Even after arriving at Diagon Alley and entering Gringotts.
Only then could Dudley minimize the risk of Dumbledore apparating right in front of him and catching him in the act.
Over the next two days, Petunia and Harry's relationship grew even more harmonious.
To an outsider, they might have seemed like a normal mother and son.
Of course, compared to the boundless doting she lavished on Dudley, Petunia's affection for Harry still fell a bit short.
The moon was hidden, the stars sparse, and heavy rain poured down.
Late on the night of July 30th, Little Whinging was soaked.
Inside the two-story English-style house at 4 Privet Drive, candlelight flickered, streamers hung everywhere, and the atmosphere was warm and festive.
The Dursleys sat around the round dining table in the living room, staring at the double-layer chocolate cake, waiting in silence.
On the cake, thin colored candles flickered, their flames dancing in the eyes of the two adults and two children like tiny fire sprites.
"Tick, tock, tick, tock..."
The pendulum in the mahogany clock swung steadily, marking the passage of time.
Finally...
"Dong~ Dong~ Dong~"
The hour, minute, and second hands aligned, and the clock chimed midnight.
It was now July 31, 1991.
[Congratulations, host! You have successfully resolved the S-rank regret event: The Dark Childhood of the Boy Who Lived!]
[Through your unorthodox yet effective guidance, you have shaped Harry Potter's entire childhood, while also working to change the Dursleys' attitude toward him. As a result, the Boy Who Lived has enjoyed a childhood filled with material comfort, emotional richness, and relative happiness.]
[However, the Boy Who Lived's personality has also shifted significantly, making the future less certain.]
[This regret has been resolved relatively well.]
[Rewards issued: Fixed reward—S-rank magical item fusion opportunity x1.]
[Additional rewards—C-rank magical item fusion opportunities x2; D-rank magical item fusion opportunity x1.]
[Current inventory: S-rank x1, C-rank x2, D-rank x3.]
"Happy birthday, Harry!"
The system's reward notification didn't distract Dudley. The moment the clock struck midnight, he and the Dursleys broke the silence, chorusing their birthday wishes to Harry.
Harry Potter, wearing a colorful birthday hat, was overjoyed. Amid the clapping and cheers, he was momentarily at a loss and began clapping along.
"Harry, make a wish and blow out the candles!" Dudley prompted.
"Oh! Right!"
Harry snapped out of it, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and paused for a long moment before opening them again. He took a deep breath and blew with all his might.
The candles were extinguished, plunging the room into darkness.
Petunia was about to turn the lights back on when a loud BANG came from the front door.
Then, everyone felt the cold wind and rain from outside rushing in.
"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Outside the door, a massive, dark figure stepped back, his deep voice filled with regret. He had accidentally pushed—no, poked—the Dursleys' front door open.
The poor doorknob had been subjected to an unbearable force, separating from its wooden door and leaving the Dursleys' home wide open.
Petunia jumped in fright, and Vernon quickly stood up, rushing to the couch to retrieve the long-barreled blunderbuss stored behind it, ready to defend his family.
"Don't worry, Dad! It's probably the wizard from Hogwarts!" Dudley called out to stop Vernon.
"Duddykins, are you sure? I've seen those... wizards before. They might be odd and annoying, but at least they're normal-sized," Vernon said, his face a mix of shock and confusion. "That thing outside... are you sure it's not an elephant in disguise?"
A flash of lightning illuminated the visitor for a brief moment. He was a massive humanoid figure, standing about eleven and a half feet tall, with an incredibly thick beard and an enormous frame.
"Mr. Dursley, that's very rude!"
The half-giant outside wasn't pleased, grumbling in annoyance. If the Dursleys' ceiling hadn't been less than ten feet high, he would have squeezed inside to give Vernon a piece of his mind, rather than standing outside in the rain.
"You must be Rubeus Hagrid, the one Dumbledore mentioned in his letter, right? Why don't you come inside? I'm sure a wizard trusted by someone as powerful as Dumbledore wouldn't be stumped by a little problem like this, would he?"
Dudley led Harry to the entrance hallway, looking up at Hagrid with a probing gaze and a hint of challenge.
"Oh, Harry! Look how big you've gotten! When I brought you here, you were just a tiny thing..."
Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant, looked at Dudley's stocky, muscular frame—far larger than most kids his age—and let out a delighted exclamation.
Dudley sighed inwardly. Just like in the original story, Hagrid wasn't the most observant.
He tugged at Harry, who was standing behind him, signaling him to respond, while quietly browsing the regret event the system had just unlocked.
[Rubeus Hagrid—The Wrongfully Expelled Half-Giant (C-rank)]
[Regret Event Details: During his third year at Hogwarts, Hagrid kept an Acromantula named Aragog as a pet. He was framed by Tom Riddle (Voldemort) for opening the Chamber of Secrets, releasing the monster within, and causing the death of Myrtle Warren.]
[Hagrid was found guilty by the Ministry of Magic, had his wand snapped, and was banned from using magic. He was also expelled from Hogwarts, only able to stay on as the gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys thanks to Dumbledore's intervention.]
[It wasn't until Harry Potter's second year that Hagrid was cleared of the charges, thanks to Harry and his friends.]
[In total, Hagrid endured 51 years of wrongful accusation and missed out on the opportunity to continue his education at Hogwarts.]
Dudley recalled the relevant plot as he read the system's information, but he only gave it a brief thought. Right now, Harry's birthday and his own plans were more important.
"Mr. Hagrid, I think you've got the wrong person. He's my cousin Dudley. I'm Harry."
Harry, wearing his birthday hat, stepped out from behind Dudley, his face filled with curiosity.
"Oh... I mean, of course you are!"
Hagrid was a bit embarrassed, though his expression was mostly hidden by his thick beard. "I knew you were Harry all along. Your cousin here is bigger than most kids, but he's still no match for how I was back in my school days, ha!"
Hagrid tried to save face, making a weak joke.
"So, Mr. Hagrid, who was even bigger than me back then, you're now too big to fit through the door, is that it?"
Dudley couldn't resist a bit of sarcasm. "Seems like your abilities don't quite match Dumbledore's trust in you!"
"That's not true! I'm Dumbledore's most trusted ally!"