The Return to Hogwarts

Chapter 483 High Merit Difficult to Reward

2023-09-16

Amosta's intentions were quite clear: he wanted to pin the attack on a group of dark wizards who were attacking because they worshipped the Dark Lord. This group pretended to be 'Death Eaters' and attacked the arena. This was the most brilliant part, because it would tell the British wizarding community that the real Death Eaters had become active again, and the far-reaching consequences of that would be incalculable.

As for Fudge needing to find the murderer so that the Ministry of Magic can give an explanation for the whole matter, then so be it.

Anyway, according to the law, the underworld bounty hunter captured by Amosta would have to stay in Azkaban for life; he's just changed his name now.

However, there was a glaring flaw in Amosta's plan, which Fudge, who had calmed down and gone over the whole plan in his mind, immediately noticed.

This loophole could make the Ministry of Magic a laughingstock.

"Let the Wizengamos try the witch who fought you, then send her to Azkaban and order the Dementors to imprison her alone. No problem, Amosta, that's all possible, but—"

Fudge's broad forehead started sweating again.

"If we've done all this, and then another person like that appears outside..."

“If another one does appear—” Amosta said bluntly, “it will only be a poor imitator, and I will explain if people have any doubts.”

"Oh, that's it, the perfect solution!"

Fudge slapped the table happily with his uninjured hand.

"No one is more authoritative than you in confirming that witch's identity, Amosta. You defeated her, and her wand is still in your hands!"

After a deep conversation, Fudge felt that most of the heavy pressure he was under had dissipated. Although it would take a lot of people to shut up in order to make the lie acceptable, it was still a clear path, it just would take some effort.

This is the second time Amostra Blaine has used his wisdom to save the Ministry of Magic from the brink of collapse, and tonight, he also directly saved the lives of tens of thousands of wizards—though that's not entirely accurate.

Fudge was also in the box and witnessed the whole thing. If Amos Tower hadn't suddenly appeared, the witch would have quietly left after kidnapping Harry Potter, and the subsequent showdown would never have happened.

This is very embarrassing!

On the one hand, the Ministry of Magic owes Amosta Blaine a great debt of gratitude; on the other hand, the power Amosta Blaine possesses does indeed make the Ministry of Magic extremely wary and uneasy.

This young and powerful wizard seemed quite different from Dumbledore; he was aggressive and, unlike Albus Dumbledore, didn't adhere to principles. Dealing with such a peculiar being required careful consideration; one couldn't afford to offend him, yet one had to be wary.

With the most difficult problem solved, Fudge finally turned his attention to Amostella. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say, so he once again looked to Dumbledore for help. But this time, Dumbledore pretended not to see him.

"Ahem-"

Fudge immediately knew that Dumbledore intended to stay out of it, and he would have to handle everything himself. Fudge coughed twice, clenched his fist, and gave Amostella a fake smile.

"You've helped the Ministry of Magic and the British wizarding community through a major crisis again, Amosta, I don't know how to thank you enough!"

"You're too kind, Minister—"

Amosta responded with a polite smile.

"This is what I should do, Minister. I would be most grateful if you wouldn't have Headmaster Dumbledore lock me up at Hogwarts and forbid me from leaving."

Fudge's face immediately turned a deep purplish-red, and he stammered, unable to utter a single word. Dumbledore, upon hearing Amostella's words, also gave a wry smile.

"Ahem, you surely know this is just a joke, Amosta. No one can imprison the hero who saved the entire magical world—"

Fudge tried his best to suppress the awkwardness and racked his brains to keep the conversation going.

“I bet, Amosta, for the next month, the Daily Prophet will be full of your picture on the front page. The talk about you won’t end until Christmas. People will be talking about everything that happens to you. And of course, the Ministry of Magic will award you the Order of Merlin, First Class. I’m sure I can get it for you.”

"Oh, I already have that—"

Amosta smiled and looked at Fudge with great interest.

"When I killed Graybury."

"Oh, really? Cough cough, I mean—"

Fudge felt as if his throat had been filled with the stench of dung, which made him cough incessantly.

"Of course, I remember that!"

Although the decision that could have affected everyone might never have happened if Amosta hadn't appeared tonight, the general public wouldn't think that way. They would only think that if it weren't for Amosta Blaine, the international audiences at tonight's Quidditch Cup final would have suffered heavy casualties.

It's simply unacceptable that the Ministry of Magic and even the International Confederation of Wizards haven't recognized Amostrath Blaine.

What can the Ministry of Magic offer in gratitude to Amostrath Blaine?

Honors? Amosta already has the Order of Merlin First Class Medal.

Wealth? When Amosta killed Grayback, many famous companies came to him, willing to offer exorbitant sums just to have him endorse their products. However, Amosta refused them all without exception. Moreover, simply offering money to Amosta Blaine would not only anger him, but also be difficult to explain to the people of the wizarding world.

Power? Amosta is already the only person with a voice at Hogwarts besides Dumbledore. He is also a senior advisor to the Ministry of Magic. If you want to give a wizard with such outstanding achievements as Amosta more real power, then you would have to make him at least the director or deputy minister. But that is exactly what Fudge is most unwilling to do.

The more deeply Fudge pondered the problem, the more desperate he felt.

