Harry Potter: From Muggle Cousin to Conceptual Archmage

"That kind of strange thing like magic, Dudley, dear. We can't possibly control it. And those freaks with sticks in their hands are just too dangerous! Staying away from them is the best choice!"

Uncle Vernon still stuck to his own opinion.

"Then why did you marry Mom, who has a witch sister? Didn't you know about Mom's family before getting married? Didn't you anticipate that your life would be disrupted by uncontrollable forces in the future?"

Dudley suddenly changed the topic and fired three questions in a row, going straight to the heart.

After these questions were posed, Aunt Petunia, who was about to chime in with Uncle Vernon, swallowed her words. She couldn't help but look at Uncle Vernon, also eagerly awaiting his answer.

Similar questions had been asked a long time ago, before getting married, when she was still a young girl.

Looking back after all these years, it still overflowed with happiness.

"Because I love her. I love your mom, Dudley, dear!"

Uncle Vernon was silent for a while, as if surprised that his son would ask such a question. But soon, his eyes became affectionate as he seriously answered Dudley's question.

Then, he looked at Aunt Petunia, his wife, with extreme doting.

"Love can overcome all difficulties. Love can make me abandon the life principles I've always adhered to."

Uncle Vernon was acting like a philosopher expounding on philosophy, nothing like his usual self.

Aunt Petunia was overjoyed. She shyly nestled into Uncle Vernon's arms, flaunting their love.

Seeing this scene, Dudley wasn't surprised. He knew his parents in this life very well.

Uncle Vernon was big and burly, hated strange things, and had a bad temper. Aunt Petunia had a long neck, loved gossip, and was sarcastic and mean.

But they really loved each other deeply.

Those bad tempers were never directed at family members.

Well, except for poor Harry.

"Mom and Dad, although I really don't want to interrupt you, I think now is the best time to get things straight."

Dudley interjected inappropriately. Taking advantage of this warm moment when his parents were surrounded by love, he wanted to make them fully realize the importance of learning magic.

Hearing Dudley's voice, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia separated reluctantly after being all lovey - dovey and looked at Dudley again, waiting for what he would say next.

"Since a long time ago, Dad, you were able to accept Mom who is related to wizards because of love. Then now, please, Mom and Dad, continue the influence of this love.

Harry must go to Hogwarts to study! If you don't want to see Harry really turn into a monster! A monster made of black mist that has lost its mind and only knows how to destroy!"

"What?!"

The Dursleys exclaimed in shock.

Harry, who was sitting next to Dudley, also looked surprised and a little scared.

Apparently, the whole family was shocked by Dudley's words.

Dudley reached out and stroked Harry's hair to calm him down, and then began to popularize magic knowledge:

"If young wizards are in a repressive and negative environment for a long time, suppressing their magic powers and not receiving proper guidance, a terrifying dark power will be born within them.

Those wizards refer to this power as the 'Obscurus', and the wizards in whose bodies the 'Obscurus' is born are known as 'Obscurials'.

When an 'Obscurial's emotions and power are suppressed to a certain limit or suddenly triggered, they will completely transform into a terrifying mass of black mist, causing extensive destruction.

Mom and Dad, you've always refused to acknowledge Harry's magic and special qualities. You've ignored him and given him the cold shoulder. This is actually a rather dangerous behavior.

To be blunt, if it hadn't been for my guidance and support, Harry might have become an 'Obscurial' before he turned ten.

Considering Harry's kind nature, before completely losing his wits and causing destruction, he might have left us, found a secluded place, and gone to look for the late Aunt Lily and Uncle James on his own.

Wizards need proper guidance to better control their magic power and prevent themselves and others from being harmed. This is also why all wizards have to go to a magic school at the age of eleven to study."

Dudley spouted this half-truth, half-lie nonsense. In order to make his stubborn parents reflect thoroughly, he even made up an extremely terrifying consequence.

Sure enough, the Dursleys' eyes widened in horror.

"This... this... Why didn't they tell me about these things!"

Aunt Petunia completely lost her cool and shrieked, "If they had told me, I wouldn't, I definitely wouldn't..."

Uncle Vernon quickly pulled the excited Aunt Petunia into his arms to comfort her.

He was also extremely scared and felt very remorseful. But in this remorse, there wasn't much guilt regarding Harry's safety. Instead, it was mostly fear. He was terrified that his family had almost suffered misfortune.

In Uncle Vernon's mind, the meager feelings he'd developed for Harry over time were far less important than the safety of his wife and son.

"Sure enough, you still love Harry! Especially you, Mom!"

Dudley smiled, and he gently pinched Harry's palm.

Harry snapped out of it as if waking from a dream. The meaning of this signal from his cousin was... that what he'd just said was an exaggeration.

The heart he'd been holding in suspense finally relaxed. Seeing that Aunt Petunia was not in a good state, he quickly stretched out his hands and used the Calm Mind magic that his cousin had guided him to develop again.

Aunt Petunia's expression improved a bit. After coming to her senses, she quickly denied what Dudley had just said:

"No, I didn't. Who loves him?! His mother took away most of my parents' care during my childhood just because she could do that damned magic! I hate Aunt Lily, hate her to death! And I feel the same way about her child!"

Aunt Petunia's words, intended to cover up her true feelings, shocked Harry so much that his face turned deathly pale, but made Dudley smile even more softly.

Dudley stroked Harry's hair again. While comforting him, he corrected his mother:

"That's not true, Mom! You love Harry and you love Aunt Lily too.

If you didn't love him, you wouldn't have adopted Harry ten years ago.

If you didn't love him, you wouldn't have carefully hidden the blanket that wrapped Harry back then and the letters you used to exchange with Aunt Lily at the very bottom of the bedroom wardrobe."

If you didn't love them, shouldn't the right thing to do have been to send Harry to an orphanage when you read the letter left by Dumbledore back then and learned that Aunt Lily's family was persecuted by a powerful Dark Wizard?

"That's because the letter..." Aunt Petunia pursed her lips, still stubbornly wanting to deny such feelings.

Unexpectedly, Dudley directly picked up her words:

"Because in the letter, the protective magic that Aunt Lily set up for Harry by sacrificing her life can only remain in effect if he lives with Aunt Lily's blood relatives. Only in this way can Harry be protected from the harm of Dark Wizards before he turns eighteen, right?"

"Dudley, how do you know so much about wizards? And you actually sneaked into our bedroom and rummaged through it?"

Aunt Petunia was very puzzled and a little angry. She deliberately put on a really angry expression, trying to change the subject.

"That's not important, Mom!"

Dudley wasn't affected. Better to get it over with once and for all. He had been caught in the middle of his parents and his cousin for ten years and didn't want to compromise anymore. Today, he had to achieve all his goals in one go and stabilize the home front.

He continued seriously:

"What's important is that the letter only stated that Harry would be protected by Aunt Lily's protective magic, not that our family would be protected by protective magic too. And the Dark Wizard that Harry offended is extremely powerful. Under such circumstances, you still adopted Harry.

This proves that I'm right. You do have a place in your heart of hearts for Aunt Lily and Harry! You just don't want to admit it!"