The Return to Hogwarts

Hagrid plopped down on the bed, pressing the mattress into a distinct curve. His gleaming, black beetle-like eyes revealed sadness as he spoke in a muffled voice...

“Gorgeous has taken the rest of the giants. I guess they must have been taken away by the Death Eaters. I can only bring Gropp back with me. I can’t leave him there; Gorgeous won’t let him go. Sorry, Professor Dumbledore, I messed up the mission.”

"No need to apologize, Hagrid."

Dumbledore was silent for a few seconds, then his expression softened.

“I believe you have done your best, haven’t you? It was actually my oversight that led to this; the Death Eaters gave the giants a killing I could not promise. As for your brother, Hagrid, leave him in the Forbidden Forest for now. I believe you can take good care of him, and it is indeed your duty.”

Hagrid, with tears welling in his eyes, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose forcefully. Dumbledore's words had stirred his emotions and made him feel melancholic.

Giants are a powerful force. If they appeared on the battlefield, it would be like a horde of fire dragons storming in, greatly deterring and weakening the core of their side. Amosta himself wanted to nip this crisis in the bud. He didn't mind making another trip to the giant tribe, but—

Amusta glanced at Hagrid, whose shoulders were twitching slightly by the edge of the bed, and sighed inwardly, deciding to abandon the idea.

Dumbledore seemed to know what Amostella was thinking; in the dim light, his gleaming blue eyes fixed on Amostella.

"Let's leave it at that, Amosta. We have new trouble now."

Despite the trouble, Dumbledore remained calm. He took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Amostella.

"A letter from the Ministry of Magic: an owl was delivered to my office this morning."

Amosta unfolded the letter, glanced at the text and the minister's seal in the lower right corner, and a cold smile flashed across his face.

"Have you asked my opinion before trying to send people to Hogwarts?"

Chapter 978: Going with the flow

2024-06-15

A gentle breeze stirred, causing the oil lamp hanging from a wooden beam to sway slightly. The flickering light cast shadows on the faces of Dumbledore and Amosta, who sat on either side of the wooden table in Hagrid's hut, highlighting a sharp edge to their faces, which embodied both tolerance and authority.

So you see—

Dumbledore's silver beard swayed slightly as he looked at Amostella and calmly said, "You intend to refuse?"

"I have no reason to accept the Ministry of Magic blatantly planting spies at Hogwarts, do I?"

Amosta spoke his mind freely.

"Instead of letting people in and causing us trouble, it's better to just turn them away."

“But you know, Connelly has made up his mind to interfere in Hogwarts affairs. Whether it’s you or me, our refusal probably won’t stop him.”

Dumbledore went on to say that, although he was trying to dampen Amostella's enthusiasm, Amostella could tell that he was also very averse to the Ministry of Magic interfering in Hogwarts' affairs.

Amosta knew this didn't mean Dumbledore was prejudiced or didn't want the Ministry of Magic to encroach on his authority as headmaster. If Dumbledore really thought that way, he wouldn't be Dumbledore.

More importantly, Dumbledore didn't want political infighting to interfere with Hogwarts' normal teaching activities.

Anyone could understand that Fudge's recommendation of Umbridge to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts wasn't really about teaching.

Du, du, du—

Amosta tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, lost in thought. Refusing the Ministry of Magic's request was simple, but the underlying political maneuvering couldn't be brought to the forefront.

"According to the bylaws, the Ministry of Magic has no right to interfere in Hogwarts' internal teaching affairs, and the right to appoint professors belongs to the headmaster, unless..."

"Unless the Ministry of Magic enacts relevant laws to enshrine this authority in the law."

Dumbledore had clearly considered these questions long ago; his eyes were slightly cold.

“But we all know, Amosta, that’s not a problem. If I tell Cornelius that his position as Senior Undersecretary is not suitable for the professorship, then Cornelius will push for the enactment of the appropriate legislation. He can do all that; it is his right as Minister of Magic. We are competing with him in this regard, and once he does, we will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.”

Amosta nodded slightly. Dumbledore's view was correct, and he also believed that Fudge had prepared before sending the letter to the Ministry of Magic, and that if he was rejected by Hogwarts, he would use the Legislative Council to push for new laws.

Fudge wields greater political power, while the Daily Prophet is controlled by the Ministry of Magic. If Amostella wants to prevent a new law from being enacted, her only option is to threaten the wizards in the Legislative Council.

Threats are not necessarily a bad thing, but such a despicable tactic ultimately undermines Amosta's own prestige.

Silence fell, and Hagrid stopped his sorrowful sobbing, afraid of disturbing Professor Dumbledore and Professor Blaine's discussion of this serious matter.

