Chapter 9

He and Frank had arranged to meet at the school gate before setting out to find Harry together.

"Aaron, I'm here!" Frank stood in front of a fried chicken restaurant near the school, holding three cartons of milk tea and waving enthusiastically.

Frank, who had graduated with honors, had received a generous allowance from his parents. When he heard about going out with Aaron, the top student, and their mentor and helpful friend, he readily agreed to join the outing.

"Aaron, have you had breakfast? Want a fried chicken cutlet?" Frank offered.

[TL Note, I finally gave up looking for substitutes to make this AU hp world more British]

"Sure, even though I already ate. Another chicken cutlet sounds great. I'll buy a few cups of milk tea and pack an extra one for Harry." Aaron replied, taking out a couple of pounds.

[TL note, what kind of kids like to drink milk tea? Ans: The ones with symptom of jaundice AKA yellow skin]

The two friends first visited the "Toy Land" boutique store to purchase a birthday gift for Harry, then they took the bus to the neighborhood where Harry Potter lived.

"No. 4 Privet Drive, this is it!" Frank pointed to the street sign and turned to Aaron.

Aaron's attention was caught by a cat perched on the wall. "No glasses around its eyes. Just an ordinary cat, not Professor McGonagall in disguise, keeping an eye on Harry from a muggle's house." Aaron mused, his thoughts drifting to the magical world.

Frank rang the doorbell. A heavyset man's voice echoed from inside, "Dudley, go answer the door!"

"Call Harry, I want to watch cartoons!" Dudley's impatient voice followed.

Soon, heavy footsteps approached the door, and Vernon Dursley, a middle-aged man with a double chin, swung the door open. He looked rather oily and asked brusquely, "What do you want, boy?"

"Hello, we're Harry Potter's schoolmates. Is Harry at home?" Frank asked politely.

"Harry? There's no Harry Potter here," Vernon Dursley replied impatiently, already trying to shut the door.

Aaron stepped forward, preventing the door from closing. "Excuse me, sir, is Dudley at home? I'm Aaron Harris, Dudley's classmate."

"Are you Aaron Harris? The top student?... Dada, Aaron Harris is here to see you!" Mr. Dursley called out to the room with suspicion in his eyes.

"Please come in." Vernon Dursley stepped aside, realizing that having Dudley interact with a top student might have its benefits.

"Aaron, Harry, we—"

"Yes, Dudley, let's talk about boxing." Without waiting for Dudley's astonished look, Aaron took a step forward, grabbed Dudley's shoulder, and guided him towards the living room, not giving him a chance to resist.

The living room was tidy and neat. Photos on the fireplace shelf depicted a sturdy young boy engaged in various activities, from riding a bicycle to tending a garden or playing computer games with his father, hugging his mother. Strangely absent from these photos was any sign of another boy living in the same house. Though Harry had actually resided there, Aaron's gaze turned to the cupboard, confident that Harry was inside.

"Boom..." Harry knocked softly from inside the cupboard. "Aaron, Frank, I'm in here." He hoped to attract his friends' attention.

"Harry's voice! Mr. Dursley, are you illegally confining Harry in this cupboard?" Aaron glanced at Mr. Dursley, deliberately questioning him.

"Yeah, we haven't seen Harry for a while. He even missed the final exams!" Frank heard Harry's voice and shared his concern.

"Nonsense! How could we do that? We've raised him with such care... oh, for goodness' sake!" Mr. Dursley stammered, his face turning red as he realized he was losing his composure.

Aaron wasn't interested in hearing Dursley's excuses. He deftly unfastened his cufflinks, flicked his wrist, and used the cuff to unlatch the cupboard door, allowing Harry to emerge. Before Dursley could close the door again, Harry stepped out. The partially ajar cupboard door hung like a mouth agape, representing the darkness and neglect that had plagued Harry's supposed childhood happiness.

Harry looked gratefully at his friends. Amidst his darkest moments, Aaron and Frank had been the beacon of light that illuminated his path, allowing him to experience love and hope even in the depths of despair.

"Alright, Harry, I was going to take you to the amusement park. Now I'm inviting you to leave my house along with your friends," Mr. Dursley said with exasperation.

Aaron, Harry, and Frank exchanged glances and refrained from further provoking Mr. Dursley. After all, Harry would remain under the Dursleys' care until he came of age.

"Thank you both so much. On Dudley's last birthday, I released a python at the zoo... and that's why I got locked in here," Harry shared, shedding light on his previous escapade to his two friends.

"Harry, wait a moment. The mailman seems to have arrived with something for you. I think it's a birthday card." Aaron noticed the approaching mailman on a motorbike and stopped speaking to let Frank share some of the fried chicken with Harry.