[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-hogwarts-learning-panel":3,"chapter-hogwarts-learning-panel-hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-266":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Hogwarts Learning Panel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2250504,4210,"Chapter 266","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-266",266,"\u003Cp>Inside the bar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conversation naturally turned to the issue of Harry’s guardians, the Dursleys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They locked Harry up—he said the place was like a prison—and then they only gave him pathetic canned soup, with hardly any vegetables in it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron grumbled indignantly, now wishing he could storm into the Dursleys’ house and stuff their nasty faces with bogeys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>En remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dursleys were indeed archetypal villains—narrow-minded and cruel, spoiling Dudley while abusing Harry. Even without Harry, they weren’t good people; without Harry, Dudley was still a bully who preyed on the weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their portrayal was far more complex than mere “evil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wizards have never held a positive image in the non-magical world. Most often, they are synonymous with trouble, evil, and terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Non-magical people always despise wizards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention Petunia, who was shut out of the magical world—she once wrote to Dumbledore begging to attend Hogwarts, and was refused. From then on, her longing for magic turned to hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vernon, meanwhile, utterly rejected the magical world—he was arrogant, looking down on yet terrified of those “freak abilities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, they should never have adopted Harry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Harry had been in an orphanage, he wouldn’t have…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Never mind. Better to be adopted—at least he survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And fate sometimes plays a cruel joke: after Dumbledore arrived, they were forced to adopt Harry, and Harry needed to live with his blood relatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So despite their extreme reluctance, they did fulfill Dumbledore’s demand, providing Harry with a “blood protection” refuge that allowed him to survive. Dumbledore had written in his letter: “As long as he can still call it home, he will be safe.” They achieved this—though in the most abysmal way possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem is, they—at least Petunia—did not lack affection for Harry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This can be proven. For instance, after Harry received his Hogwarts letter, they could have simply let him go—even should have been relieved, since they’d finally been rid of a burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet their behavior, especially Petunia’s, was abnormal. She once entertained a wildly absurd idea: that they could drain the magic out of Harry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Harry’s eleventh birthday, when they tried and failed to destroy the Hogwarts letter, Petunia and Vernon turned to the old superstition that “witches cannot cross water.” But as a child, she had often seen Lily skipping stones along a stream—so when Hagrid effortlessly crossed the stormy waves to reach the island cottage, she had no reason to be shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When love and hatred intertwine, simple right and wrong become impossible to discern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dursleys were indeed petty people, but Harry’s life could have been far less terrible… if only they’d paid a little in maintenance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus arose the second critical question: wizards revered magical power far above gold, and no one ever considered this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so Harry became an unavoidable, likely dangerous burden…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With poor adoption conditions and even worse adopters, Harry’s dark childhood was doomed from the start…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the Leaky Cauldron, noise erupted again as the door opened, letting in music from the neighboring record shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my goodness, Harry, why didn’t you ever tell us—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione’s voice appeared at the bar’s entrance, each syllable trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze swept the bar and instantly spotted En and the others gathered together; she hurried over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have to call the police! These bastards—they’re…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down, Hermione.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting comforted her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anger isn’t worth it, Hermione.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brooch said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione looked in surprise toward En—his calm face gave no hint of these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, since everyone’s here, then—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting waited quietly, then met En’s puzzled gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting couldn’t help but smile wryly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On London’s streets, crowds bustled as the young wizards were picked up by a stretched limousine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron gazed in wonder at the mahogany interior and wool carpets, murmuring:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cars can be made this long?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>En read *Soul Transfiguration*; Neville kept his head down; Harry and Hermione looked tense and restrained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry opened his mouth, but no words came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to understand now what Jia Jia Siting meant by “help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dursleys were classic opportunists—right now, the whole family was busy preparing for an upcoming high-value client.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This client was rumored to be connected to them and had both the means and likely intent to place a massive order (his company manufactured drilling equipment).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the living room, Vernon cleared his throat with exaggerated solemnity:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We all know today is an extremely important day—I may close the biggest deal of my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We should go over the afternoon schedule again—everyone must be in position by two p.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Petunia, you should—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the living room,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Petunia replied,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“waiting to warmly welcome them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, good. Dudley?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be there to open the door for them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dudley forced a repulsively artificial smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shall I take your coats, Mr. Green, Mr. Finnleery, and Mr. Potter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After uttering “Potter,” he dropped the smile, sneered, and thought: same surname, yet such vastly different people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was a wealthy patron who even his father treated with reverence; the other was a freak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young wizards were also discussing their plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, so what we need to do is—give Harry a new identity…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting slowly laid out his plan, but En was uninterested in this childish game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet one must admit that Jia Jia Siting’s method held a certain significance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The core of the plan was simple: let Harry decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one had the right to make decisions for Harry; all they needed to do was give him an identity that allowed him to choose his own fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lucky identity— inheriting the legacy of a long-lost distant relative of the Potters in the Muggle world—two moderately successful construction companies—would suffice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Siting busied himself arranging everything; everyone was caught up in the hopeful atmosphere, except Harry, who turned his head and quickly wiped away his tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dudley was wrong—in Hogwarts, so many people care for him.\u003C\u002Fp>",995,"2026-06-19T10:00:41.888Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","424713e0bf3c8f3f208c7b1f0a5f8c1b11a489cb5348f685479b89208ad1a8df","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-267","hogwarts-learning-panel-chapter-265",526,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhogwarts-learning-panel-cover.jpg"]