Unlocked Ahead of Time: A D-Rank Regret!

"I... I..."

Tears welled in Petunia's eyes. The words reached her lips, yet she had no idea what to say.

Spurred on by Dudley, she faced her complicated feelings with such clarity for the first time.

She still envied her sister—envied her magical talent, envied the favoritism she had received from their parents.

But she could not deny that none of it had been Lily's fault.

Lily loved her and regarded her as an important member of the family.

And she, too, seemed to care about Lily and Lily's son.

"Vernon, I'm sorry."

Petunia took the handkerchief Dudley offered at just the right moment and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. Then, without any context, she turned sideways and said this to her husband.

Vernon pulled Petunia into his arms. Usually exceptionally dense when it came to certain matters, he understood his wife's meaning instantly this time.

"I understand. It's nothing, sweetheart. We'll do as you say. I'll listen to you."

Vernon held Petunia, his fat hand gently patting her shoulder as he murmured affectionately. His eyes had grown moist as well.

"All right! You win, my son." After a while, Vernon said somewhat helplessly to Dudley and Harry, "Go on, then! Let Harry go to that blasted magic school and learn how to wave around blasted wooden sticks!"

Dudley suddenly felt a little guilty, but he understood that this was merely the growing pain on the path to a harmonious, loving family life.

Harry, on the other hand, appeared even more at a loss. He had clearly been granted permission to attend Hogwarts and learn magic, yet he could not bring himself to feel happy.

They had never seen the Dursleys like this before.

[Ding—]

[Due to the host's intervention, the D-rank regret event—Unspoken, Conflicted Care—has been unlocked ahead of time.]

[Unspoken, Conflicted Care (D-rank): For a long time, Petunia Dursley had been unable to face her familial affection for Harry. She had taken the risk of raising him, yet throughout his upbringing, she had treated him with cold words and harsh remarks, providing only the bare minimum of material support.

In the original storyline, Petunia did not truly wish to accept Harry and wish him good luck until Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts, when members of the Order of the Phoenix relocated her to protect her from Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Yet in the end, she still failed to say the words aloud.

After Petunia Dursley died, Dudley of the original storyline followed his mother's final wishes and returned to Harry the blanket she had treasured for many years—the blanket that had wrapped baby Harry when he arrived at 4 Privet Drive. Even so, he had no additional words for Harry.]

Amid the temporary silence, Dudley received the system notification.

He was somewhat surprised. He had only intended to persuade his parents to accept Harry and magic, but he had unexpectedly triggered a regret event ahead of time.

Though it was merely the lowest-grade D-rank regret event, it was still an unexpected delight.

It was not difficult to see from the event description that the key to completing this regret was getting Petunia to personally express her affection for Harry.

Given the current situation, Petunia had already been deeply moved. All that was needed to complete this regret was an opportunity.

Dudley already had an idea in mind. Looking at his emotionally shaken parents, who were holding each other and weeping, he decided to put that idea aside for now.

For the moment, he would proceed according to his original plan.

The Dursleys had already permitted Harry to attend Hogwarts, but he had not yet laid the groundwork for his own desire to go to Hogwarts!

Better one sharp pain than a long one. While his parents' emotions were running high, he might as well settle everything at once!

"Harry!" Dudley said. "Go find an envelope, some paper, and a pen. Write back to Hogwarts and bring it here. I'll dictate, and you'll write!"

Harry abruptly came back to his senses and hurried upstairs to his bedroom to find the things, following his cousin's instructions.

While Harry was gone, Dudley said apologetically to the Dursleys:

"Dad, Mum, what I said earlier may have been a little harsh and made you feel bad. I apologize. But please believe me, I truly am thinking of our family.

Our family simply cannot resist the power of wizards and magic.

Dad said before that we could move away and run, but he didn't know that we've always been under special surveillance. We can't run.

That is also why Dumbledore had not mentioned matters related to wizard training, such as an Obscurial, in his letter back then. They can monitor our family's movements and keep watch on Harry's growth.

If some irreversible accident were about to happen, they could intervene at any time."

"What?!" Petunia and Vernon were shocked once again.

At that moment, Harry came downstairs carrying writing supplies, including paper.

Without the slightest intention of concealing anything, Dudley continued explaining, "Take kind-hearted neighbor Mrs. Figg, for example. She lives two streets away from us, yet she still deliberately came to befriend us.

And all those clever cats she keeps? It isn't simply because she likes them. They are pairs of eyes spying on us."

Dudley's words left the Dursleys and Harry shocked, and they could not help looking out the window.

"It's Tibbles and Mr. Paws!"

Harry sharply spotted the two cats at the street corner outside. As they licked their fur, they were sneaking glances into the Dursley home. Both were Mrs. Figg's beloved pets.

"How dare they..." Petunia's fiery side returned as anger overtook her.

"Of course they dare!" Dudley said with absolute certainty. "Without power, we can only be controlled by others. Whether their intentions are kind or malicious, we have no way to refuse."

Harry came down the stairs, returned to his seat, and set down the paper and pen. Seeming to recall something, he asked, "Cousin, could those strange people who saluted me outside in the past also have been..."

"That's right!" Dudley gave Harry an approving look. "They were all wizards, most likely Dumbledore's subordinates. They stayed nearby to protect you in secret, while keeping an eye on us as well.

Mr. Diggle, the one who brought me wizarding books, was extremely reverent toward Dumbledore when we talked!"

Silence. The family fell silent again.

Fear and rejection surfaced on Vernon's face, only for him to force them down.

Petunia's eyes were unfocused, and she looked utterly lost.

Harry, meanwhile, felt something he could not put into words. It did not feel like a good thing.

"Don't overthink it! A weak person's thoughts are nothing but self-inflicted misery!" Dudley snapped everyone out of it, then said to Harry, "Harry, write the letter!

Tell Dumbledore to send someone familiar with the wizarding world on July 31st, your birthday, to guide you in purchasing the supplies listed in the letter for learning magic.

Make it clear that I will accompany you for the entire trip."

"Yes, Cousin!" Harry began scribbling away at the letter.

"Duddikins, this is too dangerous. You don't need to go with him!" Petunia instinctively began worrying about her own child.

"No, I have to go! Not only will I accompany Harry to the wizarding world to buy supplies, I'll also fight to attend Hogwarts with Harry and learn magic!"

Dudley's tone was frighteningly resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

Petunia instantly recalled how she had written to Dumbledore back then, wanting to learn magic alongside Lily.

"Dudley, they won't take you! Hogwarts only accepts children like Harry—freak... children."

"Where there's a will, there's a way, Mum!"