At that moment, Harry felt his portly, often-overbearing uncle was unbelievably handsome. A warmth bloomed in his chest, so intense it almost brought tears to his eyes. But alongside that warmth, a chilling thought took root: Did that place called Hogwarts kill my parents? Was it a car accident... at Hogwarts?
"You don't understand, Dursley! You don't understand anything at all!" Vernon's words had sent Hagrid into a blind rage. He paced back and forth in the cramped shack like a furious black bear. "Protect? What are yeh protecting him with? That little iron stick?"
He rounded on Vernon again. "Dursley! Listen to me! This child is not like you! He is destined to belong to that world!"
"Destined to belong to that world?" Vernon became even more agitated. The dam of his fear and restraint finally broke. "How dare you say he belongs to that world?!" he roared. "If he belongs to that world, then why did you and those people behind you leave him to us? Why didn't you take care of him? You dumped him on our doorstep without a word for eleven years! Just left a letter!"
He vented all the pent-up grievances from a decade of silence, his body trembling with emotion as he pointed a shaking finger at Hagrid. "We treat him like our own son, a part of our family, and now you come here telling us he belongs to that world? Trying to take him away from us!" His voice cracked. "Don't you think that's cruel?"
"Let me say it again," Vernon declared, his voice ringing with newfound conviction. "Petunia and I are Harry's legal guardians, protected by English law. We will absolutely not allow him to go to that dreadful place."
For the first time, he didn't call Harry a freak. He called him by his name.
Petunia, her face streaked with tears, pulled Harry into a tight, desperate embrace, as if she were afraid someone would snatch him away. Harry, momentarily stunned, found himself enveloped in her arms. It was the first time she had ever held him like this. He heard her whispering, "I won't let them take you away from me."
His heart felt like it was going to burst. He greedily inhaled her scent, trying to imprint the feeling on his memory forever. This is a mother's scent... a mother's love. He had never truly experienced it before, but in this moment, he felt he had. Dudley was right, he thought. They do love me. This realization solidified his resolve.
"Legal protection? What good is Muggle law?!" Hagrid scoffed, his contempt for the British legal system absolute. "Just like now. I'm taking him. Can you stop me? I will take him to Hogwarts. That's the task Professor Dumbledore gave me."
"I won't let you! And I won't let that mad old man teach another little madman! And then let him die for no reason!"
Vernon's words were the final straw. With a roar of fury, Hagrid lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground like a helpless kitten. "Never!" he bellowed, his face inches from Vernon's, spittle flying from his lips. "You must not! Insult! Albus! Dumbledore! In! Front! Of! Me!"
To Hagrid, Dumbledore was a savior, the man he respected above all others.
Vernon's feet dangled in the air, his face turning a dark, plum color from lack of oxygen. He struggled, but his strength was nothing against the giant's.
Just as Hagrid was about to teach Vernon a lesson he would never forget, a powerful hand clamped down on his wrist.
"Big guy," a low voice said. "What do you think you're doing?"
Dudley had made his move. With a sharp, downward pressure, he forced Hagrid's arm down, allowing Vernon's feet to touch the ground. The suffocating pressure was finally relieved.
"Well now, big oaf," Hagrid said, a flicker of surprise in his eyes as he felt the unexpected strength in Dudley's grip. "Yeh're more interestin' than yeh look." He let go of Vernon, turning his full attention to Dudley. "So what do yeh want to do, eh?" Despite the words, the 180cm Dudley looked like a child next to the towering half-giant.
"Trespassing," Dudley began, ticking off the offenses on his fingers. "Malicious damage to property. Personal threats. And now, physical assault." He met Hagrid's gaze without flinching. "You know, if my father had shot you when you walked in, he would have been within his rights."
Hagrid let out a booming laugh. "Don't be ridiculous, yeh great lump. A Muggle iron stick like that can't hurt me."
This is the fifth time he's called Dudley that, Harry thought, giving Hagrid a mental thumbs-up for his sheer, suicidal bravery. Everyone he'd ever seen verbally offend his cousin had ended up in the hospital. As Dudley often taught him: 'Studying is for talking to idiots calmly. Fitness is for making idiots talk to you calmly.'
Dudley just shook his head. Wizards were too arrogant. Even a half-blood like Hagrid, who had been expelled, possessed a natural, unthinking superiority over Muggles. Although he yearned for magic, he despised this attitude. Shouldn't a spellcaster maintain a sense of awe towards the unknown? The power of firearms was not to be underestimated.
At that moment, Dudley invested all the experience points he had accumulated over the years—a total of 996—into a single skill upgrade.
Firearms LV2.
Even if you can heal any wound, he thought, a sniper round to the head is a different story.
"If a distinguished guest arrives, we will treat them with honor," Dudley said, his voice level. "If a rude guest arrives, there is a big stick waiting for them."
Hagrid just looked confused. "What are yeh talkin' about?" The saying was lost on him.
A familiar notification chimed in Dudley's mind.
Task: Defeat the half-giant. Reward: Random magic skill.
Too lazy to explain, Dudley picked up the rifle that Hagrid had knotted and tossed aside. "Want to try?" he asked, weighing it in his hand. A golden arc of electricity, the power of the Ripple, flashed in his palm. The knotted barrel miraculously straightened, returning to its original form.
It was the first time he had displayed a supernatural ability in front of his parents, but there was no time to worry about that now. He raised the rifle, aiming the dark muzzle squarely at Hagrid.
***
(End of Chapter)
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