"It's not the same, Duddykins! That magic nonsense—it's impossible for us to control it. And those freaks with their wands, they're too dangerous! Staying away from them is the best choice!"
Vernon stubbornly held onto his beliefs.
"Then why did you marry Mom, who has a witch for a sister? Didn't you know about her family before you got married? Didn't you think your life might be disrupted by uncontrollable forces because of it?"
Dudley shifted the focus, firing off three pointed questions that struck at the heart of the matter.
The moment these questions were asked, Petunia, who had been about to chime in and support Vernon, swallowed her words. She couldn't help but look at Vernon, waiting for his answer.
Similar questions had been asked long ago, before they were married, when she was still a young girl.
Thinking back on it now, it still filled her with happiness.
"Because I love her. I love your mother, Duddykins!"
Vernon paused, seemingly surprised that his son would ask such a question. But soon, his eyes softened with deep affection as he answered Dudley solemnly.
Then, he looked at Petunia, his wife, with overwhelming adoration.
"Love can overcome any obstacle. Love made me abandon the principles I'd always held onto."
Vernon spoke as if he were a philosopher delivering profound wisdom, a far cry from his usual self.
Petunia was overjoyed, blushing as she threw herself into Vernon's arms, showering him with affection.
Seeing this, Dudley wasn't surprised. He knew his parents well.
Vernon was big and burly, hated anything strange, and had a terrible temper. Petunia had a long neck, loved gossip, and could be sharp-tongued.
But they truly loved each other.
And their bad tempers were never directed at family.
Well, except for poor Harry.
"Mom, Dad, as much as I hate to interrupt, now is the best time to make things clear."
Dudley spoke up at what might have seemed an inopportune moment, but he wanted to take advantage of the warmth and love in the room to drive home the importance of learning magic.
Hearing Dudley's voice, Vernon and Petunia reluctantly pulled apart and turned their attention back to him, waiting for him to continue.
"Since long ago, Dad, you were able to accept Mom, who was connected to wizards, for the sake of love, then now, please continue that legacy of love.
Harry must go to Hogwarts! If you don't want to see Harry turn into a real monster—a mindless, destructive shadow creature!"
"What?!"
The Dursleys exclaimed in unison.
Harry, sitting beside Dudley, also looked startled and frightened.
Clearly, the whole family was shocked by Dudley's words.
Dudley reached out and ruffled Harry's hair, calming him down, then began his explanation of magical knowledge:
"Young wizards who are constantly suppressed and denied, who don't receive proper guidance, can develop a terrible dark force within them.
Wizards call this force an 'Obscurus,' and the young wizards who harbor it are called 'Obscurials.'
When an Obscurial's emotions and power reach a breaking point, or when they're suddenly triggered, they transform into a terrifying cloud of black mist, causing massive destruction.
Mom, Dad, you've been denying Harry's magic and his uniqueness, ignoring him, giving him the cold shoulder. This is actually very dangerous.
To put it bluntly, without my guidance and support, Harry might have become an Obscurial before he turned ten.
Given Harry's kind nature, he might have lost his mind, caused destruction, and then, before it was too late, run off to some remote place to join his late mother and father.
Young wizards need proper guidance to control their magical powers and prevent harm to themselves and others. That's why all young wizards go to magic schools at the age of eleven."
Dudley spun a mix of truth and fiction, crafting a terrifying consequence to make his stubborn parents reflect deeply.
Sure enough, the Dursleys' eyes widened in horror.
"This… this… why didn't they… why didn't they tell me about this?!"
Petunia completely lost her composure, screaming, "If they had told me, I wouldn't have… I would never…"
Vernon quickly pulled Petunia into his arms, comforting her.
He was terrified too, filled with regret. But his regret had less to do with concern for Harry's safety and more to do with the fear of what could have happened to his own family.
In Vernon's heart, the thin thread of affection he had for Harry, built up over the years, paled in comparison to the safety of his wife and son.
"See? You do care about Harry! Especially you, Mom!"
Dudley smiled, gently squeezing Harry's hand.
Harry, realizing Dudley's signal—that some of what he'd said was exaggerated—felt a wave of relief. Seeing Petunia's distress, he quickly raised his hands and cast the 'Calming Charm' Dudley had taught him.
Petunia's expression softened, and as she regained her composure, she hurriedly denied Dudley's earlier words:
"No, I don't! Who cares about him?! His mother stole most of my parents' attention when we were kids, just because she had that blasted magic! I hated Lily, hated her! And her child is no exception!"
Petunia's defensive words turned Harry pale, but Dudley only smiled more gently.
Dudley ruffled Harry's hair again, comforting him, while correcting his mother:
"That's not true, Mom. You love Harry, and you loved Aunt Lily!
If you didn't, you wouldn't have taken Harry in ten years ago.
If you didn't, you wouldn't have carefully stored the blanket Harry was wrapped in and the letters you exchanged with Aunt Lily in the deepest part of your bedroom closet.
If you didn't, when you read Dumbledore's letter and learned that Aunt Lily's family had been targeted by a powerful dark wizard, the logical thing would have been to send Harry to an orphanage, wouldn't it?"
"Because the letter said…" Petunia pursed her lips, stubbornly trying to deny her feelings.
But Dudley cut her off:
"Because the letter said that the protective magic Aunt Lily sacrificed her life to cast on Harry would only last if he lived with her blood relatives, keeping him safe from dark wizards until he turned eighteen, right?"
"Dudley, how do you know so much about wizards? And have you been sneaking into our bedroom and rummaging through our things?"
Petunia was both confused and a little angry, deliberately putting on a stern face to change the subject.
"That's not important, Mom!"
Dudley wasn't swayed. He'd spent ten years mediating between his parents and Harry, and he wasn't about to back down now. Today, he was determined to settle this once and for all.
He spoke seriously:
"What's important is that the letter only said Harry would be protected by Aunt Lily's magic. It didn't say our family would be protected. Harry's enemies are extremely powerful dark wizards, and yet, you still took him in.
This proves what I'm saying is true—you do care about Aunt Lily and Harry! You just don't want to admit it!"