chapter 45: Savage Dursley

Thud, thud, thud.

Marcus and his group slowly emerged, witnessing the scene where Dudley held Malfoy's head, causing him to faint.

The only way out of Slytherin was through one path, and to notify Snape, one had to go through the common room.

However, the sight before them shocked everyone. The senior students in the meeting room clearly did not expect the outside situation to be so brutal. Wizards and witches lay scattered all over the common room, not a single one able to stand.

They all assumed that Dudley had subdued Malfoy among a group of wizards, only to realize he had taken down all the wizards, leaving only Malfoy.

What kind of curse caused this situation? A powerful stun spell? Or some specific curse? And why were they all clutching their buttocks? Was it an effect of the curse?

The senior Slytherins secretly elevated Dudley's danger level by several degrees.

This Dursley was no simple person. Potter was even more extraordinary. The notion that Harry Potter had grown up in a Muggle household for so many years now seemed unreliable.

If the cousin was this strong, how much stronger could Potter be?

Countless thoughts flooded their minds. The senior students' gazes flickered with complexity when looking at Dudley.

The seventh-year prefect pondered even more deeply. Why were the two brothers placed in Gryffindor and Slytherin respectively? There must be a deeper meaning to it.

Could it be that Potter, no, Mr. Potter intended to conquer Gryffindor first, then submit Slytherin afterward? Once this terrifying thought arose, it became hard to shake off.

Even unknowingly, they began to address Harry with respect.

Among the people present, perhaps only Marcus did not consider all of these possibilities; his brain capacity could not hold so much information.

Wait, that's not entirely true. He was thinking about Malfoy.

"Stop! Release Malfoy!"

Marcus pulled out his wand and cast a spell: " Stupefy!"

Emerald light burst from the wand's tip, but Dudley, without hesitation, grabbed Draco and used him as a shield to block the curse.

Since these senior students arrived, Dudley's attention had been on them. Poor Malfoy, who was initially scared unconscious, was now hit by a stunning spell again.

Now, he was thoroughly out for the day.

"Damn it!" Marcus cursed. Once again, he cast a spell, "Petrificus Totalus!"

With one hand gripping Malfoy's back, Dudley lifted him like a human shield, once again blocking the curse.

Marcus was relentless, casting several curses, some even mixed with dark curses, but Dudley, using Malfoy as a shield, deflected them all.

For a moment, Dudley suspected that the others weren't here to rescue Malfoy but had a personal grudge against him. He faintly heard something about an old something and knots.

Poor Malfoy, knowing nothing and eating up ten curses in a row.

Really took advantage of him.

While using "Malfoy" as a shield, Dudley picked up "Crabbe" again, holding him vigilantly. "Enemies?"

Facing lower-year students wouldn't be a problem, but dealing with higher-year students who had already learned many spells was uncertain. Unless he could achieve a one-hit kill, there was no room for mercy.

The reason he didn't attack recklessly was that, apart from Marcus, the others just stood still.

"Is this magic?"

Using Malfoy as a human shield was one thing, but grabbing Crabbe to use as a weapon shocked the senior students. After pondering for a long time, they couldn't come to a conclusion. After hearing Dudley's words, they quietly distanced themselves from Marcus, indicating their position.

"Understood," Dudley nodded in agreement.

This silent understanding was like that of old friends who had known each other for years, where everything was communicated without words.

Only Marcus was still unaware.

"Drop your weapons. No, drop Malfoy and Crabbe."

Marcus aimed his wand at Dudley again, unsure of how to handle someone who used such a thing as a weapon for the first time.

Not knowing what to do didn't mean Dudley would wait for him. Especially since he disliked having wands pointed at him. Without waiting for Marcus, he threw Malfoy to the ground and walked to the other side, holding Crabbe. Then, he lifted Goyle as well.

These two weapons were quite handy, and holding them made him less anxious.

Malfoy was lying sideways, petrified. He wasn't suitable as a weapon, mainly due to the smell. Dudley wasn't sure when that had happened.

