Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 230 Conversation in the Office

Inside the black porcelain bottle was colorless and transparent truth serum. The yellow parchment-bound dossier was filled with interrogation confessions. Next to it, in the evidence booklet, were frontal photos of the three Obscurians and Salem dark wizards, their faces pale and gloomy, their eyes filled with malice.

In the Auror's office at the French Ministry of Magic.

Sitting around a walnut wood desk, Melvin and Christine, the two parties involved, were supplementing their statements, while Mr. Bonnell and Mr. Grevis were taking notes.

Melvin, invited to the Ministry of Magic to give a statement as the hero who subdued the dark wizard and the Obscurus, found the bottle of truth serum on the table not intended for them, but rather a remnant of the interrogation of the dark wizard and the Obscurus. Melvin took a deep breath and sniffed; it still seemed to have a faint smell. He felt that this truth serum was not as good as the one brewed by Snape.

"Melvin, this is an invitation from the French Ministry of Magic to award you the Medal of Honor, which Mr. Bonnell applied for on your behalf. I am very honored to inform you that they are going to award you the Medal of Honor, First Class."

After Grevis finished speaking, Bonnell handed over an exquisite invitation card, which was printed with the French tricolor emblem.

The French Order of Valor is similar to the British Order of Merlin, both recognizing wizards who have made outstanding contributions to the local community. However, France has a richer historical heritage than Romania. If it is a small country with a small Ministry of Magic, it can only apply for the Order of Merlin from the British Order of Merlin.

"When will the medal be awarded?" Melvin asked, his expression showing interest.

"All Saints' Day holiday in November."

“There are no holidays before or after Hogwarts, so I probably won’t be able to attend.” Melvin shook his head, not too concerned. Medals and such were not important; the main thing was to use this case to establish connections within the French Ministry of Magic, making it easier for the Department of Transport to upgrade the Floo Network.

"Tell me about those dark wizards and Obscurians. How's the interrogation going?"

"We've confirmed the dark wizard is the Purifier, and we've extracted the locations of the other cultists from him," Mr. Grevis said. "The Auror Bureau has their sights set on these guys and is currently pursuing them. They don't have any Obscurians with them, and we expect to close the case within two days."

"When will the trial take place?" Christine asked.

“Look down, they’ve been taken to court.” Grevis tapped the desk with his wand, and the office furnishings shifted to reveal the French tricolor coat of arms inlaid in the floor.

Beneath the iconic Phrygian hat are frosted glass pieces made of magical material, and the office floor serves as the skylight for the courtroom below, with glass that allows one to see the prisoners inside, but those in the courtroom cannot see upstairs.

The judges, dressed in wide robes, stood high above, their faces obscured. The four men on trial were imprisoned in iron cages, their bodies bound in heavy shackles.

Given the destruction caused by the Dark Wizard and the Obscurials, as well as their past crimes, the court sentenced the Dark Wizard and the Obscurial named Pikani to death. The other two Obscurials, for cooperating with the interrogation and truthfully confessing their crimes, were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Given the Obscurus's unique nature, they will be sent to a special prison for Level 5X magical creatures.

"In fact, the death penalty and life imprisonment are no different for those two Obscurians. Their frontal lobe was removed, they have serious psychological problems, they are closed off in their own mental world and have difficulty communicating with the outside world. Their thinking has been domesticated, and they are almost no different from hunting dogs. Whatever instructions are given to them, they will carry out the corresponding behavior."

Grevis sighed as he finished speaking. He had mixed feelings about the Obscurials; they were both victims and perpetrators.

After learning about the Obscurials' experiences, many wizards felt pity for them and even considered releasing the two who had committed lesser crimes. However, considering the Obscurial's power, which was easily out of control yet powerful and violent, the Inquisition chose to imprison them.

“Very few Obscurians live past ten years old, and they should be no exception.” Grevis looked at the photos on the table. They were still young children, not even old enough to go to school, yet their lives had already come to an end, after suffering inhuman torture.

His fist clenched again, and he said in a muffled voice, "This time, we destroyed a key stronghold in New Salem and wiped out the remnants of the Purge. They only have a few rats left hiding in Mexico, too afraid to show their faces. Mr. Bonnell and I have already discussed it. When the International Wizarding Union Conference is held next year, the Magical Congress of the United States and the French Ministry of Magic will lead a joint investigation team to eradicate all these scum!"

