"Uhh, Harry are you alright there? Did you not like the cake? Do you want me to buy a different one?" Antonio asked anxiously. "Ah, no. I was just surprised, is all." Harry provided politely to ease the older.

"Are you sure…?" He eyed the barely eaten cakes in front of Harry

"Yeh, completely." Harry smiled at the man in front of him. Now that he had a closer look at Antonio, he noticed how good-looking the man was. He had nice sun-kissed skin, which made him stand out from the usual light-skinned population of London. His body was well-built—it wasn't bulky like the men Harry sees on television, but his muscles were noticeable under his shirt. His most defining feature was the eyes that reflected the ocean itself—it was calm on the surface, but underneath hid unknown emotions.

"But you haven't eaten much of the cakes I bought. Weren't you starving? Growing kids like you should eat more!" Harry's observation was interrupted by the genuine worry in Antonio's voice. His worry reflected in those ocean eyes—something unnatural yet beautiful. It was a truly stupid decision on Harry's part to eat out, but it was too late to back out.

"I'm just a slow eater…" It's not like Harry can say he's still getting used to eating food made by others—Antonio would definitely fret over him more. Harry doesn't want people worrying about him— he can take care of himself, thank you very much. "Don't pester the kid too much, Tonio. You'll overwhelm the poor thing." A teasing voice was heard from behind. Harry was quick to turn around to see who had crept up behind him.

"Oh, you must be the kid Antonio mentioned. Hallu, the name's Edith. Nice to meet you." Edith extended her gloved hand to him, which he shook warily. "Harry Potter, nice to meet you too." The woman in front of him had long black hair with red highlights, tied into a ponytail. Just like Antonio, Edith had a well-built body, which must be related to the 'blacksmith' thing. She had this steampunk outfit that suited her well and exuded a strong scent of cigarettes. With how she carried herself, Harry guessed that she was in her late twenties. "Oh, if it isn't the great Harry Potter himself, I never thought I'd meet a famous celebrity around here." She whistled and casually patted his back, then took a sit on the empty chair between Harry and Antonio. Harry gave an awkward chuckle at her comment.

"Finally arrived. Can you please put up a silencing charm around us?" Antonio asked politely. "Yeah, yeah, stop with the polite speech already." She flicked her arm, and everything around them turned muffled. "So what's a kid like you doing to get invited by the Doors?" Her casual attitude remained but there was a hidden edge to her voice. "That's something I would like to know too. Unfortunately, my sponsor can't tell me much at the moment." Harry took a sip of his coffee to hide his growing nervousness. She hummed at his answer but didn't seem satisfied by it. "Your sponsor, huh? Mind telling me who's this 'sponsor' of yours? And what door you're in?"

"Edith! You know sponsors and door numbers are confidential!" Antonio chided her and gave her a pointed look. "Calm your tits, Tonio. Of course, I know it's not something you should carelessly share—that's why I'm willing to share who's mine in exchange." She casually waved her hand, which did not reassure Antonio one bit. Harry kept silent through the exchange and filed the information in the back of his head. "So what do you think, Harry? A secret for a secret?"

Her attention returned to Harry, who narrowed his eyes in exchange. "Why should I? For all I know, you'd sell this information to someone else." Edith raised her brows and whistled again. "Well, aren't you a snake in lion's clothing?" Harry didn't know whether he should be insulted or not, he opted to stay silent. She raised her hand, and then light emitted from it. "We, Edith Monroe Cooper and Antonio Cruz, solemnly swear to never, in any form or shape, expose confidential information presented today regarding Harry Potter, unless permitted." After she said her vow, Harry felt magic surround the three of them for a short while. He heard Antonio sigh as if this was a common occurrence already.

"What was that?" Harry was confused as to what had happened. "That, Harry, was a magic vow. Simply put, if Edith or I reveal your secret to anyone, she will lose her magic. Think of it as a promise or contract of some sort." Antonio explained it in the simplest way for Harry to understand. "Huh, I think I've heard of that before, but why is it only Edith who loses her magic and not you?"

Edith, who finished two slices of cake without Harry noticing, spoke, "That's because Tonio here is a muggle, he can't do normal magic like wizards and witches can." Harry's brows flew till they were hidden under his bangs. He turned to look at Antonio, who just nodded to confirm her statement. "Careful kid, a fly might enter your mouth if you keep gaping like a fish." Harry immediately closed his mouth and coughed in embarrassment for his behavior. Edith cackled at his reaction, while Antonio remained composed.

