Hogwarts Bloodline Chapter 527: While I Was Chatting with the Minister of Magic, You Don't Even Know Where You Were! - Novel Cool

Chapter 527: While I Was Chatting with the Minister of Magic, You Don't Even Know Where You Were!

Chapter 527: While I Was Chatting with the Minister of Magic, You Don't Even Know Where You Were! (Combined)

The Werewolves did not bother with Old Rosier and turned their attention to Ivan. Seeing Ivan nod in agreement, they released him.

Old Rosier dusted himself off and then bent over, jogging over to Ivan’s side.

“You did well, Rochelle! You saved me a lot of trouble,” Ivan patted Old Rosier’s shoulder, saying with great satisfaction.

He had intentionally shattered the Magic Lamps in the meeting room to create an inside-outside pincer movement, avoiding the need for a forceful assault that could result in personnel injuries.

Before casting the Magic, Ivan was somewhat worried whether Old Rosier would understand his intentions. However, the other party performed even better than expected, sparking an Internal Conflict that made the capture of the Werewolves much easier.

Faced with Ivan’s praise, Old Rosier showed no sign of taking credit for himself.

He was very clear that his greatest value was now gone, and his future treatment would entirely depend on this young witches and wizards’ mood. Therefore, Old Rosier humbly stated that the success of the operation was all due to Lord Hals’ guidance, and he had merely done what he was instructed to do.

While Old Rosier was flattering him, Fury and the others, who were tightly bound, began to curse loudly.

“Rochelle, you damned bastard! Shameful traitor!”

“I knew you were a complete scoundrel. Do you think they’ll spare you just because we’re finished?”

The more Fury and the others cursed, the more Old Rosier’s face remained indifferent. To him, those were just the barks of defeated dogs, utterly meaningless.

Notte, who was also tied up, did not join in the angry outbursts. He quietly looked at Ivan’s young face and suddenly asked:

“Where’s Asia? If I’m not mistaken, you must be her son, Ivan Hals. She’s just letting you handle such a Dangerous task without coming to see me herself?”

Though Notte had never met Ivan, he could guess his identity from his age and Old Rosier’s address.

Ivan turned and glanced at Notte but did not respond.

Old Rosier, however, looked at Notte with disdain, finding his ignorance laughable.

“No, that’s not right! Asia was just a decoy. You are the true mastermind!” Notte, after all, was not stupid. He quickly realized something from their reactions and stared at Ivan in horror, almost disbelieving his own guess.

But this was clearly the only possibility!

Otherwise, why would Old Rosier act so humbly in front of him, demeaning himself like a household dog?

When he mentioned Asia earlier, Old Rosier had shown no significant reaction.

The Giant Serpent Transformation and the subsequent Combined Spells were not something ordinary Wizards could perform. Even if Notte had used his full strength, he could not have achieved such a level.

It was evident that this young witches and wizards’ power far exceeded that of his peers and even many adult Wizards!

Still, it seemed rather absurd to have a thirteen or fourteen-year-old lead the operation.

“Did you betray us to join this kid? Playing house with him? Rochelle, you really are going downhill!” Notte sneered in derision.

Ivan frowned, knowing that his age would always cause unnecessary trouble.

However, before he could act, the loyal Old Rosier charged forward without hesitation and kicked Notte several times, holding nothing back. One kick struck Notte’s nose, causing red blood and white snot to gush out.

“How dare you! You dare to insult the great Lord Hals!” Old Rosier, still not satisfied after the kicks, drew his wand to cast the Cruciatus Curse on Notte.

“Enough, stop!” Ivan waved his hand, stopping Old Rosier. He still had questions to ask and didn’t want to torture Notte to death.

After Old Rosier stopped, Notte slowly straightened his body, blood still on his face. He coughed a few times and said dejectedly:

“You win, kid! From today on, Knockturn Alley’s Wizarding Market is yours. If you release my nephew, I can guarantee that the Nott Family will no longer oppose you.”

