On a patch of open land in Godric's Hollow, a swarm of Cornish Pixies was bustling about.
Yup, you read that right—Cornish Pixies, those notorious little troublemakers, were now hauling materials back and forth.
Watching their tiny figures dart around, they were working harder than a hive of bees.
Their leader, a pixie named Pixie (real original), sported a yellow plastic hard hat and waved a plastic stick, chattering nonstop while directing the others.
He looked like a pint-sized construction foreman.
The Cornish Pixies carried stacks of materials to Dudley, who took charge of refining them. Then, massive stone hands rose from the floor, placing each piece exactly where it belonged.
Left hand: alchemy. Right hand: magical crafting. Add in the pixies' help, and the construction was moving at lightning speed.
Hermione was in charge of designing the layout for the castle's rooms, while Harry was off in Diagon Alley, picking up decorations.
Clear division of labor meant the castle was coming together fast.
Inside, a gaggle of mischievous Bowtruckles was busy cleaning the finished rooms. Some teamed up to push a rag, others hoisted feather dusters, and a few wielded brooms.
Outside, on the lawn, a crew of lazy Knarls was trimming the overgrown grass with comically oversized shears.
Every creature has its purpose, even pests like Bowtruckles and Knarls, which other wizards might dismiss as nuisances.
Dudley had rounded up both groups himself. Normally, their low intelligence made them impossible to tame, but after his skills leveled up to LV2, he could manage it. Yup, ever since he'd calmed the Basilisk, both his Beast Taming and Magical Creature Language skills had somehow hit LV2. He wasn't sure why, but he suspected it had something to do with the number of magical creatures he'd encountered.
Sadly, LV2 Beast Taming wasn't enough to handle heavyweights like Basilisks or dragons.
Otherwise, Dudley could've played beastmaster for real.
On the steps outside the castle's main entrance, a Niffler lounged on its back, basking in the sun and snoring softly. Dudley had found it in the Forbidden Forest alongside a Fwooper and a Mandrake.
Thanks to regular gourmet meals, that Niffler had packed on some serious pounds.
"Floo powder's such a hassle. I end up covered in ash every time," Harry grumbled as he returned to the castle, looking travel-worn. With a flick of his wand, he cast Scourgify, and his dusty clothes were spotless in an instant.
That cleaning charm came in handy more often than you'd think.
"Once we're done renovating, I'll set up an auto-cleaning fireplace in the sitting room. No more mess," Dudley said, hands still busy with work.
Harry started unloading items from his bag—one enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, of course.
That charm was hands-down the most useful spell in the Harry Potter world. No competition.
"D, here's the seeds you wanted," Harry said, handing over several bags.
"Perfect. Just what I needed," Dudley replied, nodding with satisfaction.
"First, these."
He grabbed one bag and scattered the seeds along the edge of the courtyard.
"Then…"
He unclipped a red-and-white Poké Ball from his belt.
"Go, Oddish!"
A flash of white light, and a sleepy Mandrake appeared, yawning with droopy eyes.
Mandrakes are nocturnal plants, usually tucked underground during the day with just a few green leaves poking out. But after Dudley tamed this one, it could move around in daylight—though it still needed to adjust its sleep schedule.
"Oddish, use Growth on those seeds."
The Mandrake tilted its head, a big "?" practically floating above it.
"Make those seeds sprout faster," Dudley clarified.
The Mandrake perked up with a "!" and shuffled over to the scattered seeds. It started dancing, shaking its leafy head and sprinkling orange-yellow powder from its green leaves.
In moments, seeds that would've taken weeks to sprout were miraculously pushing through the soil.
Normally, Mandrakes don't have this kind of growth-boosting power.
Their thing is letting out screams that can knock you out, cause hallucinations, or even kill in extreme cases.
But after Dudley's taming, this Mandrake had picked up the ability to accelerate plant growth.
It wasn't much use in a fight, but for logistics? Absolute gold.
"Water and fertilize," Dudley said softly.
Instantly, Cornish Pixies zipped over, armed with watering cans and bags of fertilizer, tending to the soil.
Soon, those tiny green sprouts shot up at an unbelievable rate, turning into thorny vines that wrapped around the bushes, forming a natural barrier.
The seeds Dudley had just planted were Iron Thorn seeds, meant for basic defense.
He'd originally wanted to plant Devil's Snare—it's way tougher than Iron Thorns—but that stuff hates sunlight and wouldn't survive in the courtyard.
Unless Dudley was willing to slap a giant dome over the castle to block out the sun, it was a no-go.
"Not bad," Dudley said, eyeing the Iron Thorns encircling the castle with a satisfied nod.
"Let's try the other seeds."
He pulled out another bag.
With the Mandrake's help, the flowerbeds around the castle were soon bursting with all sorts of magical plants.
"Great job. Come on back," Dudley said, praising the Mandrake and tossing it a bag of its favorite snacks before recalling it to the Poké Ball.
"Pretty incredible ability," Harry said, still amazed despite having seen it before.
Harry had read his fair share of books by now, but a Mandrake that could boost plant growth? That was a first.
"Dudley, we need to talk about room assignments," Hermione called from inside the castle, pushing open the door.
The sudden movement startled the snoozing Niffler on the steps. Seeing Hermione, it let out an excited squeak and scrambled up her clothes to perch on her shoulder, its shiny black eyes fixated greedily on the sapphire ring glinting on her finger.
Nifflers are mad for anything shiny and valuable, itching to stuff it in their pockets or offer it to their master. Fun fact: they're also ace diggers.
Of course, this one wouldn't dare snatch Hermione's ring. It wasn't stupid—it knew Dudley gave it to her.
"I'm taking the master bedroom. You're next door. That's the deal," Dudley said decisively, making Hermione's face flush bright red.