The prelude to August is the sign of Leo.
On the evening of August 1, 1991, the day after Harry's eleventh birthday, an elderly lion arrived at the Dursley residence by invitation.
Unlike ten years ago, this time, the old lion could no longer rely on a letter to face the family of his fallen comrade.
Albus Dumbledore knocked on the wooden door of 4 Privet Drive with his aged fingers.
In the living room, the Dursleys received him. After an awkward exchange of pleasantries, following the reception plan Dudley had prepared earlier, Petunia guided Dumbledore to Dudley's bedroom on the second floor and closed the door behind him.
"You've really aged, your legs aren't as nimble, arriving only in the evening," Dudley remarked sarcastically as he and Harry sat reading in the bedroom. Seeing Dumbledore enter, Dudley stood up, waved Diggle's wand, and conjured a chair for Dumbledore.
Dumbledore, looking much better than the day before, smiled and showed no sign of anger at Dudley's words. He calmly took a seat and began to explain, "Dudley, please forgive an old man who has long been full of himself. I needed more time to reflect and sort out my emotions."
Dudley scrutinized Dumbledore's facial expressions and body language, then chuckled, "Since you're a guest, would you like coffee, tea, or orange soda?"
"Orange soda? Is that a Muggle drink? If it's sweet, I'd love to try it," Dumbledore replied, sensing that Dudley might be more approachable today than yesterday.
"Orange soda is sweet and sour, so yes, you could say it's sweet," Dudley said as he walked to the corner of the room, opened his refrigerator, and took out a can of orange soda. Then, feigning regret, he added, "Oh no, we're out of orange soda!"
Dumbledore's eye twitched. Without using Legilimency, he couldn't fathom Dudley's thought process, but he chose not to probe the mind of a child he felt he had wronged. He simply pointed out, "Dudley, you're holding..."
"Oh, this is the last can, and Harry wants it!" Dudley grinned mischievously and tossed the can to Harry, who had just put down his book. Without hesitation, Harry opened it and began to drink heartily.
"Then tea would be fine," Dumbledore conceded.
"We're out of tea leaves," Dudley replied with a playful tone.
"Coffee then, could you add some sugar?" Dumbledore tried again.
"I don't drink coffee, so I don't have any," Dudley answered honestly, as he generally didn't lie.
Dumbledore was at a loss for words.
After a pause, he said, "Actually, I'm not very thirsty. We could just have a frank conversation."
"No, you're a guest, you must drink something!" Dudley's smile turned almost sinister as he insisted, not allowing Dumbledore to refuse. He fetched several colorful containers of liquids and an empty cup from the refrigerator, placing them on the desk in front of Dumbledore, and began mixing them intently.
"Add some lychee juice, some honey, and a bit of whiskey..." Dudley muttered to himself, focusing on concocting the mixed drink. His hands began to glow with a red light. "And finally, a touch of magic, done!"
"Here you go!" Dudley said as he presented the strangely colored, magically enhanced mixed drink to Dumbledore.
Looking at the peculiar concoction, Dumbledore hesitated, glanced at Dudley and Harry, then took the cup and drank it all in one go.
"Ah~ not bad, it's a bit like fruit wine, quite delicious!" Dumbledore praised sincerely, enjoying the taste.
However, Dudley's expression turned cold. "It seems, Mr. Dumbledore, that you've wasted a precious day without reflecting on anything of value. You're still a compromiser."
"You... this..." Dumbledore was genuinely taken aback.
"Hesitation, delay, passive responses, constantly giving ground—you disappoint me," Dudley said calmly, his eyes like deep, icy pools.
"If what I had added wasn't a potion for longevity, but poison or a curse, I wonder if you'd still be smiling, Mr. Dumbledore."
"Your assessment of me is apt, Dudley. I will strive to change," Dumbledore, understanding the lesson behind Dudley's actions, was deeply moved.
However, he also shared his perspective, "But I firmly believe you wouldn't harm me without reason. I've seen much in my time, and my eyes don't deceive me. Dudley, despite your bold ideas, you're not evil. At your core, you're kind..."
Whether Dudley was kind or not, he knew himself and didn't need others to tell him. He didn't take Dumbledore's earnest compliment to heart. Instead, he waved his wand, sending the bottles and containers back to the refrigerator, and sat back down in his chair.
"Mr. Dumbledore, since you didn't use Legilimency on me today as you did yesterday and have been quite sincere, you're a decent guest. So, for today's conversation, I'll allow you to ask me questions first, and I promise to answer truthfully. Similarly, when Harry and I ask you questions later, please be forthcoming with what you know."
Dumbledore was surprised at how quickly Dudley had managed to unsettle him again in less than fifteen minutes. He felt he couldn't hide anything from Dudley!
His Legilimency skills were unparalleled; arguably, no one was better at reading minds than he was, except for natural Legilimens. Yet, Dudley, a young wizard who hadn't even attended a magical school, could clearly perceive his Legilimency, which was truly astonishing.
However, given the circumstances, Dumbledore had no choice but to seize the opportunity.
"An honest exchange is exactly why I'm here," Dumbledore prefaced, agreeing to Dudley's proposal. Then he proceeded with his questions, starting with the one he was most concerned about:
"Dudley, how did you become a wizard from being a Muggle? And how did you acquire abilities similar to the Philosopher's Stone?"
"This is my innate talent. By experiencing certain events—events that turn tragedies into something beautiful—I gain a special kind of power. This power allows me to merge with magical objects and thus acquire their abilities. However, this power is hard to come by and comes with many limitations," Dudley explained vaguely, referring to his system-like abilities.
He wasn't afraid to let Dumbledore know about his uniqueness. If he could convince the old lion today, he would gain a powerful ally for his future endeavors to rectify regrets.
If not, Dumbledore's character would ensure his secret remained safe. Moreover, regardless of the outcome, Dudley planned to have Dumbledore make an Unbreakable Vow of secrecy after their conversation.