It wasn't easy to control anger. It wasn't easy to hold back his fist from smashing Draco's face. It wasn't easy to not use his money for nefarious reasons. Hired hitmen were avaible even among wizards, after all.

  But that was too small of a reaction. An easy way out to take out his anger. Rather, he wanted to do it with his own hands. Take everything away from Lucius and Draco that they considered valuable.

  For that, he needed not only money but also strength. Both in magic and numbers.

  Knock! Knock!

  "Professor?" Dudley arrived at Professor Septima Vector's cssroom and entered. "You asked for me?"

  "I certainly did, Mr. Dursley." Professor Vector responded from her table, her lips curved in a smile. "I have the most wonderful news for you."

  "You finished the research?" he asked back.

  Professor Vector pushed a thick stack of papers towards Dudley. "Not only finished but also approved by the Department of Magical Education."

  That means…

  Dudley felt excited by that prospect. He hadn't seen the entire research, but he knew most of it. "Can I start testing it, Professor?"

  "Precisely why I sought you out. This research hinges upon the most advanced Arithmancy—far beyond the grasp of even exceptional wizards without years of rigorous study. But you, my dear, are uniquely gifted. I have no doubt you shall be the first to bring my theories to life."

  Dudley folded his arms and chuckled. "So you need a guinea pig?"

  "Well…" Professor Vector smirked and looked up at him. "You will be sufficiently compensated."

  He knew what she meant by that, and in truth, he wanted to try that research anyway. Her compensation was just an add-on he wasn't going to refuse.

  "In that case, I'll try my best, Professor." He said and grabbed a copy of the research papers. "I'll start right away."

  "Wonderful!" Professor Vector cpped her hands and stood up. "Find me here if any part troubles you or… if you need the compensation."

  "Will do, Professor."

  ####

  Sadly, Dudley didn't have free time that day to truly start working on the research. The beginning of the year was always the most chaotic because of all the new spells and potions. Of course, he didn't struggle at potions, but he did have to work a little extra on other subjects.

  Furthermore, the teachers wanted to cram as much curriculum as they could in time before the start of the Triwizard tournament.

  Also, sitting in Moody's css while knowing the man was a fake felt like a chore to Dudley. While the man did teach well, knowing his intention ruined his interest. Most of the time, he was questioning why the man looked at him more times than any other student in his Hufflepuff and Ravencw combined css.

  "...When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

  Dudley chuckled in his seat, seated a little in the back with Hannah to his right and Susan, begrudgingly on a different desk, to his left. He wondered if Moody gave the exact same speech in the Gryffindor-Slytherin css.

  "Something funny, Mr. Dursley?"

  Always looking at me, isn't he?

  "Nothing, Sir. I just feel the name sounds very… unoriginal." Dudley said, maintaining his usual confident demeanor that made him Dudley Dursley.

  "Really? Then what do you suggest we call it?" Moody asked in a voice of ridicule.

  Dudley stood up and shrugged. "I don't know. How about Small-Cock Curse?"

  "Pfft!" Hannah beside him wheezed. Then the entire css howled in ughter.

  Dudley finished his words then. "I mean, just picture it—a Dark Wizard getting caught, and the next day, it's all over the papers. Draco Malfoy caught for Small Cock Curse! Off to Azkaban! That'd be something, wouldn't it? Might even put wizards off using it."

  That erupted the css once again in a burst of uncontrolled ughter. Heck, even the fake Moody chuckled and quickly drank the potion.

  "Very funny, Mr. Dursley. But do you know the names of these curses?"

  "Of course I do. My cousin was hit by one, wasn't he? There are three of them—the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Killing Curse," Dudley answered seriously.

  "Three, that's right!" False Moody returned to the bckboard and wrote down the names. "The Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say differently! You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared! So, which curse shall we see first?"

  "All of them," Susan responded from her seat. "My aunt never even let me read about them."

  "Ah, Ms. Bones. Quite expected, really—the head of the DMLE would adhere to Ministry protocols. But I am no bureaucrat! I know what lurks beyond, and it will devour you fledgling cubs without a second thought!"

  What followed was a real showcase of the three Unforgivable Curses. It didn't bother many in the css, unlike what had likely happened in the Gryffindor css.

