Harry Potter: From Baldur's Gate to Hogwarts

At Dumbledore's signal, Severus Snape released the ropes binding Harry. Finally free from his restraints, Harry stretched his sore body before raising a hand and dispelling the illusion concealing his true appearance.

"A fascinating bit of magic," Dumbledore observed, his piercing blue eyes gleaming with curiosity as he examined Harry's slight frame. "It's neither Transfiguration, Polyjuice Potion, nor the work of a Metamorphmagus. So, Harry, where did you learn such a spell?"

"I learned it in Faerûn," Harry answered frankly.

"Faerûn?" Snape sneered. "Lying is not a good habit, Potter. There's no place called Faerûn in the wizarding world. Surely you don't think everyone here has the brains of a troll, do you?"

"I'm not lying," Harry retorted, tilting his head to meet Snape's gaze. "If you don't know about Faerûn, that just shows how narrow-minded you are."

"Silence, Potter!" Snape spat venomously, glaring down at Harry. "You're as arrogant and deceitful as your father—an insufferable—"

Years of navigating tricky conversations allowed Harry to quickly discern the underlying meaning in Snape's words. Raising an eyebrow, he interrupted, "You knew my father? And judging by the tone, you two had some conflict in school? Was it physical or... emotional?"

Snape's expression darkened, and he said nothing.

"Ah, both then? And emotional conflict—could it be that you had a thing for my mother?"

"Potter!" Snape roared, lunging for Harry. But Harry deftly sidestepped him.

Snape pulled out his wand, and Harry immediately raised his right hand, gathering magic into his palm.

"That's enough, Severus. Why are you picking a fight with a child?" The white-bearded headmaster rapped the desk lightly, and an invisible wave of magic rippled through the room. Both Harry and Snape froze momentarily before regaining control of their movements. It was clear the fight wouldn't escalate further.

"Hmph!" Snape shot a glare at Dumbledore before storming out of the office, his robes billowing behind him.

Dumbledore sighed, turning to the elderly woman nearby. "Minerva, please take care of Harry. If I recall correctly, Hagrid hasn't left yet."

After the others departed, Dumbledore walked to the cabinet behind him and opened it. Inside was a silver basin inscribed with runes and other mysterious symbols.

The basin contained a silvery substance, shimmering like a mixture of liquid and mist.

Placing the Pensieve on the desk, Dumbledore tapped his temple with his wand. A silvery thread of smoke-like substance emerged and flowed into the basin. As it spread, the image of a girl with white hair tied in a ponytail appeared. She had sharp, elf-like ears and was clad in heavy armor. A faint scar stretched across her delicate face, running from the bridge of her nose to her right cheek.

Dumbledore's gaze lingered on her half-human, half-elf ears for a long time.

Under the guidance of the elderly woman named Minerva McGonagall, Harry traversed a maze of moving staircases, descended to the ground floor, crossed the lawn, and finally arrived at a wooden hut that was—by any standard—overwhelmingly large.

"Hagrid, open the door. I've brought Harry," McGonagall called, knocking on the hut's door before stepping back a few paces.

"Professor McGonagall? Did you say Harry's here?" came a deep male voice from inside, accompanied by the sound of barking and a loud crash.

About five or six seconds later, the door swung open. A large black dog bounded out, its wagging tail knocking Harry to the ground. The dog was nearly as tall as Harry himself.

"Fang, get back! Fang!" A massive man, easily over twelve feet tall, lumbered out of the hut. He picked up the enormous dog as if it weighed nothing and set it aside, freeing Harry from the slobbering tongue.

"Thanks... uh?" Harry looked up at the giant man, scrutinizing his shaggy appearance.

Clad in an enormous moleskin coat, the man had a wild tangle of black hair and beard that almost completely obscured his face. His enormous hands were as large as lily pads, and his boots resembled small dolphins.

Despite his intimidating appearance, the man's beetle-black eyes twinkled kindly beneath the unruly hair, exuding a warmth and friendliness that sharply contrasted with his stature.

"Professor McGonagall, what brings you here? Did Dumbledore send you with a task?" the giant asked, rubbing his hands on his coat.

"Dumbledore asked me to bring Harry to you," McGonagall said, waving her wand. A vine-formed humanoid figure stepped forward to lift Harry to his feet and clean off the dog's drool from his face.

"Harry? You mean this little guy is Harry?" Hagrid's black eyes widened. "But isn't he supposed to be with his aunt and uncle?"

"There were... complications. I'm on my own now," Harry explained, brushing grass off his trousers before extending his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Harry Potter."

"Well, hello there, Harry." Hagrid smiled, shaking Harry's hand gently despite his massive size. "I was planning to fetch you in a few days, but I didn't expect you'd make it to Hogwarts yourself. You're smaller than I imagined—need to bulk up a bit, eh?"

"Actually, I didn't come here voluntarily," Harry muttered, recalling how he'd been tied up like a parcel. "But that's not important. Dumbledore said you'd handle my school arrangements?"

"Oh, you've met Professor Dumbledore already?" Hagrid crouched down, patting Harry's head gently. "Make sure to call him Professor Dumbledore. So, how was it?"

Recalling the earlier events, Harry chose his words carefully. "I think Professor Dumbledore is a very powerful wizard and seems to care about his students. He's definitely better than Professor Snape..."

"Oh? You've met Professor Snape too?" Hagrid blinked.

"Yeah, but unfortunately, I didn't win..." Harry muttered.

"????" Question marks seemed to float above the giant's head.

------

more advance and fast update chapters on

pat reon.com/yuuwand