However, just lifting Crabbe like that scared Marcus. Reflexively, he cast a second curse.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus" was a spell taught to wizards in second or third grade. Its effect was to cause the opponent's wand to fly into your hand, rendering them submissive to you.

For wizards, it was a very practical spell. Not everyone could perform magic without a wand. Losing the wand meant losing all means of resistance.

But now there was a problem. Dudley had no wand; he held Crabbe and Goyle.

So, were Crabbe and Goyle considered weapons?

Dudley, who had spent a lot of effort on magical knowledge, had specially studied this spell. Its effectiveness depended on the caster's cognition. If you thought a wand was a weapon, it would work on a wand. If you thought a bow and arrow were weapons, it would work on a bow and arrow. If you thought a gun was a weapon, it would work on a gun.

However, this spell had a limitation: it couldn't affect living beings. Otherwise, if the enemy fought with their fists, casting Expelliarmus would disarm them of their fists. If the enemy's head was considered a weapon, would it be Expelliarmus against their head?

Would they be walking around Hogwarts, casting "Expelliarmus" against each other's heads? The scene would be terrifying.

Therefore, Dudley made no effort to dodge, letting Marcus cast the spell on him. Nothing happened.

Expelliarmus naturally failed.

In fact, Expelliarmus also had a secondary effect—it would send the recipient flying.

However, during the time the senior students approached, Dudley had undergone six "meditation" enhancements, boosting his unique defense to the extreme. Combined with constant physical training, he remained stable on his feet when Marcus cast the spell, causing only a slight sway.

Yes, he deliberately frightened Marcus.

Everything was within Dudley's calculations.

"He attacked first."

"I've let him off three times."

Dudley grinned, but he wasn't speaking to Marcus; he was addressing the other Slytherin seniors.

Then, taking advantage of Marcus's stunned moment, a flying "Crabbe's" hammer knocked him down.

Poor Marcus didn't even groan; he was knocked unconscious.

This scene wasn't as simple as it seemed to the seniors. The cousin from the Potter family had a way to defend against "Expelliarmus," could turn others into his weapons, and had such brutal attack methods...

"Potter hides too deep."

The prefect closed his eyes slowly, trying to empty his mind, making an effort to stop thinking about these problems.

Knowing too much wasn't always a good thing.

As for whether Dudley accomplished everything purely through strength, they hadn't even considered that. A normal wizard couldn't do such things.

Slowly walking up to the dazed Marcus, Dudley once again hoisted 'Crabbe' over his shoulder, appearing nonchalant but highly vigilant. He addressed the others with a casual yet intimidating tone, "Anything else?"

This scene, combined with Dudley's imposing aura, deeply shook the soon-to-graduate seniors. Surprisingly, not a single one of them spoke.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."

"Please wait."

Since none of his companions stepped forward, the senior prefect had no choice but to speak up.

Upon hearing this, Dudley paused, turning around to face the senior prefect, silently observing him.

The senior prefect raised his head to meet Dudley's gaze. However, the moment their eyes locked, the senior swiftly averted his gaze, as if facing not a person but a ferocious beast.

Even though he was in his seventh year and had encountered many wizards, including dark wizards, this kind of gaze was a first for him.

"Good thing I didn't let Marcus, that idiot, come alone."

The senior prefect secretly celebrated his decision.

"This wizard is not someone to offend."

The prefect bent slightly, performing a gesture that Dudley couldn't comprehend, and spoke, "I sincerely apologize for Marcus Flint's rudeness. He's too impulsive."

In truth, an apology wasn't necessary. This matter had nothing to do with him, and it could have been resolved with just a few words. However, Marcus was under his command, and the idiot attacked first—not once, but three times.

To avoid escalating the situation, the senior prefect had to make his stance clear. Otherwise, things might get worse.

Unexpectedly, Dudley did not expect an apology. While it caught him off guard, he showed no signs of letting his guard down.

