliff side of the sea.
As he finally managed to shut down the alarm, he sighed. He really didn't want to go to Hogwarts. It will be very boing with nothing to do. He looked forward to meeting Lumos again, but nothing else was very appealing. He groaned as he remembered that he has to guide Ron and Hermione towards the sorcerers stone now that school is coming to an end. Well at the very least he had Quidditch matches to look forward to, Gryffindor currently was in third position. Harry looked forward to winning the Quidditch cup this year, contrary to the original script.
With these thoughts in mind, Harry swung his legs over his bed and got up. He stretched out with a yawn as he made his way to the window. With a swipe of his hand, the large velvet curtains were swept aside to reveal the garden outside. He saw Pippin and Tinsel watering the roses, and smiled. The house had become more lively now that they had so many elves. He looked towards the sea, faintly hearing the sounds of the waves crashing on the rocks.
As Harry was looking outside lost in thoughts, the door to his bedroom opened slowly and Abigail tiptoed in, thinking that she would scare Harry. Harry having his magical sense up at all times, sensed her coming and smiled. She was always trying her hardest to catch Harry off-guard to scare him. As she was about to pounce on him, Harry calmly asked without turning his face to her, "Trying to scare me again, Abby?"
Despite being found out, she still jumped on his back and pulled softly on his ears, "Boo, you are no fun, brother. Why can I never catch you off-guard?"
Harry chuckled as he adjusted her on his back, "When you finish reading the book I gave you for Christmas, you will understand why."
Abigail buried her face in his back, and asked in a low voice, "Do you really have to go back again today?"
"You know I hate it as much as you, Abby. But I really do have to go because I am still 11", Harry smiled as he explained it to Abigail.
"But it's not fun without you here. Can't you stay?", Abigail whined as her small hands tightened around Harry's neck. Harry reached back and ruffled her hair, "I'll be back before you know it and then we can have more fun in the summers."
Abigail slid off his back, "Promise?"
"Promise", Harry smiled. "Now hop along downstairs, I'll go get my shower"
"Ok", Abigail said with a bright smile as she bounded out of Harry's room. Harry smiled as he watched her leave. He then proceeded to get a pair of change and go to the bathroom for shower. He proceeded to take a long cold shower before drying off and changing into new clothes. Once he made sure that he had packed everything into his pouch, he made his way downstairs to the dinning hall.
On the way he passed quite a few of the elves who were either running somewhere hurriedly or cleaning something. They certainly looked better now dressed in their little uniforms that had the a logo "PD" standing for Potter and Dursley. Since the elves were technically bonded to Harry they could serve both the houses.
Dinky who was cleaning a vase, heard Harry approach and bowed, "Good Morning, Master Harry. You is leaving today?"
'Good morning to you too, Dinky. Yes, I'll be leaving for Hogwarts today.", Harry replied with a smile.
"Master Harry calls us if he is needing anything? We is always listening and we is happy to serve.", Dinky replied.
Harry nodded, "Of course Dinky. I would definitely call if I need anything. In the meantime, when I leave, you guys play with Abigail sometime okay?"
"Of course, Master Harry. Mistress Abby is wonderful. We is loving to play with her.", Dinky replied with a bright face. Harry chuckled as he let her work and made his way to get his breakfast. The elves surely loved calling people with their nicknames. Bushy Bunny... Remembering Hermione's nickname, Harry couldn't control his laughter and had to hold on to the wall for support. She certainly was bushy and she did hop around when she walked. Definitely a fitting nickname.
Harry entered the dinning hall to see that Petunia was trying to keep off Abigail from a delicious looking large treacle tart that she had freshly baked. While Vernon was sipping his tea while watching the antics.
"Morning everyone", Harry announced as he sat himself down beside Vernon.
"Morning son", Vernon replied. "Had a nice sleep? You don't seem all that eager to go back to Hogwarts"
"To be honest I really don't want to. It is boring since I already know all the material they teach. The only exciting thing is Quidditch and that too we have only two more matches to play", Harry ranted off while sighing.
Petunia laughed and said "Oh don't worry sweetie, term will be over before you know it." She cut up a nice big piece of the treacle tart and put it in Harry's plate.
"You can Apparate back once in a while if you are too bored," Vernon offered getting a glare from Petunia.
"Don't be so hard on Dad, Mum. He didn't mean it in a way for me to get in trouble" Harry replied as he shoveled food into his mouth. He was going to save the treacle tart for the last. Abigail followed Harry's example by shoveling food into her mouth causing Vernon to laugh and Petunia to sigh and shake her head in disappointment.
