Diagon Alley Shopping, Hagrid's Long-Held Dream of Raising Dragons!

Gringotts, main hall.

Dudley and Harry rode the cart back along the route they had taken to get here.

But the place was already in chaos, crowded with people being soothed by another group of Goblins who had remained behind.

These people fell into two categories: reporters and Aurors.

The blasting curse Quirrell had cast earlier had affected the geological structure of the underground vaults, causing slight tremors throughout Diagon Alley.

Naturally, it had drawn everyone who needed to be drawn.

The Daily Prophet reporters stood around the outside, snapping away with magical cameras and relentlessly demanding to know what had happened from the Goblins.

The Aurors sent by the Ministry of Magic to handle the situation stood in the inner circle, seriously discussing something with Dumbledore, who had arrived after them but gotten there first.

Hagrid stood alone to one side. He was within the inner circle, where the reporters could not bother him for the moment, and with Dumbledore handling the Aurors, they paid him no attention either.

Dudley led Harry briskly over to Hagrid.

"Dudley, Harry, you and Professor Dumbledore..." Hagrid began in a conflicted whisper.

"Muffliato!"

Dudley first tested his wand a few times and cast an anti-eavesdropping charm. Only then did he explain solemnly and patiently:

"Hagrid! You are an adult. You should understand that a friend's friend is not necessarily your friend. What happens between us and Dumbledore has nothing to do with you, so there is no need for you to agonize over it.

"You only need to recognize one fact: Dumbledore is your friend, and we are your friends. That is enough! These are two separate relationships!"

"Oh! Dudley, Harry, you still consider me a friend! That's wonderful! You don't blame me for revealing your identities to Voldemort?"

Hagrid was beside himself with excitement. He ignored the part that had upset him and latched directly onto what he wanted to hear.

Dudley did not get carried away by Hagrid's excitement and continued, "Everyone has their flaws. You did not mean to expose us.

"Even if you had not revealed who we were today, Voldemort would not have spared us merely for the treasure. Besides, and this is the most important point, today's incident did not cause any serious consequences.

"So I can forgive your recklessness this time."

"If my cousin forgives you, then I don't blame you either, Hagrid!" Harry added.

"That's wonderful! I was terrified just now!" Hagrid wept with joy.

"But Hagrid, you need to learn a lesson from this." Dudley's expression grew increasingly stern. "If what happened today had truly caused Harry or me any irreparable harm, then even if you had not meant it, we could no longer have been friends.

"You should try to keep your friends' secrets and learn to assess situations better. Otherwise, in the future, Harry and I will inevitably hold things back from you—and we will hold back a great deal."

Hagrid's expression became complicated as well, guilt mixed with a trace of determination. "I understand, Dudley. I'll work hard at it!"

"It is good that you understand." Dudley's tone softened somewhat. "Now that we have withdrawn the money, it is time to buy our school supplies. You promised us this. You are not going back on your word, are you?"

"Oh! I won't go back on it, of course I won't!"

Hagrid brightened again. He glanced in Dumbledore's direction and pointed toward a side entrance of Gringotts.

Dumbledore spared a fraction of his attention to nod at Hagrid.

Only then did Hagrid turn back, intending to cover Dudley and Harry's escape from Gringotts through the swarm of frenzied reporters.

To his surprise, Dudley had already bent over protectively around Harry, found a Goblin to serve as a guide, and headed for a quiet exit.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Hagrid hurried after them.

On the other side, Dumbledore delivered his final words to the British Ministry of Magic Auror squad:

"Tell Fudge that Voldemort, that terrible Dark Lord, is returning! The Ministry of Magic must prepare for battle!"

Without waiting for the Aurors' reactions, he silently left Gringotts as well and quietly followed behind Dudley's group.

The Aurors present were so shocked by Dumbledore's news that they were at a loss. If anyone else had said it, they would have drawn their wands, subdued the person, and sent them to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for psychiatric treatment.

But these words had come from the mouth of Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the twentieth century and the uncrowned king of Britain's wizarding world.

They had no choice but to listen.

The Aurors exchanged glances, then Apparated back to the Ministry of Magic to report to Minister Fudge.

After the minor earthquake incident, although Diagon Alley appeared to have suffered no visible problems, fear of the unknown had left it much quieter for the time being.

It was nothing like when Dudley and Harry had first entered Diagon Alley on their way to Gringotts.

But that made shopping more convenient for Dudley and Harry.

At Potage's Cauldron Shop, they bought the equipment needed for Potions—top-of-the-line gear, four or five sets at a time;

At Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, they bought potion ingredients. Beyond purchasing more than a dozen sets of everything required on their Hogwarts letters, Dudley also bought a huge pile of other potion materials;

At Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, they bought more than a dozen sets of wizarding robes and formal wear in various styles that fit Dudley and Harry, all with automatic ironing and repair functions;

At Flourish and Blotts, they bought two sets of the standard textbooks used from first through seventh year at Hogwarts. Dudley also picked out some unusual books on spells, curses, and alchemy to fill the bookshelf in his bedroom.

At Eeylops Owl Emporium, Hagrid voluntarily paid for a snowy owl for Harry. It was a gift between friends, so Dudley did not stop him. Just as in the original story, Harry named the snowy owl Hedwig.

Hagrid had originally wanted to buy Dudley a pet as well, but Dudley refused.

"Dudley, do you really not want a pet? I think that gray tawny owl looks quite nice!"

Inside the owl shop, Hagrid looked somewhat dejected. He thought Dudley's refusal to accept his gift meant Dudley still resented him.

"Owls are not impressive at all! One for delivering letters is enough. Buying more is useless!"

Dudley grinned disdainfully. For sending letters, aside from his cousin's Hedwig, Hogwarts had an owl post office. Once they actually started school, there would be no shortage of owls to use.

"Hagrid, do not forget the compensation the Gringotts Goblins promised me. If you are going to raise a pet, raising dragons is far more exciting!"

After the group left the owl shop, Dudley revealed his true thoughts to Hagrid. "Didn't you say your dream was to raise dragons?

"Once we get settled, find a place. I'll write to the Goblins and have them send you the two dragons. You can raise them for me, and any eggs they lay will be yours!"

"Ah?!" Hagrid was dumbfounded. "Th-this... but Hogwarts does not allow dragons!"

"Be bolder and broaden your thinking, Hagrid! Once the dragons arrive, give them a little 'makeup' and say they are winged fire lizards. No one will be able to find fault with us!"

Dudley casually offered his suggestion.

"That works too?" Hagrid understood. A door to a whole new world opened before him.

Had he known he could do that, he would not have raised an Acromantula back then. He would have raised an ordinary spider whose body had swollen grotesquely after drinking a swelling potion!

[Early Unlock: Rubeus Hagrid—The Gamekeeper's Long-Held Dream of Raising Dragons (A Rank)]

[Details: Hagrid had always wanted to raise a dragon, but Hogwarts regulations prevented him from fulfilling that wish.

In the original story, Hagrid was deceived by Quirrell into trading the weakness of Fluffy, the three-headed dog, for a dragon egg. He eventually hatched a Norwegian Ridgeback and named it Norbert.

But in the end, to keep the school from finding out, Harry and his friends worked together to relocate Norbert and sent him to Charlie Weasley, who professionally raised dragons in Romania.]