Harry Potter: I Get Stronger by Taking Loans - 180

Chapter 180: A Cool Way to Start School, Another Year’s Start-of-Term Feast

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

Leonardo had just stepped off the Hogwarts Express when he heard a familiar booming voice.

“All right, first-years! Gather round here!”

Hagrid waved his lantern, calling the new students. He spotted Leonardo right away and lumbered over.

“Hullo, another new year! Feels like time flies, doesn’t it?”

Leonardo smiled and nodded.

“Yes, this year might be interesting.”

Hagrid, busy with his duties, gave a quick farewell and headed off to guide the first-years—just as he had for years. The older students could take the carriages.

Leonardo boarded a thestral-drawn carriage, returning to the castle he hadn’t seen for two months. There was something special about Hogwarts, a unique “magic” that made young witches and wizards feel at home.

He made his way to the Great Hall. Not many students were there yet, only scattered groups at the long tables.

Leonardo headed straight for the Ravenclaw table, ready to watch this year’s Sorting Ceremony.

But as he glanced toward the Gryffindor table, he spotted two faces that shouldn’t be there yet.

He walked closer. Yes, definitely not supposed to be here this early.

“Harry, Ron, when did you get here?”

Harry and Ron sat at the table, looking like they’d been through a war. Their faces were pale and drawn, as if every ounce of energy had been drained.

According to the original story, these two should have arrived in style—flying the enchanted car, making a dramatic entrance. But they were supposed to be late, missing the feast.

Leonardo had helped Mr Weasley modify the car, adding automatic invisibility and some reinforcements. He’d optimised the magic power reserves and even set up an auto-return feature. In theory, it should have made their adventure safer, less risky.

But his modifications couldn’t have made them arrive early, could they?

Hearing Leonardo’s voice, Harry and Ron looked up. Harry was still conscious, but Ron wore a look of utter despair.

“Leonardo,” Ron mumbled, “I’m doomed. Can you make me some beef stew, mapo tofu, white cut chicken… one last meal? I don’t want to die with regrets…”

Leonardo, though puzzled by Ron’s menu as if ordering a last meal, asked patiently, “What happened to you two?”

Harry pushed up his glasses and rubbed his hair weakly.

“Let me explain…”

It was a few hours earlier…

Harry and Ron had stuffed their luggage and pets into the old Ford Anglia. Harry was still nervous.

“Ron, you really know how to drive?”

Ron opened the car door and slapped his chest.

“Don’t worry! Dad and Leonardo modified this car. I helped out, so I know what I’m doing!”

The car started. As the wheels left the ground, the whole vehicle instantly turned invisible. The Muggles nearby didn’t notice a thing.

“See? Leonardo helped add an invisibility switch. It activates automatically. Dad can’t stop praising him—says there aren’t many young wizards who understand both Muggle cars and magic.”

“Thanks to Leonardo, Dad’s made even more upgrades.”

Ron gripped the wheel, flying smoothly through the air as he chatted with Harry.

“Leonardo only stayed with us for a few days, so most of the later modifications were done by Dad.”

Noticing Harry gripping the door frame tightly, Ron reassured him.

“Relax! The excellent Ron Car Captain will safely deliver the great saviour—Harry Potter—to Hogwarts!”

Harry tried to remind Ron that cars didn’t have captains, only drivers, but Ron was already behind the wheel, so Harry just smiled awkwardly.

The two settled in for the ride, snacking on Pumpkin Pasties and Fizzing Whizzbees from the trolley stash. Every so often, Ron reached for a Chocolate Frog, only for it to leap onto the windscreen and smack its face against the glass before sliding down with a wet squeak. Harry burst out laughing, nearly dropping a Bertie Bott’s bean that—unfortunately—turned out to taste like spinach.

They soared higher, the clouds rolling past the windows, the air inside the car filled with crumbs, candy wrappers, and laughter.

“Fred and George are going to be so jealous. Imagine us landing out of nowhere… just picture it…”

Ron chewed his candy, shaking his head with excitement.

Harry nodded, admiring the beautiful, miniature landscape below.

But after a few hours, boredom set in.

Of course—flying for hours would tire adults, let alone Ron, who was barely more than a kid.

With nothing much to do besides chat, Harry sighed.

“I wish we could get there faster…”

Ron slapped his forehead.

“Duh! I forgot about that!”

He kept one hand on the wheel, the other fiddling with the dashboard. Complex mechanical panels slid open, making Harry dizzy.

Soon, a bright red button appeared.

Harry perked up.

“What’s that?”

“This is Dad’s acceleration device! I helped with this one too!”

Ron proudly pressed the button.

Flames shot from the back of the car, and both boys felt a strong push.

“Awesome! We’ll get there early and surprise everyone!”

Harry laughed, feeling the thrill.

They soon left the Hogwarts Express far behind, flying along the tracks toward Hogwarts.

The sun was still up when the car entered Hogwarts grounds. Harry saw the castle’s outline and warned Ron.

“We’re almost there. Shouldn’t we turn off the boost?”

Ron nodded and pressed the button twice.

But the car didn’t slow down.

Harry grew uneasy.

“Ron, why aren’t we slowing down?”

“I did! But it’s not working!”

Ron’s voice was tense. He stomped on the brakes, but nothing happened.

“We could try circling—”

Before he finished, the car suddenly went out of control, veering wildly through the air.

“Aaaah!”

