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Chapter 983: The Controlled French Ministry of Magic
Chapter 983: The Controlled French Ministry of Magic
Due to the previous French Minister of Magic falling under Grindelwald's Imperius Curse and dying unexpectedly at the International Congress of Wizards a month ago, Bruno and his team, upon returning to the Ministry of Magic, initiated a new election for the Minister of Magic and launched a thorough investigation of the entire Ministry.
However, while this idea was good in theory, it was far more challenging to implement.
The sudden death of the previous Minister of Magic left a power vacuum, and the high-ranking officials who were capable of vying for the position were all at odds with each other. As a result, the Ministry of Magic quickly descended into chaos. The investigation of Ministry personnel gradually spiraled out of control, with numerous officials and Aurors being falsely accused of being Death Eaters and thrown into prison without trial.
At first, Fleur and her colleagues thought it was just political maneuvering, with the Minister of Magic candidates using this opportunity to eliminate their rivals to secure their positions.
However, during an external mission, she and a few Auror colleagues stumbled upon some suspicious activities. Several Death Eaters who were supposed to be in prison awaiting trial were seen again, committing a shocking massacre of Muggles.
Fleur found this very strange. After they recaptured these Death Eaters, they learned from the Aurors who took them in that there had been a problem at the prison recently. Due to poor management, a few prisoners had escaped.
Fleur naturally didn't believe such a flimsy explanation and discussed the matter privately with her colleagues who also sensed something was amiss. They decided to investigate the incident themselves.
However, before they could uncover anything, they were suddenly issued a warrant for their arrest and were pursued by a group of unknown individuals who claimed to be French Aurors. These people were ruthless, using various Dark Magic spells without hesitation. Her colleagues fell to various curses while trying to escape Paris, but Fleur was fortunate enough to be rescued by the British Ministry of Magic just as she was about to be killed.
Listening to Fleur's account, Ivan's brow furrowed. It seemed that Grindelwald's infiltration of the French Ministry of Magic was far more extensive than he had imagined.
The fact that Fleur and her colleagues were arrested on trumped-up charges indicated that the French Ministry of Magic, if not entirely compromised, was very close to it.
It was likely that the Minister of Magic candidates had already been controlled or replaced by Grindelwald, and this time, they were using the investigation of Death Eaters as a cover to fully take control of the French Ministry of Magic.
However, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. What had been troubling Ivan was the inability to locate Grindelwald and his followers. Now, they had a target.
Although Fleur's escape would certainly raise the enemy's alertness, Grindelwald, after operating in France for so long, would not give up so easily.
With this thought, Ivan's furrowed brow relaxed, and he said, "Don't worry too much, Fleur. Since Grindelwald and his followers are hiding within the French Ministry of Magic, the International Confederation of Wizards will not stand idly by."
Fleur nodded, still feeling the lingering fear. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she added, "By the way, there's one more thing. Before we escaped from the Ministry of Magic, our captain overheard a rumor that some of the high-ranking officials in the French Ministry of Magic are planning to take action against the Muggle rulers."
Ivan and Pierce exchanged a glance, immediately recognizing the gravity of the situation.
Unlike most Wizards who still live in the past, Grindelwald never underestimates the power and threat of Muggles.
Previously, Ivan had pondered what strategy Grindelwald would adopt after his defeat at the International Alliance conference. The most worrying scenario was Grindelwald either revealing the existence of the Wizarding World or hiding in the shadows to manipulate Heads of State.
The former would undoubtedly bring the conflict between Muggles and Wizards into the open. In such a scenario, the neutral Wizards might side with Grindelwald, facing the outcry and continuous conflicts from the Muggles. This would force the official forces of the Wizarding World to handle the disputes between Wizards and Muggles, consider the possibility of war, and simultaneously deal with Grindelwald, significantly reducing their available resources.
This was clearly not what Ivan wanted to see.
As for the latter, it was practically impossible to guard against. With Grindelwald's power, he could silently infiltrate a President's home and control them with the Imperius Curse.
Although leaders are protected by large numbers of Aurors, these guards are essentially powerless against Grindelwald. The only thing they can do is try to relay the message that Grindelwald has taken control of a President or Prime Minister.
Now, there's a problem in France. If the entire Ministry of Magic has fallen, what happened to the Aurors who were protecting the French President?
The worst-case scenario is that Grindelwald has already secretly controlled the French President and possibly other high-ranking officials. If that's the case, it would be a serious issue.
France possesses nuclear weapons, and a single misstep could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Thinking this, Ivan couldn't help but feel anxious. It was clear that Grindelwald needed to be dealt with as soon as possible; he couldn't be allowed to continue his destructive path.
"Take some time to rest here, Fleur. I'll increase the security around you", Ivan said solemnly.
"No, that's not necessary. I've fully recovered and can return to the battlefield at any time. Don't forget, I'm an Auror too!" Fleur said firmly. She couldn't forget the comrades who died protecting her and was eager for revenge.
"I'm sorry, Miss Delacour, but you may not be aware that all matters concerning Grindelwald and his Acolytes have been handed over to the International Alliance's Rapid Response Teams. They are the most elite Wizards", Ivan rejected Fleur's proposal without hesitation.
"But the French Ministry of Magic..." Fleur instinctively tried to argue but was cut off by Ivan.
"You can't do anything alone. As someone who provided crucial information, your primary responsibility is to ensure your own safety."
"Also, your injuries are still healing. I can't guarantee that the curse has been completely removed, so it's best to stay in the hospital for further observation to prevent a relapse", Ivan warned.
As a former representative of Beauxbatons Academy, Fleur's strength was impressive for her age, but in Ivan's eyes, it was still far from enough, especially in dealing with Dark Magic.
After patiently persuading Fleur, she reluctantly decided to postpone joining the battle and agreed to rest at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for a while.
Having calmed Fleur, Ivan gave Pierce a nod and then bid farewell to Headmaster Bohan and the others, leaving the ward...
(End of Chapter)
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