Chapter 1048: A Grim Future
Chapter 1048: A Grim Future
At this moment, at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, Sirius Black had just stepped out of the broadcast room when he was immediately surrounded by everyone.
"That broadcast was incredible!" Fred and George were full of praise. "If Fudge and that toad heard tonight's broadcast, they'd be spitting blood."
"I don't know if they'd be that angry, but I know Fudge will do everything he can to throw you in Azkaban," Kingsley reminded him. "Sirius, you should lie low for a while. Because of the relationship between the Daily Prophet and the Wizarding Gazette, Fudge has wanted to put a bounty on your head more than once."
"That's even better; it just shows that Fudge is a fool who keeps making blunders," Harry said, feeling a strong dislike for Cornelius Fudge, especially now that he knew the consequences of the foolish things Fudge had done. The once amicable Minister of Magic now seemed like nothing more than a hypocritical politician.
"Talking about this is meaningless until Fudge is ousted," Kingsley sighed inwardly.
Even now, he was still reluctant to believe Albert's prophecy, as the future it foretold was simply too grim.
"Sirius, who do you think will become the new Minister?" Hermione asked, concerned about this issue. Or rather, she was asking, "In Albert's prophecy, who will become the next Minister of Magic?"
Hermione felt this was important. Once Fudge was out of the picture, if another unreliable Minister emerged and continued to oppose Dumbledore, it would truly be disastrous.
As for the possibility of a mistake in Albert's prophecy, Hermione hadn't considered that. Albert was already very accurate without using his crystal ball, let alone when he made a prophecy.
"Scrimgeour," Sirius replied as he walked into the hall, intending to get some butterbeer. He felt parched after the broadcast.
"Why not Amelia Bones?" asked Tonks as she followed the group back into the hall, picking up the butterbeer keg and filling Lupin and Sirius' cups.
"I hope it's Amelia Bones, too," Kingsley said softly, though there was a hint of melancholy and helplessness in his tone for some reason.
"Actually, it doesn't matter who it is at this point," George suddenly interjected.
"Unless Fudge steps down immediately, the next Minister of Magic is destined for bad luck," Fred agreed.
"What did Anderson predict?" Mad-Eye Moody, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked. Regarding Albert's prophecy, he wasn't as trusting as Sirius, but he would use it as a reference and to speculate about the future.
Even a prophecy master couldn't guarantee a hundred percent accuracy every time.
"He said that the next Minister will inevitably become a sacrificial lamb as the Ministry falls," George explained with a shrug, sensing the gazes of the others. "We don't know the rest of the details; Albert didn't elaborate."
"Does Dumbledore know about this?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"Since we know, Dumbledore definitely knows," Mad-Eye said, believing that Dumbledore was also aware of this part of the prophecy. He was more concerned about what the old wizard intended to do about it.
"If the Death Eaters' prison break plan is real, should we take action to stop it...?" Tonks glanced at Kingsley, "The Ministry, or the Order of the Phoenix..."
"Harry, Ron, you two should get some rest now," Mrs. Weasley said, hands on her hips as she eyed the group, ready to shoo them away. She didn't want the other children to hear these things, and she certainly didn't want them getting involved.
"Mum, we're adults," Fred and George complained.
"I'm your mother," Mrs. Weasley asserted, ushering Harry and the others out of the hall and closing the wooden door. She then cast a Disrupting Charm on the door before signaling for the conversation to continue.
Outside, Fred and George tried to eavesdrop with their Extendable Ears, but they soon discovered the door had been warded, and they could only return to their room in frustration.
"It's useless, Tonks. Fudge is being extremely stubborn these days. Even if you tell him about the prison break, he probably won't believe you. He might even think you're a Dumbledore supporter and fire you..." George trailed off.
"I already am," Tonks muttered.
"We don't have any evidence to prove that the Death Eaters are trying to help the prisoners escape from Azkaban," Mad-Eye shook his head.
Even in normal times, the chances of success wouldn't be high.
"...I know, but we still need to stay in the Ministry. Given the current situation, unless Scrimgeour is willing to take a risk and mobilize the Aurors to strengthen Azkaban's defenses, which is unlikely because many wizards believe Azkaban is secure enough," Kingsley shook his head, "if Amelia Bones were to take over, perhaps she would listen to Dumbledore's suggestions, but that's almost like a fantasy."
"Haven't you noticed? Why didn't Amelia Bones become the Minister of Magic, but Scrimgeour took over the position instead?" Tonks asked again.
However, her question was met with silence.
Amelia Bones was likely dead! Everyone realized this.
"Perhaps we should cooperate with Amelia Bones. Her brother was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and her family was killed by Death Eaters. Maybe..." Lupin glanced at Sirius, seeking his opinion on the matter.
"I've already warned her, but Amelia Bones is skeptical and wants to be convinced in some respects... It's difficult," Sirius sighed. He also agreed with the idea of Bones becoming the new Minister; at least then, even if they couldn't unite the Ministry, it wouldn't become a hindrance.
"Maybe after the prison break at Azkaban, we can talk to her. If she really is killed by Voldemort, it will be a huge loss," Kingsley said, not in favor of Scrimgeour taking the top position. Although his boss was a capable Auror, the situation might not be optimistic if he became the Minister.
Not every wizard was suited to be a Minister.
"That's not the problem," Sirius shook his head.
"What do you mean?"
"Albert believes that Amelia Bones is on Voldemort's hit list. Unless she goes into hiding, the Ministry won't be able to ensure her safety," Sirius explained. "I dare say the Ministry is probably riddled with Death Eaters. Even if Amelia Bones is protected by other Aurors, can you be sure she won't be sold out?
