Chapter 300: The Kingdom of Order
Hagrid understood that Dudley was right. The Acromantulas lived in the Forbidden Forest and were a huge threat to every Hogwarts student. If they would attack even him, then ordinary students stood no chance. The forest might be off-limits, but if those spiders ever surged out and attacked the castle, he would become a sinner in Hogwarts' history.
Hearing Hagrid's words, Dudley's gaze flickered slightly. It seemed Hagrid truly recognised how dangerous the Acromantulas were. Of course, without Dudley and the others, Hagrid would likely be thinking about how to calm the spiders and stay friends with them, even after being attacked. But now...
"Do not worry, Hagrid. We will clear them out," Harry said quickly.
"Yeah, leave it to us," Ron pounded his chest. Acromantulas were money. Piles and piles of Galleons.
"No need to rush," Dudley said suddenly.
"Mm?" All eyes turned to him.
"The Acromantulas cannot form a real threat just yet. Give it some time."
"You mean..." Harry looked over. Dudley did not say it aloud, but the smile in his eyes made the meaning clear.
"Let them multiply a bit more," Dudley mouthed.
Harry pressed his lips together to hide a grin and nodded immediately. Acromantulas needed time to reproduce. It would not be too late to hunt after they spawned a new brood. That way, there would be a steady stream of spiders, which would become a steady stream of Galleons.
"Why wait?" Hagrid asked blankly. He had not caught the subtext.
"Hagrid, they are Aragog's descendants. We thought we might wait and see whether they can breed a line that is less aggressive. It would be something to remember him by," Harry explained at once.
"Oh! Oh!" Hagrid made several choked sounds, enough to make Harry and the others feel slightly guilty, worried he would see through their little scheme.
"You are too kind. Too thoughtful," Hagrid sobbed, crushing Harry in a bear hug.
"Heh... you are welcome," Harry managed a smile.
When they left the hut, Hagrid was still thanking them for their mercy. Dudley also promised to leave a small Acromantula colony in the forest and not wipe them out completely.
"This way, every so often, we can hunt Acromantulas in the forest and sell the parts. Brilliant," Ron said, actually hopping with excitement. That would be a substantial cash flow.
"And we can train our magic at the same time," Hermione added. Fighting Acromantulas was not only a way to earn money; it was a path to improving their spellwork. Ever since the spiders had tried to eat them, there was no going back. No one objected.
"Right, today is Wednesday. Dobby should come tonight. Have you decided how to free him from the Malfoys?" Harry asked.
"More or less. We will test it when he arrives," Dudley said.
"If you say so, it will probably work," Harry said.
"So what exactly are you going to do? Can you tell us in advance?" Hermione asked, curious. She always wanted to learn Dudley's special methods, but he told her those were not things she could study, which frustrated her.
"You will see soon," Dudley said, leaving it at that.
By the time they returned to the castle, it was almost dinner. They headed to the Great Hall and planned to go back to Gryffindor Tower afterward to wait for Dobby.
"Dudley."
While they were waiting, several students walked over, shyly greeting him.
"Hm?" Dudley turned to see a group of first-years standing behind him—Ginny, Colin Creevey, Luna, and a few others.
"You..." Dudley glanced over them, and Harry's group watched curiously as well.
"There is something we want to talk to you about," Ginny said, a little timidly.
"What is it?" Dudley asked.
"Ginny, if something is going on, should you not tell us first?" Ron could not help bursting out. He was her brother, yet Ginny was acting as if he were invisible, speaking only to Dudley.
Ginny flushed and did not know what to say.
"Let me," Luna stepped forward. "We would like you to be our teacher."
"What?" Dudley blinked, surprised.
"It is like this," Ginny said quickly. "You defeated the basilisk in your second year and have such talent for magic. We want to learn from you. Would that be all right?"
She trusted Dudley most. She had told him about the Chamber, and not long after, he killed the basilisk and removed the threat. That said, everything is about his ability.
"Yes! We want to be like you one day, to stand against evil creatures," Colin Creevey said, eyes shining.
"I think it is a splendid idea," Luna said serenely.
"What are you lot on about? Dudley does not have time to teach a bunch of little kids. Off you go," Ron said, waving them away.
Disappointment crossed the first-years' faces. They glanced at Dudley, and when he did not speak, they began to shuffle off.
"Wait," Dudley called them back.
"I can teach you magic," he said.
"Really?" Ginny and the others lit up. They had only dared to try. They had not expected success.
"Of course," Dudley said. "But I will not be your teacher."
"I want to found a magical organization. Are you willing to join?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared. Why did Dudley suddenly want to form an organization—and recruit first-years to teach them?
"What kind of organization? What would we need to do?" Luna asked, curious.
"Call it the Kingdom of Order," Dudley said with a light smile. "For now, you do not need to do anything. I will give you regular lessons in magic. That is all."