"I don't know, D-Bro," Harry said. "It was with my other presents. There was just a note that said it used to be my father's and now it was mine to use wisely."
Harry handed the note to Dudley. The handwriting was clearly not done by hand; it was the mark of a self-writing quill.
"This is fascinating," Dudley said, running his fingers over the cloak. He felt the texture before handing it back to Harry. "With this cloak, we can grab some study materials from the Restricted Section later."
Dudley's mind, as usual, went straight to his schoolwork. The Hogwarts Restricted Section contained all sorts of books on dark magic, ancient spells, and incredibly dangerous magic, and Dudley had been itching to get his hands on them for a while. Unfortunately, you needed a signed permission slip from a professor to check out books from that section, and Snape only allowed him to borrow books on potions. But with an Invisibility Cloak, all that trouble was gone.
"The Restricted Section, you say?" Hermione pulled a piece of parchment from her pocket and handed it to Harry. "When you're there, could you grab these for me?" A long list of book titles was scribbled on the paper. Clearly, she and Dudley had the same idea about the Restricted Section.
"Should we go now?"
"If you're up for it... let's do it tonight."
"Alright!"
After dinner, Harry couldn't wait to try on the cloak. He instantly vanished from sight. As for getting caught by Filch during their night escapade... well, Mrs. Norris was on their side.
"That's amazing," Ron exclaimed. He had only heard about Invisibility Cloaks; he'd never actually seen one. They were frightfully expensive, after all. "How does it feel, Harry?"
Hermione pulled out a small notebook and jotted things down as she asked, "Can you see the path ahead clearly?"
"It's smoother than silk, lighter than light," Harry said. "I can see everything clearly."
"It can also hide your scent," Dudley nodded, giving his honest assessment. "It also dampens your footsteps, breathing, and heartbeat. But you still need to be careful with it. I can still sense you if you're within five meters of me."
Ron's eye twitched at that. He figured if Harry stood right in front of him and punched him, he still wouldn't know.
A while after Harry left with the cloak, an unexpected guest arrived in the Slytherin common room.
"Where did this big red chicken come from?" Ron shouted, pointing at the fiery-red bird perched on the mantle. In a flash, the bird started chasing him all over the room, pecking at him.
"D-Bro, save me!" Ron shrieked, pleading with Dudley for help.
"Is that... a phoenix?" Hermione said, a little uncertain as she looked at the bird. She'd only ever seen them in books. Phoenixes are rare creatures in the magical world. They're highly intelligent, have extraordinary magical power, and can be reborn from their own ashes. Their tears also have an incredible healing effect, making them a key ingredient in top-tier healing potions. Even though the Ministry of Magic classifies them as an XXXX-class creature, one step below dragons, that's only because they're not particularly aggressive towards humans and are incredibly difficult to tame. That is, unless you call one a chicken.
"Fawkes, stop bullying Ron," Dudley said. "Here, these are for you." Dudley pulled a small bag and a dish from Hermione's magically enlarged pouch and poured a few pieces of kibble onto it.
Magical Animal Feed - Bird Blend.
Fawkes let out a joyful cry, stopped chasing Ron, and landed on the table to enjoy his 'meal.'
"That's Fawkes," Dudley said, introducing the bird to Hermione. "He's Professor Dumbledore's pet."
When Dudley used the word 'pet,' Fawkes squawked in protest. Phoenix tears are a precious and priceless potion ingredient, and Dudley wasn't about to pass up an opportunity. He'd been trying to get on Fawkes's good side for a while, but at first, the bird was incredibly aloof and wouldn't even acknowledge him. But that all changed when Dudley made him this special blend of bird feed. Now, Fawkes comes to find him every night when Dudley is practicing, more punctual than an alarm clock.
"It's not time yet. You're not here to play, are you? Is Professor Dumbledore looking for me?" Fawkes cried out, confirming Dudley's suspicions, and motioned for him to follow.
"I'll be right back," Dudley told Hermione before following Fawkes out of the common room.
Dumbledore wasn't in his office. Fawkes led Dudley to a disused room on the fourth floor. After getting a few more pieces of kibble from Dudley, Fawkes flapped his wings and left happily.
He's going to owe me for all this food one day. Fawkes didn't know that Dudley had his eyes on his tears from the very beginning.
Dudley pushed the door open and saw Dumbledore standing in front of a mirror in the center of the room. It was a magnificent mirror, reaching all the way to the ceiling, with an ornate golden frame supported by two clawed feet. Etched at the top were some words: "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."
"Professor, you were looking for me?" Dudley walked over and saw Dumbledore still staring into the mirror. Dudley looked into it himself, but all he saw was his own reflection. It seemed like a perfectly ordinary mirror.
"Have a seat." Dumbledore was pulled from his reverie and conjured a few chairs with a wave of his hand. Dudley didn't hesitate and sat down.
"Dudley," Dumbledore began. "You mentioned wanting to create a Disciplinary Squad. After careful consideration, I think it's an excellent idea."
Dudley's expression didn't change as he waited for Dumbledore to continue. To be honest, Dumbledore was more decisive than Dudley had expected. He thought he would have to wait until he was in his second year.
"However, there are two requirements. First, the Disciplinary Squad is a new idea, and I can't be certain that it's the right one. So, I can't give it too much authority. Its jurisdiction will be limited to first-year students, at least until you can prove that it works."
"A test group for the first-years?" Dudley asked, his face still unreadable. He knew this would make the entire squad meaningless. It would just be a full-time Prefect for the first-years. It would be better to wait until his second year.
"A test group is a very accurate term." Dumbledore nodded, his expression growing serious. "Second, you'll need to pass my test to prove you have the ability to run this organization successfully."
"Professor Dumbledore, please wait a moment," Dudley interrupted. "I think you've misunderstood something."
"I was merely offering a suggestion based on my observations and thoughts. It doesn't mean that I want to do it myself."