  As soon as the DADA css was over, they all went to the Charms css. This time Dudley sat at the farthest back of the cssroom on the rightmost edge of the staircase-like chairs and tables. He loved that spot because the tables in front of them were completely covered to the eyes of the lower seats of the teacher, which meant Dudley could move his hands freely to explore his girls.

  On his left sat Hannah and on his right was Susan. Susan had discarded her bck robe and pced it on her p.

  Dudley saw that as an invitation and tried to slide his hand under her robe and feel her soft legs. Although she'd worn bck stockings, they weren't like the common ones. No, hers were like long socks that went to her thighs, meaning the rest of her soft flesh was accessible to him. The same was the case for Hannah.

  Truly, the three were as perverted as one could be in Hogwarts. Completely unashamed and always aroused.

  "Shh…" Susan suddenly swatted his hand away and pushed her bck robe from her p to his instead. Then, she secretly spat on her palm and slid it underneath the robe, and masterfully unzipped his pants before diving in.

  Dudley's head turned towards the red-haired, big-bosomed girl, shocked. He'd never received a handjob in the cssroom before like that. Mostly it was him sliding his fingers in them because it was easier to access them under the skirts.

  "Careful," Dudley warned her and focused at the front as Professor Flitwick had just entered. He reckoned it was a good thing the man was short.

  Susan giggled and gripped his semi-erect shaft. Her warm hand wrapped tightly around him and easily fetched him out of the opening, all hidden under the bck robes.

  "Hey, let me join," Hannah murmured from Dudley's left and slid her right hand under the robes.

  Hannah's hand joined in, and he felt her small palm on his growing purple mushroom head. He shuddered in arousal, almost all the goosebumps on his body rising. Feeling their soft and warm hands stroking him instantly brought his erection to its peak, standing tall like a little soldier.

  The two girls leaned lower and forward on their desks, reaching lower into his loins. But above the table they acted as if they were focused on Professor Flitwick's lesson; Susan twirled her hair with her other hand, while Hannah flipped through her book.

  They slowly stroked his long sinewy shaft. He was big, enough for the two girls to find space to hold him with their hands and stroke him.

  At times, Susan would glide her fist over his length while Hannah kneaded his smooth, bald tip and teased his tiny opening. In another moment, they would switch, and Hannah would wring his shaft while Susan titilted the rim of his crown.

  Both girls knew what they were doing, and pyfully gnced at the expression Dudley tried to hide from time to time.

  "Good morning, boys and girls! Today, we shall delve into one of the most ancient spells in wizarding history—the Summoning Charm!" Professor Flitwick chirped, bancing atop a stack of books. "It's a rather useful little spell, quite simple too! The incantation is Ah-kee-oh…"

  Susan giggled near Dudley's ear right then and murmured. "Accio climax."

  Dudley held back a chuckle and pced both his arms on the desk in front of him. He felt their strokes increasing, but then Hannah, the ever-growing braver girl went further and squeezed his balls out of the zipper opening too. It was a tight squeeze but she succeeded.

  Hannah tickled and stroked his treasured pouch with her delicate little fingers, teaching the line under his shaft, down between his family jewels, and lower towards the sensitive spot hidden beneath.

  "Hm…" Dudley exhaled in insane arousal. It had been a week since the 4th year had started and many weeks since the Quidditch World Cup incident. All that time he'd avoided intimate exchanges and tried to focus on dealing with problems.

  He had a lot of pent-up sexual tension stored in those balls and it seemed the two girls knew it too.

  When no one was paying attention, they would add more spit onto their hands, letting it squish between their palm and his shaft. Then, smearing it all over Dudley's hard, swollen manhood. The barely audible squelch carried a tickle that aroused him even more, bubbling up on his flesh and rolling down on his sensitive skin.

  Susan would twirl her fingers around the rim of his foreskin, sliding the tip of her index finger up and down his toy-sized opening.

  Hannah wrung her circled finger around his base, sliding it up and down his throbbing shaft in a slow, agonizing rhythm.

  As Flitwick ended the speech, it became dangerous to continue. But the two girls seemed adamant about stroking him to completion. Their eyes focused on the professor while their hands left not part of him untouched.

