Chapter 1071: The Visitor
Chapter 1071: The Visitor
The aftermath of the Peeves expulsion incident took an unexpected turn as the interference from the Ministry of Magic towards Hogwarts was not as intense as anticipated. One could even say that there was no interference at all, as if the Ministry had completely forgotten about the school.
With the detestable toad gone, Hogwarts regained its vibrant atmosphere.
The once arrogant and domineering investigative team, now devoid of Umbridge's protection, became the target of retaliation. It was said that they were discovered in the bathroom the very next day.
Although the Peeves expulsion incident turned into a fiasco, it still had its repercussions. During a Care of Magical Creatures class, everyone suddenly realized that Hagrid was missing.
Many students believed that Hagrid's disappearance was related to Umbridge, as there had been a group of Aurors lying in wait at the school gates.
The whole incident was soon blown out of proportion, with rumors spreading that the Ministry of Magic wanted to secretly arrest Hagrid, but he had knocked them all down.
Regardless of the outcome, it didn't change the fact that Hagrid was missing.
Harry and his friends even sought out Albert, only to be dismissed with the explanation that "Hagrid is temporarily hiding."
Albert knew where Hagrid was, but he didn't intend to tell the trio, as it wouldn't make a difference anyway, and they couldn't help him.
During Umbridge's hospitalization, Professor McGonagall, as the Deputy Headmistress, could only help with the aftermath. She wrote a letter inviting Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank to temporarily take over the Care of Magical Creatures class.
The most talked-about aspect of the whole incident was the statue of Umbridge in the entrance hall. Many Hogwarts students would pause in front of the statue, curious as to whether it would be left there permanently for everyone to admire. If so, future newcomers could learn about the "toad" Headmistress's illustrious achievements through the statue.
Soon after, a student accidentally discovered signs of wizarding activity on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest during a Care of Magical Creatures class.
Later, Professor Grubbly-Plank confirmed that those wizards were actually Ministry of Magic employees.
What were the Ministry employees doing in the Forbidden Forest?
Rumors began to circulate within the school about an unspeakable secret hidden in the forest, and even involved Aurors from the Ministry delving deep into the forest in search of this mysterious object.
The gossip escalated quickly, and before long, everyone knew about it. There were even whispers that Dumbledore was hiding a secret weapon in the Forbidden Forest.
No one knew what was hidden there, but they all believed that the Forbidden Forest held a significant secret.
However, what disappointed Albert was that the Ministry didn't seem to intend to venture deeper into the forest, let alone fight the Acromantula. Otherwise, the Aurors probably wouldn't have allowed the students to discover their presence.
"Mr. Anderson, Professor McGonagall asked me to inform you to go to her office." A young girl hurried over to deliver Professor McGonagall's message to Albert.
"What's the matter?" Albert asked in surprise.
"It seems that there's an official from the Ministry of Magic looking for you." The girl replied shyly.
"Thank you, I'll be right there." Albert expressed his gratitude and started gathering his things to head towards Professor McGonagall's office.
Upon reaching the corridor outside Professor McGonagall's office, Albert encountered a group of curious onlookers who were eavesdropping on the conversation inside using Extensible Ears.
Albert greeted them with a smile and pushed open the door to enter. Inside, in addition to Professor McGonagall, there was a familiar stranger—Rufus Scrimgeour, the Head of the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic.
"Mr. Anderson, Mr. Scrimgeour has something to discuss with you," Professor McGonagall introduced the Ministry official to Albert.
Albert nodded at Professor McGonagall, then cast a Disrupting Charm at the wooden door before turning to Scrimgeour and asking, "What can I do for you?"
"You would make an excellent Auror," Scrimgeour managed a strained smile.
"No, thank you. What brings you here?" Albert had no intention of beating around the bush, and Scrimgeour's smile was quite unnerving.
"They say you're a Seer," Scrimgeour said, sizing Albert up.
Albert gave a noncommittal "hmm" and asked directly, "What do you want me to divine?"
"The whereabouts of the escaped Death Eaters," Scrimgeour stated his purpose for the visit.
