Gringotts, Main Hall.
Dudley and Harry returned to the bustling hall via the same cart they had taken earlier. However, the scene before them was chaotic. A crowd had gathered, and the remaining goblins were trying to calm everyone down.
The crowd was divided into two groups: reporters and Aurors.
The earlier explosion caused by Quirrell had disrupted the structural integrity of the underground vaults, sending faint tremors through Diagon Alley. Naturally, this had drawn the attention of the press and the Ministry.
Reporters from the Daily Prophet were swarming the outer perimeter, snapping photos with their enchanted cameras and bombarding the goblins with questions about what had happened.
The Aurors, sent by the Ministry to handle the situation, were in the inner circle, engaged in a serious conversation with Dumbledore, who had arrived ahead of them.
Hagrid stood alone to the side, temporarily shielded from the reporters by the Aurors and Dumbledore.
Dudley led Harry over to Hagrid.
"Dudley, Harry, about Professor Dumbledore..." Hagrid began hesitantly, his voice low.
"Muffliato!" Dudley cast a spell to prevent eavesdropping, then spoke seriously but patiently. "Hagrid, you're an adult. You should understand that just because someone is friends with your friend, it doesn't mean they're your friend too. What's between us and Dumbledore doesn't concern you. You don't need to worry about it.
Just remember this: Dumbledore is your friend, and so are we. That's all that matters. Keep the two relationships separate."
"Oh, Dudley, Harry! You still consider me a friend! That's wonderful! You're not mad at me for revealing your identities to Voldemort?" Hagrid was overjoyed, his earlier worries forgotten as he focused on the positive.
Dudley, however, remained calm. "Everyone has their flaws. You didn't mean to expose us. Even if you hadn't, Voldemort would have targeted us for the treasure. And most importantly, nothing serious came of it today. So, I can forgive you this time."
"If Dudley forgives you, then I do too, Hagrid," Harry added.
"That's such a relief! I was so scared earlier!" Hagrid said, tears of joy in his eyes.
"But Hagrid, you need to learn from this," Dudley said, his expression growing stern again. "If something irreversible had happened to Harry or me today, even if it wasn't your fault, we couldn't have stayed friends. You need to learn to keep secrets for your friends and develop better judgment. Otherwise, Harry and I will have to keep things from you in the future—and we'll have to keep a lot from you."
Hagrid's expression shifted, a mix of guilt and determination. "I understand, Dudley. I'll do better."
"Good," Dudley said, his tone softening. "Now, we've got our money. It's time to buy our school supplies. You promised to help us with that, right? You're not going back on your word, are you?"
"Oh, no! Of course not!" Hagrid said, his spirits lifting again. He glanced over at Dumbledore, who was still talking to the Aurors, and gestured toward a side exit of Gringotts.
Dumbledore gave a slight nod, and Hagrid turned back, ready to help Dudley and Harry escape the swarm of reporters.
But Dudley had already crouched low, shielding Harry as they followed a goblin guide to a quieter exit.
"Wait for me!" Hagrid called, hurrying after them.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore delivered his final words to the Aurors: "Tell Fudge that Voldemort, the Dark Lord, is returning. The Ministry must prepare for war."
Without waiting for a response, he slipped out of Gringotts, trailing discreetly behind Dudley, Harry, and Hagrid.
The Aurors, stunned by Dumbledore's announcement, exchanged uneasy glances. If anyone else had said this, they would have been hauled off to St. Mungo's for a mental evaluation. But coming from Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the century, it was impossible to ignore.
One by one, the Aurors Disapparated, heading back to the Ministry to report to Minister Fudge.
After the minor earthquake, Diagon Alley was quieter than usual, though there was no visible damage. The fear of the unknown had driven many away.
This, however, made shopping easier for Dudley and Harry.
At Potage's Cauldron Shop, they bought top-of-the-line cauldrons and potion-making equipment—four or five sets of each.
At Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, they stocked up on potion ingredients, purchasing not only the required items listed in their Hogwarts letters but also a variety of other materials.
At Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, they bought dozens of wizard robes and formal wear, all with self-ironing and repair charms.
At Flourish and Blotts, they picked up two sets of textbooks for all seven years at Hogwarts, along with additional books on spells, curses, and alchemy to fill Dudley's bookshelf.
At Eeylops Owl Emporium, Hagrid insisted on buying Harry a snowy owl as a gift. Dudley didn't object, and Harry named the owl Hedwig, just as in the original story.
Hagrid also wanted to buy Dudley a pet, but Dudley refused.
"Dudley, are you sure you don't want a pet? That tawny owl looks nice!" Hagrid said, sounding a bit dejected. He thought Dudley's refusal meant he was still upset.
"Owls aren't impressive. One for delivering letters is enough," Dudley said dismissively. "Besides, Hogwarts has an owlery. If we need to send letters, we can use Hedwig or the school owls."
As they left the shop, Dudley revealed his true intentions. "Hagrid, remember the compensation the Gringotts goblins promised me? If I'm going to have a pet, it's going to be a dragon! You've always wanted to raise one, right? Once we're settled, find a place, and I'll have the goblins deliver the two Norwegian Ridgebacks to you. You can take care of them, and any eggs they lay will be yours!"
"What?!" Hagrid was stunned. "But... but Hogwarts doesn't allow dragons!"
"Think bigger, Hagrid! Once the dragons arrive, we'll just say they're winged fire lizards. No one will be able to argue with that!" Dudley said with a grin.
"Can we really do that?" Hagrid's eyes widened as a whole new world of possibilities opened up to him. If only he'd thought of this earlier, he could have avoided raising an Acromantula and instead kept a giant, magically enlarged spider!
[Early Unlock: Rubeus Hagrid—The Keeper of Keys' Dragon Dream (A-Rank)]
[Details: Hagrid has always wanted to raise a dragon but has been thwarted by regulations. In the original story, he was tricked by Quirrell into trading information about Fluffy's weakness for a dragon egg, which hatched into a Norwegian Ridgeback named Norbert. However, to avoid detection, Harry and his friends helped transport Norbert to Charlie Weasley, who works with dragons in Romania.]