"Don't think about it too much for now, Harry! I agree with your thoughts, but guessing here won't help us much.
Didn't Hagrid say Dumbledore could stand up to Voldemort? The person who knows someone best is their enemy. When we get to Hogwarts, we can just ask Dumbledore directly!"
Dudley comforted Harry, attributing his dizziness to a sugar crash from eating too many sweets and the emotional rollercoaster he'd just been on.
"We've learned enough for tonight. Go back to your room and get some sleep! Rest up—tomorrow morning, we're heading out to buy what you need for magic!"
Dudley brought the evening's conversation to a close.
"That's right, Harry, get some rest! There's hardly anything Dumbledore can't solve! You'll see when you get to Hogwarts!"
Hagrid, like Diggle, was an unabashed fan of Dumbledore and saw no issue with Dudley's suggestion, chiming in as well.
Harry, still deep in thought, headed upstairs.
Petunia also seemed distracted, and Vernon, after giving Dudley a few words of advice, helped his wife back to their room.
Soon, the distorted living room was empty except for Dudley and Hagrid.
"Sorry, Hagrid. With your size, it's hard to fit you into one of our beds without using magic."
Dudley apologized to Hagrid.
"Don't worry about it! I'll just sleep on the floor! Tomorrow morning, I'll take you and Harry to Diagon Alley! I promise, you'll be welcomed with open arms!"
For once, Hagrid's words carried a hint of tact.
"I'm looking forward to it!"
Dudley smiled meaningfully.
He pushed the dining table aside to clear some space, then grabbed a few sofa cushions to make a makeshift bed for Hagrid and the two doormice.
He also used a chair to prop open the front door, which had lost its lock.
With Hagrid guarding the living room, there was no need to worry about burglars.
After finishing these tasks, Dudley casually glanced at the corner of an envelope peeking out of Hagrid's shirt pocket. Then, after exchanging goodnights with the half-giant, he headed upstairs.
As he passed Harry's bedroom door, Dudley knocked a few times. "Stop overthinking it. Listen to your cousin—cast the 'Calming Charm' on yourself, then go to sleep!"
"Okay, cousin!"
Harry, who had been lying in bed staring at the ceiling, perked up at Dudley's instructions. He rolled over and obediently complied.
...
The next morning, the imperfect Extension Charm in the living room had worn off, just as Dudley's system had predicted.
When Hagrid woke up on the living room floor, he saw Dudley instructing Harry to cast a spell on a "small" coat using his umbrella-wand.
"Harry, repeat after me: Engorgio! And move the wand like this!"
Dudley demonstrated with his Smeltings cane. To better develop Harry's imagination and mental strength, he hadn't let Harry dive into rigid spellbooks like Standard Book of Spells too early.
As a result, Harry didn't know any conventional spells yet.
"Engorgio!"
Harry chanted the spell, waving Hagrid's umbrella-wand in the specific motion Dudley had shown, aiming at one of Vernon's old coats.
A bright yellow light shot from the tip of the umbrella-wand and hit the coat.
The coat immediately began to grow, soon reaching a size suitable for Hagrid's massive frame. But the spell's power didn't stop there—it transformed the coat into a vibrant, dopamine-inducing patchwork of red and yellow patterns.
"Cousin, the wand feels like it's resisting me!"
Harry shared his thoughts on his first attempt at a conventional spell.
"Seems like Hagrid's wand isn't a great match for you. But we got the result we wanted, didn't we?"
Dudley smiled, then turned to the now-awake half-giant. "Good morning, Hagrid! Do you like the gift Harry and I prepared for you?"
Hagrid, seeing the brightly colored coat, was so excited he sat up abruptly. "I love it! Thud! Ouch! You two are amazing!"
His head had hit the living room ceiling, but he didn't forget to praise Harry and Dudley.
"Your charm wore off, Hagrid. You might want to stay hunched over for now," Dudley advised.
"Alright, kids. I think it's time we head out. Dumbledore also asked me to take care of something very important along the way!"
Hagrid bent down awkwardly, took the umbrella-wand from Harry and the colorful coat from Dudley, and swept all his belongings from the low table into the coat.
The two doormice, now awake, also crawled inside.
Then, clutching his belongings and maintaining his uncomfortable hunched posture, Hagrid squeezed through the front door.
The Dursleys' front door was now permanently misshapen, nearly twice its original size and impossible to close properly.
"Oh my gosh! What is that? A giant burglar!"
"Run!"
Two early-rising neighbors on Privet Drive were startled by Hagrid.
"Oh, no! Well, can't be helped!" Hagrid pulled out his umbrella-wand. "Obliviate! Muggle-Repelling Charm!"
The panicked neighbors had their memories erased and calmed down.
Inside the Dursleys' living room, Dudley suddenly couldn't see Hagrid at the door and felt an inexplicable urge to stay away from the entrance.
However, as Dudley firmly decided not to move, he could see Hagrid again.
The system protected his thoughts from being altered, and using this hidden ability, Dudley successfully freed himself from the effects of Hagrid's Muggle-Repelling Charm.
The Muggle-Repelling Charm made Muggles ignore the presence of wizards, compelling them to stay away from the caster or the charmed area. It could even disable Muggle technology within its range.
It was a simple yet terrifying spell. If a war broke out between Muggles and wizards, this spell would be a significant disadvantage for the Muggles.
But it wasn't entirely unbreakable. If a Muggle could physically touch a wizard, sharing in their magical essence, they could temporarily resist the charm.
Dark thoughts flickered through Dudley's mind as he casually reached out to hold Harry's hand, ensuring the absent-minded Hagrid wouldn't notice anything amiss.
Then, he grabbed the dozen or so bagged sandwiches Petunia had prepared early that morning and stuffed the thousand pounds Vernon had left behind—mostly useless—into his pocket.
Inside his jacket, he also carried three vials of blood, insulated with foil and cotton, and a raw ruby wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine.
"Let's go, Harry! We're off to the wizarding world!" Dudley said cheerfully.
"Oh, right, cousin!"
Harry replied, a bit puzzled. As they stepped through the ruined front door, he couldn't help but ask, "Cousin, aren't you going to say goodbye to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon?"
"Come on, cousin! We're just going shopping, not off to war! No need for a tearful farewell scene, right?"
Dudley joked lightly, easing Harry's concerns.
But inwardly, Dudley wasn't as carefree as he appeared.
He knew his parents were hiding behind their bedroom door, listening to their departure, hearts filled with worry.
Yet, this was something the Dursleys had to face and adapt to.
As the relatives of the Boy Who Lived, until Voldemort and his followers were completely defeated, they had two choices: either live in obscurity, hiding from the world, or live in constant fear until they gained enough power to protect themselves.
There was no third option.