"Perhaps it's time—"

Amosta broke the silence, meeting Dumbledore's curious gaze with a glint of light in his pale purple eyes.

"you mean?"

"Do you remember that conversation we had before the start of last term, Headmaster Dumbledore, about how to maintain the autonomy of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—"

A strange smile appeared on Amosta's face. "Since the trip to New York, the biggest obstacle to achieving this has been overcome. I think perhaps we can take advantage of this—"

The topic of how to ensure Hogwarts' autonomy was jumped from the pressing issue of the Ministry of Magic's planned interference in Hogwarts' personnel appointments. Even with Dumbledore's sharp mind, he was stunned for a few seconds. Even after regaining his senses, Dumbledore still couldn't understand what Amosta's meaningful smile on the other side of the table meant, but that didn't stop him from realizing that Amosta was probably going to escalate the situation.

"What do you plan to do, Amosta?"

Dumbledore asked cautiously,

“I must remind you that the common enemy we face together with the Ministry of Magic is Tom. Under the current circumstances, it would be unwise to escalate the internal strife.”

"Oh, this time it seems Voldemort will be on our side—"

Amosta smiled, but his words made Dumbledore frown and become wary.

"What do you intend to do, Amosta?"

Amosta didn't answer his question, but instead picked up the letter and looked at it a few more times.

"The official letter did not specify a timeframe for your reply, Headmaster Dumbledore. I hope you will not give your reply to the Ministry of Magic for the time being. Before that, I need to see Lucius Malfoy."

Lucius Malfoy has pledged his allegiance to Amosta, and his letter of allegiance is still in Amosta's possession.

"Then?"

Dumbledore glanced casually at the castle and spoke a little faster.

"Then you can tell the Ministry of Magic, and Cornelius Fudge, that the Ministry of Magic has no right to interfere with the headmaster's authority to appoint people, and you must tell Fudge that only the Board of Governors has the right to give orders to the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Hagrid, sitting on the edge of the bed, clutched his dirty handkerchief, listening in a daze, while Dumbledore's azure eyes, after a brief moment of cloudiness, suddenly brightened.

"You're planning... Amosta, which could indeed achieve your goal, but it seems—"

"I'll have Lucius Malfoy set a trap for Fudge."

Amostella smiled enigmatically, glanced out the window towards the castle, then stood up, stretched, and his expression brightened. He looked at Hagrid, who was blinking his clear yet sleepy eyes.

"Well then, farewell, Hagrid. I've had a tiring journey and would be better off getting a good night's sleep before starting my new job. Of course, so should you."

"Oh!"

The conversation ended abruptly, and Hagrid stood up in a daze.

"You're planning to go back? Professor Blaine. Hmm, well, wouldn't you like some more tea?"

“Thank you for your kind offer, Hagrid, but drinking too much tea before bed is not a wise choice.”

Amosta carried his suitcase and walked out the door.

“Amosta is right, you really need to rest for a few days, Hagrid—”

Dumbledore also rose and said gently,

"I can allow you to start your classes next Monday, so you won't have to deal with the potentially troublesome concerns from those curious students."

Dumbledore glanced at the bruises around Hagrid's eyes and smiled mischievously.

"Furthermore, you will need a few days to help your brother adapt to the new environment."

"Oh, thank you so much, Professor Dumbledore!"

Hagrid said in a deep, muffled voice.

The two walked side by side across the lawn, which shimmered in the moonlight. A gentle breeze carried them toward the castle. They kept their eyes straight ahead and walked straight toward the marble steps.

"what--"

Suddenly, a short, painful cry shattered the harmony of the night, and Dumbledore and Amosta both stopped in their tracks.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed slightly. He squinted, surveying the vast area, and after seemingly finding nothing, he looked at Amostella, whose expression remained unchanged.

"What do you think that sound was, Amosta?"

"Maybe it's an owl—"

Amosta shrugged.

“You know, Headmaster Dumbledore, owls are nocturnal animals; they love to be active at night.”

"A very wise deduction—"

Dumbledore's silver breath floated in the air, his expression solemn.

"Hopefully, this owl can return to its owl enclosure to rest as soon as possible, since they still need to deliver messages for us during the day."

After saying that, the two of them took another step up the stairs and disappeared into the foyer.

The whimpering sound, barely audible, was hidden in the howling wind; all things slept along with the wind.

Whoops!

Half a minute later, in the lush lawn a few dozen feet away from where Amos Tower and Dumbledore had just stood, Hermione suddenly lifted her Invisibility Cloak and jumped off Ron's back, while Ron also left Harry's back.

"call--"

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Ron gasped for breath and said...