Harry Potter and the HQL - Chapter - 3

The sun was bright over Highgarden, casting soft gold over its stone towers and polished glass windows. The great lawns were freshly trimmed, and magical lanterns floated along the outer hedges in preparation for the first summer meeting of the Stars Club.

Inside the manor, Harry Potter stood at the entrance hall, dressed in casual robes, his hair slightly tousled from the summer wind, and an excited spark in his eyes. He watched as the grand fireplace flared to life again—emerald green flames whirling—and another young witch stumbled out with a loud thud.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, brushing soot off her sleeves, wide-eyed as she took in the glittering chandeliers and massive portraits moving on the walls.

“Welcome to Highgarden,” Harry greeted with a smile. “Just follow the floating parchments to the east garden.”

“Thanks, Harry!” the girl beamed, still in disbelief that Harry Potter had spoken directly to her.

The first-years, mostly Muggle-borns or half-bloods, were arriving in small groups. Many had been dropped off by their parents at the Leaky Cauldron, where they were directed toward the public Floo station. It was rare for them to visit wizard homes—let alone something as impressive and ancient as Highgarden.

They passed through the hallways, marveling at enchanted portraits, floating bookcases, and a staircase that politely rearranged itself for their convenience.

“This isn’t a house,” one boy whispered, “this is a castle.”

“It’s bigger than my whole school,” another muttered.

Harry chuckled as Fred and George appeared behind him.

“Bet they haven’t even seen the potion pond or the dueling arena yet,” said George.

“Should we tell them about the talking vines in the greenhouse?” asked Fred.

“Let’s not traumatize them right away,” Harry said with a smirk.

"Alright, everyone, gather round," Harry called, his voice clear and excited. "This is Highgarden, and today, we’re going to give you a proper tour. I promise, it’s more than just a fancy house. There’s plenty of magic to discover."

The younger students murmured excitedly as they gathered around Harry, wide-eyed and eager to see what was hidden within the walls of the massive estate.

Neville, Fred, and George stood off to the side, ready to chime in and show off their favorite parts of Highgarden. Hermione was already flipping through notes she had prepared, making sure everything was in order for the day’s events.

"This place is seriously huge," one of the First Years said, looking up at the towering walls. "I can’t even imagine what’s inside."

"You’ll see for yourself," Harry said with a grin. "First stop, the library."

The group made their way toward the massive library, its stone doors engraved with ancient runes that shimmered as they approached. Harry waved his wand, and the doors creaked open, revealing rows upon rows of bookshelves stacked with tomes that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"This is where I spend a lot of my time," Harry said, walking into the cavernous room. "I’ve collected books on broomstick design, ancient spells, magical creatures, and pretty much anything else I can get my hands on."

Luna, who had joined the group, was already tugging on Hermione’s sleeve. "Do you have any books on dream magic?" she asked.

Hermione smiled. "I think I saw a section on magical dreams over there."

The students wandered between the shelves, each one amazed at the sheer size and breadth of the collection. Some were enchanted, glowing softly with magic, while others seemed to hum with an ancient power.

"This is incredible," a First Year boy said, running his fingers over the leather-bound covers. "Do you ever read all of these?"

Harry chuckled. "I try. But there’s always something new to learn."

After leaving the library, they ventured deeper into Highgarden, heading down a winding staircase into the underground wine cellar. The room was dimly lit by enchanted candles, casting flickering shadows across rows of polished wooden racks filled with bottles of wine—some labeled with names in ancient languages, others glowing with an eerie but inviting light.

"This is where I keep the special stuff," Harry said with a wink, nodding toward the shelves. "Not just for drinking, though. Some of these bottles have been used in potions brewing or even as part of some broomstick enchantments."

Fred and George began scanning the bottles with interest. "Any that might make you fly faster?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We don’t mix potions with the wine," Harry said dryly, though he couldn’t hide the smirk. "But, yeah, some of these might be useful for a different kind of project."

They continued to explore, and the students were fascinated by the variety of magical items lining the cellar—enchanted glassware that never broke, preserved ancient fruits used in potions, and rare bottles that seemed to pulse with magical energy.

After their brief detour through the cellar, they made their way to the grand dining hall. The room was enormous, with a massive oak table at its center, surrounded by ornate chairs that looked like something out of a royal court. Magical portraits hung on the walls, their painted figures moving and interacting with each other.

