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In simple terms, the Disciplinary Group would be responsible for handling discipline, rule violations, and things of that nature. Its role would be to oversee student discipline and maintain order in the school.
And its duties would not stop there.
After hearing everything Dudley had to say, Dumbledore asked, sounding slightly uncertain,
"You mean the prefects?"
In truth, the prefects' duties were fairly similar to what Dudley had described. On top of that, they were also responsible for guiding new students and, in a sense, acting as assistants to the professors.
"Not exactly."
Dudley shook his head.
"The Disciplinary Group would stand above the prefects. It would be able to supervise the prefects' work, and its authority would not be limited to the four Houses."
"In other words, if I were a member of the Disciplinary Group, I could oversee all four Houses."
Prefects existed to manage the students.
So the purpose of the Disciplinary Group would be to manage the prefects.
You could think of it as something similar to a student council.
But... what Dudley wanted was not merely a simple student council.
Besides, Hogwarts already had something vaguely similar, although it was limited to the positions of Head Boy and Head Girl.
"If necessary, even if a professor broke the rules, the Disciplinary Group could evaluate the situation and impose punishment as well."
Not every professor had a proper worldview. Some simply were not worthy of being called professors. And in a school as loosely run as Hogwarts, hiring a professor did not even require any truly serious form of evaluation.
The very existence of the Disciplinary Group would serve to tell those people that if they were not fit to be professors, then they too could be removed.
That authority would be even greater than that of the Heads of House themselves.
At the very least, none of them were capable of directly punishing a professor.
In truth, the Disciplinary Group Dudley was describing was essentially a disciplinary inspection unit.
In short...
"Dudley, you need to understand that even a Deputy Headmistress like Professor McGonagall does not possess that kind of authority."
At that moment, Dumbledore was no longer treating Dudley as merely a child. The very change in how he addressed him was the clearest proof of that.
He was intelligent.
Extremely intelligent.
And also extraordinarily talented, especially in Potions. So talented in that field that perhaps he surpassed even that person. And with Snape teaching him, it would not be long before he became a true Potions Master.
"Then a group like that would need someone to supervise it."
The authority Dudley was asking for was simply too great.
Dumbledore had no way not to take it seriously. Once again, he looked directly at Dudley, trying to see the true motive hidden behind the idea.
"Of course."
Dudley nodded and met Dumbledore's gaze head-on.
"The Disciplinary Group would answer directly to the Headmaster."
Dumbledore did not get any of the answers he truly wanted. Instead, his mind was flooded with so much information that it became hard to sort through it all.
"You certainly know St. George's. And I'm sure you've looked into that school. What do you think of the discipline there?"
It was inevitable that Dumbledore would know about the Muggle school Harry had attended.
That much was certain.
"It truly is excellent."
Dumbledore nodded, praising it without reservation.
"You could call it the most peaceful public primary school in all of Britain."
It was not only universities that functioned as miniature societies.
Primary schools were like that too.
Children also had their own ways of social interaction.
"But it wasn't always like that. Bullying, exclusion, discrimination, and violence were everywhere."
Dudley explained,
"What I did there... can also be done at Hogwarts."
"You want to become a member of this Disciplinary Group. Or rather, I can see that you want to become its leader. That's quite ambitious of you. And quite confident too."
Dumbledore looked at him with a deeply complicated expression.
Unlike Tom Riddle, who liked to hide his true intentions, Dudley was far more like Grindelwald.
"Of course."
Dudley answered.
"I've never denied that."
"But all I want is to live a peaceful life, Professor."
"I want to spend a few peaceful years at this school together with Harry, Hermione, and my other friends."
"Professor, do you remember that before I came to Hogwarts, I asked you whether this school was safe?"
Dudley asked the question suddenly.
"That day, your answer was yes, it is safe."
Without waiting for Dumbledore, he continued on his own, as though answering the question himself.
"Without actually living here, I would have had no right to speak. But I've been here for months now, so I believe I've seen enough."
Dudley lifted his head, and two pairs of equally blue eyes met in the air.
This time, Dumbledore read absolutely nothing in Dudley's gaze.
There was nothing there except that vast blue, as broad as the sea.
"So let me tell you, Hogwarts is not safe. In fact, it is dangerous."
"Dangerous? What makes you think this place is dangerous?"
Dumbledore was genuinely confused.
In the entire wizarding world, Hogwarts was recognized as the safest place of all.
"Besides the deeply questionable quality of teaching in certain subjects, and the disgusting atmosphere among some students, there is also that dangerous individual who disappeared more than ten years ago."
There was no need to spell out who he meant.
"As far as I know, the entire wizarding world believes Harry killed him."
"If I were him, the first thing I would do upon returning would be to kill Harry."
The identity of that dangerous individual was obvious.
"And why do you think he isn't dead?"
At that moment, Dumbledore even forgot to eat his sweets.
Across from him, Snape no longer even knew what sort of expression he ought to wear. He said nothing either. He simply remained standing there in silence, his face expressionless.
"At first, it was only a hypothesis that came to mind. In the Muggle world, there's a simple logic: if no one saw the body, if no one confirmed the death, then it remains an open possibility."
"A great deal of evidence points to the fact that he merely disappeared, or went into hiding. Not that he truly died. Perhaps he's in terrible condition, dragging himself along in some corner somewhere, but in the end, he'll return."
"What the Daily Prophet said at the time was nothing more than a collective delusion. An entire group deceiving themselves because they wanted to believe it."
Dudley looked at Dumbledore, his words carrying another layer beneath them.
"In the Muggle world, I earned several certificates and degrees."
"One of them is in criminology."
He had completed that degree not long after starting the company.
Dumbledore neither confirmed nor denied it.
But sometimes, not denying something was already a form of admission.
Snape's eyes widened.
That man didn't die?!
That was exactly what he least wanted to believe.
"Then... what do you intend to do?"
Dumbledore's expression grew more serious, and his eyes fixed themselves on Dudley.
Dudley did not care in the least about that look. He simply raised three fingers.
"There are only three things I want to do."
"Justice, justice, and even more bloody justice. Exactly like what I did at St. George's while I was there."
"And then... unite every force that can be united."
Justice was the foundation of everything.
"Dudley, it isn't good to use language like that, especially when you're still only a child."
"I'm not an ordinary child like the others."
Dumbledore looked at Dudley again and could not help noticing his height.
"..."
"I need to think about it."
He did not agree immediately, but neither did he refuse.
After placing another honey sweet into his mouth, he said,
"This matter is extremely important. The authority you're asking for is far too great. I may not be able to give you that."
Supervising the prefects' work and overseeing students from all four Houses were, in truth, manageable matters.
But the part involving professors...
The professors who took positions at Hogwarts signed contracts with the school. And only the Headmaster possessed the authority to dismiss or punish them. The problem was that the Headmaster simply could not pass that power on to someone else.
Unless Dudley somehow managed to obtain an equivalent level of authority.
"You need to understand that I'm only the Headmaster here. I still answer to the school board."
Dudley could not stop the curse that rose in his mind.
"..."
You old fox. I don't believe a word of that.
After staying a little longer, Dudley left the Headmaster's office. Everything that needed to be said had already been said. And by his estimate, the Halloween feast should be starting soon as well.
Not long after Dudley left, Dumbledore turned to Snape and asked softly,
"Severus, what do you think of him? I mean Dudley Dursley."
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