  "Now, just as I demonstrated—flick your wands and speak the incantation clearly!" Professor Flitwick chirped, pcing a single silver cup on the table at the front of the css. "We'll go one at a time—no need to fret if it doesn't work immediately! Every spell takes practice!"

  Dudley straightened his back and whispered to the two girls. "Get ready, he's going to call names."

  Susan and Hannah were too daring. Not for a moment did they leave his throbbing cock alone, untouched. As they were sitting at the farthest back on the rightmost side, Professor Flitwick looked at Susan and called for her to try.

  "Ms. Bones, give it a try."

  This girl! Dudley noticed her flinch but she still didn't leave his cock alone. She stopped stroking, but her grip hardened around the base.

  Susan grabbed her wand with her right hand and pointed it at the cup. "Accio silver cup!"

  Woosh!

  Cnk!

  The cup flew and nded right in front of Susan on the table. Even she was shocked that it worked, evident by her even tighter, almost painful squeeze on Dudley's cock.

  "Splendid! On the very first try! Five points to Hufflepuff!" Professor Flitwick squeaked excitedly, summoning the cup back to the table with a flick of his wand. "Now, Mr. Dursley, let's see you give it a go!"

  Unlike most cases, Dudley wasn't worried about this spell. Although he devastatingly sucked at spellcasting, there were a few spells he'd trained from the beginning. Summoning Spell was one of them. It was the most basic and also the most handy one, after all.

  "Accio Silver Cup."

  Cnk!

  The cup once again nded on his desk, right in front of him.

  "Perfect! You next, Ms. Abbot."

  Hannah bit her lip, covering up an annoyed pout. She begrudgingly took away her hand since her right hand was dominant. She sat up straight under the eyes of the Professor and other students and started to wave her wand.

  Taking the opportunity, Susan stroked Dudley with a heated fervor, fully plunging him in her kneading grip from tip to base. With deep, wet strokes that also grow tighter and stronger.

  Dudley gulped, feeling on the edge. The fire in his loins was already gathering below, threatening to burst out from the constant milking.

  But then Susan whispered, "I won points, where's my reward?"

  Dudley smirked and replied. "Almost… Just a little more."

  "Accio Silver Cup!"

  Ting!

  The silver cup nded in front of Hannah. Of course, Dudley had made his girls practice too. There was no way he'd leave the two behind academically. He cherished his friendship and understanding with them. Without them, Hogwarts would have been utterly boring, he felt.

  "My goodness! What a perfect start to css!" Flitwick was jumping on his heels. It was common for Dudley to mess up his first tries but this time it had all been perfect. "Let's continue then!"

  Hannah gently leaned towards her desk once more and secretly spat in her hand. She extended her hand under the desk, and quickly found the full throbbing erection she yearned for. Though, she first swatted Susan's hand away as she was hogging all of Dudley's cock.

  Dudley chuckled a bit, amused by the two milkmaids eager for work. He rexed a little when Susan let go, but suddenly felt tense again when Hannah polished his swollen head with her cold hand.

  Both girls settled on one end of his lengthy cock. Susan worshiped his family jewels and teased his base endlessly; while Hannah stroked his knob and polished his crown. Both girls met in the middle as they stroked, the random and different sensations flooding his senses. It was as if his body didn't know if it should thrust or pull out, coming and going with intense pleasure.

  Their hands stroked him, gliding smoothly over all the saliva.

  However, the rest of the css didn't go as smoothly for Flitwick. Other students hadn't succeeded as easily as Dudley and his girls. The flying cups took everyone's attention away, afraid they would miss the chance to dodge a random cannonball-like silver cup.

  While everyone was focused on their spellcasting, the girls were focused on the pulsing flesh on their palms.

  They could feel his throbs and twitches, and they knew he was close. So they start stroking him harder, their spit squelching around between their fingers. The sounds almost became audible, wet and sticky, and as naughty as they remembered.

  "Hm…" Dudley warned them with a hum.

  "Time for the reward." Susan muttered and 'accidentally' knocked her wand off the table. She dove under the table and tucked her head under the bck robe.

  Without missing a beat, she swatted Hannah's hand away and used both hands to stroke Dudley's sizable erection, pulling down his foreskin eagerly. Her craving hot breath blew onto his sensitive tip.

