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The conflict between Dudley and Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express was already common knowledge among Slytherin students.
Looking for advantages and avoiding trouble was a shared trait among them.
"Wait until we get back to the common room… we'll teach that big idiot a lesson."
Malfoy's face was flushed with excitement, his voice filled with impatience.
He could hardly wait for that moment.
Sitting beside him, Crabbe and Goyle were rolling their shoulders and cracking their knuckles eagerly.
On the train, they had simply been careless. Otherwise, they would have beaten him senseless.
They had already forgotten the pain.
That was exactly the kind of people they were.
The surrounding Slytherin students exchanged glances.
No words were needed.
The moment the Sorting Hat announced the result, Malfoy had already gotten them on his side.
In all of Hogwarts, perhaps only Hermione and Harry were truly worried about Dudley.
The two of them kept glancing toward where he was sitting, but there was nothing they could do.
Even so, their concerns were completely different.
Hermione had heard that Slytherin was the worst of the four houses—a house full of troublemakers.
She was worried Dudley might be influenced… and even more worried that he might be bullied.
Harry, on the other hand, was worried Dudley would beat up the entire Slytherin house… and end up being punished by the school.
As for Dudley being bullied…
Harry thought that was simply impossible.
If Dudley didn't bully others, that alone would be a miracle.
Dumbledore stood up, smiling warmly, and spread his arms as if embracing everyone present.
"Welcome to Hogwarts!"
"Before the feast begins, I would like to say a few words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you all!"
After saying those strange words, he sat down again.
The young wizards looked at each other, completely bewildered.
The moment he finished speaking, countless dishes instantly appeared on the tables.
There was no denying it.
When you're hungry, everything tastes good.
And the food prepared by the Hogwarts kitchens was far better than that of many London restaurants.
Dudley, who had been starving for quite some time, completely ignored the strange looks from the other Slytherin students.
He grabbed the nearest food and began eating without restraint.
He was starving.
Meanwhile, the familiar system notification kept ringing in his mind.
+1
+1
+1
Hearing that sound only made Dudley eat even more enthusiastically.
Food from Hogwarts—or rather, food from the magical world—gave more experience than ordinary food.
Dudley had already noticed that back on the train.
Was this the wonder of magic?
"Look at him… that big brute eats like a barbarian. No elegance at all. No table manners whatsoever."
Whispers began spreading around him.
"I have no idea why the Sorting Hat put him in Slytherin. Crude… savage… he doesn't have a single trait worthy of this house."
"I should write to my father. Someone like him belongs in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff."
"…"
Most of those comments came from first- and second-year students.
The third-years and above didn't join in.
But they didn't stop it either.
They simply watched coldly.
Thanks to his constant training in Hamon energy, Dudley's senses were far sharper than those of ordinary wizards.
He could clearly hear every word they said.
Even so, he continued eating as if nothing had happened.
"When did I ever need to explain myself to anyone?"
When it came to food, the most important thing was eating comfortably.
Those so-called table manners were nothing but a waste of time.
Not wasting food—that was the real etiquette.
The result was simple.
Dudley wiped out nearly half the food on the Slytherin table by himself.
"Good heavens… how many portions did he just eat?!"
And just like that, on his very first day at Hogwarts, Dudley gained several sarcastic nicknames.
Among them:
"Slytherin's Beggar."
However…
No one noticed an important detail.
From beginning to end, there wasn't a trace of grease on Dudley's face or hands.
That didn't just mean he avoided wasting food.
He was training.
For Dudley, even eating was a form of training.
Just as he didn't waste food, he also didn't waste time.
His time was valuable.
And he wasn't simply eating mindlessly.
In his mind, he kept analyzing his earlier conversation with the Sorting Hat.
To summarize the Hat's words:
"The will of Slytherin has chosen you."
"You are the chosen one."
Believe that?
Dudley sneered inwardly.
At least on the surface, he was a Muggle-born wizard.
And Slytherin despised Muggle-borns.
So he only believed a tiny portion of it.
Besides, he remembered a certain saying:
"Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain."
As for the real reason…
There simply wasn't enough information.
It was impossible to analyze the situation completely.
He couldn't rule out the possibility that the Sorting Hat was simply playing a joke.
Although that probability was extremely low.
This wasn't paranoia.
It was just rational caution.
Ever since the incident with Hagrid, Dudley had learned to be more careful.
He wasn't a wizard in the real sense.
And to be honest, he might not even be able to learn magic in the future.
At least not the magic of this world.
"Power. Money. Influence."
Dudley wrote three words in his mind.
Power meant strength.
Money meant resources.
Influence meant authority.
Those would be his future goals.
If he wanted to live well in the magical world, he needed all three.
Without exception.
In fact…
If Dudley were a true wizard, some of his traits would actually fit Slytherin quite well.
"I believe everyone is full now, so I have a few announcements to make."
Dumbledore spoke again.
"First: first-year students are strictly forbidden from entering the Forbidden Forest. Some older students would also do well to remember this."
As he said this, he cast a pointed glance toward the Gryffindor table.
When it came to breaking rules, Gryffindor was always the first house people thought of.
But Dudley knew the truth wasn't that simple.
Slytherin was no different.
Otherwise, how could Gryffindor and Slytherin once have been such close friends?
Dudley himself had already set his sights on the Forbidden Forest.
That place was a natural treasure trove of magical ingredients.
And most importantly—
It was free.
"Second: Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind everyone not to use magic in the corridors between classes."
"Third: Quidditch trials will be held during the second week of the term. Anyone interested should contact Madam Hooch."
"And fourth—and most importantly—anyone who does not wish to suffer an accident or a painful death is advised to stay away from the corridor on the right-hand side of the fourth floor."
"And finally… before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!"
Amid the chaotic singing voices—especially those from the Gryffindor table—Dudley's first meal at Hogwarts came to an end just like that.
"Slytherin first-years, follow me."
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