My School Life At Hogwarts Chapter 1108: The Only Way to Win Hearts and Minds - Novel Cool

Chapter 1108: The Only Way to Win Hearts and Minds

Chapter 1108: The Only Way to Win Hearts and Minds

The news of Umbridge's life imprisonment had quickly spread throughout the wizarding world via the Prophet, but it failed to stir up any waves. People were indifferent to her actions and were more concerned about a pressing issue—Voldemort.

Ever since the third break-in at Azkaban, Voldemort and his Death Eaters remained at large, and the Ministry had yet to devise any effective countermeasures. Everyone was in danger, leaving little room to spare for Umbridge.

Perhaps the biggest impact of the news about Umbridge's trial was that many people felt that the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, should also be put on trial. They believed he should be given Veritaserum to ascertain whether he was truly Voldemort's pawn and if all his actions were to buy time for Voldemort.

In the eyes of most witches and wizards, the ineffective Minister of Magic was indeed suspicious, especially since he had hindered Dumbledore, causing them to miss the best opportunity to strike against Voldemort.

Their suspicions about Fudge being Voldemort's pawn were not unfounded.

As the entire wizarding world clamored for Fudge's resignation, the former Minister of Magic panicked. He had no idea what to do, knowing he could be brought to trial at any moment and become the first Minister of Magic in history to be judged.

In contrast, the Hogwarts students busy preparing for their end-of-term exams were more concerned about Umbridge's fate than the rest of the wizarding world.

When Harry and Albert brought back the news of Umbridge's life sentence, the entire castle erupted in excitement. The students of Hogwarts, who had suffered under Umbridge, celebrated the pink toad's comeuppance.

Lee Jordan, in particular, rallied the students of the Anti-Toad League, taking time off their busy revision schedule to host a small gathering to celebrate Umbridge's permanent stay in Azkaban.

The most notable figures at the moment, Harry and Albert, were invited to this gathering, and even Fred and George, who had already left school early, showed up. The Umbridge screaming dolls they brought pushed the atmosphere of the gathering to its peak.

"How did you do it? I mean, how did you get back to school?" Angelina asked, giving Fred a warm hug.

"There are actually quite a few secret passages in Hogwarts Castle that lead outside the school grounds," Fred replied with a smile, nodding in Albert's direction. "But we used the fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office."

Fred was lying.

It was actually the house-elf Dobby who had secretly brought the two back to Hogwarts, but Albert had asked Fred and George to keep it a secret.

Although they didn't know why they had to keep it a secret, they obliged and came up with a random excuse.

"Are you really opening a joke shop?" Cedric asked curiously.

"Yes, we've secured the location, and the shop is currently being renovated," George proudly informed the group. "It's at Number 93, Diagon Alley. There will be advertising magazines at the entrance later, so remember to take one each. They have discount coupons that you can use to get a discount at the shop. The amazing products in the store will surely blow your minds."

"How many galleons does it take to open a shop? Renting a store in Diagon Alley can't be cheap," Marietta Edgecombe asked curiously.

"Albert provided the funding, and we're opening the shop together as a group of four," George explained. "But you're right; renting a store in Diagon Alley is indeed expensive."

"Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen..."

Lee Jordan walked through the crowd, holding a glass of wine and shouting, "Let us toast to Professor Toad's health and hope that she spends the rest of her life peacefully in Azkaban."

Everyone raised their glasses and shouted, "Cheers to Professor Toad's health and a peaceful life in Azkaban!"

Then, a burst of laughter filled the Room of Requirement. Since Umbridge's tenure at Hogwarts, there hadn't been a day as joyful as this one.

Even Peeves joined the merry feast, showering the students with toad confetti and fireworks above their heads.

Finally, accompanied by cheerful music, everyone sang the "Toad Song" in unison.

The era of the toad had ended, but her story would forever remain with her statue, etched into the history of Hogwarts as a legend.

Umbridge's statue was eventually moved from the entrance hall to the small swamp outside the Dark Arts classroom because it was too much of an eyesore. The professors unanimously agreed that the statue should be preserved to commemorate this great victory.