Nephew?

Ivan’s mind raced, thinking of the deceased Res Nott. However, he had no intention of revealing this information and instead sneered:

“Are you mistaken, Mr. Notte? The Wizarding Market is already in my hands. Whether you like it or not, using this as a bargaining chip now is a bit too late, isn’t it?”

In the chaotic Knockturn Alley, everyone engaged in underhanded dealings. It was always the one with the biggest fists who got to call the shots.

The Wizarding Market had never been officially recognized by the Ministry of Magic and was essentially an underground Black Market. There were no deeds or legal documents. Whoever occupied it, owned it!

So Notte's words sounded particularly ridiculous to Ivan!

Notte ignored Ivan's mockery and continued speaking. "Anyway, you wouldn't dare kill me, right? What you want, I can give you. We're not mortal enemies, so there's no need to fight to the death!"

"That's not certain, Mr. Notte! Are you so sure I won't kill you?" Ivan shook his head; he had no intention of letting a tiger out of the cage.

The Wizarding Market in Knockturn Alley was the largest black market in the Wizarding World, built through the efforts of generations. Notte had just taken all of that away in one fell swoop, and anyone would find it hard to bear.

Not to mention that a few days ago, he had killed Notte's nephew, a grudge that was unlikely to be resolved.

What puzzled Ivan was Notte's inexplicable confidence that he wouldn't kill him.

Notte looked up at Ivan with a haughty expression and explained, "I am a Pureblood, different from the lowly Wizards you've killed! If I die or go missing for a long time, the Ministry of Magic will certainly launch an investigation. You don't want to be targeted by Aurors, do you?"

Notte's words infuriated the Werewolves nearby, and even the Black-robed Enforcer, who was bound, showed a look of dissatisfaction, as he was one of those lowly Wizards Notte referred to.

Perhaps feeling that this wasn't enough, Notte added, "There's something you might not know—I am a close friend of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Pierce! Killing me would mean you're in deep trouble!"

"Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" Ivan raised an eyebrow.

He remembered the name—Piers Sinkin, right?

This marginal figure in the original timeline left no lasting impression on him. He could remember now only because his Magic Shop's first big deal was with the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Seeing Ivan's thoughtful expression, Notte's face showed a hint of joy. His greatest worry was that this young witches and wizards would act rashly and kill him, leading to a lose-lose situation.

Now that Ivan was considering it carefully, it meant his life was safe.

Notte's thoughts became more active. As long as he stayed alive, he would have a chance to reclaim what he had lost!

But before he could think further, Ivan's slightly disappointed words reached his ears.

"So your greatest reliance is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, is that it?"

Hearing Ivan's words, Notte was stunned.

Ivan shook his head in disappointment. He had almost thought Notte was a relative of the Minister of Magic, but it turned out he only knew the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

As for how close this friendship was, who knew? It might just be a few meetings and a few drinks, and Notte was using this connection to bluff.

If it came to it, Ivan himself often chatted with the Minister of Magic and had letter exchanges with multiple high officials and Order of Merlin Grandmasters, far above the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He wouldn't be intimidated by such a figure.

However, Notte's words did have some merit. In peacetime, the death of a Wizard was thoroughly investigated, let alone the head of a Pureblood Family.

Being targeted by Aurors would be very troublesome, and Ivan was precisely the kind of person who avoided trouble!

Even so, Ivan wouldn't back down in front of everyone, or he would lose control of his team.

Especially Notte's recent words, which had scorned Half-bloods and Muggle-Borns, were like a slap in the face. Out of both public and personal reasons, Ivan wouldn't let Notte get away with it.

"So your reliance is Piers Sinkin, the current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic?" Ivan asked again.

"What do you mean? You know Pierce too?" Notte frowned, not understanding what this young witches and wizards was up to.

