CHAPTER 16

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CHAPTER 16

When recess time came, everyone poured out of the classroom, and among them, Dudley sauntered out, his gaze filled with pride as he surveyed his handiwork. Elmi observed how the real culprit rally returned to the scene of their crime, a grin tugging at his lips. He watched as the classmate who had humiliated him began to cry, distraught over his damaged bike. Dudley was exuding confidence, fully convinced that nothing would happen to him, and he had even summoned Headmistress Roemmele.

With a stern expression and a ruler in her hand, Headmistress Roemmele raised her voice, demanding, "Who did this? Come forward this instant, or the consequences will be severe!"

Headmistress Roemmele scanned the crowd and repeated her warning, "This is your last chance, or those responsible for this will face a two-week suspension."

She had conferred with other teachers, and now, like a determined hawk seeking its prey, she scrutinized every student's face. Headmistress Roemmele asserted, "The person who did this is from this class. Every other student was in their class, and no one had a hall pass during this period."

Dudley elbowed Gordon, who promptly raised his hand. The headmistress turned her attention to him and inquired, "What is it?"

Gordon hesitated before replying, "I saw Potter leaving the gym."

Harry was taken aback and stammered, "I... I didn't do anything. I was sitting in the bleachers the entire period."

Malcolm chimed in, saying, "Headmistress, I saw Potter near the bike rack when I was going to the toilet. Dudley, you were with me, and you saw him too. You shouldn't protect your cousin."

Headmistress Roemmele, her doubts assuaged by Dudley and his friends, continued to press Harry with unfounded accusations. Harry's frustration grew with each passing moment, and as he struggled to contain his emotions, a surge of untamed magical energy burst forth, resulting in an accidental magical incident. Dudley's hair turned a shocking shade of pink, a transformation that left the onlookers bewildered. Only Elmi sensed the magical surge.

The schoolyard erupted into chaos as students reacted to Dudley's inexplicable hair color change. After a few minutes of pandemonium, most people dismissed it as a prank and turned their attention back to Harry. Just as Headmistress Roemmele was preparing to reprimand him, Elmi intervened, surprising both her and Harry.

"What is it, Fawley?" Headmistress Roemmele inquired.

Elmi stepped forward and addressed her confidently, "Ms. Roemmele, I believe I know who's responsible for this, and it's not Harry."

Headmistress Roemmele looked intrigued but skeptical. "How do you know that?"

Elmi explained, "Because Harry's clothes are not torn, which would have happened if he fell on top of the bikes. Additionally, this bike's tire was cut with a knife."

His astute observation left the headmistress and others in attendance contemplating this new information.

Elmi turned his attention to Dudley and Gordon, pointing out their torn clothing, and mentioned that they had been outside during the incident. He also recalled overhearing Dudley brag about having a pocketknife. To further support his argument, Elmi picked up a tiny piece of fabric from the broken bikes and showed it to the headmistress.

"Doesn't this piece of clothing match Dudley's in terms of color and design?" Elmi questioned.

Dudley began to stammer nervously, "I... I didn't... I didn't do it; Potter did it."

Elmi then turned to Headmistress Roemmele, placing the piece of clothing in her palm and saying, "Ms. Roemmele, I believe you are a discerning person, and I doubt you'd want one of your pupils to bring knives to your school. What is the punishment for vandalism and the use of weapons on school grounds? Is it expulsion?"

Headmistress Roemmele cleared her throat and answered, "If it is true, yes, expulsion or two months of suspension. Mr. Dudley, please empty your pockets."

While looking at Elmi, Dudley was seething with anger and reluctantly emptied his pockets to reveal the pocketknife. With frustration in his eyes, he complied as Headmistress Roemmele led him away, pulling his ears, and took him to her office.

Head Mistress Roemmele sternly addressed Dudley, "We will have to call your parents and discuss your vandalism and this tasteless prank of coloring your hair."

Dudley, still protesting his innocence, shouted that he wasn't responsible for the unusual color of his hair. As he was dragged away, Harry felt a wave of relief washing over him. Elmi approached Harry and handed him his book back, saying, "I think this belongs to you."

With a sense of curiosity, Harry asked, "Why... Why are you helping me?"

Elmi explained, "That's what decent human beings do. They help each other, and good wizards always stick up for each other."

Harry was puzzled by Elmi's words and asked, "What do you mean by wizards?"

He pulled Harry to a corner. Elmi knew that Dusleys would never tell him his outbursts were because of his magic. He wasn't going to wait for Hagrid to tell him, and he always wanted to say this line,

"You are a wizard, Harry."

Confused, Harry responded, "A wizard? They're not real."

Elmi, wanting to make the revelation clear, said, "Oh, they are real. Your father and mother were both wizards. To be exact, your mother was a witch; that's what we call a female caster."

Harry was in denial, insisting, "No, you are making a mistake. I am nobody, I am just Harry."

Elmi, feeling frustrated, gave Harry a punch on the arm. 

"Aww!"

Harry winced in pain and protested, "Never, never call yourself a nobody; that's what your aunt wants you to believe, not who you really are. You are not just Harry; you are Harry Potter. You are from a prominent family."

Elmi pulled Harry to a secluded area between the buildings. Looking around cautiously, he picked up a stick and cast a spell: "Malediccio Bladae." The stick started to glow with an eerie light. Harry gasped, his eyes filled with wonder rather than fear. Elmi explained, "You must have experienced moments like today, where you made things happen when you were angry or frightened. When a person with magic reaches 5 years old, they start to experience accidental magic. By now, you must have experienced it once or twice. Thinking how they were treating you at home, you must have experienced intense emotions?"

Harry couldn't take his eyes off the glowing stick and said, "Yes, but Aunt Petunia always said it was happening because I bring bad luck. She always said that's why my parents died in a car accident—I brought them bad luck."

Elmi's heart ached at Harry's words. What kind of monster would say such a thing to a child? He knew that Petunia always envied her sister, but this was taking it too far. Yet, in a way, she wasn't entirely wrong. The source of the bad luck was the witch with her self-fulfilling prophecy that brought misfortune upon the Potters.

...

When school ended, Elmi's uncle came to pick him up. Dudley was acting obnoxiously as they made their way to the car, while Vernon blamed Harry for the incident. Dudley had been suspended for a month, which meant he would likely fail a grade due to absenteeism. At least this way, Harry wouldn't have to endure Dudley's presence in his classes next year.

Upon arriving home, Elmi had reached a significant decision. He couldn't leave Harry in that situation. He was determined to talk to his mother about Harry and what he had discovered.