Hogwarts: My Yorozuya has no taboos!

Chapter 65 Where is the trust?

"I'm not trying to be mean, Ares, but a young person as outstanding as you is truly wasting his talent by not going to the Ministry of Magic!"

When Fudge left Hogwarts, he looked like a completely different person; there was no trace of the worried expression that had ever been there before.

He patted Ares on the shoulder excitedly.

"So, are you interested in joining the department, Ares? I can directly appoint you as a mid-level assistant to the minister... Ah, of course, this is definitely against regulations, but for an outstanding young wizard like you, I think you should be promoted exceptionally!"

"Thank you for your appreciation, Minister—"

Ares, of course, politely declined with a smile.

"But I have my own career."

"Oh, you're only twenty, Ares. Are you planning to spend your whole life holed up in academia...? I'm not saying teaching is bad, but—compared to your talent, it's a huge waste!"

Fudge gripped Ares's shoulders tightly, his face showing 'heartache'.

"Oh, hehe, Minister, you've misunderstood—"

Ares glanced at Dumbledore, whose brows were slightly furrowed, and smiled broadly.

"I don't plan to stay at Hogwarts forever... In fact, my contract with the school is only for one year, after which I plan to go back to Diagon Alley to continue my business."

"That little shop called 'Yorozuya'?"

"You know, Minister?"

"Hehe, of course... You don't think I know nothing about you, do you?"

Fudge had a 'kind' smile on his face.

"As Minister for Magic, how can I not know more about a rising star like you... Hmm—are you planning to go back to your...contract work?"

Fudge withdrew his short, stubby fingers, paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

"Yes, yes...it is indeed an interesting business—you are very capable, I admire your imagination, Ares...very interesting—"

Fudge's thoughts wandered for a few seconds before he snapped back to reality and looked at Ares with a friendly expression.

"Anyway, Ares, you've given me another brilliant idea this time, I'll remember it..."

"Oh, what do you mean by that, Minister?"

Ares frowned, looking puzzled.

"Excuse my forgetfulness, Minister, what idea did I give you... Ah, I see, you must have gotten some inspiration from our conversation just now?"

Fudge's chubby face flushed a deep red, and he looked like he wanted to kiss Ares!

"Ares is absolutely brilliant, old chap!"

Before leaving, Fudge patted Dumbledore's arm again, ignoring Dumbledore's calm expression.

"Give him a good nurturing!"

Having said that, he turned and walked out of the school gate with a brisk and powerful stride!

After Fudge left, it was as if a hand had suddenly pulled away the lightness in the air, leaving the atmosphere between the two of them as solidified as amber!

"Isn't our minister a lovely wizard?"

Ares, seemingly oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, smiled and followed Cornelius Fudge with his eyes until Fudge vanished.

"You shouldn't have asked the Minister of Magic to deceive the public, Ares—"

Dumbledore stared at Ares, a cold glint in his azure eyes. He ignored Ares's 'joking' and cut to the chase.

"Or... is the train going out of control really related to Quirrell...?"

"Teaching the Minister of Magic to deceive the masses...what is that, Professor Dumbledore?"

Ares turned his head, responding calmly to Dumbledore's sharp gaze.

The drifting, withered leaves traced the shape of the wind, swirling around the two of them.

a long time-

"If there's nothing else, Professor Dumbledore, I'll head back for dinner."

Ares said he bowed slightly to Dumbledore, then walked away without waiting for a response.

Dumbledore did not immediately step back to the castle to enjoy his favorite dessert.

He remained standing there, his gaze following Ares's departing figure, his expression somber.

An unexpected encounter outside Quirrell's safe house;

At the Yorozuya, Ares Delfino is forced to take on the teaching position of Defense Against the Dark Arts;

The Hogwarts Express is out of control... According to Percy Weasley, he was the only one in Ares's box at the time;

That dragon-skin chest full of gold most likely did not belong to Ares;

Harry's scar was in unprecedented pain;

Ares... brought the out-of-control Hogwarts Express to a stop;

Compared to back then, Ares suddenly adopted a high-profile and unrestrained style of behavior;

During today's conversation, Ares asked a strange question that seemed unintentional but was actually deliberate;

Pointing the finger at Quirrell for the train's loss of control;

One thing after another, Dumbledore pondered the events that had occurred since his unexpected reunion with Ares Delphinore in August.

Behind every single event, things don't seem so simple.

Indeed, as he had told Ares when he fired him, he was adept at finding clues in seemingly unrelated things.

However, he couldn't find a suitable thread to connect the events of the past month.

The only thing he was certain of was—

There seems to be some conspiracy behind all of this... Things have spiraled out of his control.

唉—

A sigh suddenly broke the gentle breeze.

Albus Dumbledore, who practically controlled everything happening or about to happen at the school, strode heavily toward the magical castle he had sworn to protect with his life, through the rustling wind.

........

Life on the Hogwarts campus has one notable characteristic compared to life outside—regularity.

Once life becomes routine, time slips away like sand through your fingers...

Ares felt like he had only been spacing out in the office for a while, thinking about what Dumbledore had said that day, when the moon had already climbed high in the sky, and it was time for him to take the night watch.

"I'll get off and check things out halfway through—"

Severus Snape knocked on Ares's office door precisely on time, his face dark with rage.

"Check whether you have diligently performed your duties as night watchman, Professor Delfino."

"Oh, please, Professor Snape, we're close colleagues, aren't we? Where is your trust in me?"

Having forgotten to sleep for the first half of the night, Ares draped a thick cloak over his arms, yawned, and went out, giving Severus a disgruntled look.

"It's just night patrol; what 'rebellious' things do you think I could possibly do?"

"It's hard to say, Professor Delfino—"

Severus's lips curled into a mocking smile, and he gave a cold snort.

"For example, sneaking back to the office to sleep during night patrols...it's not the first time, is it, Professor Delfino?"

"Cough cough—"

Ares looked embarrassed.

"I swear to you, Professor Snape, I promise I won't sneak back to my office to sleep tonight... Is that alright?"