Chapter -36 I like to win over people with kindness.

Chapter -36.

Even though the silver-haired boy asked a question, he sounded pretty sure of himself. It was clear he had already figured out who Harry was before he even showed up.

Next to him were two short, chubby guys, standing like little bodyguards. It's worth mentioning that they weren't exactly the most charming of characters. "Oh, this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle," the silver-haired boy said, introducing his two sidekicks to Harry. Then, with a sing-song voice, he added, "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Dudley remembered a guy from some fancy business parties who claimed to be a viscount's descendant and spoke in a similar way. But since this Malfoy kid was so young, it came off as more funny than impressive.

Ron had to clear his throat to keep from laughing.

Malfoy shot a sideways glance at Ron, clearly unimpressed. "You think my name is funny, huh?" he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "No need to introduce yourself; my dad told me all about the Weasleys—red hair, freckles, and way too many kids to handle."

Even Neville, who usually didn't catch on to things, could sense the superiority in Malfoy's tone. He wanted to defend Ron but thought better of it when he saw Malfoy's two "guard dogs" looming nearby.

After taking a jab at Ron, Malfoy turned back to Harry. "You'll soon see that some wizarding families are way better than others, Potter. You wouldn't want to be friends with the odd ones, right? I can help you with that."

His gaze swept over Neville and Ron, but the crowded room made it hard for him to see Dudley and Hermione.

Then he reached out his hand to Harry, as if expecting a handshake.

But the way he carried himself felt more like, "Let me show you how things are done."

Dudley thought to himself, 'If there's anyone who doesn't know how to talk, it's definitely you.'

While Hermione's tone was uncomfortable, Malfoy's was downright mocking.

"I think I can figure out who the odd ones are myself," Harry replied coolly, not interested in shaking hands.

Ron had just praised Dudley, and Malfoy had made fun of him. Anyone who stood up for Dudley was a good brother in his eyes. Malfoy's face turned a bit pale, then flushed as he clearly didn't expect Harry to reject him so firmly.

"If I were you, Potter, I'd be careful," he said, slowing his speech to mimic his father's threatening tone. "You should be polite, or you might end up like your parents. Associating with someone like Weasley could influence you."

He didn't recognize Neville, and even if he did, he wouldn't mention it; the Longbottoms had a different standing in the wizarding world compared to the Weasleys, especially since Neville's grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, was quite a well-known and fierce witch.

Malfoy's nasty tone made Harry and Ron stand up, and Neville hesitated for a moment before joining them.

Crabbe and Goyle quickly stepped in front of Malfoy.

"Why do you have to be so rude?" Hermione couldn't hold back and asked directly.

Malfoy turned his attention to her, sizing her up before sneering, "Where did you come from?"

Ignoring Hermione, he continued to mock Harry. "Potter, I didn't expect you to gather such a bunch of weirdos around you so quickly."

"This is some advice for you, Draco Malfoy," Dudley interrupted before Malfoy could go on. "If you can't learn to speak like a decent person, then maybe you shouldn't try at all; it just makes you look silly."

"Call me Draco Malfoy, and let's see who dares to insult a Malfoy," he shot back angrily, looking for the source of the voice. 

Then he recognized Dudley, and his face turned red with embarrassment. "Oh, it's you!" 

Malfoy instinctively took a step back, remembering how Dudley had made him cry and run away before. That was a moment he wanted to forget!

Malfoy's face turned bright red as he glared at Dudley. "Crabbe, Goyle, teach him a lesson!"

He commanded sharply, and the two chubby boys rushed at Dudley, only to be effortlessly lifted and slammed together like pancakes, instantly taken out of the fight.

Clearly, they had underestimated Dudley's strength. While Dudley might not have much magic, his physical strength could easily handle anything Hogwarts threw at him.

Malfoy was shocked by Dudley's sudden aggression and didn't expect his bodyguards to be taken down so easily, leaving him trembling in fear.

Dudley walked up to Malfoy and leaned in closer, looking him straight in the eye. "Listen, Harry's parents are my uncle and aunt. Insulting them is like insulting me. I can let this slide this time, but I don't want to hear anything like that again."

"From now on, we're classmates. Let's try to get along, okay?"

What could Malfoy say? He nodded vigorously, looking like a chick pecking at rice, a far cry from his earlier pretentious self.

"Now take your friends and go," Dudley said.

The three of them scrambled away, disappearing down the corridor.

"Awesome!" Ron exclaimed, feeling a rush of satisfaction at seeing Malfoy put in his place. The Weasley family and the Malfoy family didn't exactly get along; it was more like they were on opposite sides of a very wide divide.

"Hey kids, does anyone want something from the trolley?" An old lady pushed a cart past them, and Harry, being the generous one, waved his hand and bought one of everything.

Candy piled up on the table, making the little wizards' eyes light up with excitement.

"Why didn't you just give them a good beating?" Ron asked with his mouth full of candy, unconsciously using honorifics like Neville.

Actually, aside from Hermione and Harry, everyone seemed to naturally use honorifics when talking to Dudley.

Harry opened a box of Chocolate Frogs, and one of the little creatures jumped out and made a run for it. Just as it was about to escape out the window, Dudley caught it with lightning speed.

No food could escape Dudley's grasp.

"I really don't like using violence; it feels too rude. I prefer to win people over with kindness," Dudley said, making Ron do a double-take, wondering if he had misheard.

Looking at Dudley's shiny teeth and hearing the crunching sound, Ron couldn't help but shiver.

Hate violence? 

In Dudley's case, that was hard to believe!

Tl/N: If you want to read more [upto Ten chapters] while supporting me, you can join me on patreon.com/EmptyThoughts ;Thanks.

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Upcoming chapters :-

37. Arriving at the Hogwarts.

38. Are you really a wizard?

39.So, Slytherin it is then?