Hogwarts: The Savior's Strong Cousin

"Didn't you go chop down trees?"

Harry asked Dudley as he looked at the dying Fawkes.

"If Neville hadn't come and told me that you were wronged, I would still be making chopsticks over there."

"It turns out that the broom's speed is indeed reduced by half when there are two people on board."

Dudley poked here and flipped there, and even Fawkes, who was about to be reborn from Nirvana, rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Can you please respect the ritual of rebirth from the ashes?

Also, stop blowing! The ashes are blown away!

When Fawkes burst into flames with a crackling sound, Dumbledore slowly walked into the office.

"Professor - your bird - I can't help it, it suddenly caught fire..."

Dumbledore laughed. He particularly appreciated Harry's frankness and enthusiasm.

"Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. When he dies, he burns himself to death and rises from the ashes again - if Dudley doesn't blow all his ashes away."

It was a rare joke, and in Harry's shocked eyes, Dumbledore took out a bottle of wine with great familiarity, and then got two glasses from somewhere, and filled a glass for himself and Dudley.

"Principal, I think we are still minors..."

Harry spoke weakly.

The two of them clinked glasses, took two sips, and then looked at Harry with rosy faces.

"Given Dudley's physical condition, I'm afraid this ban will have little effect on him."

After squinting his eyes, Dumbledore finally sat up straighter.

"To be honest, phoenixes are really strange and fascinating creatures. They can carry very heavy objects, their tears can heal wounds, and they are also very loyal pets."

I had just said a few words about the phoenix when I heard a noise at the door. Hagrid strode in, holding the dead rooster in his hand, and behind him was Professor McGonagall, who looked helpless.

"It can't be Harry! Professor Dumbledore!"

"I was with Harry just seconds before the poor child was found... Dudley? When did you get here?"

Looking at the wine glass on the table and the eerily quiet atmosphere in the office, Hagrid blinked in disbelief.

"I don't think it was Harry who attacked those men, Hagrid."

Dumbledore crossed his hands and placed them on the table, with a determined look behind his glasses.

Hagrid was stunned for a moment, then a sly smile appeared on his face. The dead rooster, with its feathers all over the floor, also drooped limply at his side.

"That's great - I mean, I'll be right outside, waiting for your orders, Professor Dumbledore."

Hagrid walked out of the office awkwardly, and soon the only sounds in the office were those of Dudley and Dumbledore drinking.

"You really don't think it was me, Professor?"

Harry was somewhat moved, and stood up to help Dumbledore brush the chicken feathers off the table to the ground.

"of course."

Dumbledore smiled and took a sip of his whisky, while Dudley pouted.

Who can hide it from you!

Others may not know, but Dudley knew it. Although Dumbledore looked like a kind and benevolent old man - that was only to the students. Deep down, Albus Dumbledore was still the experienced and knowledgeable number one in the wizarding world. For him, the spell of Legilimency did not require earth-shattering spells or magic wands that could be drawn out of thin air. In front of him, all the truth was exposed.

Even myself.

Fortunately, the system is very magical. It has somehow concealed his identity as a time traveler, as well as the existence of the system and rewards. Eliminating these things makes his identity not difficult to understand for the wizarding world. After all, wizards can be born if both parents are Muggles, not to mention this "hidden" giant bloodline?

So from Dumbledore's perspective, his perception of Dudley is that of an older brother who cares about his cousin, a brave, passionate and reckless Gryffindor, and a muscular wizard who can predict certain things and respond early. Apart from that, he is just a precocious child, nothing more.

To be honest, Dumbledore opened a lot of back doors for Dudley, whether it was the admission procedures, the "rewards" that seemed like punishments, or the secret help in rectifying the school spirit, all of which made Dudley grateful. Therefore, he also made up his mind to save the life of the greatest headmaster of Hogwarts before Dumbledore was cursed.

"But I still have something to ask you."

After hearing what Dumbledore said, Harry's hope, which had just been ignited, suddenly died down.

Even though all these thoughts in my mind had already been read out by the soul-reading machine.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, anything?"

Harry didn't know how to respond.

All the strange things he had experienced this semester circled around in his mind like a revolving lantern, whether it was Dobby, Malfoy, or Myrtle crying in the bathroom; the weird spiders, the inexplicable blood words, and the attacks that were related to him again and again...

He was getting more and more scared.

Could it be that I am really a descendant of Salazar Slytherin?

But Harry didn't know that he could speak Parseltongue because there was a fragment of Voldemort's soul hidden in his head. This was also one of the reasons why the Sorting Hat hesitated.

"No."

"Nothing, sir."

After hesitating for a while, Harry finally chose to lie.

If I really tell these things, will I be fired?

He must stay in school until the real culprit of the attack is revealed.

At least, for the sake of poor Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Mrs Norris, he could not be expelled.

A look of relief appeared on Dumbledore's face.

"Well, Harry, you may go - Minerva will take you away."

Seeing Dumbledore waving his hand, Harry stood up in confusion, and then looked at Dudley who had no intention of getting up.

"Then my cousin..."

"Oh, relax, Harry, I have something to discuss with Headmaster Dumbledore."

Dudley laughed, and Harry felt relieved. He nodded, opened the door and left the office.

After a long while, Dumbledore blinked, and the serious expression disappeared.

"So, Dudley, do you know who the real murderer is?"

Holding up the wine glass, a faint blue light emerged from Dumbledore's hand. In the air around him, bright ice flowers gradually condensed and fell into the glass with a "puff". A thin layer of ice also formed on the wall of the glass.

"Of course, dear principal, but if some things are revealed too early, how can they deter the real murderer?"

"Who would keep targeting Harry and endangering the students of Hogwarts?"

After swallowing the last two sips of wine, Dudley stood up with a smile and stretched his shoulders.

"Honestly, you're old now. It's so cold, why don't you drink something warm, like eggnog?"

"I don't want to see in tomorrow's Daily Prophet: Dumbledore, the nemesis of You-Know-Who and the greatest wizard of all time, made a fool of himself by drinking too much and having diarrhea."

Laughing and waving his hands, Dudley also left the office, leaving only one sentence:

"I thought you might need a new pair of socks for Christmas this year?"

Raising his eyebrows, Dumbledore looked at the chick beside him and sighed softly.

"Dudley Dursley is such an amazing person, even more amazing than your rebirth from the ashes, Fawkes."

Ugly Fox screamed a few times at the top of his lungs.

Outside, the snow was falling harder and harder.