Harry Potter: The Angel of Death C43 (Patreon)

Chapter 43: Why frogs? 

The morning of the twenty-eighth of August began with Harry waking up because something was wrong.

For several seconds he remained half-asleep, staring at the ceiling and trying to identify what exactly had disturbed him, until he realized his head was resting directly on the mattress. Harry blinked and turned his head. His pillow was gone.

A groan escaped him as he followed the trail of blankets and pillows across the bed.

Ron had done it again.

The redhead had migrated halfway across the mattress during the night and was now sleeping diagonally, wrapped inside both blankets like a cocoon. One pillow was under his head. Another was trapped beneath his chest. A third had ended up between his legs.

Sharing a bed with Ron was... an experience.

The boy possessed an almost supernatural ability to steal every blanket, pillow, and available sleeping space within a ten-foot radius.

Harry briefly considered taking revenge before dismissing the thought, at this hour, that sounded like too much work. 

Sliding out of bed, Harry quietly left the room and headed downstairs.

The Burrow was already awake, though not fully; the house still carried that sleepy early-morning atmosphere where most people remained in bed and the world felt quieter than usual, yet sounds drifted through the old house—a clock ticking somewhere, the creak of ancient floorboards, and the distant hoot of an owl outside.

From the kitchen came the sounds of Molly Weasley preparing breakfast and Harry followed the smell of food.

Molly stood at the stove directing several enchanted cooking utensils while simultaneously preparing ingredients by hand. Eggs floated through the air, sausages turned themselves over in pans, and toast floated towards a plate filled with them.

Harry watched for a moment before Molly noticed him. 

"Morning, dear."

Harry smiled.

"Morning, Mrs. Weasley."

"You slept well?"

Harry considered mentioning Ron's pillow theft, but decided against it after remembering the spoon incident. He is no traitor. 

"More or less."

Molly snorted.

"Ron stole your pillow again?"

Harry tilted his head.

"How did you know?"

"Because I've been dealing with him for thirteen years."

Harry snorted and moved toward the counter.

"Need help?"

"No."

"Mrs. Weasley—"

"No."

"Mrs. Weasley."

"Harry."

They stared at each other for a moment. Molly Weasley was almost impossible to defeat in an argument—almost, but Harry was just stubborn enough for that almost. 

"Can I at least set the table?"

Molly hesitated.

"You'll stay out of my kitchen?"

"Yeah."

"Harry."

"I'll."

Molly sighed.

"Fine."

Victorious, Harry immediately began carrying plates toward the dining table. Back home Dobby doesn’t let him do anything, and every day he has to argue just to do the most basic of chores, which he needs to for his dailies. 

***

An hour later the entire house was awake and the dinning room had become crowded as every member of the Weasley family plus Harry and Hermione were having breakfast. 

Arthur sat at the head of the table with Molly beside him, while Bill and Charlie occupied one side. Percy sat ramrod straight with a book propped beside his plate, Fred and George were engaged in a whispered conversation, and Ron appeared barely conscious. Ginny sat beside Hermione, who had spent the night in Ginny's room, and the two girls were giggling about something.

The breakfast was loud and merry. Conversation flowed from one topic to another until eventually it settled upon the approaching school year.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Charlie advised, helping himself to another helping of eggs. "School, I mean."

Fred frowned.

"What?"

"The holidays." Said Charlie and Bill nodded.

"The freedom." Added Bill.

"The complete lack of responsibility." Charlie laughed. "You lot think you're busy now?"

"We are busy," Ron complained.

"Ron." Bill shook his head. 

"We've got homework."

"Homework." Charlie repeated staring at him. 

"Loads of it."

Charlie and Bill exchanged a glance before bursting out laughing and Ron looked offended.

"I'm serious!"

"Mate," Charlie said between chuckles, "one day you'll have a full-time job."

"But you love your job." Said Harry. 

"I love dragons," Charlie corrected. "But my job isn't just taking care of dragons. A lot of it is paperwork and dealing with obnoxious people."

"Sounds awful." Said Harry with a sympathetic look.  

"It is."

"Well, homework still sucks." Said Ron. 

"Yeah-" Fred nodded. 

"-the professors always go overboard with the essays." Finished George. 

"No," Hermione shook her head. "In fact, I thought there should have been a bit more."

The twins, Ron, Ginny, and Harry stared at her as though she had grown a second head.

"You finished yours during the first week." Ron pointed at her. 

