aircannonsinc Chapter 259 Cooking the Scarred Man in a Warm Water Pot
Chapter 259 Cooking the Scarred Man in a Warm Water Pot
Chapter 259 Cooking the Scarred Man in a Warm Water Pot
Picking up where we left off, Harry and Hermione secretly used a mirage to change their appearances and blended in with the reporters to observe.
Before long, a flurry of footsteps could be heard in front of the hall, and several Aurors escorted Fudge onto the stage.
The reporters around them became agitated, pushing and shoving each other forward like a surging tide, as if they wanted to shove their cameras right up to the noodles.
"Mr. Minister, there are rumors that Mr. Potter fled the courtroom during his trial this morning. Is this true?"
"There are rumors that he claimed in court that he wanted to completely ban Wissengamo. Is this true?"
Why was Hogsmeade closed to all entry and exit this afternoon? Are you willing to take responsibility for the resulting financial losses?
The reporters continued their incessant chatter, bombarding the public with questions about the trial at the execution ground.
However, this Fudge was a very composed person. He stood in front of the platform and no matter how much you called out to him, he just lowered his eyes and didn't hear you, like an old monk sitting still.
Only after the two Aurors pulled out their wands and chanted a spell to separate all the cameras did Fudge take out a scroll and begin to say, "Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon."
"I, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, will now address the events surrounding this morning's attack on Hogsmeade by the Death Eaters—"
Upon hearing the name "Death Eaters," all the reporters in the hall were stunned and speechless for a moment.
Harry nodded secretly and whispered in Hermione's ear, "Judging from this, Scrimgeour wasn't lying to me."
"Elder sister, you must make preparations. This is not a place to stay for long. It would be best to leave quickly."
"Should we leave now?"
Hermione, unable to resist the crowd, snuggled closer to Harry and gasped, "But there are too many people now. If we leave, it will seem too abrupt, and we might attract attention."
Harry thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Big sister is right. I was just too impatient. In that case, let's see how this fellow finishes his act."
Hermione nodded slightly, a hint of approval on her face.
The two stood there for another half an hour before Fudge finally finished his rambling speech. What he said was largely the same as what Scrimgeour had told him earlier.
They claimed that the Death Eaters' sudden attack startled Harry, allowing him to escape unharmed. They also asserted that this incident had made the Ministry of Magic realize that such appeasement tactics were no longer effective.
At this point, Fudge signed the "Ministerial Order No. 18" in front of everyone, changing one by one the twenty-eight black magic clauses explicitly prohibited in the "Law Prohibiting the Abuse of Black Magic".
After signing the previous order, Fudge took another scroll of documents, picked up a pen, and affixed his seal.
Do you know what this document is? It's a pardon that withdraws the prosecution against Harry!
"At the same time, I hereby formally announce that the Ministry of Magic has dropped the seven charges and twelve counts of misconduct against Mr. Harry James Potter —"
As soon as he finished speaking, the cameras in the hall started snapping away, their shutters clicking rapidly like a dense rain.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, in black and white, these words, once spoken, are like a deadly curse shot out, impossible to take back.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the storm had passed, but Fudge suddenly cleared his throat, looked around, and grinned, saying, "Finally, I have something to tell you all."
"Given Hogsmeade's weak defenses, and to prevent Death Eaters from launching further attacks and harassments against this all-wizard community."
"The Ministry of Magic will station personnel in Hogsmeade Village to provide protection."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hermione's expression changed drastically.
Listen, dear reader: Hogsmeade Village is only a few miles from Hogwarts, truly a gateway town outside the castle. If this town falls into the hands of others, attacking Hogwarts would be as easy as pushing open the door.
Although Fudge lacked political acumen, he was not stupid. How could he not know that Hogwarts was Harry's foundation?
Now, the blatant dispatch of wizards to guard Hogsmeade is clearly a move to seize their Achilles' heel. It's a classic case of: occupying a strategic stronghold while harboring a treacherous heart.
Upon hearing this, the reporters in the audience immediately erupted, shouting questions and eager to get to the bottom of the matter.
However, Fudge ignored everyone and turned his head away, striding off on his own.
Upon seeing this, the Aurors leaped forward, dispersed the crowd, and announced loudly, "The press conference is over, please go back!"
Hermione could no longer care about the crowd. She simply looked around with her eyes and, under Harry's illusion, her figure gradually blurred, revealing her true form as the Drought Demon.
Unnoticed by anyone, the potted plants and greenery in the corridor of the Ministry of Magic quietly withered and died. It is true: all things in the world possess a spirit, and the drought demon can foresee even the plants and trees.