"Alright, since you went so far as to make a vow, I guess I can tell you who my sponsor is." The two adults perked up, and Edith leaned forward expectantly. Antonio sighed at her antics and pushed her away from Harry to give him space. Harry nodded in thanks, and Antonio just smiled tiredly at him. "The system told me that my sponsor is the "God of Death". We've somewhat had an interaction already, and I'm in my first door." Antonio choked on his coffee, which caused him to spit it out. Meanwhile, Edith screeched in disgust.

"Death, huh? Now that's news," Edith said while she wiped the coffee off her gloves. "You don't look surprised, though." Harry offered his observation. "Oh no, it's definitely surprising, and I would've acted like Tonio had I been in my first few doors too. But, after going through six doors, you'll grow used to a lot of things." Harry hummed at her reply and sipped at his coffee. 'Six, huh. If someone can do it, then I should be able to do the same.'

He didn't think that he'd meet a veteran this early on—he should stay in touch with them if he wanted to learn more about the Doors. "Since you've held your side of the deal, I guess I should tell you my sponsor too. My sponsor is Hephaestus, the greatest artisan. It's not as impressive as your sponsor, but hey, I'm quite pleased with mine."

"Ahh... compared to you guys, I only have a minor deity. My sponsor is Agwè, the ruler of water. Also, I'm in my second door, going third next year."

"Oi, don't be so down now. A non-human sponsor is already impressive, be it a minor deity or a famous one!" Edith exclaimed. Harry nodded along even though he didn't really get what they were talking about. He should probably look up the names of their sponsors when he has the chance, maybe go through books, and start researching too. After a while, Harry noticed that all his leftovers had been eaten by Edith. When did it happen? He doesn't know. Edith and Antonio bickered a bit, and Harry just smiled at the normality of the situation.

"Oh right, Harry, you should probably be more careful when chasing after players. Not everyone is as nice as us—some might even take advantage of you—seeing that you're one of the newbies." Antonio lectured him sternly about stranger danger for the next few minutes and the importance of being wary around suspicious places and adults. By the end of the lecture, Harry was sure that stranger danger had been drilled into his head. He didn't even get to insert any retorts or comments during the lecture, and that's something he doesn't pass up when Snape lectures him.

After a while, Edith decided to pipe in after recomposing herself after cackling too much. "Don't blame him too much for nagging you. There have been recent cases of players forcefully bringing people, especially children, inside the doors. It doesn't matter to them if the kid or person they brought is worthy to enter the doors." Harry was startled to hear that someone was willing to do something awful. No one deserves to be brought in unwillingly—he knows the feeling. "People unworthy to enter the doors…always end up dying in the most gruesome way possible."

Pregnant silence replaced the cheerful mood from a while ago. Antonio had a dark look, while Edith's face was unreadable. "What happens to the kids that are worthy?" Harry should've left the topic to die out, but his curiosity got the best of him. Antonio looked at him and said, "They become child soldiers, puppets, for the 'player' who brought them…since the 'player' is their 'sponsor' now." His voice wavered, telling Harry that there's more to this than what they let on. Harry was, simply put, disgusted by what he heard. They didn't continue their conversation regarding the topic, wanting to move on from it already.

"So Harry, what are you doing here? Isn't it too early to buy school supplies?" Edith said, breaking the dark atmosphere. Harry perked up and remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "Crap! I was supposed to get my ears pierced!" She raised a brow at that. "What's this? The great Harry Potter going through his rebellion arc?" she teased. Harry denied all accusations and showed the reward he got from his first door.

He asked them if they knew what the symbol meant since they seemed knowledgeable, like Hermione. "That's the Peverell symbol, you know, the tale of the three brothers and all that. They're known to be the brothers that escaped death, so in exchange, the reaper granted them a wish. The first brother was granted the strongest wand in existence, the second was granted a stone that could bring back someone from the afterlife, and the last received an invisibility cloak that could hide you from Death itself." Harry listened with great interest to her words since this was the first time he heard of the tale.

'That invisibility cloak... it must be the one I own.' Harry concluded in his head that it was too similar for it to be a mere coincidence. Not to mention Death's presence whenever he wore the cloak. Harry thanked her for explaining it to him, and she just waved it off, saying that it was in exchange for the cakes. "As for your ear piercing, Antonio here can do it for you if you want." Antonio sputtered indignantly, saying that he was not taking part in any of this. His rambling was cut off when Harry looked at him with sparking eyes. He reluctantly agreed to the request.

"Where should we do it? It should only take a minute with my skill, but I don't want people to assume I'm attacking you." he said after finishing the rest of his coffee. Harry paused to think about it but ended up admitting that he had no idea where to go. Edith offered her store since it was closed for the time being. "You own a business?" Harry asked.

