https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-597-Using-Technicalities-to-Gain-the-Upper-Hand-Who-Wouldn-t-Do-the-Same-/12538937/
Chapter 596: Challenging the Ministry of Magic
Chapter 596: Challenging the Ministry of Magic
Lucius Malfoy and Igor Karkaroff were panicking inside.
Framing Kyle and getting him expelled from Hogwarts was the first task assigned to them by Voldemort after his resurrection.
They had thought it would be an easy task and accepted it without hesitation.
To ensure success, Lucius had even invested a significant amount of gold to convince Fudge to lure Kyle to the Ministry of Magic under a ridiculous pretext, hoping to catch him off guard.
But why were the results so different from what they had expected?
How was it possible that there was no record of the Blasting Curse in Kyle's wand? There must be some mistake... or perhaps the Blasting Curse record would appear later.
Naturally, they would not agree to stop the inspection.
Seemingly to make them lose hope, Kyle did not stop them.
After the Blast-Ended Skrewt, over a dozen more spells appeared, but they were all common and mundane charms.
Beads of sweat had formed on Karkaroff's forehead,
"Continue, continue!" he shouted.
However, Kyle placed his hand on his wand, interrupting the effect of the spell's flashback.
"Principal Karkaroff," he said slowly, "you're being a bit shameless now. Are we going to sit here all day or even a month just because you can't find the curse you're looking for?
"I'm fine with it since we still have more than half a month before school starts, so there's plenty of time.
"But the problem is, the rest of you have important matters to attend to every day. It's a bit much to waste your precious time and have you accompany him in this boring game."
"You're feeling guilty!" Karkaroff shouted, "The next one must be the Blasting Curse. You must be feeling guilty and that's why you don't dare to continue."
Before Kyle could respond, Amelia Bones, seated in the middle, spoke calmly:
"Please remain quiet, Mr. Igor Karkaroff. I believe the existing evidence is sufficient to show that he has not used any prohibited Dark magic.
"If you cannot provide further evidence..."
"We have it!" At this moment, MacNeil, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "Just let him drink the Veritaserum, and everything will be clear."
"I agree," Umbridge immediately concurred, and then she looked at Kyle, asking insincerely, "If you didn't kill Mr. Nott, you wouldn't refuse to use Veritaserum to prove your innocence, would you?"
"Yes, I refuse." Kyle smiled, "In 1975, the International Wizarding Federation banned the use of Legilimency and Veritaserum in interrogations upon discovering that memories could be tampered with."
"But in special circumstances, such as when a prisoner refuses to plead guilty, it can still be used." Umbridge said coldly, "The Ministry has that right."
"Not to my knowledge." Kyle replied expressionlessly, "Unless there is sufficient evidence, then Veritaserum can be used as a final confirmation. But do you have any evidence? Just a few people's words? That's not enough.
"I now strongly suspect that they colluded to take revenge on me for winning the Triwizard Tournament against Durmstrang.
"So I think they should be given Veritaserum to determine the truth of their testimony."
Amelia Bones gently tapped her fingers on the table, looking thoughtful.
MacNeil, who had just spoken, unconsciously took two steps back as he saw her expression.
There were no fools present, and it was clear to everyone that he was afraid to drink the Veritaserum.
However, Umbridge chose to ignore this, and she continued to stare at Kyle, asking, "May I take it that you are resisting the Ministry of Magic?"
"You do not represent the Ministry," she retorted sharply to Umbridge, before turning to Kyle.
"I'm sorry, Kyle... Someone told me the location had changed twenty minutes ago, and I waited in an empty room for over ten minutes before realizing something was wrong. Thankfully..."
Professor McGonagall paused for a moment before continuing, "...thanks to someone's help, I learned you were here."
"It's alright, Professor," Kyle said, "Perhaps someone didn't want you to come."
"I think you're right," Professor McGonagall said, turning to face the people on the stage, especially MacNeil, Malfoy, and Karkaroff, her lips pressed tightly together.
"I never knew the Ministry could change the nature of an inquiry on a whim. This is absolutely ridiculous!" she said sternly.
"I must remind you, Minerva McGonagall, that this is approved by the Minister," Umbridge said.
"I don't recall the Minister of Magic having the right to arbitrarily change the rules of a Wizengamot inquiry," Professor McGonagall countered. "But never mind, Dumbledore is here. I'm sure he'll be along shortly, and perhaps he can shed some light on this situation."
Yes, Dumbledore was also at the Ministry at that moment.
Kyle suddenly felt less anxious, or perhaps he had started thinking about how to stall for time.
"Mr. Skeeter," he said with a smile, "I suddenly feel that what Principal Karkaroff said earlier makes sense. Perhaps the next spell I used was the Blazing Spell. Why don't we continue the inspection?"
Karkaroff's hands and feet turned cold. The last person he wanted to see was Dumbledore. Even if Dumbledore couldn't attack him, just remembering the spectacle on the mountaintop that night made his legs turn to jelly.
As for MacNeil beside him, he could barely stand.
The only one who managed to maintain his composure was Malfoy.
He knew that Professor McGonagall was trying to intimidate them. The matter with Harry Potter wouldn't be resolved so quickly, and even if Dumbledore was on his way, he wouldn't arrive now unless he was willing to give up on the Savior, Potter.
"Blood Debt!" Malfoy suddenly spoke up. "It is possible to interfere with the spell's flashback, but not with the Blood Debt. We can use the Sphinx's mirror to determine if he has killed a wizard."
Malfoy had his reasons for this suggestion. While Dumbledore was terrifying, he wouldn't directly kill them. However, if they failed in their task, the Dark Lord would not be so forgiving.
They would pay one way or another.
Kyle frowned.
The Sphinx's mirror? Blood Debt? He was now even more certain that Diana must have known about their plans beforehand and had him arrive at the Ministry early. Otherwise, it was too much of a coincidence.
But before Kyle could think further, Chris stepped forward.
"Ms. Bones, I believe they should first prove that their testimony is without fault," he said.
"Exactly," Professor McGonagall agreed without hesitation. "Changing the nature of the inquiry at the last moment is a serious mistake. I will not allow you to continue framing a Hogwarts student without cause."
Her attitude was firm, like a lioness ready to defend her cubs.
"I object as well," Kyle nodded in agreement.
Although Diana's help had alleviated his worries, it didn't mean he would play along with Malfoy and be led by the nose.
Such passivity was not what Kyle wanted.
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
