Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 236 The Beginning of Chaos (Part 1)

The nightlife in big cities is as vibrant and colorful as ever. Even as midnight approaches, many parts of London are still brightly lit, and the bustling areas are still crowded with people dressed in beautiful and fashionable clothes. You can also faintly hear music playing.

Some are intense, some are very soothing.

Among the many places where lights are still on, 10 Downing Street is perhaps the most unique. It remains lit simply because its occupant is still awake.

The Prime Minister is having a tough time, as Britain has been in turmoil lately, with all sorts of strange things happening at once. One day a tornado struck Manchester, the next a block in Liverpool was destroyed. Bridge collapses, heinous murders, and the fog swirling over London—all of this is troubling him.

Yes, as prime minister, he doesn't need to handle these matters personally, but the consequences of these matters are enough to give him a lot of headaches.

For example, there are public protests and attacks from political enemies.

As midnight approached, the Prime Minister remained seated in his office, his desk piled high with reports from his staff detailing strange occurrences across the country over the past week and two weeks, along with feedback from various quarters. Of course, this wasn't the reason he was still awake.

He was waiting for a call from the president of the country on the other side of the Atlantic, though it was arranged by both sides, he was still unsure if the call would come.

This isn't the first time someone has stood someone up.

He went to the window and looked at the bright lights in the distance, as well as the mist in the sky that obscured the moon and stars, and suddenly felt a chill.

"This is definitely not normal," the Prime Minister muttered, taking his coat off the hanger and putting it on. He then stretched his arms, as if he felt a little warmth.

"Cough cough."

Suddenly, a soft cough came from behind him, which startled him and brought back some more troubling memories.

I took a deep breath, turned my head, and sure enough, it was the little figure from that dirty oil painting in the corner.

"To the Muggle Prime Minister, requesting an urgent meeting, please reply immediately."

Faithful, Fudge.

"I'm waiting for a phone call... from a president..." the prime minister said.

"We can rearrange it," the man in the portrait replied directly, paused for a few seconds, and then continued, "The president will call again tomorrow night."

"Please reply to Mr. Fudge immediately."

"Alright... fine." The Prime Minister reluctantly agreed. In fact, he knew the night would be spent meeting Fudge the moment the person in the painting spoke.

He walked to his desk, and as soon as he sat down, he saw green flames suddenly burst from the marble fireplace, and then a fat man wearing a bowler hat appeared. He stepped over the fence and shook the dust off the antique carpet that had just been vacuumed yesterday.

"Hello, Prime Minister," Fudge said, extending his hand to the Prime Minister. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Hello... How are you?" The Prime Minister shook hands with Fudge, but to be honest, he didn't want to see the guy in front of him at all.

Since he became Prime Minister, I've met with him four times. The first time was shortly after I took office, when he, as Minister of Magic, met with me and told me some things, but his attitude was very arrogant. The second time was three years ago, when he said a dangerous wanted criminal had escaped from prison, which could cause a large-scale casualty incident. The third time was the year before last, because of some tournament where three fire dragons were said to have entered the country, and some terrible things that happened at the World Cup. Then there was the mass escape from Azkaban earlier this year.

By the way, that wanted criminal from three years ago was actually innocent!

This was the fifth time, and looking at the man's worried face, the Prime Minister knew very well that this time it wouldn't be good news either.

"Things have been really bad lately, haven't they..." Fudge sat in the soft leather chair, still shaking off the soot from his clothes.

"Aren't you having a hard time either?" The Prime Minister's eyelids twitched as he looked at the ashes scattered on the ground. He closed his eyes, forcing himself not to look anymore.

“Yes, we’ve all been through pretty much the same thing,” Fudge said. “The Brockdale Bridge, the Burns and Vance murders, and the unrest in the West…”

"You mean, all of this is...related to you?"

"Of course, you know that too, right?" Fudge nodded, but the Prime Minister felt even more troubled.

Sure enough, there was no good news!

"I...how would I know? That's a matter for the wizarding world," the Prime Minister said. "I govern an entire country; I have countless things to do every day..."

"We have the same things on our minds!" Fudge replied curtly, "The Brockdale Bridge, the Burns and Vance murders, the unrest in the west, the tornado in Manchester—these things are giving us a real headache..."

Fudge took a deep breath, his expression turning serious, and said, "Prime Minister, I regret to inform you that the person whose name cannot be revealed has returned, truly returned."

"You're back?" The Prime Minister was taken aback, then remembered a name he had mentioned during their meeting last year, a name that seemed to be a very dangerous person.

"Yes, he's alive. At least several dozen people saw him, right here at the Ministry of Magic." Fudge took off his hat and scratched his thinning hair. "This is terrible... Prime Minister, you have to understand, we're at war now, and you need to stand with us..."

"War!" the Prime Minister asked uneasily. "Isn't...a bit of an exaggeration?"

"No, no, no, it's true." Fudge shook his head repeatedly. "Remember the prison break at the beginning of the year? Those were his followers. They returned to his side after the breakout. And since they made their public appearance, they've caused a lot of damage."

"He also threatened me that if I didn't stand with him, he would slaughter a large number of Muggles..."

"Oh my god! So it was all your fault!"

"My problem? You think we haven't tried!" Fudge exclaimed excitedly. "We've captured most of his men, and every Auror in the Ministry of Magic has been trying to find him, right now!"

"But we're talking about perhaps the most powerful wizard in history, one who hasn't been captured in thirty years!"

"Moreover, he now has what may be the most talented student in history..."

"Students? What...?"

"That's not important." Fudge waved his hand, looking impatient. "Anyway, all you need to know is that he's very dangerous and can cause a lot of harm."

The Prime Minister looked grim and angry. He said, "Fudge, you haven't done enough. You must take action! This is your responsibility as Minister for Magic!"

"Come on, do you really think they'll let me continue as minister after all this has happened?" Fudge forced a smile. "I stepped down three days ago! In all my years in office, this is the first time I've seen them so united."

The Prime Minister was momentarily speechless upon hearing this, but after calming down, his tone softened considerably.

"I'm sorry, is there anything I can help you with, Fudge?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister, but it's nothing," Fudge said. "Actually, the purpose of my visit today is to inform you of the latest developments and to introduce you to my successor, who will be in contact with you from now on."

"However, he seems to have been delayed by something, which is normal given how many things are going on these days."

As he spoke, Fudge looked at the painting in the corner, and the man in the painting immediately said, "He'll be here soon."

"He's writing to Dumbledore, he'll be done soon."

"Well, Dumbledore," Fudge shrugged. "Good luck to him. After all, I've been writing to him for the past few years, but things haven't gotten much better..."

(End of this chapter)