  Parting her lips, she quickly suckled onto his twitching head, plunging him deep into her throat in one go.

  Dudley almost jolted when he felt the sudden heat enveloping his cock, milking him with intense sucks. His stomach contracted, and the muscles of his neck struggled to gulp. In shock and pleasure, he whispered curses while breathing through his teeth. His fists balled up on the table until his knuckles turned white, he had to focus on keeping himself from making a sound. But the pleasure was too unbearable.

  Hannah, annoyed that she had to stop teasing Dudley, sat back in her seat. She crossed her arms irately and watched the bck robe on his p move up and down.

  Under the robe, Susan sucked and slurped each line of dripping slobber off of Dudley's iron-hard erection, letting it drip back down onto the head of his cock from the tip of her tongue before bobbing her head up and down on it. She took him deep into her throat, her lips forming a vacuum seal around his shaft. Her hands also stroke him around the base the whole time.

  Unable to hold it anymore, Dudley finally pced a palm on her head as a sign. He held her there with his cockhead stuck inside her bulging cheeks, suckling him constantly while her tongue danced around his crown.

  Susan locked her lips tightly around the rim of his cockhead. Her fist was still stroking his twitching, rigid shaft.

  It wasn't long before that blissful eruption gripped Dudley's core, his muscles cramped, legs tensing and twitching until they hurt. Lightning bolts of fulfillment finally struck, again and again, releasing hot bursts of batter into that sweltering mouth. He could almost feel his body jolt with each heavy spray.

  Weeks' worth of viscous, scentful, sticky cream spilled into Susan's mouth and coated her throat. He could even feel the thickness of that climax as it traveled out of him. It was so much that she gulped it down once and almost choked as more of it filled her mouth. But she never coughed and kept stroking him, squeezing every st drop into her mouth.

  She pped it all up like a master, her gulps even audible to Dudley. But she had to be fast and almost fucked her face with his calming cock, squeezing out every st drop and washing him clean with her spit.

  "Huh…" Susan finally sat back and wiped the corner of her lips with a satisfied smile. "That was a lot."

  "Hmph." Hannah scoffed from the side.

  Dudley chuckled and pushed the bck robes over Hannah's p and quickly started touching her under her skirt. His finger started teasing the bridge of her panties, her meaty, full thighs the source of his joy every time. "Shh… I'll give you the whole course ter."

  "Fine." Hannah spread her legs a little and let him touch to his heart's content for the remainder of the css. Not that she hated it, after all.

  Susan heard them and chimed. "Me too."

  "Both of you," Dudley responded.

  Joining Hufflepuff was the best decision of this life.

  He truly believed that at that point.

  ####

  It was summer and the breeze was nice outside. With Hannah and Susan, Dudley went out of the castle after the st css. Although the desired destination was the rge tree beside the ke, best for some privacy, it quickly turned into a rge gathering as he heard Harry, Hermione, and Ron joining him.

  Then that led to more additions, such as Neville, Parvati, Lavender, Ginny, and even a few from Ravencw.

  In the end, Dudley sat by the tree, his back resting against the trunk. Beside him and around him sat the others in a circle, all chatting and basking in the sunlight. Most were excited about the upcoming Triwizard tournament. Many wondered what the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would be like.

  "I'm relieved none of us have to take part," Hermione said, sitting primly with her knees folded to one side, a book banced in her hand, right in front of Dudley.

  Ron rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Bullocks. I wanted in on it. Why'd the Ministry even bother? It's like putting the best apple right in front of us and saying we can't have a bite."

  Dudley chuckled and took Hermione's side on that. "She's got a point, mate. Ever wonder why they scrapped the tournament after 1792? Too many champions ended up dead. And if it was too dangerous for them back then—when people were a lot tougher than we are now—just think how bad this Triwizard Tournament must be."

  "Exactly!" Hermione excimed. "I read about it and…"

  Hermione went on to eborate on the history of the Triwizard tournament. For once, everyone there listened to her intently.

  "Why even bother, then?" Lavender huffed. "That's like saying everyone's life matters—except the seventh years!"

