The next day, after Hagrid bought some "herbicide" from Diagon Alley and quickly took care of the wild, overgrown, unknown weeds, they set off.
The white unicorn and the black dragon crouched at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, watching Harry and Hagrid leave, then slowly stepped into the dark woods.
"Isn't it too dangerous to let Big Black into the forest right now?"
"Norb—Big Black is a Norwegian Ridgeback. This breed is aggressive and fierce by nature. We have to train its instincts. If we keep it domesticated for a few more months, half of its ferocity will be gone," said Hagrid.
Harry knew nothing about raising dragons, but he knew one thing: Hagrid was a professional magical creature caretaker. Listening to Hagrid was never a bad idea.
His concern for Big Black came purely from his Muggle-world instincts—he kept subconsciously thinking of Big Black like a pet dog.
But Big Black's appearance was nothing like a pup. It stood four or five meters tall, and lying down, it could fill Hagrid's hut.
Harry even thought that with its size and fierce appearance, it could probably scare off a whole flock of Slytherins and Gryffindors.
Unfortunately, Big Black still couldn't fly.
Harry's dream of riding a dragon through the skies would have to wait a bit longer.
…
Eight days later, Harry and Hagrid returned to Hogwarts. On the way, they stopped by Harry's future hotel, which was under rapid construction—like magic, or a film playing at 10x speed.
Although not completed yet, the outline of the seven-story luxury hotel was already visible.
Per Harry's request, aside from a narrow pathway just wide enough for one person to walk through (the entrance to Diagon Alley), the entire hotel was shrouded in magic. No matter how busy the workers were inside, nothing could be seen from the outside.
After all, the Leaky Cauldron was a famous spot. If it was demolished and replaced by a brand-new luxury hotel, it might attract attention from the wizarding media.
That would ruin the surprise Harry had planned.
If wizards first heard about the demolition of the Leaky Cauldron from a newspaper, they might be surprised—but if they saw the hotel being built piece by piece over time, their reactions would be lukewarm when it was finally completed.
But if they had no idea, not even rumors, then when a huge, low-key yet luxurious seven-story hotel suddenly appeared, the impact would be far greater.
…
According to the two construction companies, the entire project would be fully completed within a month.
Harry said happily, "Thank you for your hard work, comrades! Ice cream on me~~"
The two company bosses, expecting him to raise their pay, froze with awkward smiles.
…
Big Black had changed. It used to love curling up beside Harry and growling constantly.
Now, it only growled occasionally—and the sound was deeper and more restrained.
Its body was covered in claw marks from unknown creatures in the forest.
It lay at Harry's feet with its eyes closed, but if there was any movement in the Forbidden Forest, it would immediately raise its head in alert, turning to look until the sound faded. Only then would it lay back down again.
Snowy hadn't changed at all—quiet and pure white.
Unicorns truly were remarkable creatures. In nature, they had no predators. Even the aggressive and combative ape-like magical creatures described in books would go calm when encountering a unicorn. Their fur had a natural magical resistance, making them immune to most spells.
…
In the Headmaster's office—
Harry once again entered without knocking.
This time, Dumbledore was holding a stack of greasy food wrapped in paper. Harry smelled the familiar scent as soon as he walked in.
Dumbledore lifted the greasy bag and said, "On my way back from Diagon Alley, I picked this up from that Muggle-style place you opened—what's it called… Magic Castle?"
He took a bite. "Mm~ Quite tasty. When I used to spend time in the Muggle world, I always wanted to eat this kind of food—but I was afraid of being photographed by a reporter. You know how they are—they'd spin it into some outrageous story like, 'Dumbledore abandons the dignity of wizards, disregards bloodline purity, and mingles with Muggles.'"
Harry let him ramble for a while before asking, "So when are we going to the Order of Merlin to receive the medal?"
"Next Wednesday."
"Got it. I'll head back to London then."
…
After leaving Hogwarts, Harry stood at the edge of the Black Lake.
He furrowed his brows. "Let's give it a try."
CRACK! A whip-like snap echoed in the air.
Harry vanished without a trace.
A few seconds later, he appeared in a room at one of London's top hotels.
It was a room he had booked at Sherlock Hotel.
Sitting in a plush chair, Harry held a book but was gazing out the window instead.
Over half an hour later, a large owl flew in.
