The Return to Hogwarts

Amosta smiled subtly.

"Speaking of which, not many people from our class got jobs at the Ministry of Magic. Bill was originally invited, but unfortunately, he turned it down in the end."

Eric nodded with a smile, seemingly not caring at all what Amosta was saying; he felt it was a great honor to be able to talk to him.

"Last year, there was a Gryffindor graduation party, and Prien and Filoa attended. When I told them that I had found out from the Ministry that it was you who wrecked the legendary Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin and subdued the Basilisk, they were trembling with fear. Oh, heh heh, it seems you really scared them back then!"

Eric recounted the events of that year with great enthusiasm, and the two people who had enraged Amosta back then only brought a knowing smile to his face when he heard his name again years later.

Chapter 328 Another Acquaintance

2023-06-15

Amostella could tell that Eric hadn't been having a very good time at the Ministry of Magic these past few years; otherwise, he wouldn't have chattered on and on for ten minutes straight with a classmate he wasn't very close to. Come to think of it, Eric's job was just as tedious as the leisurely life in the centaur's office.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your reunion--"

As Eric was quietly talking to Amostella, he overheard Bertha saying that Barty Crouch of the International Department of Magical Cooperation had been getting furious over trivial matters these past few days, when a stern witch's voice suddenly came from the elevator lobby behind the golden door.

Upon hearing that sound, Eric shuddered and immediately shut his mouth.

Amelia Bones, dressed in a solemn emerald-green wizard's robe, emerged from the elevator lobby. Her gaze lingered on Eric for a moment before shifting away. A slight smile appeared on her weary face as she spoke to Amostella.

“Cornell said your reply indicated you would arrive at the Ministry of Magic before seven o’clock, so I’ve come to show you the way—”

Few wizards have the honor of being personally greeted by Amelia Bornes, a woman renowned throughout the European wizarding world. Eric immediately cast an envious glance at Amosta.

"Thank you, I am indeed not very familiar with this place—"

Amosta smiled and nodded, then nodded to Eric.

"We'll talk later."

“Connelly is waiting for you in his office. We need to have a short meeting before the formal press conference begins.”

Ms. Burns put it succinctly.

This wasn't a good place to chat, and Amosta simply nodded without saying anything more.

With a series of clanging and clattering sounds, an elevator emerged from the dark elevator shaft. The iron gate opened, and three people entered the elevator car one by one. The gate then slammed shut, and the car slowly ascended, the chains rattling. Not long after, the voice of the indifferent woman from the phone booth rang out again.

"The fourth floor is the Department of Magical Creatures Management and Control—the Office of Beasts, Outcasts and Ghosts, the Elf Liaison Office, the Pest Consultation Office, the Centaur Office, the House-Elf Relocation Office, and the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Animals."

The elevator car stopped on the fourth floor. Outside the safety fence, a tall, stern-faced middle-aged wizard was waiting for the elevator, clutching a piece of parchment. When he saw Hagrid, who had filled half the car, he hesitated for a moment and did not choose to open the fence door.

"Come in, Norus, the carriage can accommodate you—"

Ms. Burns nodded towards the tall wizard outside the door and said.

The wizard named Norrus paused for a moment, then nodded to Lady Burns, opened the door, and stepped into the carriage. His arrival immediately made the carriage crowded, with Hagrid huddled in a corner, wishing he could curl up into a ball.

Which floor are you going to?

"The basement level."

Norrus glanced at Amostella, somewhat puzzled by the strange smile in the unfamiliar young wizard's eyes as he scrutinized him. However, he immediately turned his attention to Madam Borns, waving the parchment in his hand.

"We previously requested a mindless ghost from the Ghost Office. The experiment is complete, and now we need to go to the Logistics Department to submit the receipt."

After saying this, Norus remained silent.

The elevator quickly reached the basement level. The moment the gate opened, Norus strode out and headed towards the left passage. Amosta glanced deeply at the tall wizard who disappeared into an office before following Ms. Borns to the minister's office on the right.

"This Norus"

The atmosphere on the basement floor where the minister's office was located was solemn and dignified, with an invisible, heavy force pressing down on people's hearts. Hagrid was clearly a little afraid of the atmosphere here. He kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and followed Amosta step by step, his expression showing no abnormality.

"Norus de Man belongs to the Department of Mysteries."

Ms. Burns glanced at Amosta with some surprise, seemingly not quite understanding why he would be interested in Norus, but she still gave Amosta a brief introduction.

"The Department of Mysteries."

Amosta clicked his tongue and smiled in a cryptic way.

"I've heard that this is the most mysterious department in the Ministry of Magic."

"That's true--"

Ms. Burns nodded.

"The Department of Mysteries is a relatively independent department within the Ministry, and it almost never recruits staff from Hogwarts. The people who work there are called the Hushers. These Hushers are mostly wizards of different schools. When they need to retire due to age or health reasons, they will arrange for their family's younger generation or apprentices to continue working in the Department of Mysteries. Because of the need for secrecy, they have a high degree of autonomy, and the Ministry generally does not interfere with their work."

interesting.

A strange light flashed in Amosta's eyes; he truly hadn't expected to have acquaintances in the Department of Mysteries.

