bacchusnovels Chapter 442 Fudge's Considerations
Chapter 442 Fudge's Considerations
Chapter 442 Fudge's Considerations
Sean paused for a moment, then lowered his head and gently patted the back of her hand. "Mrs. Weasley, you didn't have to do that. I just did what I could."
Fred and George exchanged a glance, and although they were still complaining, a hint of relief appeared on their faces.
"Oh, Mom..." Fred whispered, "Don't cry, we're all okay, aren't we? Look at us, how strong we are!"
George chimed in with a laugh, "Yeah, Mom, we won't be caught that easily, don't worry!"
Molly didn't respond immediately, but just sobbed softly and gently wiped away her tears.
"Alright, alright, Molly, we're all safe and sound," Arthur reassured her, then led her into the house.
"Bill," he said in a low voice, "pick up that newspaper, I want to see what it says—"
Everyone squeezed into the cramped kitchen. Ginny made Morrie a strong cup of tea, while Arthur insisted on adding some aged Ogden whiskey.
Bill then handed the newspaper to his father.
Arthur quickly glanced at the front page of the newspaper, while Percy leaned over his shoulder and stared intently.
“I knew it would be like this,” Arthur said gravely. “The Ministry of Magic is in a panic, criminals are not caught—the law is lax, dark wizards are at large—it brings shame to the country—who wrote this? Ah—it was her, Rita Skeeter, of course.”
"That woman is deliberately going against the Ministry of Magic!" Percy said angrily. "Last week she was saying we should go all out to eliminate vampires, but she's nitpicking about the thickness of the cauldron and wasting time! Doesn't Section Twelve of the 'Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizards as Half-Humans' specifically address this?"
"Please, Percy," Bill yawned, "stop talking."
"They mentioned me." Arthur's eyes suddenly widened as he looked at the last paragraph of the newspaper.
"Where?" Molly choked on her whiskey tea, coughing as she asked, "If I had seen you just now, I would have known you were still alive!"
“No names were mentioned.” Arthur shook his head. “But from this passage: ‘The wizards were panicked, holding their breath at the edge of the woods awaiting news, hoping for reassurance from the Ministry of Magic. Unfortunately, they were greatly disappointed. Shortly after the Dark Mark appeared, a Ministry official appeared, claiming that no one was harmed, but refused to reveal any further details—.’”
“Oh, my God,” Arthur said angrily, handing the newspaper to Percy. “Nobody was hurt. What am I supposed to say? Well, now that she’s written something like this, rumors are definitely spreading.” He sighed deeply. “Molly, I have to go to my office. This needs to be clarified.”
“I’ll go with you, Dad,” Percy said proudly. “Mr. Crouch will definitely need everyone in their places, and I can personally deliver my crucible report to him.” With that, he rushed out of the kitchen.
Molly looked very upset. "Arthur, you're supposed to be on vacation! This has nothing to do with your office; they could handle it without you, right?"
"I have to go, Molly," Arthur said. "I made things worse. I'll go change into my robes and leave."
Sean remained silent for a moment before suddenly speaking up: "I also need to go to the Ministry of Magic. Fudge just wanted me to go there to handle some matters."
Arthur was overjoyed upon hearing this, his eyes lighting up as if he had seen a savior.
"Phillips, it's wonderful that you're going to the Ministry of Magic!" He patted Sean on the shoulder forcefully. "This matter requires a professional like you. Minister Fudge must value your reputation and abilities. It would be great if you could help us clear things up!"
However, Hermione stood to the side, her brows furrowed slightly, her face showing a hint of hesitation and unease.
Sean noticed Hermione's reaction and, before leaving, suddenly turned and walked towards her.
"Miss Granger, is it convenient for us to talk some more? There are some things I'd like to tell you."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, but she nodded calmly: "Of course, Professor, let's talk over there."
The two didn't turn around, but went straight to Ginny and Hermione's room, away from the sight of others.
The room was unusually quiet, with only the gentle morning breeze blowing through the window, stirring the curtains, and letting in a sliver of faint morning light.
They went inside, Hermione closed the door, and the atmosphere instantly became even more tense.
"What's wrong, Professor?" Hermione asked softly.
Sean didn't answer directly, but gently pulled Hermione closer, their shoulders almost touching, their intimate breaths mingling in the air.
He lowered his head gently, touched Hermione's forehead, and then quickly kissed her lips.
"Ugh...ugh..." Hermione's eyes widened, her body instantly stiffening. This moment came too suddenly, yet it seemed perfectly reasonable.
She could feel Sean's rapid breathing and smell the faint scent of male hormones emanating from him.
Finally, Sean let go.
Hermione was breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed. She tried to take a step back to create some distance, but found that her feet seemed to be rooted to the spot.
"Wait for me, Hermione. I'll write to you by owl in the next few days."
Sean and Hermione walked out of the room together and headed towards the dining room.
Arthur and Percy had been standing in front of the fireplace for quite some time.
"Be careful," Molly cautioned, "especially you, Percy. Don't let your crucible report cause any problems."
Percy nodded. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll handle it." He tucked the report under his arm, glancing slightly at the newspaper.
The various statements made about the Ministry of Magic above caused him to unconsciously furrow his brow.
Sean stood up, straightened his robes briefly, and said, "Alright, let's go."
He glanced at Hermione, who stood in the doorway, smiling and nodding slightly.
As Floo Powder was sprinkled down, the three figures were engulfed by flames and gradually disappeared into the Burrow.
The three of them appeared in the lobby of the Ministry of Magic almost instantly.
The lobby was empty, with only a few staff members hurrying by, talking in hushed tones, making the atmosphere more tense than usual.
Arthur didn't linger and took Percy straight to Mr. Crouch's office to deal with the chaos caused by the newspaper article.
