Chapter 1071 Visitors
The subsequent development of the Peeves expulsion incident was a bit unexpected. The Ministry of Magic's interference in Hogwarts was not as drastic as expected. It can even be said that there was no interference at all. It was as if the Ministry of Magic had completely forgotten Hogwarts.
Without the disgusting toads, Hogwarts has regained a new lease of life.
The originally arrogant and domineering investigation team became the target of everyone's revenge after losing Umbridge's protection. It was said that they were found in the bathroom the next day.
Although the expulsion of Peeves turned into a farce, it still had an impact. During the Care of Magical Creatures class, everyone suddenly discovered that Hagrid was missing.
Many students believed that Hagrid's disappearance was related to Umbridge because a group of Aurors were lying at the school gate that day.
The whole thing was quickly rumored to be that the Ministry of Magic wanted to arrest Hagrid privately, but Hagrid beat them all down.
No matter what the outcome is, it cannot change the fact that Hagrid is missing.
The three Harrys even approached Albert because of this, but Albert dismissed them by saying, "Hagrid is temporarily hiding."
Albert knew where Hagrid was hiding, but he had no intention of telling Harry and the three of them. It would be useless anyway, and they couldn't help.
While Umbridge was hospitalized, Professor McGonagall, as the Vice-Principal, could only help with the aftermath. She wrote to invite Wilmina Grupplan to teach Care of Magical Creatures on a temporary basis.
The most talked-about thing about the whole thing is the statue of Umbridge in the entrance hall. Many Hogwarts students will stop in front of the statue. Everyone is curious whether the statue of the toad will be placed directly here for people to use in the future. appreciate. If that is the case, future freshmen can learn about the great achievements of this "toad" principal through the statue.
Not long after, a student accidentally discovered signs of wizarding activities outside the Forbidden Forest while taking a class on Care of Magical Creatures.
Later, Professor Graplan confirmed that the wizards were actually employees of the Ministry of Magic.
What are Ministry of Magic employees doing in the Forbidden Forest?
The school began to circulate the unspeakable secrets hidden in the forest, and even many of the Ministry of Magic Ao Luo went deep into the forest to find that thing.
This news spread more and more crazily, and soon everyone knew about it. It was even rumored that Dumbledore had a secret weapon hidden in the Forbidden Forest.
No one knows what is hidden, but they all firmly believe that there is a big secret in the Forbidden Forest.
However, what makes Albert more disappointed is that the Ministry of Magic seems to have no intention of going deep into the Forbidden Forest, let alone fighting with the Acromantula, otherwise the Aurors probably will not let the students discover their whereabouts.
"Mr. Anderson, Professor McGonagall asked you to come to the office." A young girl hurriedly came to convey Professor McGonagall's message to Albert.
“What’s the matter?” Albert asked in surprise.
"It seems that an official from the Ministry of Magic is looking for you." The girl said shyly.
"I understand, thank you." After Albert thanked the little girl, he packed up his things and walked towards Professor McGonagall's office.
When he arrived in the corridor outside Professor McGonagall's office, Albert met a group of people who were eavesdropping on the conversation in the office with the help of telescopic ears.
Albert greeted them with a smile, then opened the door and walked into Professor McGonagall's office. In addition to Professor McGonagall, there was also a familiar stranger inside, whom Albert had met several times before, Rufus Scrimgeour, Director of the Auror Office of the Ministry of Magic.
"Mr. Anderson, Mr. Scrimgeour has something to ask you." Professor McGonagall introduced the Ministry of Magic official to Albert.
Albert nodded to Professor McGonagall, took out his wand and cast a interference spell on the wooden door, then turned to look at Scrimgeour and asked, "What's the matter?"
“You are very suitable to be an Auror.” Scrimgeour forced a kind smile.
“Not interested, just tell me what you need from me.” Albert didn’t intend to beat around the bush, and Scrimgeour’s smile was scary.
“They say you are a diviner.” Scrimgeour looked Albert up and down.
Albert gave a noncommittal "hmm" and asked directly: "What do you want to divine?"
“The whereabouts of the escaped Death Eaters.” Scrimgeour said his purpose.
