Chapter 124.
In the next few weeks, Madison would 'coincidentally' run into Dudley.
For example, an accidental meeting in the library, or bumping into him while working out at night on her way back to the dormitory.
Each time they would only exchange a few words, a few glances, a couple of accidental touches between their bodies, and Madison was confident that she had left a very deep impression on him.
Now she had suddenly disappeared.
Just waiting for him to take the initiative to find her.
Then one day passed.
Madison was not at all anxious.
Three days passed.
Madison sat calmly, fishing.
A week passed.
Madison thought that Dudley's will was really strong to endure for so long.
A month passed. Still no reaction from Dudley .
Madison began to doubt herself.
Still the same question, if her tricks were applied to any other little wizard, probably no one in Hogwarts could withstand it, not even Saint Potter.
But it just happened to be used on Dudley .
"How could this be? There must be something wrong." She bit her lip and began to recall her experiences during this time.
There was no problem; every detail was flawless, absolutely perfect.
But what was going on? Was her charm ineffective?
Madison glanced at her roommates, who were surrounding her with flattering expressions.
Her charm was more powerful than that of the original Veela; it was undeniable that even little wizards would be unable to resist, and it worked on both genders.
So it wasn't her problem.
Could it be that Mr. Dursley doesn't like girls?
At that moment, Dudley appeared alongside Hermione and walked past her, with his gaze fixed solely on Hermione, a gentle look that seemed to melt her, never leaving her for a moment, and certainly not falling on Madison.
"He does like girls!" That was Madison's first thought, and an inexplicable anger immediately surged within her.
"What am I lacking compared to that Granger? Those big front teeth and messy hair, she doesn't know how to dress, and compared to me, she looks like a village girl."
"Losing to someone like that... I refuse to accept it!" With a crack, Madison crushed the feather quill in her hand.
Veela become very powerful when excited, and they have bad tempers, easily stirred up. While Madison inherited her mother's beauty and charm, she also inherited these flaws.
She shook off her roommates and stormed back to her bedroom.
Then she pulled out a sparkling gem-encrusted crown from a trunk under her bed, with a famous saying inscribed on the bottom edge—"wisdom is humanity's greatest wealth."
She had found it not long after enrolling in a magical room on the eighth floor.
The diadem of Ravenclaw.
The relic of Lady Ravenclaw among the four great founders of Hogwarts.
After a brief hesitation, Madison gently placed the crown on her head and closed her eyes.
"Golden Diadem, oh golden Diadem, please tell me, how can I win the heart of a wizard?"
Madison's voice echoed in the bedroom, and the crown emitted a faint glow, as if communicating with her.
———————
October arrived, bringing a damp coldness that permeated the air and seeped into the castle.
The cold was suddenly spreading among the students, leaving Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, flustered.
Fortunately, the common cold hardly posed any threat to wizards.
With a few potions downed, they quickly recovered their spirits.
"Hey, Potter, if I were you, I wouldn't attend that ghost's deathday party." Malfoy was fiddling with a gilt wand that Dudley had given him for his birthday.
Last year he gave Dudley one, and this year Dudley returned the favor.
This wasn't just any ordinary wand; it had been modified with many magical enhancements by Dudley .
It was clear that Malfoy was quite taken with it.
"Remember your identity; we are the living."
Harry received an invitation to Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington's four hundredth deathday party and was unsure whether to attend, so he sought out his friends.
Malfoy's remark about remembering one's identity annoyed Harry: "I don't think attending a ghost's deathday party is something to be ashamed of."
Seeing Harry didn't understand his meaning, Malfoy merely shrugged, indicating that it was up to him.
Like his suggestion or not.
Then he approached Ron, expressing a desire to have an exciting game of Gwent.
"Harry, he is not wrong this time," Dudley's voice echoed behind them. "It definitely won't be a pleasant experience for a living person to attend a ghost's anniversary."
"Why?" Hermione put down her book and asked seriously. "I think it could be a wonderful experience."
If Miss Know-it-all doesn't know the answer, it can only be one reason—it's not written in the book.
"Maybe you've gotten used to the ghosts at Hogwarts and think they are no different from ordinary people, but that viewpoint is undoubtedly wrong."
"They are deceased beings from the other world and dislike everything living. Their hearing and senses are also vastly different from ours."
Dudley began to educate others about ghosts.
"The most important point is that the things ghosts 'consume' are vastly different from what we do."
"If you want to listen to music that sounds like sawing wood in the biting cold winds, while enjoying pastries crawling with maggots and juices that smell foul, then you can try to experience it."
"I see." Hermione nodded, reopened her book, and said decisively, "I think I'll pass on this wonderful experience."
Harry didn't quite understand how to refuse. Even after Dudley's explanation, he still couldn't bear to turn down Sir Nicholas.
So he looked towards Ron.
"My friend, you surely don't think I should starve and freeze, right?"
Ron shook his head swiftly, like a rattle.
He was refusing.
Both with his spirit and body.
If he didn't know what the situation was and could go with Harry one more time, now that he knew what it was really like, only a ghost would go.
"I still want to enjoy delicious food in a warm main hall." Even Neville said the same.
"Harry, I think you should learn to say no," Dudley patted Harry on the shoulder. "Do you remember the first word I learned?"
Harry blurted out, "Absolutely not?" He was all too familiar with Dudley's affairs.
"That's right." Dudley nodded. "Sometimes, learning to say no isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Learning to refuse isn't a bad thing, especially when it comes to things you simply can't accomplish or are extremely unwilling to do.
Dudley said this while looking toward the other side of the castle corridor. "And I think we have company."
Following Dudley's line of sight, they saw a small witch with silver eyes, dark golden-brown hair, and pale skin, walking barefoot in Hogwarts Castle.
***
If you want to read more while supporting me ☺️, you can join me on patreon.com/EmptyThoughts ;Thanks.