Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

Chapter 145 The Trembling Dursleys

Vernon's eyes lit up, filled with surprise and disbelief.

The feeling was like winning the lottery jackpot. His breathing became rapid, his chest heaved violently, and his whole body visibly swelled up as if it were being inflated—not physically, but mentally.

"It...it will work?" His voice trembled, whether from excitement or disbelief, it was hard to tell. "You mean...that order..."

John looked at him and smiled slightly.

"Growing, right?" he asked casually. "The government's Logistics Department's annual supplier tender, worth £3.2 million. Your company made it to the final three rounds, but I think there was a small problem during the second round of evaluation—a product testing report was missing a document?"

Vernon's jaw nearly dropped.

What? What government logistics department? What supplier tender? Wasn't I discussing a drilling rig purchase order with Mr. Mason?

I don't remember—

Wait a minute! No, wait a minute—

Vernon's pupils contracted sharply. Even if he was stupid and slow-witted, he could now understand John's subtext.

Mr. Mason?

He's nothing now!

Mr. Mason's company could only afford to purchase drilling rigs worth a few hundred thousand pounds, but now?

Three million two hundred thousand pounds!

Not only could it elevate his position in the company, but it could even give him a chance to flirt. Villas in Mallorca? Buy one, throw one away! We old Londoners are the bosses, all we do all day is eat and drink, nothing else!

"That document," John continued slowly, "was actually delivered to the correct department the day before the deadline, but some temporary worker put it in the wrong folder, so it went unnoticed. Coincidentally, that temporary worker was fired last week—not for this, but for other reasons. Even more coincidentally, someone found that document yesterday while reorganizing the files."

He looked at Vernon with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Therefore, strictly speaking, Groening's bid materials are complete. The review committee will review them again next week."

Vernon felt like he was about to stop breathing.

"Re-examine—again?"

"Yes."

"Then—then the result—"

"I don't know the result," John said, "but as far as I know, Groening's bid was the lowest among the last three, and their product quality was also the most consistent. If it weren't for the flaw in that document, winning the bid would have been a very likely outcome."

He paused for a moment, then gave a meaningful smile.

"Now that the documents have been found, and everything is in place, what do you think the outcome will be?"

Vernon's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

He leaned against the shoe cabinet next to him, panting heavily, his face a mixture of surprise, excitement, gratitude, and a little disbelief at his good fortune.

"Your Highness—His Highness—" His voice choked with emotion, "Why did His Highness help me?"

John looked at him and smiled gently.

"Help you?" he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Mr. Dursley, you're overthinking it. His Highness isn't helping you; he's helping that child."

Vernon paused for a moment.

"That child?"

“Harry Potter,” John said, “is His Highness’s friend. He suffered for three days because you locked him up. But since he did something wrong, His Highness feels that he should compensate you in some way—and that order is part of that compensation.”

Vernon's face froze.

He then realized that the order wasn't a reward for him, but compensation, and it was because of the child.

This realization made him a little uncomfortable, but only slightly.

After all, the order was real, the £3.2 million was real, and it was also real that he could take a big step up in his position within the company.

As for the reason, it doesn't matter.

"Then—" he asked cautiously, "what does Your Highness need me to do?"

John looked at him, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

This guy may be stupid, but he's actually quite shrewd when it matters.

"There's only one condition," he said. "Harry Potter gets to visit Kensington Palace for the entire summer."

Vernon paused for a moment, then a huge smile spread across his face.

"Yes, yes, of course!" he said hastily, nodding and bowing. If he had a tail, John had no doubt it would have rattled into a propeller. "That boy is lucky to go to Kensington Palace! We agree, we completely agree!"

He spoke quickly and urgently, as if afraid John would change his mind.

Penny stood to the side, her hand still on the cabinet, but the expression on her face changed.

The fear and guilt from before were still there, but there were some other emotions—a hint of hesitation, a hint of struggle, and a bit of inexplicable complexity.

"Um—" her voice was a little hoarse, "...to send him to Kensington Palace—for the entire summer?"

John looked at her and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes, Mrs. Dursley, is there a problem?"

Penny's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back.

She looked toward the stairs, her gaze somewhat unfocused.

That child, her sister's child, is leaving now to spend the entire summer at the prince's palace.

And then what? What will happen next?

she does not know.

All she knew was that she should be happy, after all, the order was saved, the royal family valued the child, and all of this was a good thing.

But for some reason, she couldn't feel happy.

"Penny?" Vernon called to her from the side, "What are you standing there for? Say yes!"

Penny snapped out of her daze, looked at her husband's face, which was flushed with excitement, then at John, and finally lowered her head.

"Yes," she said softly.

John looked at her, said nothing, and simply nodded.

"Then it's settled," he said. "If you don't mind, I'll go and bring him down."

"Of course, of course!" Vernon rubbed his hands together almost obsequiously, then gestured to Penny with his eyes.

Penny hesitated for a moment, then took the keys out of her pocket and handed them to John.

John took the key, turned and walked towards the stairs, his footsteps so light they were almost inaudible.

Vernon stood there, still rubbing his hands together, a fawning smile still on his face.

Penny stood next to him with her head down, lost in thought.

The living room was extremely quiet, with only the ticking of the quartz clock on the wall.

Upstairs, John walked to the door without a handle and knocked gently.

There was no response.

He took out his key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

The room was dark, and the curtains were drawn tightly shut.