"One thousand Galleons per question, payable in advance. No refunds," Albert quoted his price, leaving Professor McGonagall astonished at the exorbitant fee. This was outright extortion.
"I'll give you a thousand Galleons as a reward for providing information leading to the capture of the fugitives," Scrimgeour agreed, as that was the standard reward for such information.
"No, I think you misunderstood me. I'm not offering to provide information on wanted criminals. I'm offering a divination service, and that's a separate matter," Albert corrected him. "Also, whether or not the Ministry of Magic will actually pay the reward money for capturing fugitives is questionable. The last time, the Ministry withheld my reward money. So, don't mention rewards to me; it makes me feel sick. Now, if you need me to make a prophecy for you, please pay 1,200 Galleons in advance."
Scrimgeour raised an eyebrow but didn't get angry. He had heard about that incident, and he probably wouldn't have a favorable impression of the Ministry either if he were in Albert's shoes.
"It seems we need to have a little chat!" Scrimgeour turned to Professor McGonagall.
"I'll be right outside if you need me," she said, frowning.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Albert reassured her with a smile.
"Can you really predict the future?" Scrimgeour asked curiously after Professor McGonagall had left.
"If you don't believe it, why did you come to me?" Albert countered.
"Everyone says you can make prophecies, but it's hard to believe something like that without witnessing it firsthand," Scrimgeour said, gesturing for Albert to take a seat. He waved his wand to conjure a cup of tea for himself, not out of stinginess but because he knew Albert probably wouldn't touch anything he prepared.
"That's understandable. True Seers who can glimpse fragments of the future are rare," Albert agreed, waving his wand to conjure a cup of milk tea for himself. He sat down across from Scrimgeour and continued, "But don't worry, I'll make the prophecy first and you can pay afterward. Once you see the results, you won't have any doubts."
"You're the one who sent the wireless radio and predicted the Azkaban breakout, right?" Scrimgeour took a sip of his tea, his eyes sharp as they studied Albert. "In fact, you knew I would come looking for you, or perhaps you foresaw this day long ago."
Albert neither confirmed nor denied it, choosing to remain silent and sip his tea.
For Scrimgeour, that silence was answer enough. Sometimes, silence implied consent.
"So, has the Dark Lord truly returned?" Scrimgeour asked suddenly.
"I thought you didn't believe it," Albert said meaningfully.
“Disbelief can sometimes be an attitude,” Scrimgeour said irritably. “Dumbledore has made a mess of the wizarding world by revealing this matter directly. He should...”
“Indeed,” Albert looked at Scrimgeour and countered with a smile, “But would negotiating be of any use?” Scrimgeour didn't respond; if negotiating truly worked, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.
"Dumbledore is different from you, which is why he's greater than most." Albert sighed.
"Greater?" Scrimgeour obviously didn't buy it.
"I think there's no need to beat around the bush. If there's something you want to know, just ask. But..." Albert offered a friendly reminder, "this consultation will cost you."
"I thought you didn't lack money." Scrimgeour raised an eyebrow.
"I don't, but that doesn't mean everything is free. Sometimes, the free stuff is actually more expensive." Albert said meaningfully.
Scrimgeour took out a small bag of money and placed it in front of Albert. Before coming here, he had inquired about Albert with Percy and was prepared to pay if he wanted the information he sought.
"Do you know where the mysterious man is hiding?"
"Do you want me to divine his whereabouts for the Ministry of Magic?" Albert countered.
"Yes." Scrimgeour nodded.
If he truly became the Minister, he would have to increase his prestige by cracking down on Dark Wizards.
"I advise against it," Albert shook his head.
"Why?" Scrimgeour asked, confused. "You can't find the mysterious man."
"Even if we know where he is, it's useless. The gap in strength is obvious. Even if the Ministry of Magic gathers all the Aurors, they won't be able to stop him." Albert guessed what Scrimgeour was planning.
"So, you know where he is?"
Scrimgeour found the man in front of him increasingly peculiar; it seemed like he knew a lot of things.
