The Granger family had a reason for visiting Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place at Sirius Black's invitation.
A year ago, Sirius had spent a small fortune hiring a renovation company dedicated to modernizing magical households to completely overhaul the old house. Now, the residence boasted a refrigerator, air conditioning, a washing machine, a microwave, and a slew of other technological marvels. But Sirius had set his sights on something new: a device called a television. True to his belief that the most expensive option was always the best, he shelled out a hefty sum to acquire a yet-to-be-released 28-inch plasma color TV through some insider connections. The problem? He had no idea how to operate the picture-frame-like contraption. So, Sirius called on the Grangers for help. Under Mr. Granger's guidance, Sirius successfully tuned into a television news broadcast for the first time in his life.
On the screen, a suited male anchor was reporting a shocking incident: an alien invasion in a small town in northwest England called Smallville.
"Recently, in the small town of Smallville, England, an event has rocked the world. According to official reports, the military engaged in combat to protect residents under attack, clashing with a group of bizarre, humanoid squid-like creatures and a massive, floating, tentacled brain-like alien entity. The enemy forces have now been completely eradicated.
Reports indicate that these alien creatures descended on Smallville in the early hours of this morning. Their appearance—a grotesque hybrid of human and squid, capable of walking upright—centered around a colossal, airborne brain structure with writhing tentacles. This distinctive and terrifying appearance sparked immediate panic and unrest among the local residents. The aliens, seemingly driven by hostile intentions, launched a series of attacks on the town and its surrounding areas, posing a severe threat to the safety of the community.
Faced with this sudden extraterrestrial invasion, the military responded swiftly, deploying elite forces to the scene. Upon arrival, they launched a full-scale operation to contain the alien threat. The creatures displayed high intelligence, formidable combat prowess, and what appeared to be energy shield technology, making the battle exceptionally grueling. However, the military's superior training, advanced weaponry, and seamless teamwork gradually turned the tide in their favor.
During the intense conflict, the military employed a range of tactical maneuvers, targeting the giant brain with precision strikes from high-tech weapon systems to weaken its command and control capabilities. Meanwhile, ground forces engaged in fierce close-quarters combat, using agile tactics and fearless charges to overpower the alien invaders.
After over three hours of intense fighting and five hours of urban warfare, the military successfully eliminated all invading aliens, securing the safety of Smallville and its surrounding areas.
Following the incident, the British government promptly assembled experts to conduct in-depth research and analysis of the alien creatures. Our reporter, Jim Kent, will continue to follow and report on the results of these studies.
Additionally, renowned theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist Paul Wells, in an interview regarding the alien invasion, stated…"
Neville and the four Harrys exchanged bewildered glances.
News of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters falling to Muggle weapons spread like wildfire through the wizarding world. To most esteemed witches and wizards, the idea was so absurd that even after the reformed Ministry of Magic announced Voldemort's definitive demise, a handful of blood-purist extremists still occasionally marched through Diagon Alley and other wizarding hubs, demanding the restoration of a society favorable to pure-bloods. But with their leaders being tossed into Azkaban, the number of pure-bloods joining these protests dwindled rapidly.
The wizarding world seemed to have finally welcomed peace.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Harry One, Hermione One, Harry Two, Hermione Two, and Dumbledore appeared at the gates of Hogwarts in a flash of shimmering light.
Contrary to the battle-worn, injured group's expectations, they were not greeted by a battlefield or ruins but by an atmosphere of serene calm.
"Harry, did we end up in the wrong world again?" Hermione asked, clinging to her boyfriend's arm, glancing around in confusion.
"No way," Harry said, scratching his head in puzzlement. "My gut tells me this interdimensional jump was spot-on. That time we ended up in the orc camp was just a fluke, right?"
"There's no trace of dark magic corruption here," Dumbledore observed, stepping toward the familiar castle in the distance. "Perhaps we should visit this Hogwarts and get a sense of what's going on."
Half an hour later, in the Hospital Wing's special ward, Madam Pomfrey and her apprentice nurse, Jenny, had just finished examining and treating Dumbledore.
"So, Poppy, you're saying Voldemort and his followers attacked a town, only to be wiped out by Muggle forces that arrived to defend the civilians?" Dumbledore rubbed his temples. He understood that, with the might of modern Muggle society, eliminating a few Tom Riddles wasn't exactly a challenge. But… why did it feel so off? The enemy they'd spent countless hours and immense effort battling, the one who'd posed a massive threat to the entire wizarding world, had been taken down by fewer than two thousand Muggle soldiers and a few airstrikes?
After treating Dumbledore, Harry Two, Hermione Two, and Hermione One, Nurse Jenny pushed a cart of potions toward Harry One. She waved her wand for a quick diagnostic spell, then bent down to retrieve two vials—one blue, one red—from the cart.
"Here, drink these. There might be some side effects, but you'll manage," Jenny said, shoving the potions into Harry's hands before turning to leave.
Suppressing the urge to gag, Harry downed both potions in one go. He glanced at the labels out of habit, and his face paled. "Wait, what about the pain-relief and anti-diarrhea potions? The instructions say these have to be taken with them, or else…"
"We're out of pain-relief and anti-diarrhea potions," Jenny called over her shoulder with a dismissive wave. "It's just some pain and diarrhea. You'll survive until the next batch arrives."
Harry began making frequent trips between his bed and the bathroom, while Jenny, humming a tune, pushed her cart back to her room.
"Jenny, did you tell Harry?" a small, white-armored figure emerged from the shadows of the room, looking up at the dark-haired girl who'd just entered with a cheerful grin.
"I've decided to let him stew for a few days," Jenny replied, gracefully settling into a chair by her desk. "Besides, I still haven't figured out how to deal with that girl."
"Chk," the armored figure clicked their tongue. "I hate these messy love triangles!"