"One thousand, Galleons will be given after the prophecy is over, and I will not refund the money." Albert said his quotation, and the high divination fee made Professor McGonagall doubt his ears. This was simply a money grab.
"I'll give you the reward of one thousand galleons for providing clues to the capture of the fugitive." Scrimgeour nodded and agreed. Anyway, providing clues and catching the criminal would also give you one thousand galleons.
"No, I think you are mistaken. I am not providing you with clues about wanted criminals, but providing you with prophecy services. One thing is the same thing." Albert corrected, "Also, I am providing you with clues about wanted criminals." There is still a question mark as to whether I can get the 1,000 Galleons reward for clues to apprehending the fugitive. The Ministry of Magic squandered my bounty last time, so don’t mention the bounty to me, that thing sounds disgusting. Now if If you need me to help you make a prophecy, please pay 1,200 Galleons first."
Scrimgeour raised his eyebrows slightly, but he was not angry because of it. He had heard about that incident, and he probably didn't have any good impression of the Ministry of Magic.
"It seems that we need to talk!" Scrimgeour turned his head and looked at Professor McGonagall.
"I'm right outside, call me if you need anything." Professor McGonagall frowned and reminded.
“Don’t worry,” Albert reassured with a smile.
“Can you really predict the future?”
Scrimgeour asked curiously after Professor McGonagall left.
“If you don’t believe it, then why did you come to me?” Albert asked.
"Everyone says you can predict, but some things are hard to believe until you see them with your own eyes." Scrimgeour made a gesture of invitation, gesturing for Albert to sit down and chat, and he waved his wand to conjure up something for himself. A cup of black tea, not because he was stingy in not preparing a drink for Albert, but because he knew that Albert would probably not touch the drink he prepared.
"That's right. I can understand that there are very few wizards who can really peek into the future." Albert waved his wand, made himself a cup of milk tea, and sat down opposite Scrimgeour, "But you don't need to worry, I will make a prediction first and then give you the money. When you see the prediction results, you will naturally have no doubts."
“You were the one who sent me the radio, right? And when is the Azkaban escape time?”
Scrimgeour took a sip of black tea and looked at Albert sharply: "Actually, you know that I will take the initiative to find you, or you have foreseen the arrival of this day a long time ago."
Albert neither admitted nor denied, but just drank tea quietly.
That was enough for Scrimgeour, for sometimes silence means acquiescence.
“Is the mysterious man really resurrected?” Scrimgeour suddenly asked.
“I thought you didn’t believe it.” Albert said meaningfully.
"Disbelief is sometimes an attitude." Scrimgeour said angrily: "Dumbledore directly announced this matter and made the wizarding world a mess. He should..."
"Indeed," Albert looked at Scrimgeour and asked with a smile, "Is it useful to negotiate?"
Scrimgeour did not answer. If the discussion was really useful, it would not be like this at all.
“Great?” Scrimgeour was clearly disapproving.
"I don't think there's any need to beat around the bush. If you want to know anything, just ask directly. But..." Albert reminded kindly, "This consultation requires payment."
“I thought you were not short of money.” Scrimgeour raised his eyebrows.
“I am not short of money, but some things do not mean free, and sometimes free things are more expensive.” Albert said meaningfully.
Scrimgeour took out a small bag of money from his pocket and placed it directly on Albert. He had asked Percy something about Albert before coming, so he was already prepared. If he wanted to get the information he wanted, the money was inevitable.
“Do you know where the mysterious man is hiding?”
"The Ministry of Magic wants me to divine his hiding place?" Albert asked.
“Yes.” Scrimgeour nodded.
If he really becomes a minister, it is inevitable to increase his prestige by attacking dark wizards.
“I advise you not to.” Albert shook his head.
"Why?" Scrimgeour asked puzzledly, "You can't find the You-Know-Who."
"It's useless even if he knows. The difference in strength is there. Even if the Ministry of Magic summons all the Aurors, they can't keep him." Albert guessed what Scrimgeour wanted to do.
“So, you know.”
"It should be possible to divine, but there are some things that you have to try before you know." Albert naturally knew where Voldemort was hiding, and he was indeed prepared to throw the Auror over to avoid the thunder, but not now.