Harry's eyes lit up—but just as he reached out, a black shadow swooped down, slamming into the owl. The owl gave a sharp shriek and tumbled, two feathers fluttering to Harry's window.
Harry was conflicted. Was this destruction of government property?
He quickly called off Optimus from tormenting the poor owl.
Reluctantly, Optimus snatched the owl again and flew up high before letting it go.
Shaking with fear, the owl landed at Harry's windowsill, its feathers ruffled like a plucked chicken.
It dropped a letter and fled like a mouse from a cat.
But a short while later, Optimus appeared again, snatching the trembling owl and flying off somewhere to play.
Harry offered a silent prayer for the poor owl: "Just keep my eagle entertained for a while."
Opening the envelope, the letter read:
Mr. Potter,
We have received a report that you performed Apparition at your residence at 7:10 p.m. this afternoon.
You are aware that underage wizards are not permitted to perform magic outside school. Any further incidents may result in expulsion from Hogwarts. (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Clause 3.)
Additionally, please remember: under Article 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, any magical activity liable to be noticed by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense.
Enjoy your summer holiday.
Mafalda Hopkirk
Improper Use of Magic Office
Ministry of Magic
Harry had used Apparition on purpose to see if the Ministry could detect it. He only had book knowledge of the Trace.
But the letter proved something: the Trace had major flaws.
The Trace only detects magic around underage wizards—it doesn't confirm that they were the ones who cast it.
That's how Voldemort successfully framed his uncle after killing someone with magic.
For example, if Harry and Dumbledore were together and Dumbledore cast a spell, Harry's Trace would react—but the Ministry wouldn't know who cast the magic. Once they discovered Harry was with Dumbledore, they'd stop investigating—even if Harry had been the one to cast the spell.
After all, who would dare pursue a case involving the Headmaster?
…
So, the Trace wasn't nearly as terrifying as Harry had imagined. In fact, it was pretty ineffective.
Harry was right—the Trace wasn't meant to monitor dangerous activity. It was a bureaucratic tool designed centuries ago to stop magical children from using magic in the Muggle world for mischief.
That's how the Trace came to be.
Its true purpose was to keep troublemaking kids in line. If a child pulled a prank on Muggles, the Ministry would find out and send a letter to the parents—followed by a proper spanking.
In truth, most wizards didn't take the Trace very seriously. Otherwise, it wouldn't vanish the moment a wizard turned seventeen.
So really, the law against underage magic outside school was more symbolic than anything else.
As for punishments, the letter mentioned two things:
First, Harry had already violated the law for underage wizards. The worst-case scenario? Expulsion from school—and even that was only a "possibility," not a certainty.
Harry wasn't worried. He had already learned every spell a student could possibly be taught—which was essentially all the magic a wizard ever needed.
Not to mention he had Voldemort's memories, which were full of obscure and powerful magic.
Even if Hogwarts expelled him, there were three other top schools he could transfer to.
Hell, with his skill level, he could probably return to Hogwarts as a professor.
So to Harry, this warning was as empty as air.
The second part was more interesting: a reminder to all wizards that any magic likely to be noticed by Muggles is a serious offense.
The key phrase: "likely to be noticed."
Meaning, as long as no Muggle sees it, adult wizards can cast magic freely in the Muggle world.
That was the reality. Wizards in the Muggle world constantly used magic—but as long as it didn't cause trouble, the Ministry didn't care.
Still, most wizards were cautious.
If caught, the Ministry would slap them with a huge fine.
With Earth's population ever-increasing, even a spell cast in a remote corner could be seen. And now with cameras everywhere, one slip-up and you're facing the Wizengamot.
That's why wizards preferred to behave like Muggles when outside.
They took the bus. If richer, they took a taxi.
Harry suddenly felt a strange sadness—wizards, mysterious and powerful, crammed into public buses like Muggles. What a twist of fate…
-
-
-
⚡ The Rebirth of Harry Potter
📢 Magic Reborn! 📢
The Rebirth of Harry Potter has 100+ chapters ahead available on Patreon! ⚡
Discover the wizarding world's new fate before anyone else.
🛑 Also on Patreon:
Star Wars: The Rise of MandaloreCyberpunk: The RelentlessCyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a SystemMy Cyberpunk 2077 SimulatorMy Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the DreadfortDragon King of Ice and FireStar Wars: Relics of the PastR18: Reincarnated in Her World
🔗 www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 SrMagnus🐦 https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
⚠️ Vote with Power Stones!