Hogwarts Bloodline Chapter 792: Responding to the Ministry of Magic's Actions - Novel Cool

Chapter 792: Responding to the Ministry of Magic's Actions

Chapter 792: Responding to the Ministry of Magic's Actions

At Ivan's prompting, Umbridge quickly began her explanation.

Three days ago, while passing through the entrance hall, she had overheard a few students talking about a gathering. Out of curiosity, she had stopped them and questioned them.

"At first, these annoying brats didn't want to tell the truth, but after I threatened to inform their parents and have them all expelled, they spilled everything about that gathering..."

Umbridge spoke with a hint of satisfaction, her hands never stopping as the black quill continuously scribbled on the parchment. Strangely, the writing on the parchment was blood-red.

Each time she made a stroke, a matching cut would appear on the back of her hand, the skin breaking and bleeding. By the time she had filled half the parchment, the cuts on her hand had formed the words "Obey School Rules and Regulations."

This minor pain did not deter Umbridge from her enthusiastic storytelling; if anything, the needle-like stings seemed to make her even more excited.

Ivan nodded as he listened to Umbridge. It seemed the situation was better than he had feared. No one had actively contacted Umbridge to report him; it was just a matter of some students talking and being overheard.

As for the students who had revealed the information, Ivan did not blame them. They were just underage young wizards, easily frightened by the threat of expulsion and parental involvement.

Umbridge continued her monologue. "After learning about this illegal student organization, I reported it to the Ministry of Magic. Minister Fudge believes Dumbledore is behind it, so he called an emergency meeting and passed Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four, ordering me to investigate thoroughly..."

"So, the Ministry of Magic already knows?" Ivan mused, stroking his chin.

When he had discovered that the so-called "interest group" had over a hundred members, he had suspected it would be hard to keep it a secret. He hadn't expected it to be exposed so quickly, though, and had thought Umbridge wouldn't inform Fudge so soon.

Thankfully, Dumbledore had taken the blame...

Ivan thought for a moment and quickly formulated a plan. "Alright, Umbridge... the next time you return, tell Fudge that this illegal student organization does indeed have ties to Dumbledore."

"However, this old fox is very cautious, and you won't be able to catch him red-handed yet. To avoid alerting him, you need some time to gather evidence. Do you understand?"

Before his preparations were complete, Ivan did not intend to confront the Ministry of Magic head-on. Avoiding trouble was the prudent course of action.

Of course, this wouldn't last long. According to his latest intelligence, Voldemort was growing impatient. Within a month, there would be a perfect opportunity to strike against the Ministry of Magic...

Umbridge, under the control of the Imperius Curse, dared not disobey Ivan's orders and committed them to memory.

"If Minister Fudge is unfortunately killed, who would be the next in line to take his place?" Ivan suddenly asked.

Umbridge paused, momentarily confused by Ivan's question, but under the Imperius Curse, she thought it through and replied.

"Most likely, it would be Rufus Scrimgeour, the Head of the Auror Office. He is the leading candidate to be the next Minister of Magic. Of course, Piers Sinkin, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, also has a chance..."

"Rufus and Pierce, huh?" Ivan stroked his chin, considering the information about these two men.

They didn't seem like easy opponents. In the original timeline, both were part of the resistance and never surrendered to Voldemort, so it was unlikely they would ally with him.

Neither of their fates was particularly pleasant. Rufus was tortured to death, while Pierce was controlled by the Imperius Curse and became a puppet Minister of Magic.

While he could learn from Voldemort and use the Imperius Curse to control a Minister of Magic, this was ultimately not a long-term solution...

As Ivan was pondering this, Umbridge suddenly twisted and pointed at herself in a coy manner.

"There's still... still me who could become Minister of Magic!"

Her current position as Senior Undersecretary at the Ministry of Magic naturally qualified her for the role. However, her roots were shallow, and few people were willing to support her, so she wasn't a popular candidate.

It was precisely because of this that she was willing to be Fudge's pawn in his campaign against Dumbledore. She hoped that by bringing down Dumbledore, she would gain Fudge's full support and become the most likely successor to the Minister of Magic.

"You... forget it?" Ivan glanced at Umbridge, finding her thoughts rather naive.

While, in a certain sense, Umbridge was a suitable candidate and could potentially become Minister of Magic, she was also a sufficiently obedient lackey. However, Ivan had no good feelings toward her, and the idea of her as Minister of Magic was quite unsettling.

After Ivan clearly expressed his refusal, Umbridge was somewhat disappointed.

However, Ivan didn't bother with her emotional changes and continued to inquire about the Ministry of Magic's intelligence.

Under the control of the Imperius Curse, Umbridge dared not hide anything and revealed everything she knew. As the Senior Undersecretary, she was privy to most of the Ministry's secrets.

"You mean there's also an Anti-Apparition Alchemical Array in the Ministry of Magic?" Ivan asked curiously after listening to Umbridge's account.

"Yes, Mr. Hals, but it's only activated in emergencies", Umbridge responded obediently.

"For example, during the last Wizarding War, the Ministry of Magic activated the Anti-Apparition Alchemical Array and sealed all the fireplaces. Combined with the Ministry's Protective Arrays, the headquarters was transformed into an almost impregnable fortress, successfully withstanding several attacks by the Dark Lord."

"No wonder Voldemort didn't try to attack the Ministry of Magic. He must have attempted it during the last war and suffered some losses, unable to breach it", Ivan's eyes showed a glint of understanding.

In the original timeline, after Dumbledore's death, Voldemort had no remaining rivals.

Even so, this ruthless Dark Lord didn't attempt a direct assault on the Ministry of Magic. Instead, he chose to corrupt and control high-ranking officials to indirectly take control of the place.

Ivan had always thought that Voldemort, like himself, was unwilling to increase the subsequent administrative costs. Now it seemed that the Ministry of Magic's Protective Arrays had their merits, at least enough to make Voldemort think twice about a direct assault.

Since a frontal attack from the outside was difficult, he would have to start undermining from within. This aligned perfectly with his plans...

(End of Chapter)

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