Chapter -55.
The sky was beginning to brighten, as though a thin layer of light fabric was being drawn back to reveal the landscape below. A gentle mist hung in the air, softly draping the ground like a delicate veil. The atmosphere felt fresh and humid, complemented by a cool breeze that offered a slight chill.
Reluctantly, Malfoy arrived at the gates of Hogwarts at 7 AM, surrounded by peaceful silence, interrupted only by the soft rustle of leaves swirling in the wind as they landed on the ground.
Alone at the gate, Malfoy huddled against the door, muttering to himself for likely falling for this folly.
It was Saturday morning; he should be snug in bed.
Yet, deep down, Malfoy felt a sense of relief. Being fooled was far better than actually training with that guy.
And having to shout out those embarrassing slogans.
If he had the guts to refuse, he wouldn't have shouted them out even if his life depended on it.
But now, it seemed he hadn't failed to show up; it was the other person who hadn't come.
Just as Malfoy contemplated heading back to the castle, he heard a faint 'thud' behind him, rhythmic in nature.
Through the morning mist, a figure gradually came into view.
It was Dudley, dressed in a tank top and shorts, lifting two dumbbells as he approached Malfoy.
"I thought you would be late, but look at you arriving right on time," Dudley said, offering Malfoy a rare compliment.
"Uh…" Malfoy stammered, at a loss for words.
Dudley clearly had been working out for a while, meaning he had arrived long before Malfoy.
What time did he get here? Six o'clock?
"I've been at it for a bit," Dudley admitted, explaining he asked Malfoy to come at 7 to avoid interruptions.
Besides his morning workouts, Dudley also exercises before bedtime.
He has kept a consistent routine of working out twice daily for years without fail.
Exercise can indeed be quite addictive, especially as he witnesses his muscles grow and the strength within him expand; Dudley truly enjoys experiencing this transformation.
"Let's kick things off with some basic warm-up exercises, and then we'll go for a run."
Even while talking to Malfoy, Dudley continued to march in place, swinging the dumbbells up and down.
He glanced at Malfoy and mentioned, "Next time, avoid wearing robes; you might trip."
Dudley led Malfoy to a lawn nearby Hogwarts Castle and demonstrated a few simple warm-up exercises, essential for reducing injury risks and enhancing heat dissipation during training.
Initially, Malfoy dismissed the warm-ups, believing they were far too easy.
However, when he tried them himself, he felt clumsy and out of sync; no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn't match Dudley's effortless movements.
After finally finishing the warm-ups, Malfoy felt utterly exhausted.
But this was just the kickoff.
"Let's take it easy today; just three laps around Hogwarts Castle to start."
Dudley usually runs around the Black Lake, which is much larger, but Malfoy could barely manage even one lap, let alone three.
"No need to swim in the lake either."
Dudley not only runs around the lake but swims in it too! If Malfoy jumped in, with his small build, he'd probably sink after a few splashes.
The morning lake water was pretty chilly.
Still, Malfoy was unsure how long he could even handle running around the castle.
After the warm-up, he no longer dared to underestimate what Dudley deemed "easy."
With heavy feet, Malfoy started his exercise journey.
At first, he kept pace behind Dudley, underestimating the challenge, but soon he realized just how much he had overestimated himself; halfway through the first lap, he was already struggling to keep up.
Gradually, he fell further behind.
"I can't go on! I've hit my limit!" Malfoy exclaimed, his heart racing, breathing heavily, and his leg muscles burning.
For the young heir of the Malfoy family, reaching this point was quite an achievement. But Dudley wasn't his father; he wouldn't show any mercy. Dudley approached him with a serious face, pulled out a shiny object from his shorts pocket, and gave Malfoy a light tap on the back of his head.
"Run," Dudley said coldly.
"If you made a promise, you need to stick to it; that's the most basic requirement of being a man."
"That hurts!" Malfoy protested, yet when he showed no signs of running, he received another tap.
Of course, Dudley was careful not to hit too hard; otherwise, it might cause more than just a bit of pain for Malfoy.
Thanks to the magical eye's data, Dudley knew where to lightly tap Malfoy to make him feel discomfort without leaving any bruises or lasting effects. Malfoy, unaware of this, saw Dudley's serious demeanor and forced himself to stand and keep running. He knew that if he slowed at all, he would end up with a head full of bumps.
"Did you forget the slogans I had you shout? Let's hear them," Dudley prompted, giving Malfoy another light hit to the head.
The sting made Malfoy grit his teeth, but he threw aside his embarrassment and shouted them out.
Fortunately, Hogwarts boasted excellent soundproofing; otherwise, if this were a university dorm, Malfoy's cries would have woken everyone.
Dudley glanced at the silver spoon in his hand, the very instrument he'd used to tap Malfoy's head. Though he'd never understood its purpose, it turned out to be surprisingly handy as a teaching tool. It was simply very hard—Dudley couldn't even leave a mark on it.
As time ticked by, some early-rising young wizards began to peek out of their beds. A few boys and girls, who were accustomed to observing Dudley's morning exercises, leaned against the windowsill.
This time, however, they noticed that Dudley wasn't running alone; another familiar figure was running alongside him towards the morning sun. Thus, the young wizards witnessed an amusing sight: Malfoy was up front, with Dudley trailing behind him wielding the spoon.
Any time Malfoy slowed down even slightly, Dudley would give him a gentle tap with the spoon, and it appeared Malfoy was shouting something as he raced ahead.
While it was hard to make out exactly what he was saying, one thing was clear: he certainly wasn't calling for help!
Tl/N: If you want to read more [upto fifteen chapters] while supporting me, you can join me on patreon.com/EmptyThoughts ;Thanks.
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Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.
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Upcoming chapters :-
56. The five oaths of Malfoy.
57. Lilly used to say something similar.
58.Snape's Sharp tongue.