The Return to Hogwarts

“Mr. Crouch was already dealing with this before his sick leave. He warned Bashir, but he wouldn’t listen. He brought this upon himself!”

“There are some things Mr. Crouch probably doesn’t know, Weasley, which is why he misjudged the situation. Bashir is…” Goldstein said through gritted teeth, “I need to see Mr. Crouch and explain things to him face to face!”

"How many times do I have to say it, Goldstein? Mr. Crouch needs a rest. You know how many years he's worked so hard for the department. He entrusted me with handling these troubles, and I must help him stabilize the situation!"

Percy seemed to sense that Goldstein was questioning his abilities, and he said in embarrassment and anger,

"In this matter, my answer is no. Let Ali Bashir go to Azkaban to reflect on his actions for a while!"

Why.

Amosta, who had listened to the entire conversation, sighed silently and got up from the sofa.

"Oh my god!"

When Amostall appeared behind Percy, Goldstein, who was so angry he wanted to reach for his wand, immediately fell silent. He stared wide-eyed at the gray-haired man behind Percy Weasley, his face filled with disbelief.

“You are…you are…oh, I didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Blaine!”

The angry expression on the face of the middle-aged man with dark yellow curly hair and a bit of a paunch vanished as if by magic, replaced by surprise and a hint of embarrassment.

Amosta placed a hand on Percy's shoulder, silencing him momentarily. He smiled at Goldstein.

“You haven’t mistaken me for someone else, Goldstein. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the way you were talking—”

Amosta shrugged.

“I should apologize, Mr. Blaine. I didn’t know you and Weasley were talking. Oh, perhaps I should come back another time!”

Goldstein said excitedly.

I don't think we need to wait until next time--

Amosta raised his chin slightly, his smile gentle.

“I just heard you wanted to speak with Mr. Crouch. Oh, coincidentally, I was also planning to visit him. Perhaps I can pass on a message for you. This Ali Bashir is smuggling flying carpets, is he? Oh, before the latest regulations came into effect, he must have had the necessary permits, right?”

“You’re right, Mr. Blaine—” Goldstein immediately understood Amosta’s implication and whispered.

“Ms. Umbridge gave him a note, and the Oswald family has been in charge of selling the flying carpet.”

Amosta nodded slightly.

“I’ll explain the situation to Barty. Goldstein, could you allow me to be alone with Mr. Crouch’s assistant for a little while longer?”

Chapter 686 Your Grandfather is Still Your Grandfather (Part 2)

2024-01-11

"Oh, by the way, Weasley, Cadir asked me to tell you that the toilet issue has been resolved, so you don't need to pay any attention to the note he sent!"

Goldstein said this to Percy, and then left in high spirits, completely unlike his aggressive demeanor when he arrived.

Click——

The office door closed, and Amosta pushed the dazed Percy back onto the coffee table. Percy's bottom had barely touched the sofa when he jumped up again, glaring at Amosta with a mixture of surprise and anger in his eyes.

"You intend to plead for Ali Bashir, Mr. Blaine? Do you know him?"

“This is the first time I’ve heard this name, Percy—” Amosta shook her head slightly.

"Then why did you promise Goldstein that you would defend Mr. Crouch when you met him, you know, Ali Bashir—"

Amosta raised his hand to interrupt Percy's long-winded speech and calmly said,

“I’m not solving this Bashir problem, I’m doing it for you, Percy—”

After letting the bewildered Percy sit down, Amosta slowly began to speak.

“When I see Batty, I don’t plan to mention this to him. As for the flying carpet, I suggest you send Batty a letter. If Batty replies, then proceed according to his reply. If Batty doesn’t reply, then follow procedure and send a formal letter to the Minister’s office to request instructions.”

Percy blinked, finally realizing that things might not be so simple, but he didn't understand the logic behind Professor Blaine's proposed solution.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Amosta paused for a moment, then patiently continued,

"This Ali Bashir is probably backed by Connelly—"

"what?"

Percy was startled; a moment of clarity flashed through his weary mind, and then he suddenly remembered what Goldstein had said last, and he blurted out…

“But… uh, Ms. Umbridge—”

“Goldstein said that the Oswald family is responsible for selling flying carpets in the UK. I suppose you don’t know that this family is related to Mrs. Fudge?”

Amosta, who was hearing about this for the first time, acted as if he knew the whole story very well, and he spoke eloquently.

"Umbridge was just covering for Fudge. When was Bashir arrested, and when did Percy and Batty start taking leave?"

“Bashir was arrested in the middle of last month, while Mr. Crouch took leave four days ago—”

Percy said blankly.

"And when did this Goldstein come to see you?" Amosta continued to ask.

“Yesterday—yesterday—” Percy’s answer was halting, as if he had realized something.

“Since Bashir has been captured for almost a month, and Barty has been at the Ministry of Magic for most of that time, have you considered why Goldstein didn’t negotiate with Barty when he was on duty, but instead chose to do so when you were covering for him?”

Amosta patiently guided him.

