"You didn't expect that?" Dudley sneered. "I think your brain has become senile and you've got Alzheimer's!
What were you thinking? Let me guess. You wanted Hagrid to lead us to get the The Philosopher's Stone one step ahead and leave Voldemort empty-handed?
And then lure Voldemort to Hogwarts?
After that, you hide the The Philosopher's Stone somewhere in the school, set up a few obstacles, give Harry some clues to guide him through the challenges, defend the The Philosopher's Stone and go head-to-head with Voldemort? To temper Harry in this way?"
Dudley analyzed Dumbledore's plan thoroughly in just a few words.
This shocked the old wizard greatly. He had thought Dudley would be smart, but he didn't expect him to be this smart. He fell into deep self-doubt:
"Is my plan so easy to see through?"
"Is it really something hard to understand that such a stupid plan has been seen through?"
Dudley's words were as sweet as honey but as sharp as a blade, stabbing Dumbledore's heart and making it go cold.
"Let's not talk about this stupid plan for now. I just want to ask you. Since you didn't want us to confront Voldemort at Gringotts, why did you spread the news that the The Philosopher's Stone was at Gringotts?
Wasn't it possible to keep the news under wraps and just spread the word that the The Philosopher's Stone had already been taken to Hogwarts?
If you couldn't keep the news a secret, why didn't you come and get it yourself? Didn't you think there would be dangers on the way?
Oh! You wanted to take advantage of Hagrid's weakness of having a loose tongue and leave some clues about the The Philosopher's Stone for Harry, so as to pave the way for the so-called tempering plan after the start of school, right?
You're taking advantage of Hagrid's trust in you! Hagrid, such a blabbermouth, revealed the vault number where the The Philosopher's Stone was hidden and the pick-up letter you gave him to Harry and me along the way, but he never revealed the fact that the treasure was the The Philosopher's Stone.
Just because of his admiration and trust in you, he endured the secret so hard, but he never thought that you had already spread the secret, let alone that you would turn around and use him!
Dumbledore, how great you are! How smart you are!"
Dudley said both the positive and sarcastic words, every word was from the heart.
Dumbledore, who had been using Legilimency all along, was so aware of it that he felt like spitting blood.
He didn't realize until he analyzed it that he had become so hypocritical, and he had never noticed it himself.
"Hagrid! I'm sorry! Harry, Dudley, I'm sorry to you! I just realized today that I've become a self-righteous old codger!"
Dumbledore shed tears of remorse.
"Don't be in such a hurry to cry!" Dudley still didn't let Dumbledore go. "Let me ask you again. You managed to get to Gringotts today. It wasn't because you noticed a flaw in your plan, right?
You saw my name on the admission list via the Entrance Book and the Quill of Acceptance of Hogwarts, right? You thought I had become a variable and came to take a closer look and figure out how to deal with and educate me next?
Also, are you sure you were blocked by the goblins and didn't rush to the underground battlefield until the last minute?
The timing of your casting Finite Incantatem was just too perfect, right?
If we're even one second late, Voldemort will run off with the fake The Philosopher's Stone!
Seeing Harry and me showing great might, you wanted to test our strength and give us some experience, so you watched the battle until the end. Am I right?
"I... You're right, Dudley! I'm sorry!"
Dumbledore recognized his own flaws and simply stopped covering up. He had met people who could read minds during his life. But he had truly never met someone as shrewd and ruthless as Dudley. Once Dudley saw through things, he would be straightforward and hit right at the heart of the matter.
He already knew that Dudley's character and will were highly mature. It was neither possible nor necessary for him to influence or teach Dudley. On the contrary, he, an old man in his hundreds, was the one who needed educating and guiding.
"You don't need to just say sorry here. If apologies were useful, there would be no regrets in this world!"
Dudley ranted excitedly for a while but only received a simple and honest apology, and suddenly he felt rather uninterested.
An elderly man, due to his great strength and kind nature, had won the admiration and support of many mediocre wizards. Accustomed to the role of guiding and leading others, but limited by his insights and character, he couldn't achieve perfection.
But he also had some mediocre good luck. Often, he managed to achieve his goals in a muddled way at the cost of sacrificing the strength of his own side.
Dumbledore was a good person but not a good leader.
If he didn't make a change and still wanted to hide in the background, being a lousy schemer and guiding Harry's growth, then Dudley definitely wouldn't allow himself and Harry to attend Hogwarts.
"I used your The Philosopher's Stone."
Seeing Dumbledore remaining silent, Dudley also lost interest in continuing to complain and argue. He said very straightforwardly, "Just consider it as compensation for making Harry and me bear risks for no good reason!"
"Harry, let's go. Time to buy wands!"
Dudley said these words openly and straightforwardly and was about to step away when he suddenly heard a voice from behind...
Obliviate!
Fortunately, he succeeded on the first try. Dudley immediately cast the Shield Charm to protect himself and Harry, but he didn't sense his invisible defensive barrier being attacked.
When he turned around, he found Hagrid pointing his umbrella wand at his head, and the white light at the tip of the wand had just faded away.
It was Hagrid who had cast the Memory Charm on him just now!
"Dumbledore, you really have quite a charm!"
Dudley, who instantly figured out what had happened, couldn't resist making another sarcastic comment about Dumbledore.
Obviously, Hagrid couldn't accept that there would be a blot on Dumbledore in his mind, so he actually took the initiative to erase this memory of his own!
Dumbledore was also deeply shocked. He never imagined that Hagrid would go to such lengths for him.
"Hagrid! I'm so sorry to you!"
"Professor Dumbledore, what are you talking about? What do you have to be sorry about? What's this barrier all about? Have you patched things up with Dudley?"
Hagrid, with his memory erased, looked bewildered. The questions that blurted out made Dumbledore feel even more guilty.
Dudley wasn't interested in wasting any more time. He grabbed Harry and walked through the soundproof barrier set up by Dumbledore. Before leaving, he said to Hagrid:
"Hagrid!"
"Watch over the things we bought earlier for Harry and me. We're going to pick out wands!"
"Oh! Okay!" Hagrid replied.
By this time, Dumbledore had removed the soundproof barrier and was standing next to no less than five magical trolleys filled with items, together with Hagrid, watching as Dudley and Harry entered Ollivanders Wand Shop.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"
Just as the great old wizard, who was renowned for his wisdom and resourcefulness, was feeling a bit at a loss and trying to figure out how to salvage his mistake, five or six wizards Apparated to Diagon Alley.
Leading them was the most powerful figure in today's British wizarding world - Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.