Seeing everyone nod, Dudley continued.
"We've successfully secured the portrait rights from the professors, and the new trading cards are ready. They go on sale tomorrow."
"Now it's time to divvy up the rewards."
With that, Dudley pulled out several heavy sacks and placed them on the table.
These were the Galleons promised to the others.
If you're making money, you've got to share the wealth with your mates, right? You can't hog all the steak and not leave some soup for the crew.
The group exchanged glances, but no one reached for the sacks—not even Ron, whose family wasn't exactly swimming in gold.
The bags definitely weren't filled with silver Sickles or bronze Knuts. When Dudley handed out rewards, it was Galleons or nothing.
They wanted it, but it felt too valuable.
"D, we only did a bit of legwork. I don't think we deserve this much," Draco said, ever the voice of the wealthy Malfoy family.
Sure, the Galleons were a tidy sum, but compared to the fortune Dudley was about to rake in, it was pocket change.
Besides, it wasn't a handout—they'd earned it fair and square.
Through the connections of the Weasley, Malfoy, and Longbottom families, plus the Carrow family's maneuvering, they'd secured the portrait rights of nearly every notable wizard in Britain.
Dudley could already feel it: the next batch of Wizard Cards was going to be a massive hit.
He was glad his friends weren't swayed by money, but their refusal to take their share was giving him a bit of a headache.
Seeing the others hesitate, Harry stepped up, grabbed his sack from the table, and handed out the others' shares to them.
"Come on, take it," Harry said. "Remember what D said? Fairness! If you don't accept it, you're making him go back on his word."
The shy little kid who used to trail behind Dudley at St. George's Primary had grown up a lot.
With Harry putting it like that, no one argued further. They accepted their shares with grins all around.
Who doesn't love a pile of shiny Galleons? Sure, nobody wanted to lose something precious for the sake of money, but this was honest pay—why turn it down?
Staring at the sacks stuffed with gleaming gold, everyone's spirits soared. Their appetites followed suit, especially Ron, who demolished three helpings of lamb chops and five butterbeers in one sitting.
As they left, Ron and Draco, both a bit tipsy, slung their arms around each other, wobbling toward Honeydukes. With coins burning a hole in their pockets, they were ready to splurge. Neville tagged along to make sure they didn't get into trouble.
That left Dudley, Hermione, and Harry strolling slowly under the night sky.
A big black dog followed them silently.
Without realizing it, the trio wandered out of Hogsmeade's bustling center and stopped near an old, weathered wooden shack with a distinct historical vibe. As they paused, the black dog stopped too, ducking out of sight.
This was the Shrieking Shack, rumored to be the most haunted spot in all of England.
It was also a must-visit for Hogwarts students looking to check off a bucket-list adventure.
Of course, they usually came during the day. Nobody was brave enough to visit at night.
"Harry, what do you know about Sirius Black?" Dudley asked suddenly, staring at the shack's crooked wooden door.
"He betrayed my parents," Harry replied without hesitation.
Yeah, he'd known for a while.
Don't think Harry was clueless—he was sharp. The Sirius Black affair was no secret. A quick chat or a flip through old Daily Prophet issues would've filled in the blanks.
He just hadn't brought it up to avoid causing trouble for Dudley.
The black dog's ears drooped at Harry's words.
"That's how it looks on the surface," Dudley said. "But I think we should hear it from the man himself."
He turned toward where the black dog was hiding. "Isn't that right, Mr. Black?"
The dog's heart skipped a beat. It tried to bolt but found its body frozen.
Hovering above it was a Cornish Pixie, much larger than usual, grinning down mischievously.
"I think we should have a chat inside," Dudley said, nodding toward the Shrieking Shack. "I've got someone waiting."
The inside of the Shrieking Shack was coated in dust, clearly untouched for ages.
"Professor Lupin?"
Lupin looked stunned as Harry and Hermione walked in.
"Harry? Hermione? And—!"
The moment he saw the black dog, Lupin's wand was out in a flash.
"Expelliarmus!"
A jet of light shot out, but it wasn't aimed at the dog—it targeted the Cornish Pixie holding it in place.
The pixie was blasted away, and the freed black dog landed smoothly, darting to Lupin's side.
The two old friends hadn't seen each other in over a decade, but their unspoken teamwork was as sharp as ever.
Harry and Hermione drew their wands in an instant, one pointing at Lupin, the other at the dog.
They trusted Dudley completely. The moment he said the dog was Sirius Black, they believed him without question.
If Lupin was siding with Sirius, then he was the enemy—even if he was a professor.
"Drop the disguise. I don't speak dog," Dudley said, pulling a stool from somewhere and sitting down, leveling his gaze at the man and dog.
The black dog's form began to shift. Soon, a man stood before them—matted hair, sunken eyes, skin clinging to his bones like a living skeleton.
He bared yellowed teeth in a grin, looking oddly cheerful.
In his mind, Remus believing in him and taking his side meant they had the upper hand.
What luck, running into Remus here.
Sure, the kids had wands—two of them—but they were just students.
Lupin didn't see it that way. Hermione and Harry were the most gifted students he'd seen in years, and Dudley? He was on a whole other level, like a young Dumbledore.
Lupin wasn't about to let his guard down. He even brushed off Sirius's attempt at a hug.
"Professor Lupin," Dudley said, his tone serious with a hint of disappointment, "your first duty as a professor should be to protect your students."
No matter the reason, a professor's job was to prioritize student safety.
On that front, Lupin was no match for Snape.
Snape might needle and mock his students, but when push came to shove, he always stepped up.
Note:
And no shade on Lupin, but in the books, the guy disarmed Harry and co. the second he showed up. Did he ever stop to think Sirius might actually be a traitor?