His parents' agreement secured, Dudley turned to Harry and gave him a conspiratorial wink, an attempt at a friendly gesture.
To Harry, however, it looked like a deliberate, menacing provocation.
Damn it, he thought, his stomach twisting into a knot. He's definitely going to do something to me at the zoo.
But what could he do? He couldn't refuse. He had no right to. He was completely at their mercy.
I'll just have to stay away from him, he reasoned, a sliver of hope cutting through his anxiety. The zoo is a big place. As long as I don't appear in front of him, it should be fine. Right? Besides, a zoo should be fun...
He clung to that thought, a desperate attempt to comfort himself. His years of experience had taught him a few tricks for dealing with Dudley's bullying. And sometimes, when he was in real trouble, strange, inexplicable things would happen.
He remembered the last time Dudley and his gang had chased him. He'd been cornered, a beating imminent, and then somehow, inexplicably, he was on the roof of the school kitchen. The punishment afterwards had been severe, but it was better than the alternative.
With that thought, Harry peeked over at his cousin. Dudley was sitting on the sofa, seemingly lost in thought. He wasn't watching TV or talking to anyone, just staring into space.
Is he planning how to torment me? Harry muttered under his breath.
In truth, Dudley's mind was a world away, consumed by the intricacies of his rediscovered Beyonder Characteristics.
His innate mastery of his own spirituality hadn't diminished. He could already wield the abilities of a Sequence 9 Lawyer and Arbitrator with practiced ease. The only real challenge was digesting the Characteristics.
That was the crux of it. Although the power had originated from him, reabsorbing it was functionally the same as consuming a new Potion. He had to go through the entire process of digestion and mastery all over again.
If his theory was correct, once he fully digested these Sequence 9 Characteristics, the ones belonging to Sequence 8 would manifest. From there, he could continue his climb back up the ladder toward godhood.
But how far could he go?
"In that other world... what Sequence did I ultimately reach?" he wondered, frowning. He could only remember that it was a high Sequence. Any attempt to recall the specifics was met with a chaotic blur of mental static.
"The highest Sequence I can reach in this world will be limited by the power I already hold within me," he concluded. "My body only contains the Characteristics I earned there."
His thoughts drifted, and he glanced at his cousin, who was still observing him with cautious eyes from across the room.
An idea sparked. Dudley focused, his eyes narrowing slightly—the physical trigger for his Spirit Vision.
The world shifted. In his sight, a strange, ethereal aura flickered around Harry. Different colors and brightnesses swirled, representing a person's health and emotional state.
Health is fine, aside from being a bit thin, Dudley noted. But his aura is tinged with gray. His mood is low, and he's extremely nervous...
It was a surface-level reading. He had only just regained his powers, and his spiritual strength was still limited. He couldn't see anything deeper.
"Huh…"
Suddenly, his brow furrowed. He caught a glimpse of something else, something indescribable buried deep within Harry's astral projection. It was hidden, just beyond the range of his current perception.
"What is that? Spiritual power?"
He frowned, unsure of what he was seeing. It was a peculiar energy, unlike anything he expected to find here. He was certain Harry wasn't a Beyonder. In this world, Dudley should be the only one.
A slight throb started in his temples, a telltale sign of spiritual overexertion. He immediately relaxed his focus, letting the Spirit Vision fade.
"Strange," he mused. "My cousin isn't as simple as he seems."
He recalled flashes from their childhood—those odd occurrences when he'd been bullying Harry, things that defied logical explanation. They weren't the actions of an ordinary person.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Oh, dear, they must be here," Petunia said, flustered, as she hurried to the door.
Muffled voices echoed from the entryway, and a moment later, a scrawny boy with a mean-spirited face walked in, trailed by his mother.
"Happy birthday, Dudley!" the boy shouted.
It was Piers Polkiss, Dudley's best friend. Or rather, his chief accomplice in tormenting Harry.
"Thanks, Piers," Dudley said, his expression unreadable as memories of their past antics surfaced.
Piers swaggered over to Dudley, his eyes immediately landing on Harry standing in the corner. A malicious grin spread across his face. He was already imagining all the fun they could have. Chasing and beating Harry was one of their greatest joys.
But before he could even reach the sofa, an unnatural discomfort washed over him. He felt an intense, oppressive pressure, as if he were being scrutinized by someone of immense importance. It was an indescribable sense of restraint that made his skin crawl.
"Dudley, you…" Piers began, looking at his friend. He seemed different today.
"From now on," Dudley said, his voice calm but imbued with an unshakable authority, "you are not to bully Harry."
"Huh?" Piers stared, completely stunned. What was wrong with Dudley?
But then, without knowing why, he nodded. He could tell this wasn't a joke. It was an order, and the very thought of disobeying it felt impossible.
No one else noticed the brief, strange exchange. Only Harry saw the color drain from Piers's face as he stood rigidly beside Dudley, not even daring to sit down.
Half an hour later, the Dursleys, along with a subdued Piers, arrived at the zoo. It was exceptionally crowded. Vernon went to buy tickets, leaving the others to wait by the entrance. Harry immediately put as much distance as he could between himself and his cousin. Piers stood awkwardly beside his mother, also keeping a wide berth from Dudley.
Dudley, meanwhile, simply took it all in. The bustling crowds, the cheerful noise, the ordinary wonder of it all. He was about to let out a heartfelt sigh of contentment.
"Ah, the zoo... so many people..."
Suddenly, a woman appeared at his side as if from nowhere. Her face was a chaotic mask of colorful paint.
"Little friend," she asked, her voice a low, raspy whisper, "would you like to have your fortune told?"
***********
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