Chapter 157
Harry rushed up the staircase until he reached his room, and the first thing he noticed was that Hedwig, his owl, had returned. She was inside her cage, staring at him and clicking her beak in a way that told him something was bothering her. Her little head turned sharply, and that was when he saw it a second owl in the room had dropped a letter at his feet.
Harry bent down to pick it up, immediately recognizing Ron's messy handwriting. He tore open the envelope and read quickly:
"Harry,
Dad got assigned to a mission in Romania, and he's invited you to come with us! And before I forget Fred and I overheard something really interesting when Mum and Dad were talking in their room about what happened at the Ministry! Apparently, Albert has an important appointment coming up!! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Anyway, I'm sending this letter with Pig so you'll know!"
Harry couldn't help but grin as he read the last line he had been thinking the same thing Ron was.
He turned his eyes to the tiny owl barely the size of his hand and shook his head at the name Ron had chosen for it before returning to the letter.
" We'll come pick you up if you say yes! I think you have to say yes there'll be dragons in Romania! So whether you agree or not, send your reply with Pig. We'll come get you at five on Sunday evening if you're in!
See you soon,
Ron."
---
The little owl zoomed around the ceiling in excitement, clearly proud of having delivered the letter to the right person. Harry laughed, saying, "Alright, alright, calm down… Come here, Pig I need you to take a reply!"
Pig fluttered down and perched on top of Hedwig's cage. Hedwig, however, shot her a cold, disdainful look that clearly meant "Don't get too close."
Harry grabbed his quill, pulled out a fresh piece of parchment, and began to write:
**"Ron, everything's fine! I can't accept your invitation this time Sirius has asked me to come live with him! So you don't need to come and pick me up.
Harry."
He folded the letter neatly and tied it to Pig's leg with some difficulty. Once the little owl was ready, she soared out the window and disappeared into the evening sky.
Harry turned toward Hedwig. "Are you ready for a long trip?"
She tilted her head in that familiar, graceful way, and Harry smiled. "Good. I need you to deliver this to Sirius."
Meanwhile…
Albert stepped out of the sweet shop, carrying a small white box decorated with a neat ribbon that clearly marked it as a box of fine sweets.
"Alright," he murmured, exhaling softly. "Everything's ready. Shall we head to the place now?"
He was standing in front of a modest home in the heart of London—a well-kept house belonging to a middle-class Muggle family.
Inside, the dining table was already set with all sorts of delicious dishes. A girl moved back and forth, carrying plates of food in her hands, her voice full of nervous energy as she spoke to her mother.
"Mom! There's barely anything left to do before Albert arrives! I'm so nervous!"
Hermione's mother, Sally, covered her mouth with her hands, smiling warmly. "Ha-ha, darling! Don't be nervous—it just means you're taking this seriously! You said he'd be here by eight, right? There's still a whole hour left! Plenty of time to get changed. Now go on!"
Hermione nodded quickly and hurried off to her room.
Her father, Caesar, sat quietly on the couch, watching a family program on TV—but even he couldn't resist glancing at his wristwatch every few minutes.
Albert finally arrived at the address Hermione had written in her letter two days earlier.
He stepped out of a taxi, his hands full of several paper bags.
"How much?" he asked the driver.
The man smiled. "One pound."
Albert handed him the coin with a polite smile. "Safe travels, sir!"
The driver waved as he pulled away.
Albert took a deep breath. He was dressed smartly he had treated himself to new clothes for the occasion: a crisp white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a black tie, and a matching black jacket that gave him a clean, elegant look.
His trousers were a lighter shade of black, giving just enough contrast.
But what stood out most was his hair he had finally cut it after ages, brushing it neatly back for a refined, confident appearance.
As he reached the front door, Albert's nerves began to stir again.
"Damn it, I'm nervous!" he muttered under his breath. "What am I even supposed to say when I go in? I've got no experience with this sort of visit! I swear, I'm more nervous now than I was facing Dementors in Azkaban!"
He inhaled sharply and straightened his jacket. "Alright, Albert pull yourself together."
Then, with a trembling hand, he pressed the doorbell, waiting for someone from the Granger household to answer.
To be continued …