Harry's Birthday, and the Visiting Half-Giant!

Even when they went to Diagon Alley and entered Gringotts.

Only then could they reduce the chances of Dumbledore Apparating right in front of Dudley during the operation and catching him red-handed.

Over the next two days, Petunia and Harry got along even better.

To outsiders who knew nothing, they looked just like an ordinary biological mother and son.

Of course, compared to her endless spoiling of Dudley, Petunia still treated Harry a little less favorably.

The moon was hidden, the stars were sparse, and heavy rain poured from the sky.

Little Whinging was soaked through late on the night of July 30.

Inside Number Four, Privet Drive, a two-story English house.

Candlelight flickered, ribbons covered the room, and the air was filled with a warm festive atmosphere.

The Dursley Household sat around the round dining table in the first-floor living room, silently watching the two-tier chocolate cake on the table as they waited.

Thin, colorful candles flickered atop the cake, reflected in the eyes of the two adults and two children like little fire sprites dancing.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock..."

Inside the mahogany grandfather clock, the pendulum swayed steadily, measuring the passage of time.

At last...

"Dong... dong... dong..."

The hour hand, minute hand, second hand, and the clock's chime all aligned.

They heralded the arrival of July 31, 1991.

[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully resolved the S-Rank Regret Event—The Savior's Bleak Childhood!]

[The Host guided Harry Potter throughout his childhood with a worldview and values that made evil seem righteous, while also doing their utmost to change the Dursleys' attitude toward Harry. As a result, the Savior enjoyed a childhood with ample material comforts, a rich spiritual life, and relative happiness and cheerfulness.

However, the Savior's personality has also shifted considerably, making the future less clear.]

[This regret has been resolved well.]

[Fixed reward granted: S-Rank Magic Item Fusion Opportunity ×1.]

[Additional rewards: C-Rank Magic Item Fusion Opportunity ×2; D-Rank Magic Item Fusion Opportunity ×1.]

[Currently possessed: S-Rank ×1, C-Rank ×2, D-Rank ×3.]

"Happy birthday, Harry!"

The system's reward notification did not distract Dudley. The instant the clock struck midnight, he and the Dursleys broke the silence and wished Harry a happy birthday in unison.

Harry Potter, wearing a colorful birthday hat, was overjoyed. Amid everyone's clapping and blessings, he was so overwhelmed that he started clapping along as well.

"Harry, make a wish and blow out the candles!" Dudley reminded him.

"Oh! Right!"

Harry came back to his senses, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes. After pausing for quite a while, he suddenly opened them, drew in a huge breath, and blew with all his strength.

The candles all went out, and the room suddenly plunged into darkness.

Petunia was just about to turn on the lights when a deafening bang came from the front door.

Then everyone felt the cold wind and rain-soaked mist blowing in from outside.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Outside the door, a huge dark figure took two annoyed steps back and spoke in a troubled rumble. He had accidentally pushed... poked open the Dursley household's front door.

Poor Mr. Doorknob had suffered an unbearable assault of brute force and been forcibly separated from Miss Wooden Door, leaving the Dursley household wide open.

Petunia jumped in fright. Vernon hurriedly stood up and strode over to the sofa, intending to pull out the long-barreled gun hidden in the gap behind it to protect his family.

"Don't worry, Dad! It should be a wizard from Hogwarts!" Dudley called out to stop Vernon.

"Dada, sweetheart, are you sure? I've seen those freak... wizards. They may be mad and irritating, but at least they're the same size as normal people." Vernon looked utterly stunned. "That thing outside... are you sure it isn't an elephant?"

In the flash of lightning, everyone caught a fleeting glimpse of the visitor's full appearance. He was an enormous human, around three and a half meters tall, with exceptionally thick hair and beard and a massive frame.

"Dursley, that's rude!"

The half-giant outside grumbled angrily. If the first floor of the Dursley household had had a ceiling higher than three meters, he would have squeezed inside to argue with Vernon instead of standing miserably in the rain.

"You must be Mr. Rubeus Hagrid, mentioned in Dumbledore's reply, right? How about we talk inside? I imagine a wizard trusted by someone as powerful as Dumbledore wouldn't be stumped by such a minor issue, would he?!"

Dudley led Harry to the small entrance corridor and looked Hagrid over inquisitively, employing a little provocation.

"Oh, Harry! You've grown so much in the blink of an eye! When I brought you here back then, you were only this tiny..."

Mr. Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant, looked at Dudley, who was packed with fat over muscle and extraordinarily big and sturdy for his age, and exclaimed happily.

Dudley was somewhat speechless. Just like in the original story, Hagrid really had no eye for distinguishing people!

He tugged his cousin Harry behind him, signaling for Harry to respond, while silently reviewing the regret event the system panel had just unlocked.

[Rubeus Hagrid—The Wrongfully Expelled Half-Giant (C-Rank)]

[Regret Event Details: During Hagrid's third year at Hogwarts, he raised the Acromantula Aragog and was framed by Tom Riddle (Voldemort) as the culprit who opened the Chamber of Secrets, released the monster within, and killed Myrtle Warren.

As a result, Hagrid was found guilty by the Ministry of Magic. His wand was snapped, he was forbidden from using magic, and he was expelled from Hogwarts. Only under Dumbledore's guarantee was he allowed to remain at Hogwarts as the Keeper of Keys and Grounds.

It was not until Harry Potter's second year in the original storyline that Hagrid cleared his name with the help of Harry and his friends.

Thus, Hagrid suffered fifty-one years of wrongful accusation and lost the opportunity to continue studying and advancing at Hogwarts.]

Dudley recalled the relevant plot as he read the system panel, but after only a brief consideration, he did not dwell on it. Harry's birthday and his own plans were more important at the moment.

"Mr. Hagrid, I think you've got the wrong person. He's my cousin Dudley. I'm Harry."

Wearing his birthday hat, Harry stepped out from behind Dudley with a curious look on his face.

"Oh... I mean, that's right!"

Hagrid was a little embarrassed, though most of his awkward expression was hidden by his thick beard and was not obvious. "I knew you were Harry. Your cousin is much sturdier than ordinary children, but he still can't compare to how I was when I was in school, haha!"

Hagrid tried to cover for himself, forcing out a joke that landed coldly.

"So, Mr. Hagrid, who was even sturdier than me back then, you've gotten too sturdy now and can't get inside, right?"

Dudley taunted him without hiding his sarcasm. "Looks like your abilities don't quite match Dumbledore's trust!"

"That's not true! I'm Dumbledore's most trusted companion!"