Dudley was rather happy that Hogwarts started late in this life. 2001 had only just started, and he had already reaped a lot. When the dot-com bubble burst last year, it was like money flowing freely into his pocket. He shopped like a madman. And now, in 2001, he was waiting for September to roll in.
Initially, he planned on doing nothing. But then he reminded himself of who he was. It was his job to make money. So, he made a new plan. He'll be there at ground zero personally when the planes strike. And he'd get everyone out of the building alive. The towers would still fall, the market would still crash a bit, defense stocks would still jump high, and he'll be right there to make money.
If anyone pointed fingers afterwards, he'd have the perfect response of—It was traumatizing to be there. After all, he'd be a victim too.
Though that day, on the fourth of January, Dudley was interested in being someone else's victim. Snape had done his job. Now it was Lily who had to do her part. Nearly two hundred Vanguards were deployed that day to keep things contained.
And Dudley… He was going to be "injured."
It was late morning on a sunny weekend. Dudley was alone, walking in Bond Street, famous for its elegant stores and luxury goods. He wanted to buy some New Year's gifts for all the girls in his life.
He did buy them. Expensive bags, bracelets, necklaces, and some sexy lingerie for Hannah and Susan. He placed the bags in the car and continued to roam around, looking like your everyday rich brat. Some people did recognise him as Dudley Dursley, but most just passed him by. He was sure that if it were the age of the internet, his face would be plastered everywhere, but currently, only people interested in stocks and business knew him.
Hmm… It should be anytime now.
He glanced at his watch; only five minutes left until midday.
Might as well get some ice cream.
He walked into a nearby shop and bought a nice big scoop. With only three more minutes left, he started walking towards his car. He made sure to take the part of the street that was the least crowded with Muggles.
And then, the countdown started.
10… 5… 4… 3… 2…
BOOM!
"Aaaaargh!"
Screams filled the street. The explosion was loud and big. It came out of the nearest wall on Dudley's right. As if someone had blasted it from the other side. Fire, smoke, and heavy debris exploded in all directions, smacking against some Muggles.
Shhhhhh~
A nearby underground fire hydrant broke and started spraying water everywhere with pressure. Nearby parked cars constantly beeped.
And Dudley…
The attack was aimed at him, so he was the one who received the direct impact of the explosion. Despite being a big guy, he was thrown into the air with force and was flung to the other side of the street, bleeding from his head and nose.
But he was alright otherwise. His clothes for the day were enchanted and charmed to the teeth by Vanguards. Made to absorb magical attacks and impact force, they did the job and saved his bones and organs.
Sadly, he had to use his arms to cover his head, and that wasn't enough to leave him unscathed.
"Get him!" Came Bellatrix's shrieking, thrilled shout.
"Don't kill him!" Rodolphus Lestrange commanded, being the one leading the attack.
"There he is!" Augustus pointed his wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"
Woosh!
Dudley waved his wand back and blocked the spell. Using his years of training with Arithmancy to customize and micro-manage his spellcasting, he was no longer the weak, uncertain wizard. He didn't have to rely on luck to ensure his spells came out.
"Surround him!" Rodolphus ordered and carefully inched closer to Dudley. On his left were Bellatrix and five more, on his right were Rabastan and five more; a total of thirteen of them had come to abduct a boy.
"Surrender to us, boy! There's nowhere to go."
"I'll take my chances," Dudley replied with a grin. "Bombarda Maxima!"
Boom!
Dudley sent a fiery blast at them and leaped sideways like a gymnast. The smoke and fire gave him decent cover, and since they couldn't attack to kill him, he had an advantage.
Woosh!
Bam!
Before long, Dudley was running, waving his wand over his back, blocking whatever spells they threw at him. He took them away from the main street, where there were too many Muggles. At the same time, he signaled the Vanguards to remain on standby and not move.
"We can cut his legs, Rodolphus!" Bellatrix suggested.
"No! He might bleed to death!"
At last, Dudley brought everyone to a side alley where there were no Muggles.
"Now we can get serious," Dudley replied and raised his empty, left hand high. "Since you decided to outnumber me, don't mind if I do the same."
Snap!
Dudley snapped his fingers.
Multiple figures appeared out of nowhere, everywhere. Dressed in long, dark coats, their faces covered with plain white masks, heavy combat boots on their feet. There were many, too many, as they crowded the rooftops of the buildings, more than a dozen surrounded Dudley, then more, and many more just… hovered in the air, their long coats fluttering in the wind.
