allendalepharm Chapter 105 What is a Magic Master?
Chapter 105 What is a Magic Master?
Chapter 105 What is a Magic Master?
The deaths of the old Crabbe couple were clearly a serious matter, and the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic arrived quickly, even alarming a large number of high-ranking officials in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Among them, three stand out the most.
Dolores Umbridge, Deputy Minister of Magic and member of the Wizengamor Inquisition.
Rufus Scrimgeour, Director of the Auror Office.
And Corban Yaxley, head of the Magic Damage Assessment Office.
These three high-ranking officials all seemed to have extremely assertive personalities, especially Umbridge, the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Magic, who immediately set his sights on the children of Hogwarts upon arrival.
Or rather, in the eyes of this bigwig who didn't come from a particularly good background and had finally climbed to the very top of the wizarding society pyramid,
Looking around, the room was filled almost entirely with pure-blooded families, which was quite jarring.
She was clearly planning something, but an incredibly conspicuous presence instantly suppressed her actions.
Even Auror leader Scrimgeour and old bureaucrat Yaxley had to make themselves appear more docile.
Rita Skeeter, a well-known reporter for The Daily Prophet.
Heh heh, that's the power of Ravenclaw, forcing the three high-ranking officials from Slytherin to behave better.
Rita wasn't afraid of these important figures; in fact, you could say she was targeting them specifically. She even dared to mess with Dumbledore.
Not to mention a mere few bureaucrats.
When these three appeared, she excitedly told Lockhart that the opportunity for her new book, "Where Are the Dark Magic Creatures?", had arrived. Being a bestseller and topping the charts was not enough; this time, she was going to push the book's sales to a level higher than the combined sales of all other books on the charts.
Then she could use this opportunity to stir up a buzz about whether "Black Magic Creatures and Where to Find Them" or "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is more professional, thereby elevating Gilderoy Lockhart's reputation to the level of being discussed alongside Newt Scamander.
How did he get the title of magic master?
That's how it came about in her eyes.
Don't think she's being kind. After she's used Newt's name, she'll have to start using Lockhart, and she'll guarantee that Lockhart will cooperate with her. Yes, that's how the remnants of Ravenclaw operate. That's what a deal is.
Of course, we haven't reached that stage yet. Right now, the main focus is on exploiting the three high-ranking officials: Umbridge, Scrimgeour, and Yaxley. It's a pity that Minister of Magic Fudge didn't come; otherwise, the effect would have been even better.
Rita told Lockhart to be tough later. She would take a picture of Professor Lockhart standing in front of his students against these evil and corrupt officials, guaranteeing that he would use the Ministry of Magic's name to rise to the top and become the most talked-about wizard in the entire wizarding community.
Hmm.....
Well, Lockhart really had to do it.
Because Umbridge had already bypassed Auror leader Scrimgeour and started giving orders to Aurors like Kingsley and Tonks, instructing them to routinely check everyone's wands first.
This was clearly a troublesome matter. In the process of experiencing adventures in the fairy tale world and battling dark wizards and werewolves, the little wizard's methods had more or less crossed the line.
The most troublesome thing is Hermione's wand. As long as it is examined with the Flashback Charm, wow, it's the Unforgivable Curse. Umbridge would definitely not mind sending Hermione to Azkaban to jail, regardless of whether Hermione cast it or not.
It would be even better if Dumbledore stepped forward to protect the students, as this high-ranking official, who had been trying to push for the Ministry of Magic to have more jurisdiction over magic schools, would have more bargaining power.
Lockhart doubted whether Rita would still stand by his side under these circumstances, or choose to pursue the more sensational news.
"That's not a good idea!"
He strode forward, blocking Kingsley's path with a teacherly air, his face full of genuine concern for the young wizards. "We are victims too. Old Crabbe sacrificed himself to protect the children. If it weren't for them, you would have seen the ground littered with students' corpses when you arrived!"
"What you're doing will only cause further harm to the children's hearts! They shouldn't be treated like criminals!"
Aurora Kingsley was clearly unwilling to do such a thing, and couldn't help but look at his boss, Scrimgeour.
Scrimgeour was even more displeased. He was extremely annoyed by Umbridge's overstepping of authority and disliked the practice of pointing the finger at the victim before the case had even been investigated, as this would only increase the difficulty of the investigation.
Unfortunately, a series of events in the last six months have caused him to lose all his reputation.
Professor Quirrell, a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, touted as the safest place in the world, dies mysteriously; Gringotts, another supposedly secure location, is burglarized (Volverine's attempt to transfer a Horcrux fails); then, the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts is opened, and two students nearly die—
The Aurors had no way of finding out anything, and didn't even have a chance to get involved.
But the public didn't care about that. The Auror Office, the organization responsible for maintaining peace in the wizarding world, began to be attacked from all sides. This obviously had a great impact on Scrimgeour, who was carrying a lot of burdens, and he was really at a disadvantage in front of Umbridge.
