https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1738-A-War-With-No-Victor-Part-188-/12938276/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1740-A-War-with-No-Winners-Part-190-/12938278/
Chapter 1739: A War with No Victors (189)
Chapter 1739: A War with No Victors (189)
As Harry had anticipated, Ron had never considered addressing his emotional issues. Instead, he had buried his head in the sand like an ostrich, hoping that time would resolve his problems.
Especially regarding Ron's secret admiration for Hermione, even though he was reluctant to acknowledge it, he knew that his feelings for her were unlikely to progress in the short term. Thus, he could only pin all his hopes on a distant and uncertain future.
In truth, Ron was aware that the chances of him and Hermione being together were slim, but he couldn't bear to give up on this dream, which led to these self-deceiving thoughts.
With a faint glimmer of hope and self-consolation, Ron could at least regain his spirit and emerge from the lows of life.
When Ron returned to the Ministry of Magic, he immediately sensed the tense atmosphere in the Auror office.
He dared not ask Harry about it and could only stand awkwardly in a corner, waiting for the meeting to end.
"This is definitely a warning from the Sprites!" someone banged on the table.
"What are those bastards up to?"
"Are they planning to engage us in a direct confrontation?"
The Aurors in the office had grim expressions, and their emotions were running high. They never expected that during their mission, they would be ambushed by Sprites.
Although the attackers left no evidence, everyone could guess that it was the Sprites' doing, serving as a warning to the Aurors not to continue their surveillance of the Sprite Brotherhood's headquarters.
Otherwise, the consequences could be dire.
After all, if the Sprites could silently take down the Aurors on duty, they could just as easily kill them without a sound.
"Reinforce the team!"
Director Robards, after calming down the enraged Aurors, made the final decision. The Aurors were not there to monitor the Sprite Brotherhood but to warn them not to do anything foolish during the ongoing negotiations between the two parties.
Therefore, the Ministry of Magic had no intention of hiding their actions from the Sprites, even though the Sprites viewed the Ministry's actions as provocative.
The Sprites responded to this attack as a warning, implying that they were not afraid of the Ministry but were still exercising restraint. Otherwise, the ambushed Aurors would have been eliminated.
However, the Ministry paid no heed to what the Sprites wanted to convey. They maintained a firm stance on the matter, reinforcing their team to prevent any further mischief from the Sprites.
As for the possibility of triggering a large-scale conflict? Both sides had anticipated that such a day would come, as the negotiations between the Ministry and the Sprites were not going well.
The wizards refused to share the secrets of wandlore with other magical creatures, and the Sprites were adamant about not allowing the Ministry to touch the treasures in the Gringotts vaults that had lost their heirs.
The lack of progress in the negotiations came as no surprise to anyone.
Now, all the Aurors in the office understood that their Minister didn't expect an agreement between the two parties. That was why he spent time every day studying these Sprites, just as they had studied how to deal with Inferi and werewolves, preparing for the worst-case scenario!
Of course, this had nothing to do with Albert, even though he still held the title of Senior Advisor. No one would dare involve him in this turmoil, risking an escalation of the issue.
At this moment, Albert was in the Dark Arts Defense Office, studying the final volume of the "Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts" with Cedric Diggory, Lupin, and Moody, finalizing the last details.
Of course, the two of them were also here to assist Cedric in refining the curriculum for the subject, and if needed, they could even serve as temporary teachers.
Indeed, Professor McGonagall had already discussed the matter with Cedric, and it was highly likely that Cedric would continue as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
The main reason was that Professor McGonagall lacked the audacity of Dumbledore to employ a werewolf. Otherwise, if Lupin were to return to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and Cedric were to fill the vacant Transfiguration position, Professor McGonagall wouldn't have to worry about the staffing shortage at Hogwarts.
Cedric didn't have a strong preference for which subject to teach; both Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration were areas of expertise for him.
The improved salary and benefits also satisfied Cedric, and he had Albert to thank for this. If not for Albert's help, Professor McGonagall would likely not have offered him such a generous package.
"What's your take on the situation with the goblins?"
The conversation suddenly shifted to a recent hot topic in the news. Although the Ministry of Magic had not publicized the matter extensively in the Prophet, those in the know were well aware of the dire state of affairs between the Ministry and the goblins.
"How should I look at it? Well, I'd say it's a spectator sport," Albert replied, feigning disinterest.
"Neither the Ministry nor the goblins are willing to compromise, and eventually, they'll have no choice but to fight," Moody, an observer, seemed to have a clearer understanding of the situation.
"It's quite normal; this issue is a leftover from the Second Wizarding War," Albert said nonchalantly.
"Kingsley also intends to use this conflict to divert attention from internal disputes within the British Ministry of Magic," he added.
"He's not afraid of making a mess of things."
"After all, it's the 20th century; a goblin rebellion won't cause much of a stir."
"Kingsley is doing a decent job!" Lupin suddenly exclaimed.
"He's doing a decent job as a Minister!" Albert glanced at Lupin, understanding his unspoken thoughts, and cautioned, "But neither you nor I are them, and we haven't experienced their pain. So, keeping our distance is the right thing to do!"
"It's a bit extreme, but understandable. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably do the same, and Kingsley seems to have implicitly approved it."
Although Moody didn't fully grasp the situation, he could guess what was going on.
This was politics!
And very political indeed!
Perhaps some hadn't realized it at first, but as time passed and people communicated, most had come to understand the situation.
They remained silent about Nelson's group's quest for revenge, and sometimes even provided limited assistance, as long as it was controllable and didn't plunge the British Wizarding World into complete chaos! After all, those who had died were ruthless and evil Dark Wizards. If the Ministry's laws couldn't punish them, then other measures had to be taken.
Even Moody, who once actively hunted down Death Eaters, shared this belief!
How could they let these criminals, who had committed unforgivable crimes, go unpunished?
Rather than exhausting themselves to protect them, it was better to let the Ministry's laws be damned!
(End of Chapter)
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