Harry Potter Returns from Baldur's Gate

"For them, everything in the wizarding world is too far away. Do you think they can adapt to the environment here? The monsters in Gringotts scared them a lot."

After saying that, Hermione turned her head and smiled at Harry.

"Okay, don't worry about me. I really like being alone at a party. Just go and do your thing."

Just at this moment, a flash of light suddenly illuminated Hermione and Harry.

When Harry turned his head to look, a photographer was hurrying away with a camera.

Seeing that the photographer was holding a camera and taking pictures of other guests, Harry didn't pay too much attention.

After just nodding to Hermione, he returned to Black and Cho Zhang.

As soon as Harry walked over, Qiu Zhang, who was chatting with Black the last second, looked at Harry and asked.

"What did you talk to her about just now?"

"Seeing she was there alone, I asked her why her parents didn't come."

Qiu Zhang looked at Hermione who was standing in the shadows, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and walked towards Hermione.

Just as Cho Chang was leaving, Black patted Harry on the shoulder.

"She's a good girl. She reminds me of Lily, but you're much faster than James and Lily were back then."

Harry looked up and down at Black, who had a look of regret on his face.

After recuperating for more than half a year, Blake was still very thin.

But he no longer looked like a living dead as when Harry first saw him.

Compared to Christmas, when Harry saw Black, Black's health had obviously recovered a lot.

Under his well-tailored black suit, his bulging muscles can be vaguely seen.

And the short hair that allows you to see your scalp also makes Blake look a lot younger.

"So, when exactly were my parents?"

When Harry mentioned this, Black's eyes immediately lit up.

"That was a long time ago. Although James has never admitted it, he actually started to notice Lily when he saw her in Hogwarts."

"Who noticed who?"

Just as Blake was about to tell a story called "How I Met Your Mother", Qiu Zhang came back with a half-angry look on her face. It was obvious that she had an unpleasant conversation with Hermione.

"Oh, we were just talking about how Potter's parents met."

At this moment, there was another flash of white light, and the photographer's flash made Blake glare at him.

Just as Black was about to continue, a staff member from the Ministry of Magic suddenly began to gather everyone to prepare to enter the award ceremony.

It seems that no matter what world it is, awarding prizes is a very dull and boring process.

Even a paladin like Harry, who follows the rules, still finds it quite boring when facing a situation like the Ministry of Magic awards ceremony where a group of people he doesn't know take the stage to speak.

Especially when this boring ritual did not bring any divine arts or magical bonuses to Harry, and Woking was not paying attention to it.

This simple ritual without any additional benefits even made Draco and Qiu Zhang yawn, while Hermione still looked energetic.

Harry had long since learned how to cope with this boring ritual.

When Minister of Magic Fudge took the stage and began to speak.

Harry stared at the curtain behind the podium and began to look for flaws in the curtain.

When all the flaws have been found, the speech is not over yet.

Harry began to make up all kinds of plots for these flaws.

"You are a dragon, he is a paladin, well, we just need a princess to start the adventure."

Finally, when Harry's paladins had no more to kill, and even the princess who was rescued at the beginning had been arranged by Harry to instigate the dragon to attack the kingdom behind the scenes because there was really no plot, and by the way, he also resurrected the lich's shapeshifter.

The boring speeches finally ended, and Harry and others, who were the protagonists of the awarding ceremony, were finally able to go on stage to receive their medals.

However, when he stepped onto the stage, Harry finally understood why a group of Ministry of Magic officials, including Fudge, were speaking so endlessly.

Because it was not the officials of the Ministry of Magic who awarded them the Order of Merlin, but the previous winners of the Order of Merlin.

Walking along with a witch dragging a plate was Lockhart, a man with blond hair and a gentle smile on his face.

"Congratulations, you have set a new record for the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class. I'm afraid no one will break your record for a long time."

Lockhart whispered to Harry as he pinned the medal to his cloak.

"Also, when facing the camera, smile a little and be more natural, otherwise the photo won't look good even if it moves."

After saying this, Lockhart turned around and took a photo with Harry before walking towards Hermione and presenting her with an Order of Merlin, Second Class.

Finally he came to Draco and awarded him the Order of Merlin, Third Class.

Finally, there was a group photo of all those present.

The entire award ceremony, if the initial speech was excluded, Harry felt that it would be finished in less than ten minutes.

However, after the awards ceremony, as if to demonstrate British traditional skills, the Ministry of Magic also arranged a dinner and interviews.

The person in charge of interviewing the winners is Rita Skeeter, the ace reporter of the Daily Prophet.