“So, you can really find it?”
Scrimgeour felt more and more weird about the guy in front of him. He seemed to know a lot of things.
“Do you know **** him for good? I mean You-Know-Who?”
"You have to ask Dumbledore about this. The person who knows the mysterious man best is always his enemy." Albert said calmly, "However, I don't think Dumbledore will tell you."
“What did Dumbledore hide in the Forbidden Forest?” Scrimgeour continued.
“Aren’t you looking for it?” Albert asked.
“Not found.” Scrimgeour shook his head.
“That’s really a pity.” There was no regret on Albert’s face.
"you do not know."
“It’s not like fortune-teller is everything.” Albert shrugged, “Besides, are you really interested in this matter?”
Scrimgeour fell silent again. He was really not interested in this matter, so the Aurors were actually "lazy" and no one was looking seriously. Today was already the third day. He planned to call it a day and go back to tell Fudge that the clues were too many. Not found.
“Who will be the next new minister?” Scrimgeour’s eyes flashed with a strange light.
"It seems you really want to be a minister?" Albert looked Scrimgeour up and down, shook his head and said, "That's not a good position."
Scrimgeour thought of a report he had read.
“Who?” Scrimgeour pushed the bag of Galleons in front of Albert.
"If Amelia Bones doesn't die, she will be the new minister. If she dies, you will be." Albert took the bag of galleons and reminded: "Even if you become the new minister, you will still be the new minister." You don’t have long to live, and are you really prepared?”
The office fell into dead silence again. Scrimgeour suddenly smiled and said, "That sounds like something a liar would say."
"If you really think so, I can't help it." Albert shrugged, "I never expect to be able to convince everyone."
Scrimgeour fell silent again. Although he was reluctant to admit it, Scrimgeour didn't want to die, and Percy told him that Anderson's predictions were particularly accurate, just like Albert once said that he would become the assistant to the Minister of Magic after graduation. .
“If Amelia Bones hadn’t died…”
"The probability of Amelia Bones' death is very high. I reminded her about it, but she didn't take it seriously. However, for You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters, Amelia Bones Enns is in the way." Albert said softly, "Since it's in the way, just kick him away or make him disappear."
Scrimgeour fell into a brief silence again, and then suddenly asked, "Have you predicted my ending? Or you have predicted the future."
"I know what you are thinking." Albert interrupted softly, "The mysterious man became more cruel and actually attacked the top officials of the Ministry of Magic?"
In the last Wizarding War, although there were similar examples, they were not many, otherwise Old Barty would have been killed by Death Eaters.
“Actually, you have been ignoring one thing.” Albert put down his tea cup and said with a smile: “In the face of absolute power, your little power is not worth mentioning.”
“What do you mean?” Scrimgeour’s face turned ugly.
"In the eyes of the mysterious man, the entire Ministry of Magic is nothing compared to Dumbledore." Albert said with a smile, "Don't be angry, I'm just stating the facts."
“What do you want to say?”
"The whole of Britain is living under the protection of Dumbledore, and you actually want to dig out this protection." Albert said with an unconcealed sneer on his face: "Once Dumbledore, the most powerful person in the wizarding world, is lost, With strong wizard protection, the British Ministry of Magic will completely collapse within half a year at the latest, and your death, I suspect, is related to this matter."
“That’s impossible!” Scrimgeour immediately shook his head in denial.
He is not an idiot like Fudge. Even if he doesn't like Dumbledore, he will never make the relationship between the two parties too tense.
"Who knows? The future can change, but it takes a lot of effort to change. If you really become the new minister, I think we will meet again." Albert said meaningfully: " If you are willing then, before that, you need to understand the situation and your own strength."
Scrimgeour fell into a brief silence again, because Albert's words seemed to indicate the final result.
Amelia Bones dies and Scrimgeour becomes the new Minister.
For some reason, Scrimgeour just couldn't be happy.
Even though he didn't want to admit it, he was still in a very bad mood.
“Is there any way?” he asked.
"I don't know." Albert said softly, "I'm looking forward to our next meeting."
"What a...disgusting guy." Scrimgeour twitched his lips slightly, stood up and left.
(End of this chapter)