"I understand, Dudley. I'll do as you say!"
Dumbledore snapped out of his stunned state and, without much hesitation, agreed to Dudley's plan.
His mindset and approach were undergoing a powerful transformation.
"One more thing."
Seeing Dumbledore's agreement, Dudley immediately moved on to the next topic.
"Dumbledore, Hagrid has suffered injustice for far too long. You must clear his name as soon as possible!
This is also to make up for your past mistakes! As the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, the highest wizarding court, and the one in control of the judiciary, you've shown a severe lack of ability in case investigation and accountability.
The Chamber of Secrets was opened, an unknown monster was unleashed, and a student was killed. Around the same time, Hagrid's secret breeding of Acromantulas was accidentally exposed.
Are these few facts enough to prove Hagrid's guilt in raising spiders to kill?"
Dudley's questioning plunged Dumbledore into memories.
"At the time, Voldemort—Tom Marvolo Riddle—was an outstanding fifth-year student at Hogwarts. His exceptional magical talent and striking appearance earned him great popularity among the students.
Voldemort claimed to the Ministry officials investigating the case that he had seen Hagrid's spider kill Myrtle. His followers echoed his claims, greatly influencing the Ministry's judgment.
Additionally, Hagrid couldn't prove that the Acromantula hadn't killed anyone, so I couldn't exonerate him or prevent his expulsion. I could only ensure he stayed at Hogwarts as the gamekeeper."
Dumbledore recounted the events of that time, his expression tinged with sorrow and guilt, perhaps recalling Hagrid's self-inflicted memory loss the day before.
But Dudley wasn't about to let Dumbledore off the hook. He immediately analyzed what Dumbledore could have done back then from a rational perspective.
"I'm honestly baffled by you wizards. Your legal system is so backward! Do you not understand the concept of 'innocent until proven guilty'? If you suspect someone of a crime, you need to gather sufficient evidence to prove it!
Instead, you make the suspect prove their innocence? If they can't, they're guilty? What kind of nonsense logic is that?
Dumbledore, the reason you couldn't exonerate Hagrid back then is simply because you didn't use your brain!
You don't even need magic or potions to prove Hagrid's innocence. I can give you a way right now!
Your wizarding history books clearly state that Salazar Slytherin was a pure-blood supremacist. Would the Chamber of Secrets he left behind be opened by a half-giant like Hagrid?
If that's not convincing enough, let me ask you this: did you perform an autopsy on Myrtle's body?
Acromantulas kill by either suffocating with webs, corroding with venom, or piercing with their legs or fangs. Were there any corresponding marks on Myrtle's body?
Could they be matched to Hagrid's Acromantula?
Even if young Voldemort was careful and left some wounds on Myrtle's body, it wouldn't hold up under thorough examination!
After death, blood stops flowing. Injuries and inflicted before death are different from those added afterward!
And there's an even more important clue. I heard from Hagrid that Myrtle became a ghost after her death, right? Did you ever ask her what killed her? Did she ever see Hagrid's Acromantula before she died?
A juvenile Acromantula lacks the ability to kill a wizard instantly. If the spider had killed her, Myrtle, the victim, couldn't have been completely unaware!
So, was it really that hard to prove Hagrid and his spider's innocence back then?
Dumbledore, if you had done this, not only could you have cleared Hagrid's name, but you could have also exposed young Voldemort's evilness.
At the very least, you could have charged him, or even discovered that Voldemort had opened the Chamber and killed Myrtle, sending him to Azkaban.
If that had happened, could Voldemort have become the Dark Lord who terrorized the wizarding world? Even if he had, it would have cost him far more!"
Dudley's incisive analysis once again left Dumbledore stunned.
"Dudley, you're smarter than any Ravenclaw I've ever met. If I had your wisdom back then, or if you had been born a century earlier and I'd met you sooner, half the tragedies I've faced could have been avoided!"
Dumbledore's heart was a mix of guilt, regret, sorrow, and a sense of loss. Tears welled up in his eyes again.
"However, Dudley, the past is done. A lack of ability and the complexities of fate led to this outcome. All we can do now is try to make amends.
I'll clear Hagrid's name as soon as possible and prove his innocence to all wizards!"
Dumbledore made the promise.
"That's not enough. Hagrid had to drop out in his third year because of this. I hope you'll take some time to tutor him, improve his spellcasting and combat skills, and make up for the time of his early departure."
Dudley added to the request.
"Of course! It's been years since I last taught as Headmaster. You and Harry are welcome to sit in on the lessons."
Dumbledore agreed without hesitation.
"Not just Harry and me—my parents, the Dursleys, too! Dumbledore, you don't mind having two adult students, do you? This is the last thing I'd like you to do before the school year starts."
Dudley shamelessly added to Dumbledore's already heavy workload.
Hearing Dudley's latest outrageous request, he barely reacted and simply nodded in agreement.
He was curious to see how Dudley planned to turn two adult Muggles into wizards.
Time flew by during their shocking conversation, and it was now late at night.
The Dursleys had been waiting in the living room, preparing a lavish dinner.
After the lengthy discussion, Dudley, Harry, and Dumbledore composed themselves, left Dudley's bedroom, and descended the stairs to the Dursleys' living room.
In front of Dudley and Harry, Dumbledore formally apologized to the Dursleys, especially Petunia, sincerely asking for their forgiveness for his past and expressing his respect for the Potters.
This left Petunia and Vernon utterly stunned. It was only after Dudley's explanation and reassurance that they understood Dumbledore's intentions.
Petunia reminisced about her past with her 'freak' sister, overwhelmed with emotion, and broke down crying in Vernon's arms.
After her tears, the Dursleys forgave Dumbledore, no longer fearing or distancing themselves from the old wizard. They accepted him as an unfamiliar but ordinary friend.
Dudley then announced to his parents that the family no longer needed to move abroad. In front of Dumbledore, he reached out and took his parents' hands.
A miracle was about to happen!