Chapter 253: Ved Will Take Care of It
Chapter 253: Ved Will Take Care of It
The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was a short man with a peculiar sense of fashion in Harry's eyes.
He wore a purple striped suit and green pointed shoes, resembling a clown ready to perform on stage.
At this moment, standing beside Dumbledore, he felt an immense pressure.
He gazed upon the enormous maze and the students with eager eyes, seemingly eager for battle.
The changes at Hogwarts made him feel incredibly unfamiliar.
Just two and a half years ago, when he first took office and visited Dumbledore at the school, he marveled at how everything remained the same as his own school days.
But this time, he almost doubted he had taken the wrong path.
The unusually active yet orderly students, more than a third of them, were not wearing school robes but instead donned clothing suitable for intense activity, resembling soldiers.
Their arms displayed prominent muscles, and their wand holsters were positioned for quick draw, while some young wizards even carried shield-like objects.
Each one of them appeared more agile than the tall and thin Ministry staff member standing beside him.
But what made him feel even more estranged was Dumbledore.
The once gentle headmaster who had guided him, the elder who had repeatedly given way, and the old man who had sometimes seemed senile to Fudge, now appeared much colder.
Despite his lack of a smile and the brevity of his words, Fudge, who had been plotting to free himself from Dumbledore's influence, began to feel apprehensive.
As a result, he couldn't bring himself to ask the questions he had intended and instead began inquiring about the arrangements for the event.
On a lawn by the Black Lake, house-elves had set up numerous benches, and behind them, temporary tiers of steps were stacked.
At this moment, Dumbledore was seated on a chair at the front, accompanied by the Ministry visitors, followed by the school's professors, while the students who were not participating in the competition sat on the steps at the back.
Among the crowd, a blonde girl stood out.
She wore a peculiar and vibrant flamingo hat, her expression slightly dazed, and her brownish-yellow clothing made her resemble an oversized Horklump.
Due to her strange attire, other students preferred to squeeze together rather than sit next to her.
In front of the crowd stood the towering walls of the maze.
Sitting in his seat, Fudge asked sincerely,
"What else can we see besides the leaves on the walls?"
"Oh, I believe Ved will take care of that for us."
Dumbledore replied casually,
"I suppose you know Ved Gre?"
"Yes, yes... I met this child last time..."
Fudge, distracted by Ved's activities in front of him, replied absentmindedly,
"I remember he was there when we took Peter Pettigrew away from here..."
At that time, Fudge's mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Peter, Sirius, the decade-long miscarriage of justice, and the identity of Voldemort's loyal follower, leaving no room to pay attention to a "regular student witness."
It was only after hearing his subordinates' discussions later that he realized the student was the recent inventor of various popular products, and he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret.
At this moment, Fudge's gaze followed Ved's movements, hoping to hear them talking about him and then take the initiative to introduce himself.
—Just like the older students who were watching him with eager eyes.
This way, Fudge could naturally praise him and display the ministerial demeanor and friendliness he had missed the last time.
For Fudge, the Malfoy family's vault was like an inexhaustible deep well. Despite the abundance of water below, only a tiny drop could be drawn with a bucket.
For this, he had to put on a smiling face and pay a price he was originally unwilling to pay.
And Ved, such a young and talented alchemist, was like a massive, immediately cashable gold mine once he was discovered.
But Ved never looked back.
He was like an ordinary repairman, paying no attention to whether it was the Minister of Magic or the greatest wizard of the century sitting there, and instead, he was solely focused on fixing the triangular mirror with a few others.
With a wave of his wand, the mirror, which was already over a person's height, began to grow, quickly reaching a height of 10 feet, with each side almost resembling a wall.
"What's that?"
Fudge couldn't help but ask, and he heard the Ministry officials and Aurors behind him also starting to discuss it.
"Hmm..."
Dumbledore, who was admiring the setup, thought for a moment before saying,
"Magic television?"
Fudge: "...What?"
He wasn't unaware of what television was; he just doubted whether Dumbledore was making a crazy mistake.
At that moment, he heard someone not far behind him say:
"Please allow me to introduce you, Mr. Minister, to Mr. Ved Gre and his two friends, Mr. Fred Weasley and Mr. George Weasley, and their latest creation - the magical version of television - FlowMirror!"
Fudge turned around and saw Malchioini pressing his hat to his chest with one hand, speaking politely.
He paused for a moment, feeling like he had heard a familiar name—
"Weasley?"
He looked sharply at the tall, disheveled Ministry employee not far from him.
Arthur Weasley was equally shocked:
"Fred and George? My...my two sons? They're only in their fourth year!"
He really wanted to ask if the gentleman had misspoken, but in the gaze of his colleagues, Mr. Weasley managed to hold back with difficulty.
Malchioini smiled, "Mr. Ved Gre is only in his second year, and he invented the Friend Ledger a year ago."
Arthur Weasley closed his mouth, sat down on the edge of his chair, and still felt incredulous.
On the one hand, he knew that his twin sons were indeed very smart, but on the other hand, he always suspected that he would receive a notice of their retention, expulsion, or dismissal any day.
On the other side, facing the curious inquiries, Malchioini calmly began his introduction:
"FlowMirror is based on the Two-Faced Mirror. It can transmit images and sounds in real-time. We'll see its effects soon, and it will definitely surprise you..."
"When I first saw it, I couldn't believe my eyes..."
"Mr. Gre and the two Mr. Weasleys commissioned us at Aslan Magical Workshop to produce and sell it. Soon, you'll be able to see it in your homes..."
"Is the price a bit high?...Sir, have you seen Muggle television? Since Muggles can enjoy television, why can't we wizards do the same? Don't you want to watch Miss Setina Vork's concerts in the comfort of your home?"
"Think about the joy it will bring you; this price is actually quite reasonable...And the lifespan of a FlowMirror is permanent, averaging less than 0.1 Galleons per day..."
Hearing the familiar sales pitch, the busy Ved finally turned to look.
He felt like he had seen the capitalist's sinister smile behind Malchioini.
The lifespan of the FlowMirror was indeed long...but who would still watch a 9-inch black and white television after technological advancements?
However, the crowd, including Fudge, who had been paying attention to Ved earlier, completely missed this, captivated by Malchioini's introduction.
Then, the silver-white mirror surface suddenly flashed, and an image of a maze appeared.
(End of Chapter)
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