"You didn't come to teach yesterday, not just because you were trading for house-elves, but also because you went to Gringotts?"
Dudley asked an obvious question to calm his own surprise.
"Exactly! And I did much more than that!"
Dumbledore, sitting across from him, grinned broadly and laughed heartily.
Seeing Dudley's shocked expression, Dumbledore felt even more delighted than if he had drunk Felix Felicis. It was about time the roles were reversed! After all, as the greatest wizard of the twentieth century, it couldn't always be him being astonished by Dudley, could it?
With a cheerful tone, Dumbledore explained, "Yesterday, under the pretext of liquidating the assets of deceased Death Eater families, I openly entered Gringotts and had the goblins open the Lestrange vault for me. The Hufflepuff Cup was enchanted with Gemino and Flagrante curses—touching it would cause it to multiply and burn intensely. But that was no challenge for me! The Horcrux was easily secured!
Additionally, I confiscated all the vaults belonging to Death Eaters whose family lines had ended. These assets were transferred to Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix! I plan to use this substantial wealth to improve the living conditions of the Order members, especially those struggling financially.
Dudley, your words reminded me to pay attention to the details! I realized that the members of the Order follow me out of trust and a sense of justice. I can't just give them orders; I must also ensure their quality of life! They shouldn't risk their lives without proper compensation!
I also intend to use this money to establish scholarships for outstanding students at Hogwarts, providing more support to those from impoverished Muggle families!"
Dudley fell silent, unsure whether to criticize or praise.
He truly hadn't expected that Dumbledore, the so-called "old bee," had been hoarding all the sweets for himself without sharing any with his followers! Even a child leader in elementary school knows to share the spoils with their team. Yet, Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the twentieth century, only realized this at over a hundred years old and just started implementing it!
It was beyond absurd!
Wasn't this just taking advantage of the Order members' good nature?
Working for free and risking their lives? What a ridiculous level of dedication!
Dudley, being a more pragmatic person, couldn't comprehend it.
"Well, Dumbledore, as long as you're happy!"
In the end, that was all Dudley could say.
"Alright, let's move on from these minor matters!"
Dumbledore, noticing Dudley's lack of enthusiasm for the previous topic, shifted to a more pressing issue. "I've carefully examined the Hufflepuff Cup Horcrux. The fragment of Voldemort's soul within it carries a great deal of madness and chaotic negative emotions. It's also heavily tainted with dark magic. I could destroy it using powerful, unconventional means like Fiendfyre, but I've chosen not to—for two reasons.
First, until we find a safe way to remove the fragment of Voldemort's soul from Harry's scar, we can use this Horcrux, and any others we find, as test subjects to experiment with various methods of safely extracting soul fragments.
Second, this cup is a relic left by one of Hogwarts' founders. It holds immense significance for Hogwarts and Hufflepuff House. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, I don't want to destroy it."
"Dumbledore, you make a good point."
Dudley's gaze fixed on the Hufflepuff Cup on the desk. The system had rated this item as SS-level, an exceptionally high rating—so high that Dudley, at his current stage, wouldn't even dream of attempting to fuse with such an ancient magical artifact.
Moreover, the effects of this SS-level magical item were rather underwhelming, making the fusion process hardly worth the effort.
Turn water into wine? Enhance the flavor of food? Transport food to a specific location? Protect those who are loyal, honest, and kind?
It was said that Helga Hufflepuff, one of Hogwarts' founders, was particularly skilled in food-related magic. Based on this, the rumors seemed highly credible.
Dudley reached out to pick up the cup, intending to examine it more closely.
However, the moment his hand touched the cup's handle, the system chimed in his mind once again.
[Congratulations, Host! You have touched a special item, unlocking the SS-level Special Regret Event: The Lost Relics of Hogwarts' Founders.]
[Details: The four founders of Hogwarts each left behind a relic as a symbol of their respective houses' legacy. However, over the centuries, three of these relics have been lost. In modern times, the infamous Voldemort discovered these lost relics and, in a fit of madness, turned them into Horcruxes, tainting them with his vile soul.]
[Special Note: This regret event is divided into two phases.]
[Phase One: The Return of the Relics.]
[The Host must locate all three lost relics, remove the fragments of Voldemort's soul from them without damaging the relics, and then place them alongside the Sword of Gryffindor in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.]
[Completion of this phase will reward the Host with: Conceptualized Spell Enhancement Opportunity (Targeted) 1.]
[Phase Two: The Legacy of the Founders.]
[The Host must create magical traditions for each of the four Hogwarts houses that align with the founding principles of their respective founders. These traditions must be taught as a special course to the students of each house, benefiting future generations of Hogwarts students.]
[Completion of this phase will reward the Host with: Free Fusion Opportunity for the Four Hogwarts Relics.]
[For each house's magical tradition created and taught to a significant number of students, the Host will receive a free fusion opportunity for the corresponding house's relic.]
[Relics may be lost, and their functions may seem limited, but only by transforming them into lasting traditions can their benefits endure for generations.]
[Special Regret Events only offer fixed rewards, with no additional bonuses.]
Dudley held the Hufflepuff Cup, frozen in place for a long while as he processed the lengthy system notification.
Once he had digested all the information, the first thing that struck him was the most critical point. He quickly directed a mental inquiry to the system:
"What is a Conceptualized Spell Enhancement Opportunity? And what does 'Targeted' mean?"
[A Conceptualized Spell Enhancement Opportunity is a rule-defying, conceptual, and highly abstract form of spell reinforcement.]
[Using this opportunity, the Host can elevate one of their mastered spells to a conceptual level.]
[Conceptual spells are not bound by any rules, require no cost or sacrifice to use, and can achieve any effect that falls within the conceptual scope of the spell.]
['Targeted' means that after obtaining this opportunity, the Host can choose a specific spell they have mastered to undergo conceptual enhancement.]
After hearing and understanding the system's explanation, Dudley's mind raced. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he quickly followed up with another question:
"If I use this opportunity to enhance the Mending Charm, could it restore the dead to life?"