Hogwarts: The Exemplary Wizard I Am Chapter 666: Fudge's Decision, The War Begins - Novel Cool

Chapter 666: Fudge's Decision, The War Begins

Chapter 666: Fudge's Decision, The War Begins

Harry had learned the Mind-Closing Spell, and everyone seemed pleased about it. Except for Snape and Umbridge, the start-of-term feast had ended on a rather pleasant note.

But the cheerful atmosphere was shattered the next morning.

During breakfast, Cedric, as usual, picked up his copy of the Prophet to check the front-page news.

But the next moment, he suddenly stood up and cried out.

It wasn't just Cedric; more and more students started screaming as if they had seen something terrifying.

"What's going on?" Connor asked.

Cedric spread the newspaper out on the table, pointing at the ten photos on the front page, unable to speak.

There were nine wizards and one witch, some laughing boisterously and others arrogantly tilting their heads back. Under each photo was their name and their crime.

Antonin Dolohov, Brutally Murdered Gideon and Fabian Prewett Brothers

Augustus Rookwood, Leaked Ministry Secrets to the Dark Lord

Bellatrix Lestrange... As the only woman in the photos, this one was probably the most striking. She was also the most haughtily behaved of the bunch.

Her eyes held disgust, and her thin lips curled in contempt and disdain, as if she were looking at some loathsome insect.

And her crime? The cruel torture of the Longbottoms.

Kyle was, of course, no stranger to Bellatrix. To get the key to the Lestrange vault, he had even asked a Dementor to deliver a little gift to her.

Some candies and chocolates, all meant to bring back happy emotions...though Kyle doubted she still had any happiness left in her.

Moving up from the photos, there was a bold, highlighted title:

Azkaban Mass Breakout, Ministry Issues Warning, The Dark Lord Returns!

The breakout of several notorious Death Eaters and the return of the Dark Lord...No wonder Cedric had cried out in shock.

In fact, the Great Hall was already in chaos, with some of the braver students even starting to cry.

Even those who had always believed in Dumbledore, like Cedric, Michael, and Justin, sat there, breathing heavily.

Belief was one thing, but now that the Ministry had made this public in the most authoritative newspaper, it was hard for them to accept.

"Kyle, you really did it."

In the midst of the chaotic Great Hall, only Connor whispered, "Fudge can no longer pretend that nothing is happening. He has admitted that the Dark Lord is back."

"Yeah," Kyle murmured, looking at the newspaper.

Everything he had done, including creating the illusion that Dumbledore wanted to compete for the Minister's position or keeping Malfoy away from Fudge, was to make him feel threatened.

When Fudge felt he had no chance but didn't want to give up his position as Minister of Magic, he would have only one option...to declare a state of war in the wizarding world.

Because during such times, the Ministry wouldn't easily change leadership.

His plan had been a success. Fudge had already panicked when he was summoned to the Ministry during the Christmas holidays. And once the owl from Nicolas Flamel arrived at Hogwarts in front of Umbridge, Fudge would definitely not hesitate anymore.

Of course, this had been Kyle's original plan, but he never expected a Death Eater prison break to happen in the process.

"Why did it have to be at this time?"

Although his plan had succeeded, Kyle frowned, unable to feel happy about it.

If they had acted a few days later, even if it was just for show, Fudge would have definitely strengthened the defenses of Azkaban. Then...

"Forget it!" Kyle suddenly sighed.

If this prison break was personally planned by Voldemort, then no matter how much the Ministry strengthened the guards, it would have been useless, and it might have even caused unnecessary sacrifices.

After all, the only person who could stand against Voldemort was Dumbledore, and it wasn't realistic to expect him to leave the school to guard Azkaban...

Kyle shook his head, no longer thinking about it.

At this time, fear and anxiety began to spread in the Great Hall. Fortunately, the professors seemed to have anticipated this, and Sprout, who was already in the Great Hall, stood up to calm everyone down.

"Everyone, don't panic. Hogwarts is safe enough, and you will not be harmed here."

Her words had some effect, and the buzzing voices in the Great Hall gradually quieted down.

Then, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Snape arrived, and finally, Dumbledore.

When the headmaster appeared, the last bit of noise in the Great Hall disappeared.

However, Dumbledore didn't say anything. He just sat in his usual place at the teacher's table and made himself a sandwich as if he had really come for breakfast.

Kyle also took the opportunity to read the rest of the newspaper.

"The Ministry of Magic announced last night that a large-scale prison break had occurred at Azkaban. Minister Cornelius Fudge confirmed in an interview in his office that ten dangerous criminals had escaped last night."

"This is the Ministry's negligence. Although we have improved our defenses with the help of Sirius Black, we forgot about external factors."