"You misunderstand, I've never met him", Ivan shook his head and continued, "But when I had Fudge nominate me the other day, I heard him complain that Pierce has been ineffective recently. Not only has he failed to stop the Dementor riots, but his Aurors can't even keep a death row prisoner secure. Fudge is very dissatisfied with such a Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Ivan spoke with a mix of truth and deception, drawing on the information he knew.

Seeing Notte's face shift between light and dark, a smile involuntarily curved Ivan's lips. He knew he had guessed right; Pierce must be having a tough time recently. Encouraged, Ivan continued.

"Your best friend is probably too busy to care about you, let alone exert effort for a dead man."

Notte's face darkened immediately. This was precisely why he had been at a disadvantage in his conflict with Asia and hadn't sought help. Moreover, his friendship with Pierce wasn't as close as "best friends"; that was just a bluff to intimidate Ivan.

What truly alarmed Notte was the underlying message in Ivan's words.

"Do you know Minister of Magic Cornelius Oswald Fudge?" Notte couldn't help but ask.

Only someone who could complain about the inefficiency of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and call Fudge by his name could be this person!

But Notte couldn't fathom how such a prominent figure would have any dealings with a thirteen or fourteen-year-old young witch or wizard, let alone complain about the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's work in front of them. He suspected Ivan was trying to deceive him!

Ivan, of course, could see the deep distrust in Notte's eyes. He shook his head and tutted. "I thought you would have done some research on my mother before targeting her."

Notte opened his mouth to object, as Asia had struck first, and he was merely retaliating.

However, Ivan didn't give him a chance to speak.

"It seems you don't know that I recently received an Order of Merlin, First Class, for my outstanding contributions to the Wizarding World. My nominators were Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Oswald Fudge."

Ivan spoke casually, but he was also puzzled. He remembered this had been the headline of the Daily Prophet, and Notte should have known about it. Perhaps Notte didn't read the newspaper often?

"This is impossible!" Notte looked at Ivan in disbelief.

He had collected information on Asia, but it wasn't the most recent. He only knew that she had a child with exceptional potion-making skills, who had developed the Wolfsbane Potion and received an Order of Merlin, Second Class. This was why he had immediately recognized Ivan's name.

As for recent events, Notte had been too busy dealing with Asia and the werewolf attacks to keep up with the news.

Moreover, he was well aware of the strained relationship between Dumbledore and Fudge. Getting nominations from both of them was like a pipe dream!

Seeing Notte's disbelief, Ivan shook his head and didn't bother explaining. He couldn't exactly pull out the Order of Merlin to show Notte or fetch a newspaper for him to read.

Ivan didn't carry the Order of Merlin around to show off; it was just a hollow honor. If not for the Legendary Points, he wouldn't have gone through so much trouble.

"It's true. I saw the newspaper. He captured Peter Pettigrew, but that alone wouldn't have earned him an Order of Merlin, First Class. Dumbledore and Fudge must have put in a lot of effort", a middle-aged wizard tied up nearby sighed and spoke.

With his companion's confirmation, Notte's face turned ashen. The situation was worse than he had imagined.

This meant the Order of Merlin was something Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic had pushed through for Ivan. Notte couldn't fathom what kind of person could receive such treatment.

Could he be a relative of the Minister of Magic, a long-lost illegitimate child, or a secret member of the Dumbledore family?

The mere thought made Notte break out in a cold sweat. The network of connections he relied on for survival might mean nothing to Ivan!

That meant he had lost his last lifeline, and his fate now rested in the hands of this young witch or wizard.

Old Rosier, standing beside Ivan, was equally shaken.

He had initially thought Ivan was a reformer aiming to overthrow the old system, a path fraught with difficulties. Now, it seemed that might not be the case. Perhaps he had the tacit approval of Minister Fudge and Dumbledore.

But Old Rosier couldn't understand why, if that were true, Ivan would be more suited to a political career. He should have spent the next twenty years, with the support of the two leaders, smoothly becoming the next Minister of Magic and then implementing reforms.

(End of Chapter)

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