Hogwarts: Jade, stop controlling Harry!

Break the Cauldron Bar.

Jade, tugging at Dumbledore's long robe, followed the overly tall old man into the seemingly dirty and cramped bar.

Xiaoyu also noticed that the passersby seemed to ignore her and Dumbledore, all hurrying past.

"Perhaps this is some kind of magic, preventing them from seeing this place?" Xiaoyu wondered.

Stepping inside the bar, the lighting wasn't much brighter than outside.

There were no electric lights in the bar; instead, candles were lit around the perimeter, and the place was eerily quiet—it didn't feel like a bar at all. Xiaoyu racked her brains for a moment and finally came up with a suitable word: she felt like she had entered a haunted house about to embark on an adventure.

I wonder if there's a vampire or a bat hiding inside.

Just as Xiaoyu was thinking about it.

A gaunt man rose to greet her from in front of her, where Dumbledore's tall figure blocked her view.

"Dumbledore, did you bring the boy with you?"

Dumbledore stopped in his tracks.

Xiaoyu nearly stepped on his smooth silver robe. She had been so focused on the rags that were automatically wiping the table that she hadn't paid any attention to her footing.

"Of course, Mr. Minister. Harry, come and say hello to our Minister," Dumbledore said, stepping aside.

Jade finally managed to get out from behind Dumbledore.

Well, there were more people in the bar than Xiaoyu had imagined.

Xiaoyu sensed that after she appeared, the bar suddenly fell silent, as if everyone was holding their breath.

Most of the people standing in the corner were staring straight at her.

"Okay," Xiaoyu thought, "now I'm getting more and more curious about the identity of this boy named Harry Potter."

What kind of charm does a boy the same age as her possess that attracts so much attention?

Xiaoyu turned her gaze to the man in front of her, who was also dressed in a black robe and wearing a tall hat, but whose clothes looked more exquisite and had intricate patterns outlined in silver thread.

Is this the Minister of Magic?

Xiaoyu fixed her gaze on the serious-looking man's pale and sunken cheeks.

"Hello, Minister, are you a vampire?" Xiaoyu asked boldly.

Upon hearing this...

Fudge, Dumbledore, and a group of Ministry of Magic employees a few steps away, all staring at each other, were somewhat stunned.

Dumbledore, in particular, not only looked surprised, but also had a hint of a smile in his deep blue eyes.

Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow, realizing she might have said something wrong again.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Xiaoyu said.

"No, Harry, you don't need to apologize. Well, I'm not a vampire, I'm a wizard." Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, didn't fly into a rage. Instead, he forced a smile and spoke gently to Jade.

"I heard Albus say that you grew up in your aunt's house and never came into contact with magic. They were all Muggles...ordinary people, right? So, this was just something he said without thinking."

The minister's words didn't seem like an explanation to Xiaoyu, but rather an attempt to exonerate her.

Xiaoyu nodded quickly and cleverly, "That's right, that's how it is."

Now, smiles finally appeared on the faces of the others. Similarly, most of them wore expressions of excitement, while only a few remained expressionless.

At this moment, an old man with a hunched back, so short that it was hard to tell whether he was bowing or walking normally, and whose hair was almost completely gone, came over and said earnestly.

"Minister, Headmaster Dumbledore, and Your Excellency Harry Potter, would you like something to drink? The rooms upstairs are ready; please come up and have a chat..."

"This is Tom, the owner of this bar," Dumbledore explained, noticing Jade's confusion.

"You'll be staying here for the next while."

Xiaoyu nodded. It didn't sound too bad, but she hoped the bar wouldn't be too noisy.

Fudge frowned, looking somewhat displeased at Tom, the bar owner who had interrupted their conversation, but still suppressed his anger and said...

"I'll have a cup of tea. I think the child is a little hungry, so go and prepare some food. We can talk here."

Tom nodded, still all smiles, but he bent his shoulders even lower, took a few steps back while maintaining that posture, and then turned to leave.

Xiaoyu frowned.

She didn't like the minister's attitude, nor did she like the boss's overly humble demeanor.

At least Xiaoyu believed that no one could make her bow like that, and she didn't want anyone to treat her like that.

Xiaoyu's gaze towards the minister in front of her was no longer as friendly as before.

Fudge seemed to sense something, and he coughed authoritatively. "Let's sit over there and talk." With that, Fudge took the lead and walked towards a private booth.

Dumbledore put his arm around Jade's shoulder and led her to the side. Even though Dumbledore wasn't looking at her, it seemed like she heard a sentence.

"Don't worry, Harry, it'll be over soon."

Xiaoyu nodded silently. More than dealing with the minister, she was looking forward to the feast she would be eating later. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day and was starving.

"Harry, your sudden departure from home this time really made us very nervous, and we searched everywhere for you," Fudge said, pursing his lips.

Xiaoyu guessed that he was probably trying to make his words sound less harsh.

"I'm sorry," Xiaoyu said without any remorse, but then she blurted out her true feelings.

"But what I'm trying to say is, why is it that Harry... that is, I've lived with my aunt's house for so many years, and suffered so much bullying from them, yet no one has come to help me?"

Xiaoyu felt this was contradictory.

On one hand, this little boy named Harry Potter seems very important to these people. But on the other hand, Xiaoyu feels that he is not that important.

Fudge was clearly taken aback by Jade's bluntness, and his expression immediately turned somewhat awkward.

"This? Because they are your primary guardians, Harry... the department can't bypass them to contact you directly... This is Dumbledore's intention, right?" Fudge avoided Jade's gaze and looked at Dumbledore.

"I admit that I have indeed neglected to care for you, Harry, over the years. This is my responsibility, and I sincerely apologize to you."

Dumbledore's tone remained calm as he looked down at Jade, who could see a hint of shame in the headmaster's eyes.

"However, there is a reason why you are staying at your aunt's house," Dumbledore continued.

"Oh? Then I think I can hear your explanation."

Xiaoyu was not flustered at all because two very important people were sitting in front of and beside her.

Just kidding, yesterday—no, right before Xiaoyu arrived here—she was still outwitting and outmaneuvering the villains of the Black Hand organization.

Xiaoyu felt that she was helping Harry seek justice! If it were Uncle Dragon or Uncle, they would definitely do the same.

However, if it were them, they might not be as direct as Xiaoyu.

"I think we can talk about this tomorrow. Harry, you don't want to be even later before you get something to eat, do you?"

Dumbledore wasn't angry or embarrassed by Jade's question at all; instead, he gently winked at her.

Xiaoyu immediately became conflicted. A few seconds later, she loosened her grip and nodded emphatically.

"Alright then, it's a deal."