Umbridge shoved aside the Auror Tonks in front of her, then angrily looked up at the towering Lockhart. "You intend to disobey the Ministry of Magic's orders?!?"
Lockhart wasn't worried about her at all. He smiled brightly and said, "Don't even mention the Ministry of Magic. Even if Death Eaters want to harm my students, they'll have to step over my dead body first."
"Death Eaters?" Umbridge was clearly startled, involuntarily taking a step back before snapping, "You should know what topics shouldn't be brought up!"
"Because it was the Death Eaters who attacked us!" Lockhart sneered as he looked down at the guy. "Many people know that the Dark Lord has appeared and is purging traitors. The one who attacked us was Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf who was once a loyal subordinate of the Dark Lord."
Umbridge, are you sure you want to get involved in this?
"you·-"
He watched as the blustering, cowardly toad's face gradually turned pale, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Knowing this, do you still dare to interfere?"
Umbridge swallowed hard, seemingly startled, her eyes darting away, unable to meet Lockhart's gaze.
In fact, Umbridge could not possibly be such a weak person. As the daughter of a janitor in the Ministry of Magic and a half-blood wizard from the bottom of society with no background, she was able to climb to such a high-ranking position as the Deputy Minister of Magic. Her inner strength was immense, and she could not possibly be frightened by Lockhart's words or some news of unknown veracity.
Lockhart used some tricks.
A very ingenious method.
It was a little trick to unleash the wildness within, releasing the werewolf from the cage in a state where the magical fluctuations were almost imperceptible, merging it into his gaze and voice, carrying an extremely powerful oppressive and predatory aura.
Just as an ordinary wizard would involuntarily shiver and fall into a negative emotional state when looking at a Dementor, the wild werewolf imprisoned in Lockhart's mind also has the same influence on people's hearts as a dark magical creature.
This is a powerful aura based on magic as its underlying logic, but its true nature is cruel and vicious.
A small trial yielded remarkable results.
Magic is not such an inconvenient thing; it should not be likened to the guns in the hands of Muggles, but rather be integrated into every aspect of the wizard's life, omnipresent.
Magic is power, and this doesn't just refer to the influence of magic in combat.
Compared to the somewhat unrealistic title of magic master that Rita helped promote, Lockhart has now truly embarked on the path of a magic master and naturally possesses the authority that he deserves.
For example, the respect that these high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic deserve.
Respect that requires no weighing of interests; as long as he stands up and speaks, those wizards who cannot build strong mental defenses against him must show him respect.
Just like the rabbit's respect for the tiger, the king of the mountain.
Umbridge's face quickly turned from pale to flushed. She felt ashamed of her cowardice and dared not think about how the Ministry of Magic's subordinates around her would view her. They might all be laughing at her in their hearts right now.
But she dared not be tough on Lockhart again, and for a moment she was in an awkward position.
Fortunately, a voice appeared just in time, breaking the deadlock.
"What are you doing?"
Minister of Magic Fudge has arrived!
Albus Dumbledore arrived with him!
Fudge knew far more than Umbridge. With just a quick glance at everyone's positions and expressions, he instantly made a judgment.
He strode past Umbridge and the others, grabbed Harry Potter's hand in a corner of the crowd, and looked him up and down with apparent concern. Only after confirming he was alright did he breathe a sigh of relief, then looked around at the young wizards. "Are the children all alright? Is anyone hurt?"
"Scrimgeour! Scrimgeour!" he called out to the Auror Chief of Staff. "Quickly, get the Aurors to take the children to the hospital for a checkup. We must make sure the children are alright!"
What is the Minister of Magic?
This is the Minister of Magic!
His appearance instantly dispelled the tense atmosphere, and he calmly directed his subordinates to handle the matter smoothly.
He assigned Umbridge to follow up on this matter, sending her to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries with the young wizards, thus diverting her attention from the situation.
Professor Snape also left with the young wizards. He didn't trust these Aurors at all and had to be wary of any possible attacks that might suddenly appear at any time.
The black wizards and werewolves in the Crabbe family's rainbow fish farm were also quickly cleared out. The sight of those wanted figures registered by the Aurors sent chills down one's spine.
Merlin's snot bubbles!
Fudge looked like he was about to faint; he couldn't even imagine the public criticism the Ministry of Magic would face next!
He wiped the cold sweat from his face and glanced warily at reporter Rita from time to time, worried that this incident might ultimately become a point of attack for some people.
Perhaps it's time to give this eccentric reporter a little something in return.
Being the Minister of Magic is so tough for him.
Corban Yaxley, the head of the Magic Damage Assessment Office, shared similar sentiments.
He was quite certain that the attack he had orchestrated would not implicate him; the foolish werewolf Greyback was unaware that he was the one who had orchestrated it.
Can.
He seemed to see Gilderoy Lockhart point at himself and say something to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore's expression was completely unreadable; he simply stood there silently, yet he exerted immense pressure on him.