Chapter 137: On a Better Alternative to Loophole Exploitation...
Chapter 137: On a Better Alternative to Loophole Exploitation...
Unbelievably, It's Completely Incomprehensible! As soon as Isabel took the parchment from Albert's hand, she glanced at its contents and realized she couldn't understand it at all.
Even though Isabel had already been exposed to ancient magical text and was far ahead of her peers, this genius witch found herself unable to make heads or tails of the parchment without the aid of a magical dictionary, let alone understand it.
Could this guy in front of her truly comprehend it?
Isabel was skeptical.
Now, this guy was actually holding a quill and making modifications to Uncle Mog's parchment, adding his insights and opinions in certain areas. Occasionally, he would discuss an issue with Professor Broad, and the words that came out of his mouth were all in the ancient magical language—he didn't need any magical pronunciation guides or dictionaries.
Just as the silent genius girl was sinking into deep self-doubt, the fireplace in the office suddenly flared up, capturing everyone's attention.
"Sorry, I'm late. Didn't expect to be held up by something at Wizengamot." Mog MacDougal stepped out of the fire, dusting off the ashes from his robe. He turned to Professor Broad and said, "Bard, you were absent. Didn't you receive the notification?"
"Received it this morning, but it was quite sudden, so I pretended I didn't get it. It's not like it was anything important, anyway." Professor Broad shrugged, "Since they didn't give advance notice, I couldn't make the time to attend."
"That's a good excuse." MacDougal nodded, seeming to consider whether he could use this excuse in the future.
"So, what was the outcome?" Professor Broad asked.
"What else could it be? They were fined a large sum, and she's back in prison." MacDougal said nonchalantly, "They snapped her wand again and sentenced her to ten years in prison."
"Ten years? I thought it would be a life sentence. This isn't the first time Carlotta Pinkstone has used magic in front of Muggles in public, is it?" Professor Broad reminded him, "I remember her wand being snapped the last time."
"Carlotta Pinkstone got herself another wand. Now, the Ministry of Magic has announced the revocation of Carlotta's wand-carrying privileges." MacDougal explained, "They've unanimously decided that if Carlotta continues to violate the Statute of Secrecy, she'll get a permanent bed in Azkaban."
Upon hearing this, Albert couldn't help but curl his lips and ask, "Does the Ministry often break people's wands like that? I mean, when they violate the Statute of Secrecy."
Professor Broad and MacDougal exchanged a glance and fell into a brief silence before Mog finally answered Albert's question, "Usually not. They'd just be fined."
"What about the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery?" Albert asked further.
"The third paragraph of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery states that it is a criminal offense to deliberately and knowingly use magic in front of Muggles in Muggle-inhabited areas." MacDougal shrugged at Albert, "In fact, the 'deliberately and knowingly' here refers to having already been warned by letter once. If it's not too serious, the offender usually just has to go for an interview with the Head of the Office for Misuse of Magic. It usually doesn't get too serious, just a fine. Of course, if you have a record and a bad reputation, then you might be in for some trouble."
"What about Muggle-born wizards?" Albert asked, "If I violate the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery twice, is there a possibility of being expelled from school?"
"Why do you ask?" MacDougal raised an eyebrow.
"Just as a precaution. In case I ever do break the law, I'd like to know if there's a loophole to exploit. After all, my family is in law. Oh, you might not know what a lawyer is—it's someone who speaks for you in court." Albert gave a nonchalant explanation for his curiosity.
"You don't seem to have a high opinion of the Ministry of Magic, do you?" Isabel was speechless. She realized that the person before her was definitely not one to sit idly by; he was already planning to find loopholes in the Ministry's laws.
"I had some unpleasant encounters before the start of the term." Albert didn't mention the Truman incident.
"Is it related to this?"
"Yes."
"You might be expelled." Professor Broad answered Albert's question, "To some extent, the decision-maker is the Head of the Office for Misuse of Magic, and if they were to do so, they'd have to go through a process to ensure..."
"If you ever do run into some minor trouble, I'll help you smooth it over, as long as you help me finish this book." MacDougal interrupted Professor Broad with a wave of his hand and a smile, "The situation at the Ministry is indeed as you suspect, but the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery is mostly aimed at wizards living in Muggle-inhabited areas. As you know, young children often can't control themselves well, especially when they get their hands on magic, so that's why we have the Decree."
"When you come of age and enter the wizarding world, you'll find that wizards rarely interact with Muggles, even someone like Weasley, who likes Muggles." MacDougal added after a moment's thought.
"So, it's still a matter of connections and influence?" Albert asked meaningfully.
"Yes, if it's a minor matter and you have enough connections and influence, nothing will happen. You'll just be fined." Mog didn't hesitate to discuss such matters in front of Albert.
"Uncle Mog!" Isabel frowned and spoke up.
"It's true, having power in the wizarding world is quite important." Mog blinked, "Of course, if you're on good terms with the Minister of Magic, he'll turn a blind eye as long as you don't commit any serious offenses!"
"Are you thinking of..."
"Actually, I'm quite interested in Apparition." Albert didn't beat around the bush, "If I could learn that, I wouldn't have to worry about transportation."
"I suggest you write to the Knight Bus and have them pick you up along the way." MacDougal laughed, "To ride the Knight Bus, just hold out your wand hand."
"No, no, Mog, I think Albert just wants to..." Professor Broad saw through Albert's intentions, "Apparition is a bit too advanced for you at the moment."
"Alright, I think we should get back on topic!" MacDougal waved his wand, and a stack of parchments appeared out of thin air, landing on the table in front of the two of them.
"This is the second draft."
(End of Chapter)
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