That day, I, Harry Potter, woke up earlier than usual.
Before noon, I packed my school supplies and broom into my trunk, of course, along with items like the "Invisibility Cloak" and the "Marauder's Map." I also carefully checked every corner of the room to make sure I had not forgotten stationery such as ballpoint pens and notebooks. These had been openly brought in by Elaina starting two years ago and, being surprisingly convenient, had gradually spread into Hogwarts in a kind of reverse import, mainly among Muggle-borns and half-bloods.
Then, as Sunday evening approached five o'clock, an atmosphere of extreme tension hung over Number Four, Privet Drive. With a group of wizards due to arrive shortly, the Dursley household was rigid with nerves and irritation.
"You did tell them to come properly dressed, didn't you?" Uncle Vernon barked, baring his teeth.
Because Dudley had grown excessively fat and dragged the whole family into dieting, Uncle Vernon had been in a foul mood all summer.
"I've seen how your lot dress. They should at least have the decency to wear something respectable."
"I don't think you need to worry about that," I replied with a shrug to Uncle Vernon, who was dressed in a best suit as if preparing for an important business meeting. If this were Ron's family, that might be another matter, but this time there was no need for concern.
"They're coming by car, obviously?"
"Of course."
**
At exactly five o'clock, the Dursleys' doorbell rang. Standing before Uncle Vernon, who opened the door with visible trepidation, were Elaina and her mother, Ms. Victorica, holding a large paper bag.
"Good evening, Mr. Dursley, and Miss Dursley as well."
Ms. Victorica greeted them politely. She was dressed simply and neatly in an elegant white blouse and a knee-length black pencil skirt, and she looked exactly like a well-groomed Muggle office lady.
As the stunned Dursleys looked on, Ms. Victorica smiled and tucked her hair behind one ear with her slender fingers. A pleasant scent of perfume drifted through the air, fragrant like an Eastern flower, somehow calming and soothing.
"Pleased to meet you. My name is Victorica Celesteria. Thank you very much for inviting us today."
Faced with Elaina's mother, who was completely different from his imagined image of a "witch," Uncle Vernon nodded weakly and shook her hand, looking as if the wind had been taken out of his sails.
"I'm Vernon Dursley, a director at Grunnings."
Still attempting to assert his social standing, Uncle Vernon produced his business card. Ms. Victorica accepted it politely with a soft "Thank you," then smoothly took out her own card in a practiced manner.
"As for me, I work as a barrister in the outskirts of Southampton, Hampshire."
When Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia looked at Ms. Victorica's card, their expressions changed.
In Britain, lawyers are divided into two types: barristers, who appear in court, and solicitors, who handle legal consultations, administrative legal documents, and contracts. The former are harder to qualify as, and as a result, enjoy a higher social status, even above that of doctors.
"If you ever have any troubles, please feel free to consult me."
Ms. Victorica tilted her head slightly and smiled warmly.
This was something I had heard from Hermione, but apparently lawyers are one of the few professions that can operate flexibly in both the magical and non-magical worlds.
On the Continent, legal thinking tends to be deductive, starting with general written statutes and then narrowing them down to determine which laws apply to individual cases. In Britain, however, precedent comes first. Courts look at how past cases were judged and, if a current case is similar, apply a similar judgment. This is an inductive way of thinking.
In other words, British lawyers are expected to have the adaptability to dig up relevant precedents after an incident occurs and use them for legal arguments and proof. Conversely, memorizing laws is not emphasized as heavily as it is for Continental lawyers. As long as one understands legal principles and how to apply them, one can manage in both the Muggle world and the magical world.
"Hmmm…"
After scrutinizing the card from corner to corner, Uncle Vernon finally seemed to conclude that Ms. Victorica was a "respectable" sort of person. The oppressive air around him softened slightly.
"It seems I may have been mistaken… Welcome. You are most welcome, Miss Celesteria."
Even so, as Uncle Vernon closed the door, he glanced at the black Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee parked on the street and snorted, muttering, "An American car, hmph." Ms. Victorica, however, did not seem particularly bothered.
When Ms. Victorica passed by my side, the sweet fragrance grew even stronger, tickling my nose. I felt a vague sense of unease, but before I could voice it, Elaina spoke to me.
"Harry, it's been a while."
Elaina looked a little taller than the last time I had seen her. Her gray hair had gained a healthy sheen, and its previously slightly unruly texture had settled into a smooth, straight style.
"You look well too, Elaina."
After returning the greeting, Elaina's gaze shifted to Dudley. Dudley reflexively clutched his backside.
"…Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, that's just a trauma from Hagrid."
