After half a day of intense searching, the Ministry of Magic still hadn't found any trace of Cole. He seemed to have vanished into thin air within Knockturn Alley, leaving no evidence behind.
Dudley didn't remain long at Borgin and Burkes, and Kingsley soon came to collect him.
"No trace of Cole found?" Dudley inquired.
"None whatsoever. We didn't even discover any signs of battle," Kingsley said with a deepening frown.
Dudley displayed a thoughtful expression, while the corner of his mouth curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
During the previous confrontation, he had basically left no magical traces, using mostly beyonder abilities. It would be extremely difficult for the Ministry of Magic to find any clues under such circumstances.
Moreover, with Cole's backers potentially stirring things up, this made the matter even more complicated.
"Let me take you back. Thank you very much for your assistance today," Kingsley said with genuine appreciation.
"You're quite welcome. If you need me in the future, you can contact me anytime," Dudley replied graciously.
He grasped Kingsley's arm again, and after a bout of dizzying sensation, his figure materialized directly at Number Four Privet Drive.
After Kingsley bid him a brief farewell, he disappeared instantly.
The smile on Dudley's face gradually faded into serious contemplation.
"There are already wizards who have recognized the power of sealed artifacts and want to collect them? And this person seems quite influential, able to recruit someone like Cole under their command. Who exactly is this individual?" Dudley's expression darkened with concern.
His biggest problem now was not knowing precisely how many sealed artifacts had traveled with him to the magical world. If the number were substantial, the wizarding world would probably descend into chaos.
Besides this, another crucial issue was whether, among the other sealed artifacts, there were any powerful enough to fundamentally change the entire world.
After all, if the 002 Trunsoest Brass Book had appeared, then other Grade 0 sealed artifacts materializing here weren't impossible either.
"Unfortunately, I can't clearly recall what sealed artifacts I previously owned," Dudley frowned with frustration.
He suspected that among these artifacts, some might not necessarily have been his personal possessions. They could also have been borrowed items.
Like borrowing a sealed artifact from that Fool for temporary use.
"With my current dual-sequence strength, I'm basically equivalent to adult wizards, and even due to the unique and unexpected nature of beyonder abilities, I can defeat these opponents relatively easily," Dudley reflected on his previous battles.
Quirrell and Cole represented relatively powerful wizards. Dudley could defeat them easily, mainly due to the element of surprise.
Dudley understood magic, but they knew nothing about his beyonder abilities.
However, if one thought such strength was sufficient to run rampant throughout the magical world, that would be a grave mistake.
Currently, Dudley's understanding of magic wasn't comprehensive enough. Those truly powerful wizards all possessed their own specialized techniques. Previously, Voldemort had been able to forcibly break free from Dudley's beyonder abilities, which actually served as a warning. Extraordinary abilities weren't omnipotent. Even if his current strength was already impressive, he must remain cautious and avoid carelessness.
In that bizarre otherworld, weren't there countless beyonders with formidable power, even reaching demigod level, who had ultimately fallen?
"High offense, low defense. That roughly describes my current state. My offensive capabilities are decent, but my defensive abilities aren't exceptional. Once beyonder abilities don't have sufficient effect and the opponent's magic is very powerful, I'll fall into a disadvantage or even be easily eliminated."
"Remember, never be too reckless, and don't underestimate this world," Dudley silently warned himself.
Perhaps Hogwarts' comfortable campus life had made Dudley too relaxed overall. Otherwise, he should have discovered Cole's problems much earlier.
After completing his self-reflection, Dudley entered the house.
Vernon and Petunia weren't surprised by Dudley's return. They even asked if his educational activity had proceeded smoothly, completely forgetting the terrible events of the previous night.
Only Harry looked at Dudley with eyes full of unspoken questions but couldn't ask them in front of Dudley's parents, which clearly frustrated him.
More than ten minutes later, Dudley excused himself to use the bathroom, finally giving Harry an opportunity to follow.
"Did you discover anything significant?" Harry asked directly.
"No, and some other incidents occurred," Dudley briefly described what had happened in Knockturn Alley but only mentioned that Cole had disappeared without explaining specifically what had transpired there.
"That chaotic? Even an Auror vanished without a trace," Harry's face paled considerably.
"Could it be Voldemort?" he asked nervously.
This was the only explanation he could conceive.
"Probably not," Dudley shook his head. This didn't seem like something Voldemort would orchestrate.
Moreover, it hadn't been long since Voldemort fled from Hogwarts. In such a short timeframe, it would indeed be unlikely for Voldemort to regroup and cause so much trouble.
"I hope the Ministry can uncover the truth as soon as possible," Harry said with obvious worry.
"I hope so as well," Dudley agreed.
After returning to his room, Dudley immediately retrieved the Mirror of Erised, enlarged it, and entered its dimensional space.
Inside the Mirror's pocket dimension, Cole hadn't regained consciousness yet.
Dudley checked and confirmed that Cole was still genuinely unconscious, not pretending to sleep.
"The Stunning Spell I cast seems to have worked quite effectively," Dudley observed.
He approached Cole, removed the spell's effects, and kicked him awake.
Dudley wasn't concerned about facing a wizard without a wand. Moreover, here he could use his beyonder abilities without any restraint.
Cole awakened groggily. He felt severe pain from his missing foot, and the immense agony immediately stimulated him to full consciousness.
He was somewhat disoriented, completely unsure of where he was for several moments, and hadn't remembered what had occurred before.
Until he sensed a figure radiating overwhelming authority before him.
Even though the person looked very small, just a child of about twelve years old, the aura emanating from his body was completely that of someone with supreme power.
This presence was full of oppressive force, making him almost unable to generate any thoughts of resistance when facing this diminutive figure.
"You... Dudley!" Cole finally became fully alert, looking at Dudley with undisguised terror.
"You're awake, Mr. Cole," Dudley said with a smile as he gazed at his captive, the majesty belonging to an Interrogator fully displayed at this moment.
But such a smile, in Cole's eyes, was like witnessing a demon grinning at him with malicious intent.