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The Ministry of Magic employee, faced with those furious parents, got to experience firsthand what it meant to be in a situation where, even though he could speak, he could not defend himself, while everyone pointed the finger at him.
His face, head, and entire body were drenched in sweat.
Obviously, he was the kind of person who had been pushed forward by his superiors to take the blame.
However, when a problem could not be solved, it only created even greater conflict.
His wand tapped several times in a row against the pillar of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
There was no reaction at all.
What was blocked remained blocked.
Even Mr. Weasley had been unable to do anything, so that employee, who looked like he had only recently graduated, stood even less of a chance.
Incidentally, Mr. Weasley had hidden himself before the employee even arrived.
Otherwise, he would have ended up becoming the person in charge.
"A small problem, a small problem. It was only a minor accident."
The employee became more and more anxious.
But the more anxious he became, the less able he was to solve the problem.
"Was it really only a minor accident, representative of the Ministry of Magic?"
Dudley took the initiative to speak.
The moment his voice rang out, the parents who had still been arguing with the employee stopped one after another and waited in silence for what he would say next, as if Dudley had become their pillar of support.
"First of all, we still don't know what the situation is like inside. Can you guarantee that there isn't a child trapped halfway through the passage? The kind who can't get out and can't come back?"
That sentence startled the employee.
It also startled everyone around them.
Until now, everyone had only been focused on the fact that they could not get in, without considering that an accident might have happened.
If someone really was trapped inside, the more they thought about it, the more frightening it became.
"This matter is beyond your authority. In my opinion, you should consult your superiors and ask them to send more people to deal with this. First, you need to check whether anyone is trapped."
At the end, Dudley added one more sentence.
"Before this causes an even greater accident."
The young employee from the Ministry of Magic also realized the seriousness of the problem.
Not daring to stay there any longer, he immediately went to contact his superiors.
Did they think they could simply find anyone to take the blame and close the matter?
That obviously was not going to work.
This time, the Ministry's efficiency improved considerably.
A middle-aged man who introduced himself as a director appeared in a hurry, leading a team.
The Ministry was also worried that some wizard, especially someone young, might have suffered an accident. Because of that, they immediately sent several wizards, including even two Aurors and a healer from St. Mungo's.
The idea was to ensure that, if something really had happened, they could provide help at the very first moment.
That middle-aged man was far more experienced and had much more authority than the previous young man.
As soon as he arrived, he made it clear that the Ministry would take responsibility for everyone present.
Right from the start, he promised to arrange a second trip of the Hogwarts Express, specifically to take the children who had failed to board to Hogwarts, guaranteeing that the first-years would not miss that year's Sorting Ceremony.
With a complete team, the accident was quickly resolved.
The passage to the Hogwarts Express was finally opened.
No child was trapped.
Hearing this result, the person in charge wiped the sweat from his forehead and finally let out a long sigh of relief.
If someone really had suffered an accident, Minister Fudge's desk would certainly have been covered in Howlers at the first possible moment, and his position would have come to an end as well.
He would be transferred somewhere else.
Perhaps even sent to Azkaban.
With great practiced ease, he took out a business card and handed it to Dudley, who had raised that possibility, saying that if he could ever help him with anything in the future, he would absolutely not hesitate.
Dudley merely accepted the card casually and put it into his pocket.
He did not take the man's promise seriously.
When someone says something casually, you should also listen to it casually.
If you take it seriously, you have already lost.
Especially when it comes to the word of someone with an official position.
That was something you should never take seriously.
However, the way Dudley had easily taken control of the conversation attracted the attention of many parents who were there.
Especially the parents of Slytherin students.
By then, the sky was gradually growing dark.
Judging by the time, the other students who had caught the train as usual were probably almost at the castle already.
Soon, the newly arranged second Hogwarts Express trip also slowly entered the platform.
The others who had failed to catch the train cheered and boarded the carriages one after another.
The journey passed in silence.
Hogwarts, which had already received the news, had also arranged people to receive them.
They really had arrived late.
Fortunately, not too late.
They barely managed to catch the end of the Sorting Ceremony.
Mainly because a wizard had sent a letter to Hogwarts in advance, so the school had waited for them for a while.
Today, something seemed a little different.
When Dudley arrived at Slytherin's long table, every Slytherin, from every year, stood up at the same time.
And, very naturally, they opened up a separate seat for him.
Only after Dudley sat down did they sit as well.
Throughout the entire process, Dudley did not say a single word.
The whole of Slytherin acted as if they had rehearsed it beforehand, with perfect coordination.
This scene drew the attention of the staff table.
However, from Headmaster Dumbledore to the Head of House, Snape, all of them remained silent, as if by tacit agreement.
Lockhart, dressed like a peacock showing off its feathers, looked as if he wanted to say something.
But he was ignored by all the professors.
No one knew what that fellow had done, but apparently, he had somehow managed to make all the professors unwilling to give him any attention.
At the end of the banquet, Dumbledore, as always, gave his announcements using the shortest sentences possible.
Only at the end did he mention the disciplinary group.
"Ah, yes. Let me add one more thing. Starting today, first through fourth-year students will fall under the jurisdiction of the disciplinary group."
Since first through fourth-year students did not have prefects, there was still no way to manage them through that system for now.
"Of course... the disciplinary group's points will be calculated separately by the members of the disciplinary group themselves."
Beside the four House point hourglasses, the new hourglass Dudley had created with an alchemy array was still there.
"Interested students may try challenging them. Who knows, there might be a surprise."
As he said this, Dumbledore winked playfully.
He was stirring things up.
He was absolutely stirring things up.
As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, Dudley clearly felt that, with the exception of Slytherin, many young wizards from the other three Houses were becoming restless.
Especially the Gryffindors.
Competing against the four Houses at the same time?
It was not as if it was impossible.
In terms of numbers, they really were at a disadvantage.
But many times, having more people did not mean being more useful.
Only with pressure came motivation.
"Of course... if anyone wants to join them, they only need to pass Group Leader Dursley's test."
That sentence from Dumbledore made even Slytherin, which had been calm before, start to grow restless.
Naturally, there were also some students from other Houses who were interested.
Even in Gryffindor, there was someone tempted by the idea.
Dudley saw him.
It was Percy, Ron's brother.
Old Dumbledore...
Did this count as giving a slap and then offering a sweet?
Interesting.
With that, the opening banquet for the new students came to an end.
The students of the four Houses began returning one after another to their respective common rooms.
"Mr. Dursley, the password for the Slytherin common room should be decided by you."
The fifth-year prefect who had almost died at the hands of the troll back then came to Dudley and spoke respectfully.
Ah, now he was probably a sixth-year student.
Dudley nodded.
He did not refuse either.
Instead, he announced directly.
"Then, the first password will be... Justice."
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