Could it be a case of diplomacy before warfare?

Dudley wasn't the only one surprised; even the other Slytherin seniors hadn't anticipated this turn of events.

However, the senior prefect had his reasons for speaking this way. After all, he was the backbone of their small group.

"Let's put the matter of the apology aside. Do you have any other business?"

Dudley's voice remained calm and indifferent.

The senior prefect breathed a sigh of relief.

Though the apology was not accepted, communication was established.

"Please believe that Marcus's actions were his own, unrelated to the Flint family."

The connection between Flint and his family was close; they were allies. If not for that, the senior prefect wouldn't have invested so much effort in nurturing Marcus.

What he wanted to convey was the separation of the Flint family and Marcus's actions. After all, the Flint family had more than just Marcus; another new student would be joining next year.

"Flint? Are you talking about the Flint family that was engaged in magical politics a century ago?"

Dudley's interest was piqued, and he began recounting the well-known history of the Flint family.

To ensure a peaceful life in the wizarding world, Dudley chose to remember things that were useful to him. Besides curses, potions, magical herbs, and magical history, he was well-versed in the deeds of famous wizards and the history of great wizarding families.

The senior Slytherins were shocked by Dudley's knowledge. What he spoke of was not common knowledge among pure-blood wizards. Only this senior prefect thought it was natural.

Indeed, Mr. Potter was playing a big game; how could a Muggle-born wizard know so much?

The wizarding world wasn't short of early bloomers. Never judge a wizard's ability by age.

The conversation proceeded smoothly. The senior prefect showed keen interest in Dudley, avoiding the topic of the altercation. He even expressed willingness to compensate for the confiscated wands at a high price.

In terms of courtesy and attitude, the senior prefect was giving Dudley ample face.

The prefect considered his tone and spoke again: "If possible, I hope that for my sake, you will not care about what Draco did this time. Because his father is an elder who takes good care of me."

Lucius takes good care of him? Certainly not. Their families' relationship was strained, but the senior prefect couldn't turn a blind eye.

You could play tricks behind the scenes, but on the surface, you had to protect and care for each other's younger generations, even if it was just for show. After all, everyone had a few younger family members.

This was the interaction among pure-blood families.

Of course, unless things escalated irreversibly.

"Mr. Carrow, if anyone else had said this to me, I would have given them a '*get lost*.' But since it's you, I'm more than willing to give you this face."

Certainly, if Carrow hadn't spoken this way, Dudley would have told him to go away. But since Carrow had spoken like this, Dudley was willing to show some face.

However, after uttering those words, Dudley's expression immediately darkened, catching Carrow off guard.

"But it's only once, and it's the last time. If I find an opportunity again..."

"Understood."

Carrow nodded in understanding, signaling that he comprehended Dudley's terms.

Giving face was a mutual affair.

Besides, now that their butts had been smacked, money had been earned, and only Malfoy, the instigator, remained untouched, Dudley would not let him off so easily.

Dudley understood Malfoy's personality. Even if he let him go this time, Malfoy would actively seek trouble with him because he had lost face.

After all, this was the age of fast-approaching adolescence, and these youngsters had an inexplicable attachment to face.

If Malfoy didn't dare, Dudley would create an opportunity for him.

And for those who thought they were exempt from the butt-smacking? How would everyone view them if they weren't smacked?

Dudley would never admit to being petty.

Having offended Mr. Dursley, was he thinking of leaving?

In fact, Dudley had overestimated Malfoy. Dealing with him required little thought—he would willingly walk into trouble.

"Mr. Dursley, I truly appreciate your understanding. It's regrettable that the first day of school has been so unpleasant. As a seventh-year prefect, I take responsibility for this oversight. I've prepared a small token of appreciation for you, along with the compensation for the wands. It will be delivered to your room tomorrow, and I assure you it will be satisfactory."

In other words, since you've given me face, I'll ensure the compensation meets your expectations.

(End of this chapter)

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