  "That's pretty much it," Dudley replied and raised his head high, then his arm, waving at a certain, curious blonde girl in the distance. "Luna! Here."

  Probably on her hunt for some mysterious creature, the petite girl smiled and skipped over to their little crowd.

  "Hi, Dudley. Hi, Harry. Hello, Ron. Hi, Hermione…"

  She actually greeted everyone by their name.

  "Come on, take a seat," Dudley offered.

  Luna looked left and right at the circle. Then, she stepped forward between Harry and Ron and instead of sitting down, walked over to Dudley. Once in front of him, she turned around and sat down between his extended legs.

  "Wha…" Even he was a little shocked by her unashamed closeness.

  "Hm…"

  Hannah and Susan, on his left and right, reacted by crossing their arms. If eyes could kill, this was the moment.

  "What are you doing?" Dudley asked the curious girl.

  But it backfired on Dudley.

  In response, Luna leaned further back into him, her soft bottom smashing against his groin, and her slender back pressing into his body. Her head only reached his chin, so she reclined her head back to look up at his face. "You said take a seat, so I sat down."

  She's so… Cute. Dudley looked at her face and just couldn't help his manhood from reacting to that feminine warmth. Heck, she even smelled peculiar but nice. His mind told him to wrap his arms around her doll-like frame and hold her there.

  "Alright… I guess." He didn't ask her to leave as that would have revealed a tent forming in his pants. It was raging by now and he was certain she could feel it too.

  Though seeing the expressions on the other girls, they didn't mind it either it seemed. Lavender was chuckling with a smirk, Hermione looked slightly uncomfortable, and Ginny was winking at Luna for some reason. As for Hannah and Susan, he only saw jealousy.

  Harry didn't seem that reactive, but Ron and Neville were a different story. They couldn't stop looking at Luna's leggings-cd legs as the girl stretched her legs out straight while reclining on Dudley's bear-like frame.

  "Oh, by the way, did Moody happen to show you all the Unforgivable Curses?" Dudley changed the subject.

  Don't… Don't hug her waist.

  The struggle was real for Dudley. Controlling that erection was impossible. He looked at Harry's face the whole time instead, trying to remember the madness that the school was soon going to face because of him.

  "He did, unfortunately." Hermione recoiled, her brows knitting together. "It was absolutely unnecessary! H-He used the Killing Curse—right on my desk—just to kill a spider!"

  "I wouldn't mind." Ron reacted.

  Hermione sneered at her friend and gestured towards Neville, who just stared at the grass. "They're called Unforgivable for a reason, Ron! They're cruel, they destroy lives—and casting one in a cssroom? It's barbaric!"

  "That's where you've got it wrong, Hermione," Dudley said, a bit thoughtful. "I don't think magic itself is dark or light—it's the person using it that matters. If Dumbledore used the Killing Curse in a fair duel against someone truly evil, that's justice. But if You-Know-Who did it, it'd be wicked. Locking up everyone who's ever used it without thinking about why… Well, that doesn't seem right, does it?"

  Well, of course, he was against ws like that. They left decent folks without the knowledge to defend themselves, making them easy targets when those spells were turned against them. All that would do is leave good people defenseless when trouble comes knocking.

  "Gotta agree there," Lavender chimed in.

  "Even I agree," Ron added.

  "But…" Hermione looked at Neville.

  "Hermione, that's a nice thought, and it'd be great if the world were fair and honest. But it's not, is it?" Dudley said and focused on Neville. "Oh, and Neville—hang back a moment after the others go. I'd like a quick word about your parents."

  Neville looked up with a confused frown. "W-What?"

  "It's confidential."

  As if Susan and Hannah heard his thoughts, the two girls stood up and patted their backs clean.

  Dudley did the same, finally gripping Luna's thin waist with his two hands and lifting her up to her feet with him. The softness, the squishiness of her waist almost made Dudley worry that he'd break her.

  Jesus! Someone needs to start feeding this girl.

  He used Luna's cover to fix his erection before moving the girl away. "You know what, Neville? Let's go for a walk. Give them a bit of space to chat, yeah?"

  "I'm going back to the dorms." Susan shrugged. "Still working on that study material you gave."

  "I'll go help her." Hannah put her arm around Susan's shoulder.