Abigail with a syrup smeared face looked at Harry. "Harry, do brooms work underwater?"
Harry paused mid-bite, his eyes sparkling with a curious glint. "That's an interesting question Abby. I must say I have never heard about it before but if someone is willing to try..."
Petunia noticed that crazy glint in Harry's eyes and knew that he was up to no good again. "Young man, if I even hear the rumor of something like underwater broom, I will have you grounded for the entire summer"
Harry swallowed his food and smiled sheepishly, "Of course not Mum...why would I even try that..." The glint in his eyes said otherwise and Petunia knew that she couldn't stop him from experimenting.
Vernon laughed out loud, "Well, if he does, he would certainly be the first."
Harry grinned thinking about it, "It certainly sounds cool doesn't it. Harry Potter: The first underwater Quidditch player"
Petunia sighed, knowing that there is no stopping Harry now. "Just don't get expelled Harry and keep in mind I'm not joking about grounding you."
Harry nodded as he put a big piece of the treacle tart into his mouth. The banter continued for the entire time they had breakfast. Harry was sad that he would miss this familial warmth once he was in Hogwarts. After the breakfast, Harry quickly changed into a clean pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt. Satisfied he headed downstairs where Vernon was waiting for him.
"Harry, Petunia and Abigail are waiting for us in the car. Let's go", Vernon said as he saw Harry.
Harry nodded and followed Vernon out. They both stepped outside as Vernon told Harry to take it easy this term. The sight outside was something Harry didn't get bored of no matter how many times he saw it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FLASHBACK
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At New Years dinner, Vernon got up and mentioned that he wanted to get a car so that they could drive out to the Muggle world once in a while. This surprised the others quite a lot as very less wizards actually knew about cars and driving.
Petunia looked at him, "That's quite surprising Vernon. Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Yes, I believe it will be quite fun", Vernon replied. "I don't see why we can't get one. And it would be nice to drive around"
Sirius commented, "I didn't take you for a person who would love such things Vernon."
Vernon chuckled, "I have my fair share of secrets don't worry."
Harry sensing an opportunity, quickly added, "Dad, if we are getting a car, why don't we get the Rolls Royce Silver Spur?"
"Rolls Royce Silver Spur? That's a very long name for a car. What type of car is it, Harry?", Petunia asked.
"I think it's a family car mum. I don't know the full details. I just heard Seamus speak about it in the common room. He is half blood, his dad is a muggle. So I think it should be a good car from the fact that he seemed to talk about it soo much", Harry quickly made up a story. Silver Spur was the one car Harry had not been able to get in his past life. And it was something he regretted.
"A Rolls Royce Silver Spur eh? I'll have to look into it." Vernon replied as he thought about the car.
The dinner continued with banter and laughter. Vernon kept pondering about the car Harry mentioned, thinking that he would go to Gringotts soon to see if they knew anything about it.
On January 3rd, Vernon visited Gringotts, unable to curb the curiosity that grew in him all these days. He wanted to see what kind of car was this Silver thingy. Once inside Gringotts he asked the goblin that approached him, "I would like to purchase a muggle car. Can you suggest me someone who is knowledgeable about it? "
"Certainly Mr. Dursley. Please wait, our agent would be soon with you", the goblin said as he directed Vernon to a side room. Vernon sat down and waited for the agent. In about five minutes of wait, a young man about the age of 21 stepped into the room.
The young man had a professional aura about him. He extended his hand towards Vernon with a smile.
"Good day, Mr. Dursley. My name is Nigel and I am here to help you with the purchase of a Muggle car"
"Good day to you as well, Nigel. Is it possible to take a look at the muggle cars that I am able to purchase?", Vernon replied as he shook his hand.
Nigel thought in his mind should the Dursley family want, they could easily purchase a car company rather than a car and here is the Dursley Patriarch asking what kind of cars he can purchase.
Nigel thought about Vernon's request for a while before smiling. "I think I know just the place, Mr. Dursley. If you could follow me out to the muggle world, we would soon arrive there", Nigel said as he guided Vernon out of Gringotts and into the Muggle world through Leaky Cauldron.
Once outside, Nigel led him to a black car that was parked around the corner and they drove off towards a car dealership. After a drive of about 15 minutes they arrived at a big showroom. Nigel led Vernon inside and took him to the luxurious car section.