"Exactly, it did not even take me a full week." Hermione frowned, disappointed. 

"I agree." Every head turned toward Percy.

"You're not humans." Fred lowered his fork.

"That explains everything." George nodded.

The discussion was interrupted when a shadow swept across the kitchen window, and a moment later an owl carrying a sealed letter swooped into the room. The bird flew straight toward Harry, who caught the envelope just before it could smack him in the face.

"Who writes letters before breakfast?" George asked.

"Boring people, that is who," Fred replied.

Harry glanced at the seal, raised an eyebrow at the Gringotts crest, and quickly opened the envelope, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Dear Mr. Potter,

Your presence is requested at Gringotts Wizarding Bank today regarding matters pertaining to your investments.

Due to the nature of the matter, we would appreciate your attendance at your earliest convenience.

Harry finished reading and folded the letter.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"Gringotts."

Several people immediately leaned closer.

"It's about some investments."

Fred grinned.

"Look at him."

George nodded solemnly.

"Discussing investments."

"Handling financial matters."

"Such a responsible young man."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm literally just going to a meeting."

"An important meeting."

"With bankers."

"Next he'll start talking about interest rates."

Ron smiled.

"Our Harry is growing up."

Even Arthur and Molly joined in teasing him and Harry just suffered through it.  

***

By late morning they had all Flooed into Diagon Alley.

The atmosphere throughout the magical district carried the unique energy that always appeared during the final days before Hogwarts reopened. Students and parents filled the streets carrying shopping bags, owls, books, robes, potion ingredients, and every other item required for another year at school.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and several other students spent the next hour making final purchases. A forgotten textbook, extra parchment, replacement potion ingredients, new quills, and various supplies they had forgotten to buy.

After finishing, they headed toward Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour through the warm, crowded streets, chatting easily as they went.

Luna walked beside them carrying a small bag of books while gazing dreamily toward the sky, muttering something about some creatures Harry’s never heard about. 

"She's a bit weird." Ron lowered his voice.

Harry immediately smacked the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"Be nice."

"I am nice."

"You literally called her weird."

Ron looked offended.

"She is weird."

"Luna," Harry said patiently, "is twelve."

"So?"

"So stop being mean."

Ron grumbled something unintelligible, and Luna smiled serenely.

"I don't mind."

Harry suspected she genuinely didn't, but he did. Ginny gave him a thumbs-up, and Harry smiled back at her. Over the past week, she has started to come out of her shell around him and is now more comfortable in his presence.  

They turned a corner and Harry noticed a familiar figure approaching from the opposite direction: Cedric Diggory.

The Hufflepuff Quidditch star carried several rolls of parchment under one arm and appeared to be muttering to himself, walking a bit distracted. 

Harry smiled, Cedric was one of the older students he genuinely liked. 

"Cedric!"

The older boy looked up, a strange expression flickering across his face before he smiled.

"Harry."

Something felt off. His posture seemed unusually rigid, and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Harry figured he might simply be tired; shopping had a way of wearing people out, himself included. He would much rather spend the morning running laps around the estate than wandering from shop to shop.

"How's the summer been?" Cedric asked.

"Pretty good."

Cedric nodded.

"And congratulations."

"For what?"

"Your emancipation."

"Oh." Harry rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks."

"So you're fully emancipated now?"

Harry shrugged.

"Pretty much."

Cedric's eyes sharpened for a fraction of a second.

"Pretty much?"

"Kinda, Mrs Tonks checks up on me from time to time."

Cedric nodded.

"I see."

Cedric asked several questions about Harry’s plans, including whether he intended to stay in Britain and continue attending Hogwarts after everything that had happened with Dumbledore.

None of the questions were inappropriate, though Cedric had never struck Harry as the nosy type. Then again, nearly every student Harry had run into since the trial had asked him the same sort of things.

"Anyway," Cedric said, smiling again. "Enjoy the rest of your summer."

"You too."

The older boy continued down the street.

Harry watched him go, something was weird about Cedric today.  Beside him, Hermione kept her eyes on Cedric's back a moment longer.

"Was it just me?"

"No," Harry said.

Ron looked between them.

"What?"

"Cedric was acting strange."

Ron glanced back, but Cedric had already vanished into the crowd.

"I didn't notice anything."

Hermione remained thoughtful.

"He seemed different."

Harry nodded.

That was exactly it, something was different about Cedric. 