Mrs. Burns led Amosta and Hagrid into the Minister of Magic's office, a spacious semi-circular room. Although located underground, the four large, bright windows revealed a bright, sunny sky.

On one side of the room, tall shelves were filled with books and documents, and document boxes marked "Top Secret" were protected by locks with eight golden claws. Anyone who approached them without permission would likely meet a bad end.

On the other side, a series of shimmering displays on the shelf revealed the luxurious tastes of the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

"Those were all from Connelly's own collection--"

Fudge wasn't in his office. After Ms. Burns directed Hagrid to sit on the sofa, she turned around and saw the outgoing Amosta standing in front of the shelves, admiring the artwork on display with great interest.

Compared to when she was outside, Burns' expression was much gentler. She smiled and walked over to Amosta, introducing him to him.

"Most of them are fairy artifacts, but some are antiques that carry a long history of magic."

"It seems our Minister of Magic is a frank man."

Amosta nodded and smiled, shifting his gaze from a gold mask with a strong ancient Egyptian style. If he remembered correctly, he had smuggled this thing back from Egypt last year, and he didn't know why it ended up in Fudge's hands.

When asked about Amosta's assessment, Borns simply smiled noncommittally and didn't say much, but it was clear that she didn't particularly appreciate Fudge's behavior.

Before getting to the main topic, small talk is an unavoidable part of the process.

"Although I didn't pass your tests, Susan spoke highly of your interesting Defense Against the Dark Arts practical lessons. I must say, Amostella, you have a great imagination and a lot of courage."

Few professors have the courage to lay an infernal before a young wizard, but I believe it is the right thing to do. Hogwarts bears the important responsibility of supplying talent to the wizarding world, and in recent years, we have seen many young wizards graduating.

Of course, excellence remains the same, but there's a clear lack of some essential qualities, such as decisiveness, perseverance, and a strong sense of self-reliance—these are very important issues, yet some people seem to disregard them.

Is this a criticism of Dumbledore or something else entirely?

Amosta offered a few humble words of self-defense, his face remaining impassive while his mind raced.

Ms. Burns held a high position in the Ministry of Magic and was the most popular candidate to become Minister for Magic after Fudge. Within the Ministry, the only person who could rival her was Barty Crouch of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. However, after Sirius's next move was revealed, Barty Crouch was completely out of the running and could no longer be her competitor.

"Indeed, a peaceful life can be easy to become complacent, making some short-sighted wizards unable to see the hidden dangers within."

Amosta smiled and agreed.

When the war breaks out in the future, people like Fudge will be of little use except to hold us back. At that time, Amosta hopes that someone in the ministry will take his opinion seriously. Using force to coerce and intimidate is not advisable, as it will only lead him down the path of the "Dark Lord".

Therefore, he needed someone in the ministry who could speak on his behalf, and now it seemed that Amelia Bones was a good choice.

Chapter 329 The Value of Each Other

2023-06-15

Amos Tower hopes to find an agent within the Ministry of Magic, and at present, the most suitable candidate is Amelia Borns, who currently has three bargaining chips.

The first and clearest point is his position as the Head of the Student Safety Office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even without Dumbledore, Hogwarts holds a transcendent position in the wizarding world, and the school's faculty and staff can be considered, to some extent, 'officials of the wizarding world,' not to mention that when Dumbledore created this position, he defined it as being at the level of Hogwarts' Vice-Headmaster.

Secondly, there's the wisdom Amosta Blaine displayed in resolving the troubles caused by Sirius Black.

The third reason is even more crucial.

Compared to the Muggle world, the magical world still retains some characteristics of ancient human society, namely, 'might makes right'.

The power Amos Tower displayed in its annihilation of Greyback exceeded the armed forces of the Ministry of Magic. If Albus Dumbledore hadn't been there, the entire Ministry of Magic might have been thrown into panic by the sudden appearance of a super-powerful figure in the British wizarding world.

However, alliances also depend on the willingness of both parties.

According to Amosta, Amelia Bones has shown some willingness, but she remains wary of herself.

This is quite normal. After all, the two had never crossed paths before, and now he had stood in front of the Ministry of Magic in such a conspicuous way, forcing the Ministry of Magic to take him seriously. Anyone would be wary of that.

"That's right, Amelia—"

At Ms. Burns's request, Amosta addressed her by her first name.

"In fact, besides attending the press conference and receiving the medal, I also have some personal matters to attend to at the Ministry of Magic. I originally intended to ask Minister Fudge for help."

Ms. Burns blinked in surprise, then a smile appeared on her lips.

Asking someone for a favor is also a way of showing intimacy. On the night Greyback died, she tentatively invited Amostra to join the Ministry of Magic, but Amostra refused her offer. This made her think that Amostra, like Dumbledore, was not interested in getting involved in the Ministry of Magic. But now it seems that Amostra Blaine herself is also looking for something.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Ms. Burns smiled and immediately said,

“You’re welcome, Amosta. I’ll do my best for Susan’s sake.”

Instead of mentioning Greyback or Sirius, the conversation turned to Susan, a young wizard whom Amostall hadn't paid much attention to at school—this was clearly a discussion of their personal relationship.

Dealing with smart people is indeed easier, Amosta nodded to himself.

"Hagrid, tell me about your troubles—"

"Uh, what? Oh, it wasn't... um, it was Buckbeak!"