"Minister! What do you think of my application? I believe I have the ability to take on this position." Dolores Umbridge had sought out
"Minister! What do you think of my application? I believe I have the ability to take on this position."
Dolores Umbridge had sought out Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. After waiting for a long time, she finally found the chance to hand him her job application, hoping he would support her promotion.
But the problem was that Cornelius Fudge had never intended to let her rise to the position of Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
Why not consider her? Simply because she was Fudge's favorite… bah! Protégé! From the perspective of Muggle corporate culture, a man like Fudge would never want a subordinate to gain a position that could threaten his own. After all, any department head could one day become the next Minister of Magic.
And for someone as ambitious as Dolores Umbridge, keeping her in the lower or middle ranks still allowed her to serve as an enforcer. But placing her in a higher position would spell disaster. She would stop at nothing to climb further and would eventually try to topple the very person who promoted her—Cornelius Fudge himself.
Even the position of Hogwarts Headmaster, Fudge had only allowed her to act as interim head! No one knew her true character better than Cornelius Fudge did.
"Dolores Umbridge! I received your application. I'll give it priority consideration. But you must understand, this isn't a matter I can decide on my own. At this point, even I don't know who will ultimately take the post."
Cornelius Fudge spread his hands, signaling helplessness. Of course, unless a miracle happened and Dolores Umbridge had no competition at all, she had no chance of becoming Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
"For now, I need you to focus on managing Hogwarts properly, not on this."
Fudge looked at his protégé with some exasperation. If she could mold Hogwarts into the image he wanted, that would already be a huge help. As for this department head position—better not cause trouble.
"Oh, I see. Very well, I'll return to Hogwarts at once, Minister! I mean… if there is even the slightest chance, please recommend me. Thank you."
Dolores Umbridge looked like a failed stage performer, reluctant to leave the stage but with no choice but to withdraw.
"Heading back to Hogwarts already?"
Regulus Black happened to run into her along the way. Judging from her expression, it was clear she had not received the Minister's support—she looked exactly like a beaten dog.
Yet her skin was thick, and her ability to change expressions rivaled that of a chameleon. No—more like a giant toad with a chameleon's powers.
"Oh! Regulus, where are you headed? Haven't thought of returning to Hogwarts with me?"
Seeing Regulus Black with a witch by his side made Umbridge unhappy. Jealous of his cheerfulness, she actually tried to coax him into going back to school with her. Her expression shifted instantly from dejection to forced cheer.
"Oh, I nearly forgot the introduction. This is Miss Judy Fox, Captain of the Auror Department. The Auror Office needs my testimony regarding a few past cases."
Regulus Black casually strung together a half-truth to fob her off.
"As for returning to the school, I'll think about it once I finish here. You see, I've been busy nonstop since I arrived."
He began boasting again about his work. After all, the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was a very busy man.
"In that case, I'll head back first."
Since she hadn't gotten the outcome she wanted, Umbridge stormed out of the Ministry.
Today had been a miserable day for her. Whether it was applying for the department head position or trying to interfere with Regulus Black, her hopes had been crushed on both fronts.
"Looks like she doesn't stand much chance of getting that position."
Even Judy Fox could see that much.
"Let's go find the old lion and talk."
Regulus Black urged Judy Fox along. After diving deep into their discussion, she even slowed her pace.
Auror Office. Rufus Scrimgeour's face was dark as he glared at Regulus Black like a lion sizing up its prey.
"Everyone in the Black family is detestable, whether it's you or Sirius."
The moment they stepped inside, Scrimgeour was already wearing a sour expression, looking as though he was one gesture away from pointing to the door and telling them to get out.
"Wow! Looks like Rufus doesn't like me at all. Well then, I suppose I should congratulate Dolores Umbridge in advance."
Regulus Black said this in an exaggerated tone.
That only made Scrimgeour more irritated. What did his dislike for Regulus have to do with congratulating that loathsome toad?
"Congratulate Dolores Umbridge? What does she have to do with this?"
Scrimgeour finally showed a bit of patience, curious to hear how Regulus was going to spin his words.
"When we came over just now, we saw Dolores Umbridge leaving the Minister's office. Clearly, she's here for the position of Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. She may very well become the next Head."
Regulus Black sat down as if it were his own office. He himself was a Department Head, so in any senior official's office at the Ministry he had a chair waiting for him. But as for Judy Fox, being merely an Auror, she was left standing behind him.
"Her? Worthy of that position? She's nothing but a sycophantic clown."
Scrimgeour shot Regulus an angry glare but did not throw him out.
He then glanced past Regulus at Judy Fox, one of his Auror captains—a capable and outstanding one.
He wondered what the two of them were really here for.
"I'll be blunt. The Department of International Magical Cooperation needs someone competent in that position. Barty Crouch is not particularly capable. He lacks decisiveness and the confidence to achieve his goals. That department needs someone with both strong confidence and powerful execution to lead it."
Regulus waved two fingers as he laid out his analysis.
"I want to recommend you, Rufus Scrimgeour, for this position. Your status, your office, your decisiveness, and your confidence make you the ideal candidate. But most importantly—your appearance."
He had laid out every reasonable argument, only to suddenly veer off-topic.
Behind him, Judy Fox rolled her eyes in an adorably exasperated way.
"Pfft!"
Scrimgeour, just lifting his teacup, almost choked on it. That phrasing had been intentional.
"Rufus Scrimgeour's appearance, in the Auror Office, makes him look like a stern enforcer of the law. In any tournament or event, he looks like the embodiment of fair judgment. Judy, my dear, can you imagine what impression someone like Dolores Umbridge, with her repulsive looks, would give people?"
Regulus patted the hand resting on his shoulder, and the two of them shamelessly showed their affection right in the Head Auror's office.
"You're really here about the position of Chief of Staff of the Auror Office, aren't you? For Judy Fox's sake?"
Scrimgeour wasn't a fool. These two had come together to discuss this with him, displaying their affection right before his eyes. Did they really take him for some lovelorn simpleton?
"Oh dear! You caught me."
Regulus kept up his act, speaking with the shy expression of a bashful schoolboy.
"I admit it—I'm doing all this for Judy Fox. Since I can't give her the kind of marriage she wants, I can only help her in her career. As for the position of Chief of Staff in the Auror Office, I believe she is more than capable. On that, I have no doubts."
On the public side, recommending Rufus Scrimgeour for Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation was the right choice.
On the private side, recommending Judy Fox for Chief of Staff once that office became vacant was equally the right choice.
Now it was up to Rufus Scrimgeour to decide.
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