Harry's summer was going surprisingly well, better than he could have imagined.
Although neither his uncle nor his aunt was particularly fond of him, the true twist came from an unexpected ally, Dudley. His enthusiasm for Harry was almost like he had transformed into a completely different person.
Sure, Dudley had once bullied Harry relentlessly, but now that Harry was safely tucked away at Hogwarts, armed with magic he could unleash at any moment, Dudley had completely abandoned any thought of tormenting him.
So why, then, did Dudley still cling to Harry so persistently?
The answer was simple: Ruby existed.
School bullying was no joke, even though Dudley had a gang of friends at school, together they were still insufficient against someone like Ruby, who dared to fight and could actually hold his own.
There's a reason why forming alliances works, it's not just talk. It's an effective way to avoid being bullied.
And friends of friends can become friends too. But Harry? He was Dudley's cousin, a status above mere friendship!
And so Harry's summer passed in a strange mix of pain and pleasure… until trouble came knocking.
It was a day of visitors, and Harry's birthday to boot. Unlike the last memorable visitor who had changed Dudley's memories and indirectly altered Harry's fate, this guest was a major investor, a potential business partner for Harry's uncle.
What happened next was remarkably straightforward.
Harry was instructed to "play dead", not a word to be spoken.
Then a hyperactive house-elf barged in, spouting superstition and trying to pitch him on various schemes, cards, products, you name it.
Harry saw through the elf's scam and said no.
The elf, furious, started destroying things.
Smash! Crash!
The destruction caught the investor's attention, scaring them off.
The elf's sales pitch failed, and they retreated.
Harry was wrongly blamed and promptly grounded.
End.
And that, dear readers, was the full arc of Harry's sudden plunge from joy to despair.
Fortunately, his savior eventually arrived.
Outside, a familiar face appeared, Ron.
Accompanying him were Hogwarts' own demolition duo.
Just as they prepared to demonstrate their clever trick, opening a neighborhood gate with a single bag of instant noodles, a large figure appeared, handing over the "key" to get through.
As Harry followed the Weasleys to the car, his cousin didn't forget to wave, smiling like a three-hundred-pound child.
"Oh, Harry, didn't you say your cousin was a complete villain?"
"I don't know… he's changed so much this vacation," Harry shook his head, still bewildered.
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
Meanwhile, at the orphanage, Allen lay in a chair, sunning himself while sorting mail. During summer break, friends from all over had sent him numerous invitations, most politely declined.
His priorities were clear: first, master the heroes already under his command; second, keep an eye on Harry, Tom Riddle's diary was about to appear, and he didn't want any surprises.
Allen estimated that the Tom Riddle conjured from the diary would be at most the level he'd achieved by graduation, if not weaker. Otherwise, why rely on a basilisk for mischief? Sure, a basilisk is powerful, but for convenience, it's no match for Voldemort's wand at his peak.
But it didn't matter, Allen's goal wasn't to wait until Ginny was dragged to the Chamber of Secrets to save her. That would be too low-level. His plan was to neutralize Voldemort the moment he emerged.
This was tricky, though the diary couldn't speak, it could still tempt people.
Ambitions are lofty; reality is harsh. In the original story, the diary ended up with Ginny, but Allen had already altered the plot drastically. Who might even receive it now? Ginny? Malfoy?
It depended on Lucius's intentions. Allen had no clue if he was targeting the Weasleys, Harry, or Dumbledore.
Luckily, at least Dobby appeared. Without him, Allen couldn't even be sure whether the Chamber of Secrets event would occur this year, since he had changed so many things.
If Lucius merely wanted to eliminate Dumbledore, any student discovering the diary would inevitably trigger chaos, creating a chance to oust Dumbledore.
If Lucius aimed to target the "arrogant" Harry, giving the diary to Harry or someone he knew was correct, never underestimate Voldemort's mindset; it was venomous.
Taking out the Weasleys was even easier, a random kid passing the diary around would suffice.
As for Malfoy, seeking revenge, he might unearth some magical elder capable of everything, including black magic, though unfortunately, the Malfoys were wealthy, so "poverty-driven ingenuity" was irrelevant…
But all of this was speculation, the diary was unique, without any task prompts or highlighted items. How could Allen possibly guess where it would be?
The many possibilities made Allen feel as if his brain had grown a size, even after confirming Dobby's report about Harry being warned.
Finally, as Annie brought him tea, Allen slapped the armrest of his chair, startling her.
He had found the common thread among all possibilities:
No matter whose hands the diary ended up in, there was a location no one could bypass.
That place? The Chamber of Secrets' infamous bathroom, Allen knew its true secrets better than anyone at Hogwarts.
The key to opening it? Allen just memorized a few phrases Harry would need, like a subtle hint to appease the serpent spirit.
Sure, a basilisk hatched from a toad's egg sounded impressive, but could it really defeat Allen?
Instant death beams and petrification rays? Sounds intimidating, but Allen doubted they could penetrate Morgana's shield.
Meanwhile, the diary Voldemort had no idea that before he even began his mischief, someone had already started walking a path to cut him off completely…
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
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