Everyone else was surprised, but Harry thought it was perfectly natural. So far, he had never met a cat that Dudley couldn't charm. Dudley had a 100% "true damage" against cats. His cat-stroking technique and his affinity for felines were off the charts. Any cat, without fail, would surrender at Dudley's feet and show him its belly. As for Dudley talking to a cat, Harry thought it was completely normal. He could talk to snakes, so what was so strange about Dudley talking to a cat?
Dudley could talk to Mrs. Norris not because he was a cat whisperer, but because of his ability to speak magical creature languages. Mrs. Norris wasn't just an ordinary cat; a regular cat wouldn't live as long as she has. The creature had been with Filch for a solid twenty years and showed no signs of aging. She had some kind of magical creature blood in her, and a significant amount of it, too. At the very least, Dudley could understand what she was saying.
After stroking Mrs. Norris for a while, Dudley reached for the small pouch on his waist and pulled out a little bottle. At that moment, Mrs. Norris jumped up from the ground, her eyes fixed on the small bottle in Dudley's hand. Inside were dried fish snacks.
Delicious Dried Fish Snacks (Perfect), the Data Eye showed him.
Dudley had made them himself after finishing brewing his potions and having some free time. He caught the fish on his way back from training at the Great Lake. Perhaps because of its proximity to the Forbidden Forest, the fish in the lake was uncommonly delicious. Since there weren't many cats in the castle, and most of them were kept by the little witches in Ravenclaw, Dudley, who was used to stroking cats, felt quite out of his element. That is, until he met Mrs. Norris on his way back to the dorm after training one night. After that, most of the dried fish snacks he made ended up in Mrs. Norris's stomach.
When she was with Filch, Mrs. Norris was always aloof, but when Filch wasn't around... she would act just like she had a moment ago. Hmm, something about that description feels a little off.
"These dried fish snacks are all yours," Dudley said. "I'll get you some more fresh ones tomorrow."
Dudley affectionately rubbed Mrs. Norris's little head, while Mrs. Norris was completely focused on savoring the delicious treats. Soon enough, she had devoured them all. After eating her fill, Mrs. Norris contentedly licked the tiny crumbs from between her paws, then shook her body and meowed a few times at Dudley.
"Let's go. Mrs. Norris says she'll lead us back and we definitely won't get caught."
With Mrs. Norris, the little traitor, leading the way, they would surely avoid Filch. The students behind him looked at each other in surprise. Had Dudley just successfully defected her?
Dudley raised an eyebrow, looking around provocatively. He wanted to see who had orchestrated this whole thing. Why did they have to go to the fourth floor, and were there any more tricks planned for their journey back? Even if Filch really did show up, Dudley was confident he could hit him with a Stupefy before he even reacted. A physical one, that is.
With Mrs. Norris leading the way, the rest of their journey was incredibly smooth, with no incidents at all. The group quickly arrived at the Gryffindor common room entrance. There was no sign of Filch, Peeves, or even Professor McGonagall, who Dudley had anticipated. It was as if the sudden stair movements, the disappearing path beneath the staircase, and Mrs. Norris's sudden appearance were truly just a coincidence. But Dudley didn't believe it. A series of coincidences happening all at once wasn't a coincidence anymore.
After watching Hermione and the others enter the common room, Dudley and Malfoy quickly returned to the Slytherin common room. Their trip back was also uneventful, even quicker than the Gryffindors' return. Dudley nodded thoughtfully, seemingly understanding something.
The next morning, Dudley woke up early as usual. He finished his fifty sets of push-ups, thirty sets of barbell rows, twenty sets of squats, and fifteen sets of dumbbell flys. Just as he finished, Harry and Malfoy arrived as planned, with Hermione right behind them. Even Ron came along.
"It's still early. Let's start with a warm-up," Dudley said.
Dudley's warm-up was a high-intensity workout for most people. Malfoy finished the fastest, followed by Harry, and then Hermione. As for Ron? The little guy gave up before he even finished the first set.
"The rules are one-on-one. You can use any method to take down your opponent until they surrender or I declare a winner. Any questions?"
Harry and Malfoy shook their heads. They pulled out their wands and stared intensely at each other.
"Are you two really going to duel? Won't that be a bad thing?" Hermione asked softly. She wanted to stop them but didn't know how.
"Boys will be boys," Dudley said, shaking his head. "If you don't like someone, have a go at them. A good fight can often solve a lot of problems." He believed that friendships between men are often forged in a good brawl. A clenched fist is a sign of friendship.
"Don't worry, Hermione. We have plenty of potions."
Hermione simply sighed. Boys are so strange.
What spells do first-year Hogwarts students learn? So far, Flitwick had only taught three spells: Lumos, the unlocking charm (Alohomora), and...
"Aguamenti!"
Malfoy took the lead, waving his wand at Harry first. The tip of his wand sparked, and then a few drops of murky liquid dripped out, like a leaky faucet. At this stage, it was still difficult for students to cast spells properly. After all, not everyone was a Hermione Granger.
Harry saw Malfoy's pathetic attempt and wouldn't miss this perfect opportunity. He drew his own wand and pointed it at Malfoy.
"Aguamenti!"
Harry's spell was a little better than Malfoy's, but not by much. A thin stream of water shot from the tip of his wand, arcing gracefully through the air and landing perfectly on Malfoy's face.
Malfoy wouldn't be outdone. He mustered all his strength and waved his wand again. This time, he finally produced a spray of water, which hit Harry right in the face. Their magical prowess was quite similar. Malfoy, who had grown up in the wizarding world, didn't know many more spells than Harry did. Since neither Lumos nor Alohomora were offensive spells, the only one they could use was Aguamenti.
The two of them took turns, casting spells and trying their best to hit each other, having a grand old time. However, in Dudley's eyes, their magical duel looked completely different. It was like a... squirt gun fight.
Soon, both of them realized that their silly antics wouldn't harm the other. They threw down their wands and charged at each other, resorting to a good old-fashioned brawl. This is where their training came in handy. Although Harry had grown up with Dudley, he had always just watched and never actively trained. Malfoy, on the other hand, had been training for a while. After a flurry of wild punches, Malfoy emerged victorious by a narrow margin. From that day on, Harry joined Dudley's training group as well.
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