Second Chances [The Dudley Story]

"Buddy, if you wanna survive this madness, you gotta loosen up a little."

"Snort crack to loosen up? I'd rather lick cyanide."

"Your wish—I was just saying, this place ain't for the weak. We're all chasing the same vault of gold, the question is who can outlast the others and grab it."

Dudley looked at the white powder on the table in front of him. He watched as those around him took some and did what they did. He stayed there, sitting, feeling like an outsider. A pressure arose, a voice in his head that told him to do it. Do it to fit in.

And then, he woke up.

"Ugh… Seriously, out of all the memories to dream of." He groaned the first thing in the morning, sitting up on his bed in the Hufflepuff dorm room. It was bright there, a theme standard all over the Hufflepuff common room and dorms.

"Morning, Dud."

"Morning, Dudley."

Dudley looked around at his dorm mates. The large, round room was spacious and homely, filled with large cupboards beside each bed, a table, and a chair, along with chests. But the fact was that he had to share the room with three other boys and that lack of privacy was annoying.

Heck, he didn't even bother with the boys he shared the room with. They were just friends by the virtue of being dorm mates. They talked sometimes, shared a meal together, and that was it.

Wish I could have shared a room with Hannah and Susan.

"Morning." He got out of bed, grabbed his towel, and brush set, and walked over to the boy's bathroom on the boy's side of the dorms. Once again, he wished he could share a shower with the two beauties of Hufflepuff.

After cleaning himself up quickly, he put on his school uniform and left the dorms. He looked for his friends in the common room, but noticing their absence, he headed to the Great Hall instead. Breakfast was still an hour away, but the benches of the Great Hall were the usual spots for most students to gather in the morning.

"Good morning, Dudley."

He waved and greeted back some Ravenclaw girl he didn't even know. For some reason, the attention he received from the opposite gender had increased manifold ever since the third year began. He reckoned it was his work during the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. But he was willing to bet that his rapidly growing wealth was also a spice in that concoction.

"There you are, Mr. Dursley."

"No good morning, Professor McGonagall?" Dudley smiled at the always attentive Deputy Headmistress just outside the Great Hall.

"A very good morning to you. But I'm afraid you'll have to wait to forward it to your friends. The Headmaster has summoned you to his chamber." Professor McGonagall revealed and started walking. "Follow me, I'll guide you through the path."

A private chat with me? For what? This was the first time Dumbledore had invited him to his office. Heck, he didn't even remember ever speaking to the old man one-on-one. Is it because of the thing with Susan and Hannah?

That felt like the only plausible reason. The school was indeed very strict on "fornication". But there were a bunch of other things, such as Lily's return, her displeasure with Dumbledore, and his recent bet.

He followed McGonagall all the way to the Headmaster's office. She then said the password and he went up the spiral staircase before finally knocking on a wooden door.

The door opened on its own, and he walked in nonchalantly, observing the Headmaster's office for the first time. It was just like he imagined, a large space yet cozy in its own way. Filled with portraits on the walls, books on the shelves, and god knows what artifacts here and there.

"Good morning, Mr. Dursley."

Dudley looked towards the side where the fireplace was. Dumbledore was standing there with Fawkes perched on his one arm as he caressed the red feathers.

"Good morning, Professor," Dudley greeted and stepped closer.

"Ah, I suspect the call of breakfast tugs at you quite insistently, so I shall be brief. I understand you entered into a wager with Mr. Malfoy a few days ago. Allow me to remind you that such practices are not sanctioned within these walls. While I may overlook a harmless bit of mischief, the stakes you set this time leave me no choice but to intervene," Dumbledore sternly said, lacking any hint of neutrality or gentleness that Dudley knew Harry received.

At least it's not about the girls.

Dudley thought about a counterargument quickly. "If I've been called here, I expect Draco has been too. Surely he's been told off for calling me—and Hermione—filthy Mudbloods? I'm sure there is no place for blood purist talks within these walls."

Dumbledore looked at him.

