For the next few weeks, Madison always "coincidentally" ran into Dudley.
For instance, an encounter in the library, an encounter on the way back to the dorm after exercising at night... Each time it was just a few words, a few exchanged glances, and a few accidental physical touches. Madison was confident she had already left a deep impression in his heart.
Now she would suddenly disappear... and just wait for him to actively seek her out.
Then a day passed... Madison was not flustered in the slightest.
Three days passed... Madison remained confident.
A week passed... Madison thought Dudley's willpower was truly strong to be able to hold out for so long.
A month passed... there was still no reaction from Dudley's side.
Madison began to doubt herself.
Again, if she had used this set of moves on any other young wizard, probably no one in all of Hogwarts could have withstood it. Even Saint Potter would have fallen.
But she had used it on Dudley.
"How is this possible? There must be a problem somewhere." She bit her lower lip and began to recall the events of the past month.
There were no problems. Every detail was flawless, absolutely perfect.
But... what was going on? Had her charm failed?
Madison glanced at the fawning roommates surrounding her. Her charm was even stronger than a full-blooded Veela's. Not just young wizards, but even young witches couldn't resist. She was an equal-opportunity conqueror.
Then it wasn't her problem...
Could it be that Mr. Dursley doesn't like girls?
Just then, Dudley and Hermione appeared shoulder to shoulder, walking past her. Throughout the entire process, Dudley's gaze was fixed on Hermione, his gentle eyes seemingly about to melt her, never leaving her for a moment, let alone landing on Madison.
He does like girls!
This was Madison's first thought. An unknown anger instantly welled up in her heart.
How am I worse than that Granger? Huge front teeth and messy hair, never knows how to dress... compared to me, she's like a country bumpkin.
To lose to someone like that... I refuse!
Crack! Madison crushed the quill in her hand.
Veela become very strong when agitated, and they have bad tempers. They are easily provoked. While Madison inherited her mother's beauty and charm, she also inherited these flaws.
She shook off her roommates and stormed back to her bedroom.
Then she pulled out a glittering, jewel-encrusted tiara from a trunk under her bed. On its bottom edge was a famous motto: 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.'
She had found this shortly after starting school, in a magical room on the eighth floor.
Ravenclaw's Diadem.
The relic of Lady Ravenclaw, one of the Hogwarts Four.
After a slight hesitation, Madison gently placed the diadem on her head and closed her eyes.
"Diadem, oh diadem, please tell me, how can I capture a wizard's heart?"
Madison's voice echoed in the bedroom. The diadem emitted a faint glow, seemingly communicating with her.
October arrived. A damp chill filled the air, seeping into the castle. Colds suddenly became fashionable among the students, keeping Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, frantically busy. Fortunately, a mere common cold was nothing to wizards. A few potions down, and they quickly recovered.
"Hey, Potter, if I were you, I wouldn't go to that ghost's deathday party." Malfoy fiddled with a gilt walking stick in his hand. It was a birthday gift from Dudley. He had given one to Dudley last year, and Dudley had returned the favor this year.
This was no ordinary walking stick. Dudley had added quite a few magical modifications to it. It was clear that Malfoy loved it.
"Remember your status. We are the living."
Harry had received an invitation to Sir Nicholas's four-hundredth deathday party and, unsure whether to attend, had consulted his friends.
Malfoy's "remember your status" line annoyed Harry. "I don't think attending a ghost's deathday party is anything to be ashamed of."
Seeing that Harry didn't understand his meaning, Malfoy simply threw up his hands, gesturing for him to do as he pleased.
Listen or don't listen.
He then went to find Ron, suggesting an exciting game of Wizard Cards.
"Harry... Draco wasn't wrong this time." Dudley's voice came from behind them. "A living person attending a ghost's deathday party will definitely not be a pleasant experience."
"Why?" Hermione put down her book and asked seriously. "I think it might be a wonderful experience."
For Miss Know-It-All to not know the answer, there could only be one reason. It wasn't written in a book.
"Perhaps you've gotten used to the Hogwarts ghosts and think they're no different from ordinary people, but that view is undoubtedly wrong."
"They are deceased people from the other world, they dislike all living things, and their hearing and senses are vastly different from ours."
Dudley began to educate the others about ghosts.
"Most importantly, the 'food' ghosts 'eat' is completely different from ours."
"If you want to listen to music as shrill as a saw cutting wood in a piercing cold wind, while enjoying maggot-infested cakes and foul-smelling juice, then you can go experience it."
"I see." Hermione nodded, opened her book again, and said very decisively, "I think I'll pass on this wonderful experience."
Harry wasn't good at refusing. Even after Dudley's explanation, he still couldn't bear to reject Sir Nicholas.
So he turned his gaze to Ron.
"My friend, you surely don't think I should go hungry and cold?"
Ron's head shook so fast it was like a rattle drum. He was refusing. Both mentally and physically.
If he hadn't known, he might have gone with Harry once, but now that he knew what it was like, truly only a ghost would go.
"I'd rather enjoy delicious food in the warm dining hall."
Even Neville said the same.
"Harry, I think you should learn to refuse." Dudley patted Harry's shoulder. "Remember the first word I learned?"
Harry blurted out, "Never?"
He was all too familiar with Dudley's stories.
"That's right." Dudley nodded. "Sometimes learning to refuse isn't a bad thing."
Learning to refuse isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when faced with things you simply can't accomplish or are extremely unwilling to do.
As Dudley spoke, he cast his gaze to the other side of the castle corridor. "And I think we have some work to do."
Following Dudley's line of sight, the group saw a young witch with silver eyes, dark golden-brown hair, and pale skin walking barefoot through Hogwarts Castle.