Dumbledore, though momentarily stunned, considered using Legilimency to probe Dudley's thoughts but quickly dismissed the idea.
Instead, he gave a gentle wave of the Elder Wand, revitalizing Hagrid and healing his hidden injuries. The scattered fragments of Hagrid's clothing and belongings reassembled as if time itself had reversed, restoring everything to its original state.
However, there was one exception: the two dormice Hagrid had been carrying had been crushed by falling rocks in their sleep and could not be revived.
Hagrid, who hadn't fully regained his senses earlier, hadn't heard Dudley's harsh words. Now fully awake, he remained oblivious to the tension. Spotting the fake Philosopher's Stone packet on the ground, he sighed in relief, picked it up, and presented it to Dumbledore.
He then eagerly introduced Harry and Dudley to the revered wizard, recounting the events that had just unfolded.
In his excitement, Hagrid tried to pull Harry and Dudley closer to Dumbledore, but Harry stood firmly by Dudley's side, resisting Hagrid's attempts.
Dudley, meanwhile, ignored Hagrid entirely, focusing on his own tasks.
"Oh, it's all my fault! I shouldn't have revealed Harry's identity!" Hagrid lamented, his heart sinking as he sensed Harry's reluctance.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Hagrid. They'll forgive you. Let them have some space for now," Dumbledore said gently.
Dudley, however, had no intention of taking a moment to calm down.
Right in front of Dumbledore, he pulled out three empty blood storage bags wrapped in tin foil and cotton from his clothes, unsealed them, and used Diggle's wand to cast a simple Levitation Charm.
He carefully collected the large pool of Hagrid's blood from the ground, filling the bags and securing them.
After gathering Hagrid's blood, Dudley walked over to the stalactite where Quirrell's wand was embedded. After a few attempts with the Reducto spell, he shattered the rock and retrieved the slightly cracked and damaged wand, pocketing it.
Next, he approached the remains of Quirrell's body, now reduced to ashes and a tattered black robe. A quick search yielded nothing of value, so he moved on.
Finally, Dudley turned his attention to the scattered golden rocks that had once been rubble. He noticed that the rocks were gradually reverting to their original state, with only the trace amounts of base metals within them remaining as pure gold.
"Accio pure gold!"
Without hesitation, Dudley summoned the tiny flecks of gold. Even if it was just a small amount, gold was gold.
The golden specks broke free from the rocks and flew into Dudley's palm, coalescing into a small lump.
"Strength Enhancement!"
Dudley pointed the wand at himself, casting the spell he and Harry had created together. He spoke the incantation in ancient Latin, the phrase he had devised for this very spell, while tracing the outline of a clenched fist with the wand.
A flash of crimson light signaled the spell's success. Perhaps because he was one of the spell's creators, Dudley felt the surge of strength more intensely than when Harry had cast it on him before.
Satisfied, Dudley turned to face Dumbledore, who had taken a seat on a nearby rock, waiting patiently. Their eyes met, and Dudley clenched his left hand, compressing the small lump of gold into a solid nugget.
[Ding—]
[First Encounter with Albus Dumbledore: Current Regret Events Unlocked!]
[The Untimely Death of His Parents (B-Rank)]
[Details: Albus Dumbledore's father was imprisoned in Azkaban for a crime of passion and died there. His mother died when his sister, Ariana, lost control of her Obscurus.]
[The Accidental Killing of Ariana (S-Rank)]
[Details: Ariana Dumbledore died during a three-way duel between Albus, his brother Aberforth, and his then-friend, Gellert Grindelwald (the first Dark Lord). Though there is no direct evidence, Albus Dumbledore knows deep down that it was his spell that ended his sister's life, a truth that haunts him as his greatest fear and deepest regret.]
[The Forbidden Love Between the Dark and Light Lords (S-Rank)]
[Details: In his youth, Albus Dumbledore fell in love with Gellert Grindelwald, a powerful wizard obsessed with dark magic and the legend of the Deathly Hallows, who believed in wizarding supremacy over Muggles. Their relationship ended in tragedy after the fatal duel, leading to a permanent rift. They became adversaries, with the victor ruling and the loser imprisoned, their bond irreparably broken.]
After silently reviewing the newly unlocked regret events, Dudley's mood darkened further. None of these were problems he could solve now—or even wanted to.
"Harry, let's go!" Dudley turned abruptly and walked away without another word.
Harry, who had been standing by Dudley's side, followed without hesitation. Though he didn't fully understand the reasons behind his cousin's anger, he didn't need to. He would stand by Dudley unconditionally, even if it meant giving up the chance to attend Hogwarts.
Dumbledore and Hagrid were left behind.
"Hagrid, it seems young Mr. Dursley has taken some issue with me," Dumbledore said, rising to his feet. "Don't worry, I don't believe they hold any ill will toward you."
The wise old wizard, though he hadn't used Legilimency, understood the situation clearly.
"Oh, how could that be? You came to save us! Dudley's a clever lad, he shouldn't be treating you this way!" Hagrid, with his large frame but limited intellect, was utterly baffled by the situation.
"No, Hagrid. Strictly speaking, I didn't save them. They had already defeated Voldemort before I intervened," Dumbledore admitted honestly.
"And you're right, Hagrid. Young Mr. Dursley is indeed clever—far more so than I anticipated. Clever and forthright, with no pretense. That's a good thing. Perhaps a sincere conversation can clear up his misunderstandings. Let's catch up with them. It seems they've run into some trouble, and the two first-years still need to purchase their school supplies."
Dumbledore and Hagrid soon spotted Dudley and Harry in a heated discussion with the goblins who had arrived to assess the damage.
"Oh, right! Professor Dumbledore, I truly hope you can mend things with the boys. But for now, please go help them. I'll catch up!"
Hagrid wiped away his tears, still grieving the loss of his two dormice and the distance his new friends had put between them.
He carefully picked up the two flattened, lifeless dormice, wrapped them in a piece of silk, and placed them gently in a separate pocket.
"Don't grieve too much, Hagrid," Dumbledore comforted his old friend.
"I'll be fine, Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid replied, trying to steady his emotions.
As he calmed down, he recalled something Dumbledore had said earlier.
"Professor, did you say two first-years? Does that mean Dudley too? Oh, of course! Dudley's started using magic—he's not a Muggle after all!"
Hagrid, slow to process the implications, had been too caught up in the chaos to think about Dudley's sudden magical abilities. Now, the realization brought him a sense of joy, though he didn't dwell on it too deeply. He was simply happy for Dudley.