As for the unlucky Auror's robes that Albert had hung in the corridor, they couldn't be removed and would remain there permanently.

Those robes and the stories behind them would be passed down from generation to generation among the students of Hogwarts.

Happy times always pass by quickly.

After the weekend, it was time for another round of exams.

As expected, Monday's Potions practical exam required the students to identify a mixed poison and brew its antidote.

In Albert's opinion, the exam wasn't very difficult. It only involved mixing three poisons, and brewing the antidote didn't take too long. However, many seventh-year students found this year's Potions practical exam incredibly challenging. Even Katrina was complaining about it, and most students would have preferred an exam on brewing potions rather than antidotes, as they would have had a chance to score higher.

On the other hand, the Arithmancy exam was relatively simple, but it tested the witches' and wizards' calculation abilities. The candidates had to calculate the probability of events occurring to accurately predict certain outcomes.

Of course, for students with average calculation skills, this presented yet another challenge.

Unsurprisingly, Albert achieved a high score once again.

After finishing his Arithmancy exam, Albert finally completed all his exams and felt incredibly relieved. He joined his classmates for a stroll in the sunny grounds.

As for the History of Magic NEWT exam the next day, it was generally uncommon for students to take History of Magic at the NEWT level.

As one of the most boring subjects, few students were willing to continue with History of Magic.

In fact, it remained a mystery whether there had ever been a History of Magic NEWT class in the history of Hogwarts.

"I plan to host a Witch's Cards gathering!"

As they lay resting in the shade of a tree, Lee Jordan shared his plans with Albert.

"It's been a long time since our last Witch's Cards gathering. If we don't consolidate the Witch's Cards Club before we leave school, I'm afraid the club will disband. So, you must attend, and also confirm that Luna will take your place."

Lee Jordan was well aware that the Witch's Cards Club owed its fame in school entirely to Albert. Once Albert graduated, the club's future would be uncertain. From then on, they could only rely on competitions and bounties to promote the development of Witch's Cards. Although Albert had been working towards this since a long time ago, without him, it was hard to predict how much vitality the club would retain and whether it could persist.

In Lee Jordan's eyes, Luna wasn't a qualified club manager.

"Let's set it for Friday; by then, the final exams will be over, and everyone can relax. Also, remember to inform Luna in advance." Albert confirmed the date and time; they still had several days of leisure ahead of them.

"No problem."

Lee Jordan was now quite experienced; he patted his chest and said, "Just show up, and I'll take care of the rest."

"By the way, I'm getting married next month, so remember to help me out!" Albert suddenly lowered his voice.

"What, married!"

"Shh." Albert made a hushing gesture; he didn't want the whole school to know about this yet.

"So soon!"

Lee Jordan was very surprised that Albert was getting married right after graduation; it was unimaginable.

"Due to certain reasons, I'm a bit rushed for time." Albert said.

"Have you set a date?"

"Yes, check the information on the card when the time comes."

"I dare say many ladies will be heartbroken because of this." Lee Jordan nudged Albert with his elbow and teased.

"As long as you don't spread it around, they won't know." Albert glared at the man in front of him, the biggest gossip-monger in Hogwarts.

"You overestimate people's ability to keep secrets. Even if I don't say anything, the whole school will know about your wedding soon enough." Lee Jordan shook his head.

"I heard that. Who's getting married?" Hannah asked as she handed a letter to Albert.

"It's Albert, of course." Lee Jordan turned to ask, "Haven't you sent out the invitations yet?"

"I was planning to send them out during the summer break." Albert glared at Lee Jordan and took the envelope from Hannah. He then took a silver card out of his Charmed Lizard Skin Bag and handed it to Hannah, raising his index finger, "Remember to keep it confidential for now."

"Oh, of course, no problem, but..." Hannah took the card and asked, "What is this?"

"An invitation." Albert said.

"An invitation?"

