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To be honest, Dudley was actually a little short on money when he first arrived at Hogwarts.
But what interested him more was the person himself.
Setting everything else aside.
Just the fact that a seventh-year student was willing to apologize to a first-year was something very few people could do.
He was someone worth noting.
Dudley stored the name in his memory.
Richmond Carrow.
The future head of the Carrow family.
Perhaps there would be opportunities to cooperate with him in the future.
"It's your first day at Hogwarts. I imagine you must be tired."
"So I won't keep you any longer."
"Oh, and one more thing. Slytherin has more dormitory rooms than any other house."
"You can choose any empty bedroom you like."
"I guarantee no one will disturb you."
"Good night."
Every word Richmond Carrow said struck exactly the right note.
It raised Dudley's opinion of him even further.
After a cordial and friendly farewell, Dudley headed toward the Slytherin common area.
Resolving the matter smoothly like this was naturally the best outcome.
Dudley Dursley simply wanted a peaceful school life.
As long as no one provoked him, he considered himself quite reasonable.
Well…
More or less.
As soon as Dudley left, the prefect's expression immediately darkened.
With a tone more severe than ever before, he spoke to the others beside him.
"What happened tonight must not leave this room."
Especially if Gryffindor found out.
If that happened, things would certainly not end well.
"Anyone who spreads this will become an enemy of Slytherin."
"In the name of the Carrow family."
Even if Potter wasn't a dark wizard, he would undoubtedly become a powerful one.
And that Dursley was clearly no simple person either.
If they could avoid offending him, they would do so.
Slytherin always stood with the victors.
"Clean this place up."
"And no one speaks of what happened today."
"But what about the Head of House…?" a Slytherin upperclassman asked.
"There's no need to trouble Professor Snape with something this minor."
"We'll handle it ourselves."
Then the prefect glanced at Marcus, who was still lying on the ground, with obvious disgust.
"When that idiot wakes up, tell him I don't want to hear about him causing trouble again this year."
He was already extremely disappointed with Marcus's performance tonight.
"And one more thing…"
"Don't provoke Dudley Dursley again."
"At least not until I graduate."
In truth, even without that order, the first-, second-, and third-year Slytherins would keep the secret themselves.
No one wanted the story of being spanked to spread.
...
Aside from the common room, the Slytherin dormitories were also decorated mainly in green and silver.
Fortunately, the lamps inside the dormitory gave off normal-colored light.
If they had been green as well, it would have been impossible to read.
Although Dudley looked like he was about to sleep, it was still early.
So he began unpacking the contents of his suitcase.
After checking everything he had brought, he returned to his potion-making plans.
Potions were something that required constant practice.
Although electrical devices didn't work at Hogwarts, other tools functioned normally.
For example, an old camera.
Or experimental equipment made by Muggles.
After successfully brewing several potions, Dudley carefully stored them in his potion satchel.
Then he picked up a book, lay on the bed, and began reading.
In truth, Dudley didn't enjoy having to calculate and scheme so much.
But he believed he was still too weak.
If he didn't plan carefully, he would either be bullied…
or forced to endure being bullied.
Neither option suited him.
If you want to forge iron, you must be strong.
The most important thing was increasing his own strength.
His greatest trump card right now was Hamon Energy.
Starting tomorrow.
His training would double.
...
Early the next morning, several early-rising students noticed something new on the lawn outside the castle.
A swift figure.
Morning running.
Dumbbell training.
One-finger push-ups.
And swimming.
Swimming, in fact, was the best form of training.
It exercised every muscle in the body.
Wearing only a tank top and shorts, Dudley's nearly perfect inverted-triangle physique attracted a great deal of attention.
His extraordinary build, combined with the fact that he was Harry Potter's cousin, had already drawn attention at the welcome feast the day before.
Many students already recognized him.
"My God… is he really a first-year?"
"With that height, I'd believe he was a seventh-year."
"What an incredible body."
"Do you think he could lift me?"
Several older girls simply couldn't take their eyes off him.
All of them praised his physique.
Though the tone of their voices carried a slightly different meaning.
If Dudley were even more handsome, he would probably be receiving piles of love letters already.
Besides the girls, many boys were also watching Dudley.
Especially students from Hufflepuff.
"He's really strong."
"I wonder how he trains."
"I wish I had a body like that."
Among the boys, the dominant feeling was envy.
Some even began wondering whether they should start exercising as well.
Of course, there were also a few sour remarks.
"We're wizards."
"Why would we need a body that strong?"
At times like that, an older student would sit beside them, pat them on the shoulder, and say with a meaningful tone:
"You'll understand when you're older."
Leaving the younger student completely confused.
...
Naturally, Dudley knew nothing about any of this.
After finishing his morning training, he was returning to Slytherin when he ran into Hermione.
She was holding something in her arms and had two heavy dark circles under her eyes.
"Didn't sleep well?" Dudley asked with concern.
Seeing Dudley standing there perfectly fine, his eyes wide and bright like a pair of headlights, Hermione shot him an irritated glare.
She huffed.
Then turned and walked away.
Leaving Dudley standing there in complete confusion.
But after walking a short distance, Hermione silently came back.
She shoved what she was holding into Dudley's arms.
Then turned around and left again.
Not saying a single word.
Dudley was even more confused now.
Only after Hermione had gone far away did he finally check what she had given him.
It was a small handmade pouch.
Judging from the rough stitching, Hermione had clearly made it herself.
Inside the pouch were several identical small bottles.
Dudley picked one up and opened it slightly.
The fragrance drifting from the bottle made him pause.
Essence of dittany.
Naturally used to treat injuries.
'Was she worried I might get hurt?'
'What a stubborn girl.'
Dudley smiled and shook his head.
"What are you waiting for?"
"Do you want to be late?"
"It's our first class together."
The girl's annoyed voice came from not far away.
"Wait until I change my clothes."
...
After finishing his pleasant first day of studies at Hogwarts, Dudley completed another round of evening training.
He took a refreshing bath.
And was just about to rest.
At that moment, someone knocked on the dormitory door.
When he opened it, no one was outside.
On the floor sat a small, elegant leather case.
And on top of it lay a parchment letter.
"To Mr. Dursley."
It was the promised compensation.
And a small gift.
The first layer contained gold Galleons.
Exactly as Carrow had said.
He had bought the wand for ten Galleons.
A price slightly above its original value.
Not too much.
Not too little.
Just right.
The second layer contained a small crystal vial.
It shimmered softly under the light.
Felix Felicis.
A potion capable of increasing the drinker's luck for a period of time.
Extremely rare.
Extremely difficult to brew.
And most importantly.
Almost impossible to buy.
Dudley quietly put everything away.
Storing the items inside his personal pouch.
It seemed Richmond Carrow had truly invested heavily in building a friendship with him.
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