Chapter 734: Granger
Chapter 734: Granger
As June neared its end, the sweltering heat permeated even the underground Ministry of Magic in Britain.
Hermione pretended that her recent bad mood was due to the upcoming competition. News related to the Floating Island suddenly flooded the media. Mafalda Prewett, the editor-in-chief of the Hogwarts newspaper _The Quibbler_, commented on this phenomenon: "At any given time, you can see at least one person riding a public broom and carrying a camera, cruising around the island. No doubt, that's one of my charming colleagues."
Another journalist, Rita Skeeter, known for her sharp and sarcastic style, turned her attention to the tourists visiting the island after reporting on hot topics like "Nest of Filth and Smugglers" and "Excellent Naturalist? Terrible Fashion Designer." This time, she almost made herself the subject of a news story when someone asked about her sources. She hinted that she had bribed staff on the island to get an early copy of a celebrity list, which included members of the Order of the Phoenix, the Frontline Watchpost, and the Ouroboros Club, as well as politicians, celebrities, a renowned pianist, and the world's second-ranked tennis player from last year. But most importantly, the list revealed the power shift behind the World Cup and its ripple effects. "People are on edge", she said with a touch of schadenfreude.
Journalists from other countries were equally relentless. This seemed to confirm Mafalda's point: "There are more journalists on the island than tourists." Of course, this was an exaggeration, but as a senior undersecretary, Hermione was well aware. She was currently reviewing new applications to visit the island.
"Today, we received 120 applications in the morning, and if we include the information synced from the Muggle government, the number jumps to two thousand. And that's just for the morning!" Hermione rubbed her forehead. "There aren't enough Portkeys, and the Floo Network has a daily capacity limit, which must remain open for emergencies... Didn't we modify a cruise ship for the Muggle government?"
"The Prime Minister wants that ship reserved for the Queen and her entourage", a representative from the Department of Magical Transportation replied.
Hermione opened her mouth as if to make a sarcastic remark but said nothing.
"I can only provide twenty temporary Floo Network connections on an island 30 nautical miles from the Floating Island. If they agree, we'll arrange transportation; otherwise, they'll have to find their own way." She wrote her opinion on the document and signed her name at the bottom. "Send this to Kingsley Shacklebolt." The office fell silent.
Hermione glanced at the clock, which seemed to have stopped at four o'clock. She flipped through the documents on her desk: new legislation, potion inventory verification, private broomstick licenses, the opening date of the Wizarding Village, and the draft of the Anti-Space Smuggling Act. After confirming that everything was handled, she stared at a photo on her desk. It was a picture of her and Felix on Mars, sitting on reddish-brown rocks with a backdrop of barren dunes and scattered pebbles. In the distance, a sandstorm was approaching, and behind them lay an oasis. Valen, with his head swollen from a Bubble-Head Charm, was hopping around with excitement.
A nostalgic smile spread across her face as her fingers absently traced the frame. Memories of the past few years flashed through her mind:
As an assistant to the former Minister of Magic, Madam Bones, Hermione's entry into the Ministry of Magic was high, but not surprising. The Minister of Magic could have multiple assistants, and a dedicated department—the Office of the Minister's Assistants—served the Minister, with a staff ranging from one to a dozen. These people usually acted as advisors and assistants, though occasionally, some only collected their pay without doing much work.
But Hermione received ample training here.
From initially handling information related to Muggle affairs to gradually becoming involved in the specific tasks of the Pan-Magical Alliance, she participated in and helped formulate contact protocols for various magical species. As a deputy, she interfaced with government officials, showcasing her political acumen. Three years later, Hermione applied to become an observer for the International Pan-Magical Alliance. Over the next two years, she traveled the world, writing a series of detailed and internationally informed observation reports. These reports, along with those of other observers, provided the alliance headquarters with comprehensive and meticulous analysis.
For Hermione, her horizons expanded even further.
When she returned to the British Ministry of Magic at the age of 24, her experience far surpassed that of her peers. After a friendly and informal interview, she became the head of the Office of the Minister's Assistants. In theory, she could have given orders to Felix, who still held a staff position (Felix never fully understood the relationship between these roles, and no one dared to command him).
