Chapter 2: Assassin Family

One night in 1980, time was briefly defeated.

On the second day when the sun rose as usual, Vernon Dursley, so fat his neck was invisible, and Petunia Dursley, whose neck was twice as long as an ordinary person's, read the letter from Deng Buliduo and extremely reluctantly adopted the orphan from the detestable Potter family, Harry Potter, who had a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

The Dursleys doted on their precious son Dudley, especially Petunia, who always felt her precious son "didn't eat enough" and constantly fed him, as if raising ducks on a farm.

As for Harry, he had never been treated well. That big round-faced cousin Dudley, and his aunt and uncle, none of them could stand him. Harry usually could only sleep in the tiny cupboard under the stairs.

However, in the Fry family, one street away from the Dursleys, there was a peer Harry could talk to, Jacob Fry. Potter met Jacob in the first grade, and the two happened to attend the same primary school. Perhaps because Jacob had also lost his parents at a young age, he seemed very close to Harry and had much in common.

Jacob had soft, slightly curly dark brown hair, was sturdier than the average person, and had a higher nose bridge. Harry would sometimes chat with Fry about things happening at his uncle's house, from the drill factory worker driving his uncle crazy to his aunt making twelve apple pies for his cousin today; they talked about everything. Jacob would also sneakily bring chocolate from home to Harry. On many Saturdays, the two would just bask in the sun on the lawn of the street park, and that would kill half the day.

"Harry, do you want to leave them?" Jacob propped himself up on the grass with both hands, looking at the sky with his head half-raised, then suddenly turned to Harry, asking with a half-smile. "You definitely want to leave... right?"

"Hm?" Harry didn't hear Jacob's hesitation, tilted his head, and looked at Jacob with beautiful olive eyes, asking earnestly, "They aren't good to me, of course I want to leave. But I don't know where I can go; maybe, maybe I'll be kicked out when I'm a bit older." Harry's tone gradually became hurried.

"You'll definitely have your own life in the future, maybe even become some big shot, and then your aunt will definitely regret it. I'm sure of it, Harry. By the way, want to go out and play?" Jacob suddenly turned his head back, looking at the sky and extending an invitation.

"Go somewhere more relaxing, how about the zoo? Tomorrow is your birthday, your aunt and uncle definitely won't help you celebrate, just like all the years before! I think Jin Ni would be happy to help you celebrate, let's just go to the zoo? How about it, hey, I want to go to the zoo!" Jacob became increasingly excited, jumping up from the grass.

"Um, I mean, um! Great, I also want to go to the zoo, I've never been!" Harry was also excited; children are always impatient for beautiful yearnings. At the same time, Harry was a bit confused, which was that he didn't seem to remember telling Jacob his birthday. However, this was the first time since he reached the third grade that someone was willing to celebrate his birthday, and in his joy, he quickly forgot this little problem.

Sunday morning, Harry snuck out, rushing excitedly toward the other end of Privet Drive. When he arrived, Jacob had just put a whole bag of food on his back. He waved at Harry and said mysteriously: "When we get back from the zoo, I'll give you a gift, you'll definitely like it."

At this moment, a young woman walked out from the doorway; she had very three-dimensional features and some freckles on her face. "Are we leaving? I'll take you there. Henry, you're responsible for dinner—remember to buy duck necks."

Jin Ni greeted her husband, then smiled at Harry. She was Jacob's sister, but much older than Jacob, and had already married an Indian man named Henry Green. Harry at first thought she was Jacob's mother.

Jin Ni drove them to the zoo. There were quite a few people on Sunday, but not many who loved reptiles. To avoid the crowded crowd, Jin Ni took Harry and the others to start from the reptile house. Through the huge glass curtain wall, the three of them watched quietly all the way. Children are always easily attracted by the unknown and dangerous beauty.

"My god, how long is this python? 25 feet?" Harry couldn't help but widen his eyes by half.

"It must be 30 feet! It could swallow you in one bite!" Jacob scared Harry. "How many years would it take to grow this long? Why don't we ask it."

"How old are you?" Harry asked the python half-jokingly.

The python turned its head slightly, looked at Harry, gradually approached, and flicked its tongue, "Hiss, hiss hiss."

"Oh, you're already twenty-four. For a snake, is that still young? Wait, you can actually understand me?" Harry gasped, then turned into a burst of ecstasy, "Are you from, um... Myanmar? Is it boring staying here every day?"

Just like that, Harry chatted with the python for a few sentences, but when he wanted to share this with Jacob, he found they were both gone. Harry prepared to go out to look for them, but was stopped by a security guard.

