After the four underlings swore their oaths, Dudley handed each of them £2,000 and sent them on their way.
This parting would last for several years, at the very least.
There was no other choice—better safe than sorry.
Until Voldemort was dead, Dudley wouldn't rest easy.
After leaving the café, Dudley and Harry took a taxi to a suburban pet supply store to pick up some items they might need for school, quietly storing them in Dudley's personal storage space.
Once they got home, Dudley asked Dumbledore, who was in the middle of teaching the Dursleys, to take a moment to reinforce a large iron cage with powerful locking spells. Once the cage was modified, Dudley also stored it in his personal storage space.
August 30th
Hagrid, who was far away at Hogwarts, sent an owl with a letter informing Dudley and Harry that the two dragons from Gringotts had arrived.
They had settled into the dragon enclosure he had just built, secured with magical chains. According to Hagrid, they were very docile, much like his giant dog, and interacted with him in a friendly manner.
Aside from being a bit old and not very active, they were perfect.
Dudley was skeptical, as Hagrid, being a half-giant, saw every magical creature as adorable and harmless—except for cats, which gave him allergies.
However, there wasn't much he could do about it for now. He'd have to wait until school started in a couple of days to see for himself.
That afternoon.
During the Dursleys' magical lessons, the great wizard Dumbledore, who stood at the pinnacle of power in the British magical world, finally broke into a relieved smile.
Even when he had found Voldemort's Horcruxes, he hadn't been this happy.
He had finally—finally—managed to teach the Dursleys the five spells he had planned from the start.
Though their spells were weak and not yet mature, they could at least cast them.
Watching Petunia and Vernon face each other, one casting Expelliarmus and the other Protego, both grinning from ear to ear, Dudley and Harry couldn't help but smile too, happy for their family.
Later, Dudley received another system reward, though this one wasn't the maximum possible.
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully resolved the D-level regret event: Rejection from the Magical World!]
**[By transferring your fusion abilities, you transformed your parents from Muggles into wizards and even convinced the greatest wizard of the twentieth century, Dumbledore, to personally teach them magic.
This fulfilled Petunia's childhood dream and gave her a companion in the magical world—her beloved husband, who also loves her deeply—bringing her unparalleled satisfaction.
However, you did not make Petunia a witch with normal magical power.]
[This regret event has been resolved fairly well.]
[Rewards issued: D-level fusion opportunity 1.]
[Additional reward: E-level fusion opportunity 1.]
[Current fusion opportunities: D-level 1, E-level 1.]
After receiving the system notification, Dudley's joy remained undiminished.
On the surface, it might seem like he had spent 2 D-level fusion opportunities to resolve this regret but only received 1 D-level and 1 E-level opportunity in return, resulting in a net loss of 2 E-level opportunities.
However, the gains and losses couldn't be calculated so simply.
Dudley had brought peace, happiness, and strength to his parents, and that was a real, tangible win.
He had always believed this.
August 31st
The Dursleys' magical lessons came to an end.
Dumbledore didn't come to the Dursleys' that day, staying at Hogwarts instead to prepare for the start of term the next day.
Though Professor McGonagall was handling most of the preparations, Dumbledore took the opportunity to relax.
At the Dursleys' home.
Dudley packed most of the supplies he and Harry had bought in Diagon Alley into his personal storage space, getting ready for the start of school the next day.
Meanwhile, the Dursleys were feeling down, saddened by the impending long separation.
This feeling grew even stronger when Dudley told them they didn't need to drive him and Harry to London the next day.
Petunia wiped away tears, pulling Dudley and Harry aside to share the little she knew about the magical world. She even brought up the matter of avenging her sister's death.
Petunia wanted the person who had harmed her sister's family to be punished, but more than that, she wanted Dudley and Harry to always be safe and unharmed.
Dudley confidently assured her that there were few wizards in the magical world he couldn't handle, and with Lily's protective magic, he and Harry would never be in mortal danger.
It took a lot of convincing to calm his mother down.
Still not entirely reassured, Petunia hesitantly brought up a figure who had once terrified her.
"Dudley, darling, and Harry… when you go to the magical world, you might meet a wizard named… Severus Snape.
Back when Lily and I, along with our parents, lived in Cokeworth, we knew this boy who lived nearby in Spinner's End.
He was very reclusive and had magic. He often played little magical tricks on me to scare me. I hated him and was terrified of him, but he and Lily were close.
Later, he and Lily went to Hogwarts. Lily once mentioned to me that he was very talented and powerful in magic.
So, if you meet him at Hogwarts or in the magical world, you might be able to rely on his connection with Lily to get his help."
A parent's love for their child runs deep.
Petune racked her brains, thinking of the few wizards she knew, hoping to add another layer of protection for her son and nephew.
Little did she know that Snape was already on Dudley and Harry's list of enemies.
When Dudley heard that Snape had bullied his mother, he was furious.
It had been so long since his reincarnation that he had forgotten about the childhood grudge between Petunia and Snape, a minor detail from the original story.
But it wasn't too late—he remembered it all now!
"Aunt Petunia, this Snape is…"
Harry wanted to explain that Snape wasn't a good person and was, in fact, their enemy.
But Dudley cut him off. "Harry, no need to say more."
Suppressing his anger, Dudley turned to his mother.
"Mom, don't worry. Harry and I will take good care of Mr. Snape."
Petunia didn't catch the implication at first, relieved that her son had agreed.
It wasn't until after the conversation ended and Dudley and Harry were heading upstairs to their rooms that she realized what he meant.
"Dudley, darling, I meant for him to take care of you, not the other way around!" she called out.
"Don't worry, Mom! It's all the same!" Dudley replied without looking back.