The conversation drifted to other topics as they continued down the street, passing the narrow entrance to Knockturn Alley before finally arriving at the ice cream shop.

***

After finishing their ice cream, Harry parted ways with the others.

The rest of the group intended to continue wandering through Diagon Alley for another few hours before returning home. Harry, however, had an appointment to keep, so he headed toward Gringotts.

The massive white marble building dominated the end of the street exactly as it always had. Witches and wizards flowed through the bronze doors in a constant stream while goblin guards watched everything with eyes that missed very little.

Harry climbed the steps and entered the bank and a few minutes later he was seated in a familiar office.

Across the desk sat Zarok Ironledger.

Harry had met the goblin several times during the summer. Zarok served as the Potter family's account manager and had become one of the few goblins Harry genuinely enjoyed speaking with.

It wasn't that Zarok was especially friendly—far from it. Instead, the goblin had a dry sense of humor, a practical outlook, and a cynicism forged over years of dealing with wealthy idiots. Harry had even once witnessed him patiently explain basic mathematics to a pureblood lord.

The memory still made him smile.

The goblin slid a thick folder across the desk.

"We have a problem."

Harry eyed the folder.

"How bad?"

Zarok considered the question for a minute before answering. 

"One of House Potter's major investment ventures is currently in freefall."

Harry winced.

"That sounds pretty bad."

"Indeed."

"Can it be salvaged?"

The goblin tilted his head from side to side.

"Possibly."

That was not encouraging, but it was better than a no. Harry looked at the folder, and before he reached to open it, Zarok explained: 

"The venture was originally funded during the nineteen fifties." 

"That long ago?" Harry raised an eyebrow. If the investment dated back that far, it could have been made by either his great-grandfather Henry or his grandfather Fleamont.

"Yes."

"Who made it?"

"Your grandfather."

"Fleamont Potter?"

"Correct."

Harry's concern increased considerably. His grandfather had been a successful businessman. The man responsible for Sleekeazy's Hair Potion had built a fortune large enough that neither James nor Harry would ever need to work a day in their lives if they chose not to. If Fleamont had invested in something, there had probably been a reason, and if the investment is failing…

"How much did he invest?"

Zarok consulted a document but knowing him he already knew the answer. 

"Approximately one quarter of the Potter family fortune."

Harry nearly choked on air. 

"A quarter?!"

"Correct."

"Why?!"

Zarok shrugged.

"I was not assigned to the Potter accounts at the time."

"But a quarter?"

"Your grandfather was quite enthusiastic with the project, according to my predecessor." The goblin folded his hands. "The project has consumed enormous amounts of capital over the last several decades. As Head of House Potter, your input is required regarding how we proceed."

Harry nodded.

"Alright." He opened the folder and several photographs stared back at him, Harry frowned, then frowned harder, looked up, back down, and up again.

"Zarok."

"Yes?"

"What am I looking at?"

The goblin glanced at the photographs.

"Dinosaurs."

Harry stared at him blankly. 

"I'm sorry."

"Dinosaurs."

Harry continued staring.

"The extinct reptiles." Explained the banker. 

"I know what dinosaurs are!"

"Good."

"Why are there photos of dinosaurs in the folder?"

"A reasonable question." Zarok looked faintly amused, the corner of his mouth twitching as he suppressed a smile.

Harry dropped back into his chair.

"Please tell me there's an explanation."

"There is."

"Good."

"The company responsible for the venture is called InGen."

Harry had never heard the name before.

"Their objective was the creation of a revolutionary entertainment attraction."

"Entertainment attraction?" Harry frowned. What did that have to do with dinos? 

"Correct." Zarok adjusted his glasses. "Specifically, a dinosaur amusement park."

"With real dinosaurs." He added after a moment. 

Harry blinked three times.

"A what?"

"A dinosaur amusement park."

"With real dinosaurs," Harry repeated in a flat tone. 

"Yes."

"The extinct animals."

"Those would be the ones."

Harry buried his face in his hands. The next time he summoned his grandfather, there would be a lot of explaining to do. They had spoken several times over the summer, and not once had Fleamont thought to mention that he had invested in a dinosaur amusement park?

"How?"

Seriously, how? Dinos went extinct ages ago, did they not? 

"The science behind the venture is actually quite impressive."

Harry lowered his hands.

"Go on."

"Millions of years ago, a mosquito fed upon a dinosaur."