Dudley didn't look back. But he got the message. Draco wasn't reprimanded at all. Having a rich and influential father was one heck of a thing. And that was also infuriating to Dudley since he was also extremely rich now, sadly he still had a long way to go before gaining influence.

"Mr. Dursley, your intelligence is well known to me, and Professor Vector speaks of you often with great admiration—truly a once-in-a-lifetime talent in Arithmancy. Your success in wealth is evidence of your sharp mind, and I have no doubt it will continue to grow. However, I must urge you to remain cautious and steer clear of individuals such as Draco and his father. Though your fortunes may surpass theirs, they possess other ways of causing trouble, and one would do well to avoid their influence."

Since when did he start talking so straightforwardly? Dudley pondered what warranted that show of concern.

"I will… keep that in mind, Professor. But I can't back down from the bet now, or Draco will see it as fuel to blood purist fire. I may lose, and that's acceptable," Dudley replied and kept looking at the cute Phoenix. Looking at anything was better than looking into Dumbledore's eyes.

"And I assure you, Mr. Dursley, I have no intention of forcing you to retreat. My words are but a gentle caution," Dumbledore said, his tone calm as he moved from the fireplace to settle gracefully at his desk. "Now, there is another matter I must address."

No, no, no, don't take the girls away from me. What's the point of being rich then?

"Of late, I have observed a certain hesitancy within the Ministry regarding the continued support of our school. Moreover, the flow of donations has diminished, and the Board of Governors grows increasingly cautious."

Is he asking me for a donation?

"That… is a problem," Dudley muttered. But he refrained from saying further, wanting to hear it from Dumbledore's mouth.

"Mr. Dursley, I was merely curious—do your financial endeavors extend to managing funds for, say, a government, a business, or, in this particular instance, a school?"

Oh? Dudley instantly understood Dumbledore's intent.

"You want to create a Hogwarts investment fund? That's… actually quite a clever idea. It could make the school a lot more self-sufficient in the long run." Dudley did some mental calculations. "I could help manage something like that, for, say, a ten percent cut—um, how much are you thinking of investing, Professor?"

"Everything I own. With no heir to claim it, and a life largely devoted to this school, I would be most delighted to see Hogwarts flourish long after I'm gone. I daresay there are others who share such sentiments, and in the end, I believe the total shall be nearly three hundred thousand."

"Galleons? That's close to fifteen million pounds." Dudley calculated in his head. Heck, he would graciously add a few million from his own pocket as long as it got his name etched in the school's investor's plaque or something. "But, I think I might have a better idea, Professor."

"I'm all ears, Mr. Dursley."

Why look around for backing when I've got him? He can get things done much faster.

Dudley straightened his back for his pitch. "You know, wizarding banking is basically controlled by the Goblins. And just like in the Muggle world, monopolies never work out well. They stop healthy competition, and eventually, quality goes right down the drain. I've noticed it myself at Gringotts—how the Goblins look down on wizards when we walk in. They barely offer any service, and yet, we let them hold our gold. From my experience dealing with both muggle and wizard money, the conversion rates Gringotts offers are dreadful. The three hundred thousand you're hoping to invest should be around thirty million in muggle currency, but because of their monopoly, you'll only get fifteen."

"And what do you propose as a solution?"

"Competition, what else? My wealth has already surpassed a billion, and honestly, I can't keep going with Gringotts when I'm facing such huge losses. So, I've decided to start a new bank—one that bridges both the Muggle and magical worlds. Just like Muggle banks, wizards who deposit their money will earn monthly interest, plus a whole lot of other benefits. It's time the Goblins learned how banking should really be done. Of course, I can't manage this alone. I'll need strong supporters, backers with influence and wealth to make it happen." Dudley revealed his long-term plans. "I don't want the Ministry causing any problems for me, and I want to build a vault facility whose location will be kept secret, and the only way to access it will be using portkeys—for wizards only."

Dumbledore rubbed his beard, deep in thought. "Ah, I see. Was that the reason you made the bet with young Mr. Malfoy? To win his father's attention, perhaps?"

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