He began showing Vernon the cars, Aston Martin DB11, Bentley Mulsanne and other luxury cars. Vernon was awestruck as Nigel showed each cars to him. He marveled at the detailing and the craftmanship of each cars. Each one better in their own way, and frankly he wanted to get all of them.
As Nigel finished showing him the Jaguar XJ6, Vernon asked, "These are all wonderful, but my son specifically mentioned a car. He called it a... Rolled Road Silver, or something like that. Do you have one of those?""
Nigel was taken aback at the name, it took him quite a while to figure out what Vernon meant. "Ah, the Rolls Royce Silver Spur! Of course, Mr. Dursley. It's an exceptional choice. Just a moment, please."
Nigel guided him to a secluded section of the showroom where the Rolls Royce stood. There under the spotlight was the majestic Silver Spur. The car's presence was commanding, with it's elegant design and finish.
"This is the car your son mentioned, Mr. Dursley. I present to you the Rolls Royce Silver Spur, a luxurious family car that has all the top notch features and the most comfort.", Nigel said with a big smile.
Vernon was awestruck at the beauty of the car. He walked around the car taking in every detail. The sleek body, the plush leather interior, exquisite wood trim seats, every little detail was eye catching. "Now I see why that boy was talking about it soo much...Harry was right this is the car"\
Nigel saw Vernon's admiration and spoke up, "I must say your son has excellent taste. This is a timeless classic and considering the Dursley family's reputation and stature, this car would be perfect."
Vernon didn't say anything as he continued to look at the car. The inner rich patriarch of the Dursley family wanted to get this car badly. He wanted to show it off to other wizards. This beauty that could be compared to an exceptional broom is something that he needed to have now.
Vernon nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "I think this is the one, Nigel. Let's proceed with the purchase. Also I would like to invest in this company, get me the details. I also want to buy shares of this company"
Nigel's eyes widened slightly in surprise but quickly regained his professional composure. "Certainly, Mr. Dursley. That can be arranged. I'll make the necessary inquiries and provide you with the details regarding the investment opportunities in Rolls Royce."
Vernon nodded approvingly. "Good. I'll let you handle it."
Soon they had finished all the necessary paper works for the car and Nigel explained all the details and features of the car. He explained further that the car would be delivered to his house by Gringotts after the payment is done. Vernon nodded and took his leave.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sleek car that was standing in there driveway. Petunia was seated at the at the front passenger seat, while Abigail was seated in the back. Harry got in the back as Vernon got into the driver seat. After about half an hour of driving, they reach King's Cross Station.
Vernon parked the car, and they all got out. Harry had already sent Hedwig off to Hogwarts early and he had all his luggage in his pouch so they had nothing else to take. Petunia was carrying a small basket which was wrapped with plastic, containing a Treacle Tart that she had made for Harry to take with him. They made their way to Platform 9¾, where they saw several familiar faces.
"Look, Mum! There is Ginny and her family", Abigail pointed out spotting the familiar red hair.
"Hello, Harry!", Ron turned around to call out as he heard Abigail. The others looked around as well.
"Harry! My boy!", both Fred and George started as they walked towards him. The Weasley family was definitely doing better. All of them were wearing new clothes and everything.
"Harry look what Fred and George got me!", Ron pulled out his brand new wand. "Yew, Dragon Heartstring, 13 inches". He showed off the new wand that seemed to fit perfectly in his hand.
"That's a brilliant wand, Ron!", Harry smiled. "Bet you can give Draco a piece of your mind now!" he whispered.
Ron smirked, "Oh I am definitely looking forward to it."
Abigail and Ginny were already talking, with Ginny stealing glances at Harry. Harry didn't notice it but Petunia did and she smirked to herself.
Mrs. Weasley approached with a warm smile. "Hello, Harry, dear. It's wonderful to see you again." She gave him a motherly hug.
"You as well, Mrs. Weasley!", Harry hugged her back.
Petunia and Vernon approached, greeting the Weasleys warmly. "It's good to see you again, Molly," Petunia said. "The children have been looking forward to seeing each other."
"Indeed, Ginny has been constantly talking about Abigail and how she had not visited in a while.", Mr. Weasley added as he and Vernon shook hands.
"You could have just let her come to our place.", Petunia replied.
"Oh, I didn't want to bother you, Mrs. Dursley", Ginny piped up.
Petunia huffed, "No nonsense like that young lady. You can come over whenever you like. Abigail and I could do with the company."
