"Petunia… you…" Vernon stared at his wife, utterly dumbfounded. He couldn't believe she would agree to let Dudley attend that… that mad school. Hadn't she always hated anything strange or abnormal?
"Vernon," Petunia began, her voice still trembling slightly, "since Dudley received the letter, and since he himself wants to go, it will be very difficult for us to stop him." Her eyes darted around nervously. "My point is, if we don't let him go, those… people… they might just come and take him by force."
"Is… is that true?" Vernon asked, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
"Yes," Petunia said, glancing at Dudley with a complex expression. "I've seen what they can do."
Vernon's face froze. Seizing the opportunity, Dudley calmly and persuasively laid out the pros and cons, subtly using his Beyonder abilities to guide the conversation. He sensed his mother wasn't telling the whole truth, but it didn't matter. As long as he got to that school, he could uncover the secrets himself.
In the end, Vernon was thoroughly convinced. Petunia, after her initial resistance, had become Dudley's staunchest ally, her enthusiasm so fervent that even Dudley found it surprising. With her help, he barely had to use his spiritual power to guide his father; the matter was settled.
The day ended in a surreal, dreamlike haze.
The next morning, Dudley and Harry wrote a joint reply, accepting their places at Hogwarts. They were both filled with a nervous, excited energy. After Dudley finished the letter, he placed it in the postbox outside. Almost immediately, an owl swooped down, snatched the letter in its beak, and flew away.
A day later, a reply arrived from the school.
"The letter says a professor will come at the end of July to take us shopping for our school supplies," Dudley announced, reading the new letter.
"Oh, my goodness! I don't want any of those freaks in my house!" Vernon cried, horrified at the thought of a wizard crossing his threshold.
"But Uncle Vernon," Harry pointed out matter-of-factly, "your son is about to become a wizard, too. Are you never going to let him come back home?"
"Shut up! You just shut up!" Vernon roared, flustered and cornered.
Harry just shrugged. He was only stating a fact.
Dudley shook his head helplessly and handed the letter to Harry. "They're sending a professor?" Does Hogwarts have that many staff?" he wondered aloud. Even if wizards were rare, it seemed inefficient to have a teacher personally escort every new student.
"Maybe it's just for students like us, who have never been exposed to the magical world," Harry speculated. "Children from wizarding families probably don't need it."
"That makes sense," Dudley nodded.
The days ticked by, filled with a strange, palpable anticipation. For Harry, the end of July meant more than just meeting a real wizard; it was also his eleventh birthday. He knew the Dursleys would forget, or if they remembered, his gift would be something like a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. But he didn't care. The magical world was the greatest gift he could ever imagine.
Dudley, meanwhile, was not idle. He continued his exercise regimen and used his summer holiday to become the undisputed king of the neighborhood kids. Relying on his Beyonder-enhanced charisma and, when necessary, his ability to "physically persuade," he established his own set of rules, arbitrating disputes and mediating conflicts. It was a superficial form of the Acting Method, but it was working. The digestion of his Characteristics was accelerating. The other children had even started calling him "Big Brother D," a title he wore with the quiet confidence of a budding mob boss.
Finally, the end of July arrived.
"It's the 30th," Vernon said nervously, peering out the window. "Isn't that… that school's teacher coming yet?" He seemed terrified that a strangely cloaked figure would appear on their doorstep at any moment.
"I don't know. The letter didn't give an exact time," Dudley said.
"Maybe they'll come tomorrow," Petunia added.
"Did a teacher come to pick up Aunt Lily back then?" Dudley asked curiously.
Petunia's face stiffened. "No," she said curtly. "I'm not sure about the specifics."
"Perhaps we should wait by the door?" Harry suggested eagerly.
Dudley shook his head. "Let's not. We're not even sure they're coming today." He could see the anxiety in Harry's eyes. The poor kid still didn't fully believe it was real, afraid it was all just an elaborate prank. "Don't worry," Dudley said reassuringly. "What's meant to come will come."
"Alright," Harry said, though he still looked restless.
"By the way," Dudley said, trying to distract him. "I've never asked. What's with that scar on your forehead?"
"I don't know," Harry said, shaking his head and glancing at his aunt and uncle. "I've had it as long as I can remember." They had always told him it was from the car crash. Now he knew that was a lie.
"Don't look at us," Vernon grumped. "We don't know, either. You had it when you arrived. A mark left by your parents, maybe."
Harry pursed his lips and said nothing more.
"The shape is so peculiar," Dudley mused. He reached out, his fingers tracing the lightning-bolt pattern on Harry's forehead.
Harry instinctively flinched but didn't pull away. Dudley had been good to him lately. He let his cousin's hand rest on his scar.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Dudley yelped, snatching his hand back as if he'd been shocked by an electric current.
***
(End of Chapter)
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