  Dudley gave them a nod and a wink. The pn was to meet after dinner for their nightly meeting, after all. And since he had unrestricted access to the Arithmancy cssroom, he had all the space needed to py with the two.

  Soon, Neville hesitantly followed Dudley alongside the ke.

  "W-What did you want to talk about?" Neville asked, trying to pace himself but always falling behind due to his hesitant steps.

  What a ruined potential. Talk about one old hag ruining a wizard's potential.

  "Can I see your wand?" Dudley asked. "You can check mine if that makes it better."

  Neville hesitantly took out his wand and handed it over. He'd heard nothing but great things about Dudley from Harry over the past four years, after all.

  Dudley exchanged it with his own. "Damn, it's a rather nice-looking wand, isn't it?"

  Neville proudly smiled and nodded. "I-It's my father's wand."

  "What?" Dudley stopped short and turned to face Neville, blinking in surprise. "No wonder you suck at magic."

  My acting skills are getting better.

  Embarrassed, Neville didn't even respond to that belittling.

  Dudley got closer and patted Neville's shoulder. "Mate, haven't you heard the first rule of wands? It's Ollivander's whole thing—the wand picks the wizard. Tell me, didn't Ron get better st year?"

  Neville frowned and nodded. "H… He did, I think."

  "Well, Ron was using a hand-me-down wand until he broke it in his second year. I don't know how big of a difference it causes, but owning a wand that doesn't match you has got to have some setbacks, don't you think? Why don't you buy one at Ollivanders?"

  "M-My grandma won't…"

  "She doesn't have to know," Dudley replied and started walking again. "Just pop into Ollivander's next time you're in Diagon Alley. Mention my name, and he'll sort you out with a wand—no charge. Owes me that much after I helped him expand to America and Europe. I've even got three shops next to his on one side and four on the other—ah, never mind that. Just do it, and you can square things with me once you've graduated and got yourself sorted, yeah?"

  Neville scratched his head awkwardly. "Why are you helping me?"

  "Why not? You're my friend by proxy, aren't you? And I think you can be a pretty decent wizard, it's pretty much in your blood." He hesitated for a moment before shifting the subject.

  "Listen, I wanted to talk about your parents. I read up a bit on the Cruciatus Curse, and from what I gather, it fries the brain. The thing is, wizards aren't exactly advanced when it comes to treating injuries beyond flesh wounds and broken bones. So, hear me out—you should have them seen by a top-css Muggle hospital, one that specializes in brain injuries. They might be able to help in ways wizarding folk can't."

  Neville understood that Dudley's intentions were kind and didn't react like he would have otherwise when someone mentioned his parents. "Muggles are that advanced?"

  "Hah, mate. Muggles built machines that fly, weapons that could level Hogwarts in the blink of an eye. So yeah, they've got MRIs and all sorts of brain injury cures. I know your gran might not see it that way—probably doesn't realize how far Muggles have come. But don't let that sort of prejudice stop you. If nothing else, an MRI could at least tell you whether your parents have a chance of getting better or not."

  That part hurt deeply.

  Neville clenched his fist. "They really can?"

  Of that, Dudley was sure. "They can, yeah. The machines can tell if the damage to the mind is too far gone. But look at it another way—if Muggle machines can spot exactly which bit of the brain is hurt, then maybe there's a potion that could heal just that bit. Mixing Muggle and magical medicine might be exactly what your parents need."

  It was barely anything. But it all signified hope for Neville.

  Finally, Neville inhaled a deep breath and nodded his head. "I'll try to convince my grandma. I promise."

  "If you do, just give me a shout. I can tell you the right hospital and the best way to go about it. Your parents will need the proper paperwork, or the hospital might ring up the police."

  "Thank you, Dudley." Neville handed back the wand.

  Dudley patted his shoulder and pushed him along. "Don't say it yet. If something good comes out of it all, buy me a nice meal."

  This was a long shot. Dudley had no reason to help Neville but he did it anyway. If something good came out of it he'd have the Longbottoms indebted to him. By proxy, he'd earn the gratitude of the Order of the Phoenix and most of Gryffindor.

  "Let's go back now."

