"I guess you brought me something good too, Gilderoy." Dumbledore asked with interest after saying goodbye to Mrs. Figg.

"Oh, I know you like sweets, so I brought you some Chinese specialty snacks." Lockhart hurriedly took out a small bag from his bag.

"Aha—" A thin stick came out of the bag, Dumbledore held it and pulled it out—it was a candied haws, "How do you eat this?"

"Just eat it like this, you can bite down on the red stuff," Lockhart introduced.

Then he looked at Dumbledore holding the candied haws in one hand, took a bite, and some red sprinkles stuck to his beard: "It tastes good... Let's go in."

The two went to knock on the door of Harry's house, which was actually the door of the Dursleys.

"Who!" Uncle Harry's voice came, and half a minute later, the door opened. "It's you!"

"From your surprised, disbelieving look, Harry didn't tell you I was coming," said Dumbledore graciously, "but let's assume you have warmly invited me into your house. Now Times are turbulent and it is unwise to stay at the door for too long."

Dumbledore nimbly crossed the threshold, and although something was amiss, Lockhart followed him in and closed the door behind him.

"It's been a long time since I've been here last time." Dumbledore looked at Uncle Vernon from his hooked nose, "I must admit, your Agapanthus blossoms are flourishing."

Harry hurried downstairs and exclaimed in surprise, "Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Lockhart!"

"Good evening, Harry." Lockhart nodded at him.

"You look great, Harry." Dumbledore smiled at him too.

"I didn't mean to be rude—" Harry's uncle said, staring at the candied haws in Dumbledore's hand, as if it were a dangerous thing, and every syllable in his words was rude.

"—However, we still encounter unexpected faux pas." Dumbledore took him seriously. "Better not say anything, dear fellow. Ah, this must be Penny."

The kitchen door opened, and Harry's aunt stood there, wearing a kitchen apron, her face full of horror: "It's Harry's professor, and..."

"Accurately, Harry's Defense Professor and his headmaster, Albus Dumbledore." Dumbledore saw that Vernon had not introduced him, and said, "Of course, we are By letter, this must be your son Dudley?"

Dudley poked his head out of the living room door at this time, his big yellow head poked out of the collar of his striped pajamas, as if it wasn't on his body. His mouth opened wide in surprise and fear. Lockhart gave him a friendly smile, but apparently not allaying his horror, Dudley apparently thought Dumbledore was holding a thick wand.

"Can we assume that you have invited me into your living room?" Dumbledore domineeringly led Lockhart into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

"Are we leaving now?" Harry asked expectantly. He also stared strangely at the candied haws in Dumbledore's hands. To be honest, the haws and elders' wands were quite similar, "Professor?"

"Go, of course, if you're ready," Dumbledore said. "You don't seem to believe that I'm coming tonight."

"I'm going to - um - get it sorted," Harry said quickly, hurrying back upstairs.

No one spoke. Dumbledore hummed a little tune softly and seemed to be enjoying himself, but the air in the room was thicker than frozen custard. Lockhart also sat helplessly waiting, in some ways sympathetic to the fact that the family's peaceful life had always been disrupted, but Lockhart was also disgusted by their abuse of Harry.

Harry ran downstairs: "I'm ready.

"Very well," said Dumbledore. "One more thing," he said, turning to the Dursleys again. "You're no doubt aware, Harry will be an adult in a year—"

"No," said Aunt Petunia, the second time she had spoken since Dumbledore's arrival.

"Excuse me, what did you say?" Dumbledore asked politely.

"No, he's underage. He's a month younger than Dudley, who won't be eighteen until the year after."

"Ah," said Dumbledore kindly, "but in the wizarding world, you're seventeen when you're an adult."

Uncle Vernon muttered "absurd", but neither Dumbledore nor Lockhart paid him any attention.

"As you already know, now that wizard named Voldemort is back in the country. The wizarding world is currently in a state of open war. Voldemort has tried to kill Harry many times, and now Harry is in a better position than he was fifteen years ago. It was even more dangerous when I put him on your steps before. I left a letter explaining that his parents had been killed and that I hope you will take care of him like your own children."

Dumbledore stopped, although his voice was still so relaxed and calm, and his face did not show the slightest anger, but Lockhart knew that Dumbledore was intimidating the Dursleys with mental cues.

"You didn't do what I said. You never thought of Harry as your son. He was in your hands, and all he got was neglect and constant abuse. Luckily, at least he didn't become sitting on your side. That hapless boy in the middle."

Both Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon instinctively turned their eyes, as if expecting to see not Dudley but someone else huddled between them.

"We—abusing Dudley? Are you—?" said Uncle Vernon angrily, but Dumbledore raised a hand for silence, and the room fell silent, as if he had turned Uncle Vernon into a dumb.

"The magic I cast fifteen years ago means that while Harry can still call this place home, he will be strongly protected. No matter how miserable he is here, how unaffected he is. Welcome, how abused, you at least reluctantly gave him a place to live. When Harry turned seventeen, that is, when he became a man, the magic would fail. I only One thing to ask: you allow Harry to return to this home again before his seventeenth birthday, which will ensure that protection will continue until then."

None of the Dursleys said a word. Dudley frowned slightly, as if wondering what he had become. Uncle Vernon looked like something was stuck in his throat. Aunt Petunia blushed inexplicably.

"Okay, Gilderoy, Harry... We should go." Dumbledore finally said. He stood up and adjusted his long black cloak. "See you next time," he said to the Dursleys, who, by the looks of their faces, wished they would never see each other again. Then, Dumbledore put on his hat and hurried out of the room.

"Goodbye." Lockhart didn't want to appear as arrogant as Dumbledore, he said goodbye politely, but got no response. He helped Harry carry the owl back.

"We don't want to get in the way with them now," Dumbledore said to Harry, drawing his wand outside the door. "I'll take them to the Burrow, and they'll wait for us there. However, I want you to Invisibility cloak...just in case."

Harry struggled to get the Invisibility Cloak out of the box, because he didn't want Dumbledore to see how messy it was. When he tucked the Invisibility Cloak into the inner pocket of his jacket, Dumbledore waved the candied haws, but nothing happened. He had to switch his wand and wave again, and the box, cage, and Hedwig all disappeared in one fell swoop.

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