Some time later, the clanking of the gold coins stopped. The entire office was covered in gold by then, filled so high that it came up to Dudley's knees. It was an absurd amount of wealth, money even more than what was in Harry's vault.
"H-How dare you!" Dolores Umbridge screeched as she got up, hardly, struggling to find balance with so many coins making it hard. Her face was red, fuming, furious. "You—"
"Enough!" Dudley barked, voice tight with fury. "Harry, go check outside. Make sure no one's about to walk in."
"W-What? Yes…" Harry woke up from that shocked daze and got up, eyes wide. He said nothing, asked nothing, and just left, each step a struggle as if walking through deep snow. But soon enough, Harry slid out of the partially opened room and shut it behind with a lot of hard work since some coins spilled out.
Dolores stood up with the support of the table. "You! I'll make you pay for this disrespect! How dare you! I am the undersecretary to the—"
But Dudley started moving towards her, and she shut her mouth. She felt threatened; he was far too tall, and she was already considered short for a woman. She looked around for her wand, but it was lost somewhere in the pool of coins.
"Aaaargh!" Dolores groaned in pain, seeing and feeling the unimaginable happen.
"Listen to me, you toad-faced bitch!" Dudley grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, forcing her gaze to meet his. "You don't frighten me. You've got no say over me, no power. So wipe that smug look off your face before I do it for you."
"T-The Minister will… You—"
"Oh, what's he going to do? Who do you think bankrolls all his precious little crusades for the so-called greater good of wizardkind? Who do you reckon handed me the keys to Diagon Alley? Dolores Umbridge, you're a festering little toad croaking from a cracked bucket. You've no idea what the real world looks like. You're nothing. Absolutely nothing."
The woman tried to free her hair, but Dudley's grip only hardened on her.
"Y-You will pay for this!"
"I already have, Dolores." He declared. "The MACUSA President just got reelected recently. She thanked me for her victory. The Delacours also gained footing in the French Ministry last week. Who do you think is bankrolling this whole game? Not you. You're too busy playing lapdog to people who'd see you crushed. You cling to scraps of influence while pretending the Dark Lord's return is a minor inconvenience. You don't fear him. Fine. But you should fear me—Fear my money!"
Dolores gulped and looked at the tall boy dominating her. Her eyes shivered. "W-What do you… want from me?"
Like the flip of a switch, her entire personality changed. From a woman of power to a woman ready to be a lapdog. That was her game. That was how she rose in power. She bowed to the mighty and roared at the weak. As soon as she realised the difference in status, she bowed to Dudley.
"Hah!" Dudley released her hair and let her stand normally. "I could have stopped your transfer to Hogwarts the moment it was decided. But I allowed it. You know why I didn't?"
She shook her head.
"Because now you're standing here, in my domain, at my mercy. Miles away from the Ministry. A civilisation away from any help," Dudley said, and took out his wand. "You're going to swear the Unbreakable Vow—loyalty, allegiance, all of it. To me."
"I… I will do no such thing."
"Oh? The toad still stands proud?" Dudley sneered at her face and pointed his wand at her. "Who do you think the Minister will choose if I told him that his precious prized toad disrespected the richest wizard in Britain's history. That his precious undersecretary tried to hex his greatest backer? That I can't fund his adventures anymore, not unless he dismisses Dolores Umbridge dishonorably."
"Utter nonsense. You and the Minister? Friends? He can't stand the sight of you."
"And you actually buy that rubbish?" Dudley chuckled. "Once again, you reminded me of your subpar intelligence. Money doesn't play fair—it's all mine before the coin even hits the floor. Heads or tails, makes no difference. Choice is an illusion, Dolores. All roads lead to me, and only me."
Dolores's eyes darted left and right, her breath more of a gasp now. "W-What… What will you have me do… if I take the vow?"
"Nothing, really. You will sit within the Ministry and become my eyes and ears, and at times, my mouthpiece. I can influence Cornelius with money, but I can't put words into his mouth. You can do that, and you will. In return, you will receive wealth beyond your wildest dreams. And after Cornelius, I'll make you the next Minister. All you have to do is follow my guidance, get your act together, stop being a bitch, and for once, even if a farce, be likable."
"Y-You can't… You don't get to choose who becomes the Minister." Dolores argued, although highly tempted.