Rodolphus did a rough count, and there were at least two hundred.
"Secure Mr. Dursley!"
The masked men and women moved with trained precision and covered Dudley from all sides, while two started administering first aid. All the wands were aimed at the thirteen Death Eaters, now surrounded from all directions.
"Halt!"
And right then, a few more figures appeared, Apparated. One old man with a long white beard and loose white robes led six wizards, the red-headed Lily with them.
"Do not attack them!" Dumbledore voiced out loud with magic.
"We had no such intention," the masked leader replied crisply, and waved his hand anti-clockwise into the air. "Our duty is to safeguard Mr. Dursley, not to meddle in Ministry affairs."
Right away, the masked men started to disappear one after another. The first group to leave was the one surrounding Dudley. And as their job was, they took Dudley away with them. Soon enough, the entire alley became empty again.
The Death Eaters, outnumbered moments ago, overwhelmed their opponent once again, with Dumbledore only having six wizards with him.
But still, the enemy was Dumbledore.
"Retreat!"
Rodolphus ordered and vanished in dark smoke. The Death Eaters soon followed.
"Who were they?!" Sirius barked, eyes curious. "How the hell did that many wizards just appear out of nowhere?"
"Lily, how on earth did you know they'd go after Dudley?" Remus questioned.
"I-I only know what he told me," Lily said, repeating Dudley's words just as instructed. "But… who were those masked people? And how do they know Dudley?"
Dumbledore finally spoke. "Only one person can answer those questions."
But they had no idea where he was now. Where did the masked men take Dudley?
####
This is life.
Dudley was relaxed, lying on a soft bed in a luxurious VIP room of the massive hospital he owned. His head was covered in bandages, and his face was full of cuts and scratches.
[...Preliminary reports indicate that an attempted abduction of Mr. Dursley occurred while he was out shopping. The culprits remain unidentified. Mr. Dursley, though injured, is reportedly in stable condition and out of danger. A statement from the Chief Financial Officer of D&D Holdings confirmed close cooperation with the authorities. The company has pledged to cover all medical expenses for those injured during the incident, and to award each injured a sum of £50,000 in recognition of their ordeal…]
"Hmm… A lot of phones must be ringing right now," Dudley muttered, eating freshly cut fruits in bed.
And he was right. D&D Holdings was a mess. Heck, even the Ministry of Magic was a mess, as countless wizards from foreign ministries arrived to discuss Dudley's health and status.
What Dudley had once said had become a reality. The level at which he was, his well-being wasn't just his own concern but the concern of the world, both Muggles and wizards.
"It's good to be famous at last." Dudley changed the channels and found himself on each. European or American, or British, he was everywhere. After all, the richest man in the world was almost kidnapped in a very violent attempt.
He really wanted to be famous, knowing September was coming. It was best that the world knew his name beforehand.
Knock! Knock!
With a few knocks, a male nurse, one of the Vanguards, walked inside. "Sir, the Headmaster of Hogwarts is here."
"And the rest?"
"They too."
"Only allow Dumbledore and Lily to enter. I don't want the room to feel crowded." Dudley ordered and quickly turned the TV off. Then, he put the fruits away and lay down.
Knock! Knock!
Dumbledore opened the door and walked inside. Lily was right behind him.
"It is most regrettable that I did not arrive sooner," Dumbledore said, placing a modest basket of fruit on the nearby table. "Saint Mungo's might have served you rather more fittingly in matters of healing."
"Quite right, though I imagine the Muggle world would be in chaos if I disappeared. Nothing to trouble yourself over, Professor. The lot who look after me have healers of their own," Dudley said, eyeing Lily next, noticing concern in her lovely green eyes. "Injuries are minor, just some scratches and bleeding."
"That is most reassuring, Mr. Dursley," Dumbledore said, pacing around the bed to stand on the other side. "Might I inquire, who were those masked wizards watching over you?"
"Oh, that's what's got your attention, Professor? I'm afraid I'm not allowed to reveal much. All I can tell you is they're called the Vanguards, a private security agency that protects wealthy wizards, and occasionally takes funded requests to capture Dark Wizards. That's the gist of it."
"Most amusing indeed," Dumbledore murmured, a twinkle in his eye. "And yet, I wonder, how is it that I've never heard of them before? We do, after all, have our fair share of well-to-do wizards."