Ginny blushed and nodded. Abigail pulled on her hand, "Yes please do come over Ginny. I love to play with you"
Ginny smiled brightly. "I will, Abigail. I promise."
As the families continued to chat, Hermione and her parents, the Grangers, arrived. Hermione rushed over, her face lighting up when she saw Harry. "Harry! It's so good to see you!"
Hermione quickly introduced her parents to the Dursleys and the Weasleys.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," Vernon said, shaking their hands. "It's nice to see you again."
As everyone exchanged greetings and chatted, the announcement for the Hogwarts Express departure echoed through the station.
"All right, everyone," Mrs. Weasley called out. "Let's get you all onto the train."
As they reached the train, Harry hugged Petunia and Vernon goodbye. "I'll write to you often and I'll pop up now and then," he promised.
"We'll miss you, Harry," Petunia said, her eyes a bit misty. "Take care of yourself."
Abigail clung to Harry, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't want you to go, Harry."
Harry knelt down to her level. "I'll be back before you know it, Abby. And we'll have so much fun during the holidays. I promise."
Abigail nodded, sniffling. "Promise?"
"Promise," Harry assured her, giving her one last hug.
He boarded the train, waving out the window as it began to move. Abigail cried as she watched the train pull away, her small figure growing smaller in the distance. Harry waved until he could no longer see his family, feeling a bit of sadness as the Hogwarts Express carried him back to school.
Ron, seated next to Harry, looked at him with a sympathetic smile. "It's hard to leave, isn't it?"
Harry nodded, "I specially hate seeing Abby cry. But well we can pop up now and then for lunch or dinner. It's not like I will have to wait till the end of term"
"So Harry, what was holiday like for you?", Hermione asked.
Both Ron and Harry burst into details of their holiday, Ron filling up all the details Harry wanted to gloss over, like the fact that Harry helped Fred and George set up their business.
Then both Ron and Hermione turned to Harry, "Harry, what is the book you gave us?"
"Its something that would help you understand what magic really is. And the more you understand what magic is and how it works, the better you will be able to use it", Harry explained.
Hermione's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds fascinating. I can't wait to dive into it."
Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, mate. I tried a few pages and it already seems pretty interesting."
Harry smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction. "Just take your time with it. It's not just about spells and potions; it's about understanding the essence of magic. Trust me, it'll make a difference."
"Now I have something to tell you, Harry", Hermione turned to him. Harry looked at her curiously, "Yes Hermione?"
"Ron and I have figured out all about the magic core thing. It was relatively new concept but I think it can be something that transforms the magic we use", Hermione replied.
"While we know that you went through a core transformation, we didn't get to see you so we couldn't figure out what a person goes through when undergoing that transformation. But we certainly know that once a person does it get's them into a new league of their own. They are much stronger than before and are able to channel their magic much easily." She continued.
"Well, I can't tell you the details of my transformation, but I can tell you that the same thing will hardly happen again," Harry replied, thinking of his limitless core.
Ron didn't quite understand what Harry meant. "Does that mean that no one else will go through core transformation?"
"No, it's not like that. I meant no one else would probably go through the core transformation I did," Harry clarified.
Hermione still looked puzzled, but something was bugging her. "Just humor me, Harry. How strong are you now?"
Harry thought for a moment before answering. "If I was to duel Dumbledore in his peak years, I would win effortlessly."
Ron went pale as he remembered Harry dominating that dragon in Romania. The memory of Harry's sheer magical force during that encounter still sent shivers down his spine. Hermione's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in shock.
"Harry, that's... that's incredible! Dumbledore is considered one of the most powerful wizards of all time!" Hermione exclaimed. Her mind was racing, trying to comprehend the full extent of Harry's power.
Ron, still pale but recovering, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's mental, Harry."
Harry shrugged, trying to downplay the situation. "I know it sounds extreme, but it's the truth. My transformation was unique."
Hermione, her shock turning into intense curiosity, leaned forward. "Harry, do you think it would be possible to create a way to measure magical prowess? If you're that powerful, there has to be a way to quantify it."
Harry looked intrigued. "It's an interesting idea, Hermione. It would be challenging, but if anyone could figure it out, it would be you."
Hermione smiled, her mind already racing with possibilities. "I'll need to do a lot of research, but I think it's worth looking into."
Ron, still pale but recovering, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that would be pretty amazing. Imagine knowing exactly how strong you are and how to get stronger."
