Chapter 680: Fudge Creates a Scene (Edited)

Unlike the Thursday afternoon visit, the main atrium of the Ministry of Magic was crowded with people.

Every few seconds, with a soft pop, a wizard emerged from the golden fireplace on the left. On the right, there were several people in line in front of each fireplace, waiting to depart.

Occasionally, a deafening noise could be heard as a wizard arrived or departed using Apparition.

On the peacock-blue ceiling, the symbols that had been dimmed at night shimmered in gold, moving and changing like a giant bulletin board.

When Dumbledore appeared in the golden hall with Fish, all eyes turned to him.

"Professor Dumbledore!"

"Fish, long time no see!"

Some of the wizards greeted the two warmly, while others cautiously looked at Dumbledore. But when they saw Fish, their expressions immediately softened.

"I see why everyone keeps whispering about him. The real Fish is much cuter than in the newspapers!" A witch grabbed her companion's arm and said excitedly, "I want to go hug him!"

"I've never hugged Fish, but I've talked to him, and he healed my arm that had been scratched by a dark creature!"

Her words attracted a circle of envious glances around her.

Dumbledore's face was radiant with joy as he courteously greeted the people around him and guided Fish forward.

Passing by the fountain, Fish saw a series of sparkling Sickles and Knuts at the bottom of the pond... Fish had been too busy marking territory that night to notice the coins in the fountain.

Previously, when he had gone to register with Professor McGonagall for Animagus training, Fish had no concept of "money," and since Professor McGonagall held him in his cat form, he couldn't move freely.

But today, after seeing the coins, Fish suddenly thought of the "money for the family" that Professor McGonagall had mentioned a while ago.

So Fish reached into Dumbledore's sleeve, pointed to the money in the fountain, and asked, "Albus, isn't there anyone else who wants this money? Can Fish take it nya?"

(?ω?)

"It's not allowed."

Dumbledore pointed to a small, stained sign hanging in an inconspicuous place, which said:

"All proceeds from the Fountain of Magical Brethren go to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."

Fish glanced at the sign and made a disappointed face.

"Why do you suddenly want the money inside?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

From what he knew about Fish, Fish shouldn't care much about money and had little idea of what it was.

"Minerva said Fish needs to get a job to support the family after graduating, but Fish doesn't want to work nya."

(?ω?)

Fish's face was filled with reluctance.

"Um... well... actually, staying at Hogwarts as a professor would be a good option," Dumbledore seized the opportunity to entice him, "And only if you work at the school, you'll still have your summer vacations... other professions don't have that benefit."

"What?! Minerva didn't tell Fish anything about that!"

∑(`Д´)

Fish was surprised, obviously just finding out about this...

So he didn't want to work anymore.

As they talked, they reached the end of the Ministry of Magic's main atrium, where a table on the left had a sign that read "Security Check," and just below it sat a scruffy-looking wizard in peacock-blue robes.

"Good morning, Eric." Dumbledore smiled and nodded at him.

"Professor Dumbledore, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

The wizard quickly stood up, energetically wiping his hands on his robes before extending his hand to shake Dumbledore's.

Dumbledore withdrew his hand and smiled. "I'm fine, thanks to you. I believe you already know that I'm here to be judged today..." He pointed to Fish by his side. "And this is the witness I have called."

"I know him!" Eric also happily shook hands with Fish. "Fish has been an important name at the Ministry for a long time! And I was the one who received Professor McGonagall when they brought him in for Animagus registration seven years ago."

Fish blinked, tilting his head in a gesture of remembrance...

?ω?

"Oh... Fish remembered you, nya!" Fish pointed to his head and bluntly said, "Back then, you didn't have as little hair as you do now, nya!"

Eric ran his sparse hair and chuckled dryly. Then he leaned forward, lowering his voice to Dumbledore. "Fudge is going too far now... There's already a conspiracy at the Ministry to find an opportunity to initiate a vote to remove him."

Dumbledore gently shook his head, not wanting to comment on the matter. He reminded, "Register us quickly, don't keep those who come after waiting too long."

"Ah, yes..."

Eric hastily grabbed a long, thin golden rod that looked like a car antenna and passed it over Dumbledore and Fish's chest and back.

After releasing the wand, he extended his palm to the two men. "Please hand me your wands."

Both Dumbledore and Fish handed over their wands. Eric placed them one after another on a brass contraption that looked like a one-sided scale.

The contraption vibrated slightly before spitting out two narrow parchment strips through an opening at the bottom.

"Twelve inches with a Wampus cat hair core, nearly five years old, right?" Eric asked, glancing first at the note belonging to Fish.

"Yes!" Fish replied.

Eric returned the wand to Fish, then pinned the parchment to a tiny brass nail.

Next, he looked at the other one.

"Fifteen inches, the wand core is Thestral tail feathers, fifty-one years... older than I am..." he murmured softly, returning the wand to Dumbledore.

Both men tucked away their wands and headed once again to the small foyer where a cluster of elevators had been set up. The foyer wasn't too crowded, but most people were going up, so Dumbledore and Fish were the only ones in the elevators they entered.

This time Dumbledore pressed the ninth button, and the elevator chain clicked, sending them to the next level.

"Department of Mysteries." The woman's voice sounded again, and the grated elevator door slid aside.

As soon as the door opened, Fish found Fudge waiting outside with a group of Aurors, just like that night.

Dumbledore was momentarily taken aback, then the corners of his mouth curved slightly. He nodded to Fudge and courteously said, "You didn't have to greet me so grandiosely, Cornelius. I know the way to the Wizengamot chamber."

"I was preventing you from seizing the opportunity to infiltrate the Department of Mysteries!" Fudge's round face almost turned purple as he growled.

"So that's how things are," Dumbledore replied pompously, "You've been working very hard, then, directing every Auror exit yourself."

"Albus..."

(?ω?)

Fish tugged on Dumbledore's sleeve and sincerely said, "I don't know why, but Fish feels like you look as if you deserve to be smacked right now."