Years of adventurous experience made Harry, the moment he saw Rita, use his eyes to send a signal to Draco and others that "that person is dangerous", and then he did not hesitate to use the excuse of being unwell to avoid the interview.

As an experienced adventurer, Harry knew one thing very well.

That is, it is better to offend a dragon than to offend those famous bards.

If you offend the dragon, the worst that can happen is death.

You can even become rich if you win, so it can be said that risks and benefits coexist.

But if you offend the bard, you will be stuck in a dilemma.

When these bards really fight, they can rarely escape from the fists or swords of the paladins with dignity.

But in places that the Paladin's fists cannot control, these bards can use their dirty songs to control the Paladin.

Just like the 'Bird-Assisting Sword Saint' who was created because the elven ranger in the team finally decided to be with the paladin instead of the bard.

It was a small revenge taken by the bard as a love-frustrated man.

The first time he saw Rita, the trouble antenna in Harry's brain sounded the highest alarm and labeled Rita as "untouchable under any circumstances."

Fortunately, as a key member of this award ceremony, there are always many people who want to talk to Harry.

Just as Harry was pretending to look for the bathroom, Fudge found Harry.

"Harry, can we talk in private?"

Compared to Rita, who looked like an unscrupulous bard, the fat Fudge suddenly seemed much more harmless.

So Harry nodded, and went to a small room with Fudge.

This small room was obviously prepared for similar conversations.

In the small room, there was only a low coffee table with glass bottles and wine glasses, a plate of nuts, and two leather high-back chairs.

After Fudge closed the door, he sat down opposite Harry, looked into Harry's eyes, and said to Harry with a look as if he had already seen through everything.

"Honestly, Harry, what you encountered at Hogwarts wasn't a basilisk at all, was it?"

At this moment, Fudge looked nothing like the confused politician he had been before. Instead, he gave Harry a feeling of being shrewd and capable, as if he had everything under control.

"what?"

Fudge looked at Harry, who was looking surprised, and smiled slightly.

"You also think that I am just as confused as I look, right? Don't rush to deny it. I know that most people see me this way. Even when I first came to power, if I hadn't maintained a good relationship with Dumbledore, I would not have been able to hold on to the position of Minister."

Fudge leaned back in his high-backed chair, his hands folded in front of him.

"Especially Rufus. He thinks I am weak, incompetent and slow. Staying in this position is a waste of the ministry's funds. He should kick me out earlier."

Fudge raised his head and looked at the ceiling before returning his gaze to Harry, who was sitting opposite him.

"Rufus is a very capable person, but he doesn't know that sitting in this position is not because of who you are, but because of who people need you to be, or who they hope you to be."

Fudge picked up the bottle and poured himself a glass of wine.

"This is not a time of war. People want someone who looks silly and tolerant like a neighbor uncle, so that they can blame all the problems they encounter on the incompetence of the government and enjoy the fun of mocking the stupid minister."

Fudge picked up the glass and took a sip.

"So as a qualified minister, I must meet their expectations and make them feel that I am the silly, generous uncle who leads the family while maintaining the normal operation of the Ministry of Magic."

Just as Fudge put the glass back on the coffee table, Fudge's demeanor suddenly changed.

At this moment, Fudge began to exude the aura of a leader, an aura that Harry had only seen in those leaders who led their people to climb out of the abyss of suffering.

"But this does not mean that I am willing to be treated as a fool in some important matters. So as a British citizen, I ask you, Harry Potter, Sir Merlin, First Class Medal Winner, in the name of the Minister of the British Ministry of Magic, to tell me what happened near Hogwarts."

108 Harry Potter's Secret Affair

Harry was very surprised by Fudge's performance, and he was also hesitant about what he should do now.

Seeing Harry didn't speak.

Fudge leaned slightly towards Harry and patted the armrest of his wingback chair.

"I know what you are worried about. Just like I know that Rufus is organizing a secret team among the Aurors, but I did not send him to Azkaban because of this, because I believe that although Rufus is impulsive, he is not a stupid person. You are preparing something, right?"

Fudge withdrew his hand and looked at Harry seriously.

"Harry, you must know that no matter what happens, whether it is a heavy snow that will break out tomorrow and never dissipate across Britain, or the Dark Lord has returned, the power I have as Minister will enable me to better deal with everything."

Looking at Fudge in front of him, Harry hesitated for a moment and then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Minister, I don't know what you are talking about. Where is the bathroom?"

Fudge stared at Harry for a moment, then smiled, shook his head, and stood up from his chair.

"You're a good man Harry, I can understand your decision."

Fudge said as he pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Harry.

"Anytime you have anything, if you need help, throw this card into the fireplace along with the Floo powder and you will be able to find me."