Lucius's meticulously composed expression finally cracked. He took a shallow, shaky breath, attempting to regain control. "This proves nothing," he stated, his voice tight. "I was merely accompanying my son to purchase new student supplies that day. Many people were in Diagon Alley."
"Is that so?" Dudley's voice remained calm, unwavering, yet it held an undeniable edge of challenge. "Do you dare claim you had no involvement in the Gringotts incident at all?"
"No relation," Lucius declared, his jaw clenched, his eyes meeting Dudley's with a cold, desperate denial.
Dudley narrowed his eyes, a flicker of understanding passing through them. His mental resistance is formidable indeed. At his current Sequence 9 level, his Beyonder abilities, while powerful against ordinary individuals, barely scratched the surface of a wizard like Lucius Malfoy. He was a man of power and influence, likely possessing his own magical protections, or perhaps simply a will hardened by years of navigating treacherous political waters. Perhaps if I exerted myself fully, pushed to the edge, I could affect him, Dudley mused, but this is not the place. The repercussions of exposing my full capabilities now would be too great.
He withdrew his intense gaze, choosing not to press the point. "Professor Dumbledore," Dudley announced, his voice carrying clearly through the tense silence of the office, "I have concluded my questioning."
The statement hung in the air, a final, damning pronouncement. The train fight, the insults—all of it now seemed trivial, distant. Dudley had, with surgical precision, shifted the entire narrative. What began as a simple schoolyard brawl had been expertly transformed into an accusation of a dark, pervasive loyalty to a defeated Dark Lord, aimed squarely at Harry Potter.
"Dumbledore," Lucius finally roared, his face mottled with fury, his control shattering. "This child is speaking nonsense! I protest! This is an outrageous accusation!"
"Lucius," Dumbledore replied, his voice calm yet carrying an unyielding authority that brooked no argument. "While much of what Dudley says is subjective and certainly contains a great deal of conjecture, we cannot entirely dismiss the possibility." His gaze, steady and profound, held Lucius in place. "I have, in fact, recorded the entire conversation between Dudley and Draco." He paused, allowing the implication to sink in. "If necessary, I will be compelled to present it to the Board of Directors. And perhaps a copy will find its way to the Ministry of Magic as well."
Lucius's face paled further, a sickly grey now. His past was indeed far from clean, and the recent Gringotts attack, the unconfirmed rumors of the Dark Lord's return, and now Harry Potter's involvement—all made him a prime target for unwanted scrutiny. He simply could not afford to draw any more attention to himself. His arrogant posture deflated, his shoulders slumping almost imperceptibly.
"It was merely a childish scuffle," Lucius's tone softened dramatically, dropping its previous bluster. "There is truly no need to escalate matters so… aggressively, Dumbledore." He forced a strained smile.
"If you insist on the expulsion of Dudley, his defense, which includes the entirety of this conversation, will certainly be presented to the Board," Dumbledore warned, his voice betraying no emotion.
"Father," Malfoy began, a desperate plea in his voice, but a sharp, cutting glare from Lucius silenced him instantly. He dared not speak further; his earlier, unguarded confessions had already caused enough damage.
"We can revisit Dudley's case," Lucius conceded, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. "I… I do not insist on his expulsion. My earlier threats were merely to… intimidate. To impress upon them the seriousness of their actions." He managed another sickly, forced smile.
"So, Dudley," Dumbledore said, his gaze returning to the boy on the sofa, "what is your stance?"
Dudley straightened, his pale face calm, his eyes reflecting a shrewd intelligence that belied his years. "If the school wishes to punish me, Professor, I have no objection. However, since Mr. Malfoy provoked this entire incident with his insults and physical aggression, his punishment must be more severe than mine." He paused, then added, his voice resonating with an unshakeable conviction, "Otherwise, Professor, I am willing to continue defending myself. Perhaps by addressing the Board of Directors in person, explaining the nuances of the situation in greater detail."
