Harry Potter: From Muggle Cousin to Conceptual Wizard

Chapter 41: Doubts surrounding the wrongful conviction and the older student!

"I understand, Dali, I'll do as you say!"

Dumbledore snapped out of his shock and stunned state and, without much hesitation, immediately agreed to Dudley's plan.

His views and way of doing things are undergoing a powerful change.

"There's one more thing."

Seeing that Dumbledore agreed, Dudley immediately moved on to the next topic.

"Dumbledore, Hagrid has been wronged for far too long. You must clear his name and prove his innocence as soon as possible!"

This is also to make up for the mistakes you made back then! As the chief wizard of the highest wizarding court, Wizengamo, who controls judicial power, you are extremely lacking in the ability to investigate cases and determine responsibility.

The Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin was opened, and an unknown monster escaped, killing students in the school. At the same time, Hagrid's secret keeping of an eight-eyed spider was accidentally exposed.

Are these few facts enough to prove that Hagrid the spider committed murder?

Dudley's questioning plunged Dumbledore into memories.

"At that time, Voldemort, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, was an outstanding fifth-year student at Hogwarts. His exceptional magical talent and handsome appearance made him very prestigious among the students."

Voldemort claimed to the wizards from the Ministry of Magic who came to investigate that he had personally witnessed Hagrid's spiders kill Myrtle, and his followers echoed this claim, greatly interfering with the wizards' judgment.

Furthermore, Hagrid couldn't prove the Octopod didn't kill anyone, so I couldn't exonerate him or prevent his expulsion. I could only force him to remain at Hogwarts as a game keeper.

As Dumbledore recounted the history that had unfolded, a look of sorrow and guilt crossed his face as he seemed to recall Hagrid's self-erasing of his memories the day before.

But Dudley wouldn't tolerate Dumbledore's behavior and immediately analyzed from a rational perspective what Dumbledore could have done back then.

"I'm truly speechless at you wizards! How backward is your legal system! Don't you even know what 'presumption of innocence' means? If you suspect someone of being a murderer, you need to investigate and find enough evidence to prove it!"

Are you really asking those who have doubts to prove their innocence themselves? The inability to prove oneself automatically makes one guilty? What kind of utterly absurd logic is that?

Dumbledore, you think you couldn't exonerate Hagrid back then? You were just being thoughtless!

I can provide proof that Hagrid did not commit murder without even using magic or potions!

Your wizarding history books clearly state that Salazar Slytherin was a pure-blood wizard. Would the Chamber of Secrets he left behind be opened by a half-breed born of a wizard and a giant?

If this point is not convincing enough, then I would like to ask you, did you perform an autopsy on Myrtle after she died?

The giant eye spider kills people by suffocating them with its silk, corroding them with its venom, piercing them with its spider legs, or biting them with its mouthparts. Are there any corresponding traces left on Myrtle's corpse?

Could this be matched with the eight-eyed giant spider that Hagrid kept?

Even if the young Voldemort was cautious and careful, and made some disguised traces on Myrtle's body afterward, they could not withstand careful and in-depth examination!

Because after a person dies, the blood stops flowing, the difference between the poison from an injury sustained in life and the marks made up after death is obvious!

There's an even more important clue: Hagrid told me that Myrtle became a ghost after she died, right? Didn't you ask her what killed her? Did she ever see Hagrid's giant spider when she was alive?

The juvenile eight-eyed giant spider lacks the ability to kill a wizard with a single blow. If the spider had killed the person, Myrtle, the victim, could not have been completely unaware!

So, if you just put your mind to it, wouldn't it have been easy to prove back then that Hagrid and his spider didn't kill anyone?

Dumbledore, if you had done that back then, you could not only have cleared Hagrid's name, but also exposed the young Voldemort's disguise. At the very least, you could have convicted him of framing someone, or even discovered that Voldemort had opened the Chamber of Secrets and killed someone, and imprisoned Voldemort in Azkaban.

"If that were the case, could Voldemort still become the Dark Lord who wreaks havoc on the wizarding world? Even if he could, he would have to pay a much higher price!"

Dudley's incisive analysis once again stunned Dumbledore.

"Dullie, you are smarter than any Ravenclaw I have ever met. If I had your wit and wisdom, if you had been born a century earlier and I had met you sooner, the tragedies I have suffered would have been reduced by more than half!"

Dumbledore was overwhelmed with mixed feelings: guilt, self-blame, regret, and a sense of loss... Tears welled up in his eyes again.

"However, Dudley, the regrets of the past have already happened. The lack of ability and the complexities of fate have led to this outcome. All we can do now is try our best to make amends."

I will exonerate Hagrid as soon as possible and prove his innocence to all wizards!

Dumbledore made a guarantee.

“That’s not enough. Hagrid dropped out of school in his third year because of this. I hope you can take some time to tutor Hagrid, improve his spellcasting skills and combat proficiency, and make up for his regret of dropping out.”

Dali improved the requirements.

“Great! I haven’t taught a class in person for many years since I became the headmaster. You and Harry are welcome to come and audit the classes.”

Dumbledore agreed to the request without the slightest hesitation.

“Not just Harry and me, but also my parents, the Dursleys! Dumbledore, you don’t mind having two more older students, do you? This is the last thing I want you to do before school starts.”

Dudley didn't hesitate to add even more work to Dumbledore's already heavy workload.

Dumbledore was already stunned by what he had just heard, so when he heard Dudley's outrageous request, he didn't show much emotion and simply nodded in response.

He wanted to see how Dudley could turn two Muggles, who were already adults, into wizards.

……

Time had slipped into the dead of night amidst a great deal of shocking conversation.

The Dursleys had been waiting in the living room on the first floor and had prepared a sumptuous dinner.

After their long conversation, Dudley, Harry, and Dumbledore composed themselves, left Dudley's large bedroom, and walked down the stairs from the second floor to the Dursleys' living room on the first floor.

In the presence of Dudley and Harry, Dumbledore solemnly apologized to the Dursleys, especially Petunia, sincerely asking for their forgiveness for his inappropriate behavior and expressing his respect and remembrance for the Potters.

This surprised and bewildered Petunia and Vernon, but Dudley's explanation and reassurance helped them understand Dumbledore's intentions.

Penny recalled the moments she had spent with her 'freak' sister, and overwhelmed with sadness, she collapsed into Vernon's arms and cried.

After crying, the Dursleys forgave Dumbledore and were no longer as fearful and distant of the old wizard as before, essentially accepting him as an ordinary friend they were not very familiar with.

Dudley timely announced to his parents that the family no longer needed to go abroad, and in front of Dumbledore, he reached out his two hands and grasped his parents' arms respectively.

A miracle is about to happen!