Chapter 339: Under Surveillance
Through almost all of August, Dudley noticed several more Aurors patrolling near his house.
On the one hand, they were there to protect his family. On the other hand, he was sure their orders also included keeping him under watch.
For Dudley, that was not entirely a bad thing.
At the very least, he no longer had to worry about Grindelwald suddenly appearing in front of him again without warning, or about other dangers sneaking up unseen.
Vernon and Petunia were now deeply anxious about Dudley's safety in the wizarding world. For the moment, he could only use his Beyonder abilities to calm and persuade them.
He also sent Dumbledore a letter, stating plainly that while he was at home, he hoped the Ministry would continue to guarantee his parents' safety.
Dumbledore agreed to his request, though it was clear there would not be a large number of Aurors assigned.
To make up for that, Dudley laid several defensive enchantments around Number Four, Privet Drive, and placed enough protections directly on his parents as well.
Those spells could not withstand a truly formidable wizard, but once any of them was triggered, Dudley would sense it and could rush back immediately to help. It was the best solution he could manage for now.
He had even suggested once that his parents move to Hogsmeade, near Hogwarts. They had refused.
They were Muggles. They would never truly fit in a wizarding village. Even if they moved, they would not belong. In the end, Dudley had let the idea go.
The new term crept closer.
Dudley and Harry decided to leave early, planning to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for a few days. Once they finished shopping, they would simply head straight to King's Cross.
On the morning of their departure, a Ministry car pulled up outside Number Four.
"Oh, Diddy, you must be careful, do you hear me?" Petunia sobbed, clutching Dudley tightly.
"All right, Mum. I will look after myself," he said, gently patting her back.
He was already taller than she was. He had shot up again over the past month and now looked almost like a grown man, though there was still a trace of softness in his face.
"Son, take care at school. If you really run into danger, come straight home," Vernon said, hugging him hard.
"No problem, Dad," Dudley replied with a grin, squeezing him back.
Then it was Harry's turn. Petunia and Vernon hugged him too and, just as reluctantly, gave him a flood of advice.
In the Ministry car, Harry stared out at Aunt Petunia, dabbing her eyes at the window.
"I almost miss the days when they did not care about me," he said quietly. "At least then I did not feel guilty about leaving."
"There are always ties, one way or another," Dudley answered softly.
Both boys fell silent.
The car carried them all the way to the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry did not quite know what to make of being chauffeured by the Ministry. Dudley, however, saw it for what it was: a convenient way for them to keep track of his movements and monitor him more closely.
Such methods did not worry him. If he wanted to slip away, there were more than enough ways.
As soon as the car stopped, Tom the barman came bustling out to meet them.
"Welcome, you two. Your rooms are ready. Your luggage will be sent straight up. Nothing to worry about," he said, handing Dudley a key.
They had barely stepped into the bar when someone launched himself at them.
"Oh, Dudley, Harry, I have missed you," Ron shouted.
"How was Egypt?" Dudley asked with a smile.
"Not bad," Ron said quickly. "But compared to what you two have been through, my trip is nothing at all."
They had already written to him about the broad strokes of recent events, though many details could not be properly explained in letters.
"Come on, tell me everything. I have been going mad these last few days," Ron said. "I nearly came to your house to find you, but Hermione warned me not to. She said if I did, the Ministry would probably arrest me."
"You would have been arrested, not 'probably'," Harry put in. "You have no idea how many Aurors are around our place right now."
"Dad told me. I know," Ron said, pressing his lips together.
"Let us go upstairs to talk," Dudley said, glancing at the noisy, mixed crowd in the bar.
"Right," Ron agreed at once.
"Where are your parents?" Harry asked.
"Out shopping. Percy got made Head Boy, so they are buying him new robes and so on. And Ginny needs her books," Ron said. "I told them I would wait here for you instead."
They reached their room and dumped their things. Ron was about to burst into questions when Dudley raised a hand for silence and began to inspect the room.
He opened his Spirit Vision and let his gaze drift slowly across the walls.
Before long, he spotted faint magical traces near the headboard.
He walked over and examined them. It was an eavesdropping charm.
He did not dispel it. Instead, he flicked his wand.
Hum.
Spirituality spread out from him. Invisible, transparent walls sprang up around them, cutting the three of them off from the rest of the room and isolating their voices as well.
"The Ministry really is listening in on us!" Ron said, scandalised.
"How can they do that?" Harry said angrily.
"Should we tell Professor Dumbledore about this?" Ron asked.
Dudley shook his head. "After what happened last time, his relationship with the Ministry has already cooled," he said. "Running to him with this would only put him in a worse position."
"Leave it. They will not be getting anything useful out of us anyway."
Harry nodded helplessly. "I suppose we do not have much choice."
"The wizarding world is getting messier by the day," Ron said gloomily. "Dad says I should be extra careful at Hogwarts this year."
"It should still be safe. Hogwarts is the safest place in the wor—"
Harry broke off mid‑sentence.
He had clearly remembered their first and second years. The words refused to come.
"Maybe we can only rely on our own strength now," Dudley said.
"What?" Ron and Harry both looked at him.
"The Kingdom of Order," Dudley said quietly. "It is about time it did something."