I suppressed a laugh that almost escaped and took a seat in the living room. Incidentally, Elaina was dressed in a white sleeveless top, a blue flared skirt, and short boots, a fresh and neat outfit with an air of refined simplicity.
"Well then, it's nothing special, but please accept this if you'd like."
As she said this, Elaina took out a colorful assortment of jellies from the paper bag. Dudley's eyes immediately lit up, and Aunt Petunia widened her eyes as well.
"This is…"
"They're seasonal assorted jellies from the long-established Parisian confectioner Fauchon."
Elaina answered smoothly.
I had told them that Dudley was on a diet, so she must have deliberately chosen low-calorie sweets. Sweet yet low in calories and from a famous brand, it was the perfect gift, so flawless that even the notoriously picky Aunt Petunia could not find a single word of complaint.
"I-I'll put some tea on right away."
When those words slipped out of Aunt Petunia's mouth, I momentarily doubted my ears. It was an uncharacteristic response for the Dursleys, who usually disliked anything with "magical" associations, but seeing her bustling about to prepare Earl Grey, it seemed I had not misheard.
Uncle Vernon, who had been pushed to his limit by dieting, also appeared to be in a good mood at the prospect of finally having something sweet again, while Dudley was already fidgeting with anticipation. It was truly a rare summer occurrence.
**
"Certainly, American SUVs have become popular lately, but when it comes to ride comfort, things like vehicle height and center of gravity make a real difference. Station wagons still have the edge…"
"Oh my, is that so?"
Thirty minutes later, in the Dursleys' living room, Ms. Victorica looked completely at ease as she responded to Uncle Vernon's enthusiastic discussion about cars.
"For outdoor activities, an SUV like yours is well suited, of course. But when you consider the balance with everyday life, a fuel-efficient station wagon like our Mark III Cavalier is what I'd recommend. If the need arises, you can always customize it for off-road use as well."
Aunt Petunia, too, seemed entirely relaxed, occasionally asking things like, "Would you like another cup of tea?"
And as for Dudley and Elaina—
"Hey, Dudley, that's not fair. Using beginner-killers like that is just mean."
"You're the one who picked Yoshi right off the bat. He doesn't handle tight turns well, so you wiped yourself out."
Somehow the topic came up that Dudley owned Mario Kart, and when Elaina said, "I don't have that game, so I'd like to try it," Dudley happily rushed to his room, dragged out his Super Famicom, and started playing with her on the living room TV.
"I told you to stick with Mario or Luigi until you got used to it."
"Ugh… to lose to a mere Koopa Troopa…"
"I'm sick of Donut Plains and Koopa Beach. Let's do Chocolate Island or Ghost Valley next."
I had never played it, so I could not be sure, but Dudley was definitely choosing courses that favored him or put Elaina at a disadvantage.
"Even so, this Mario Kart game is pretty entertaining just to watch…"
Looking over at the adults, Uncle Vernon, having finished his car talk, was now reacting to every move of Dudley's Koopa Troopa with visible excitement. Meanwhile, Ms. Victorica and Aunt Petunia had started chatting animatedly about Dudley's diet, and the conversation seemed to be heading toward the conclusion that exercising properly might be the best approach after all.
"Even if he's going to lose weight, don't you think it should be done in a healthy way?"
"I've thought that too, and we've tried several times, but jogging and swimming just don't seem to suit Dudley."
"Then how about boxing? With such a strong build, I think he could go quite far."
"Boxing, for our Dudley… What do you think, Vernon?"
"I don't think it's a bad idea. It's a noble sport. Quite fitting for Dudley."
I could not help but feel uneasy, imagining myself as his first punching bag, but if asked which was better, that or starving to death from dieting, it was a difficult call.
"Oh my, it's already this late! I'm so sorry, we ended up imposing on your kindness."
"No, not at all…"
At 5:55 p.m., Ms. Victorica finally glanced at the clock as if just realizing the time. Aunt Petunia was about to say, "Since you're here, perhaps you'd like to stay for dinner," when she suddenly froze, her expression changing.
"Then we will be taking Harry with us."
"Y-yes, quite."
Uncle Vernon replied with forced composure, still wearing a bewildered expression. Both he and Aunt Petunia looked as though they had only just remembered that the woman standing before them was a witch.
"See you later, boy."
"Goodbye, Uncle and Aunt, and Dudley too."
Just before six o'clock, I said my farewells to the Dursleys and climbed into the black Jeep Grand Cherokee ZG with Elaina. When I thought about it carefully, this might have been the first time I had ever left Number Four, Privet Drive, in such a peaceful manner.
(End of chapter)
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