"Well, some extra income wouldn't hurt, and I do want to promote some of my craftsmanship outside our organization." Harry looked at her expectantly to explain further about this organization they were in. "We belong to an organization, called Black Cosmos, that takes in fellow players like you. It acts like a support system to increase the survival rate of players inside the door and to bring us all basically together. Since players are rare, it's better that we stick together and keep an eye out for each other."

"We also act as a bridge for muggle players and wizards, since it's not every day that we muggles find out that magic exists. Of course, there's more to it, but that's confidential information already." Antonio added to her brief explanation.

"See this watch here?" Harry took a look at the watch Edith was wearing—it was similar to what Antonio had shown him earlier. "I actually took part in designing this bad boy. The organization uses it for easy communication and access to information since mailing takes forever. It also serves as a tracker in a way, to check if the wearer is still alive and to know their current status." She paused for a bit to hide the watch under her glove. "Only members of the organization are given this watch. Maybe somewhere in the future, we'll make mass production for the public since this is a massive advancement in technology. For now, though, it is kept within the organization."

Harry hummed in satisfaction at their explanation. They went on their merry way to Edith's workshop, which was located near Knockturn Alley. Harry raised a brow at the chosen location, but Edith explained that some of her crafts weren't as legal as they seemed. The store reminded Harry of antique stores but with foreign gadgets and weapons—nevertheless, the store had a comfortable aura despite being located near Knockturn. Antonio beckoned Harry to sit on one of the stools while Edith went to the backrooms.

"Don't you need tools or something?" Harry asked since he didn't see any particular tool that looked to be for piercing ears. "Normally we would, but with my skill, no." With no further elaboration, Antonio approached Harry and tilted his head. He raised a palm, and clear water formed from nowhere, floating on his palms.

Harry gaped at the use of magic. "Didn't Edith say that you're a muggle? How come you can use magic?" Antonio chuckled at Harry's bewilderment and explained that it wasn't normal magic. "Us muggles are granted skills by the Door and our Sponsor to catch up with witches and wizards. We would be at a disadvantage otherwise."

"Oh," Harry replied dumbly.

The water changed into something akin to a needle, and in a quick and fluid motion, Antonio willed the water to pierce his earlobe. Harry didn't flinch at the cold water that stayed on his earlobe, while Antonio did the same thing to his other ear. "Can you hand me your earrings? I'll need to sterilize them before you wear them." Harry complied with the request and gave Antonio the earrings. Just like before, a clear water ball formed, but this one was slightly glowing. He placed the pair of earrings in the water ball for a bit and nodded in satisfaction after a minute.

Just as Antonio dispersed the water ball, Edith reentered the room. She was holding a wooden box and placing it on the counter. "Here's your order, Tonio. Also, kid, after this, let's get your measurements so I can work on some armor or battlesuit for you. Free of charge, by the way."

"Why?" Harry tilted his head like a confused puppy. "I don't want more kids dying on me because they were wearing shitty equipment that can't protect them from the door's harsh conditions." Harry's heart was touched by the offer. They had been doing so much for him since the moment they met, and this suddenly made him miss Hermione and Ron. He wondered how they were doing and how they were spending the summer. He hoped they weren't going through what he had just gone through. "Thank you. I'll be sure to pay you next time." Harry smiled brightly at her, and she smiled in turn. "You better, this is a one-time thing."

Antonio called his attention back and dispersed the water needle that was piercing his ears. He replaced the water needle with the dangling earrings and then nodded at his work. "That should do it. The water made sure to cleanse both your earlobe and earrings, so there shouldn't be issues about infections. Make sure that you don't remove your earrings or the hole will end up closing." Harry gave his thanks and offered to pay, which was declined. He should've expected this already, but he sighed anyway.

They then proceeded to take his measurements and discuss the stuff he needed. "We should make a full body armor with Mythril! Or maybe a high-tech armor that can transform into guns or spikes!" Edith suggested enthusiastically while grinning like a maniac. Antonio begged her to tone down the imagination, which Harry thanked him for.

After hours of designing and discussing, they settled on a green poncho that can adjust to any temperature and absorb minor attacks. Under the poncho were a long-sleeved turtleneck and fitting pants that had a temperature-regulating charm on them. Battle boots and gloves were included, as were some utility belts that had similar features to the Moleskine pouch from the bank.

"Are you sure that's all you want, kid? I could make you those cool armors, you know." Edith persisted, but Harry politely declined. "Armor will probably end up just hindering me since it's heavy and I want to be quick on my feet." he explained.

