Harry Potter with Technology System

Ch181- Second Year Starts!

On September First, Harry and Petunia arrived at King's Cross Station, ready for Harry to board the Hogwarts Express for his second year at the magical school. At the station, Harry embraced his aunt. "Aunty, I'll write to you every day," he promised.

Petunia kissed his forehead gently. "Make sure you do," she whispered softly, her eyes showing the usual mix of worry and care as she watched him prepare to leave for another year at Hogwarts.

Walking towards the familiar red train, Harry carried his luggage lightly, feeling Hedwig's discontent as she rattled her cage slightly. Hedwig wasn’t fond of being confined. Glancing around, he noticed several older students who nodded in recognition, especially the Slytherins, who greeted him with a touch more deference, greeting their new the Serpent of the Crown. Harry acknowledged them with a nod and proceeded to find an empty compartment, which wasn’t unusual for him. It had become something of an unspoken tradition; he would settle in, and soon, others would join.

As he stowed his luggage and released Hedwig from her cage, allowing her some freedom, he pulled out a book—Moby-Dick. It was just a light read to keep his mind occupied. About ten minutes had passed when the compartment door slid open to reveal the Weasley twins. "If it isn't the one and only Mr. Potter," declared one of the twins with a theatrical bow.

Harry looked up, a smile playing on his lips. "Mr. and Mr. Weasley, how do you do?" he greeted them warmly.

The twins, in their usual fashion, waggled their eyebrows comically. "We're plotting, as always," said Fred—or perhaps George; it was still hard to tell them apart. "And looking for opportunities to add a bit of fun to this fine morning."

"Hmm, seems like you're in the wrong compartment. Well, of course, if you want to break our truce of not pranking, I'd be happy to oblige," Harry said with a small smirk. Fred and George shivered at the memory. They had learned the hard way never to prank Harry or anyone close to him again. Last year had been a painful lesson.

"No, no, we're just here to say hello," one of them hastened to add. "And give you the heads up."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Oh, what is it then? Some juicy gossip?"

Fred grinned, "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has been selected. I still can't believe Lockhart was a fraud."

Harry's expression remained neutral as he absorbed the news. The twins, unaware of his involvement in Lockhart's downfall, continued chatting.

"Yeah, and they’ve appointed none other than Professor Lupin. Can you believe it?" George chimed in.

"Remus Lupin?" Harry mused aloud. "I've read about him. He's supposed to be quite good."

The twins nodded enthusiastically. "He's a bit shabby, but he's supposed to be really knowledgeable about Dark creatures. Well, that is what my Ma says." Fred added.

"Interesting choice," Harry commented, thinking about how this change might affect his year. "Thanks for the update."

With a salute, the twins made their exit, leaving Harry to ponder the implications of having Lupin as a professor. As the twins left, Harry looked at the old parchment in his hand with a grin. "Mischief managed. It was easier to steal than I thought," he remarked, at the same time Nigel reported the completion of last year's quest.

[System Message: Quest - Find the Magical Map of Hogwarts. Reward: Upgrading Map to show living beings, their names, their positions, and their current activity.]

The twins' news about Professor Lupin intrigued Harry, but he was more immediately focused on the magical map spread before him. It now displayed not just the layout of Hogwarts but also the moving dots representing each person within its walls. Each dot was labeled with a name and a some hidden passages spread around the castle, providing Harry with real-time insights into the whereabouts of everyone in the school.

Looking at the map, Harry frowned. He had heard the twins use the map before and watched them with a mirror several times, so he knew the password, but to think the map was something so amazing. Every single person in the castle could be tracked. "This is amazing," Harry muttered to himself. 

"Who could have created this?" He looked at the front of the map again, "Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER'S MAP." Looking at the names, Harry frowned but couldn't make sense of them. Yet, from the map, he felt a familiar magical sensation. 

"Wait, this is written with Phoenix Feather Quill!" Harry exclaimed. His Phoenix Feather Quill allowed him to write hidden texts that could only be revealed under certain circumstances. The message was written by Phoenix Feather Quill, and only by saying, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," the message could be seen. Harry looked at the rest of the map. "I can't sense the same magic from the rest of the map, although it uses similar magic. Only appears under certain conditions." 

Looking at the map, Harry, curious, used the Observe spell on it.

[System Message: The Map of Hogwarts, often referred to as the Marauder's Map, holds significant historical and magical value. It was initially crafted by Helga Hufflepuff, one of Hogwarts’ four founders. This artifact has traditionally been passed to students deemed worthy by the school itself, which modifies their memories to believe they created or inherited it. For the Marauders, they believed themselves the creators; for Fred and George Weasley, it appeared as a legacy passed from the Marauders.]

Amazed by the depth of history and magic behind the map, Harry mulled over the information. "So, it wasn’t just a tool for pranks but a significant piece of magical history, handed down through generations," Harry thought aloud.

Nigel chimed in, "Quite the heirloom, Master Harry. From one mischief-maker to another, it seems your penchant for uncovering secrets is quite well catered to."

