Chapter -71.
So, Dudley's little venture into selling experimental equipment didn't last long. Just a week later, he got a message from Malfoy saying, "Dudley, someone reported you for misusing Muggle items."
It's kind of funny to think about this rather dull-sounding place in the Ministry of Magic called the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. A lot of folks assume it's all about stopping wizards from using Muggle stuff, but that's not quite right. They mainly deal with wizards who cast spells on Muggle items, which can lead to some pretty dangerous situations for regular people.
You see, some wizards, feeling a bit bored, like to enchant everyday items and then sell them back to Muggles. This can cause all sorts of trouble and goes against the International Confederation of Wizards' secrecy laws. Dudley's uncle, Arthur Weasley, works there, confiscating these enchanted items. But don't worry too much; most wizards aren't into that kind of mischief, so the department is usually pretty quiet.
When Harry heard the news from Malfoy, he jumped up, looking anxious. "What? What should we do? Dudley won't get in trouble, right?" He was more worried about Dudley than himself.
"Relax, Harry. There's nothing to worry about," Hermione said calmly, putting her book down. The Ministry doesn't actually stop wizards from using Muggle items; it's just that most wizards don't know how to use them and don't bother to learn. That's why you don't see many Muggle items in the wizarding world.
A lot of wizards think it's the Ministry's fault for not using Muggle products, but really, it's just a habit they've formed over time. Even if they did use them, they'd probably just get a little chat from the Ministry, nothing serious. Just like Hermione said, it's all good!
"Exactly! Miss Granger is right; Dudley won't be in any trouble," Malfoy added.
Harry didn't like how Malfoy casually called Dudley by his name, but he quickly brushed it off. Their earlier fight had actually helped; at least they weren't at each other's throats anymore, even if they still threw some playful jabs now and then.
"But we might not be able to keep selling those experimental items," Malfoy continued.
Since someone reported it, the Ministry would have to look into it, but Dudley was just a minor wizard, so he probably wouldn't even get a warning.
"What? Why?!" Ron exclaimed, clearly upset. He had just started to enjoy the thrill of making some money and was planning to buy things for his family. Now, it seemed like that was all slipping away.
It's worth mentioning that Ron had never had a single sickle to his name before this.
"Who would do something so sneaky?" Ron grumbled, feeling frustrated that just as he was starting to enjoy having a little cash, it was all being taken away.
"Who else could it be? It's got to be those annoying Gryffindors," Malfoy sneered, "Who else would be that bored?"
Of course, their little money-making scheme was pure profit, so it was natural for some to feel envious. No one in Slytherin would dare mess with Dudley, and Ravenclaw wasn't that interested, so it had to be Gryffindor.
But then Malfoy realized there were only three Gryffindors in the room.
Harry didn't care about the house rivalry; he just knew someone had messed with his brother, and he was feeling pretty grumpy about it.
Hermione seemed unfazed, as if it didn't concern her at all. She had never really clicked with the other Gryffindor wizards.
Ron, on the other hand, felt a bit awkward; he genuinely saw himself as part of Gryffindor.
"It's okay, if we can't do it, then we'll just stop," he said.
"I wasn't planning on doing it for long anyway," Dudley replied. He didn't really want to keep this up; it was more of a quick way to make some cash.
Muggle experimental equipment wasn't exactly a rare find; other Muggle wizards had their own ways of getting it. Dudley just wanted to make a quick buck to get by for a bit.
With Snape's classes getting tougher, Dudley had to stay on his toes, especially since the costs of materials were pretty steep.
But he figured he could choose to step back from this business; he wasn't going to let a report stop him. He'd keep track of this little debt and take his time; after all, they had a few years ahead of them.
By the way, since most young wizards had switched to using experimental equipment, Snape had sped up the lessons, finishing the first-year curriculum and diving into second-year potions content.
You can bet that this class would have the highest passing rate for potions in the O.W.L.s exams!
It was a win-win for both Dudley and Snape.
While Dudley was busy reselling experimental gear, he also had another project in the works—his old passion for writing novels.
Wizards don't have a ton of entertainment options; aside from a few board games (like wizard chess) and Quidditch, there's not much else.
They can read newspapers or books, but that can get pretty dull. There are no radio stations, no TV shows, and definitely no video games, which is why Quidditch matches are such a big deal; it's the only thing to watch!
Dudley figured this was a good place to start; everyone knows entertainment is a great way to make money.
His first step was to get involved in the wizarding community and build his reputation.
Writing novels seemed like the easiest route. He had heard of a wizard named Lockhart, who was a famous author. How famous? Almost every adult witch in the wizarding world was a fan, and he even held a third-class Merlin's Order medal.
Sure, you could get that medal through various means, like donating a bunch of galleons to the Ministry, but it was still pretty rare. The well-known magical zoologist Newt Scamander received the second-class Merlin's Order medal for his book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
Dudley tentatively titled his novel "Chronicles of the Dragon Lance" and had already written a good chunk of it. Now he just needed to find a wizarding publisher.
He wanted to give wizards a taste of the DND worldview!
Since Dudley was planning to step back, no one really had anything to say. After all, the idea and the items were his, and Ron and Malfoy were just helping out with promotion and sales.
Malfoy wasn't short on cash, and Ron, while lacking funds, was pretty easygoing and content with what he had.
Meanwhile, Harry was still sitting there, grumbling to himself about finding out who the "villain" was that reported Dudley.
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