Dumbledore's conditions were far too restrictive; whether Dudley accepted or not made little difference to him. In negotiations, the most important thing is to maintain the initiative.
After all, Dudley had run a company in the Muggle world, starting from nothing and amassing a fortune that most people couldn't imagine in ten lifetimes. He had muscles, but not just muscles—he had brains, too.
Dudley's response caught Dumbledore off guard. The old wizard saw ambition in Dudley's eyes, but there was more than just ambition—there was strategy.
Dudley's suggestion for a Disciplinary Group was about preventing trouble before it started, about ensuring a peaceful school life. If Dumbledore tried to restrict him too much, Dudley would simply walk away. As long as he was strong enough, he could achieve his goals with or without official approval.
Especially after his Ripple (Hamon) reached LV 2 and his strength increased, Dudley felt this more keenly than ever. Power makes life comfortable, but it isn't everything. From start to finish, what Dudley cared about most was his own strength. To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.
"If that's all, Professor, I think we're done here," Dudley said, stifling a yawn. "If there's nothing else, I'll go back and rest."
He didn't give Dumbledore a chance to reply, already turning for the door. You can't play by the rules when dealing with an old fox like this.
'4… 3… 2… 1… Your next line is—'
"What do you intend to do, Dudley?" Dumbledore's voice called out behind him, right on cue.
Truthfully, if Dumbledore hadn't spoken, Dudley would have left. He was already doing these things, just without the school's official stamp of approval. Wasn't his morning training group already a prototype Disciplinary Group?
Dudley turned and walked back, unhurried. "Actually, Professor, there's no need to rush. This is just an idea of mine—it'll take time to implement. But we can make some early preparations."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed with interest. "What sort of preparations?"
"Grooming suitable members," Dudley replied, holding up a finger. "I can't do it alone. One person's strength is always limited. Even if I could, I wouldn't. I don't have the time or energy to devote myself entirely to this. I just need to steer the ship."
"I need helpers. Excellent helpers. The Disciplinary Group can't just be me."
Dudley spoke with calm confidence.
"Then, Dudley…" Dumbledore prompted, "who do you have in mind?"
Talking to smart people was always easier—they understood with just a hint.
"Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville, Malfoy," Dudley answered without hesitation.
Dumbledore wasn't surprised. Dudley had never hidden the fact that he trained with them.
"And Cedric from Hufflepuff, third year. Percy from Gryffindor, fifth year. Elizabeth from Ravenclaw, fifth year. Carrow from Slytherin, seventh year."
The latter names were among the most outstanding students in each house.
"Of course, Professor, it's too early to talk about all of them—Carrow is graduating this year. But I think we can start with the first five… Maybe with extra classes on weekends."
Dumbledore smiled. "Dudley, that's your real goal, isn't it?"
"You have to start training them young. I'm doing this for Hogwarts, Professor." Dudley winked, just as Dumbledore had done to him before.
Dumbledore sighed, feigning exasperation. "It seems I'll have to trouble the professors. I hope they won't mind—there's no overtime pay."
He'd managed to get private lessons from the professors without paying a Knut.
"What other requirements do you have?" Dumbledore asked. The roles had reversed—now Dudley was the one making demands.
"We'll use the rest of this year to prepare. We'll take your test before the end of term. If we pass, the Disciplinary Group will be officially established at the end of the first year."
"But its jurisdiction shouldn't be limited to first-years. I want it to cover first through third years, and as we advance, each year we add the next. By fifth year, the group should oversee all four houses, first through seventh year."
"You really dare to dream, Dudley," Dumbledore said after a moment's thought. But he didn't deny it—which meant he agreed.
"I hope I won't be buried in Howlers," Dumbledore added dryly. "If you truly have Hogwarts' best interests at heart, it needs reform. Otherwise, it will fall behind the times."
Dudley nodded. "I still believe the four houses are unnecessary. If everything was unified under the Disciplinary Group, I dare say it would be far better than the current system."
"I can't do that, Dudley. Even as Headmaster, the Hogwarts charter requires four houses."
"Oh, and one more thing: I can't give you the power to punish professors, unless you gain higher authority at Hogwarts… Maybe if you became the heir of all four houses?"
Dumbledore pulled out a licorice wand from somewhere and nibbled it with relish. "That way, after you graduate, you could stay at Hogwarts and reshape it as you like. I'm old, Dudley. It's time for me to retire. The future belongs to young people."
"You're still very young, Professor—barely over a hundred," Dudley replied with a sly smile. "I hope you're still Headmaster when my children come to Hogwarts."
He declined the offer with gentle tact. Still, he felt a pang of sadness at Dumbledore's mention of retirement.
Dumbledore gave him a look of mock helplessness. "A hundred is hardly young, Dudley."
"Compared to your friend Nicolas Flamel, you're just a child," Dudley teased.
Nicolas Flamel—the most legendary alchemist in wizarding history, said to have lived over six centuries.
Dumbledore just smiled.
After a brief chat, Dudley left. Dumbledore remained, staring thoughtfully at the slightly bent chair opposite him. Had his Transfiguration skills slipped?
Not long after, Harry—wrapped in his Invisibility Cloak—entered the room.
On the surface, it looked as if Dudley had controlled the entire conversation, but who could say Dumbledore hadn't meant for it all to happen?
Dudley, who had studied all of Dumbledore's legendary deeds, simply couldn't believe the old wizard would ever lose the initiative.
On the surface, Dudley had found a way to get free lessons from the professors—but wasn't Dumbledore also finding free labor for Hogwarts?
Sometimes, the truth doesn't matter.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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