Fudge said last night, "Last night, we found a surviving guard, and from him, we learned that someone had forcibly broken through Azkaban's defenses and rescued the Death Eaters while surrounded by Dementors.

"The Aurors saw this person, and when they rushed over, they also saw the Dark Mark in the sky...Yes, I have to regretfully inform you all that the Dark Lord is back."

The Ministry will do its utmost to ensure everyone's safety, but I also urge the public to remain vigilant and always carry your wands. The war... has begun!"

...

"Well, Fudge is clever," Cedric scoffed as he regained his composure. "How dare he say that the Ministry didn't take it seriously when he spent six months telling everyone that Dumbledore was a crazy old coot?"

"That's true, but you know he won't admit it," Connor said as she continued flipping through the newspaper. "The entire wizarding world is in chaos, Kyle. Do you think Professor Dumbledore knows about this?"

"He probably does," Kyle replied, lifting his head to glance at Dumbledore at the teacher's table.

As if on cue, Dumbledore looked up and met his gaze, his blue eyes sparkling behind his spectacles.

After breakfast, Professor McGonagall approached the Hufflepuff table,

"Wait a moment," she said to Kyle. "The Headmaster has excused you from your first Transfiguration class. You don't need to go; just head straight to his office, and use the same password as before."

"Okay," Kyle agreed.

Once Professor McGonagall had left, Connor asked curiously, "Why did the Headmaster want to see you?"

"I think it's related to today's issue of the Prophet," Kyle said.

"So, what do we do now?" Connor looked a bit lost. "The wizarding world has suddenly been thrust into war. Can we even stay at Hogwarts?"

"Rest assured, Hogwarts will not close, especially during times like these," Kyle said with a smile. "And don't worry too much. Voldemort won't jump out of the shadows just because of a newspaper article. Just focus on your classes.

However, what we'll be learning from now on might not be as simple as before."

"It's fine as long as Hogwarts doesn't shut down," Connor said with a wave of her hand as she ran towards the Transfiguration classroom.

Kyle made his way directly to the eighth floor.

When he reached the Headmaster's office after climbing the spiral staircase, he found Fawkes perched on the branch it had occupied before, though he didn't know when it had left its box.

Dumbledore was already waiting for him.

"I'm curious," Dumbledore said, his eyes sparkling with curiosity as he looked at Kyle. "What exactly did you do to make Fudge acknowledge Tom's return without actually seeing him?"

"It's not that big of a deal. We discussed it before, remember?" Kyle said. "We just needed to put some pressure on him so that he'd feel threatened and be forced to make a move to keep his position."

"I understand, but I'm curious about what you actually did," Dumbledore said. "I know Fudge well. He never does anything unnecessary, and he only believes what he sees.

"I've approached him multiple times, presenting almost all the evidence, but he simply refused to believe... anything that might threaten his position, no matter how small the possibility."

Dumbledore glanced at the open newspaper on the table, particularly the last sentence on the front page.

"The war has begun..." he murmured. "In Fudge's eyes, this decision is akin to drinking unicorn blood to survive. He wouldn't have made it unless he was desperate. What exactly did you do?"

"I just wrote a few letters," Kyle shrugged, summarizing what he had done over the past few days.

When he mentioned that he had asked Fawkes to deliver the letter to St. Mungo's without any disguise, Dumbledore's lips twitched.

And when he heard about what Kyle had made Malfoy do and the self-addressed letter, he was left completely stunned.

He had only been away for a few days, yet Kyle had managed to orchestrate so much... No wonder Fudge had acted so out of character, doing so many illogical things.

It wasn't really Fudge's fault. If something like this had happened at Hogwarts... for example, if McGonagall had been receiving daily owls from the Board of Governors, he wouldn't be surprised if she started suspecting that McGonagall was after the Headmaster's position.

"But I think what ultimately made Fudge make up his mind was the prison break," Kyle said. "Ten people escaping is not something that can be brushed off with a simple excuse."

"No, you're underestimating Fudge," Dumbledore said. "If it weren't for the pressure you put on him, he might have indeed found an excuse... Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape would have been a convenient one."

"But there's one more thing I'm curious about," Dumbledore asked with interest. "How sure were you that Fudge would resort to this method to keep his position?"

"To be honest, I couldn't be a hundred percent sure it would work," Kyle said. "So, I actually wrote to Nicolas Flamel, Newt, Mr. MacFay, Madame Maxim, and Headmistress Sauveur.

"And three of them have already replied, agreeing to cooperate with me on a different plan if Fudge hadn't announced the Dark Lord's return by the 20th..."

Kyle glanced at Dumbledore but didn't continue, as he assumed the rest wasn't something the Headmaster would want to hear.

