Harry Potter: Reunion with the Enemy

"The travel funds provided by Gringotts are only for me. The Ministry of Magic's main expenditure recently has been on post-war reconstruction, so..." Draco concluded with a frown. "You may only be able to rent a small house with me during this mission."

The target Matthew Forsyth is on the financial street of Tenth Avenue, in the upper city area, where Muggle celebrities gather.

Although Draco already had some understanding of Muggle culture, he still felt a little shocked after following Harry through the subway, passing by tall buildings, huge billboards and traffic, and passing by one fashionable Muggle woman after another with very low body fat percentage, high heels and brand-name bags.

Harry had already caught several small expressions of surprise on Draco's face, and couldn't help asking, "Does the distinguished Master Malfoy rarely come into contact with the Muggle world?"

Draco raised his eyebrows, obviously not wanting to be addressed as "Master Malfoy", but it was true that Draco spent most of his time staying at Malfoy Manor or being taken by his parents to socialize with pure-blood families.

"Is this the environment you've lived in for more than a decade? It doesn't look that bad." Draco's eyes fell on a luxury car speeding by. "This mobile toy looks much better than the Weasleys'."

"No, the fact is I live in a cupboard," Harry replied drily.

"Cupboard? Is that some special Muggle name for home?" Draco's surprised expression became even greater.

"You're right. The cupboard under the stairs, old clothes, being chased by my cousin, and a public school with corporal punishment." Harry looked at the most prosperous business district in the busiest area of ​​the city center, and his heart was calm.

This might be where Uncle Vernon and his family would come on vacation, but it had never belonged to him.

Harry led Draco along the street to look for a rental agency, without turning his head to see Draco's trembling chin. The first few agencies were met by fashionable specialists, who repeatedly quoted astonishing rent figures while wearing luxury zip-tops.

Harry struggled slightly after hearing Draco, who was in charge of the project funding, suggest that they could only rent a small house together.

"I can go back to Gringotts and get some money from my own vault." Harry had never used the small vault left by his parents. His godfather Sirius' will also left him a large sum of property, including the gloomy mansion 12 Grimmauld Place. But Harry didn't have too many consumption needs. Every time he thought of the past, Harry would rather be penniless but have their company.

"No, what I mean is that the Ministry of Magic has already imposed exchange controls on wizard coins and Muggle currencies, and I've already reached the upper limit of my personal limit." Draco suggested cautiously, "Maybe we can rent a bigger place together, as long as we don't live separately. Do Muggle children live in cupboards? Is this a form of abuse?"

Harry did not directly answer Draco's persistent questions.

I haven't had any contact with my uncle and aunt since I left. Both the cup of water that Dali seemed to be a gesture of goodwill and the beatings that happened in the past seem to have been gradually forgotten. The affection from my parents that I haven't had time to write into my memory, the awkward and disgusting affection from my uncle and aunt, and the fleeting affection from Sirius...

The little boy next to me who is shouting "I want to go find my father" when he gets angry will probably never understand in his life.

That's right, Harry sighed softly. Based on Hermione's attempt to explain the "Fate Theorem" in Arithmancy to Ron and himself last time, Harry only half understood it. Perhaps some people are destined to endure more.

As if sensing Harry's gradually drifting thoughts and the decreasing air pressure around him, Draco began to ask questions to everyone around him.

For example, what is the significance of the designer bags these Muggle elite women carry, and why do they carry them as if they are holding a war flag.

For example, what are the black block products that are displayed in rotation on the huge electronic screen used for?

For example, how to buy and drive these mobile tools called cars.

Harry answered in great detail. Even for someone who had lived in Muggle society since childhood, everything around him was changing at a rapid pace.

The two finally decided to find a place to stay for a day.

After further studying Matthew Forsyth's whereabouts and family structure, Harry found that it would be more reasonable to change the target first rather than start directly with Matthew himself. During the observation process, Harry also thought of using the Confusion Charm or finding an opportunity to drop the Veritaserum, but soon reason and Auror regulations made Harry give up this idea.

Harry leaned over the table in the hotel and wrote down his first research notes:

Matthew Forsyth set out from his single-family villa with a swimming pool in Crown Lowlands at 10 a.m. and drove all the way to Building B on Tenth Avenue, where he worked all day. According to observations of the villa, Matthew's wife is a housewife and has a boy who looks or years old, but it is obvious that Matthew's wife is pregnant with her second child.

"More importantly, according to the information we got from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' newly launched extended retractable ears, this wife has been calling her friends these days, asking for advice on finding a tutor for her children. The goal is to get her children into an elite private school - as the first step to entering a prestigious Muggle school in the future." Draco reminded Harry in time as he watched him write a report.

"So competition is fierce in Muggle schools?" Draco poked the switch of the desk lamp and watched the bulb flicker on and off.

"This is true for private schools, because children in these schools usually have a greater chance of being admitted to higher-ranked universities recognized by Muggles. In order to meet the admission requirements of these private schools, many children also need to receive a series of tutoring for sports competitions/SAT/ACT/math very early."

Harry tried his best to improve his handwriting and language, summarizing the progress of the investigation in written form on parchment, and then made a copy and sent it back to the Ministry of Magic.

"At the moment, it seems that if we should approach this family as tutors, perhaps we will have a better chance than if I disguise myself as a woman and approach Matthew or his wife." Harry expressed his thoughts.

"Be realistic, if we are to pass this family's tutoring test, I can't believe how many bottles of Buffer's Brain-Stimulus I will have to drink. Crazy - Tutoring - Muggle Knowledge."

"Yes, you have suffered this day too." Harry yawned, patted Draco on the shoulder, and then went into the bathroom, ready to take a bubble bath in the huge bathtub to relieve the fatigue of a whole day of shopping and stalking.

"It seems that Draco has booked the most luxurious suite in the hotel." This was the last thought that flashed through Harry's mind before he dived into the bubble.