"And I've discussed this with her, given Amelia Bones' personality, I doubt she'll go into hiding."
"So, Amelia Bones is as good as dead?" Tonks felt this was absurd.
"Let's talk to Amelia Bones about her safety after the Azkaban break," Kingsley likewise had little confidence in persuading her.
In fact, if he were in Amelia Bones' position, he wouldn't allow himself to hide either.
"It's useless. Even if Amelia Bones becomes the Minister, it won't change anything. Fudge's fabricated peace is about to shatter completely, and the credibility of the Ministry of Magic will suffer a fatal blow. When Voldemort emerges as a severe threat to everyone's lives, how much trust do you think the public will still have in the Ministry?" Sirius said almost in a reciting tone, "These are Albert's exact words."
Tonks and Kingsley exchanged glances, both falling into a brief silence. Despite their reluctance to admit it, this was the truth.
"Don't forget, Fudge is constantly smearing Dumbledore and Harry. The Ministry is rotten to the core, which is why the next Minister is bound to become a sacrificial lamb." Sirius was also pessimistic about the future of the Ministry.
"Dumbledore should not allow this to happen." Mrs. Weasley said anxiously.
Yes, Dumbledore would not let this happen.
If that were the case, Albert Anderson's prophecy would be wrong.
But...if Anderson's prophecy came true, did that mean...
"I think that even Dumbledore may not be able to change this." Sirius was pessimistic about the future, perhaps due to his frequent interactions with Albert.
"If Dumbledore had agreed with Albert's plan from the start and forcibly removed Fudge, putting Amelia Bones in the Minister's position, perhaps the situation wouldn't have spiraled out of control. But now, I'm afraid it's too late." Knowing Albert as he did, Sirius believed that the young man wasn't one to take unnecessary risks.
Especially when it came to removing Fudge, the opportunity to make that proposal might have been their last chance.
"If Azkaban really does experience a prison break soon, we'll need to talk to Dumbledore about it," Mad-Eye said, turning and walking towards the door. "As for Amelia Bones, let's do our best to protect her. If she's killed by Voldemort, it will be a huge loss for us and the entire magical community."
Sirius expressed doubt about whether Amelia Bones would become Minister and survive, recalling Albert's words: "You can't save those who are determined to court death."
So, for those whom Albert couldn't convince, he often let them face the consequences, even watching them court their own demise.
After this brief discussion, everyone bid each other farewell and left. Fred and George stopped Bill at the foot of the stairs.
"What's up?" Bill asked warily.
"We're planning to open a shop," George suddenly said.
"We're looking for a suitable store in Diagon Alley," Fred added.
"We've set our sights on a particular store, and we hope you can help us inquire about the price first." The Weasley twins spoke in unison.
"Where did you get the money?" Bill asked curiously.
"Albert gave us a startup fund." Fred said, "If the price isn't too high, we can buy that store, Number 93 Diagon Alley, and if possible, buy or rent the nearby stores as well."
"Due to the chaos caused by Death Eaters and the mysterious person, I think the prices should be at an all-time low." George said, "These are Albert's exact words. Anyway, we're counting on you."
"That will require a large sum of Galleons." Bill sighed, impressed by their wealth.
"I heard he made a fortune by betting on himself to win the tournament." George muttered, "Sirius made quite a bit too. If Dad had placed a bet, I think our family could have profited as well."
Bill fell silent for a moment, as he had indeed heard about this.
"Alright, no problem." Bill agreed.
"By the way, remember to keep this from the others." George said.
"You guys are planning to open a shop?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared from somewhere.
"Yes." George said, "Our products are selling well."
"We really have to thank that toad for it." Fred said sarcastically.
"According to Albert's prophecy, next year will be our best-selling year." George lowered his voice, "So, we need to hurry up with the preparations."
"If it weren't for the need to continue promoting our products, we wouldn't want to stay in school either."
"If you dare to drop out, Mum will definitely skin you alive." Ron warned them.
"Are the four of you going to open a shop?" Hermione asked curiously.
"But this shop is only temporary, and we'll split it up later." George nodded, "Albert has a complete plan, and for now, the most important thing is to get the store up and running."
"Ron, if you can't find a good job in the future, you can come and work for us." George teased, "We'll give you a decent salary."
"Get lost, you two won't be able to find a job." Ron glared at Fred and George.
"Those two are too much." Ron looked a little angry.
"I remember there's a career counseling session this year." Hermione changed the subject, "Harry, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
"Maybe...become an Auror to fight Dark Wizards." Harry said hesitantly.
"What about you, Ron?" Hermione looked at Ron and asked.
"I haven't decided yet." Ron hesitated, "If possible, becoming an Auror wouldn't be bad either."
"What about you, Hermione?" Ron asked in return.
"I hope to join the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and help those poor house-elves." Hermione shared her future plans.
"Are you still not giving up on that puking thing?" Ron's expression was a little strange.
"It's not puking, it's the House-Elf Rights Promotion Association." Hermione corrected impatiently.
"I thought Anderson could convince her to give up on those unrealistic things." Ron said to Harry after Hermione left.
"Dobby is employed by Albert." Harry said suddenly.
"Anderson is a weirdo himself." Ron shrugged.
"So is Dumbledore." Harry reminded him.
"To be honest, I doubt Hermione would be willing to spend money to hire a house-elf." Ron mumbled, "There are hardly any people like Anderson in the entire magical community."
(End of Chapter)
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