The International Wizarding Union Congress is held every four years, where wizarding representatives from all over the world sit together to discuss the future development of the wizarding world. Dumbledore is the president of the union and also the representative of British wizards. He has been in that position for many years and was so bored at the last meeting that he fell asleep.

Mr. Bonnell did not speak; he was the only one present who did not understand English, but his expression and actions were somewhat strange, and he frequently looked Melvin up and down.

Melvin picked up the Auror Bureau's special French coffee and took a sip. It was still just as bad. Looking up, he saw that Grevis and Bonnell both had dark circles under their eyes. These two gentlemen must not have rested for the past few days.

I wonder if wizards will die from overwork.

"..." Bonell uttered a string of awkward French, sounding like he had phlegm stuck in his throat that he couldn't cough up.

“What did he say?” Melvin asked.

“He’s asking the remaining Obscurial about the girl we met at Père Lachaise Cemetery, Bastad.” Grevis was also secretly observing Melvin’s expression. “According to the information obtained from the interrogation, there is indeed a young Obscurial. They smelled the scent of that Obscurial and followed it all the way to the museum, where they found the Granger family. When the battle broke out, Bastad even stopped the Obscurial’s attack.”

"You're asking me?" Melvin shrugged. "Who should I ask?"

“This is not our intention. The main issue is that the dark wizard revealed that your student Hermione Granger has connections with Bastad. Could you please ask Miss Granger and her relatives to come to the Ministry of Magic? Perhaps she knows some clues.”

Fearing Melvin might misunderstand, Grevis immediately clarified, "It's not an interrogation of the suspect. Mr. Bonnell assured me that no methods would be used; he just thinks she might know something."

"Do you want to listen to what you're saying?"

Melvin leaned back in his chair, tilted his head slightly, and looked at the two Aurors: "You mean, an ordinary little witch who came to Paris for tourism, who had no prior connection with Salem and the Purifiers, suddenly became acquainted with an Obscurial who had fled from a cult?"

Grevis relayed this to Bonnell, and after thinking about it, neither of them could refute it.

"But... the black wizard's confession..."

"The dark wizard wanted to capture young wizards whose minds were not mature enough and tried to cultivate Obscurials through cruel means. Therefore, he targeted Hogwarts students who were traveling, and the Granger family was thus put in danger."

Melvin tapped the table. "And this dangerous situation was caused by the French Ministry of Magic. When they received the news from Woolworth House, they didn't take it seriously and shirked their responsibilities. Even when Mr. Grevis came to Forstenberg Place in person, you were still perfunctory and careless. High-ranking officials accepted bribes and obstructed the investigation... Now you want to make things difficult for an innocent little witch who has been victimized?"

That's not what we meant.

"The black wizard's testimony proves nothing. Just like you told us that day, we need concrete evidence." "..."

Bonnell had no way to explain himself. He had indeed said that at the time, but that was just to appease the higher-ups. Didn't he allow them to investigate? He let them go to the archives to look up the files, and when the investigation reached a stalemate, he gave them hints and wrote a note instructing them to contact Beauxbatons.

Christine thought for a moment, then looked up and said, "Professor Levent also means the Rozier family and Beauxbatons. The Ministry of Magic should take responsibility itself, instead of trying to make things difficult for a 13-year-old student."

"We will investigate this ourselves. In addition, the Ministry of Magic will compensate Miss Granger and her family for their losses and will not disturb their summer vacation any further."

Bonnell's smile grew even more bitter. A mid-level manager like the Auror Captain was caught in the middle, suffering from both sides. Damn this bureaucratic system! After this case is over, he'll be promoted a few ranks, while someone else will be sitting here taking it all.

Watching the two figures walk out of the office, Grevis flipped through the photos in the file. The oval scars on the foreheads of the two Obscurians were particularly noticeable. He recalled the little girl he had seen that day. She had not yet been completely brainwashed, nor did she blindly obey the dark wizard's orders. After her collar was broken, she underwent some kind of transformation.

Although it's unclear why Melvin was protecting Bastad, my intuition tells me that the little girl wasn't a vicious thug.

“It’s still that Levent… he always manages to find loopholes in the law.” Grevis closed the photo and said softly.

……

On the hotel suite terrace, Hermione flipped through a local Parisian wizarding newspaper, a specially translated English version. The front page headline was about the Obscurial attack on the Louvre, with the headline "Those Obscurials from the Other Side".