If she had followed the conventional path, she would likely have advanced further in politics, eventually becoming the Minister of Magic. However, her magical journey would have become increasingly narrow. Unlike Harry, who had a smooth path ahead, Hermione had a clearer sense of her own limits. Despite her abilities far surpassing those of the average wizard, she realized she might never become a great sorcerer, blocked by an invisible wall. This wall had trapped many outstanding wizards.
It was the Martian expedition that brought about an unexpected transformation in Hermione. Reflecting back, she summarized it this way:
"Every transformation in Wizard Magic is accompanied by a significant emotional impact. For me, it was the month I spent living on Mars. Free from the constraints of reality, I was able to completely let go of all worries and concerns... compared to the vast universe, an individual is so insignificant. Yet, when I did my best to light up a small patch of the starry sky, I felt an overwhelming sense of awe and grandeur deep within, as if all my previous beliefs had been overturned."
Upon returning from Mars, she wrote over a dozen essays exploring the essence of magic, most of which were speculative but clearly demonstrated her new understanding of magic. Felix selected one of these essays and suggested she publish it, which later became renowned for its perfect argument on the adaptability of magic under extreme conditions.
In her office, Hermione muttered to herself, "That feeling was truly amazing."
"What's 'amazing'?" a voice interjected. She looked up to see Harry with a peculiar expression. Hermione teased, "The scene where you performed the Ronski Feint in front of everyone at the wedding."
Harry coughed awkwardly. It was his first wedding, and some excitement was inevitable, especially when he and Ginny took their vows under the sky. After the ceremony, Fred and George Weasley shouted out the spirit of a match, and a large group of lively guests dove down on their brooms. He couldn't help himself...
"By the way, why are you here?" Hermione deliberately changed the subject. "I thought you'd be too busy to come out these days."
"Pretty much", Harry mumbled. "I've missed at least three family gatherings, and little Albus is starting to hold a grudge. There's so much to handle; it's a city of a million people, with representatives from most countries and factions around the world, and the relationships are incredibly complex... to be honest, I'm struggling to keep up."
"Maybe you could take a page from Felix's book?" Hermione suggested.
"Good idea", Harry said, "delegate tasks to others, make an occasional appearance to solve a couple of problems, and kick out the troublemakers... I've thought about it, but that style doesn't suit me."
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Are you here for comfort, or just to complain?"
"Neither", Harry said seriously. "It's about something else."
Hermione looked at him across the table.
"The Ministry recovered a Time-Turner from the Nott family, right?"
"How did you—"
"Tell me first", Harry said.
Hermione thought for a moment. "Yes, the Ministry has been systematically recovering Time-Turners that have been lost over the centuries, whether they are damaged or not. This project started over a decade ago, during Madam Bones' tenure. Because... well, you know the specific reasons."
"Oh, I understand..." Harry said slowly. One of the two people in this conversation had experienced time travel, and the duration far exceeded the limits set by the Ministry of Magic. This indirectly led to the Department of Mysteries being breached, with large amounts of time energy and Time-Turner hourglasses being stolen. Both of them knew who this person was.
"Madam Bones believed it was necessary to keep the existence of Time-Turners secret, especially during this special period of the magical world's openness", Hermione explained. "Dumbledore Headmaster applied to the Ministry of Magic for this policy, and it has now ended with his passing. Time-Turners will no longer be seen in schools or the public eye, and Kingsley Shacklebolt and I both support this approach."
Harry thought about Dumbledore's attitude toward Time-Turners, the silver instruments that had long adorned the Long-legged Desk, and then he pulled a small golden timer from his pocket and placed it on the table.
Hermione's eyes widened at first, then her expression of surprise faded, replaced by a thoughtful look.
"This can't be yours", she said.
"It's from the Malfoy family", Harry admitted. "Draco wanted to give it to Hepprofessor, but he was unsure about it, so he compromised and asked me to bring it to you. He said, uh", Harry scratched his head, "Astoria is feeling better and can fully participate in the World Cup opening ceremony."
"That's good news", Hermione smiled.
(End of Chapter)
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