"It's actually true!"
"Who would have thought this would happen? This is going to be absolutely fascinating to watch."
The Hufflepuff students, after their initial surprise, immediately turned to observe the Slytherin students with obvious anticipation, especially Malfoy and his loyal followers.
In stark contrast, most of the Slytherins looked completely stunned, with Malfoy displaying a mixture of disbelief and barely contained fury.
"Why would Professor McGonagall let this mud... this idiot teach us?" Malfoy nearly lost his composure entirely.
Fortunately, he managed not to blurt out the forbidden word "mudblood".
This restraint was probably because Malfoy vividly remembered the severe consequences of using those words previously.
"Oh! My goodness!"
"Malfoy, what are you saying?"
Everyone exclaimed in genuine shock. Since it was now confirmed that Dudley could actually deduct their house points, it was definitely best not to speak out of turn in such circumstances.
Just like when Professor Snape had previously deducted points from Gryffindor, it was wiser not to resist, or they'd only lose even more points.
"Malfoy for insulting the professor, ten points from Slytherin," Dudley announced with perfect calm.
Malfoy's expression became extremely ugly, but he understood he couldn't continue opposing Dudley at this point, or there would be severe consequences.
"Very well, let's begin class," Dudley declared.
As his words concluded, he raised his wand and waved it with practised precision. All the desks and chairs immediately levitated and flew toward the back of the classroom, clearing the central area completely.
This single demonstration was enough to convince everyone present of his magical competence.
The lesson focused on teaching everyone the Disarming Charm, and Malfoy became the perfect practice target.
With Dudley's permission for Malfoy to cast any spell he wanted, Malfoy didn't hesitate to use what he considered his most powerful and vicious magic.
But the result was, unsurprisingly, completely predictable.
Malfoy never had the opportunity to complete a full incantation. Often, just as he raised his hand and uttered one or two syllables of a spell, his wand would already fly from his grasp.
This pattern repeated itself several times in succession.
However, this served as an effective warning to the other students. Don't provoke Dudley during class. He indeed possessed magical abilities that far surpassed other students their age.
Near the end of class, two students from Hufflepuff had successfully cast the spell, while one student from Slytherin had also achieved success.
However, Malfoy hadn't succeeded at all, not because he lacked natural talent, but because he simply refused to practise properly.
He felt profound disdain for Dudley's teaching from the bottom of his heart, so he didn't listen to anything Dudley was explaining.
After class concluded, the other students quickly departed, but Malfoy didn't rush to leave.
"Hogwarts must be completely insane. I'm going to inform my father about this outrageous situation," Malfoy declared with cold fury.
"They actually let a second-year student teach us. This is the most ridiculous decision I've ever witnessed! If Professor Dumbledore doesn't want to continue being Hogwarts' headmaster, he can be replaced at any time!"
"And you, Dudley Dursley, I will definitely make you pay for this humiliation."
"I'll make you understand exactly what the Malfoy name means and just how much power pure blood can wield in the magical world."
Malfoy spoke to Dudley with ice-cold hostility.
As his threatening words concluded, Malfoy turned to leave the classroom.
Bang!
Dudley waved his wand, and the classroom door slammed shut with finality.
"What are you planning to do?" Malfoy asked, immediately panicking at this development.
"I'm warning you, don't do anything reckless."
Seeing the classroom door close ominously, Malfoy's composure cracked entirely.
"You... don't come any closer!" he stammered.
Crabbe and Goyle's faces also turned deathly pale at this moment. Although they positioned themselves in front of Malfoy protectively, their visibly trembling legs already revealed the terror in their hearts.
"Stupefy..." Goyle secretly attempted to cast an offensive spell.
But just as he uttered two syllables, a red light struck down with precision, and his wand flew from his hand, clattering on the ground nearby.
Whoosh, whoosh…
Following that swift disarmament, Malfoy's and Crabbe's wands also flew out of their grasps.
Dudley flicked his wand lightly, looking at them with complete calm.
"Look at this. You're absolutely no match for me at all," he observed matter-of-factly.
"If I wanted to attack you seriously, you'd have no way to resist whatsoever."
Dudley approached them step by step, his presence becoming increasingly oppressive and intimidating.
"This is a school! What are you planning to do!" Malfoy's face was deathly pale with genuine fear.
He began to deeply regret provoking Dudley so openly.
"Malfoy, do you think you're particularly superior? Born into a pure-blood family, with a noble bloodline, from a powerful family, with people bowing and scraping wherever you go?" Dudley asked with complete indifference.
"Everyone respectfully calls you Young Master Malfoy."
Malfoy didn't dare answer Dudley's pointed questions. His face had lost almost all colour.
"You can bully whoever you want, and no one can resist your power," Dudley continued his psychological assault.
"Those you bully can only silently endure, not even daring to show you disrespect."
Dudley stood directly before the three cowering boys.
Although Crabbe and Goyle were tall and physically imposing, facing Dudley, they couldn't muster even a fraction of courage.
"So, when my strength is sufficient to crush you completely, can I also bully you, humiliate you..." Dudley let the implication hang in the air.
"After all, in my hands, you have absolutely no power to resist."
"Just like right now."
Dudley said this while gently waving his wand in a deliberately threatening manner.
"Ahhhh!" Malfoy let out a terrified scream of pure panic.
But soon he realised Dudley was merely intimidating him and hadn't actually cast any harmful spell.
"Remember this moment when you bully others in the future," Dudley said with quiet intensity.
"Your supposed superiority, your precious bloodline, they mean absolutely nothing before real power."
After Dudley finished delivering this lesson, he raised his hand and waved. The classroom door burst open with force.
Then, without even glancing back at Malfoy, he quickly left the classroom.
The three boys, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
Their clothes were completely soaked with cold sweat from the terrifying encounter.
Dudley's overwhelming presence had been truly suffocating, almost making them unable to breathe properly.
"What... what did he mean by all that?" Crabbe asked with a trembling voice.
Goyle shook his head with obvious confusion, unable to process what had just occurred.
Only Malfoy showed a thoughtful expression on his pale, shaken face.
"Before absolute strength, bloodline and family connections mean nothing," Malfoy said in a low, contemplative voice.
"Huh? What?" Crabbe didn't catch what Malfoy was saying.
"Malfoy, we must quickly inform your father about this incident. He's a member of the Board of Governors. He'll definitely have a way to deal with Dudley," Goyle suggested from beside him.
"No, there's no need for that," Malfoy said, standing up with newfound determination.
"What?" Crabbe and Goyle looked at Malfoy with complete disbelief.
"I will defeat Dudley personally," Malfoy declared with quiet resolve.
After making this announcement, he got up and left the classroom directly.
In his mind, a familiar and respectful title surfaced with new meaning.
"Malfoy, he... he's not actually afraid of Dudley, is he?" Crabbe asked in shock, watching Malfoy's confident departure.
"I don't know," Goyle replied, shaking his head in bewilderment.
The two got up and hurried to follow their friend, still trying to understand what had just changed.