"Who's Dudley?" Fudge asked, puzzled, scanning the room.
Dumbledore's gaze settled on Dudley, his blue eyes, framed by half-moon spectacles, piercing as if trying to unravel him.
Dudley, half-reclining on the sofa, suppressed an urge to roll his eyes. Hagrid, your timing is awful, he thought, irritation flaring.
"Dudley, what did you notice?" Dumbledore asked, approaching and stopping before him.
"Dudley Dursley, Harry's cousin, son of the aunt raising Harry," someone clarified for Fudge.
Only then did the room's attention shift to the sturdy boy with golden hair and a chiseled face, though pale from exhaustion. He bore little resemblance to Harry; without knowing their relation, few would guess they were cousins.
"I'm not sure," Dudley said, his voice faint. "Underground, I kept feeling watched, but it was vague at first. At Vault 713, the unease grew stronger, so I told Griphook to check. I didn't expect…"
His words trailed off, his pallor lending credibility to his distress.
"Feeling watched? What's that about?" Fudge frowned.
The wizards exchanged uncertain glances, grappling with Dudley's account.
No one doubted him—an eleven-year-old Muggle-raised child, untouched by magic, was above suspicion. Yet his story baffled them.
"Some people are naturally sensitive to danger," John ventured hesitantly. "Could that be it?"
"It's possible," another wizard said. "I read about a wizard in the wizarding world who could foresee threats and avoid them precisely."
"Or maybe his intuition's sharper?" a third suggested. "Like predicting danger unconsciously."
The group buzzed with theories, trying to rationalize Dudley's perception.
Dumbledore alone remained silent, his eyes fixed on Dudley, studying him intently.
"Are you certain you felt nothing else besides being watched?" Dumbledore asked after the speculation subsided, his tone measured.
"I sensed a slight danger, too," Dudley replied softly. "I don't know why."
"See? Some are born with danger-sensing gifts," the earlier wizard insisted.
"Lucky he noticed," Fudge said grimly. "The consequences could've been catastrophic."
The death of a goblin had already sparked unrest, but Harry Potter's death would have plunged the wizarding world into chaos. It would signal Voldemort's return—or at least rekindle the terror of his era, a nightmare no one wanted revived.
The discussion moved on, as Dudley's account offered little to probe further.
After a few more questions, Fudge departed with his Ministry entourage.
"Rest up, then get your supplies," Dumbledore told Harry and Dudley before leaving. "Diagon Alley's likely the safest place now."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry and Dudley said in unison.
An hour later, Harry and Dudley, mostly recovered, rejoined Vernon and Petunia in Gringotts' lobby.
The Dursleys looked shaken, their faces pale. The mysterious aura of majesty earlier, coupled with the alien wizarding world and its goblins, had nearly undone them. Dudley's prolonged absence underground had only worsened their anxiety.
Though wizards rushing past had somehow eased their panic, without that, they might have fled screaming.
"Oh, my little Diddykins!" Petunia cried, rushing to Dudley and crushing him in a hug. "You were gone so long—Mummy was terrified!"
"I'm fine, Mum," Dudley said, squirming futilely to escape her embrace.
"Did something happen?" Vernon asked, frowning at Hagrid, sensing unease.
"Nothing big," Harry said quickly. "Just a crowd at Gringotts today, long queues for withdrawals."
"Really?" Vernon muttered, his suspicion lingering but fading.
Leaving Gringotts, Dudley noticed a heavier wizard presence, both inside and in Diagon Alley. Vigilant figures, exuding power, patrolled the streets.
Ministry wizards? Aurors, maybe? Dudley speculated silently.
Petunia eyed the oddly dressed wizards nervously, her distress mounting.
"Why so many people suddenly?" Vernon grumbled. "What's going on?"
The alley, once lively and leisurely, now buzzed with tension. Wizards moved briskly, their faces taut.
"Hagrid, is there a place here for a drink?" Dudley asked. "Something… Muggle-friendly, I mean."
The Leaky Cauldron's grim atmosphere wasn't worth revisiting.
"There's a dessert shop with drinks," Hagrid offered.
"Good, take us there," Dudley said, worried his parents might collapse if they wandered further.
At the shop, Dudley ordered drinks, settled Vernon and Petunia, then stepped out with Harry.
"Next, we need Hogwarts uniforms," Harry said, checking the supply list.
"I'll take you to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions," Hagrid said. "Got my uniform there."
The custom-fitting process, with self-measuring tapes, was straightforward, offering little novelty beyond the magical tools.
"Books or wands next?" Hagrid asked as they left the shop.
Harry and Dudley's eyes gleamed.
"Wands!" they said together.