  ####

  Time flew by quicker than Dudley expected. He spent most of it focused on Susan and Hannah, occasionally earning compensation from Professor Vector, and now and then offering Padma a bit of help with Potions. On top of that, he was deep in his own practical implementation of Professor Vector's research. There wasn't much room left in his days for anything but progress.

  Before he knew it, the 30th of October had arrived, marking the start of the Triwizard Tournament.

  The Beauxbatons students, led by their headmistress, Madame Maxime, arrive in a magnificent, light-blue carriage the size of a house, pulled by a dozen winged Abraxans. The students coming out of it were dressed elegant and graceful, wearing fine silk robes, and they shivered in the cold Scottish air right away.

  Dudley ughed from the balcony, admiring the magical carriage more than the occupants. He pondered how much it'd cost to buy.

  Soon after, Durmstrang made its entrance in an equally striking fashion. Led by Igor Karkaroff, arrived with his students in a massive, enchanted ship that emerged from the depths of the Bck Lake.

  Unlike the Beauxbatons students, the Durmstrang students were dressed in heavy furs.

  "What are they, monks?" Dudley commented, chewing on some caramel popcorn he'd made himself. "Let's just go back to the Great Hall. It's gonna be a neat feast tonight."

  "Seriously? The food excites you more than students from another magical school?" Susan asked, truly baffled by how her secret lover remained so calm while the rest of the school buzzed with excitement.

  Dudley gave a small shrug. "Well, aside from how we talk and what we wear, is it really that different? We learn the same spells, don't we?"

  "You sound like an old man sometimes." Susan smacked his arm away from her waist and grabbed Hannah before running over to watch the two schools enter.

  Dudley sighed and went to the Great Hall, taking his seat at the Hufflepuff table. Thankfully, the food was already on the table, likely meant to be decoration. So, he fetched himself a nice slice of pumpkin pie.

  Slowly, the entire Great Hall was filled with students of Hogwarts. Susan and Hannah joined him again on each of his sides. After that, the professors also arrived, including the Minister for Magic and…

  What the… Lily?

  To Dudley's shock, he saw Lily entering behind the Minister for Magic. There was also Lucius Malfoy for some reason, gring at Lily the whole time.

  What did she do now?

  Cck!

  Then, the rge gates opened.

  "Join me…" Dumbledore's voice roared. "In welcoming the lovely students of Beauxbatons."

  Dudley watched intently, expecting an over-the-top, cringy entrance with Fleur at the lead.

  He was left disappointed. The Beauxbatons students walked in normally, just waving at the Hogwarts students all around.

  Should have known once I saw the boys in their group too. Dudley munched on another piece of pie. Even from that distance, he saw Fleur appearing out of the ordinary. It was as if she was the center of attention from the get-go. All of the Hogwarts boys nearby were swooning over her, while the girls seemed annoyed.

  I don't see Gabrielle this time.

  Soon, the Beauxbatons students sat down at the Ravencw table.

  "Now, our friends from the North. Please greet the proud students of Drumstrang and their headmaster, Igor Karkaroff."

  Once again, the Drumstrang students walked in normally and took a seat at the Slytherin table, fitting to their style.

  "That was anticlimactic," Dudley murmured.

  But then, he suddenly smelled something strange. Something extremely nice, as if spring itself. Flowers too.

  "Ehmm… Monsieur Dursley?"

  Fuck!

  His head snapped to the side and there she was, in that silky dress, tall and feminine, silver-blonde hair with that ethereal Vee glow, Fleur Decour.

  "Ah, Ms. Decour." Dudley stood up, and as she gave him her hand, he held it and tapped a polite kiss, a common greeting for her. But it was surely too much for the rest of the eyes focused on him. No, they were focused on her.

  "Mon condolénces for what 'as 'appened, Monsieur Dursley. I am sure you must be devastated to 'ave lost your fazzer." Fleur paid respect to Vernon, and from the look on her face, it was genuine concern.

  "Thank you. And please, Dudley is fine." He tried to respond as formally as possible and send her away.

  But Fleur eyed Hannah and Susan and then looked back at Dudley. "May I sit wiz you?"

  Dudley's face fell. He felt it sharply on his back. A thousand eyes striking him like daggers.

  Goddamnit, now every guy in the school hates me.