He couldn't very well force Dumbledore to step down and let Amostra Blaine become the headmaster of Hogwarts. But then again, Dumbledore was indeed well past retirement age, and having both of them simultaneously at Hogwarts wasn't a good option either. If they decided to plot something, the Ministry of Magic would be powerless to resist Dumbledore's prestige, Amostra's demonstrated power, and their combined intelligence.

Boom, boom, boom——

Suddenly, there was a rapid knocking on the office door. Normally, such a top-secret meeting would not be allowed to be disturbed, but the heavy knocking sounded like heavenly music to Fudge's ears, making him overjoyed.

Although separated by a door, Amosta and Dumbledore already knew who the visitor was. Dumbledore frowned slightly, while Amosta, who had been listening to the persistent and impolite knocking, lowered his eyes, a flash of coldness in them.

"Who is it?" Fudge stood up, his expression and tone much lighter. "Just come in!"

wow-

The door was suddenly pushed open, and the newcomer's pale face was etched with a pre-prepared rage. However, when he discovered that not only Cornelius Fudge was in the office, but also Albus Dumbledore and Amos Stark Blaine, who had been the star of the evening, the rage on the newcomer's face suddenly froze. His half-step also stopped in mid-air, neither taking another step nor retracting it, completely losing his composure.

"Oh, Lucius?"

Fudge stood up and blinked in surprise.

"How did you find your way here? By the way, your wife and son weren't hurt in tonight's chaos, were they?"

"I learned that you returned to the ministry ahead of time, but I was unaware that you were entertaining guests, Minister Fudge--"

Under the watchful eyes of the three most powerful wizards in the British wizarding world, Lucius behaved much more politely. He slowly put his feet down, greeted Fudge, nodded almost imperceptibly to Dumbledore, and finally, his gaze fell on Amostrath Blaine, the veins on his forehead bulging fiercely, as if he had an urge to turn around and run away.

"Oh, we've almost finished talking--"

Even when Lucius was pulling out handfuls of gold from his pocket, Fudge had never found Lucius Malfoy so agreeable. He waved eagerly at Lucius.

"Don't be shy, Lucius, come in. We've pretty much finished discussing business. So, you came to see me because... cough cough, if it's about that crucible workshop from last time, we can talk about that later."

We've talked enough

Upon hearing this, a flicker of panic crossed Lucius's gray eyes. He had been undecided about leaving, but now he made a decision immediately. He took a deep breath, his face hardening with anger again. After closing the door, he spoke in a curt tone...

"It's not about the workshop, Minister Fouché. What I want to talk about is my wife and son!"

What's wrong with them?

"They were injured in the chaos!"

Lucius said coldly.

Chapter 484 The Second Forgiveness

2023-09-17

"They were injured in the chaos!"

Lucius Malfoy glared at Fudge and said.

The light in Amosta's eyes flickered for a moment before settling back down.

Dumbledore could not possibly like Lucius Malfoy, who was constantly plotting to bring him down and had done so before, causing serious consequences. However, upon hearing that his wife and son had been injured in the attack that evening, Dumbledore immediately showed concern.

"What happened, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked even before Fudge could, "What has happened to Mr. Malfoy?"

The Malfoy family, especially Lucius Malfoy, had provided considerable financial support to the Ministry of Magic, which he headed. Hearing that Lucius Malfoy's wife and son were injured, Fudge couldn't dismiss it as a trivial matter. Since Dumbledore had already asked, Fudge remained silent, simply looking at Lucius Malfoy with equal concern.

"We have been attacked by terrorists!"

Lucius said, unusually bluntly,

"During the evacuation, Narcissa and I fought off a dark wizard who was attacking a Swiss girl who had gotten separated from her parents. We drove him away, but Narcissa was hit by a powerful stun spell and is still unconscious. Draco also accidentally injured his arm!"

"Oh, how unfortunate--"

Fudge said with a hint of shame,

"This accident happened too suddenly. I mean, the Ministry of Magic was indeed unprepared. I should go see your wife and children, Lucius, but I'll have to wait a while. As you know, the Ministry of Magic is currently facing challenges, and I can't leave."

Would the Malfoy family really stand up and fight a dark wizard for a complete stranger? Even Dumbledore wouldn't believe it.

A strange light flashed in Dumbledore's deep blue eyes. He immediately realized that Lucius Malfoy's visit to the Ministry of Magic at this time of great turmoil couldn't have been just to complain to Fudge. He looked at Amostella, only to find her expressionless. When he looked at her questioningly, Amostella merely twitched her lips slightly, revealing a brief, mocking smile.

When his gaze fell on Lucius Malfoy again, Dumbledore's eyes became deep and unfathomable.

Fudge failed to notice Dumbledore and Amostella's secret conversation. Facing the grumbling Lucius Malfoy, he felt a mixture of embarrassment and guilt, until—

“Of course I know the difficulties you and the Ministry of Magic are facing right now, Minister Fudge—”

The usually smooth-talking Lucius Malfoy had never shown any disrespect to the Minister of Magic before, but tonight, facing Fudge, his back was ramrod straight, and a glint of fire flickered in his light gray eyes.

“But I must get justice for Narcissa and Draco, mustn’t I, Minister? I must find out what these evil dark wizards are up to, and why they launched this attack—”

Lucius, panting, glanced quickly at Amostella and Dumbledore, and spoke curtly to Fudge.

"I wanted the truth, so I asked around in the department, and someone told me that the department had captured a living person—"