The time to meet up with his friends arrived quickly.
Malfoy and Neville had already arrived at Godric's Hollow via the Floo Network well ahead of schedule.
Unfortunately, Ron couldn't make it. His dad, Arthur, had hit the jackpot, winning the Daily Prophet's annual Galleon Draw—a whopping 700 Galleons. The Weasleys were planning to use the money for a family trip to Egypt, where their eldest son, Bill, worked.
Before even stepping inside, Malfoy caught sight of the towering iron thorn security fence encircling the property and let out an impressed whistle.
"I should really suggest something like this to Father," he said.
Malfoy Manor had no real defenses—anyone who wanted to stroll in could pretty much do so.
It was worth noting that Malfoy no longer referred to Lucius with the proud "my dad" but instead used a more formal tone.
The iron thorn fence wasn't meant to stop wizards outright. Its real purpose was to serve as a warning system. Any wizard trying to clear the thorns would inevitably alert the homeowner.
As Neville and Malfoy crossed through the garden's iron gate, their eyes lit up, as if they'd stepped into another world—a hidden paradise.
"It's almost as good as my family's manor," Malfoy said, unable to hold back his admiration, despite having seen his fair share of grandeur.
Malfoy Manor was vast, sure, but it felt hollow. Its only notable features were a central fountain and that lone white peacock.
Dudley's place was different. The garden was a patchwork of lawns, each one bursting with unique magical plants, many of which Malfoy couldn't even name. Each had its own charm. Tiny pixies (a type of magical creature), butterflies, and other critters flitted among the plants, creating a breathtaking scene.
At the heart of the garden stood a five-story mini-castle.
The castle was nearly complete after recent renovations. Dudley, Harry, and Hermione had been living there for a while. The old Potter house nearby was also mostly fixed up, but Harry had no plans to move in. Without his parents or Dudley, it didn't feel like home.
In terms of interior space, the castle actually surpassed Malfoy Manor with its five floors. The grounds were slightly smaller, but if you included the Potter house, the total area was on par with the Malfoys' estate.
It wasn't that Dudley didn't want a bigger place—or couldn't afford it. Godric's Hollow was the legendary birthplace of Godric Gryffindor, one of Hogwarts' founders. Many wizards lived here, and even with money, people weren't always willing to sell.
Unlike Malfoy Manor, which was isolated with no one around for miles, Godric's Hollow was a bustling wizarding community.
"Malfoy, if I were you, I'd stop right there," Harry suddenly warned as Malfoy crossed a patch of magical pumpkins and kept going.
Ahead of him was a plot filled with cabbages.
Malfoy shot him a puzzled look, scoffing, "It's just a bunch of cabbages. What's there to worry about, Potter? You lose your nerve or something?"
"I think Harry's being serious," Neville chimed in from behind, his eyes glued to the cabbage patch.
As a Herbology prodigy, Neville couldn't look away from those cabbages.
Unlike the usual vibrant green cabbages he knew, these had a greenish-orange hue, with the outermost leaves practically glowing a fiery orange.
"What are those?" Malfoy asked, noticing Neville's reaction and realizing Harry wasn't joking. He stared at the cabbages but couldn't spot anything unusual.
Forgive Malfoy—Herbology wasn't his strong suit.
"Harry, I'm not mistaken, am I?" Neville asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
He didn't spell it out, but Harry knew what he meant.
"That patch is a key defense measure," Harry said firmly.
Neville's face lit up with understanding.
Malfoy, however, was still completely lost. "What are you two on about?"
Neville kindly explained, "Those cabbages—if I'm not wrong—are Chinese Chomping Cabbages."
"Chomping Cabbages? What's that?" Malfoy asked, still clueless. Herbology wasn't his thing, and his progress in the subject wasn't much better than the average student. He hadn't gotten to the part about Chomping Cabbages yet.
Chinese Chomping Cabbages, to put it simply, were magical cabbages.
But these weren't the harmless, slightly bitter cabbages you'd find in the Muggle world, peeled layer by layer for a salad.
These cabbages bit. At their core was a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, and they were highly aggressive. Most importantly, they were plants that could move freely.
In large enough numbers, they could take down even a dragon.
And right in front of Malfoy was an entire patch of them.
After Neville's explanation, Malfoy shuddered involuntarily. He sidestepped away from the patch, moving as lightly as possible to avoid waking the cabbages.
Say what you will, but that cabbage patch alone elevated the castle's defenses to a whole new level.
Top-tier protection.
"Chomping Cabbages are slow to grow and tricky to cultivate. D put a lot of effort into these," Harry explained.
His volume made Malfoy nervous. "Shh, Potter, keep it down!"
Harry shook his head, exasperated. "Relax. Unless D gives the order or you wander in there, they won't come after you. They don't just pop out on their own."
Neville reluctantly tore his gaze away from the cabbages and followed the others.
As a Herbology star, he couldn't help but be captivated by their allure.
Soon, they reached the castle's main entrance.
"How do we get in?" Malfoy asked, staring at the bare door.
Dudley had modified it—no handle, no keyhole. Even the trusty Alohomora spell, the thief's best friend, had nowhere to work its magic.
Harry gave Malfoy a look that screamed country bumpkin, which clearly irked him.
Then Harry stepped up to the door.
"Facial recognition: verified," a slightly mechanical voice announced.
The door slowly swung open.
"What kind of magic is that?" Malfoy asked, too amazed to care about the earlier slight.
Harry thought for a moment. "It's like the bronze eagle knocker on Ravenclaw's common room door. It can identify us on its own."
"Cool!" Malfoy exclaimed.
With that, the three stepped through the castle's grand entrance.