Outside the Leaky Cauldron, Harry Potter nervously tugged at his clothes, glancing timidly at the scruffy giant standing next to him, who was over three meters tall.
"Hagrid, do you think they'll really welcome me? After all, I'm always the extra one, no matter where I go."
"It was like that at Uncle Vernon's, or rather, it feels like I'm extra in this whole world."
Harry lowered his head in sadness. At just ten years old, he didn't understand why people treated him with disdain. He only knew that no matter where he went, he didn't seem welcome.
Hagrid, feeling sorry for him, gently patted Harry's head with his large hand.
"To the Muggle world, you might seem like an extra."
Harry's expression grew even gloomier.
"But that's because you don't belong in the Muggle world. You belong in the wizarding world! Here, you'll realize how important you are."
"The entire wizarding world needs you. Every wizard knows your name—Harry Potter!"
Hagrid said in his deep, comforting voice, "Come on, Harry. Let's go back to your world, the world that truly belongs to you!"
Harry's gloom lifted as curiosity replaced it. He followed Hagrid into the Leaky Cauldron.
Ding!
The sound of the door's bell chimed softly as they entered, though nobody paid it any attention. They all assumed it was just another person waiting to see Harry Potter.
"Professor Quirrell, you teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, so you must know about the Dark Lord, right?" Cro asked with a smile.
His words shocked the people around him. Even Hagrid, who had been about to greet everyone, froze.
The Dark Lord.
It was a name they hadn't heard spoken aloud in over ten years. Hagrid cast a complex glance at Harry. If not for this child, they would still be living in a world of endless fear.
"I... I k-know a l-little... w-why are you a-asking?" Quirrell responded, his face stiff as everyone stared at him.
{You fool, calm down! No one here has discovered your secret. If they had, he wouldn't be standing there asking you questions.}
Voldemort's angry voice rang in Quirrell's head, easing his tense expression slightly.
[Detected strong feelings of anger!]
[Reward obtained: Golden Chest!]
[Detected strong feelings of resentment!]
[Reward obtained: Golden Chest!]
[Detected...]
...
In just moments, Cro had earned two golden chests, one silver chest, and seven bronze chests!
Now, he had 28 bronze chests, 4 silver chests, and 2 golden chests. Looking at the glowing chests in the system, Cro couldn't help but smile. He realized that triggering deeply repressed emotions was the best way to break people's defence's. Pure-blood families, and even Voldemort, were all vulnerable to this strategy. The things they feared most were their weaknesses.
"What do you want to know, young man? The Dark Lord isn't something cool to admire. Don't get misled by those strange books," Hagrid said with a stern expression as he walked up to Cro, seriously warning him. Then, with a big smile, he turned to greet Quirrell.
"Hi, Professor Quirrell! It's an honour to meet you here. Harry, this is Professor Quirrell, who teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts!"
"Hello, Professor Quirrell, I'm Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to..." Harry began, but before he could finish, the entire bar erupted into a frenzy.
"Harry Potter? Oh my God—no, by Merlin's beard, I'm actually seeing Harry Potter!"
"Harry Potter! We're so glad you're back! You know, we've been waiting for this moment for ten years."
"Welcome back, Harry Potter, welcome home!"
The crowd surged around Harry, their voices filled with excitement, drowning out everything else. Cro and Hermione were pushed aside by the overjoyed crowd.
"Who's Harry Potter? I've never heard of him before. Is he someone really famous? Why is everyone welcoming him so enthusiastically?" Hermione asked, her curiosity evident in her furrowed brow. There was also a hint of envy in her expression. She had never experienced this kind of attention. If it hadn't been for Cro, she might only have had her parents by her side, never knowing what it felt like to be the center of attention. This desire for recognition was part of what drove her.
"H-Harry P-Potter! It's s-so good t-to meet you!" Quirrell said, shaking Harry's hand in excitement.
"Thank you, Professor." Harry awkwardly pulled his hand back, wincing as he rubbed the scar on his forehead. For some reason, his scar had begun to sting after shaking hands with Quirrell, almost as if it were trying to warn him of something.
"Professor Quirrell, you still haven't answered my question," Cro said, interrupting the cheers. "Surely no teacher would avoid answering a student's question, right?"
"You're incredibly knowledgeable, and you're a professor at Hogwarts. I can't imagine you'd be unable to answer my question, would you?"
Cro smiled brightly as he spoke, his words once again drawing everyone's attention. Even Hagrid and Harry were watching now.
[Detected strong feelings of resentment!]
[Reward obtained: Golden Chest!]
Quirrell's smile stiffened, and the excitement in the bar died down as everyone focused on Cro and Quirrell.
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T/N:
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