Chapter 285: Shopping
Chapter 285: Shopping
After Fox sent Vold away, Dumbledore sat in his office with Tom Riddle's diary resting in his palm.
At this moment, the diary looked no different from any other diary in a Muggle store, appearing ordinary, but Dumbledore could sense the evil power of the Horcrux emanating from it.
The Slytherin Locket was Voldemort's more mature creation, capable of seeing through the weaknesses and darkness in people's hearts, but the "message" left by its owner on it was actually very little.
However, the diary was different. When Voldemort made it, his technique was not yet so refined, and he might have left too many "thoughts" in it.
But Dumbledore had no interest in exploring it for the time being. He stared at the diary unconsciously, and the image that formed on the locket still flashed through his mind.
Ariana...
Even though he knew it was an illusion, when he saw her again, Dumbledore felt as if his heart had been torn open.
The most cowardly, dark, and regretful part of his heart was suddenly exposed.
So much so that... when Vold mentioned having another Horcrux in his possession, Dumbledore subconsciously thought he was referring to the Resurrection Stone.
That black stone was what he desired most and feared the most.
The legendary story had already made it clear that the dead would not truly be resurrected.
But if Ariana's soul truly returned...
What would she want to say?
...
Vold stayed at Sirius' house on Privet Drive for lunch, and after the meal, they planned to go to Diagon Alley to buy some things.
Lupin was preparing to cook a French meal, but they didn't have enough ingredients, so Vold and Harry decided to go out and buy some.
"Beef, eggs, onions, cabbage..."
Vold looked at Lupin's list, and Harry picked up a box of eggs and placed it in the cart.
As they were selecting items, they heard a rude, boisterous laughter.
A group of teenagers were in the sports equipment area, wearing boxing gloves and comparing punches. One tall, muscular boy choked his companion by the neck, showing off how he had knocked someone out.
Harry frowned, "Oh, it's Dudley and his gang."
"Your cousin?" Vold asked.
He had also recognized Dudley—undoubtedly, the tallest and fattest blond kid was Dudley Dursley, and he had gained a lot of weight since last year.
"Yeah." Harry showed disgust, "Let's go around them."
He pushed the cart and walked to the other side, but before he could turn around, Dudley's friends spotted him.
"Look, who's that?" A skinny boy shouted, "It's that dirty Potter brat!"
A group of boys surrounded them, but Dudley hung back, looking troubled.
It wasn't that he didn't want to bully Harry anymore... but Dudley was afraid of the wizards' strange methods, and he didn't want to lose face in front of his friends, letting them see that he was actually a bit afraid of "Potter."
He hesitated and walked slowly to the back.
"Hey, Potter, have you made new friends?"
A lanky, careless-looking skinny boy rushed to the front, squinting at Vold, intending to bully him as well. But in the moment their eyes met, he immediately realized that the person in front of him was not easy to provoke.
So the skinny boy still aimed his fire at Harry, mocking, "Buddy, you might have just arrived, but you don't know how bad this Potter kid is—no school wants to take him, so he can only go to a juvenile delinquent school!"
"Shut your stinking mouth, Pete! Stop squealing like a pig!"
Harry immediately retorted, his face turning red with anger.
Despite Vold's awareness that they weren't at some "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Harry still felt humiliated.
"Hey, you want to try my fists, Potter?"
Pete and several other boys immediately clenched their fists and surrounded him, while someone shouted to Dudley at the back, "Dudley, we need to teach your annoying cousin a lesson!"
Harry gripped his wand, struggling internally as he remembered he couldn't use magic here.
Seeing his action, Dudley immediately took two steps back.
"Hey, boys, no trouble here!" The cashier at the supermarket shouted loudly.
Vold nodded and said, "Go outside for a bit?"
"Go outside? Who do you think you are?" Pete said provocatively.
"Harry's friend," Vold said. "Or, if you prefer to admit that you just ate a meal in the toilet and that's why you're talking nonsense, we won't hold your previous words against you."
"Or, are you just provoking him because he has a good temper and always endures? What's the difference between you and a Chihuahua that follows its owner around, thinking it's powerful because it can pee wherever it wants?"
"Well, there is a difference. At least Chihuahuas are cute. If you guys go out, you'll lower the aesthetic standards of the British, won't you?"
Pete stared with wide eyes, his mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time. Even Harry was shocked as he watched Vold.
Honestly, even when they argued, they usually cursed with words like "damn," "hell," and "go to hell."
"Mudblood" was the worst insult Harry had ever heard, and he had never imagined that Vold could be so harsh when he cursed.
Pete pointed at Vold and made an incoherent "Ahhhh" sound before shouting, "Come out! I'm going to beat you half to death today!"
"Wow... so scary..."
Vold read the lines expressionlessly, further infuriating the person across from him, who jumped and shouted, "You come out! You come out!"
He pushed the cart towards Harry and said, "You go and pay."
Then he followed those people outside.
"Wait, Vold!"
Harry hurriedly pushed the cart and followed, but as he was about to exit, the cashier stopped him.
"Pay up, kid!"
Harry hastily took out some money and placed it on the counter, ready to go out and find his friend, but the cashier pulled him back again.
"Wait, I haven't given you your change yet!"
"I'm in a hurry! I'll come back for it later!" Harry said hastily.
However, the cashier didn't let go and stubbornly said, "If you don't come back, who will I give the change to? Should I put everything back?"
Even if Harry was slow, he realized that the cashier was deliberately blocking him. Frustrated and angry, he said, "Why are you stopping me? My friend is about to fight with them!"
"Don't you always get beaten up?" The cashier was blunt. "You won't be able to help even if you go. It's better if you don't get involved in this!"
"Vold is fighting with them because of me!"
Harry struggled and broke free from the cashier's hand, rushing out the door and almost bumping into someone.
"Slow down," Vold said, supporting him. "Why didn't you get any vegetables?"
"Vold? Wait... You're back so soon?" Harry asked in surprise. "Where are Pete and Dudley?"
"They're crying! Don't worry about them," Vold said casually.
(End of Chapter)
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