Chapter 3 - Magical Awakening

When the video reached this point, the wizarding world fell into a deep silence.

In the Great Hall of Hogwarts, students and teachers turned their gazes toward Harry Potter, who was stunned and kept his eyes fixed on the curtain.

The Boy Who Lived was, indeed, the protagonist of the Comparison Room.

The reactions were varied.

Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were visibly shocked to see their images from that time captured on film.

McGonagall couldn't hide her disbelief.

How could someone with her experience have overlooked something like this? Even Albus Dumbledore had been deceived.

Draco Malfoy, sitting at the Slytherin table, clenched his teeth. No one could guess what was going through his mind.

The Gryffindor students were ecstatic. After all, the one being compared was from their house, which only boosted their pride.

The other houses, though surprised, watched with great anticipation, eager to see how events would unfold.

"Wow, Harry! It seems like you're the only one being compared! And on top of that, Dumbledore held you when you were a baby. That's incredible!"

Ron exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Harry's arm.

Harry, pulled from his thoughts by Ron's enthusiasm, immediately blushed.

Although it was natural to feel some satisfaction at being the center of so much attention, he knew that his life up until now was nothing to be proud of.

He gave Ron a forced smile and a nod.

Rubeus Hagrid: "Blimey, how did someone film this without me noticing? This is unsettling."

Gellert Grindelwald: "Albus, it seems your power is not what it used to be. Someone got close to you without being noticed. Hahaha! Why don't you leave the headmaster post and come have a chat with me?"

Albus Dumbledore: "My dear friend, I don't believe my wand skills have diminished. Perhaps another time."

In Nurmengard, towering like a fortress, its dark spires pierced the cloudy sky.

The wind whistled between the walls, and inside, the constant dripping of water echoed.

In the occupied cells, silence was broken only by distant footsteps.

Gellert Grindelwald, imprisoned, disdainfully observed the curtain of light.

"Hehe, it seems you're no longer what you used to be, Albus."

A hint of nostalgia gleamed in his eyes under the moonlight streaming through the small window.

Molly Weasley: "That baby… that's little Harry… Poor child."

Narcissa Malfoy: "How could someone with such a past be left in the care of Muggles? How could Dumbledore allow this?"

Lily Potter: "That… that's my little Potter? What a horrible scar! And that place… is where my sister lives?"

Petunia Dursley: "!!!"

Vernon Dursley: "..."

Dudley Dursley: "..."

Harry Potter: "..."

Why did it feel like a dark story was about to unfold?

Cornelius Fudge: "Wait a moment, can Muggles also see this video!? All Aurors, prepare to cast memory charms!"

Dolores Umbridge: "As you wish, Minister."

But before Dolores could organize the Aurors, the curtain of light manifested.

[All Muggles and non-magical individuals connected to the wizarding world are authorized to watch the comparison!]

[Remember, one of the rewards for correctly answering the questions includes magical powers!]

Arabella Figg: "!!!"

Argus Filch: "This… does this mean I can actually gain magic? I won't be a Squib anymore?!"

Petunia Dursley: "I can become a witch!!!"

The announcement of the Comparison Room caused a profound impact on the wizarding world.

One of the greatest unresolved mysteries in magical history had always been the issue of Squibs—children of wizards and witches who lacked magical abilities.

The Black family, one of Britain's oldest and richest pure-blood families and part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, also faced this issue.

Marius Black, the third son of Cygnus Black II and Violetta Bulstrode, was disowned by the family after being declared a Squib, something considered shameful.

Solving the problem of Squibs could guarantee a Second Class Order of Merlin, or perhaps even a First Class, comparable to Dumbledore's.

Despite the commotion, the video continued.

[When Harry was left on the Dursleys' doorstep, their initial idea was to send him to an orphanage, but after reading the letter that came with the baby, they reluctantly decided to raise him.

However, the treatment he received was far from that of a normal child.

For the first three years, Harry was treated relatively normally, receiving food and clothes.

But his cousin Dudley, stronger than him, often used him as a punching bag, and Harry was forbidden to fight back under the threat of punishment from Vernon and Petunia.

At the age of four, Harry accidentally turned the TV remote into a rock, which seemed to awaken something in Petunia. From that moment on, her attitude toward him became colder.

First, she moved him from the guest room on the second floor to the small cupboard under the stairs. Then, she made Harry learn to cook so he could prepare his own meals.

At six years old, when Harry asked about his parents, Petunia told him they had died in a car accident and forbade him from asking further questions.

When he inquired about his magical ability, Petunia stated that it was unnatural and that he was a freak.

From that moment on, Harry's life was filled with abuse: he was bullied by the Dursleys at home and by Dudley's friends at school. The constant bullying led to poor academic performance.

Magical incidents continued to occur. Strange things, like his hair growing back overnight after being cut, or ending up on the school roof while running from Dudley.

In response, the Dursleys punished him, locking him up for days.

Shortly before his eleventh birthday, Harry accompanied the Dursleys to the zoo for Dudley's birthday, where he discovered something surprising: he could talk to snakes.

After making the glass of the snake enclosure disappear, causing Dudley to fall in, the trip ended abruptly.

When Harry mentioned that it seemed magical, Vernon locked him in the cupboard again.]

Neville Longbottom: "???"

Neville Longbottom: "Since when is magical awakening this easy!?"

Hermione Granger: "..."

Severus Snape: "..."

Other wizards: "..."