"I! Harry Potter! Will absolutely not go to Hogwarts!"
The words, roared with all the force an eleven-year-old could muster, hung in the air, instantly silencing the room. The Dursleys were stunned. Even Dumbledore and the stern-faced woman who had just transformed from a tabby cat were frozen in place.
The sentence was simply too shocking. The Savior of the wizarding world, refusing to go to the wizarding world? What was to be done? If it were just the Dursleys who disagreed, it would be a simple matter to ignore their opinions. But Harry's own wishes could not be so easily dismissed.
Only Dudley, after his initial surprise, felt a surge of pure, unadulterated joy in his heart. This little boy, who had always been a quiet shadow at his side, passively accepting everything and never expressing his own desires, had finally, for the first time, spoken his own mind.
My little brother, he thought, a wave of pride washing over him, has finally grown up.
Dumbledore, who had already been nursing a headache after receiving Hagrid's disastrous report the previous night, now felt his temples begin to throb in earnest. Instead of responding directly to Harry, he turned to the Dursleys and immediately offered a sincere apology. "I must apologize to your family for the regrettable rudeness of the Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. Please, believe me when I say that we have absolutely no ill intentions."
His voice seemed to carry a certain magic, a calming quality that slowly began to soothe Harry's agitated state.
"May we please come in and talk?" Dumbledore directed the question not to Vernon or Petunia, but to Dudley. From Hagrid's account, he had gleaned one crucial piece of information: although the parents appeared to be in charge, it was their son who held the real authority in this household.
"Of course, Headmaster," Dudley replied respectfully. As the old saying goes, you don't hit a smiling face. If it weren't for Hagrid's boorish behavior, he wouldn't have interfered. Besides, he knew with absolute certainty that he could not defeat the old man with the long, white beard. He paused. "We?"
As he spoke, the tabby cat at Dumbledore's feet began to grow at a visible speed, transforming into a tall, severe-looking woman in emerald-green robes.
"This is Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore introduced her smoothly. "She is the Head of Gryffindor House and also the professor of Transfiguration."
"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Dudley greeted her politely, adding with an appropriate measure of feigned awe, "How amazing. Is that magic?"
"Hello, young Mr. Dursley," she replied, her stern features softening slightly at his respectful tone. "Yes. It is a form of Transfiguration."
Dudley's calm, well-mannered demeanor made Dumbledore look at him more closely. He has a very good sense of propriety, the old wizard noted.
The group moved into the Dursleys' living room. Petunia sat stiffly on the sofa, looking constrained and uncomfortable. After all, this was the man she had written to so many times, begging to attend the school he now represented. Vernon, on the other hand, kept his head down, muttering under his breath. He didn't recognize Dumbledore, but he saw a mad old fool. It was the stern-faced Professor McGonagall who truly unnerved him.
The atmosphere was thick with tension. It was Dumbledore who finally broke the awkward silence. "Please tell me, Harry," he said gently. "Why don't you want to go to Hogwarts?"
This was the crucial question. The Savior of the wizarding world not attending Hogwarts would have significant repercussions.
Feeling the weight of Dumbledore and McGonagall's gazes, Harry felt the pressure double. He was just a child, and it had taken all his courage just to speak up.
"Because then I can't go to school with Dudley!" he blurted out, his voice full of stubborn conviction.
Hearing this, Dumbledore's gaze lingered on Dudley for a moment before he exchanged a look with Professor McGonagall. They both seemed to collectively breathe a sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness Hagrid didn't do anything excessive to this one,' McGonagall thought.
'I didn't expect the two boys to have such a deep bond,' Dumbledore mused.
"We promised we would go to Smeltings together," Harry insisted. Going to school with Dudley was his greatest wish. If attending Hogwarts meant being separated from him, then he wouldn't go, even if it were heaven itself.
"Harry, if that's the case, then you have nothing to worry about," Professor McGonagall said, her stern expression melting into a rare, soft smile. "Because your cousin, Dudley Dursley, is also one of our new students this year."
Dumbledore then turned to Dudley. "Young Mr. Dursley, you should have received a letter as well, did you not?"
"What? Dudley? Oh my goodness!" Before Dudley could even speak, Petunia shot up from the sofa, her voice a cry of disbelief and dawning joy. Going to Hogwarts had been her greatest wish for the first half of her life. I gave birth to a wizard? she thought, a dizzying mix of emotions swirling within her. If Dudley could go, it would, in some small way, fulfill her own unfulfilled dream. Realizing she'd lost her composure, she sat back down awkwardly, her feelings a complex tangle of jealousy and pride.
People are sometimes so contradictory. Her past attitude towards Lily had been a mix of sisterly concern and bitter envy. This had translated into her treatment of Harry, deliberately creating a contrast between the two boys to soothe her own wounded heart. But it didn't mean she didn't love him. The ancient protection charm Lily had cast was fueled by love; without it, the magic would have long since faded. As a great author once said, "I'm afraid my brother is having a hard time, and I'm also afraid my brother is driving a Land Rover." It was simply human nature.
"Are you talking about this letter?" Dudley said, pulling a charred, fragile corner of parchment from his pocket and placing it on the table. "Unfortunately, by the time I saw it, it was already like this." He was still deeply unsure if he could actually go. Shinji Matou's physique and a magic value of 0.8 seemed like a cruel joke.
"Oh, by Merlin," Professor McGonagall murmured, taking out her wand. She tapped the burned fragment gently. With a soft swish, it was restored to its original state.
It's really enviable, Dudley thought, watching the casual display of power. He looked at the restored letter. This time, he could clearly read the elegant, emerald-green ink.
Dear Mr. D. Dursley,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The letter was real. Even though he maintained a calm exterior, Dudley's heart was pounding with excitement.
"Young Mr. Dursley," Dumbledore said, his clear blue eyes sharp and penetrating. "I heard from Mrs. Figg that you long for the magical world and for magic itself. So, do you intend to attend Hogwarts?" He smiled warmly. "On behalf of the school, I formally extend an invitation to you."
***
(End of Chapter)
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