Chapter 334: Fierce Confrontation
"Grin... Grindelwald?" Kingsley went rigid.
His dark face seemed to lose all remaining colour until it was impossible to make out his expression at all.
"You... are sure you did not mistake him?" one of the Aurors stammered.
The name Grindelwald had not been spoken aloud in many years. To hear it suddenly now, they all half‑believed they had misheard, or that Dudley had misidentified the man.
"I did not. And he introduced himself," Dudley said simply.
"You... I need to inform the Ministry at once!" Kingsley finally snapped back to himself and immediately raised his wand to send a message.
Grindelwald turning up in Surrey was far worse than Sirius Black. He was a Dark wizard many times more dangerous.
Most of the witches and wizards present had not lived through the dark era under Grindelwald's rule, but they only had to compare him to Voldemort to grasp how terrifying he was.
"Wh‑What did he come here for?" one Auror asked in a trembling voice once Kingsley had gone to contact the Ministry.
Their eyes darted constantly around the room, as though afraid Grindelwald might leap out from some forgotten corner at any moment.
"I would rather answer that after the Ministry gets here," Dudley replied.
"For now, I need to be sure Harry, Hermione, and my parents are safe."
"I will send people at once," Kingsley said when he returned, already starting to direct the others into motion.
They were still afraid, but they moved quickly.
Before long, Harry and Hermione were led into the hall by Aurors. On the other side, Vernon and Petunia appeared as well, looking utterly bewildered.
Floating beside them was one more person: a plump woman, limp in mid‑air.
"Sorry, Dudley. Your aunt was extremely uncooperative and tried to attack us. We had to put her to sleep," one Auror said apologetically.
"It is fine. Being alive is what matters," Dudley answered.
"Dudley, what is going on? Why did the Aurors bring all of us here?" Hermione asked, anxiety written across her face.
Harry looked pale. "Is it... is it because I lost control and did magic earlier?" he asked hesitantly.
"It is not that. A Dark wizard was here just now. Grindelwald," Dudley said, giving the briefest explanation.
"Oh," Hermione breathed, clapping a hand over her mouth.
Harry stared at him in shock.
He could not understand why the former Dark Lord of the last war would come here. They had no grudge with Grindelwald at all.
"A‑Are you all right?" Harry managed after a moment, stepping closer.
"I am fine," Dudley said, shaking his head. He did not elaborate.
Seconds ticked by. After roughly fifteen minutes, a rapid series of cracks sounded, and two or three dozen figures appeared in the hall.
"Oh..." Petunia cried out, startled.
Vernon was terrified as well, but he still moved at once to shield her.
"It is all right, Mum, Dad. They are here to protect us," Dudley said.
At the same time, he quietly used his Beyonder abilities to soothe their emotions.
"What happened? How could Grindelwald appear here?" a thunderous voice boomed through the hall.
Rufus Scrimgeour's roar made several people jump.
"Director, we do not know either. Only Dudley actually saw him," Kingsley answered at once.
"Dudley?" Scrimgeour's gaze snapped to him.
He had already harboured doubts about this boy. Now his suspicion only deepened.
"Why did Grindelwald seek you out? Tell me!" Scrimgeour barked, striding over in three long steps.
Dudley met the Head of the Auror Office's glare with an icy look of his own.
"Mr Scrimgeour, we are victims, not criminals," he said. "If you are asking me questions, then mind your tone."
Scrimgeour's first words had sounded like a charge, as if Dudley were some accomplice caught in the act with Grindelwald.
"Very good. Very good. You dare talk back to me?!" Scrimgeour growled, still hard as stone.
"Take them to the Ministry. I will 'question' them personally."
"Director, that is not appropriate," Kingsley cut in, face tight. "They are underage students. No one expected Grindelwald to show up here. They have done nothing wrong—"
"Kingsley, you are an Auror of the Ministry, not their babysitter," Scrimgeour snapped, scowling.
"And I said questioning, not interrogation."
"This is no place to question anyone. I need to bring them in to establish exactly what happened. Is there a problem with that?"
"Kingsley, I am Head of the Auror Office."
With that, Kingsley could only clamp his jaw shut, though his expression remained dark.
"Everyone else, search the area. See if there are any traces Grindelwald left behind," Scrimgeour ordered.
He had brought every Auror he could spare precisely because of possibilities like this.
None of them dared argue. They scattered at once, combing the hall and then the rest of the Muggle hotel.
"You lot, you are coming with me to the Ministry," Scrimgeour said, eyes settling on Dudley and the others.
"Mr Kingsley, please contact Professor Dumbledore for me," Dudley said, ignoring Scrimgeour completely. "Until he gets here, I will not be going anywhere."
Kingsley glanced at him. "I have already passed the message on," he said.
Scrimgeour shot Kingsley a murderous look at that.
"Thank you," Dudley said, still not sparing the Director a glance.
He pulled over a chair and sat with Vernon and Petunia, trying to calm them down. They were badly shaken.
"Dudley Dursley! You are defying the Ministry!" Scrimgeour said through gritted teeth.
The more he looked at Dudley, the more convinced he became that there was something wrong with this boy. With that prejudice lodged in his mind, hostility came naturally.
"I will repeat myself, Mr Scrimgeour," Dudley said evenly. "We are victims, not criminals. I can choose to cooperate with your investigation, and I can also choose not to."
"From your attitude, it is clear you have taken me for a suspect from the start. In that case, there is nothing to discuss between us."
"Take him!" Scrimgeour snapped, his patience finally gone.
Dudley turned his head and fixed him with a steady stare.
"Mr Scrimgeour," he said quietly, "do you truly believe you can force me to the Ministry?"