Harry Potter: Dudley From LOTM

"He wouldn't really want to challenge a senior student, would he?" Ron's eyes widened in disbelief, turning to Harry.

"That possibility can't be ruled out!" Harry said, his gaze fixed on Dudley's retreating figure. A vivid, unsettling image flashed in his mind: Dudley, pinning Malfoy down, his face a mask of primal fury, then moments later, elegantly wiping the blood from his hands, utterly composed. That sudden shift, that terrifying indifference—it unnerved Harry. Dudley seemed genuinely fearless, or perhaps, simply didn't care about consequences.

"What do we do now?" Ron asked, a tremor of worry in his voice. "We can't just let him wander around alone. What if something happens?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Let's go back first. It's still early. Dudley usually comes back by seven or eight. If he goes out again tonight, we'll go with him."

"Okay," Ron agreed. There wasn't a better plan.

Nine o'clock in the evening. Most students had retreated to their respective common rooms, and the castle felt much quieter, its vast halls echoing with empty silence. Dudley, however, continued his nocturnal patrol, planning to extend his walk a little longer before returning.

He was still trying to lure out any disgruntled older Slytherin students. To give them a clear opportunity, he had even deliberately sauntered past the Slytherin common room entrance, making sure his presence was noted. Unfortunately, no one had approached him. Perhaps it was still too early, or perhaps the recent brawl had made everyone more cautious. Even though the Slytherins he encountered gave him hostile glares, none dared to make a move.

Dudley felt a distinct pang of disappointment. "I've given you the opportunity," he muttered to himself, "but you're not living up to expectations!"

Lost in his thoughts, he wandered aimlessly, eventually finding himself on the fourth floor. His gaze narrowed. Here. This was the forbidden corridor, the one Dumbledore had explicitly warned them about during the Welcoming Feast. He hadn't ventured this far before.

"What secret is hidden here?" Dudley's curiosity, a far more powerful motivator than fear, surged. He glanced around, confirming the corridor was empty, then activated his spiritual vision, peering into the shadowy area beyond the forbidden ropes.

"There are traces of magic," he murmured, his eyes squinting. "And… there seems to be something behind that door." His spiritual vision was hazy, almost as if the area was shrouded in a magical veil, obscuring details.

He recalled his recent explorations of Hogwarts. This section of the fourth floor, he knew, was largely inaccessible. And even on the floors directly below it, a corresponding section seemed to be closed off. This means the forbidden area is actually a considerably large space, he deduced. Having traversed the castle for the past few weeks, Dudley had mentally constructed a detailed three-dimensional map of Hogwarts, its secret passages and hidden rooms charted with the precision of a seasoned explorer. On this internal map, he could clearly see that the areas downstairs corresponding to the fourth-floor forbidden area were also off-limits. This was not just a single corridor; it was an entire vertical section of the castle, extending downwards through the third, second, and first floors, and perhaps even into the dungeons below.

Are they hiding something significant here? he wondered.

He pondered for a moment, then let his spiritual intuition guide him, seeking an occult revelation. His connection to Hogwarts had deepened with his new role as Sheriff, enhancing his sensitivity to the magical currents flowing through the ancient castle.

Dumbledore only prohibited students from entering this area this year, he recalled. Which means there was no such ban before. As the thought solidified, a flash of lightning seemed to strike his mind.

Vault 713! Dudley's eyes snapped open. Hagrid had repeatedly stressed that Gringotts was the safest place next to Hogwarts. So where would the item taken from Vault 713 be hidden? And it was a task Dumbledore himself had entrusted to Hagrid.

At this moment, all the pieces clicked into place. While he had no concrete evidence, he was almost certain his guess was correct. I just don't know what's actually inside. At Gringotts, the goblin Griphook hadn't even had time to open the vault door before the Dark wizard had struck, robbing Dudley of the chance to glimpse its contents.

Dudley considered his next move, then, without hesitation, stepped over the forbidden ropes and walked deeper into the corridor. School rules? They were mere suggestions. The Justiciar Pathway, particularly its higher sequences, embodied the utilization and even distortion of Order. He was, in essence, a walking embodiment of rule-bending. He was hardly the type to be deterred by a simple rope.

Tap.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the adjacent corridor. Dudley immediately froze, his senses on high alert. Another set of footsteps. Two people? he thought, his expression tightening. The rhythm of one set of footsteps was familiar. His newly enhanced Beyonder abilities, particularly those related to the Sheriff sequence, allowed him to recognize it. Snape! The other voice was also vaguely familiar, though he couldn't immediately place it.

"Don't… let me find out… what you're doing… otherwise…" Snape's low, cold voice drifted closer, his words clipped and broken, as always.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about…" A stammering voice replied.

It's Quirrell! Dudley finally recognized the other voice. A new thought flashed through his mind. Did Snape discover Quirrell's problem? Their hushed, tense conversation certainly sounded like an interrogation.

"You…" Snape was about to speak again, but then he stopped abruptly. The next moment, his tall, dark figure rounded the corner of the corridor. His gaze, sharp and cold, immediately fixed on Dudley.

"Dudley Dursley!" Snape's voice was a low growl.

"Professor Snape." Dudley offered a small, polite smile and a slight nod of greeting. There was nowhere to hide, and he had no intention of hiding anyway. He had Dumbledore's implicit permission to "violate" certain rules within a "reasonable scope."

"Out of your dormitory in the middle of the night, on the fourth floor corridor," Snape's voice dripped with disdain. "What are you doing here?" He narrowed his eyes, his mind already formulating the scathing remarks, the inevitable point deductions. "Gryffindor loses…"

"Professor," Dudley interrupted smoothly, "I have Professor Dumbledore's permission to move freely around the castle and to, within a reasonable scope, violate certain school rules. I believe my current presence here is well within the allowed scope. If you disbelieve me, you may simply ask Professor Dumbledore." Dudley's smile broadened, polite yet utterly unyielding.

[Chapter Complete]

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