Harry grinned. "It sounds like you two have a new project to work on. Just remember to take breaks and not overwork yourselves."
Hermione and Ron laughed, feeling encouraged and inspired. The train continued its journey, the excitement and determination of the young wizards filling the compartment. As Hogwarts loomed closer, they felt ready to face the new term with renewed vigor and a deeper understanding of the magic that connected them.
As the conversation shifted to lighter topics, Hermione's mind was already planning her research. She would start with the basics—understanding magical cores in more detail, studying ancient texts, and perhaps even consulting with some of the professors or Professor Dumbledore.
Ron got up and said that he wanted to go to the washroom. While he made his way out of the compartment he signaled Hermione with his eyes that he wanted to talk to her. Hermione nodded slowly that she understood.
After a while, Hermione got up and told Harry that she wanted to ask Parvati something and that she should get to her before they reached school. Harry nodded not thinking much of it and starred out of the window as Hermione went out of the compartment.
She found Ron waiting near the end of the coaches, his expression serious and thoughtful.
"Ron, what did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked quietly as she approached him.
Ron glanced around to ensure they were alone before speaking, his voice low, "It's about Harry, Hermione. When you asked about his magical strength earlier, it reminded me of something... that dragon incident."
Hermione's eyes widened with curiosity, "What incident? Tell me."
Ron took a deep breath before recounting the events, "We had gone to Romania for the break with Harry and his family. There we visited the dragon ranch where Charlie showed us around. But something happened there."
Hermione held her breath as Ron continued, "A wild dragon that had just arrived in the ranch got loose and attacked us. The attack barely missed Abigail and Mrs. Dursley and they both stumbled and fell down."
"It happened then...Harry saw it and he...he snapped. What came next was something that has scared us all. Harry's magical energy blasted around there pressing everyone down to the ground. We couldn't move an inch as Harry walked towards the dragon."
Ron drew a shaky breath as he remembered the scene even more vividly, "Harry changed Hermione...The whole aura of Harry changed...he...he looked like a dark lord. Someone that would kill anyone or anything in their path...And the scary fact is that Harry eyes changed into dark gray, devoid of any emotion."
Hermione shivered as she listened to Ron. His hand was now shaking slightly.
"Harry looked at the dragon and said "Kneel". The dragon was pressed to the ground without being able to resist. It was a Hungarian Horntail, Hermione...Perhaps one of the most dangerous dragons out there and it couldn't do anything as it was pressed down to the ground.", Ron looked at her with a pale face. "In just one word Harry had made the most dangerous dragon out there unable to do anything as it groveled in front of him"
Hermione was scared now...This...This didn't seem like the Harry she knew...This was not something even Dumbledore could think about doing. Harry was just giving them a vague answer before. He is already leagues above Dumbledore.
"That's not all Hermione...His face didn't show any emotions as he trained his wand at the dragon ready to cast the spell to kill it...Kill it, Hermione...Harry wanted to kill the dragon and he almost did if Mrs. Dursley didn't pull him out of that state...", Ron shivered as he recalled Harry's face.
Hermione was now even more scared of Harry.
"Charlie told us later that the dragon was shaking in fear after Harry left...It was shaking in fear, Hermione...a dragon...a creature that cannot be harmed by most magic and the apex predator out in the wild", Ron added. "That day I didn't see my best friend, Hermione. I saw someone who could end the world...a dark lord that is far worse than anything the world has ever seen from what my parents said."
Hermione listened intently to Ron's account, her eyes widening in shock with each detail he recounted. As he finished, she stood there in stunned silence, trying to process the gravity of what Ron had just described.
"Ron... that's... that's terrifying. I have not seen Harry like that," Hermione finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. Her mind raced with a mixture of awe and concern.
"He... he dominated a Hungarian Horntail? That's... that's unheard of, Ron. And his eyes turned gray? That's... that's not normal," Hermione continued, her brow furrowing in deep thought.
Ron nodded gravely, his own expression still haunted by the memory. "Yeah, Hermione. It was like he wasn't even himself... like something else took over. I've never seen Harry like that before."
Hermione paced a few steps, her mind racing with questions and worries. "Ron, do you think this has something to do with his core transformation? Maybe it's changed him in ways we don't fully understand."
"I don't know, Hermione," Ron replied, shaking his head. "But one thing's for sure, Harry's not just powerful now... he's on a whole different level. It's... it's kind of scary."