aircannonsinc Chapter 248 A Relative's Assassination of Scarface
Chapter 248 A Relative's Assassination of Scarface
Chapter 248 A Relative's Assassination of Scarface
Picking up where we left off, Harry suddenly ordered the Dursleys to move away from Privet Drive immediately, and then tossed the python skin purse containing £25,000 onto Vernon's belly.
Vernon felt a weight on his stomach, and without looking down, he smelled a strong scent of ink.
His thick eyebrows immediately furrowed, and his large, fan-like hand rose and fell repeatedly as he tried to grab the money bag, but it felt as if a thousand pounds were weighing down on his wrist.
He glanced back and forth between his purse and Harry's face with his bell-shaped eyes, and after a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a slurred remark.
Why should we move?
Before Harry could reply, Petunia in the back seat pressed on, "You still haven't answered my question: why are you a celebrity in the wizarding world!"
"Um, actually I have a question too." Dudley poked his fat head out shakily and asked in a deep voice, "I forgot to ask when I was in Diagon Alley, should potions be taken before or after meals?"
The Dursleys chattered away, one after another, like a ravenous bird's nest overturned, making Harry's ears ring.
But then he glared at me with his strange eyes, ripped open the car door, and jumped out, yelling, "Damn it! Ask! Ask! Ask! Where did all this nonsense come from?!"
"Now get back inside and pack your things, pack your bags and get out of here! If you dare utter another word, I'll rip your tongues out!"
When Vernon and Dudley saw Harry's outburst, they fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
Although she was extremely unwilling, she had no choice but to shrink her neck, timidly roll off the car, and move her body to go back to the house to pack.
Petunia flung open the car door, but instead of going with the father and son, she yelled at Harry, "Because Voldemort killed Lily! Right?!"
The sound was like tearing silk, and Vernon and Dudley were bewildered, as if they had fallen into a fog.
Harry suddenly turned around, his blue eyes piercing Petunia, and after a long pause said, "Auntie is quite perceptive."
Seeing that he neither refuted nor defended himself, Penny figured that he had already admitted to most of it.
She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and the words from the letter Dumbledore had written to her about adopting Harry churned in her mind like boiling water.
Many ambiguous and unclear points in the letter have now been clarified, revealing their true, hideous nature.
The pent-up emotions of the past decades burst forth like a floodgate opening, raging through her body. Sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, shame, anger, remorse, and sorrow—all these flavors churned together, creating a turbulent upheaval within her very being.
Suddenly, her noodles twitched, her thin lips turned white, and she squeezed out words through her teeth.
"I only regret that I don't know enough."
Harry ignored her words, turning his body away and scanning the surroundings with his blue eyes, saying, "Since Aunt knows the truth, please don't say anything more."
"The most urgent matter now is to pack our bags and leave this Privet Road as soon as possible, lest things change if we delay."
Harry's words were like flying a kite in a thunderstorm, making Petunia tremble all over.
Her eyes were already red-rimmed, and her teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding together. "Why should I listen to you? Just because you're some so-called wizard?"
"I've heard that kind of talk enough from Dumbledore."
Harry, already restless and anxious, was on edge, wary of the Death Eaters lurking around him. Hearing these resentful words, he felt a vein throbbing in his temple.
Without answering, he drew his Gryffindor sword with a "whoosh" and pointed it at Petunia's face, angrily saying, "You old hag, what are you yelling about! If you're so attached to this house, you might as well become a permanent resident ghost!"
"My sword knows no distinction between friend and foe!"
Vernon was about to push open the door when he saw the flashing swords and the sight of swords, and he was so frightened that he tripped and tumbled down the stone steps like a gourd.
He didn't care about appearances, crawled to Penny's side on all fours, grabbed her and hurriedly dragged her into the house.
"Penny! Stop throwing a tantrum, we'll do as he says!"
Petunia, however, seemed to have gone mad, struggling in Vernon's arms and screaming at Harry with her neck stiffened, "You disgust me just like Dumbledore! Disgusting!"
"You freaks are all the same! Arrogant, conceited, and ignorant!"
"You all think you're the only normal ones!"
Penny, having already gone all out, started shouting, her voice echoing throughout the neighborhood.
The neighbors on both sides were alarmed, and they all opened their windows to water the flowers and went out to take out the trash, keeping everyone very busy.
In the midst of the chaos, a loud bang suddenly rang out, and Dumbledore appeared using Apparition.