“He wanted to use me—” Percy said blankly, his cheeks gradually turning pale, “but I didn’t let him succeed.”

"The logic of the whole thing is roughly like this—"

Amosta placed his fingers interlaced on his knees.

"The flying carpet has a long history of sales in Britain, and this business has probably always been run by the Oswald family, that is, the family of Minister Fudge's wife. However, the ban on the sale of flying carpets was passed precisely when Cornelius Fudge was Minister for Magic. Who do you think was behind that?"

As a former top student at Hogwarts, Percy's mouth opened, seemingly understanding something.

"Do you understand? The whole thing was a political confrontation between Connelly Fudge and Buddy Crouch. I don't know how Buddy did it, but it must have involved a quid pro quo. He won the confrontation and successfully pushed the flying carpet ban bill through the review process."

Amosta said calmly.

"But clearly, Connelly was not convinced, so the order was probably given by Ali Bashir, who was probably Oswald's front man. You could call it a provocation, or a way to clear out inventory and recover principal before the bill took effect, but Bati did not tolerate this provocation, so Bashir was arrested."

This Goldstein is probably one of Connelly's men; his actions are orchestrated. It just so happens that you've been handling Bati's day-to-day affairs lately, so he's come to you to try his luck. That's why he's never mentioned Umbridge and Oswald to you. If he succeeds, Goldstein will undoubtedly gain favor with Connelly, he'll get a promotion, and you'll be the one to take the blame, because you'll be the one ultimately signing the release order for Bati.”

As Percy listened to Professor Blaine's reasoning, his heart pounded, and he almost began to question the meaning of life.

“I didn’t sabotage Mr. Crouch’s plans, I didn’t sign—”

Percy said blankly.

"Have you considered that your insistence on not signing might seriously offend the Minister of Magic, thus ruining your career?"

Amosta's chuckled words terrified Percy, turning him deathly pale. His lips moved as if he wanted to ask Professor Blaine for help, but remembering his previous ulterior motives, he couldn't utter a single word.

"Just now at the door, Goldstein suggested meeting Batty in person. This means two things: first, he probably realizes you're not someone he can rely on; second, he still wants to get this done for the minister to demonstrate his abilities. So, his idea to meet Batty was probably his own; perhaps he'll offer something to try and sway Batty."

“In that case, Professor—”

Percy didn't realize that his attitude had completely changed. He was now somewhat like he had been before graduation, when he and Penelope were at the Three Broomsticks pub asking Professor Blaine to write him a letter for help.

Why are you still doing this for him?

"You're neither letting Goldstein go to Buddy nor signing it yourself. Does this mean you're going to take all of Connelly's wrath for Buddy? Are you willing to use the Weasley family's influence to do this, Percy?"

Amosta calmly watched Percy stammer.

"Have you considered that when Goldstein reports to Fudge, he might shift all the blame for the mission's failure onto you?"

"That despicable scoundrel!" Percy roared in fury. "I'm going to duel him!"

Percy swore and cursed Goldstein viciously, and seeing him like this, Amosta couldn't help but sigh. Arthur had spent most of his life in the Ministry of Magic, with connections in every department; hadn't he ever given his son any pointers?

"You can't make this decision on your own, understand, Percy—"

After all, he was his student, and Amosta didn't want to see him being used. With a heart full of guidance, Amosta spoke earnestly...

“I asked you to write a letter to Barty for instructions. Firstly, whether Barty agrees or refuses, the responsibility for this matter will not fall on you. If it works out, Fudge will thank you for writing the letter for him. If it doesn’t work out, then he has no reason to blame you.”

Secondly, writing the letter was also to guard against Bhatti. For example, Bhatti might tell you not to release Bashir, but when he negotiates with Connelly later, he might give a different story. He might say you relayed the wrong message, and by then, Bashir would have already been in Azkaban for some time. Releasing him then would save face for the minister and prevent you from appearing weak. The only problem is that you would probably have to bear some responsibility.

“Mr. Crouch wouldn’t do that, Professor!”

Percy practically spat out the words, but judging from his expression, he didn't seem to believe it himself.

"Politics is so dirty, Percy. Since you're in it, you shouldn't have any illusions about others," Amosta said solemnly.

"Of course, if Barty doesn't reply to you, then you have every right to ask the Minister of Magic how to deal with Bashir through the normal procedure. Even if Barty comes back, he won't find anything wrong with you. You've already informed him, so it doesn't count as reporting beyond your level. Do you understand, Percy?"

Chapter 687 Visit

2024-01-11

"Professor Blaine, are you really not considering taking a position at the Ministry of Magic?"

After Amosta recounted the whole story in detail, a stunned Percy fell into a long silence. After a while, Percy, regaining his composure, looked at Professor Blaine with admiration and said in a very respectful tone,

"Staying at Hogwarts will only bury your wisdom, Professor Blaine. The Ministry of Magic is a much broader stage. I bet you, Professor, if you were willing to work for the Ministry of Magic, the Minister's position would be yours sooner or later!"

The thought that Professor Blaine's wisdom was simply awe-inspiring crossed Percy's wavering mind.