https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1635-A-War-Without-Victors-Eighty-Five-/12529399/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1637-A-War-Without-Victors-Eighty-Seven-/12529404/
Chapter 1636: A War Without Victors (Eighty-Six)
Chapter 1636: A War Without Victors (Eighty-Six)
As night fell, an eerie silence engulfed the British Ministry of Magic. Aside from a handful of staff on duty or patrolling, most employees had clocked out for the day and returned to the comfort of their homes.
Of course, there were always exceptions.
At this moment, light still shone from the Minister's office, where Kingsley Shacklebolt, the current Minister for Magic, had made it a habit to work late into the night ever since assuming his position.
Despite Kingsley's tireless efforts to address the myriad issues that had arisen from the Second Wizarding War, the problems seemed only to multiply, leaving him overwhelmed and questioning his life choices.
Kingsley had never felt so exhausted, and he was beginning to understand why Dumbledore and Albert had shown little interest in the position of Minister. Perhaps they had foreseen the challenges that lay ahead and wisely sidestepped this proverbial pitfall from the start.
Only he, in his lack of wisdom, had been unable to resist the temptation, stepping right into the trap and finding himself stuck in a pit too deep to climb out of.
With a glance at the thin report submitted by Gawain, Kingsley tossed the document onto his desk and turned his head toward the portrait hanging on the wall. Fixing his gaze on the familiar figure that had just appeared, he murmured, his lips quivering slightly, "It seems you still refuse to speak?"
Following Albert's suggestion, Kingsley had hung a portrait of Dumbledore in his office, hoping to seek advice from the wise old wizard.
However, more often than not, the portrait was empty, and even when Dumbledore was present, he remained tight-lipped, as if it were an ordinary, non-magical painting.
But! Dumbledore's portrait could speak, as Albert had assured him. The old wizard's silence stemmed from his belief that the dead should not interfere in the affairs of the living, and thus he withheld his help.
The challenge for Kingsley was to find a way to make Dumbledore speak.
At least Albert didn't have this problem.
To be honest, this realization stung Kingsley a little.
Here he was, working himself to the bone, while they had conveniently dumped their messes on him and sat back to watch the spectacle. How could he not feel annoyed?
But Kingsley's annoyance changed nothing.
Was he going to sulk at a portrait?
With a heavy sigh, Kingsley picked up the document he had cast aside earlier.
Just then, a familiar knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Kingsley said.
Percy entered, placing a cup of aromatic strong black tea in front of Kingsley, his expression hesitant.
"Am I being too radical?"
Kingsley took a large sip of the hot tea before asking this question.
"Someone has to deal with this mess, and right now, it seems only the Minister has the capacity to do so," Percy replied, looking at the weary face of his superior.
"Albert has the capacity as well," Kingsley said self-deprecatingly. "But he dumped the problem on me and ran. I feel like he tricked me."
"His identity makes it difficult for him to become the new Minister, and it was never meant to be a one-man job."
Percy understood why Kingsley felt deceived; in his opinion, it was indeed a similar situation.
Albert had foreseen this scenario and pushed Kingsley into the position of Minister early on, leaving him to deal with the aftermath of the Second Wizarding War.
While it was a voluntary decision, there was no denying that it was a hellish start.
No wonder Kingsley was feeling resentful.
"You're right, someone has to deal with this mess," Kingsley agreed, his tone turning wry. "To be honest, I thought I could handle these issues. But now, I'm starting to regret it. If I hadn't taken on this lousy Minister role, maybe I wouldn't have so many worries, and I wouldn't have to stay back late every day."
These words were not meant for others' ears, but he couldn't help venting to Percy, indirectly addressing the portrait of Dumbledore on the wall and, by extension, Albert.
After all, it was common knowledge that Percy was one of Albert's trusted associates, so a little complaining couldn't hurt.
Before Percy could react, Kingsley handed him a document.
"What's this?"
Instead of looking at the document, Percy directed his question to Kingsley.
"It's a report on the recent efforts to eradicate Inferi," Kingsley replied.
"Altogether, we've managed to eliminate several tens of thousands of Inferi, and we're still discovering more that were hidden away," Percy added, his expression grim.
"It won't be long before we completely eliminate the threat posed by the Inferi," Percy said, equally appalled by the Death Eaters' insanity.
"That's not the main issue," Kingsley said, his face darkening.
"Not the main issue?" Percy echoed, a thought occurring to him.
"Even if we eradicate the Inferi hidden in Britain, we still have to deal with the werewolf crisis," Kingsley explained. "They're far more troublesome than Inferi. You can't easily identify them before a full moon, and figuring out how to handle them is a huge problem."
"Do we have any evidence yet?" Percy asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"No concrete evidence, but..." Kingsley's eyes glinted dangerously, "...I think we all know how it is. To be honest, I can't fathom what those lunatics are thinking. Do they want to increase the number of werewolves in Britain?"
"Maybe they're just not in their right minds?" Percy suggested, equally baffled by the actions of the pure-bloods who had sided with Voldemort. Especially with their recent shenanigans, it was as if they were in a rush to meet their demise, stepping on the accelerator and driving themselves to destruction.
"I hope it's just my wishful thinking," Kingsley said, rubbing his temples. "At least we have some time on our hands. Werewolves only transform during a full moon."
"Harry and Ginny's wedding is coming up soon," Percy said, changing the subject. "I think it might be good for everyone to attend and relax a little. We've all been too tense lately."
"When is it?" Kingsley frowned, his mind still partly on the werewolf dilemma.
"August 15th."
"That's manageable. The next full moon is on the 8th, so if my luck holds, I should be able to attend," Kingsley said, finishing his tea. "Thank you, Percy. It's getting late. You should head home and get some rest."
"If you do encounter any problems, you can always consult Albert," Percy offered after a moment's hesitation.
"He's not my subordinate, and I can't keep bothering him every time I run into an issue," Kingsley said, his attention already back on the report about the werewolf investigation on his desk. "If those maniacs insist on increasing the werewolf population, what do you think we should do?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