The boys screamed.

The car hurtled straight toward a giant tree.

Just as they braced for impact, a faint but sturdy glow lit up the car’s surface.

“BOOM!”

The thick trunk was split wide open, every branch and leaf shaking violently.

The boys barely had time to react. The car, still moving fast, swerved toward one of the castle’s towers.

…

At the long table in the Great Hall.

Leonardo listened to Harry’s story, then fell into a long silence.

His help with the car’s modifications had prevented Harry and Ron from being seen by Muggles and kept Mr Weasley out of trouble with the Ministry. In theory, these changes were good—especially the first half.

But Mr Weasley had more time to add his own upgrades, which led to this disaster.

“Change… good, bad…”

Leonardo murmured, then looked at Harry and Ron, their faces still pale with despair.

“So, after you crashed into the Whomping Willow, you also rammed into the tower where the Headmaster’s office is?”

“Yes…”

Leonardo didn’t ask if Dumbledore had been in his office at the time. Even if he had, could the greatest wizard of the age really be killed by a flying car?

“Actually, the Whomping Willow might not be completely destroyed…”

Harry said quietly.

“The gap wasn’t that big. Maybe it can be saved…”

But Ron cut in with a bitter laugh.

“But when we crashed in, we really scared the Headmaster’s bird.”

The Headmaster’s bird?

Fawkes.

Scared to death?

Phoenixes were magical creatures. When seriously injured or old, they would naturally be reborn.

According to the original story, Fawkes was due to be reborn this year. Had this accident just sped up the process?

Maybe the old bird had a weak heart. Leonardo would have to check later. He’d never seen a newborn phoenix before.

“That red phoenix—Fawkes—did it burst into flames and turn to ash?”  

Harry and Ron’s eyes widened. They spoke at once.  

“How did you know?”  

“Oh, Leonardo,” Ron groaned, “you’ve read so much you even know what happens when a phoenix gets scared to death.”

Leonardo’s lips twitched. He explained the truth.

“That’s the phoenix’s rebirth…”

Harry and Ron relaxed slightly, but still looked gloomy.

“Snape arrived at the Headmaster’s office first. Almost as soon as we crashed in, he was there. Do you think he was waiting for us, hoping to expel us?”

Leonardo thought. Snape was a master of potions, not prophecy. He probably couldn’t have predicted the boys would fly a car into the Headmaster’s office.

Maybe he was there to discuss something with Dumbledore, apply for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, or bring the Headmaster some potion to prevent tooth decay and diabetes?

“Then Dumbledore arrived. He said he’d write to our families.”

“But the punishment hasn’t been decided. He wants to discuss it with our Head of House, Professor McGonagall. No student has ever driven a car into the Headmaster’s office before…”

When they mentioned the letter, Leonardo noticed a difference in Harry and Ron’s reactions. Harry was okay, but Ron looked terrified.

Of course—Harry’s relationship with the Dursleys was terrible. They probably wouldn’t care if he got into trouble, as long as it didn’t affect them.

But Ron’s family was different.

It would depend on what Dumbledore wrote in the letter.

…

Soon, it was time for the start-of-term feast.

The older students watched with amusement. Seeing the new students was always entertaining.

Leonardo observed the newcomers.

There seemed to be more first-years than last year. Was there a wizarding baby boom?

Well, the twins would have more customers, and Leonardo had designed a few new products for the new students.

First up was the Sorting Ceremony.

Professor McGonagall announced the rules and picked up the Sorting Hat.

The new students were curious, whispering among themselves. That was normal.

But even the older students, who had seen the ceremony before, seemed unsettled.

“That colour… is that the Sorting Hat?”

“Yes, why is it grey and white? Wasn’t it grey-brown before?”

“Maybe they replaced it. Maybe the old one was too worn out.”

But someone quickly objected.

“That’s not right. The patches are in the same places. It’s the same hat. Maybe they used magic to change the colour, or cleaned it?”

Magic changing the colour made sense—after all, they were wizards.

But the second guess made the others fall silent. Someone’s voice trembled.

“If they cleaned it… then the old grey-brown…”

The student couldn’t finish. They were afraid of what they might imagine, but someone else said, “Maybe it was old head oil. The kind passed down for a thousand years?”

“Shut up! Don’t say any more!”

Leonardo listened, feeling exasperated. Had no Headmaster ever thought to clean the Sorting Hat? Or was it a tradition they all accepted?

Leonardo remembered that after he’d worn the hat, it had changed colour and asked Dumbledore for a cleaning. Maybe he’d done his fellow students a favour?

Soon, Leonardo noticed something odd. The first-years, after being sorted, would glance toward the Ravenclaw table.

What were they looking at?

Leonardo thought. The common factor must be the Sorting Hat. Maybe the increasingly lively hat had told them something.

Not long after, Ravenclaw welcomed its first new student of the year—a girl.  

The Eagle House, which had always tended to have more girls than boys, took it in stride.

The older students clapped warmly, welcoming the new member.

Leonardo joined in the applause. He saw the girl approach the table and bow deeply.

He was about to think she was unusually polite when she suddenly looked up, scanning the table as if searching for someone.

When her eyes met Leonardo’s, she walked straight over.

She stood before him, her big eyes blinking, and whispered.

“Are you Leonardo Grafton, the senior?”

Leonardo’s heart skipped a beat. He remembered something…

A conversation with the Sorting Hat…