Chapter 47 Meeting
"Harry, Harry! Come down now!"
Vernon's shout made Harry stop questioning the house-elf in front of him who called himself Dobby. After intimidating him with his body and eyes, Harry hurriedly said "Stay here quietly!", without bothering to consider why Vernon called him down out of character, and rushed down like a fly.
Harry ran so fast that when he finally stood next to his fat uncle, he immediately bent down and gasped. His baggy clothes drooped with his movements, looking extremely ill-fitting.
"Hey, Harry."
The familiar voice made Harry's eyes widen and he sat up straight. The pain in his waist and abdomen made him take a breath and hold on to the wall beside him. "Della! Why are you here!" Harry exclaimed.
"My uncle wants to discuss business with your uncle, and my aunt was considerate enough to bring me here, Harry."
"He's dressed like this today because he's cleaning his room."
Vernon quickly interrupted Harry's intention to speak. Facing the Masons' eyes lingering on Harry's baggy T-shirt, he explained and signaled Harry with his eyes, "Please come over here first, we can sit down and talk."
Harry was pushed by Vernon's fat hand towards the living room, followed by Della and the Masons. Vernon's house was as exquisite as Mason's, but the more exquisite it was, the more out of place Harry felt here.
Della and Harry were obviously not in the Vernon family's original plan. When the sofas and chairs there were all occupied, Della and Harry could only stand next to their respective parents. This business must be very important, because Vernon actually began to signal his beloved son with his eyes to stand up and make room for Harry.
And Dalimumu didn't get the look in his father's eyes at all, and he didn't quite understand the current situation.
The atmosphere was stagnant, and the clanging sounds from upstairs, as if something was being demolished, undoubtedly made the situation worse. The Vernon family could only stare at each other and think of excuses.
"Harry, was your owl released?" Looking at the Vernon family, Della spoke first.
"Hmm...hmm!" Harry responded to Della's words without understanding what she said. In fact, he had been in a very confused state from the moment he met Della until now.
"It looks like you didn't take good care of your summer homework, but my aunt is very afraid of these sharp-beaked animals."
Della held Mrs. Mason's shaking hand in a soothing manner. She smiled at Vernon, who was sinking into the sofa, and said, "I think it would be better for us to go up and see what the situation is. It also allows us to share some summer vacation life."
Della's proposal was agreed by everyone, and she followed Harry upstairs smoothly.
"Sorry, Della, I still haven't quite reacted. Have you found your family?" When going up the stairs, Harry finally found his tongue and he couldn't help but ask.
"No, Harry, they are the family that wanted to adopt me before. If I hadn't gone to Hogwarts, it would probably have been Miss Mason."
Della shook her head, her eyes narrowed as her smile widened. She made a small "ah" sound as if she remembered something. "I didn't tell them that I was studying in a magic school. You know, not all Muggles like magic, so I hope you can help me cover it up a little."
"Then how dare you mention owls in front of them? You must know that owls in the Muggle world don't deliver mail."
"Oh, don't mention it. The big stupid owl at Ron's house scared my aunt to death. I had to work hard to make them believe that raising an owl was one of my summer practical assignments."
"Wow, you actually managed to make them believe such an outrageous excuse? You're really amazing."
"I'm a Slytherin after all - hey, maybe you should explain to me what's going on here first."
They stood at the door of the room where the noises kept coming from and looked at each other. Harry gripped the doorknob and said, "A house-elf named Dobby came to see me. It seems that it doesn't want me to go to school."
As he spoke, Harry pushed open the door. The house-elf he mentioned was waving his hands and jumping on the bed. The furniture in the room floated up and collided with the movements of his hands.
The sound of Harry pushing the door open seemed to startle him, and all the floating objects fell down at once, making a loud noise.
It's over, was the only thought in Harry's mind.
Dobby smiled with a guilty yet triumphant look, and he disappeared from the spot after snapping his fingers.
However, the expected roar and the sound of someone running up the stairs did not appear for a long time, so much so that Harry could not help but look towards the stairs.
"In my aunt's impression, birds are animals with sharp beaks and are very scary creatures. She believes they have evil powers."
Looking at Harry, who was waiting for his fate at the door with a depressed look on his face, Della spoke slowly, her eyebrows moving up and down as she spoke, "If your uncle is not stupid, he should follow my aunt's instructions."
"Really? Your aunt is really... weird," Harry wrinkled his nose and said in confusion. He shrugged quickly and walked into the messy room first. "Forgive me for having to entertain you here. I'm still confused right now."
"Should I say this now, Gryffindor~"
They both laughed, and Della followed Harry in. It was obvious that this was a hastily built little room, with both the walls and the floor forming a huge contrast to the exquisiteness of the outside.
All the wooden products in the house, including the wardrobe, single bed, and desk, all looked very familiar to Della. They had the same wear and tear and scratches as the second-hand furniture in the orphanage, especially the dirty patina accumulated over time, which undoubtedly showed the carelessness in this room.
When Della sat on Harry's bed, which was not as miserable by comparison, at Harry's gesture, with the corner of her royal blue dress printed on the dark gray sheets, Della realized that she was also so out of place in this room.
Harry, who was still carefully fiddling with Hedwig's cage, blended perfectly into his gray room. He was obviously the center of attention in Hogwarts.
"Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Della."
After fixing the cage, Harry had no intention of continuing cleaning. He sat down next to Della and lowered his head dejectedly.
"This summer vacation is terrible. My uncle locked up all my books, Ron and the others didn't write me a single letter, and now there's a weird elf who doesn't want me to start school."
"That's what I was going to say," Della patted Harry's back soothingly, "Ron said in his letter that you didn't reply to any of the five letters he sent you, and he suspected something had happened to you."
"Really? But I really didn't receive a single letter!"
Harry raised his head suddenly, his wide green eyes almost popping out of his tattered round-frame glasses. After staring at Della for two seconds, he reacted, turned his head and glanced around the messy room, then kicked the bedside table in anger.
"That house-elf! Why would he do that!"
"That should be a house-elf who serves someone. His pillowcase is too torn. I guess his master doesn't treat him very well. Since you don't know him at all, my guess is that his master probably doesn't want you to go to Hogwarts. But it's also strange that he would talk to you."
"But who would..." Harry stopped talking, like a flame that was suddenly extinguished. After hesitating twice, he looked at Della and asked tentatively, "Could it be that Voldemort has another conspiracy?"
"..." In response to Harry's gaze, Della frowned and did not speak for a while. Even though she had already guessed this in her heart, she still pursed her lips unconsciously. After a while, she shrugged her shoulders and a smile appeared on her face.
"I can't find any peace. Come on, our little savior."
"Don't make fun of me, Della."
Looking at the messy room, Harry smiled bitterly and sighed half helplessly and half longingly.