"Oh, but I do, Dolores. You see, whoever controls the coin rather neatly controls the board. Wizards, Muggles, Purebloods—they're queuing to open an account in my bank. Most of the old families already have. So when I say D&D Bank would do wonders with a certain Madam Umbridge in the office… tell me—who wouldn't want to be on the winning side?"
As she heard that, connections started to form inside her head. Dots started to connect. She had followed the events of the Wizarding Britain for a while now. Once she thought of it all in one go, it all joined with Dudley Dursley. The man before her wasn't just the richest wizard in the country. He basically owned wizarding Britain.
What was that power? What was that influence? What was that wealth? She shuddered to even imagine it.
Sweat formed on her forehead. Her hand shivered. She was already a puppet; she knew that. But she was happy with it since it gave her power. But if her boss was also a puppet, then what was she? And now that the puppetmaster offered her a place. Would that not make her above her boss, the Minister?
"W-What will the vow be?"
"Simple—You, Dolores Umbridge, will never act against the welfare of Dudley Dursley, be it physical, magical, financial, political, personal, or any other type that exists. You will follow Dudley Dursley's commands to the letter, and never disobey unless it is to benefit Dudley Dursley. And you'll keep this between us and those bound by similar vows. Discretion is expected."
"Forgive me, but I-I do believe you haven't quite said what you intend to do…?"
"You're only useful to me if you're in a position of power, Dolores. I don't need to make vows for that," Dudley replied with a cold, uninterested tone. "Now, make up your mind. What will it be?"
Dolores licked her lips, more than tempted. Who doesn't want power? Who doesn't want to rise high? That was her whole thing. It was her dream for years. She was ignored during her Hogwarts days. She was never the Prefect. She was never the Head Girl. She was never in the Slug Club.
"I… I'll take the vow, Sir."
Dynamics were clear to Dolores. She was a master at realizing it.
"Very well." Dudley nodded and looked at the wall clock.
Knock! Knock!
"Enter." He permitted it.
The door was pushed open, and Professor Vector walked inside with some struggle, thanks to the coins. She was still a Professor, albeit not as busy as she used to be. She passed Dudley the usual, sultry, mature smile and then eyed Dolores.
"Professor Vector, please oversee my Unbreakable Vow with her," Dudley requested.
"Of course, Mr. Dursley."
Soon, Dudley and Dolores Umbridge clasped hands, and Professor Vector tapped her wand. Dolores was made to take the vows, and Dudley didn't say much, just accepting her vows. He offered her nothing. He promised nothing.
"Thank you, Professor Vector." Dudley nodded at the woman.
Taking that as a sign, Professor Vector smiled and left the room.
Dudley then grabbed the same duffle bag and opened it up wide.
Wooosh!
All the coins that had spilled out magically fell back into the bag. Every single one of them. Though the entire office looked like a storm had passed through.
"Reward," he noticed her greedy eyes. "Is earned, not gifted. You'll have it—once you're Minister. Until then, best to stick close and follow my lead. Reach out to Rita Skeeter at the Daily Prophet. Give her a nice little interview. Say you believe the Dark Lord's back, and that it's high time we started preparing."
"What?! B—"
"You are useless as you are now, Dolores. Forget about Cornelius—he's powerless while you hold your post at Hogwarts. By the time you're back at the Ministry, he'll be long gone. What matters is that you return a hero, someone the people of wizarding Britain can trust. You want that, don't you? To be the first high-ranking Ministry official openly backing the right side?"
Dolores gulped. That was like a fantasy to her. "Y-Yes, I would love that, Sir."
"Good, proceed with that. One more thing, stop acting vicious with the students. They'll be working in the Ministry under you someday. You don't want your juniors cursing you, do you? Act like a relaxed, laid-back, fun teacher. Show them some fun magic, something exciting, something you didn't get in your time at Hogwarts. Like what Lupin did with the Bogart, everyone liked that. Or maybe give them a go at the Patronus charm—useful bit of magic, especially with You-Know-Who's lot running the dementors."
"But the Minist—"
"Do not doubt my knowledge, Dolores. Wealth grants access to things beyond your wildest thoughts. We're done here now; unless I approach you privately, treat me like any other ordinary student."
With that, Dudley turned around and walked out of the room, carrying the same duffle bag with him. As he came outside, he found Harry still standing there.
"No need to fret about her anymore. She's been... domesticated."
Harry frowned, looking at the door and back at Dudley. "What did you do, Big D?"
"A touch of bait, a twist of tongue—just enough to stir the pot. Come on, bet dinner's on by now in the Great Hall."
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