Harry listened.

"The mosquito subsequently became trapped in tree resin and the resin fossilized into amber."

Harry nodded.

"Scientists later recovered the amber and they extracted the mosquito."

Harry kept nodding. 

"They recovered dinosaur blood from the mosquito's digestive system."

Harry paused.

"...what?"

"They recovered dinosaur DNA from the mosquito's digestive system."

Harry stared at him and Zarok continued without the slightest trace of humor.

"Because the recovered genetic material contained numerous gaps, the scientists utilized advanced gene sequencing technology to reconstruct the missing sections."

"How?"

"They used frog DNA."

Harry opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"They used what?"

"Frog DNA."

"To make dinosaurs."

"Correct."

"Why frogs?"

"I wouldn't know, Mr. Potter, I am not a scientist." He answered. 

The goblin tapped a photograph, and Harry's jaw dropped as he saw a massive reptilian creature labeled TYRANNOSAURUS REX staring back at him.

"That's real?"

"Indeed."

Harry turned the page. Another photograph. Then another. And another. Creatures he had only ever seen in books stood beneath tropical sunlight, some as large as houses, others possessing horns, one appearing to have claws longer than Harry's arm.

Harry stared in awe.

"They actually did it." He said. "They brought dinosaurs back from extinction."

"They did."

"They brought dinosaurs back..." Harry paused. "...to build a theme park?"

Zarok shrugged.

"Humans are difficult to understand."

Harry could not argue with that. For several minutes he flipped through photographs and reports, every page becoming more amazing than the last, until he reached the incident logs and his smile faded.

"What happened?"

Zarok's expression became serious once more.

"A few days ago, a team visited the island where the project is located."

Harry glanced down at the name of the island. 

"Isla Nublar." Harry read.

"A small island off the coast of Costa Rica." Added Zarok. 

Harry continued reading the report and the further he read, the worse things became: security failures, containment failures, multiple injuries, property destruction, and fatalities filled the reports. The list continued for dozens of pages.

"Oh."

"Indeed."

Harry reached the final report and looked up.

"The entire project is shutting down?"

"That is InGen's current intention.” Zarok folded his hands. “As one of the venture’s principal investors, the Potter family retains significant influence, meaning House Potter has a vote in determining its future.” 

Harry stared at the mountain of paperwork: the photographs, the financial reports, the incident logs, the scientific research, the dinosaurs—actual dinosaurs. The entire situation felt like a fever dream, and yet... Harry looked down at another photograph: a herd of enormous long-necked creatures walked across an open field while the sun set behind them.

The image was beautiful.

"It would take a lot of work to save it, wouldn't it?"

Zarok's laugh held no humor.

"An astronomical amount."

Harry sighed and the goblin pushed the entire collection of files toward him.

"Take them."

Harry blinked.

"All of them?"

"Yes."

"There has to be hundreds of pages."

"There are."

Harry looked horrified.

"The burden of leadership often involves paperwork." Zarok looked pleased at the prospect of his suffering. 

"I hate leadership."

"So does everyone intelligent." The goblin stood. "Go through the documents and weigh your options. Then decide where House Potter stands on the matter." 

Harry gathered the mountain of documents into his hands, and as he rose from his chair, his eyes drifted once more toward the photograph of the dinosaurs.

A ping decided his fate.

"I guess I am saving the dinosaurs..." He muttered before looking at the quest. 

[Adventure Quest: Spare No Expense]

Objective: Prevent the extinction of InGen's resurrected dinosaurs.

Optional Objectives:

Secure Isla Nublar and ???

Prevent further human casualties.

Determine whether the park can be rebuilt safely.

Find someone competent enough to manage the island.

Reward:

10 000 EXP

10 Stat Points

???

Failure: Permanent loss of all living dinosaur specimens.

“Spare No Expenses…” He sighed. “That doesn’t bode well for my bank account.” 

***

Author’s Note: Why frogs? Seriously, why frogs? Countless ancient animals are roaming the Earth, several that have endured for millions of years, so why frogs? 

PS: Jurassic Park is gonna be a subplot, not a main plot, something that will happen in the background and will eventually lead to a future main arc. So don't expect Harry to get a raptor pet anytime soon. 

PSS: Who else is dying? Heat Wave? More like Heat Tsunami. And technically speaking, the summer has not officially started. 

PSSS: A reader told me about collections, so now each story has its own, to facilitate finding the content.