"Each of these portraits has its own personality," Harry explained, gesturing to a portrait of an old wizard with a bushy beard who was currently arguing with a painted knight about the correct way to hold a sword.

"Who’s that?" a curious First Year asked, pointing to the knight.

"That’s Sir Garrick, the first knight to defend Highgarden from a goblin invasion," Harry explained. "He and the wizard over there—Professor Blakemore—have been stuck arguing for centuries. We’ve given up trying to make them get along."

The students chuckled, but their eyes were wide with wonder as they gazed at the portraits, some of which even nodded or waved as they passed by.

Next, Harry led the group through a set of large oak doors and out onto the courtyard, where they were greeted by the greenhouse. The structure was a massive glass dome, surrounded by towering trees and exotic flowers that pulsed with magic. Inside, the air was rich with the scent of blooming herbs, rare magical plants, and sparkling potions ingredients.

"This is where I keep my collection of rare plants, including some experimentally magical plants," Harry said, motioning toward the rows of odd plants. "Some of these are part of my broomstick testing. Certain plants can be used to enhance broomstick speed or improve durability."

Hermione, always eager to learn, approached one of the plants, a glowing vine that twirled around a nearby support beam. "I’ve read about this one," she said, reaching out. "It’s called Wisproot—great for spellbinding objects, especially for long-lasting enchantments."

"That’s right," Harry nodded. "It’s one of the ingredients I use when testing new broom designs."

The younger students marveled at the array of magical plants, many of which they had only read about in textbooks, while others were completely new to them.

Next, Harry took the group to a hidden section of the greenhouse—his personal lab, where he kept his broomstick-making equipment. The lab was filled with wooden workbenches, enchanted tools, and raw materials—each one designed to help Harry experiment with new broomstick designs.

"This is where the magic happens," Harry said, showing them the broomstick prototypes in various stages of completion. Some had gleaming, polished wood, while others were roughly carved and still in need of enchantments. "I’ve been working on a few new models here."

Fred and George leaned over a nearby workbench, inspecting one of the prototypes. "What’s this one?" Fred asked.

"It’s still in progress," Harry said. "I’m experimenting with a new balance charm. It’s supposed to make the broom more responsive in tight turns."

George whistled. "This is serious work, Harry."

"I take broomstick design seriously," Harry replied with a grin.

The first-years were utterly fascinated, asking questions about the designs and even taking notes on the intricate details of the brooms.

Finally, Harry led the group outside into the expansive forests surrounding Highgarden. The tall, thick trees stretched high above them, casting long shadows over the group as they walked through the hidden paths between the trees.

"This is where the fun part begins," Harry said, motioning for everyone to follow. "Highgarden isn’t just home to magical plants. It’s also home to magical creatures—some rare, some just a bit… odd."

The first creature they encountered was a Thestral, its dark wings folding delicately as it gazed at the group. The students were startled at first, but Harry explained, "Don’t worry, Thestrals are friendly once you get to know them."

They moved on to see centaurs, who were grazing nearby, carefully watching the students approach. "Centaurs are very protective of their territory," Harry said, "but they’re generally peaceful if you show respect."

As they walked further into the woods, they saw hippogriffs soaring high above, followed by a group of unicorns peacefully drinking from a stream. There were even wildfire plumes—a rare breed of phoenix with flame-colored feathers that burned brighter than the sun.

"I’ve never seen anything like this," one of the first-years whispered in awe.

"Most magical creatures live in peace here," Harry explained. "Highgarden’s been enchanted to make sure they all coexist. There’s no harm here, just a mix of creatures who’ve found their place."

By the end of the tour, the group was tired but thrilled. They’d seen enchanted greenhouses, ancient portraits, and even magical creatures—and all in one day. The First Years had a new appreciation for the magical world around them and the depths of Highgarden’s secrets.

As they gathered to leave, Harry smiled at the group. "I hope you enjoyed the tour. There’s still much more to see, but for now, let’s get our meeting started."

Soon, the east garden pavilion was filled with nearly thirty-five club members seated under shade-charmed canopies. Rosly and Norky, Harry’s house-elves, moved gracefully through the gathering, levitating trays of cold pumpkin fizz, mint-butter sandwiches, and chocolate frogs.