Harry smiled slightly at Nigel’s comment and continued to examine the map. As he looked at the names - Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs - a sense of mystery lingered. "I need to find out who these people really are. If I am not wrong, and Phoenix Feather Quill was truly used, it can be a Potter," he mused, planning to delve deeper into Hogwarts' history once he returned to school.

Harry shook his head, a lightbulb clicking on in his mind. "It all adds up," he mused. "How else could Fred and George have stumbled upon the exact phrase to activate the map? Out of countless possible combinations, they found 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' It’s too precise to be mere luck." He was convinced the school itself had altered their memories to make them believe they had discovered the phrase by chance. Why the twins were chosen was a mystery to him, one that left him with a lingering unease. Was he now considered worthy by the school for having taken the map? Harry hoped this wasn't a sign that he was in trouble.

Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, the compartment door slid open again. Susan and Hannah entered with bright smiles and eager greetings. Standing up, Harry reached over to help them with their luggage, noticing their cheeks flush as they took in his increased strength—a noticeable change from last year.

After settling their bags, they all sat down. Susan and Hannah were buzzing with excitement, having not seen Harry in a week. "It's so great to see you, Harry! Feels like it’s been ages," Hannah exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with genuine joy.

"Yeah, I've missed this—us just hanging out," Susan added, shifting her books around to make more room.

Harry grinned, "I've missed it too. And I have good news." Before he could finish, the door slid open again, and Daphne and Tracey walked in, followed closely by Neville, Hermione, Pansy, the Patil sisters, and Lavender. As Harry helped with their luggage, Hannah reminded him, "A good news you were saying, Harry."

"Right," Harry resumed, as everyone settled down. "This year, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is Remus Lupin. From what I know, he was a friend of my father." Harry didn’t know much about Lupin personally, but he recalled seeing his name mentioned warmly in his parents’ old letters.

The compartment buzzed with interest. "Remus Lupin?" Hermione looked intrigued. "He's written several papers on Dark creatures. They’re really insightful."

Daphne nodded. "Hopefully, he's better than Lockhart. Speaking of, can you believe all that drama at the book signing?" She looked around, gauging everyone's reaction.

Tracey chuckled, "That was quite the spectacle. Lockhart's face when he started confessing—priceless!"

Hermione, always the thoughtful one, added, "It’s troubling though, how many people he deceived. It’s a good thing he was exposed before he could do more damage at Hogwarts."

Neville, frowning slightly, said, "Yeah, Harry, wasn't it a bit risky, how that all went down?" The others, aware of Harry’s role in the takedown, nodded slightly, but were careful not to speak too openly with the others in the compartment.

Harry, sensing the need for some discretion, assured them, "It all worked out in the end, right? And now, Hogwarts might actually have a competent Defense professor."

The conversation shifted as Pansy, always curious, asked, "Do you think Lupin will be up to the task? I mean, he has to be better than Lockhart at least."

Susan piped in, "I heard he’s quite a gentle person, which might be good for us. Lockhart was more show than substance."

Soon, they arrived at the school, and as second-year students, they watched the new first-years trembling with excitement as they climbed into boats and gazed in awe at the castle towering over the Black Lake. As they walked towards the horseless carriages, Harry heard a familiar booming voice calling out, "Harry! Over here!"

Harry couldn't help but grin at Hagrid's attempt to make himself visible, as if the towering half-giant could ever blend into the background. Approaching him, Harry greeted warmly, "How's it going, Hagrid? You're looking well."

Hagrid beamed, his large hands adjusting the massive belt around his waist. "Great, Harry! Been busy with the new school year startin’ up. Got a bunch of interesting creatures for Professor Silvanus Kettleburn. He is going to show 'em this term."

As he settled into the carriage, the conversation turned to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. "So, heard about Professor Lupin, Hagrid? Think he’ll do a good job?" Harry asked, curious about Hagrid's insight, given his close ties with the Hogwarts staff.

Hagrid nodded enthusiastically. "Lupin? Oh, he’s a good man. Knew him back when he was a student here. Very smart, very kind. He’ll do a fine job, Harry, mark my words."

The carriage began to move, pulled by the invisible thestrals, towards the towering silhouette of Hogwarts. The familiar turrets and spires of the castle loomed closer, stirring a mixture of excitement and nostalgia in Harry. As they approached, Nigel's voice echoed in Harry's thoughts, "Back to the castle, Master Harry. I dare say, it's almost as if we never left."

Harry smiled to himself, replying silently, "It does feel that way, Nigel. Let's see what this year has in store for us."

As Harry stepped into the Great Hall and took his seat at the Slytherin table, where all the Slytherin students greeted him warmly and with a bit of respect, Nigel chimed in his mind. "A new quest, Master Harry. Oh, it seems like a good one. Well, it has been a while since I gave a quest, right?"

[System Message: New Quest - Uncover the Secrets of the Chamber of Secrets. Objective: Investigate and determine the truth about the legendary Chamber of Secrets to ensure the safety of Hogwarts. Rewards: Increased magical knowledge, enhanced reputation, and a special item from the Chamber itself.]

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