Before going home, I decided to do something about my hunger. Not in the mood to try wizarding food — far too unpredictable tonight — I chose a 'muggle' restaurant instead. There was a comfort in the familiarity of it, something grounding amid the chaos of the day. The smell of fried food and spices reminded me of simpler days. As I ate, my mind wandered back to the information Bogrod had given me about the Tonks couple.
According to the records, Andromeda Tonks, formerly Black, had run off with Edward (Ted) Tonks. They married and had a metamorphmagus daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, who had just finished her seventh year at Hogwarts and joined the auror training programme. Edward was indeed a law wizard, generally aligned with the light faction under Dumbledore's guidance, and Andromeda was a healer at St. Mungo's Hospital. On the surface, it seemed straightforward, but something about it felt off. The fact that they were fast friends of the Weasleys caught my attention — Molly, Arthur, and Ted were close, and after Ted and Andromeda became a couple, she had been drawn fully into their circle.
Why did I smell something fishy here? My instincts told me there was more beneath the surface, a layer of politics or secrecy that wasn't obvious. I couldn't approach them directly — not yet. This required careful research. I filed the thought away for later.
"Sigh…" I murmured to myself. "Alfred, can you take me to Potter Manor?" Wearing the Lord Ring, I could access it instantly. I decided to move there without delay. I'd show my face at the Dursleys regularly to keep Figg and others off my back.
In an instant, I appeared before a sprawling castle. The sheer scale of the manor overwhelmed me. Yet, there was an odd sense of uneasiness that crept into my mind. Desolation lingered around the place, like an echo of something forgotten.
"This place needs repair and maintenance," I murmured. "There goes my plan to move in here. Alfred, let go."
He obeyed, and we returned to 4 Privet Drive. My gaze lingered on the wards around the house. My mind drifted to the information I had gathered through my abilities about blood wards. Lily had woven her protection around me with her blood — she had sacrificed herself to complete the love ritual that powered that ward.
I felt a pang in my chest. I wish she would have been with me… to share my joys and to pat me on the back after every achievement. Shaking my head to dismiss the thought, I retreated to my room and reached for my mother's trunk.
Inside, I was once again in her library.
"Hey, Mom!" I called softly.
"Harry! How was your day?" Her voice was warm, tinged with concern.
"It was very productive, to say the least."
"Good… just don't stress yourself too much. Your health is equally important."
"Yeah, Mom. Don't worry, I've got it all covered. By the way, can you suggest some books I should read?"
"Of course, sweetie. This library is arranged so it will be most convenient for you. Start from the shelf in the leftmost corner and progressively go rightwards."
"Alright, thanks, Mom."
Looking at the books she recommended, I felt a rush of anticipation. There were her first-to-fifth-year course books and notes, volumes on pure-blood etiquette, the rights of a noble lord, roughly ten books on rituals, tomes on everyday magic and spells, basics of mind arts, and a detailed book on occlumency. Two books on Parseltongue and another on detection charms were there as well. A handwritten notebook titled An Extensive Guide for Muggle-borns caught my attention.
Without hesitation, I began devouring the knowledge with my system's help. I stayed there the entire night, stopping only the next morning for my daily run and exercise. During the night, I dedicated thirty minutes to eating, one hour to meditation, and two hours to occlumency training. When fatigue hit, I took a one-minute nap — more than enough for me.
I spent about ten minutes per book — five minutes to read the first page, five minutes to revise and absorb the system's insights. By the time I began my morning run, I had covered everything on the shelf except the Parseltongue volumes. Satisfaction coursed through me as I stretched in my room after my jog, now well-lit and expansive inside the trunk.
"Alfred," I instructed calmly, "after leaving me at the Grangers', go to Gringotts. Take everything I requested yesterday from Bogrod, and tell him to hire battle instructors. Only the best. Do not compromise."
"Yes, sir," he replied respectfully.
I took a bath and changed into Dudley's old clothes, stepping out of the house quietly. A peeping old woman with her cats lingered nearby. She watched me leave, her curiosity palpable. I ignored her and called the infamous Knight Bus — which I silently vowed to dismantle and improve someday. I stepped off with measured steps in front of the Grangers' house, my mind already calculating my next move.