"Man, and here I thought I'd make something grandiose. Some people are willing to spend millions to commission me, ya know." She grumbled under her breath and placed the sketch they did in a folder. Harry and Antonio gave each other a side eye and chuckled behind her back. "Since there are a lot of commissions in line, expect your order around the first week of September. Is that fine with you?"

"Yeah, that's fine, thank you. My next door is still in Christmas anyway." Harry casually revealed.

"Shucks, of all days. That sucks kiddo." Antonio patted his back in pity, which Harry swatted away. Harry glanced at the grandfather clock and saw that it was close to 4 p.m. "I should get going now—thank you so much for everything. I'll send Hedwig, my owl, here to keep in touch if that's fine with you guys."

"Hold up, kid." Edith tossed something in his direction, which he caught easily, Quidditch reflexes kicking in. Harry opened his palm and was surprised to see a black watch similar to what she and Antonio were wearing. "Edith, isn't that for Cosmo members only?" Antonio asked with raised brows. "Psh, I can do what I want since it's one of my works anyway. Click on the crown and it'll provide you with instructions on what to do. I already saved my and Anotnio's contacts in there." She leaned on the counter and waved at Harry. "Be careful, kid. If you need anything, know that we're here to help. That's an invitation to Black Cosmos."

Harry wore the watch and warmly smiled at them. "I'll think about it." He promised, and then he said his farewell.

—

Harry's trip back to Surrey was uneventful. When he entered the house, the Dursleys ignored his presence and went on their merry way.

"Uncle Vernon," he called out. Vernon grunted from the couch and turned to Harry. "Here's the payment for the bills from a while ago." Harry brought out his card and inserted a bit of magic into the card. Magic letters appeared from thin air and asked Harry how much he wanted to deposit—under it was an option to deposit it in muggle currency or wizarding currency. Vernon jumped from his seat and moved to the very edge of the couch.

Harry inputted 100.00 sterling pounds, and the bill appeared. He dropped the bill near Vernon and headed to the kitchen. 'That should settle the small debt I had from earlier.' They returned to ignoring each other right after the short exchange. Harry made himself a chicken sandwich with orange juice and brought it to his bedroom, where Hedwig greeted him. He gave her a few pats on the head and then devoured the sandwich within minutes.

His stomach was finally satisfied after downing the orange juice. Harry gave a satisfied burp and flopped on the mattress. 'It's been a long day. I'm glad that I went out today.' Harry brought his wrist, which had the watch, in front of him and clicked on the crown. A black screen with silver lettering popped up from the watch, which reminded Harry a lot of the 'System'. The instructions were simple— it needed his fingerprint to be activated first, and then it operated like a computer but with a touch screen.

Harry fiddled with it until his stomach was grumbling again. He took a look at the time and found that it was already 7 p.m.—how time flies when having fun. He got up and found the Dursleys eating dinner. How inconvenient. Harry passed by them and cooked his own meal, which he, again, brought to his room to eat. After a while, he brought his dirty dishes down and washed them in haste, not wanting to stay in the kitchen any longer than necessary.

The following days were uneventful, with the Dursleys and Harry ignoring each other's presence. Harry often found himself going to the library and exercising on a daily basis. His exercise mostly consisted of jogging five in the morning and endurance exercises that he'd seen on the watch. It surprisingly provided exercise programs, food charts, and helpful survival tips, which is a lifesaver. This must be why the watch is provided in the player organization Edith and Antonio were in. He continued to express his gratitude to the two adults and often asked how they were doing.

In the last week of July, Harry grew suspicious of the radio silence from Hermione and Ron. They promised to mail him during the summer, but not once did he receive a letter from them. His suspicion was answered when a house elf by the name of Dobby appeared on the most inconvenient day.

—

The Dursleys begrudgingly begged Harry to stay in his room the whole day because some important visitors would be coming by. He agreed to their pleas since he didn't have anything planned for the day. The moment he entered his bedroom after his discussion with the Dursleys, Harry found a skinny house elf jumping on his bed. The elf paused when it noticed his presence and turned to face him.

"Harry Potter, it's such an honor meeting you, sir." Harry narrowed his eyes at the intruder. "Who the hell are you? I don't remember inviting a guest over today." His tone was cold and wary, but the elf wasn't bothered by the hostility. "The name is Dobby, sir. Dobby, the house elf." The elf rubbed his hands together while he introduced himself.