"True, there are plenty of wealthy people, but not quite enough to match their standards. Besides, the rich wizards here are already protected by another group," Dudley said, keeping an air of mystery. "I was approached by them about a year after Dad passed. Right around the time the bank came into being. Must've just crossed whatever line they were waiting on."
"You said they go after Dark Wizards?" Lily chimed in right after. He never discussed that with her.
"They do." Dudley agreed. He already knew that many would wonder if Dudley had requested them to take out Lucius. "They've captured a few in Europe in the past few months."
"If you had them, then why did you ask Lily to reach out to us?" Dumbledore interrogated. "And how did you know they would attack you?"
"There was always a risk, wasn't there? What if the Dark Lord himself turned up? I figured you'd stand the best chance against someone like that. And I reckon he expects me to fund his lunacy now that the Malfoys can't." Dudley answered, never looking into Dumbledore's eyes. "As for how I knew… Arithmancy gave me a warning, and I pieced together what it meant."
It was a known fact that Arithmancy could be used for divination. In front of such an answer, there was nothing Dumbledore could ask.
Dumbledore nodded, stroking his long beard in silence.
Lily broke the silence. "Well then, why not use them to bring down the Dark Lord? What we lack is manpower, don't we?"
"I had considered that. The Vanguards operated globally and employed quite a few skilled wizards. Still, hiring them to capture a dark wizard costs far more than simply using them for protection, especially when the target's a known Dark Lord. Even for me, they're expensive."
"How expensive?" Dumbledore inquired.
Dudley sighed, shaking his head. "Three billion dollars, that's about sixty million Galleons, give or take. After I used my Arithmancy algorithm to assess how successful they'd be, I was almost tempted to do it. Still, I couldn't justify putting my own companies on the line."
Three billion was nothing to him. But they didn't know that.
Lily sipped in a deep breath, and Dumbledore remained silent. The amount Dudley had given was indeed massive for wizards like them. Even Lily, who was wealthy through the Potter coffers, hadn't seen that much money in her life. Even the Malfoys weren't that rich, Dudley knew that. Though they did come close.
However… there was one place that held that much money. One institution that could cough up that much gold.
"T-That's a lot," Lily muttered dejectedly.
Dumbledore still didn't say anything.
"I'll manage it, Aunt Lily, slowly if I have to. I don't want to live in constant fear," Dudley said and held Lily's warm hand. "I've been warned of another attack later this year. I don't know the exact date yet, but I know it'll be big, and I won't be the target this time. I'll try to arrange the money by then. Perhaps take a loan."
Everything Dudley said was words riddled with hidden meanings and suggestions. They were so indirect that they were only meant to subconsciously plant an idea.
"Another attack, you say?" Dumbledore murmured, eyes narrowing. "And you're certain it will be this year?"
"Numbers have never betrayed me, Professor," Dudley said.
Come on, old man. Take the damn bait.
"Then it seems wise to speak with these Vanguards. How might I find them?"
"That's not something I'm allowed, Professor. But I can let them know you may be interested in hiring them. The contract would still need to come through me, as I'm currently the only British wizard working with them. Of course, you're welcome to speak with them first."
Dumbledore agreed to that quickly.
"Then I shall leave you to your rest, Mr. Dursley. Hogwarts resumes in three days. You may take a few additional days' rest before rejoining us."
"I don't think I'll need to, Professor."
Dumbledore nodded and walked out of the room.
Lily followed behind him, leaving. But not long after, she walked back in and…
Creak!
She climbed into the bed right away and hugged Dudley.
This really is life.
Feeling her warm, soft embrace made all the pain go away instantly. He held her back and let his hands roam freely.
"Don't ever do that again, Dudley," Lily said, her tone trembling. "You didn't tell me you'd get hurt. I nearly lost it, seeing you like that, all that blood..."
Dudley chuckled and caressed her beautiful face, tucking away the locks of red hair. "Honestly, I didn't think I'd get hurt. Figured they'd just Apparate in and go straight for it. But they used an explosion."
"Your numbers may never lie, but they don't always tell you the whole story," she said and got off of him, grabbing the fruits. "You're far too reckless, you know that?"
Honestly, he was loving all this attention. Lily, the charming, curvy woman, worried about him and now… feeding him fruits. It warmed his heart.
Smiling dumbly, he listened to her and ate the fruits. He didn't really need to stay in the hospital, but that night, he did. After all, once the fruits were gone, she helped him. Her warm, soft, full lips healed him a lot through the night.
Lily took great care of him.
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