Neville arrived carrying a large satchel of enchanted seedlings, Hermione floated in with folders and parchment in a magically organized tower, and Luna came barefoot, carrying a bundle of parchment sketches of rare magical creatures.

Harry stood at the front of the pavilion, tapping his wand on the enchanted speaker orb at the podium.

“Alright, everyone, settle in!”

The chatter dwindled, and all eyes turned toward him.

“Welcome to the first summer meeting of the Stars Club,” Harry began, his voice strong but warm. “For those of you who are new—this club began with a few of us just sharing ideas. But over the last year, it’s grown into something real. We’ve printed a magazine, shared it with the whole world, and even started making a bit of gold along the way.”

A few students chuckled. One of the younger girls, a first-year with freckles, held up a small coin pouch.

“I bought a whole set of Exploding Snap cards with my article payment!”

Harry smiled. “Exactly. And that’s the heart of what we do—we build something together.”

He paused, letting his gaze travel across the faces—older students, second-years, bright-eyed first-years—each of them a part of this growing movement.

“Now, since our printing press is in Hogwarts,” he continued, “we won’t be printing Stars Magazine during the summer. But that doesn’t mean we stop working. This is when we get creative—brainstorming, writing, drawing, researching, and helping each other improve.”

Hermione stood and unrolled a parchment.

“We’ve outlined the themes for the first three issues of next term,” she said. “A magical creatures edition, a Quidditch and sport special, and an issue about magical innovation. I’ll assign section leads today.”

“Luna’s in charge of the creatures feature,” Harry added, nodding toward Luna, who raised her sketches with a dreamy smile. “And Fred and George will head up the Quidditch section—”

“You want action shots?” Fred asked. “We’ve got enchanted cameras.”

“Want controversy?” George added. “We’ll invent some.”

Hermione groaned. “Please don’t invent controversy.”

Harry laughed. “We’re also assigning junior members to shadow each section. You’ll learn how to write, edit, layout, and publish.”

Hands shot up excitedly.

As the meeting continued, Harry raised his voice once more. “Now, onto something really exciting.”

He pulled a golden envelope from his pocket and held it up. “These are season tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. I’ve got ten of them for my closest friends—”

Gasps erupted from the older students.

“—but I want the entire club to experience a professional match. So I’ve made arrangements. There’s a game happening in Ireland in four days, and I’ve purchased enough local tickets so that everyone can attend.”

The garden exploded with cheers.

“No way!” shouted a second-year boy. “We’re all going?”

“All of us,” Harry confirmed. “Transport and lunch will be covered. We’ll watch the game together.”

A quiet first-year raised her hand. “What if our parents say no?”

Hermione stepped forward. “That’s actually something else we wanted to discuss.”

Harry nodded. “Last time, we had this idea—what if we invited the parents of Muggle-born students to Highgarden? Gave them a chance to see what our world is really like.”

“A sort of… magical open house,” Hermione added. “We’ll prepare displays, demonstrations, safety explanations. It’ll help them understand Hogwarts and the magical world better.”

There were a few stunned faces among the first-years.

“I think my dad would love that,” said one boy quietly. “He tells everyone I go to a ‘boarding school for future chemists.’”

Laughter rippled around the group.

“It’s not just about showing off,” Neville said. “It’s about building trust. Making sure the people outside our world know that magic isn’t something scary or dangerous—it’s powerful, yes, but also beautiful.”

Fred leaned over to George and whispered loudly, “Should we show the parents our Skiving Snackbox line?”

“Only if we want to give them heart attacks,” George whispered back.

Harry grinned. “Let’s put that in the ‘maybe’ pile.”

As the day went on, the groups broke off into teams:

Hermione’s team assigned articles and writing partners.

Fred and George created a chalkboard timeline for their sports edition.

Luna began teaching sketching techniques for magical creatures.

Neville led a group into the garden to discuss herbology features.


The first-years were glowing—feeling included, inspired, and important.

Later, as the students began leaving via the Floo, many stopped to thank Harry personally. Some brought letters from their parents, others promised to bring snacks for the next meeting, and a few simply gave him shy waves.

Harry stood by the fireplace with Sirius, who had watched the meeting from the sidelines with arms crossed and a proud smile.

“You’ve are becoming a Star, Harry,” Sirius said quietly.

Harry shrugged, but his smile was real. “Feels good. You know? Like I’m doing something that’s mine.”

Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. “And you’re just getting started.”