[Yes! The Conceptualized Mending Charm can restore anything to any state it was in at any point in its past.]
Thump, thump…
Dudley's heart raced uncontrollably. He was beyond excited. If he could obtain this reward, he would truly soar to new heights!
Reviving loved ones, vanquishing enemies—nothing would stand in his way!
Harry's parents, Dumbledore's family—bringing the dead back to life would no longer be a dream!
If Voldemort dared to show his face, Dudley could simply "repair" him back into his mother's womb. Forget immortality—Voldemort would be reborn only to die instantly!
Dudley's imagination ran wild, one thrilling idea after another bubbling up in his mind. He clutched the cup tightly, a sinister grin spreading across his face. He didn't say a word, but his expression was unsettling.
He had long suspected that SS-level and SSS-level regret events held something extraordinary, and now his suspicions were confirmed!
In the original story, there was no way to truly bring the dead back to life. The so-called Resurrection Stone, one of the Deathly Hallows, was nothing more than a tool to summon false images of the deceased, luring the user into despair and suicide.
But Dudley's system had unlocked regret events that required reviving the dead, which meant it had to provide him with the means to do so. Now, the resurrection cheat had arrived, and everything fell into place!
"Calm down!"
Suddenly, Dumbledore cast a Calming Charm on Dudley using the Elder Wand. Both he and Harry had initially thought Dudley's strange behavior was due to the fragment of Voldemort's soul in the cup. But upon closer inspection, they realized it wasn't the case.
Dudley was just having a moment of pure, unbridled excitement.
So, Dumbledore decided to intervene with a charm to bring him back to his senses.
The two spells Dudley and Harry had developed together, Dumbledore had mastered after just a few tries. He used them now with ease.
"Cousin, are you okay?"
Seeing Dudley's expression return to normal, Harry quickly asked with concern.
"I'm fine!"
Dudley replied gently to his cousin, then shot Dumbledore a glare. "Dumbledore, haven't you ever seen someone happy before? Why cast a Calming Charm? You're such a buzzkill!
I developed that spell with Harry mainly to counter the Killing Curse, not to ruin someone's good mood!"
"Alright, Dudley, my mistake! I just thought your smile was a bit… unsettling. I thought you might have fallen under some dark curse without realizing it."
Dumbledore chuckled, apologizing. He could tell Dudley wasn't actually angry.
"You're wrong! I wasn't cursed—I hit the jackpot!"
Dudley couldn't contain his excitement again, but he quickly remembered something and composed himself. "Dumbledore, do you have anything else to do?
If not, hurry over to Sirius's house and find that house-elf, Kreacher. Make him hand over Slytherin's locket. I have a feeling it's another one of Voldemort's Horcruxes!
Bring it back, just like the Hufflepuff Cup. Don't destroy it. Keep it with me until we figure out a foolproof way to remove the soul fragment. Then we'll discuss it together!"
"Wonderful! Dudley, so your Seer blood was acting up just now! Professor Trelawney's prophecies involve trembling and shaking, but yours is just… bizarre laughter. How fascinating!"
Dumbledore was overjoyed, almost babbling. Anything that could weaken Voldemort always fired him up.
He stood up, ready to leave, but then remembered a few more things and sat back down.
"Dudley, a few more things, quickly.
You asked me to eliminate all the Death Eaters in Azkaban, but I didn't fully succeed. Bellatrix is dead, but not completely. She's become a ghost, haunting the island of Azkaban, unable to leave and difficult to destroy.
I used Fiendfyre, a high-level fusion of fire magic and Transfiguration, instead of the Killing Curse or a Dementor's Kiss. Only those methods ensure no ghost remains.
I overlooked that at the time."
"A ghost? The cause is worth exploring, but it's not urgent. Let her haunt Azkaban for now. She can't cause any trouble anymore."
Dudley thought for a moment, then shrugged it off.
"Also, about the two house-elves I brought.
Lucius Malfoy is a Hogwarts governor, a wealthy and influential pure-blood, a former Death Eater, and a master of opportunism—what you call a two-faced schemer. Seeing me display my power and influence, he gifted me a house-elf to curry favor. That makes sense.
But Barty Crouch Sr., a staunch opponent of Voldemort, former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and current Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, actively sought me out to sell me a valuable house-elf at a low price. That's a bit unusual.
He's not a Death Eater, has always stood on the side of justice, and is known for his rigid, upright character. He doesn't seem like the type to offer gifts to gain favor.
The only reason I can think of is that when he was Head of Magical Law Enforcement, he sent Sirius to Azkaban without a trial. Now that I've taken Sirius out of Azkaban, as a high-ranking Ministry official, he must have heard about it. Maybe he's trying to appease me so I don't hold it against him.
But that charge isn't severe. Sirius didn't say a word in his defense when he was captured, and a trial wouldn't have changed the outcome. I'm not planning to hold it against Barty.
He's an upright old wizard, unafraid of trouble. He even sent his own son, a Death Eater, to Azkaban without hesitation.
So, I can't shake this suspicion about him offering me a house-elf at a low price. I hope you can help me analyze this, Dudley."
"Did you use Legilimency on him during the transaction?" Dudley asked.
Dumbledore sighed, scratching his head. "Dudley, I'm not a peeping Tom. I can't just use Legilimency on everyone I meet.
Besides, Barty's magical abilities aren't weak. He might even know Occlumency. Even if I used Legilimency, I might not get the answers, and he'd notice, ruining our relationship.
I don't want to do that, especially since he came to me in goodwill!"
Dudley nodded in understanding, then asked another question:
"You said his son was a Death Eater and was imprisoned in Azkaban. Did you kill him during your rampage at Azkaban the other day?"
"Of course not. His son died in his cell long ago. If Barty were trying to cozy up to someone who had just killed his son, no matter how upright he is, it wouldn't make sense!"
Dumbledore replied matter-of-factly.