"Do you know how to kill him permanently? I'm talking about the mysterious man?"
"You should ask Dumbledore about that. The one who knows the mysterious man best is always his enemy." Albert said calmly, "However, I think Dumbledore won't tell you."
"What is Dumbledore hiding in the Forbidden Forest?" Scrimgeour continued to inquire.
"Aren't you looking for it?" Albert countered.
"We didn't find anything." Scrimgeour shook his head.
"That's truly a shame." Albert's face showed no sign of disappointment.
"You don't know."
"A diviner is not omnipotent." Albert shrugged, "And, are you really interested in this matter?"
Scrimgeour fell silent again. In truth, he wasn't interested, which was why the Aurors were "slacking off." None of them were seriously searching, and today was already the third day. He planned to call off the search and report to Fudge that there were too few clues to find anything.
"Who will become the next Minister?" Scrimgeour's eyes shone with a strange light.
"It seems like you really want to become the Minister?" Albert sized up Scrimgeour and shook his head. "That's not a desirable position."
Scrimgeour recalled a certain news report he had read.
"Who?" Scrimgeour pushed the bag of Galleons towards Albert.
"If Amelia Bones doesn't die, she will be the new Minister. If she dies, then it will be you." Albert took the bag of Galleons and added, "Even if you become the new Minister, you won't live long. Are you truly prepared for that?"
The office fell silent once more. Scrimgeour suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "This sounds like something a con artist would say."
"If that's what you believe, then I can't do anything about it." Albert shrugged, "I never expect to convince everyone."
Scrimgeour fell silent again. Despite his reluctance to admit it, he didn't want to die, and Percy had told him that Anderson's prophecies were incredibly accurate, like the one about him becoming the assistant to the Minister of Magic after graduation.
"If Amelia Bones doesn't die..."
"The probability of Amelia Bones' death is very high. I've reminded her about this, but she doesn't take it seriously. However, to the mysterious man and his followers, Amelia Bones is a thorn in their side." Albert said quietly, "Since she's in the way, they'll just kick her aside or make her disappear."
After a brief silence, Scrimgeour asked, "Have you predicted my fate? Or have you foreseen the future?"
"I know what you're thinking." Albert interrupted softly, "The mysterious man has become more ruthless, even targeting high-ranking members of the Ministry?"
During the last Wizarding War, there had been similar instances, but they were rare, or else Barty Crouch Senior would have been killed by the Death Eaters.
"In fact, you've been ignoring one crucial thing." Albert put down his teacup and smiled, "In the face of absolute power, your little bit of authority is insignificant."
"What do you mean?" Scrimgeour's expression turned ugly.
"In the eyes of the mysterious man, the entire Ministry of Magic is nothing compared to Dumbledore." Albert smiled, "Don't be angry, I'm just stating the facts."
"What are you trying to say?"
"All of Britain lives under Dumbledore's protection, and you're trying to destroy that protection." Albert's face carried a mocking smile, "Once you lose the protection of Dumbledore, the strongest wizard in the wizarding world, the British Ministry of Magic will collapse within six months at most, and your death, I suspect, is related to this."
"That's impossible!" Scrimgeour immediately denied it.
He wasn't as foolish as Fudge; no matter how much he disliked Dumbledore, he wouldn't let the relationship deteriorate to such an extent.
"Who knows? The future can be changed, but it requires a tremendous force to do so. If you truly become the new Minister, I think we will meet again." Albert said meaningfully, "If you're willing, by then, you'll need to recognize the situation and your own strength."
Scrimgeour fell silent once more, as Albert's words seemed to foreshadow the eventual outcome.
Amelia Bones died, and Scrimgeour became the new Minister.
For some reason, Scrimgeour couldn't bring himself to feel happy about it.
Even though he was reluctant to admit it, he felt terrible.
"Is there any way to change this?" he asked.
"I don't know." Albert said softly, "I look forward to our next meeting."
"You really are... a detestable fellow." Scrimgeour's lips twitched, and he got up to leave.
(End of Chapter)
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