She picked up a pen and began writing rapidly on the death diary, which was disguised as a shorthand notebook.
After writing for a long time, when she finally finished writing, the paper seemed to suddenly draw out her magic power, like a spring appearing in a dry well.
If it weren't for the Elder Wand protecting her body, she would have been sucked into an empty shell in an instant.
Hermione kept her eyes glued to the screen, and after a few breaths, she suddenly grabbed Harry's wrist and whispered, "Harry, don't be impulsive."
"There are eighteen sages outside the Ministry of Magic."
Harry remained calm, nodded slightly, and walked out with the crowd.
As they left the hall, the reporters dispersed in twos and threes, while Hermione dragged Harry through the streets and alleys until they reached a quiet alleyway about half a mile away.
Seeing that no one was around, she suddenly stretched out her arm and put it around Harry's shoulder and neck, saying, "We should go."
With that, Harry transformed into a mirage and soared into the sky. Hermione climbed onto his neck, and the two of them flew straight towards Hogwarts.
Flying to the clouds, Hermione took out her Death Journal again and began to ask questions in detail. She then instructed the magical hybrid to scan the area. Seeing that no one was following her, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He then stopped the transformation and put the thin book back into his bosom.
"This is so strange. Why would the Ministry of Magic do this?" Hermione said, sitting on the mirage's neck and frowning. "It makes no sense at all."
The mirage snorted and sneered, "That Fudge is nothing but a puppet. If he dares to make such a claim, it must be those old thieves from Wizengamo who are giving him the approval."
Hermione stroked the dragon's mane and shook her head, saying, "No, Harry, you don't understand what I mean."
"It doesn't matter whether the Ministry of Magic or Wizengamor holds real power; what matters is why they act in such contradictory ways."
Harry raised his head and said, "Big sister, you're overthinking it. What's the contradiction? It's clearly the 'simmering frog in warm water' strategy."
"As the old saying goes: 'One should strike while the iron is hot, but the second will be weaker, and the third will be exhausted.' He first pretended to withdraw the lawsuit, so that I would lose my will to fight to the death. Once that spirit is broken, it will be difficult to regain it."
"If they only say they want to station troops in Hogsmeade now, even if I'm furious, I absolutely refuse to tear off the mask and start fighting right away."
Hermione paused for a moment upon hearing this, "So you really don't plan to completely break ties with them now?"
Harry laughed loudly upon hearing this, "Big sister, you really underestimate me! He wants to simmer a frog in warm water, but I'm going to practice my frog kung fu right here in this pot."
"It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious!"
Hermione remained silent, only gently stroking Harry's mane. After a long pause, she suddenly shook her head resolutely.
"No, I still feel something's not right."
"If it were really as you say, Fudge would never drop the charges against you; instead, he would find an excuse to postpone the case indefinitely."
"This will not only keep you in check, but also give the Ministry of Magic a legitimate excuse to arrest you, their savior, should a conflict break out in the future."
Harry shook his head and said, "If we're talking about anything else, I certainly admire you, elder sister. But when it comes to military strategy and tactics, I'm no novice."
"If I'm wrong, why did Wissengamo instruct Fudge to release the prisoners, only to immediately send troops to guard key locations? Was he deliberately trying to provoke a fight between me and Fudge that resulted in mutual destruction?"
"What benefit do they gain from such a self-destructive act?"
"Elder sister, don't forget, with Voldemort and Grindelwald both watching us like tigers, if those old sages were to cripple themselves, wouldn't they be opening the door to thieves?"
The two men each held their own views. One sat cross-legged on a cloud, deep in thought with furrowed brows, while the other spoke passionately and argued his case on the wind. It was like a snow mountain lama debating scriptures or an Athenian philosopher giving a speech. They went back and forth, and it was really hard to tell who was right.
Just as the argument reached its climax, a lip print suddenly appeared on the mirage's forehead. Rowena materialized instantly, standing beside Hermione with her hands on her hips, and said, "So, this proves I was right. All their contradictory and abnormal behavior is serving that ultimate purpose."
Her sudden appearance startled Hermione, nearly causing her to tumble off the mirage's neck. She quickly gripped the mane of her neck to regain her composure and glared, exclaiming, "Ms. Ravenclaw!"
What are you doing here?
Rowena shrugged and smiled as she reached out and ruffled Hermione's hair. "Of course, she came from residing in Harry's body."
"
"Don't mind me, I'm also very curious about these so-called sages who are like cultists."
Hermione's face suddenly flushed, realizing that everyone had seen her snuggling up to Harry in the Ministry of Magic.
