"You didn't expect it?" Dudley sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I think your brain's gone soft with age—senility must be setting in!
What were you thinking? Let me guess: you wanted Hagrid to lead us to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone first, so Voldemort would come up empty-handed? Then lure him to Hogwarts?
After that, you'd hide the Stone somewhere in the school, set up a few challenges, give Harry some clues, and let him navigate through them to protect the Stone and face off against Voldemort? All to 'train' Harry?"
In just a few sentences, Dudley laid bare Dumbledore's entire plan, leaving the old wizard stunned. He had expected Dudley to be clever, but not this clever. A wave of self-doubt washed over him:
"Was my plan really that easy to see through?"
"Is it really so hard to understand that such a foolish plan would be exposed?" Dudley's words were like honey-coated daggers, cutting deep into Dumbledore's heart.
"Let's not even talk about this idiotic plan. I just want to ask you: if you didn't want us to face Voldemort in Gringotts, why did you leak the information about the Stone being there? Why not just spread the word that the Stone had already been moved to Hogwarts?
Couldn't keep it a secret? If you couldn't, why didn't you retrieve it yourself? Did it never occur to you that there might be danger along the way?
Oh, I see! You wanted to use Hagrid's inability to keep his mouth shut to drop hints about the Stone for Harry, setting the stage for your so-called 'training plan' after the school year started, right?
You were exploiting Hagrid's trust in you! Hagrid, with his big mouth, told Harry and me the vault number and showed us the retrieval letter, but he never once mentioned the Stone itself. Because of his admiration and trust for you, he kept that secret so tightly, never realizing you'd already leaked it—and then used him as a pawn!
Dumbledore, you're so great! So clever!"
Dudley's words, a mix of sarcasm and brutal honesty, struck like a hammer. Dumbledore, still using Legilimency, could feel the raw truth behind every word.
It was a truth that made him want to vomit.
He had never realized just how hypocritical he had become.
"Hagrid, I'm sorry! Harry, Dudley, I've wronged you all. Today, I've realized I've become a self-righteous old fool!" Dumbledore's voice trembled with regret, tears streaming down his face.
"Don't start crying yet!" Dudley wasn't done. "Let me ask you this: you didn't rush to Gringotts because you realized your plan had flaws, did you? You came because you saw my name appear on the Hogwarts acceptance list, didn't you? You wanted to see what kind of wildcard I was and figure out how to handle and 'educate' me, right?
And are you sure you were held back by the goblins, only arriving at the last moment? That 'Finite Incantatem' of yours was timed perfectly—one second later, and Voldemort would've escaped with the fake Stone!
You wanted to see how powerful Harry and I were, to test us, to 'train' us, so you waited until the last moment to intervene. Am I wrong?"
"I... you're right, Dudley. I'm sorry!" Dumbledore admitted, his voice heavy with remorse. He had lived over a century, met countless brilliant minds, but never someone like Dudley—someone who could see through everything and then ruthlessly expose it.
He realized now that Dudley's personality and will were fully formed. He didn't need guidance or influence. In fact, it was Dumbledore, the century-old wizard, who needed to be taught and redirected.
"Don't waste your breath apologizing. If apologies worked, there'd be no regret in this world!" Dudley's earlier fervor had cooled, replaced by a sense of weariness.
Dumbledore was a good man, but not a good leader. If he didn't change, if he continued to hide in the shadows, orchestrating clumsy plans to guide Harry's growth, Dudley would never let himself or Harry set foot in Hogwarts.
"I used your Philosopher's Stone," Dudley said bluntly, cutting through the silence. "Consider it compensation for the unnecessary risks you put Harry and me through."
"Harry, let's go. We're getting our wands."
Dudley turned to leave, but just as he did, he heard a voice behind him.
"Obliviate!"
Dudley immediately cast a Shield Charm to protect himself and Harry, succeeding on the first try. But he felt no attack on the barrier. Turning around, he saw Hagrid pointing his umbrella wand at his own head, the tip glowing faintly as the spell faded.
Hagrid had cast the Memory Charm on himself.
"Dumbledore, your charm really is something," Dudley couldn't help but quip sarcastically.
It was clear that Hagrid couldn't bear the thought of Dumbledore having flaws in his mind, so he had erased the memory of the entire conversation.
Dumbledore was equally shocked. He hadn't expected Hagrid to go to such lengths for him.
"Hagrid! I've wronged you!" Dumbledore said, his voice heavy with guilt.
"Professor Dumbledore, what are you talking about? What have you done to wrong me? And what's with this barrier? Have you and Dudley made up?" Hagrid asked, his face a picture of confusion.
Dudley had no interest in lingering. He grabbed Harry's hand and walked through the now-dissipated barrier, calling back to Hagrid, "Hagrid! Keep an eye on our stuff. We're going to pick out our wands!"
"Right! Of course!" Hagrid replied.
Dumbledore stood there, the barrier gone, watching as Dudley and Harry entered Ollivander's Wand Shop. He felt utterly lost, unsure how to make amends for his mistakes.
Just then, a group of five or six wizards Apparated into Diagon Alley. Leading them was Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, the most powerful figure in the British wizarding world.