After walking along Diagon Alley for a short while, Dudley spotted Harry and the others in the distance.
However, Mr. Weasley standing beside them, didn't look particularly well. There was a swollen patch on his cheek and traces of blood at the corner of his mouth.
Dudley quickly approached and asked with genuine concern, "Mr. Weasley, what happened to you?"
"Dudley, cough cough, this..." Mr. Weasley coughed awkwardly, seeming somewhat embarrassed to explain the situation.
"Dad got into a fight with Lucius Malfoy," Ron said with typical bluntness.
"What?" Dudley displayed a surprised expression.
He had just taken a casual stroll through Knockturn Alley, and Mr. Weasley had actually gotten into a physical altercation with Lucius. How unexpectedly impressive.
"Lucius's mouth is just as foul as Draco's. Now I understand why Draco behaves the way he does," Harry complained from nearby.
Then Harry recounted what had transpired at Flourish and Blotts bookstore.
"He deserved it," Dudley commented after hearing the complete story.
Actually, there was no need to listen to every detail. It was basically just Draco's usual taunts at the Weasley family coming out of Lucius's mouth, with hardly any change in vocabulary or creativity.
These two were truly father and son in every respect.
"Where's Mrs. Weasley?" Dudley inquired.
"Mum went with Ginny to buy new robes," Ron explained.
Dudley collected the books Harry had purchased for him, and the group strolled around Diagon Alley together.
Harry talked about meeting Gilderoy Lockhart at the bookstore, being forcibly dragged up to pose for several photographs, which had made Harry extremely uncomfortable with all the unwanted attention.
Meanwhile, Mr. Weasley wasn't seriously injured. Upon spotting Hermione's parents, he immediately went over to chat with them, pulling them aside to ask enthusiastic questions about Muggle matters.
"Wow! The new flying broomstick!" Ron's voice suddenly rang out with excitement, his gaze already fixed on a shop window display.
There were already quite a few children like Ron gathered around the window, pressing their faces against the glass.
Harry's face also lit up with delight as he ran over to examine the merchandise carefully.
"Nimbus 2001, this is the fastest flying broomstick available!" Ron's face was practically pressed against the window.
"Harry, you'll be participating in Gryffindor's Quidditch matches starting next term, correct?" Dudley suddenly asked.
"Yes, the previous Seeker graduated, and Captain Wood thinks I'm perfectly suited for the position," Harry replied, his eyes barely leaving the magnificent broomstick.
"Excellent," Dudley responded and turned to walk directly into the store.
"Welcome, sir. What can I help you with today?" A shop assistant approached with professional warmth.
Although most visitors just looked without actually purchasing anything, this salesperson still maintained an excellent service attitude.
"I want this one," Dudley pointed at the Nimbus 2001 broomstick displayed in the window.
"Sir, this is our display model and cannot be removed for you to examine. Please understand," the shop assistant said politely.
"I mean, I want to purchase it," Dudley clarified.
"What?" The shop assistant looked at Dudley with obvious surprise, hesitated briefly, then said, "I suggest waiting for your parents to arrive."
"That's unnecessary," Dudley directly pulled out a handful of gold Galleons and placed them on the counter.
"I want two of them. Wrap them up quickly!"
The shop assistant stared in stunned silence. This was the first time he'd encountered such a wealthy child.
Wouldn't such a child get severely punished by their parents when they returned home?
"Yes, sir, please wait just a moment!" The shop assistant snapped back to reality and immediately responded.
The broomstick in the window was purely for display and definitely wouldn't be sold. Soon, the assistant brought out two brand-new Nimbus 2001 broomsticks from the back warehouse.
The broomsticks were wrapped in elegant oilcloth paper, looking quite exquisite and professional.
"Thank you," Dudley nodded and accepted the two broomsticks.
"Please count the payment," he added.
With the two broomsticks in Dudley's hands, he could feel they were remarkably light, countless times superior to those old, worn-out school broomsticks.
"That's exactly right, sir," The assistant finished counting and pushed the remaining Galleons back toward Dudley.
"Goodbye," Dudley pocketed the extra money and walked out of the broomstick shop.
"Welcome back anytime," the assistant said with obvious reluctance to see such a generous customer leave.
"Look! That child bought two Nimbus 2001s!" "So wealthy!" "I'm incredibly envious!"
As soon as Dudley emerged, he immediately attracted everyone's attention. The broomstick packaging was incredibly eye-catching, with large "Nimbus 2001" letters printed prominently on each package.
"Who? Who bought two broomsticks? Oh! My goodness! Dudley!" Ron turned around, and his jaw nearly hit the pavement.
Harry also gaped in amazement, too shocked to form coherent words.
"Come on, let's return home and test them out," Dudley winked at the two boys and handed one package to Harry.
"Happy birthday, this is your birthday present," Dudley said with a warm smile.
"I... you already gave me a birthday present," Harry stammered with obvious discomfort.
"This makes up for all the previous birthdays you missed," Dudley explained gently.
"But..." Harry began to protest.
"Come on, let's go. Don't you want to ride the Nimbus 2001 and fly several circles above the Burrow? I bet that would be absolutely incredible!"
Dudley's words successfully sparked Harry and Ron's imagination, and once they started visualizing the experience, they couldn't stop. Although they were physically standing in Diagon Alley, their hearts were already soaring on Nimbus 2001s through the sky.
"I'll go tell Dad we're heading back now," Ron said with obvious urgency.
They had already purchased everything they needed and had originally planned to spend more time enjoying Diagon Alley.
But now, nothing was more attractive than the prospect of flying on a Nimbus 2001 high above the countryside.
Hermione witnessed the entire exchange from nearby. From her expression, you could tell she completely failed to understand boys' obsession with flying objects.
After saying goodbye to Hermione and the others, Dudley's group returned to the Floo network fireplace in Diagon Alley and used Floo powder to travel directly back to the Burrow.
Without any hesitation, they dropped their shopping bags and rushed outside with their precious broomsticks.
"Go ahead and try yours first, Dudley," Ron said with barely contained excitement.
Harry was already carefully unwrapping his magnificent broomstick.
"Ouch, my stomach doesn't feel right. You ride it first, I need to use the bathroom," Dudley frowned and tossed the Nimbus 2001 to Ron before running back toward the house.
"I... I'll wait for you," Ron carefully caught the broomstick and called after Dudley.
"Don't wait for me, go ahead, otherwise there might not be another chance later," Dudley called back loudly.
Ron looked conflicted at the broomstick in his hands. This was something he had dreamed about for years.
But this belonged to Dudley after all, he couldn't just...
Whoosh...
A figure on a broomstick whooshed past Ron's field of vision, with Harry's delighted laughter echoing through the air.
At this point, Ron could no longer resist the irresistible temptation of the broomstick. He mounted the Nimbus 2001 and transformed into another airborne figure racing through the sky.