After school in the afternoon, as Felix tended to the flower garden, he caught sight of Harry's new hairstyle for the first time.
Harry had attempted to tame his unruly locks, lifting them from their former chaotic state, but the hair around his temples still stubbornly defied gravity. Despite this, Felix suppressed his amusement, not wanting to upset the young man who had taken the initiative to change his appearance.
Standing amidst the flowers, Felix began teaching Harry the basics of hair styling.
Under Felix's guidance, Harry quickly picked up the techniques.
However...
Harry couldn't shake the feeling that Uncle Felix was more earnest when teaching him about hair care than when instructing him in magic.
Not only that, but Felix even went so far as to fetch books on clothing to help refine Harry's sense of style.
Puzzled, Harry scratched his head, unsure of how to react. The situation seemed to exceed his usual range of emotional responses.
With a shrug, he took the book and retreated to the study.
Later, after completing his routine chores around the castle, Harry noticed that Moonlight Castle was once again activated.
As the forest scenery gradually receded around him, Harry couldn't help but marvel.
The gentle breeze helped him forget the taunts he endured from classmates earlier that day, allowing him to swiftly adapt to life after returning to school.
It almost made Harry believe that life could always be this tranquil.
The week flew by, and Harry grew accustomed to displaying his scar.
Once his peers realized that Harry remained unfazed by their teasing, they gradually ceased their taunts.
Outside the school gate, Dudley stood with his friends, including Pierre, who had previously joined in mocking Harry alongside Dudley. Among them, Pierre stood out as relatively slender, with the others towering over him in comparison.
"Big D, it's finally the weekend. How about we go somewhere for some fun?" One of the boys, clearly the group's leader, looked to Dudley for approval.
"Just for fun," Dudley replied with a hint of boredom, his jowls jiggling. "But I've already spent all the cash."
Ten pounds might not seem like much, but it was a substantial sum in their circumstances.
In just five days, Dudley had exhausted all his pocket money.
To be precise, he'd consumed it all.
"In that case, let's head to your place and play some games," another suggested.
At the mention of this, Dudley's irritation grew. "I broke the game console."
"Ah?"
Several disappointed expressions flashed across the group's faces. The game console had been Dudley's birthday present, but it hadn't lasted long before he'd broken it.
Their fun was abruptly cut short.
"Hey, Big D, look over there," one of them suddenly pointed towards the school gate.
Dudley turned and saw Harry exiting the school.
Honestly, for quite some time now, Dudley had harbored a deep-seated animosity towards Harry.
It all began when Harry was chased by wild dogs during the summer break. Since then, Dudley had despised him.
Then there was the matter of Harry reclaiming his room. Even though it was filled with nothing but broken toys, his parents had insisted on giving it to Harry.
Later, Harry had somehow become a neighborhood hero by assisting neighbors with repairs along Privet Drive...
In short, Harry's actions had irked Dudley to no end.
Dudley had initially assumed that Harry would be utterly exhausted from working at No. 13 Privet Drive every day, barely scraping by on scraps. Yet, he now observed Harry standing taller, looking healthier, and displaying a newfound boldness.
And worst of all - he dared to confront Dudley with that contemptuous expression!
Dudley's face twisted into a malicious grin. "I know where you've got money hidden."
Through neighborhood gossip, Dudley had learned that Harry had saved up some money by helping others with repairs.
As Harry strolled down the street with a smile, seemingly in high spirits, several figures suddenly approached and surrounded him.
"Well, well, look who it is. My dear cousin," Dudley said with faux affection, reaching out as if to embrace Harry, who quickly sidestepped.
"Dudley, what are you up to?" Harry asked, eyeing Dudley warily.
"What am I up to? Why, I'm concerned for you, Harry. You see, I find myself in need of accommodation. How about... you pay me rent to stay in your room?" Dudley smirked.
"There's no chance I'll give you a single penny," Harry replied, his expression impassive.
It was already expected that Dudley would take action regarding his small treasury. He had already stashed the money in the study of Moonlight Castle.
At that moment, Pierre came up behind Harry and grabbed his hand.
Dudley, at this juncture, gripped Harry's head and said, "Okay, it's fine. We're bored, so come play games with us."
"Dudley, let me go!" Harry struggled, but compared to Dudley, his strength was completely insufficient.
Soon, he found himself being carried away from the school gate and into a small alley.
"No money? Well, I've seen you wearing this ring for a long time. What is it made of? Is it silver?" Dudley inquired as he attempted to remove Harry's ring.
But no matter how hard Dudley tried, the ring seemed to be firmly attached to Harry's finger and couldn't be pulled off at all.
"Damn it!" Dudley reluctantly released Harry's hand.
"Tell them to let me go, Dudley!" Harry roared. He was being held up by Dudley's friends, but his gaze remained fixed on Dudley.
"It's none of my business, it's not like I want them to tie you up," Dudley replied.
"You're always like this, reckless and self-righteous. Just like a baby, with even the fat on your face." Harry scolded angrily.
Boom--
Blood flowed from Harry's nose, and he suddenly felt stars twinkling in his eyes. Before he could react, he was struck by a flurry of punches and kicks from Dudley.
Dudley's friends let go of Harry too. They wouldn't hit him. After all, if they were caught by the school, they would have to answer to their parents.
But Dudley was different. This was a fight between brothers, and the school couldn't intervene too much.
"Do you think you're clever?" Dudley yelled, "You're just a parasite."
Harry felt overwhelmed. He wanted to retaliate, but the thought of potentially attracting the attention of the Ministry of Magic and causing trouble for Uncle Felix held him back.
Yes, we can't afford to cause any more trouble for Uncle Felix.
It was just another instance of being bullied by Dudley, which was nothing new, as it had happened before.
Don't let your emotions control you!
He kept reminding himself of this as he tried to shield himself from Dudley's blows.
"You think I'm a baby who needs looking after? Is that it?" Dudley cursed. Clearly enraged, he spat out words without much thought:
"I bet you envy me having parents. Yours died in a car accident, leaving you with that ugly scar.
It's absurd, really, you flaunt it like you're special-"
Midway through Dudley's tirade, a sudden, immense force erupted from Harry's body. Everyone was sent crashing against the wall by the invisible impact, left reeling...