The accompanying photograph shows the Louvre Pyramid in disarray, with Aurors scattered throughout, repairing the damaged Muggle buildings. It is accompanied by images of a dark wizard and three Obscurians, their faces blank and their empty eyes seeming to stare directly at the reader across the newspaper.

“Nothing was mentioned about us at all?” Mr. Granger shouted from behind. “Does no one care about the heroic act of your mother and me? Charging against the dark wizards for our own children, a Don Quixote-like charge, or, in your wizarding terms, a Cadogan-like charge.”

"To minimize the impact on us, the Ministry of Magic has blocked information about us to ensure we won't face retaliation." Hermione put down her newspaper and looked up. "And your charge wasn't heroic at all. It was useless against dark wizards, but it had a huge impact on me. My heart almost stopped when I saw it."

"My little Hermione..."

Mr. Granger pulled her into his arms. "We haven't even blamed you yet. You tried to abandon us and face the danger alone when it came. Do you admit your mistake?"

"Well……"

Hermione buried her head in her father's clothes, speaking in a muffled, unclear voice.

Mr. Granger, though he couldn't hear her clearly, knew her answer. He ruffled her hair as punishment, took the newspaper from the table, turned to the second page, and read, "The Savior of France, the Mysterious Wizard from the Magic Mirror."

"So it was Professor Levent who saved us. What a coincidence!" Mr. Granger scratched his head, though he didn't have much hair left. "Subduing the dark wizard, burning three Obscurials with fire magic... Why did they specifically mention dark magic? The wording seems a bit strange; the gratitude and praise feel awkward?"

The accompanying photo on the secondary news page is of a young professor's back, taken from a low angle, which makes his back appear tall, broad, and imposing.

The wording of the news report was also somewhat strange, emphasizing the burning and highlighting that the Fiendfyre curse is black magic, seemingly implying something.

"Because Fiendfire is black magic, and a very evil one at that. Of all magic, only the Unforgivable Curse is more evil than Fiendfire. The flames will turn everything they touch into fuel, devouring and burning everything. If Fiendfire spreads on a large scale, no one can stop it."

Hermione stuck out her tongue. "Fifty years ago, a wizard unleashed Fiendfire in Paris, almost burning the entire city to the ground."

"It does sound evil, but it's just magical evil. Professor Levent was facing a cultist dark wizard, so it's normal for him to use some powerful magic. I often hear you mention that professor. He's gentle and kind, patiently guides his students, and actively promotes Muggle culture. How could such a wizard be a dark wizard?"

Mr. Granger shook his head and said, "These Parisian newspaper reporters are really something, writing such reports."

“It’s not the Parisian wizard’s fault, Professor Levent’s magic…” Hermione rarely defended the reporter, she remembered that she was also very anxious at the time, and almost thought that the professor was going to burn the Obscurians and Bastian to death.

"I really want to thank Professor Levent properly when he has some free time."

Hermione shook her head and sighed: "I don't know. The professor just told us to take good care of Bastian. He'll handle things with the Ministry of Magic and won't cause us any trouble."

“Bastian and your mother will be back soon, won’t they?” Mr. Granger put down his newspaper. “They’re just going to the restaurant to get a few dinners; it shouldn’t take long.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a card being swiped to open the door came from outside.

"Mom, Bastian!"

Hermione immediately ran over to greet her.

Mr. Granger put away the wizard's newspaper and slowly followed. In the corridor behind the door, two ladies were carrying takeout dinners, while the father and daughter left behind stood there stunned.

They had been staying at the hotel for almost a week, and it wasn't the first time they had packed food. They knew Bastian had a big appetite, but they were still surprised to see his pockets full of food, enough for at least ten people, plus various ice creams and mousse cakes.

“Bastian said he used up too much energy that day, so he got hungry quickly,” Mrs. Granger said with a helpless expression. “She promised she could finish all of this.”

"Remember to brush your teeth properly after you eat, okay?"

Mr. Granger gently pinched the little girl's nose. They didn't understand magic, but they remembered that it was Bastian who held off the three monsters that day, buying them time.

Bastian sniffed, nodded emphatically, and his bright blue eyes sparkled.

Despite what happened, they were still willing to adopt her, never blaming her for bringing danger, nor did they distance themselves from her because of her silence.

(End of this chapter)