Chapter 175: A String of Misfortunes
Chapter 175: A String of Misfortunes
"Thanks a lot, klutz!"
Rufus halted in his tracks, looking down at the beverage that had been spilled on him. He then glanced back at the retreating figure who had bumped into him, a frown forming on his face. What an unlucky start to his day.
Rufus waved his wand, cleaning himself off before turning to Hopkirk with a furrowed brow. "What's going on? Why is Hector Dagworth-Granger here, and in such a foul mood this early in the morning?"
Hopkirk pointed at the door to the Minister's office. "They just had an argument. Don't ask any more questions."
"An argument?" Rufus was baffled by Hopkirk's statement. It was already unusual to see Dagworth-Granger at the Ministry, and now this.
"There's been another issue with the Trace." Hopkirk hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice. "It seems Dagworth-Granger is somehow involved, which is why he came to the Ministry so early. But it looks like the discussion fell apart, and he left in a huff."
"This isn't a big deal," Rufus said, even more perplexed. Traces usually involved underage wizards, but for Dagworth-Granger, a master potioneer, to get personally involved was peculiar. And for the matter to end in a failed negotiation seemed quite unbelievable.
Hector Dagworth-Granger held a high position in the field of potions, and he was also a member of the Wizengamot. In a minor matter like this, the Ministry would usually be accommodating, so for the negotiations to fall apart was surprising.
No matter how he looked at it, Rufus found the situation quite strange.
...
Hector Dagworth-Granger was in a foul mood. To be honest, he had known from the start that the negotiations would fail, which was why he had preferred to resolve the issue with money rather than deal with the Ministry.
Although Hector rarely paid attention to Ministry affairs, he had heard a few things about the current Minister. Rumor had it that after a few too many glasses of sherry, she would start spouting shockingly ruthless and callous opinions.
There was no way to reach an agreement with someone like that.
The other party had flat-out refused to write an apology letter.
Even after Hector had explained the situation and offered to pay a sum of money as a token of gratitude upon retrieving his Gold Card.
But he was still refused.
In her words, the Ministry's Trace had not malfunctioned, and she had never received an explanation letter from him.
And so, the negotiations fell apart.
Hector stood at his front door, taking a deep breath as he prepared to pay Broderick another visit, hoping the goblin could offer him some damn useful advice.
Ever since losing his Gold Card, Hector's mood had been sour, and his temper was becoming more irritable by the day.
As Hector once again set out for the lake cottage, he realized he couldn't locate it.
"Things just keep getting worse," Hector muttered as he gazed at the lake. He couldn't find Broderick, and even sending an owl was proving impossible.
"What's going on? What is Broderick up to?"
Hector glared at the lake, which showed no sign of the small island or the cottage. It was as if all traces of it had been erased.
The other party had used advanced magic to completely hide the lake cottage.
While Hector considered himself a skilled potioneer, he couldn't claim the same proficiency in charms.
He tried to locate the dilapidated dock and boat, but after walking around the lake, he found nothing. It was as if the memories in his mind were false.
Just as the potioneer turned to leave, he noticed a house-elf silently appearing behind him.
"Please follow me," the house-elf said, stepping forward and giving a slight bow before holding out its palm. In an instant, Hector understood and, as he placed his hand in the house-elf's, he was transported via Disapparition.
When Hector came to his senses, he found himself standing in front of a house, and the person he sought sat at a table in the yard, waving at him with a smile.
"What the hell are you up to, Brodrick?!" Hector fumed as he strode forward and sat down in the armchair opposite Brodrick, pouring himself a cup of tea and downing it in one go.
"It didn't go well?" Bard Brodrick asked, though his tone implied he already knew the answer.
"That damn woman! I explained the whole situation to her, but she still refused," Hector said, pouring himself another cup and gulping it down, trying to suppress his anger. Even he could tell that his tone was less than pleasant.
"I'm not talking about that. I'm asking if you went to see Albert?"
"Yes, that little rascal," Hector said, frowning as he thought of Albert. He glared at Brodrick, "He seemed to know I was coming for the Gold Card, so he hid it beforehand."
"A rascal, huh?" Brodrick ignored Hector's glare and didn't agree with his assessment.
"What else could he be?" Hector scoffed.
"I told you not to resort to underhanded methods. Didn't I warn you that he wouldn't take it lightly?" Brodrick looked at Hector, reminding him, "Don't expect him to be friendly the next time you meet."
"What else could I have done?" Hector asked, pouring himself another cup and slamming it down on the table. "I just met with that old hag, and she flat-out denied everything. She refused to even consider it."
"I'm stuck in the middle here, and it's not easy for me either! I just want my card back," Hector complained.
"What did he say about the Gold Card?"
"Who, the boy?" Hector furrowed his brows, trying to recall. "He mentioned something about melting it down and selling it in the Muggle world."
"That's pretty much what I expected," Brodrick nodded, "Don't try to force him into submission. You won't succeed, and you'll only make things worse for yourself."
"I'm curious, why do you hold him in such high regard? Is it his talent, his abilities, or something else?" Hector asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"That's none of your business," Brodrick said, clearly not wanting to discuss the matter further.
"I'm just curious," Hector probed.
"Perhaps my judgment is better than yours," Brodrick offered a sarcastic reply, "So, I'm betting on him."
Hector fell silent, naturally not buying this excuse.
"If you want your Gold Card back, your best bet is to go through the Ministry of Magic," Brodrick advised, "Don't ignore my warnings, or you'll surely regret it."
Ever since Brodrick discovered that Albert had dared to venture into the Forbidden Forest and managed to defeat a horde of Acromantulas while rescuing Fred and George, he knew that Albert was not as simple as he seemed.
It was said that a wizard's wand chose its owner, and Albert's wand was made of rowan wood, suggesting that Albert might already possess the ability to turn bad situations around.
In other words, Albert's foray into the Forbidden Forest wasn't merely due to Gryffindor recklessness; he had likely prepared a way out in advance, and even if Brodrick hadn't shown up, Albert would have had a plan of his own.
And to think, Albert was only twelve years old! Ever since that incident, Brodrick had held Albert in very high regard.
If Hector had charged in recklessly, he would have likely hit a brick wall and ended up with a bloody nose.
However, Hector was in a foul mood and not in the mood to listen to any of this. Once he calmed down, he decided to write a letter to Dumbledore, seeking the Hogwarts headmaster's assistance in smoothing things over. At the very least, he wanted to ensure that their second meeting wouldn't turn out even worse.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
