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Words : 1477 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

0124 Photo The interior decoration of the house was worthy of its magnificent and luxurious appearance. Every piece of mahogany floor in the spacious living room was shiny and new, as if it had been wiped with a stain remover. A large chandelier made of thousands of pure crystals hung from the fifty-foot-high ceiling, emitting a dazzling brilliance under the sunlight that entered the room through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The walls were adorned with exquisite paintings and sculptures, displaying the refined taste and wealth of the owner. The furniture was elegant and comfortable, inviting the guests to sit and relax. The mansion steward Lawrence led the terrified Dursley family to the right side of the living room, bypassing a few bends and stopping in front of an elevator hall. Vertical elevators are usually only found in Muggle malls and high-rise office buildings. The fact that there was an elevator in this building surprised even Harry, who thought that Uncle Vernon's boss must be a very rich guy. "Sorry, Vernon–" The elevator dinged and stopped on the third floor. After they got out of the elevator car, the mansion steward Lawrence turned his head and looked at the Dursleys, who only showed flattering smiles, and apologized. His voice was polite but distant, as if he was used to dealing with all kinds of guests. He wore a neat suit and a badge with his name and position on his chest. He had a thin face and a pair of glasses that made him look smart and serious. "Mr. Watson is currently undergoing treatment. According to the doctor's instructions, he will be able to see you in about an hour. Can I trouble you to wait in the reception room for a while?" "Of course not, Mr. Lawrence!" Uncle Vernon nodded repeatedly. "We'll follow your arrangements!" He tried to sound confident and friendly, but his voice betrayed his nervousness and anxiety. He hoped that Mr. Watson would be in a good mood and appreciate his visit. After several young maids served them tea and closed the door of the reception room, there was a sigh of relief in the elegantly decorated reception room. Uncle Vernon, who had been holding his big belly for a long time, collapsed on the soft sofa. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and took a deep breath. He felt like he had just escaped a dangerous situation. He looked around the reception room, admiring the expensive ornaments and the cozy atmosphere. He felt a surge of pride and envy. He wished he could live in such a place someday. "This house is really luxurious, Vernon!" Aunt Petunia's voice trembled with excitement. She was sitting next to Uncle Vernon, holding his hand and smiling brightly. She was wearing a new dress and a pearl necklace that she had bought specially for this occasion. She wanted to impress Mr. Watson and his family with her appearance and manners. She also wanted to show off to her friends and neighbors later. She imagined their jealous and admiring faces, and felt a thrill of satisfaction. "I dare say, if Yvonne knew I had been a guest in such a magnificent mansion, she would be jealous to death." Harry raised his eyelids. Yvonne was Aunt Petunia's good friend. They both loved to gossip about their neighbors. They often exchanged phone calls and visited each other's houses, pretending to be friendly and caring, but secretly competing and criticizing. Harry hated them both. "Mr. Watson inherited this mansion and the drilling company from his father–" Uncle Vernon said to Aunt Petunia and Dudley. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com "He was only in his early twenties at the time, and everyone looked down on him. They thought he would ruin the company, which was already in a bad situation. But who would have thought that he would lead the company out of the mud with his own intelligence and diligence–" Actually, Uncle Vernon had said these things countless times at home, and even Harry knew them by heart. But Uncle Vernon never got tired of telling them over and over again. He admired Mr. Watson as his idol and wanted to be like him, successful and powerful. "He's really admirable–how did I do, Mom and Dad?" Dudley stood up and tried to smooth out the wrinkles on his stomach, but after a few attempts, he knew he was wasting his time. He raised his head and showed a 'disgusting' smile, looking at his parents. He was wearing a suit that was too tight and too small for him, making him look like a stuffed sausage. He had practiced his speech and his gestures in front of the mirror for hours, hoping to impress Mr. Watson. "Great, my darling!" Aunt Petunia immediately got up and hugged Dudley's arm, proud tears in her eyes. She kissed his cheek and stroked his hair, as if he had just won a Nobel Prize. She thought that Dudley was the most wonderful and handsome boy in the world. She loved him more than anything else. She spoiled him and pampered him, giving him everything he wanted and more. "Not a bit rude, a standard little gentleman!" "Oh, come and look at this picture, Petunia and Dudley!" Waiting was always long and boring. Uncle Vernon, who had nothing to do, looked at the commemorative photos hanging on the walls of the reception room. He stopped in front of a black and white photo at the door and pointed at it. It was a group photo of Mr. Watson and his employees, taken many years ago, when he had just taken over the company. They were all smiling and posing in front of a large sign that read "Grunnings Drilling Company". Vernon was among them, standing next to Mr. Watson, looking young and happy. He felt a surge of nostalgia and pride, as he remembered the good old days, when he had joined the company as a junior manager, and when he had met Mr. Watson for the first time. "This is a group photo of Mr. Watson and everyone when he just took over the company. He was handsome and charming, and many girls in the company admired him. Ah, I was so thin then, less than two hundred pounds!" He chuckled and rubbed his belly, as if he was trying to make it smaller. 'Yeah, just more than twice my weight–' Harry looked at Uncle Vernon's fat body and nodded sympathetically. He felt sorry for him, but not in a good way. The Dursley's house was full of Dudley's pictures, but there were very few of them as a couple, and they were basically in their bedroom. That place and Dudley's bedroom were absolutely forbidden for Harry to enter. Before he went to Hogwarts, those two rooms were cleaned by Aunt Petunia herself. She had never let Harry touch anything that belonged to her or her son, and she had always kept them away from him. Looking at the three people who were talking enthusiastically in front of the picture, Harry, who was sitting quietly in his chair, also felt a bit curious. As Harry wondered if Uncle Vernon was really a little thinner than a whale when he was young, the door of the reception room opened quietly. The old steward who had led them before appeared again, but there was a deep worry on his brow. "Mr. Watson is very tired, Vernon. It's best to keep the meeting time within ten minutes." Uncle Vernon nodded and bowed, and as soon as the old steward left the reception room, he turned his head and gestured for Harry to follow him. He gave him a stern and menacing look, as if he was warning him to behave. "Come on, boy, this place is huge. If you get lost, you might starve to death before the staff here find you!" he snapped. Harry wished he could take the Dursleys to Hogwarts for a tour, so that they could see what a magnificent castle it was. He got up slowly and walked towards the door with a gloomy face. As he passed the picture that Uncle Vernon had mentioned earlier, he glanced at it curiously. Clang! Harry gasped, ignoring the bump on his forehead from hitting something, and stared at the man in the middle of the picture, muttering incredulously. "Professor Watson?!" ****************************************** Author's Note: I think there must be a stimulant potion in wizarding world like energy drink but there must be also some which are good for health; Like some potions maybe used by St.mungos hospital regularly to energize the patients. I dont have much knowledge about the medicines so these are just theories. ****************************************** For Extra Chapters: /FicFrenzy

0124 Photo

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