In any case, Kyle would not allow the Ministry to become an obstacle in their fight against Voldemort. If push came to shove, Dumbledore might have to take on the additional role of Minister of Magic.

As for the headmaster of Hogwarts... If Dumbledore felt unable to take on the additional role, Kyle thought that Professor McGonagall would be a suitable candidate.

Of course, this was just a previous plan, and it was unnecessary now.

Albus Dumbledore, on the other hand, felt a chill run down his spine. He felt that he had guessed Kyle's thoughts, but he wished he hadn't.

"Kyle..." he said cautiously, "I think it would be better if you get my consent before making any decisions in the future."

"It's all for the sake of defeating Voldemort, Professor," Kyle said with a smile. "Sometimes, special means are necessary, and besides, I remember you saying at the Hog's Head that you would give up everything to defeat him."

"Did I?" Dumbledore pretended to ponder.

"I'm quite sure, Professor," said Kyle. "And many people heard it, including the owner of the Hog's Head. If you don't believe me, we can go and ask him."

"Alright, I did say that," Dumbledore sighed, conceding the point, but when he had made that statement, it had been to express his determination. He never imagined that the scope of "anything" would be so broad.

"I have to admit, Kyle..." Dumbledore said, "...you always come up with plans that I would never think of."

"It's nothing," Kyle said, humbly shaking his head. "You don't need to give me two hundred points or a special contribution award or anything like that. Really, it's fine."

Dumbledore was feeling less inclined to talk to him, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Okay, then I won't add any points."

This time, it was Kyle's turn to fall silent. He was just being polite, and Dumbledore had taken it seriously.

However, he didn't dwell on it and instead asked, "Professor, did you call me here just for this matter?"

"Yes, and also because you helped Harry learn the Mind-Closing Spell. Professor Snape told me that you were the one who taught him," Dumbledore said.

"It was nothing," Kyle said, not wanting to dwell on the topic. He looked at the newspaper on the table. "Professor, what about the Dementors? Will they also side with Voldemort?"

"I'm glad we're thinking along the same lines," Dumbledore said with a smile, which soon turned serious. "But that is indeed something I want to know as well."

"After receiving the news last night, I went to the island where Azkaban is located, and the number of Dementors there has decreased significantly."

"By how much?" Kyle asked.

"About half," Dumbledore said. "We now need to find out if these missing Dementors have been killed or if they have joined Tom."

"Wait..." Kyle said, "Professor, isn't the Patronus Charm the only way to kill Dementors? Neither the Death Eaters nor Voldemort should be able to cast that spell."

The Patronus Charm was a unique type of magic that only witches and wizards with a strong sense of justice could use, turning their happy memories into a Patronus. On the other hand, dark wizards who attempted to cast it would not only fail to summon a Patronus but also risk their wands backfiring, summoning insects that would devour them.

"Most Death Eaters would indeed be unable to cast it," Dumbledore said, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, "but Tom... He has a different perception of what brings happiness."

"Moreover, the Patronus Charm is not the only way to kill Dementors. It is primarily used to repel them. In fact, the Killing Curse is also effective against them."

"Alright," Kyle said, "then what do you want me to do, Professor?"

"Fudge will be coming to Hogwarts this afternoon, and he will bring two Dementors with him, both of which were guards from last night," Dumbledore explained.

"I need to know if those missing Dementors have joined Tom. It will determine whether we need to make changes to our existing defense plans."

"No problem," Kyle assured him.

"Also," Dumbledore continued, his expression softening a little, "Fudge has now joined the united front against the Death Eaters. Could you please write another letter to Doge and the others, explaining the current situation... so that they won't do anything unnecessary in their ignorance."

"That's not necessary, is it?" Kyle frowned. "They should be reading the Daily Prophet. It's all clearly written there."

"It's better to be cautious," Dumbledore insisted, his blue eyes fixed on Kyle.

"Alright, I'll write the letter now," Kyle said.

"No need to go anywhere else. You can write it here," Dumbledore waved his hand, and immediately, several pieces of parchment and a quill appeared on the table.

"Once you're done, I'll have Fawkes deliver the letter for you, since owls can't deliver letters to Nicolas, right?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Fawkes, who was sleeping on the branch, and made a silent decision that no matter what Kyle said in the future, he would not lend him the phoenix again.

Kyle actually wanted to tell Dumbledore that he had other ways to contact Nicolas and didn't necessarily have to rely on Fawkes, but he thought about it and decided to remain silent...

Just in case he needed to use it in the future, it was better to keep it a secret.

So, Kyle quietly sat down at the table and began writing the letter in front of Dumbledore.

...

(End of Chapter)

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