With a flick of his wand, golden light burst forth from its tip, transforming into countless fireflies that burrowed into the minds of his neighbors.
In an instant, the neighbors' eyes glazed over, their expressions blank, and like puppets on strings, they turned and closed the windows, went back inside to lock the doors, and dispersed.
Immediately afterwards, Dumbledore took a Deluminator from his sleeve.
With a single push of the mechanism, the lights from the streetlights and windows all around flowed into the vessel like rivers flowing into the sea.
Only when the surroundings were completely shrouded in darkness, with only a lone lamp flickering in front of the Dursleyan Gate, did Dumbledore put the Deluminator into his sleeve.
The old man slowly walked up to Penny, nodded, and said, "Hello, Penny."
After saying that, he turned to Vernon and said, "Could you please go and pack your things, Mr. Dursley?"
"I think we have something to say to each other."
Vernon, his face ashen, nodded stiffly, mechanically released Penny, and called Dudley inside.
Penny stood motionless, her red eyes fixed on the face of the old man with white hair and beard, exuding an extraordinary air.
Her face contorted with hatred, she clenched her teeth and said firmly, "It is a great honor, Mr. Dumbledore."
"After decades, I've finally met you for the first time."
"I didn't mean to belittle you," Dumbledore said, unfazed by her piercing gaze. "It's for your safety that we haven't met."
After saying this, he suddenly took out a bulging brocade wallet from his bosom and handed it to Penny.
"My friend appraised the house, so rest assured, the compensation will be based on the highest possible price."
"Like Harry said, grab what's important and get out of here."
Penny stared at the money pouch before her, her grip tightening even more. Her lips trembled for a long moment before she finally gritted her teeth and said, "Because of your letter, I've supported this brat for fifteen years. And now, because of your words, I'm supposed to run for my life with my husband and son?"
Do you think I'm your servant?
Dumbledore flicked his wand, and the purse floated into Petunia's pocket. He shook his head slightly, his voice still calm and collected, and said, "What happened today was indeed rather sudden, and I haven't had a chance to explain it to you yet."
"But I told you the whole story about adopting Harry in my letter."
"The whole story?!" Penny suddenly cried out. "My sister died fighting against a serial killer named Voldemort, and that's all?!"
Penny was practically spitting on Dumbledore's face, but the old headmaster remained unmoved and said slowly, "This is for your safety. Knowing too much won't do you any good. There are many spells that can sense a person's emotions."
"And if I remember correctly, your relationship with Lily has always been terrible."
"You didn't attend Lily's wedding, and you also declined Lily's offer to be your bridesmaid. I don't want to upset you in the letter."
Before Dumbledore could finish speaking, Petunia's pent-up anger exploded. Veins bulged on her neck as she forced all her strength into her throat, letting out a sharp whistle.
"So what!"
Penny swayed twice, her chest heaving like a bellows, her eyes burning even more intensely red. She shouted without a care in the world, "That's right! I envy her! I'm jealous of her!"
"I hate that I can't be a wizard, and I deceive myself into believing that people with magic are freaks, but so what?!"
"I just wanted to feel better, what did I do wrong!"
After saying this, she turned her tear-streaked eyes to Harry, her throat tightening, and said bitterly, "Your father! James Potter! He's a despicable megalomaniac!"
"He kept talking about magic in the restaurant, and even made sarcastic remarks about Vernon!"
"You wizards are all the same; you have no respect for others!"
"If you mean the dinner party where you first met," Dumbledore suddenly said, pausing slightly, "James didn't make fun of Dursley; he was just amused by Dursley's idea that he was living on welfare."
"Lily has always regretted it; she says things shouldn't have turned out this way."
Penny shouted sarcastically, "Yes! Those of us who have never been to the wizarding world should immediately understand the meaning of that nonsense!"
"You can ask him what he means," Dumbledore said calmly. "It's jealousy and resentment that's keeping you from speaking."
Penny's face suddenly contorted with pain. She rubbed her eyes and said venomously, "Yes, I should have asked James Potter, just like I wrote to you after I adopted Harry to ask where Lily's grave was."
"I bet James Potter wouldn't have been like you, never sending a single reply!"
Dumbledore sighed deeply. "Voldemort's minions are always trying to avenge their master. If we have too much contact with them, they will only target you."
"She's my sister!"
With just that one shout, Penny's tears could no longer be held back, streaming down her face like the Trent River bursting its banks.
