https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-814-Umbridge-Suspected-of-Colluding-with-the-Dark-Lord/13454696/
Chapter 815: What an Acting Minister Is...
Chapter 815: What an Acting Minister Is...
No matter how much Umbridge tried to delude herself, it couldn't change the reality. Delius had had enough of her unreasonable tantrums and immediately gave a subtle nod to Ellison and Sunny.
After years of training, Ellison was no longer the inexperienced Auror he once was. The dark, standard-issue robes he wore made him look very efficient and competent.
Seeing Delius's hint, Ellison immediately understood and, with a stern face, he and Sunny each took an arm, forcibly dragging Umbridge away.
"You are slandering me! I haven't allied with the Dark Lord, I am innocent... Let me go... I want to see Minister Fudge, the Minister of Magic!" Umbridge's angry shouts echoed through the entrance hall.
Watching Umbridge being dragged away by the Aurors, the young wizards present all felt a sense of relief. George and Fred led the cheering, setting off fireworks in the Great Hall and proposing that everyone should celebrate properly tonight.
The few professors who were present unusually did not stop George and the others from their antics. Although they didn't say anything openly, everyone could see that they were in high spirits, though they couldn't personally applaud Umbridge's departure due to their positions.
Trelawney was so moved that she burst into tears. Umbridge's arrest meant that the previous inspection results were invalid, and she could finally return to her post without fear of being expelled from Hogwarts.
Ivan, standing in the crowd, remained calm. Since he had personally ordered Umbridge's arrest, there was nothing surprising about it.
It seemed that Pierce's reaction was swift. He had quickly removed Umbridge from her positions as Deputy Minister of Magic and High Inquisitor and labeled her as a Dark Lord sympathizer.
It was clear that Umbridge's future would be spent in Azkaban...
After watching this spectacle, the young wizards gathered in the entrance hall finally returned to the Great Hall to enjoy their lunch.
During the meal, Harry and the others were still discussing Umbridge's embarrassing departure, and they had gained more confidence in the reformed Ministry of Magic.
After all, the new Minister of Magic, Pierce, had a very different approach to Voldemort compared to Fudge. He was firm and decisive, declaring war and vowing to fight the Dark Lord to the end. He even announced that whoever captured Voldemort would be the next Minister of Magic.
"If the Aurors could catch the Dark Lord sooner, my mom would be less worried about my safety. She's not too keen on me staying at school", Seamus said, slicing a piece of steak while complaining.
"You should tell your mom that Hogwarts is the safest place in the entire Wizarding World. With Professor Dumbledore here, the Dark Lord wouldn't dare to come in!" Ron said firmly, then his gaze shifted to the Daily Prophet, and he sighed.
"It's a real shame we don't know where the Dark Lord is hiding. If we could provide information, the Ministry of Magic would reward us with ten thousand Galleons."
Ron looked at the large reward notice in the newspaper, his eyes gleaming. That amount was enough to buy a Firebolt and shine in this year's Quidditch match.
Hermione glanced at him, unamused. "Don't even think about it, Ron. The Dark Lord is not someone to be taken lightly. We're better off not hoping to run into him!"
Harry nodded in agreement. His last encounter with Voldemort in the graveyard still left him with lingering fear. The power Voldemort displayed was far beyond what they could handle.
Ron was well aware that he stood no chance against the Dark Lord and couldn't help but feel discouraged. He then turned to Ivan and suggested,
"Hey, Ivan, you might want to give it a try... If you help the Aurors catch the Dark Lord, you could be the next Minister of Magic!"
"Not interested. You'd be better off worrying more about your O.W.L. exams this year", Ivan waved off, indifferent. Being the Minister of Magic wasn't all that appealing, given the daily drudgery of dealing with trivial matters and endless boredom.
He knew this so well because he had read the files Fudge left in his office, as well as the recent meeting records.
Because of this, Ivan had lost the last bit of interest he had in the position of Minister of Magic.
He should have known better. There were only a few thousand Wizards in all of Britain, and even including the wise Magical Creatures like Goblins and Centaurs, the total number was still less than ten thousand, barely matching a single Muggle town. There simply weren't that many significant issues to handle on a regular basis.
If not for the rare major events like the Dark Lord's resurrection, the Minister of Magic would likely spend most of the week in meetings at the Ministry, discussing issues like "whether to legislate against the discrimination of human-like beings", a debate that had been ongoing for centuries without a clear resolution.
No wonder the former Minister of Magic, Fudge, had been so obsessed with power and influence; it was all due to the lack of meaningful tasks.
Ivan shook his head. To him, being the Minister of Magic would be a complete waste of his valuable time. He might as well leave it to someone like Pierce, who was passionate about power.
At least Pierce was doing a decent job. After being reined in by Ivan, he had become much more cautious, even going so far as to settle for the title of Acting Minister instead of directly assuming the role of Minister of Magic.
Pierce's intentions were clear: he wanted to manage the Ministry of Magic on Ivan's behalf.
In return, Ivan had reciprocated by having the Daily Prophet launch a massive campaign to promote the new Acting Minister, portraying him as an Anti-Dark Hero and the hope of the Wizarding World!
"I wonder what Voldemort's reaction will be when he sees this newspaper", Ivan muttered to himself, a slight smile forming on his lips as he picked up the Daily Prophet from the table.
He even considered going to Snape to ask for his thoughts, knowing it would be quite entertaining...
However, despite his curiosity, Ivan didn't let this successful manipulation of Voldemort inflate his ego. After all, the threat posed by the Dark Lord hadn't diminished, and his frequent provocations could have unforeseen consequences.
No one could predict what kind of retaliation a furious Voldemort might unleash...
Thinking about this, Ivan couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Wizards as powerful as Voldemort were virtually unrestrained, and even if he managed to trap Voldemort somewhere, there was no guarantee that he could defeat him, let alone kill him.
These problems should have been Dumbledore's to deal with, but instead, they had fallen to him, an underage Wizard who hadn't even graduated yet...
Ivan grumbled to himself, but he also understood that Dumbledore's prolonged absence suggested the worst. He must have sacrificed his life for the cause against the Dark Lord...
Just as Ivan was thinking this, a voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Hals, Headmaster Dumbledore wants you to visit his office later."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