"Hey, little boy, where did your parents, friends, or guardians go? We don't allow a six or seven-year-old child to wander around here alone."

"Uh, sir, I think they must have gone to the bathroom..."

"Regardless, you're lost from them. How about this, you come with me to the broadcast room."

After broadcasting a few times and waiting in the broadcast room for a long time, he still didn't see Jacob and Jin Ni. Harry was a bit dejected. The kind-hearted security guard asked for Harry's address and offered to send him back after getting off work.

Harry couldn't figure out where those two had gone. The surprise of communicating with the snake was diluted by this suspicious event.

By dusk, Privet Drive was no longer as quiet as usual; a crowd of people was gathered at Harry's door, chattering.

"What happened, why is there police everywhere." Seeing this scene, a strange feeling flashed through Harry's heart. He bid farewell to the kind person from the zoo and hurried toward home.

It was 4 Privet Drive that had been cordoned off. A crowd was discussing what had just happened outside the police line.

Harry stood outside the police line, stunned.

"I really can't believe Mrs. Dursley was just killed like that. I mean, although she always loved to gossip about the neighbors, who could, oh, and poor little Dudley, he was also involved."

"Hey, keep it down, that Harry is back... Harry, my condolences, please trust the police."

"Oh, poor little boy. Will he be sent to an orphanage now?"

"At least he won't be sent to my house, my god, I just remembered, I have to go back and turn off the fire for the soup."

The sky gradually darkened, and Harry gradually came to his senses, asking the officer tremblingly:

"Sir, I mean, my aunt and uncle, they? Were they killed? Why would anyone do that?"

"Poor child, we don't know either, but it's clear that he hired a professional assassin, wanting to kill everyone in the house: the scene was very tidy, and the victims only had one wound each: on the neck, one strike to kill, very precise. I'm very sorry child, you could even say you escaped a disaster, I don't know how they provoked such a killer, child, your, your parents?"

"They died when I was born, sir." Harry's tone was calm and dejected.

"Next, we will contact your other close blood relatives, if they are unwilling, then you might have to go to an orphanage, poor child." The bearded officer squatted down and gently touched Harry's hair, which was soaked with sweat.

"Sir, can I choose who adopts me? I mean, if there really is someone willing to adopt me."

Harry looked up at the officer as he stood up to leave, asking with gathered courage.

"Yes, we will investigate the family that adopts you."

"Thank you."

The police were still investigating at the scene, and the surrounding people gradually dispersed. In the shadow of a street lamp in the distance stood an elder with a white beard, with a mysterious cat squatting beside him.

"Mrs. Figg told me that the Fry family one street away has disappeared. Harry's experience all day today is very suspicious, and we have every reason to suspect that this is exactly what Henry Green did." Deng Buliduo said slowly.

"Henry Green... is he a Death Eater?" The cat spoke. "I can understand, the powerful ward protecting Harry must rely on blood relatives to take effect. And he didn't kill Harry, perhaps the Dark Lord ordered him to do it himself."

"You have a point, I thought about the same thing. I heard that he is an Indian, perhaps Voldemort met some foreign friends when we didn't know... However, since such a thing has happened now, I think where this child should go in the future might be more important. He cannot go to an orphanage, he must be protected. Let's look for blood relatives on Lily's side again, the action might need to be faster, let's go."

After a commotion, the man and the cat disappeared under the street lamp.

"Is it the Taylor family?" The doorbell rang, no one answered. The housewife next door poked her head out of the window and greeted them.

"Hey, good evening, Madam and Sir, are you two friends or relatives of theirs? Perhaps so, I have to tell you, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor haven't returned since they went on a trip last month, the police judged them as missing."

"Deng Buliduo, their actions are faster than we imagined, who is the next family?" There was a trace of unease in McGonagall's eyes.

"Their family is numerous, perhaps those assassins won't find it easy to succeed." Deng Buliduo's tone was calm, and through his small glasses, he hesitated thoughtfully for a moment. "It's very difficult, but perhaps this is our only remaining hope. Let's go, McGonagall."

Two days later, a telephone ring sounded in Downton.

"Please transfer to Mr. George Crawley."

"Master, there is a call for you."

"Yes, it's me. Lily Evans?" The old man was silent for a moment. "My cousin's husband does seem to be named Evans. It doesn't matter, I'm very willing, what does the child say? I will take good care of him, naturally. That's great. That's great."

"What's wrong, Grandpa?" Jin Ni saw a red glow on George's face, a symbol of excitement.

"That boy is coming." George's wrinkles didn't seem so soft anymore.

"Harry Potter?" Jin Ni became happy all at once, her tone high.

"That's right, Harry, Potter." ===== CHAPTER 3 =====