Sean stood there, gently patting the robe on the back of his hand, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
Why did Fudge call him here?
There don't seem to be many answers.
If the overtures in the Quidditch World Cup box represented a certain underlying trend for Fudge, then last night's turmoil undoubtedly intensified Fudge's desire to control the situation.
That's right, all of this is to solidify their position.
Fudge needs him, not just wants to work with him.
After a short walk down the corridor, Sean finally stood in front of Fudge's office.
Knock, knock, knock—"Come in." Fudge's voice came from inside the house, slightly anxious.
Sean pushed open the door and entered. Fudge was at the table flipping through a pile of documents. The table was covered with reports from various parties—undoubtedly, last night's events had plunged the Ministry of Magic into unprecedented chaos.
"Phillips, you've arrived."
As soon as Fudge saw Sean walk in, he immediately put down the documents in his hand and warmly greeted him.
This shift in attitude stands in stark contrast to the same period last year.
This makes one wonder if only a year has really passed.
However, such changes were nothing new to Fudge.
As the power within the Ministry of Magic shifted, his stance and attitude always adjusted flexibly with the changing circumstances. As such, he showed no embarrassment whatsoever; on the contrary, he displayed a familiar and composed demeanor when facing Sean.
"Sit down, things are much more complicated than we thought." Fudge waved his hand, gesturing for Sean to sit down. He paused, seemingly weighing how to begin. "Last night's events are far more serious than we anticipated. The appearance of the Dark Mark, coupled with that highly inflammatory report, has brought the entire wizarding world to a breaking point."
This single sentence defined the nature of the incident.
Voldemort's return? Where is this Voldemort? It's nothing more than the criminal acts of some wizards and malicious media hype.
"Minister, I read the Daily Prophet this morning." Sean continued Fudge's line of thought. "The report about last night's events has caused panic among almost all wizards. Someone is secretly using this false information to cast the shadow of the Dark Mark. The Ministry of Magic must take immediate action."
Fudge frowned, then nodded. "I know that report is completely baseless, but the problem is, once this kind of talk spreads, it's like wildfire—extremely difficult to extinguish. Public panic has already spread, and the most troublesome thing is that the Ministry of Magic's credibility has been seriously questioned in this matter."
As he spoke, he looked up at Sean again, expecting his response.
However, Sean did not answer immediately.
His gaze, however, remained fixed on the cup of tea on the table, as if he were staring at something, perhaps having noticed something unusual in the tea.
Or perhaps he was simply lost in thought.
Such a posture is hard not to think of another person—Trillaun.
Her divination lessons also required the young wizards to stare intently at the tea, using the tea leaves and foam to predict the future.
The momentary silence made the air feel especially heavy.
As if realizing something, Fudge cleared his throat lightly, breaking the silence.
"Phillips, since you've seen so far ahead, I think you probably realize that I haven't just invited you here to discuss these urgent issues." He took a pre-prepared document from a drawer in the table and handed it to Sean. "This is your letter of appointment. The Ministry of Magic has decided to reappoint you as a senior advisor."
Sean glanced at Fudge, his face showing little surprise.
He took the document, glanced at it indifferently, and then looked down again without lingering for long. He sighed softly, "Minister, do you really think that this letter of appointment alone will be enough to get me back into the work of the Ministry of Magic? If your intention is merely to have me continue as an 'advisor,' then that's far too simplistic."
Fudge paused slightly, coughed lightly, and said with a hint of embarrassment, "Phillips, I know your abilities and understand your criticisms of the current Ministry of Magic, but given the current situation, restoring you to your position and entrusting you with the advisory duties is the highest we can offer." His tone was somewhat reluctant as he said this.
Upon hearing this, Sean's expression immediately turned serious: "Minister, your 'highest treatment' is probably not attractive to me."
Do you think I would serve the Ministry of Magic for these political deals and paper honors? I have always been a selfless person.
Fudge's lips twitched slightly. He took a deep breath and said patiently, "Phillips, you must understand that the current situation does not allow for any further disagreements. You and I both know that the truth is far more complex than it appears on the surface, especially under the shadow of the Dark Mark. Any hesitation or inaction will plunge the entire wizarding world into deeper panic."
Sean raised his eyebrows slightly, but still did not respond immediately.
The magical world is in chaos—but what does this have to do with him? Did he do it?
It seems that's true.
But who knows?
Fudge took a deep breath, put down the documents in his hand, and looked Sean straight in the eye.
To be honest, being a senior advisor to the Ministry of Magic was definitely not his bottom line.
His first reaction to the riots at the Quidditch World Cup was worry, but his second reaction was delight.
This meant that he finally had a suitable reason to replace Amelia Bornes, the incompetent director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
What better reason could there be than a large-scale riot and the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup, which is watched by wizards all over the world?
He even began to suspect that the mastermind behind releasing these Dark Marks might be his good friend, Lucius Malfoy.
A few days ago, Lucius vaguely mentioned wanting to help him further control the situation at the Ministry of Magic, and even brought up Sean...
Phillips serves as the perfect turning point—Sean is on his side.
That's why Fudge showed kindness to Sean in the private box.
However, Fudge did not want to give this power to someone else for no reason.
He would much rather hand over the position to someone who is absolutely loyal to him than to Sean.
Like Umbridge, unfortunately... she's already the Deputy Minister of Magic, she can't very well lower herself to become a director.
Moreover, such an important position as the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement can only be held by powerful and renowned wizards.
How many people in the Ministry of Magic, and even in the entire British wizarding community, are capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility?
He couldn't possibly hand the position back to his old political rival, Barty Crouch, could he?
Fudge quickly made a decision—to exchange a position for the support of allies and pure-blood families, a deal he considered worthwhile.