Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 39: Hogwarts
Even though Dudley had seen in his memories and experienced an extra 15 years' worth of them, seeing the grand, ancient castle of Hogwarts over a thousand years old in person was something else entirely.
It left Dudley standing in awe. After all, he wasn't American, just an Asian guy stuck in a British man's body. But there was an upside—he had grown to 190 cm, much taller than his original height of 164 cm. So, of course, he didn't have any complaints about the system. It'd be foolish to curse someone for giving you wealth, right?
"Wow," Dudley breathed, completely taken in by the sight of Hogwarts Castle.
It was old, yes, but its majesty still lingered, like a place meant for kings. However, realizing he was in public, he quickly composed himself. He couldn't afford to show any suspicious behavior, especially in front of his friends.
'Game mode, activate,' Dudley commanded internally.
His excited expression quickly faded, replaced by a stoic, emotionless look. This was one of the perks of Game Mode—the ability to control his emotions and mask his reactions, making him look braver or more composed than he really was. It even served as a defense against legilimency. There were other features of Game Mode, but those were yet to be discovered.
His stare finally landed to Susan and he decided to turn off the gamer mode.
"Susan, don't you feel... different?" Dudley asked.
"Different? How so?" Susan replied.
"I mean, after living with Muggles and seeing so much of their technology and infrastructure, don't you feel anything different now?" Dudley explained.
During Susan's stay with the Dursleys, they had visited many places in the Muggle world, with some magical spells to disguise their identities so Death Eaters wouldn't spot Harry. She had experienced cinemas, tall buildings, trains, old telephones, TV, game consoles, and much more.
Dudley had seen the excitement on Susan's face during those outings, like a child discovering new toys. So, of course, he was curious about her perspective.
"The magical world feels... a bit old," Susan answered honestly.
She had read books and studied history while at the Dursleys, comparing the lifestyles of both worlds. Truthfully, she found Muggles more appealing, maybe because everything was newer and cleaner to her eyes.
"I feel the same," Dudley agreed. "But magic offers something Muggles can't. If I had to choose, I'd still pick the magical side."
---Death Eater Professor---
"It's true that Lucius Malfoy has become the new professor," Dudley whispered to Susan.
Susan knew about Lucius Malfoy being a Death Eater. She had seen Harry Potter's memories in the Pensieve, so she was fully aware that Lucius was part of Voldemort's inner circle.
"Isn't it dangerous for him to be here?" Susan asked quietly, her brow furrowed. "I can't believe Dumbledore let him become a professor."
Dudley nodded. "I think Dumbledore didn't have much of a choice. After losing his positions as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump, it's not surprising the Ministry could push someone like Lucius into Hogwarts."
To be honest, Dudley was relieved that Dolores Umbridge wasn't one of the professors this year. He had read about how awful she was to Muggle-borns, and he might have been her prime target after Harry Potter.
With Lucius Malfoy, a known Death Eater, now at Hogwarts, they'd have to be cautious. But Dudley believed that, much like Snape, Lucius wouldn't dare do anything too extreme, especially since Harry had already seen him as a Death Eater.
What Dudley couldn't understand was why Lucius, a Death Eater, would choose to become a professor. Wasn't having Snape already enough? The ripple effect was bigger than he thought—those better suited for the Ministry were being forced into positions like this, he mean as a professor.
From across the table, Dudley could see Draco Malfoy's smug look. Of course, mr 'My father will hear about this' would be happy seen his father in Hogwarts teaching those students.
Besides Malfoy, Professor McGonagall clearly despised Lucius being here, though she did her best to hide it.
The Sorting Ceremony continued as students were placed into their houses one by one.
"Zayn Zinke," called Professor McGonagall.
The last student was called.
"Hufflepuff!" shouted the Sorting Hat.
"I think he's a Muggle-born," Dudley whispered to Susan.
"Maybe he's a half-blood," replied Susan.
"Look at his eyes," Dudley remarked. "That's the kind of excitement only Muggle-borns have."
"So, he's your junior?" teased Susan.
"Yeah, definitely my junior," Dudley grinned.
As a Muggle-born, Dudley knew that in the original timeline, students like Zayn would only have two years at Hogwarts before being captured and imprisoned by Dolores Umbridge.
Luckily, Umbridge was now locked away. Even if she survived, her status as a half-blood wouldn't save her or being put into high position.
A small chuckle escaped his lips.
Susan looked at him. "Why are you laughing?"
"I was just thinking this year might be... interesting," Dudley replied with a smile, thoughts of Ministry battles and more in his mind. "Just wait, everyone. I'll show you the veteran of Hogwarts Legacy."
---Hufflepuff Dorm---
One of the most curious things about Harry Potter is the number of students per year. In Hufflepuff, there are around 8 students—3 boys and 5 girls. The total number of students in Harry's fifth year is 40, with Hufflepuff having the fewest. It's not surprising, considering Europe only has about 10,000 wizards, and 3,000 of them are from Britain.
The reason Britain has so many wizards is largely thanks to Dumbledore. During Gellert Grindelwald's rampage, he killed many wizards across Europe, but those in Britain were saved because of Dumbledore. This man single-handedly defeated the Dark Lord, preserving the wizarding population in Britain. If it weren't for Grindelwald, the population could have easily grown to 20,000 or even 30,000.
Pureblood families, however, are often hesitant to have many children out of fear of producing a Squib.
As for Hogwarts students, Dudley is actually a popular figure in Hufflepuff, but because of his cold personality, most don't dare get too close. Even his roommates, like Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley, aren't very close with him.
The only person who seems to get along well with Dudley is Susan Bones, who is attracted to his cold demeanor. As a result, he also become friends with Susan and her close friend, Hannah Abbott.
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