Harry Potter: Magic and Guns

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Sirius had already been in North America for over two months, so a day or two more wouldn't make much difference. This guy was indeed strong, at least when it came to surviving. If it weren't for his impulsive, short-tempered nature and the wild streak in his blood, he might never have been caught up in the artifact incident. At the very least, he could have easily escaped if he'd tried.

But now, it seemed that not only had he been swept into it, but he had also stirred up quite a mess. He had at least taken down three Aurors from the Ministry of Magic, and there were witnesses. Even though the initial reason might have been self-defense, no one cared—especially not the Ministry of Magic, who had already issued a warrant for his arrest.

As the scapegoat for the Blood Purist faction, Grindelwald had planned to bring him back, but Sirius' sharp senses proved difficult to track down. Even Grindelwald's people couldn't locate him in North America.

After parting ways with Grindelwald, Harry excitedly began his long journey through Apparition. From Austria to England was over a thousand kilometers, passing through Germany and Belgium. Luckily, Harry's Apparition license was valid in both countries, and as an English wizard, he didn't need to worry about sneaking into England.

Chasing the setting sun, Harry made it back to Privet Drive before the sun had completely set. By now, the streetlights were on, and the warm, cheerful lights from the homes melted away the cold, winter night air.

Stepping through the garden gate onto the snow-covered path, Harry knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock! "I'm back!"

Dudley, who had been staring blankly at the table, immediately sprang up upon hearing that familiar voice. Aunt Petunia, busy in the kitchen, quickly set down the plate she was holding, smiling as she rushed to the door.

"Harry! You little brat finally decided to come home."

Dudley lunged forward, giving Harry a bear hug. However, the height difference between the two had grown over the last six months, making it a bit awkward. Seeing his cousin, looking like a koala clinging to his chest, Harry grinned mischievously and smacked Dudley's large rear end hard.

"My dear cousin!" he teased.

"Ow, ow, ow!!!"

Dudley yelped, clutching his rear end and hopping around, howling in pain. In the instant the slap landed, it felt as if his bottom had been struck by a lightning bolt—visible swelling followed by intense pain, then a strange numbness.

Laughing devilishly, Harry looked like a little imp. "You've been slacking off, huh, bro? Getting soft from all that girl business. Let me help you toughen up."

"Help! Someone, save me!"

Screaming, Dudley rushed into the house, looking like a wild boar startled by firecrackers, desperately hopping away. Seeing this, Uncle Vernon did his best to suppress a laugh, but quickly turned serious, eyeing Dudley sternly.

"Got a girlfriend?"

Dudley froze, stunned. After a moment, he awkwardly stood still, then hesitantly nodded.

"Whose poor daughter would fall for you?" Uncle Vernon sighed, shaking his head with a mix of surprise and bemusement. He wasn't opposed to Dudley dating, though.

"Dad!" Dudley gasped, looking heartbroken. His father's words felt like a dagger to his chest, causing a brief pang in his heart.

"I'm the starting player for the school's football team! What's wrong with girls liking me?" Dudley protested, flexing his strong arms. With that kind of physique, if he was charging toward the end zone with a football, anyone trying to stop him would need to reconsider.

"Fat and weak," Harry shot back, reaching forward to pinch Dudley's arm. Dudley tried to pull away, but it was no use.

"Didn't drink your potion on time, huh?"

Dudley winced as Harry's fingers squeezed his arm. Harry's potions weren't quite at Snape's level, but they certainly weren't anything to scoff at, and Dudley could feel the effects.

"Yeah, I drank it," Dudley grumbled, his voice low. Though he hated the nasty taste, he knew all too well that it was helping him grow stronger. "Harry, can't you at least change the flavor of those potions? That stuff doesn't even seem fit for humans. Maybe add some honey or something to make it sweet."

"You wanna be a Superman? No pain, no gain. Your progress is slow lately, aren't you neglecting your nutrition? Didn't I send you some dragon jerky? That stuff is packed with nutrients and tastes pretty good too."

"Don't even mention it." Dudley's face dropped at the memory. "At first, I thought Hedwig had sent me a big bag of rebar. You have no idea how I ate that stuff."

"I went to the gardener's tool shed and borrowed a grinder. In the end, I had to grind your nasty jerky into powder and drink it with water. Now, everyone at school is saying I'm eating iron powder. They nearly called me a monster."

"Nearly? So not quite?"

"Now, they don't call me 'D' anymore. My new nickname is 'Iron Man!'" Dudley said proudly.

Pfft~

Seeing Dudley's smug expression, Harry couldn't hold back his laughter. "Alright, alright. Since you've eaten it, the problem now is with the potion. I'll send you some new ones. I promise they'll be stronger and even harder to swallow."

"Can I not drink it?" Dudley, who had been so excited a second ago, suddenly drooped his shoulders. "Maybe I should skip it? I think I'm already pretty strong."

"Those Russians eat scraps from magical creatures and still grow so muscular. You're my brother, of course you can be even stronger than them. Though becoming a wizard by eating is unlikely, if you try hard enough, maybe my nephew will turn into one."

"Do you really think that's possible?" Although it wasn't the first time Harry had said this, Dudley was still skeptical. He had always found the idea of wizards quite mysterious.

"If it didn't work, why would the Russians have been feeding their citizens magical food for decades? Nine out of ten of them are strong men. Magic food definitely changes the body."

"England isn't just a food desert; even the magical research here is behind."

Although Harry had only taken a brief look at New Mongard, he had already realized how much the magical world had progressed outside of England. It might not be long before the conservative faction in England was completely overrun by the more modern magical forces from abroad. The only reason England's magical community was still muddling along was because wizards lived so long, and the new magic movements had appeared only recently. Fifteen years weren't enough to wear down the older generation.

"Maybe one day, the curtain hiding the magical world will be completely torn down."

Harry squinted. What he had witnessed in the Soviet Union last year was evidence of this. And even in Autumn, he had sensed something was off. Many people and factions were deliberately guiding and nurturing efforts to make magic more accessible to those who didn't have it, to bridge the gap between the magically gifted and the ordinary masses.

Wizards, after consuming the magical essence of magical creatures, could increase their magical limits. But what about those who didn't have magic? That was a possibility worth exploring.

Although Harry had jokingly called England a food desert, Aunt Petunia still managed to prepare an extravagant meal for Christmas. In addition to the traditional roast turkey, every dish was delicious—like Harry's favorite German-style pork knuckles and sausages, French-style tripe soup, foie gras seared scallops, and more.

As the Dursleys enjoyed their Christmas dinner at Number 4 Privet Drive, thousands of miles away in America, Sirius Black was desperately huddling up, trying to relieve his hunger by squeezing his stomach.

He opened his bloodshot eyes, using his wand to summon a jet of water to moisten his parched lips. A sharp, chemical smell filled the air.

"Ugh!" Sirius spat angrily. "The water here's even toxic!"

(End of Chapter)