Lucius glared fiercely at Dudley, his eyes burning with impotent rage. He had walked in expecting to dictate terms, to impose a severe punishment. He had not anticipated this child, this mere Muggle-born, to not only evade expulsion but to effectively block any path to lighter retribution.
"Understood," Dumbledore simply nodded. The battle was won.
"Very well, Dudley, you three may return for now," Dumbledore said, his gaze briefly meeting Lucius's. "You have no objections, correct, Lucius?"
Lucius pursed his lips, his face contorted in a grimace of bitter defeat. He shot one last, venomous glare at Dudley and the others, then shook his head. "No objections," he grumbled, the words forced from his throat.
"Then you may go." Dumbledore waved a dismissive hand, signaling their dismissal.
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall," Dudley said, his voice polite and respectful, a stark contrast to the venomous drama that had just unfolded. Harry and Ron, still in a state of semi-shock, echoed his thanks as they turned and left the office.
As they walked down the spiral staircase, the tension that had gripped Ron and Harry finally broke. "Dudley, you truly are remarkable!" Ron exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. "You should have seen Malfoy's face—it was longer than a donkey's! I can't believe you settled what could have led to expulsion with just a few words!"
"I had no idea you possessed such skill, Dudley," Harry added, his own relief and admiration palpable. "It was brilliant." They had braced themselves for a severe outcome, even mentally preparing for the possibility of expulsion. This complete reversal was beyond anything they could have imagined.
"It was never our fault," Dudley said calmly, his voice even. "I was merely stating the facts."
"You weren't just stating facts!" Ron scoffed good-naturedly. "You left Malfoy and his father speechless! That was truly impressive! If I hadn't witnessed it myself, I wouldn't have believed it."
"But Dudley," Ron asked, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow, "why didn't you press Professor Dumbledore to investigate the Malfoy family further? There's definitely something amiss there. I remember my dad told me the Malfoys used to be connected to You-Know-Who."
Dudley shook his head, a faint, almost imperceptible sigh escaping his lips. "It's useless. You're thinking too simply, Ron." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "The Malfoy family's connection to You-Know-Who, and the fact that they've survived and maintained their power until now, means they are far from simple. Relying on a few words from me won't affect them much; at most, it would only bring them a temporary inconvenience. Their roots run too deep."
Ron and Harry exchanged thoughtful looks, not fully grasping the intricacies of the political and historical web Dudley was alluding to. In their young minds, bad people should simply be punished. But even if they didn't fully understand, they didn't press the matter further.
"What a pity," Harry sighed, thinking of the injustice.
"What happened to Aunt and Uncle will come to light eventually," Dudley said, patting Harry's shoulder. "Don't dwell on it now."
Back in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione, Neville, and the other first-years were anxiously awaiting news. A collective sigh of relief swept through the room when they saw the three boys walk in, safe and sound. Ron, still buzzing with excitement, vividly recounted Dudley's debate with the Malfoys in Dumbledore's office, eliciting many exclamations of awe and disbelief.
Dudley, feeling a deep, bone-weary exhaustion after the mental and spiritual exertion of the interrogation, simply murmured that he was tired and retreated to his dormitory to rest early.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Lucius, Draco, and Snape left Dumbledore's office. All three wore grim expressions, but none more so than Lucius.
"Severus," Lucius began, his voice tight with barely contained rage, "why did you not intervene? Why did you not speak in our defense?"
Snape met his gaze coolly, his black eyes devoid of sympathy. "Given Draco's statements, Lucius," he drawled, his voice a low, chilling whisper, "there was nothing I could have done to defend him." Without another word, Snape turned and walked away, his robes swirling behind him like a dark shadow.
"Wait!" Lucius called out, his face flushed with a mixture of anger and desperation, as he hurried to catch up. He had far more important questions, questions that only Severus Snape could answer.
(End of Chapter)
***
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