She choked back tears and roared in a fit of rage, "I dared to adopt a child being hunted by a serial killer, do you think I wouldn't dare take that kind of risk?!"
"Who do you think you are! Making decisions for me without my permission! You're just Lily's teacher!"
"I'm her older sister!"
"My dear older sister!"
After saying this, her knees buckled and she knelt on the ground, covering her face with her hands. She sobbed and wailed, her words broken in the night wind.
"But I don't even know where Lily is buried."
At this moment, Privet Lane was eerily quiet, except for Penny's incessant sobbing, which sounded like a dull knife cutting into living flesh.
Two fat heads, one large and one small, peeked out from the window of the house, their four eyes peering out anxiously.
After a long pause, Dumbledore bent down and gently patted Petunia's shoulder. "But by then you already had children, you had your own family."
Upon hearing this, Penny shuddered.
Dumbledore added, "Voldemort has been fully resurrected, and this time he is determined to kill Harry."
Penny trembled even more.
"Besides that, there was also a wizard who was comparable to Hitler who escaped from prison. He was also quite interested in Harry, but Harry was too strong, so they had to try other methods."
Although I did not utter the words, even a three-year-old child could understand the implied meaning.
Penny trembled like a quail being scalded by boiling water. Suddenly, she raised her head, hastily wiping away her tears and snot, and called out hoarsely into the house, "Darling, are you ready? We have to go!"
"That kid's gotten us into big trouble!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Vernon and Dudley rushed out the door, each carrying a large bag or bundle.
The two haphazardly stuffed their luggage into the trunk, and the family of three, without looking back, hurriedly climbed into the car. With a roar of the engine, the car sped out of the alley and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Don't be sad, darling."
Vernon, still focused on the road ahead, reached out and patted Penny's hand in the passenger seat, laughing loudly, "Look on the bright side! We've finally gotten rid of that kid!"
Penny remained silent, staring blankly out the car window. The streetlights along the road lit up one by one, and warm light shone through the windows of the houses on both sides.
Just as the car stopped at the intersection, Penny suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed open the door, and ran back.
"Oh, damn it!"
Vernon cursed, hurriedly unbuckled his seatbelt, and stumbled out of the car to hurry over.
Petunia ran several dozen feet until she could see the outline of number four Privet Drive. But the yard in front was completely empty; Harry and Dumbledore were nowhere to be seen.
She stopped, took a deep breath, and cupped her hands to her mouth, crying out, "Harry! You have to live!"
"You must live!"
Above the crossroads, Harry and Dumbledore looked down.
One was shrouded in black mist, the other hovered in the clouds, watching as Vernon half-embraced Penny as they returned to the car.
The car sped along, gradually disappearing into a faint light in the distance.
Four or five short figures appeared and disappeared on both sides of the vehicle; these were house-elves who took turns moving around, protecting the rear of the vehicle as it drove away.
After looking at it for a while, Dumbledore turned his head and asked, "What are your thoughts, Harry?"
Harry shook his head and sighed, "The ancients said, 'Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes,' and I only now realize how true that is."
Dumbledore nodded and remarked, "Humans are complex creatures; you can't judge them by a single good or bad trait—Harry?"
Where are you going?
Harry, enveloped in a swirling aura of blackness, turned back towards No. 4 Privet Drive without looking back, saying, "I have lived here for many years, and Madam Figg has treated me well, and she has also been secretly protecting me under orders. It is only right that I bid farewell."
Dumbledore nodded upon hearing this. "Ah, you're right. Arabella should indeed retire."
The two floated through the air toward the old woman's house. Just as they passed the eaves of No. 4 Privet Road, a loud "boom" suddenly rang out, and a curse shrouded in black mist burst out from the roof of the house, causing the roof tiles to fly off.
"Hey! What kind of jerk is this?!"
Harry cursed and immediately drew his staff, firing back with a powerful, powerful shot!
This curse, when unleashed, was clearly aimed directly at the evil curse, as if it were about to collide with it.
Just as he was about to touch it, the curse suddenly turned on its own and headed straight for Dumbledore.
The curse, seemingly launched from the air into the deep courtyard, had barely grazed the corner of Privet Drive when a deafening roar shook the heavens and earth. The curse raged through the house, scattering rubble everywhere. Harry rushed back to fight. His powerful curse flashed, ready to counter, but the curse suddenly twisted its wrist, heading straight for Dumbledore to use his magic. To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next chapter.
P.S.: Happy New Year everyone!