Hogwarts: Don't call me the Staff Maker

Chapter 764 The Most Expensive Birthday Gift

The once lively atmosphere became much quieter because of these unexpected guests.

Especially the three directors, who said they came to celebrate Harry's coming of age, but when chatting with others, they always seemed to be subtly asking about the Order of the Phoenix, and they would occasionally try to leave the courtyard.

"Are you sure they're okay?" Celen asked Bill before dinner began.

"They don't seem to be here to offer sincere congratulations, and that man—" Xilen pointed to the slightly balding middle-aged wizard.

"This is the third time he's run to the fence. If I'm not mistaken, he's probably trying to deduce the exact location of the Burrow based on the surrounding environment."

"Don't worry, what they're seeing now is fake—it's been altered by magic, a kind of protective magic," Bill said. "Even the original location of the Burrow has been changed. Unless they get the real location from the Keeper of the Secrets, even people who have been here before won't be able to find the right way."

“I’ve never doubted Moody’s reliability.” Siron shook his head. “I mean, they don’t seem like good people, are you sure you’re okay?”

"To be honest, we don't know either." At this moment, Charlie walked over from the other side, shrugged, "But since Dad brought them here, it means this was a decision they had discussed beforehand."

"Yes, after all, they are the Minister and Director of the Ministry of Magic, and the Director of the Department of Law Enforcement at that." Bill glanced at the group and sighed. "They insist on coming. If we refuse, it will definitely exacerbate the conflict between the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic."

"Given the current situation, this is clearly inappropriate."

Siren knew that having a conflict with the Ministry of Magic at this time would be tantamount to handing weapons to the Death Eaters, but those people were just too scheming and made no attempt to hide it.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Bill said with a smile. "Actually, my memory spell is pretty good too, if needed—"

Xilun nodded and said nothing more.

Harry and Sirius were on the other side of the yard. By the time they finished talking and returned, dinner could begin.

Mrs. Weasley waved her wand, and the huge, golden Snitch cake immediately lit up with colorful lights, and a sumptuous feast was laid out on the entire table.

Fudge instinctively walked toward Harry, wanting to sit next to him.

Sirius and Ron were faster, sitting down almost in the blink of an eye.

Then, as if by prior arrangement, Fred, George, Ginny, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley all took their seats. Fudge was squeezed into a seat furthest from Harry, next to the other three directors of the Ministry of Magic, sandwiched between Mr. Weasley and Moody.

But Fudge did not give up.

After dinner, he insisted on speaking with Harry alone, using his position as Minister of Magic.

Now Moody and his group couldn't stop him, unless they wanted to break away from the Ministry of Magic. Although Fudge alone couldn't represent the Ministry of Magic, he was still a problem.

So after obtaining Harry's consent, they did not intentionally stop him.

However, this private chat did not seem to achieve what Fudge had hoped for.

Ten minutes later, he left the humble dwelling without saying a word, his face not looking too good.

"He wants me to join the Ministry of Magic and then give a speech telling everyone that Death Eaters aren't so scary," Harry said. "Fudge also wants me to persuade you all to join the Ministry of Magic and follow his orders."

"That's impossible!" Moody scoffed. "If we all join the Ministry of Magic, the Mystic could probably wipe us all out the very next day."

"Don't forget, Fudge himself is a pure-blood supporter."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he joined the Death Eaters someday."

"So he's the only Minister of Magic who survived—"

The group discussed animatedly, but the core point was the same: the Order of the Phoenix is ​​the Order of the Phoenix, and it's impossible for them to join the Ministry of Magic.

This was true when Dumbledore was alive, and it remains true now.

Even Kingsley, the current head of the Auror office, thinks so.

The Ministry of Magic is now a giant sieve; nobody knows how many Death Eaters are hiding inside. If it weren't for the need to gather intelligence and the crucial importance of the position of Head of the Auror Office, he would have quit long ago.

After the excitement subsided, everyone left in a hurry, just like yesterday, including Sirius.

It was clear that he wanted to stay a little longer and spend Harry's seventeenth birthday with him.

But the Order of the Phoenix is ​​already small, and he can't just dump his work on others.

Harry understood perfectly and offered to see Sirius off from the yard.

"Harry, what birthday present did Sirius give you this time?" Fred asked curiously as he stepped forward.

"Could it be a pure gold crossbow bolt?" George guessed.

"Pure gold? Firebolt?" Harry blinked. "Would a broom made of gold be faster?"

"Of course not."

"But it must be very expensive!"

"Sirius isn't just about giving expensive gifts," Harry said.

Fred and George exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison. Clearly, they didn't quite agree with Harry's statement.

Sirius didn't quite agree either. The last gift Sirius gave him—that two-way mirror—wasn't much cheaper than the Golden Wizard's Chess set.

Of course, the two-way mirror is definitely more useful than the Golden Wizard Chess set.

"At least this time the gift he gave me—well, in terms of value, it's probably not even worth a Galleon."

"What did you say? Not even worth a Galleon?" Fred looked at Harry in disbelief.

"You must be kidding, there's no way that's possible!"

"That's Sirius Black—"

"One of the richest people in the wizarding world."

"Really," Harry said with a smile, pulling out a thick envelope.

"This is the gift Sirius gave me."

"A letter?"

"To be precise, there were many letters, all related to my parents." Harry gently stroked the faded envelope.

Xilun suddenly noticed that the words on it looked familiar.

[On the grassy bank of the creek in Godric's Hollow, Mr. James Potter]

Sirius found all the letters my parents had written to him, as well as photos they had taken together, and he thought I would like them—he was right, I really liked them, it was the best gift I had ever received.

17

"If that's the case—"

"Okay, then there's no problem."

Fred and George had to believe that Sirius had indeed not sent those expensive gifts this time.

But in some ways, this gift was more valuable than a golden firebolt—at least that's how Harry saw it.