When Aiden woke up, it was already afternoon.
A silver phoenix was watching him quietly from the foot of his bed.
"Well, at least you didn't wake me up directly," Aiden sighed, dressing neatly before following the silent guide.
They arrived at the Hospital Wing, where Dumbledore was coaxing Lockhart, who was now in a state of childlike wonder.
"Wow, you two are amazing! Is this magic?" Lockhart babbled, reaching out to grab Dumbledore's wand.
"Hoo hoo, you're much more pleasing to the eye than you used to be," Dumbledore chuckled, waving his wand as a flurry of enchanted snowflakes fluttered down from the air.
Ignoring Madam Pomfrey's death glare, Dumbledore walked toward Aiden.
"I suspect you hired Gilderoy Lockhart purely for your own amusement," Aiden said, his handsome heterochromatic eyes turning flat and unimpressed.
"That's not true," Dumbledore winked. "I was initially attracted by the magical experiences in his books."
"Alright," Aiden said, too lazy to listen to Dumbledore's nonsense. "What exactly did you call me here for?"
Dumbledore handed Aiden a copy of The Daily Prophet. The headline was blazoned across the front page: SHOCKING: FIFTY-YEAR-OLD WRONGFUL CASE SURFACES.
"Hagrid's case has been overturned," Dumbledore said, popping a candy into his mouth and tilting the box toward Aiden. "Lady Bones has suddenly displayed unparalleled political skill. Does our lovely Mr. Prewett have any clue about this?"
"I provided a little insignificant help," Aiden said, his eyebrows curving into crescents as a joyful expression lit up his eyes. "It redressed an injustice for Hagrid, and it gives the Minister—who is always eyeing other people's property—something to do."
"Child," Dumbledore said, his tone turning serious for a rare moment. "Don't get too close to power, even if your talent is unparalleled."
"People's hearts are too transparent to me, Headmaster," Aiden sighed. "Moreover, it's not that I'm getting close to power. It's that they want to devour me."
The two of them fell into a comfortable silence.
"Forget it," Dumbledore relented first. "You will have your own sense of proportion. I just hope you don't wallow in it."
"Wallow? Become a clown?" Aiden's voice held a note of mockery and malice that surprised Dumbledore. It was the first time he had felt such pure, unadulterated playfulness from him.
"It seems you've encountered some unpleasant things," Dumbledore joked. "Do you want to confide in this old man? My discretion is very strict."
"Forget it," Aiden rolled his eyes. "There's no need to pass on negative emotions because of those people."
Life within the school was peaceful, but the Ministry of Magic outside the castle was turbulent.
"What?!" Fudge's voice was short and sharp inside the Minister for Magic's office. "My approval rating has dropped again? What are you people at The Daily Prophet doing, letting this kind of news leak out?" He turned to his undersecretary. "Umbridge, get me Amelia Bones on the phone!"
"Yes, Minister," Umbridge said with a toad-like smile.
Click. As the phone connected, Fudge immediately roared into the microphone. "Amelia Bones, what exactly do you want to do? What good does the downfall of the Ministry of Magic do you?"
"Oh, dear Minister," Amelia Bones's calm voice came through the receiver, "is there a problem with our Department of Magical Law Enforcement acting in accordance with the law?"
"What problem?" Fudge continued to roar. "I'm asking you, why would the details of Rubeus Hagrid's case be leaked like this? Besides your department, who else could reveal such detailed information?"
Upstairs, in her own office, Lady Bones moved the microphone a little further away and gently cleaned her ears. "Minister, this is really not a problem with our department. We were previously invaded by a Dark Wizard, and a large batch of files was lost. I clearly submitted the report to you about this matter, and you even signed it, saying it would be dealt with later. Have you forgotten?"
Lady Bones gently shifted the responsibility while loudly instructing her assistant to bring out Fudge's signed approval, deliberately letting the sound reach Fudge through the microphone.
Inside the Minister's office, Fudge's face turned a deep shade of purple. He gasped for breath but didn't know who to vent his fury on. Since he had embraced the pure-bloods last year, he had been plagued by all sorts of troubles. He even began to wonder if abandoning Dumbledore had been the right thing to do.
Fudge, with every accusation expertly deflected, was left sputtering. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and coax his Director in a placating tone. "Alright, Amelia, it's my fault. I've been too busy these days." His attitude softened instantly.
"It's okay, Minister," she replied, her voice saccharine. "'We' all understand your hardships. The Ministry of Magic still has to rely on your 'dedication,' after all."
"Yes, it's all for the magical world," Fudge said numbly. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he hung up the phone.
In the Department of Magical Law Enforcement office, Lady Bones revealed a mocking expression. Afterward, she took out her monocle and sent a message to a mysterious figure.
The next day, Aiden leisurely picked up his lemonade, ready to enjoy his breakfast.
'Kid, it's not good to drink beverages early in the morning,' the System popped up.
'Even if I got up in the morning and chewed on rocks, I could digest them now,' Aiden casually dismissed it.
As the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall brightened, Ophelia flew in with today's Daily Prophet. She landed on Aiden's shoulder and affectionately pecked his head. After feeding her some nuts, Aiden took the paper from her claws.
Spreading it out, he saw the Ministry of Magic's response. Fudge had harshly criticized the inaction of the previous Minister for Magic and quickly cut ties with his team. At the same time, he had also fired a group of old employees to divert attention. However, his terrible actions did not win the public's favor. He further lost the support of the people within the Ministry, making it increasingly difficult for his decrees to be implemented.
"This guy is a genius," Aiden said, shaking the newspaper and almost laughing out loud.
"Yes," Edmund said, picking up his pumpkin juice and taking a sip. "I have never seen such 'wise' measures."
"Are you serious?" Ethan said shamelessly. "The current Minister for Magic is at this level? It makes me feel like I could do it, too."
"It's not that simple," Aiden said, his eyes narrowing. "Haven't you noticed that things have become increasingly turbulent in recent years? Fudge can be a paper-pusher during peacetime, but he can't control the political situation during a period of turmoil."
"For example," Oliver added with a rare joke, "a certain mischievous dragon is stepping on the accelerator of his already rapidly plummeting approval rating."
Aiden just raised his eyebrows, said nothing, and drank his lemonade.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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