"Yes, a special invitation. The specific time and location will appear on the card later." Albert explained, "Since I'm on the Death Eaters' blacklist, I've taken extra precautions to ensure secrecy. Although Dumbledore agreed to attend the wedding a long time ago, I still need to consider the safety of the guests."

"Oh." Hannah nodded, "I understand. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks."

"I think she looks a bit down." Lee Jordan glanced at Hannah's departing back and nudged Albert, "You know."

"Shut up. If you're jealous, just go find a girl you like." Albert scanned the letter in his hand and frowned slightly. There was no sender's name, only the initials 'RS'.

"Who's it from? Do you want me to open it for you?" Lee Jordan knew that Albert rarely opened letters from strangers, especially those with only letter abbreviations.

"Not for now. There shouldn't be any curses in it." Albert already guessed who the sender was.

"How do you know there aren't any curses?" Lee Jordan asked curiously.

"Generally, the use of magic leaves traces, and a skilled wizard can identify them." Albert didn't elaborate further; Lee Jordan's magic skills weren't at that level yet, so even if he explained, he probably wouldn't understand.

Speaking of which, Albert waved his wand and the envelope opened by itself.

There was very little content in the letter; it only stated that the sender hoped to meet with Albert.

As expected, it was from Rufus Scrimgeour.

It seemed that Ollivander's disappearance had finally gotten to Scrimgeour.

In fact, anyone with a functioning brain would realize the importance of this wandmaker. However, before Ollivander's disappearance, no one had paid attention to this matter. Even if the Ministry of Magic found a new wandmaker, it didn't mean that every wandmaker was as skilled as Ollivander.

Most importantly, when most Death Eaters were captured, they lost their wands. So, the chances were high that the Death Eaters had captured Ollivander, as they needed him to make suitable wands for them.

Regarding Scrimgeour's letter, Albert didn't plan to respond immediately or meet him before graduation. That would undoubtedly be a risky move.

Even though Albert had prepared a win-win plan from the beginning, it was better to keep the other party waiting for now, which would be beneficial for the next steps.

After all, most people were prone to making foolish mistakes.

Sometimes, the more enthusiastic you were, the more counterproductive it became.

He intended to let Scrimgeour make the first move and wait for him to ask for help in divining the Death Eaters' locations before bringing up his plan.

Killing two birds with one stone.

The Ministry of Magic would get the chance to capture the Death Eaters, and he would smoothly get rid of a big problem.

It could be said that the only way to win hearts and minds was through clever schemes.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

"Of course. Now that the exams are over, I naturally feel relieved."

"I think it has something to do with that letter. Someone's in trouble." Lee Jordan mumbled; he knew Albert quite well. Usually, only important letters were burned on the spot.

As the two walked through the first-floor corridor, they happened to run into Harry and his group, who had just come out of the boys' bathroom.

"What were you guys doing? Going to the bathroom together?" Lee Jordan asked.

"It was Malfoy. They wanted to ambush Harry, so we..." Ernie McMillan shrugged, "...taught them a little lesson."

Everyone still remembered how arrogant and overbearing Malfoy had been when he was part of the Inquisitorial Squad, causing trouble for students from all houses. Now, with the additional title of a Death Eater's son, he was even more despised.

"They seem to be quite stirred up, thinking that it's all my fault that the Malfoys and the others became wanted fugitives!" Harry said helplessly, "I guess they wanted to take the opportunity to teach me a lesson when I was alone!"

"So, you deliberately stayed alone."

"Cough, cough." Harry coughed lightly, "I had to give them a chance, right?"

"Be careful. Don't kill anyone, even if they are the offspring of Death Eaters." Albert reminded him kindly, knowing what the bathroom looked like at the moment. Shoving someone's head into a toilet was one of their favorite pastimes.

"Yeah."

Harry looked in the direction of the bathroom and said softly, "Now that everyone knows what despicable people they are and that they are the offspring of Death Eaters, they're still so arrogant!"

"Maybe, in a few years, they'll join the Death Eaters themselves."

(End of Chapter)

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