Ch312- Lots of Work
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After sending the goblins, elves and centaurs on their way, Harry offered his arm to Petunia and walked her to where Lady Longbottom was wrapping up goodbyes with the last few guests with Misty in tow.
“Lady Longbottom,” he greeted, giving her a respectful nod. “Thanks for letting us use the Manor. Couldn’t have pulled this off without you.”
Lady Longbottom inclined her head with an approving smile. “It was a fine gathering, Harry. Just what the Yule needed—a reminder that the next generation can do things differently.” She cast a quick glance over to Neville, who was caught in a laughing crowd of classmates. “You did a great deal tonight, and not just for yourself.”
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then, after one last thank you, Harry and Petunia headed toward the exit.
Outside, Misty Apparated them back to Privet Drive. The Yule celebration was finally over, leaving Harry both exhausted and pleased with how things had gone. He and Petunia stepped inside, letting the quiet of the house sink in after the evening’s grand event.
“Quite the night,” Petunia said, slipping off her shoes and rubbing her feet. “I never imagined I would see you host such a grand gathering like that.”
Harry smirked, dropping his coat on the hall rack. “It was something, alright."
They went their separate ways for the night, and Harry retreated to his room. The pile of books and scattered notes from his Yule preparations lay on his desk, reminders of the work he put into organizing everything.
The rest of Harry's Christmas break went by in a blur. With just a week left before he returned to Hogwarts, he and Petunia traveled to France to visit Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. Upon their arrival, the Flamels greeted them warmly, Nicholas especially pleased to see his young apprentice back on familiar ground. Perenelle, with her serene smile, welcomed Petunia. They quickly settled into the Flamel estate.
Over the following weeks, Harry got busier as exams approached, juggling both his studies and the next quest—decoding Rowena Ravenclaw’s mysterious notes. Harry found the cryptic runes and layered scripts frustrating at times, but he knew this was no simple task. This was Rowena Ravenclaw’s legacy—a complex puzzle meant to test the sharpest minds.
Working late one evening, Harry leaned over his desk, squinting at Rowena Ravenclaw’s notes. With a frustrated huff, he tapped into the System's Language Translation module, hoping it would decipher at least some of the mess. But it was all a lost cause—the system drew a blank. Avery, who claimed the Rosiers were hiding Bellatrix, turned out to be equally useless. Harry was willing to give Selena the benefit of the doubt, figuring if Bellatrix were really in hiding, it could be without Selena’s knowledge. But there was no way to confirm that.
On a few occasions, Harry headed into Knockturn Alley disguised as Albus Riddle, even creating a bit of chaos one night to see if it would draw Bellatrix out. But she never showed her face, and with each trip, he came away empty-handed.
One afternoon, he found himself out in the forest of the Potter Heaven where he had been practicing storm magic with Spark, Thunderbird. While he was deep in training, the creature tilted its head, letting out a sharp caw that reverberated through the trees.
Spark repeated herself with a patient sigh, "I said, Young Potter, elemental magic is based more on intent than anything else. We creatures use magic through sound; you already know this. But what you're missing," she continued, eyeing him carefully, "is how we shape our intent into the magic we want to create. And it seems you’re only half-listening."
Harry blinked, dragged back from his thoughts as he registered her words. She was right; he was distracted. His mind was circling back to Rowena’s runes—he didn’t know why, but something about Spark’s explanation made a connection spark to life. He felt like he grasped some key detail, but it slipped through his fingers as quickly as it had come.
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