"Huh?"
Hagrid and Harry opened their mouths in surprise.
"What do you mean 'huh'? I'm strong enough to hold onto Hagrid, and sitting up high is safer. Hagrid's even stronger than me, so carrying me won't be a problem. This is the best solution!"
Dudley's reasoning was always logical and well-founded.
"Oh! Dudley, you're a brilliant lad!"
Hagrid thought Dudley was considering Harry's safety and was full of admiration, not sparing any praise.
Harry, on the other hand, believed that his cousin must have a good reason for this and that he should follow along.
So, Harry nimbly jumped into the cart, while Hagrid struggled to climb in.
As expected, the cart was now completely full.
Dudley's eyes gleamed. With a running start and a leap, he grabbed Hagrid's elbow for support and landed perfectly on Hagrid's shoulders.
From this position, Dudley could discreetly search through the upper pockets of Hagrid's coat and shirt.
If everything went smoothly, without any interference, Dudley's "switcheroo" plan would be easily completed on the return trip from the underground vaults.
"Hold on tight! We're about to take off!"
Griphook the goblin warned them, and the cart, which had no visible propulsion system, sped along the winding tracks.
"Ahhh—"
Harry and Dudley let out excited shouts, thoroughly enjoying the thrill of speeding through the dark tunnels.
Hagrid, however, didn't share their enthusiasm. The cart's constant swaying left him feeling nauseous, and Dudley's tight grip on his head only made him dizzier.
As they raced toward Gringotts' underground vaults, Dudley, though shouting excitedly from his high perch, remained utterly calm inside.
"System, fuse the three packets of Harry's magical blood!" he commanded mentally.
[Command received! Consuming D-rank magical item fusion opportunity x1.]
The three blood packets, tightly wrapped in foil and cotton inside Dudley's coat, instantly shriveled. All the blood inside vanished, transforming into an invisible, colorless light that merged into Dudley's body.
[Congratulations, host!]
[You have gained a weak wizard bloodline!]
[From this moment on, you are no longer a Muggle. You are now a pathetic little wizard with no potential for growth, capable of learning only five ordinary spells at most!]
[You have gained a weakened version of the Sacrificial Love protection!]
[Now, Lily Potter's love and sacrifice can offer a small measure of protection to her sister's son!]
[Before reaching adulthood, you can temporarily block and reflect one fatal attack (blocking and reflecting 80% of the damage). You can also inflict backlash on anyone who harbors murderous intent toward you (dealing half the damage of their intent).]
As the cart raced on, Dudley felt a gentle warmth envelop him, a comforting sensation.
At the same time, having successfully gained a wizard bloodline, Dudley experienced his first magical outburst!
A tiny gust of wind formed, giving the speeding cart a slight push from behind.
And then... nothing.
It wasn't even as strong as Hagrid blowing out a candle!
This wasn't a magical outburst—it was more like a magical whimper!
Dudley had expected this, but he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
Fortunately, he had never pinned his hopes of becoming powerful on Harry's blood.
As the cart sped along, Dudley silently transformed from a Muggle into a wizard, and Hagrid, Harry, and Griphook noticed nothing.
Harry was still marveling at the stalactites hanging from the ceiling and the faint glimmers of fire in the distance, likely from the dragons guarding the vaults.
Griphook was busy controlling the cart with goblin magic, and Hagrid was still nauseous from the constant shaking.
Everything was perfectly harmonious.
Meanwhile, in a distant, mysterious castle, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, two ancient artifacts were having a disagreement.
"Professor Dumbledore! Professor Dumbledore! The Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance are fighting!"
Professor Minerva McGonagall, the de facto headmistress of Hogwarts, hurried toward the headmaster's office.
After uttering the password—a bizarre sweet treat—she passed the statue guarding the entrance and found the greatest wizard of the twentieth century.
A white-haired, long-bearded old man with a crooked nose.
"Calm down, Minerva! Would you like a lemon drop?" The wise old man always masked himself with childlike whimsy.
"Thank you, Dumbledore! But I think you should come see the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance. They're fighting over a name!"
The diligent Professor McGonagall was far more practical.
Moments later, Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived at the room where the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance were kept.
By then, the dispute between the two ancient magical objects had settled.
After some sensing and investigation, the Book of Admittance conceded to the Quill of Acceptance's request.
Dumbledore and McGonagall watched as the Quill added a name to the end of the list of first-year students:
Dudley Dursley.
"Dursley?! The Dursleys where Harry is staying?!"
McGonagall looked utterly baffled. "How can this be? If that pair of unpleasant Muggles had a child with magical potential, the name should have appeared in the Book of Admittance eleven years ago!"
Dumbledore's expression also turned grave. Over the years, through reports from Mrs. Figg, Mr. Diggle, and other informants, he had kept a close eye on the Dursleys.
He knew Dudley Dursley was an exceptional young Muggle—thoughtful, principled, and unconventional in his actions.
To this end, Dumbledore had even observed Dudley and Harry's daily lives from a distance while hidden.
Dumbledore was absolutely certain that Dudley Dursley had no magical talent. He was simply a curious Muggle boy fascinated by wizards and the mystical.
Much like his mother had been as a child.
But now...
"The Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance aren't malfunctioning," Dumbledore said after a moment of contemplation. "And they've never been wrong."
"So... this little Dursley has truly become a wizard?!"
McGonagall still couldn't believe it. This defied everything she knew. The idea that a Muggle could become a wizard was an unshakable truth in the wizarding world.
"Hagrid sent me a letter. He arrived at the Dursleys' last night and met Harry and Dudley. In Harry's earlier reply, he mentioned wanting his cousin Dudley to accompany him to buy school supplies.
By now, Hagrid should have taken them to Diagon Alley, possibly even into Gringotts."
Dumbledore analyzed the situation step by step.
McGonagall had a sudden realization. "Gringotts? Dumbledore, you sent Hagrid to retrieve that item? Could Dudley becoming a wizard be because..."
"Minerva, let's keep this between us. We'll assume Dudley Dursley's name was written in the Book of Admittance eleven years ago. For now, I need to go to Diagon Alley."
After a moment of thought, Dumbledore made his decision.
A large, fiery-red bird flew in from the headmaster's office, circling above Dumbledore.
The old man with the crooked nose and half-moon spectacles reached up, grabbing the phoenix's talons.
In the next instant, a spiral of red light flashed, and both the old man and the bird vanished.