"Alright, Dobby, explain what you are doing here before I kick you out." Harry crossed his arms and leaned on his door. "Dobby…does not know where to start, sir. It is difficult to explain." Dobby looked away, guilty of the inability to explain. Harry sighed and massaged his temples. "First, get off my bed." The elf immediately hopped off the bed and stared at Harry for the next instruction, "Then sit down so we can converse properly. This better be worth it."

Harry didn't know what triggered it, but Dobby started crying out of nowhere. He tried to calm the elf down, but to no avail—the elf created more noise. With a snap of his fingers, the elf's cries were muffled, and Harry sighed at the incoming headache. The visitors must be here already, and he doesn't want to deal with that at the moment.

He grabbed onto the elf to stop Dobby from getting brain damage and led him to the chair. Harry canceled the spell after being certain that Dobby wouldn't cause a scene. "Can you please stop that? I don't want to get in trouble."

"Oh, of course, Harry Potter, sir." The elf wiped his tears away and brought his skinny knees to his chest. "It's just that Dobby had to punish himself for causing inconvenience to Harry Potter, sir."

"Alright, that's enough. So why did you come here?" Harry sat on the mattress that Dobby was facing. "Dobby had to warn Harry Potter, sir, from Dobby's family. If they find out Dobby's here, Dobby will never be able to see the light of day again... but Dobby must protect Harry Potter from the looming dangers."

"Hold on, your family? Who are we talking about?"

"Dobby's family... wizard family. House elves are bound to serve one wizard family forever, Harry Potter, sir. House elves are loyal to the family they serve, but Dobby cannot ignore this danger. Harry Potter must not go to Hogwarts at all costs!" Dobby's voice was trembling but he looked at Harry with great determination.

"Hmmm…What is this danger you are talking about?" Harry leaned his head on his palm while he formulated theories of what could possibly go wrong this school year.

"A lot of terrible misfortune will befall Hogwarts this school year. Harry Potter must escape and never get close to Hogwarts this school year!" He didn't give any specifics, but Harry didn't mind.

"And... who is this family you are talking about?"

"Dobby... can't say." Dobby frowned and looked close to crying again.

'It must be a contract or something similar to the magical vow Edith had with me,.' Harry concluded. His train of thought was interrupted when Dobby started banging his head with the night lamp. "Hey! Stop it!" It was a good thing that the whole room was still covered with silencing charms, or Vernon would have a talk with him after this. Harry pried the lamp away from Dobby and calmed Hedwig's screeches.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Dobby, but I need to go back to Hogwarts. I have friends waiting for me and I still need to learn. I can't possibly skip school years just because of this 'danger' you warned me of." He said sternly at the house elf who hopped off the chair.

"Harry Potter is still willing to call them his friends... after desserting him for the whole summer?" Harry narrowed his eyes at the comment and found it suspicious. "You...what did you?" Harry's patience was reaching its limits, and while he appreciated the warning, he did not like the thought of getting his friends into trouble.

Dobby paused and backed away from Harry. He tried explaining that this was all for Harry's safety and that he shouldn't be too mad at Dobby. He brought out the pile of mail, which were no doubt Hermione's and Ron's.

"Did you really think that was enough to stop me, Dobby? I think this is the end of our conversation– give me those letters."

"No! I must stop Harry Potter!"

Dobby hid the letters under his ratty clothing and ran out of the room. Unfortunately for him, Harry was quick and easily caught the elf before he could reach the stairs. He knocked the elf unconscious and dragged him back. For extra precaution, Harry brought them back to the bedroom and locked the doors. Harry sighed and willed the earrings to transform into chains.

"Don't blame me too much for this." With that, Harry tied Dobby with his chains and got the letters. There were a lot, dating from the first day of summer to last week. He opened the latest letter from Hermione—it consisted of a polite greeting and asking how Harry had been doing since he hadn't been replying to her letters. Ron's was similar, minus the polite greeting that's usually seen in letters.

Harry chuckled and brought the letters close to his chest. He can't wait to meet his friends already—it's been so long since he's been in their presence. He took his time reading each letter written for him—while he waited for Dobby to regain his consciousness. Harry was halfway through the letter pile when Dobby groaned and sat up properly.

"Finally awake. You should've just handed me the letter, it saves us both the trouble." Harry looked at the elf condescendingly. Dobby continued to apologize and begged to be free since he couldn't feel any magic, stating that it was uncomfortable—it turns out that the chains can cancel out magic. The elf bid his farewell soon after, but Harry's gut told him that this wouldn't be the last time they'd meet.

A/N:Another long chapter. Anyway, I'd like to announce that I'll unfortunately take more time to upload chapters since school started. I won't abandon the story since I have a lot in store for it but it'll definitely take time to update.