"Wow… this is actually getting interesting. There's really a school dedicated entirely to magic?"
"Thank you, little owl. You're very cute."
Harriet had absolutely no resistance to fluffy creatures. She gently stroked the tiny owl's feathers, and as she did, she recalled one of the adventurer's lessons she had once been taught:
Be polite.
So she turned back to the table, sliced off a piece of meat, and placed it in front of the courier, watching patiently as it filled its stomach. Only after the owl had finished eating did Harriet finally shift her attention back to her aunt's family.
"Hm? No one answered my question just now," she said mildly. "That's rather impolite, you know."
Ordinary people, after all, tended to abandon their so-called "bottom line" after a single brush with mortal terror.
Slowly, word by word, the past was laid bare.
It was a simple story, really: a Dark Lord who would stop at nothing, a prophesied child destined to save the world, and parents who had been caught in the middle of it all.
As she listened, Harriet felt that long-lost sensation again—loss of control.
"Heh… so it really was him. The Dark Lord."
Every time she drank a Potion to advance her power, she would see that pale shadow again. She always felt fear; the flash of green light nearly shattered her mind each time it appeared.
And yet, every time, she would also hear that familiar, warm voice:
"Harriet, Harriet… grow up quickly—oh no, not too quickly…"
A mother's love.
As her power grew, so too did her hatred for the Dark Lord.
A bitter childhood. A dangerous world. A pawn trapped in the hands of a cult.
Had she not encountered that adventurer back then—had it not been for her colleagues in the Tarot Club, especially the adorable Miss Justice—she might have lost herself long ago.
"All right," Harriet said at last. "You've been honest. I appreciate that. However…"
She buried certain emotions deep in her heart, steadied herself, curved her lips into a faint smile, and once more, black flames bloomed silently in her palm.
"No… no, please—!"
The three family members' hearts leapt straight into their throats. They huddled together instinctively, Vernon and Petunia shielding Dudley in the center like a human barricade.
Harriet tried to maintain her smile, but it quickly faltered.
"Tch. How boring," she muttered. "Why would I kill anyone? You're my family. I only want to say one thing: keep everything that happened today to yourselves."
The two worlds were probably similar in this regard—necessary secrecy avoided unnecessary trouble.
"I—I won't say a word!" Vernon blurted out.
"Put that away!" Petunia snapped, her voice trembling. "Dudley is your cousin!"
It seemed they finally understood.
"All right, all right. Why are you all so tense?" Harriet said lightly. "Aunt Petunia, could I have a sheet of paper and a pen?"
She pointed toward the owl, which was now scratching impatiently at the window.
"It's rather difficult to reply to a letter without paper or ink."
She had already made her decision. As a "child," she was expected to be curious by nature. And more importantly, she needed proper study if she wanted to understand the path ahead.
Hogwarts—a school of magic. She had never heard of it before. Just the thought alone was intriguing.
The mysticism and magic of this world might bring her far more joy and delight than she had expected.
By afternoon, under Harriet's careful tutelage, the Dursley family had finally learned what manners were supposed to look like. At the very least, they no longer kept "damn it" constantly on their lips.
Aunt Petunia learned the fastest. She finally seemed to remember how relatives were meant to treat one another and added several new outfits to poor little Harriet's wardrobe.
"Dear Aunt," Harriet said gently, "girls don't necessarily like skirts. They're rather inconvenient for moving around."
She discarded the old rags, rummaged through the pile, and changed into a pair of warmer trousers. The outfit was slightly androgynous, but the lace trim softened the look and set off her delicate features perfectly.
"So," Harriet said, adjusting her sleeves, "it's time to prepare for school."
She looked down at the list in her hand and pouted slightly.
Where exactly was Diagon Alley?
Neither she nor the Dursleys had ever heard of the place.
More importantly, she had no money at all.
Before her return, some mystical items and British pounds had been stored with Lord Fool, but those resources were now completely out of reach.
Should she borrow some from her aunt?
As she pondered the question, a thunderous pounding suddenly shook the house—so violent it sounded as if the door itself were about to be torn off its hinges.
"Wh-what did you bring here?! Make him leave! Quickly!" Vernon shrieked.
The Dursleys were utterly terrified. All three of them dove behind the sofa, trembling.
Vernon's voice was as sharp and shrill as ever—not entirely his fault, considering the layers of fat pressing against his vocal cords.
Harriet, long accustomed to this, calmly walked to the door and pulled it open.
Then—
A massive, shaggy head squeezed inside.
"By the Fool… a Giant?"
The creature nearly punched through the ceiling. Harriet instinctively stepped back twice.
"Creak!"
The doorframe groaned under the strain, shrieking and cracking as splinters fell to the floor.
The giant crouched awkwardly inside the living room. Upon closer inspection, he wore a heavy fur coat and carried no weapon—only a closed umbrella.
The moment he saw Harriet, his beady eyes misted over, and his voice cracked with emotion.
"Oh… Harry. To see you again at last. I still remember the last time I saw you—"
"Eh?"
The giant rubbed his eyes and blinked several times, staring at her more closely.
"Huh? No—Lily? No? Harriet?" He scratched his head in confusion. "Is that you, Harriet?"
He fell into deep thought.
Could I have been hit by a Memory Charm?
I clearly remember Harry was a boy! Definitely a boy!
As he stood there pondering, a gentle voice reached his ears.
"Yes," Harriet said calmly. "And I apologize for my rudeness just now. I hope you'll forgive me. I'm Harriet Potter. Do I know you?"
She felt an inexplicable warmth from the large man. Sensing no hostility, she lowered her guard and introduced herself politely.
"Ah! So this must be the change Dumbledore mentioned," the giant said, finally calming down. He wiped his hand on his coat and extended it. "I'm Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. You probably don't remember me—I'm the one who brought you here."
"Yes," Harriet replied with a nod. "Some changes have occurred."
At the word "Hogwarts," her eyes immediately lit up.
Inwardly, however, she mused:
Dumbledore? The headmaster already knows?
Still, it made sense. As the head of a magical school, possessing such insight and power was hardly surprising.
Hagrid looked at Harriet again. The emotions he had built up over the years scattered under his astonishment, leaving only curiosity behind.
"Well… by Merlin's beard," he blurted out, "you've got Veela blood!"
The moment the words escaped his mouth, Hagrid realized his mistake and hastily waved his hands.
"No, I—I didn't mean it like that! I mean—oh dear—sorry! I didn't mean anything by it!"
Seeing the flustered giant, Harriet's smile widened.
She wasn't offended. In truth, she didn't even know what a Veela was.
"It's all right, Mr. Hagrid," she said reassuringly. "That doesn't bother me at all. I'm rather honored that you came in person."
"Harriet, you really don't have to be so polite," Hagrid said, feeling an unexpected flutter of joy.
He had been worried she might be mistreated—or worse—while living here.
But now it seemed she was a courteous, well-mannered child, and the Dursleys had taken decent care of her.
Still…
How had she become a girl?
What kind of magic could do something like that?
"Oh! Right—nearly forgot the main business," Hagrid said suddenly, shaking his head.
He decided not to dwell on it. Dumbledore had warned him beforehand, after all.
Just trust it.
"I'm here to take you shopping in Diagon Alley."
He grinned broadly.
"You'll need a wand, textbooks, and your uniform—and I'm sure you'll make a remarkable Gryffindor!"