Harry Potter and the Candy Factory

After snapping out of his daze, Vernon hastily reached out, his hand trembling slightly, and grasped Charlie Black's fingers.

Feeling the strength in those knuckles and the chill that still clung to them from the cold wind, he still felt a sense of unreality, as if this were just a sweet dream and he hadn't truly woken up yet…

“Yes… yes, Mr. Black, this is our first official meeting.”

Vernon looked into the other man's calm, unwavering eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded in quiet, earnest agreement.

He knew that not long ago, in the early hours of Christmas Eve, he had been sitting on the sofa in his living room, using every curse word he knew in his life, weeping as he cursed him and all his direct and collateral relatives.

But now, as this man stood before him, he found himself unable to harbor any resentment, as if all the turmoil had been extinguished by Charlie Black's deep, noble, azure eyes.

All that remained was gratitude and endless trepidation, as if Charlie's personal visit on Christmas Day was an honor to be proud of… However, in that moment, he strangely forgot that the many troubles he had encountered over the past few months, directly or indirectly, were all due to the man now standing before him, the man he was so grateful to.

Marjorie stood frozen like a statue, her eyes wide and unblinking, fixed on the figure she usually only saw on magazine covers or on the television news.

She would never have imagined that on such an important day as Christmas, she would see the legendary “Pride of Britain” personally visiting her brother's home!

Her mind was blank, and she instinctively wanted to raise her hand and touch that face, which was so exquisite it seemed unreal.

However, just as her hand began to rise, Petunia, who had rushed over with an excited expression, stumbled and squeezed her aside.

“You… you're here for Dudley, aren't you?”

She gripped Charlie's other hand tightly, as if grasping the only straw to save her life, her pale lips unnaturally flushed with blood from the excitement, turning red again.

The light in her eyes was so intense that even Charlie, who had seen countless sights, couldn't meet her gaze for a moment.

It was as if an invisible force was emanating from her eyes, undeniably infecting everything around her…

This was love… a magical element that existed everywhere, surrounding everyone, yet possessed an unmatched power.

Years ago, this woman's sister, his former close friend Lily Evans, had relied on this unparalleled power to defeat Voldemort, bringing his ambitions to an abrupt end on that night eleven years ago.

And now, Charlie never expected that he could once again feel that surprisingly subtle power in her sister.

This déjà vu, so similar after so many years, caused him to falter.

Memories from the past flooded his mind, filling his thoughts, until, after a dozen seconds, Charlie regained his senses.

“You could say that. I'm here mainly for two things…”

He smiled and nodded, calmly answering Petunia's question as if nothing had happened. At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart.

Perhaps the Evans family was naturally gifted with “love”…

As he spoke, Charlie released his right hand, which had been tightly clasped with Vernon's, and reached into his pocket, rummaging around.

A moment later, he pulled out a familiar and exquisite Charlie's Hazelnut Chocolate bar and handed it to Petunia, who was still holding his left hand tightly and refusing to let go.

“This is a Christmas present for Dudley.”

Instantly, Petunia released his hand, and then, as if receiving a precious treasure, carefully accepted the Charlie's chocolate bar into her hands.

“You mean…”

“Just like you think.”

Charlie didn't beat around the bush, and facing her hopeful words, he nodded deeply.

At the same time, the huge stone that had been weighing on Vernon and Petunia's hearts was completely shattered into powder…

A look of relief never before seen appeared on Petunia's face, and Vernon's eyes instantly turned red, and he began to sniffle faintly.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Charlie Black… I think this is probably the best Christmas present I've received in so many years.”

… … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The Dursleys' hearts were filled with nothing but excitement, but behind them, Marjorie, who had just been pushed aside by Petunia and was watching this scene, had a different feeling.

What on earth was happening? Was the world really crazy? First, Charlie Black came to her brother's doorstep, then he took out a chocolate bar from his pocket that cost less than five pounds and could be found anywhere… and then her brother and sister-in-law started crying over this chocolate bar!?

This was simply inexplicable…

Unable to understand what was happening, Marjorie could only pretend to be reserved, maintaining a stiff smile as she watched Marjorie turn and hurriedly run towards the second floor after a series of grateful thanks.

Seeing this, she couldn't help but feel resentful towards her sister-in-law.

What a rude behavior! Clearly, the guest was still here, but the wife directly took the gift and left in front of her husband!

If this angered this important figure, it would be a huge trouble! Don't forget, her brother was still working under him.

Thinking of this, the originally reserved smile became even more ingratiating, and she quickly went up to meet him, came to Charlie's presence, opened her mouth, and began to flatter him dryly.

It was nothing more than some cliché adjectives like “young and promising” and “handsome and dashing.” Compared to Russell's varied compliments, there was no sincerity at all. Not only did it not make him feel happy, but it even had some kind of reverse effect, seeming particularly noisy.

After glancing at Vernon's sister, who was still praising him with the same few words over and over again, Charlie retracted his gaze and patted Vernon's thick shoulder kindly.

“Besides bringing Dudley's Christmas present, I have another matter to discuss this time.”

Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Vernon was more energetic at this moment than at any other time.

With the biggest problem plaguing him resolved, Vernon seemed to already see a brighter future waving at him.

He straightened his back, nodded earnestly to Charlie, and replied in a forceful voice:

“What do you need me to do, Mr. Black!”

“I plan to establish a new department specifically responsible for the advertising of Charlie's Candies.”

Speaking of this, Charlie paused, and then the hand that was on Vernon's shoulder slowly moved down, pointing his index finger at his chest.

“You are the director of the new department.”