She awkwardly smoothed her hair and muttered a complaint in a low voice, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand—"
Rowena winked mischievously. "Sorry, I forgot to mention."
Nobody would believe that!
Hermione muttered a few thoughts to herself, then quickly changed the subject, saying, "Speaking of which, are you residing inside Harry's body?"
"No, I reside in the lip print on Harry's forehead."
Hermione fell silent upon hearing this.
After a long silence, Fang said softly, "The hickey on your forehead? Harry never mentioned it to me."
With a slight smile still on her face, Naruna suddenly clapped her hands. "Ah, I've used up a lot of energy today. I feel completely drained."
"You guys chat, I'll go back and rest for a bit."
Having said that, it vanished into thin air in an instant.
Hermione stroked Harry's mane and said gently, "Aren't you going to tell me all about it, Harry?"
"I thought you told me everything about traveling back a thousand years that night at the Christmas ball."
Harry was momentarily embarrassed and gave a vague answer, "Alas, such trivial details, my sister never asked about them, how could I possibly remember them?"
"Yes—" Hermione sighed, her fingers clenching around Harry's hair. "I didn't know anything about this. How am I supposed to ask?"
It is:
My ideal lover, by your side, though the greenwood may not understand the fleeting nature of romance.
Silently waiting, waiting for my heart to open, it suddenly turned into tragedy.
Just when the melons are ripe and the sun sets, another garden is already enjoying their fragrance.
Do not wait until the plums turn yellow in the rain, for then you will regret not having picked the first blossoms.
Upon hearing this, Harry said no more, but instead unleashed his full magical power. The mirage shot towards Hogwarts like lightning.
Upon landing, Erxi dared not delay and went straight to Dumbledore, recounting in detail everything Fudge had said at the press conference.
Although the White Demon King was used to all kinds of storms, he was still stunned for a long time upon hearing about this arrangement.
In the end, he took several bottles of potions to cure his headache, but still couldn't figure out the cause. He had no choice but to instruct the few members of the Order of the Phoenix who worked at the Ministry of Magic to secretly gather more information.
Let's stop talking nonsense.
The next day, as soon as it was light, all sorts of newspapers from the magical world would be out in the open.
Although Fouché's remarks at the meeting last night were startling, they still made the front page.
It turned out that all the newspapers had coincidentally printed Harry's line, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?", in huge font on their front pages.
Although the English translation of these words was somewhat awkward, to this ordinary wizard it was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, every word striking his heart.
Even if you are a hereditary duke or a nobleman living a life of luxury, you cannot escape a deadly curse.
Even if the Malfoys had kept their ancestral artifacts for several generations, they would still die after a single blow.
These words spread like wildfire, instantly engulfing bars and teahouses. Which wizard didn't chat with Xi while drinking?
Although the nobles who had lost their sons were filled with hatred, they dared not make any rash moves and incur the wrath of the masses, seeing their sons about to be put on the fire.
This wind initially lingered only around the British Isles, but within three to five days, it swept across the Channel and reached the countries of Europe.
Even in the shamanic communities of the African desert, this sound is not heard.
As the saying goes, "Words travel through three mouths, and even a snake can grow legs." The more the rumor spread, the more distorted the story became.
At first, it was only said that Harry had angrily accused Wizengamot of monopolizing power and secretly manipulating the Ministries of Magic in various countries.
Later, the story spread that he was going to recreate the magical world, which was truly terrifying.
Despite the uproar and confusion caused by all sorts of rumors, Harry remained unconcerned, keeping his blue eyes fixed on the Ministry of Magic's movements.
Fudge believed it, and Harry walked around the wizarding world without seeing any Ministry officials bothering him. So he strolled straight into the Ministry of Magic's main hall, and no executioners jumped out to either side.
As for the garrison at Hogsmeade, Fudge shouted loudly, but "all that could be heard was the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and no one came down," and there was no movement for a long time.
As the saying goes, "If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move." Harry then only sent a few graduates to keep watch near the city. He took out a large sum of gold and silver and threw it to Fred and George, so that they could relax and focus on developing the mechanical magic.
Then, a week before the start of the school term, Dumbledore suddenly returned to the old house, found Harry, and said he had something to say.
After a brief pause, Harry found an empty room and sat down. He asked, "Did you come all this way to see me because you heard something from Wisconsin?"
Dumbledore shook his head and pulled out eight badges from his pocket, two for each of the four houses.
School is about to start.
"Each college needs to select a class leader from the fifth year. I think we should discuss this with you."
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