Harry Potter: From Muggle Cousin to Conceptual Wizard

Chapter 25: Actively Deleting Unwanted Memories!

"You didn't expect that?" Dali said sarcastically. "I think you're getting old and have Alzheimer's!"

What are you thinking? Let me guess, you want Hagrid to lead us to take the Philosopher's Stone first, so Voldemort will come up empty-handed?

Then lure Voldemort to Hogwarts?

Then, you hide the Philosopher's Stone somewhere in the school, set up several challenges, give Harry some clues to guide him through them, to protect the Stone, and to fight Voldemort? Is this how you train Harry?

Dudley explained Dumbledore's plan in just a few words.

This shocked the old wizard. He had expected Dudley to be intelligent, but he hadn't imagined Dudley would be this intelligent. He fell into deep self-doubt.

"Is my plan so easily seen through?"

"Is it really so hard to understand that such a foolish plan has been seen through?"

Dudley's words were like honey, sharpened with a blade, leaving Dumbledore feeling utterly cold inside.

"Let's put aside this foolish plan for now. I just want to ask you, if you don't want us to confront Voldemort in Gringotts, then why did you spread the news that the Philosopher's Stone is in Gringotts?"

Why don't you just tell everyone that the Philosopher's Stone has already been taken to Hogwarts?

The news couldn't be kept secret? If you can't keep it a secret, why don't you come and get it yourself? Didn't you consider the dangers you might encounter on the way?

Oh! You want to take advantage of Hagrid's inability to keep his mouth shut and leave Harry some clues about the Philosopher's Stone, so as to pave the way for the so-called training plan after school starts, right?

You're taking advantage of Hagrid's trust in you! Hagrid, such a blabbermouth, revealed the vault number where the Philosopher's Stone was hidden to me and Harry the whole way, and he also revealed the letter you gave him to retrieve it, but he never revealed that the treasure was the Philosopher's Stone.

Because of his admiration and trust in you, he kept the secret so hard, never expecting that you had already leaked it, and even less expecting that you would turn around and take advantage of him!

Dumbledore, you are so great! You are so intelligent!

Dudley spoke both truthfully and ironically, every word and phrase expressing his true feelings.

Dumbledore, who had always used Legilimency, was very clear about this.

He was so clear-headed that he felt like vomiting blood.

You wouldn't know until you analyze it; he had been so hypocritical that he hadn't even realized it himself.

"Hagrid! I'm sorry! Harry, Dudley, I'm so sorry! I only realized today that I've become such a self-righteous old man!"

Dumbledore shed tears of regret.

"Don't cry yet!" Dudley still didn't let Dumbledore off the hook. "I'll ask you again, you were able to get to Gringotts today, not because you realized there was a flaw in your plan, right?"

Did you see my name on the Hogwarts admissions list through the Hogwarts Admissions Book and the Pen of Acceptance? Did you think I had become a variable and wanted to come and see clearly, and think about how to deal with and educate me next?

Also, are you sure you were stopped by the fairies and only arrived at the underground battlefield at the last minute?

Your timing for casting 'All Curses End' was absolutely perfect! If you'd been a second later, Voldemort would have escaped with the fake Philosopher's Stone!

Seeing Harry and me display such power, they wanted to see our strength and give us some experience, so they watched until the very end, right?

"I...you're right, Dudley! I'm sorry!"

Dumbledore recognized his shortcomings and decided to stop hiding them. He had lived for over a hundred years and had seen many people who were born with the ability to read minds, but he had never seen anyone as insightful and ruthless as Dudley, who saw through things so clearly and went straight to the heart of the matter.

He had come to understand that Dudley's character and will were already incredibly mature, and he neither needed nor could he be influenced by others or be taught. On the contrary, it was he, an old man over a hundred years old, who needed to be educated and guided.

"You don't need to apologize anymore. If apologies were enough, there would be no regrets or remorse in this world!"

Dudley spoke passionately for a long time, only to receive a simple and honest apology in return, and suddenly lost interest.

An old man in his twilight years, because of his great strength and kind nature, is sought after and followed by many mediocre wizards. He is used to the role of guiding and leading others, but due to his limited knowledge and personality, he cannot do everything perfectly.

But there are also those who are lucky enough to barely survive, and often manage to achieve their goals by sacrificing their own strength.

Dumbledore was a good man, but not a good leader.

If he doesn't change and still wants to stay behind the scenes as a mediocre strategist guiding Harry's growth, then Dudley will definitely not let himself and Harry go to Hogwarts.

"I used your magic stone."

Seeing that Dumbledore remained silent, Dudley also lost interest in continuing his rant and said very simply, "Consider it compensation for making Harry and me take unnecessary risks!"

"Harry, let's go buy a wand!"

Dali, with his 'open and aboveboard' words, turned to leave, but suddenly heard a voice behind him...

"Forget everything and it's all empty!"

Dudley immediately cast the Ironclad Charm to protect himself and Harry, and luckily succeeded on his first try, but he did not feel that the invisible defensive barrier he had built was being attacked.

Turning his head, he saw Hagrid pointing his umbrella wand at his head, the white light at the tip of the wand just fading.

The Oblivion Spell just now was cast on Hagrid himself!

"Dumbledore, you really have a lot of charm!"

Dudley, who instantly understood what had happened, couldn't help but make another sarcastic remark to Dumbledore.

Clearly, Hagrid couldn't accept that Dumbledore had left a stain on his memory, so he took the initiative to delete that memory from his mind!

Dumbledore was also deeply shocked; he hadn't expected Hagrid to go to such lengths for him.

"Hagrid! I'm so sorry!"

"Professor Dumbledore, what are you saying? What have you done to wrong me? What's with this barrier? Have you made up with Dudley?"

Hagrid, whose memories had been erased, looked bewildered, and his blurted question deepened Dumbledore's guilt.

Dudley, however, had no interest in wasting any more time. He pulled Harry along and they passed through the soundproof barrier set up by Dumbledore. Before leaving, he said to Hagrid:

"Hagrid! Keep an eye on the things Harry and I bought earlier, we're going to pick out wands!"

“Oh! Okay!” Hagrid replied.

By this time, Dumbledore had removed the soundproof barrier and was standing with Hagrid beside five magic carts full of items, watching helplessly as Dudley and Harry walked into Ollivander's wand shop.

"Shuashuashua——"

Just as the great wizard, known for his wisdom and resourcefulness, was somewhat at a loss and pondering how to redeem himself, a group of five or six wizards Apparated to Diagon Alley.

Leading the group was none other than Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, who was currently the most powerful figure in the British magical world.