NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Magical Awakening
When the video reached this point, the magical world fell into a deep silence.
In the Great Hall of Hogwarts, students and professors turned their attention to Harry Potter, who was already astonished, his eyes fixed on the curtain.
The Boy Who Lived was indeed the protagonist of the Comparison Room.
The reactions were varied.
Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were visibly shocked to see their images from that time captured on film.
McGonagall could not hide her disbelief.
How could someone of her caliber have missed something like this? Even Albus Dumbledore had been deceived.
Draco Malfoy, seated at the Slytherin table, clenched his teeth. No one could imagine what was going through his mind.
The Gryffindor students were ecstatic. After all, the one being compared was from their house, which only increased their pride.
The other houses, though surprised, watched with great anticipation, eager to see what would happen next.
"Wow, Harry! It seems like you're the only one being compared! And besides, Dumbledore held you when you were a baby. That's amazing!"
Ron exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Harry's arm.
Harry, pulled from his thoughts by Ron's enthusiasm, immediately blushed.
Although it was natural to feel some satisfaction at being the center of so much attention, he knew that his life up to that point was not something to be proud of.
He gave Ron a forced smile and a nod.
Rubeus Hagrid: "Blimey, how did someone film that without me noticing? That's disturbing."
Gellert Grindelwald: "Albus, it seems your power isn't what it used to be. Someone got close to you without being noticed. Hahaha! Why don't you step down as headmaster and come have a chat with me?"
Albus Dumbledore: "My dear friend, I don't believe my wand skills have diminished. Perhaps another time."
In Nurmengard, imposing like a fortress, its dark towers pierced the cloudy sky.
The wind whistled between the walls, and inside, the constant dripping of water echoed.
In the occupied cells, silence was broken only by distant footsteps. Gellert Grindelwald, imprisoned, watched disdainfully as the curtain of light.
"Hehe, it seems you're not what you used to be, Albus."
A touch of nostalgia shone in his eyes under the moonlight that entered through the small window.
Molly Weasley: "That baby... is little Harry... Poor child."
Narcissa Malfoy: "How could someone with such a past be left in the care of Muggles? How could Dumbledore allow this?"
Lily Potter: "That... that is my little Potter? What a horrible scar! And that place... is that where my sister lives?"
Petunia Dursley: "!!!"
Vernon Dursley: "..."
Dudley Dursley: "..."
Harry Potter: "..."
Why did it seem like a dark story was about to be revealed?
Cornelius Fudge: "Wait, Muggles can see this video too!? All Aurors, prepare to cast Memory Charms!"
Dolores Umbridge: "As you wish, Minister."
But before Dolores could organize the Aurors, the curtain of light manifested.
[All Muggles and non-magical people connected to the magical world are authorized to watch the comparison!]
[Remember, one of the rewards for correctly answering the questions includes magical powers!]
Arabella Figg: "!!!"
Argus Filch: "Does this… mean I can actually gain magic? I won't be a Squib anymore?!"
Petunia Dursley: "I can become a witch!!!"
The announcement from the Comparison Room had a profound impact on the magical world.
One of the greatest unresolved mysteries in the history of magic had always been the issue of Squibs — those children of witches and wizards who had no magical abilities.
The Black family, one of the oldest and wealthiest pure-blood families in Britain and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, also faced this problem.
Marius Black, the third son of Cygnus Black II and Violetta Bulstrode, was disowned by the Black family after being declared a Squib, which was considered a shame.
Solving the Squib issue could result in a Second-Class Order of Merlin, or perhaps even a First-Class Order, comparable to Dumbledore's.
Despite the commotion, the video continued.
[When Harry was left on the Dursleys' doorstep, their initial idea was to send him to an orphanage, but after reading the letter that came with the baby, they reluctantly decided to raise him.
However, the treatment he received was far from that of an ordinary child.
For the first three years, Harry was treated relatively normally, receiving food and clothes. But his cousin Dudley, stronger than him, often used him as a punching bag, and Harry was not allowed to fight back under the threat of punishment from Vernon and Petunia.
At four years old, Harry accidentally turned the TV remote into a rock, which seemed to awaken something in Petunia. From that moment on, her attitude towards him became colder.
First, she moved him from the guest room on the second floor to the small cupboard under the stairs. Then, she made Harry learn to cook so he could prepare his own meals.
At six years old, when Harry asked about his parents, Petunia told him they had died in a car accident and forbade him from asking more questions. When he asked about his magical ability, Petunia claimed it was unnatural and that he was a freak.
From that moment on, Harry's life was filled with abuse: he was bullied by the Dursleys at home and by Dudley's friends at school, and the constant bullying led to poor academic performance.
Magical incidents continued to occur. Strange things, like his hair growing back overnight after being cut, or ending up on the school roof while fleeing from Dudley. In response, the Dursleys punished him, locking him up for days.
Shortly before his eleventh birthday, Harry accompanied the Dursleys to the zoo for Dudley's birthday, where he discovered something surprising: he could talk to snakes.
After making the glass of the snake enclosure disappear, causing Dudley to fall, the trip ended abruptly. When Harry mentioned it seemed magical, Vernon locked him in the cupboard again.]
Neville Longbottom: "???"
Neville Longbottom: "Since when is magical awakening that easy!?"
Hermione Granger: "..."
Severus Snape: "..."
Other wizards: "..."