However, the moment they said that, both of them realized something was wrong.
"You're the Minister for Magic. Where did you get a holiday from?"
"You're the Director of the Joint Operations Office. How can you slack off like this?!"
Faced with Barty's shameless accusation, Tver was so angry that.
He drained the rest of his drink in one gulp.
Thud. The cup hit the table hard.
"I'm here on a mission today. I specifically stayed in Hogsmeade for it. What about you?!"
For some reason, whenever Barty saw Tver like this, he always wanted to compete with him.
The problem was, today he really had slipped away from work to enjoy a rare day off.
"I… I came here today to supervise you! If you cause any more trouble, won't I be the one who has to clean up after you?!"
The moment he said that, Tver had no way to argue back.
More importantly, he did not want to argue.
A smug "you fell for it" smile instantly appeared on Tver's face. As if afraid Barty would go back on his words, he quickly stood up.
"You said it yourself. Today, you're going to be my tour guide and show one… two special guests around!"
He had already spotted today's two guests, one big and one small.
"Mum, Uncle Fawley is over there!"
Catherine clutched Joanne's hand tightly and leaned forward, as though trying to drag her mother along with her tiny body.
Unfortunately, Joanne's attention was still fixed on the wondrous magical world around her, and Catherine's small strength was nowhere near enough to move her.
Of course, that was also because Bulstrode was standing behind them. Even in this unfamiliar world, the mother and daughter could still remain relaxed and cheerful.
Barty, however, was not feeling cheerful at all.
"This is Hogsmeade, the only wizarding settlement in Britain, and you actually let a Muggle appear here?"
He knew that Tver, in order to overturn The Statute of Secrecy, was deeply involved with the Muggle world. But he had never imagined Tver would be bold to this extent.
The Minister for Magic himself was standing right here!
What was even more brazen was that Tver did not even turn to look at him. Instead, he smiled and waved at Catherine.
"What's so strange about that? Muggle-born wizards occasionally bring their relatives into the wizarding world for a visit," he said casually.
The wizarding world was not completely sealed off from Muggles. What Tver described did indeed happen.
However, Hogsmeade was different from places like Diagon Alley. Muggles almost never appeared here.
So even though Barty knew Tver was talking nonsense, he could not easily refute him.
While he was still struggling with that, Joanne had already brought Catherine over. She looked around but did not see that man anywhere.
Seeing this, Tver explained, "Marvolio is carrying out a very important mission. Today, I, together with Mr. Barty Crouch here, will be serving as your tour guides!"
"Me?"
As the Minister for Magic, turning a blind eye to Muggles appearing in Hogsmeade was already one thing. Now he was supposed to be a tour guide too?!
Barty pointed at himself, his eyes widening at once, as if trying to confirm whether the person pushing his luck in front of him was really the Tver Fawley he knew.
Catherine was startled by Barty's shocked reaction. With Marvolio absent as well, her eyes immediately filled with tears. She grabbed her mother's trousers and hid behind her.
"Mum, I don't like this grandpa…"
"Tsk. Looks like you really don't know how to talk to children." Tver sighed, shaking his head. Then he pointed at Catherine, who was blinking up at them with wide eyes, and said with perfect confidence, "Well? Aren't you going to comfort her?"
Just as Barty was huffing in anger, Joanne delivered the final blow to his heart.
"Forget it. As long as Bulstrode protects us, we can just look around by ourselves."
"Don't worry. Bulstrode's strength is more than enough to guarantee your safety in Hogsmeade, and I'll follow behind you as well." Tver had no objection.
The reason he had chosen to meet Barty today was because he wanted to find a handy guide. After all, Tver himself had barely explored this place.
But if Barty was shameless enough to refuse, Tver could hardly force him. Playing bodyguard for once was fine too.
Watching the four of them gradually walk away, and seeing Catherine's smile slowly return, Barty suddenly thought of his own son for some reason.
Barty Jr. was currently locked securely at home, no different from being in prison. At the very least, before Voldemort lost power, he had little chance of leaving that cage-like house.
But what Barty thought of was how his son had looked as a child.
The same round, soft cheeks. The same lively restlessness. The same greedy stare fixed on the sweets behind the counter.
The difference was that Barty, as his father, had never responded to that curious little face looking up at him, had never joined in his liveliness, and had never agreed to buy him any sweets or gifts.
He stood there in a daze for a long while. When he saw Catherine carefully asking her mother whether she could buy that bright red lollipop, Barty felt as though something had struck him in the heart.
He stopped hesitating and strode over.
"That's a blood-flavored lollipop. Ambrosius made it for Vampires."
Catherine was not as shocked as the adults. Now that someone was explaining things for her, she immediately began asking excitedly about the other sweets that caught her eye.
"What about this one?"
"That's a Chocolate Frog. It tastes good, and there's a collectible wizard card inside."
"Is there a card of Grandpa?"
"Only especially important wizards appear on those. There's no chance of me being on one, but your Uncle Fawley will definitely have one someday," Barty explained kindly.
Even though the tourists around them had already recognized him as the Minister who had been appearing in the papers lately with an iron-fisted image, he continued introducing the sweets to Catherine with practiced ease.
He looked like an ordinary old man keeping his granddaughter company, and also like decades of bottled-up affection had all burst out in this one moment.
"May I ask who this gentleman is?" Joanne sensed that something was not right and frowned as she asked Tver.
Tver watched their interaction with satisfaction and answered casually, "The British Minister for Magic."
Joanne's eyes widened. She truly found it hard to connect the kind, approachable man in front of her with the highest leader of the wizarding world.
But after her surprise passed, she suddenly understood and pointed at Tver.
"No wonder you insisted that Catherine take a day off to come here. So you wanted this Minister for Magic to get on good terms with us!"
"Why do you make it sound like I'm using Catherine?" Tver pushed Joanne's hand away in distaste. "I'm just making Barty less resistant to the release of your later works."
"Of course, if he can sincerely support your work with all his heart, that would be even better."
Barty definitely had resistance toward overturning The Statute of Secrecy, but with his interests already tied to Tver's, he would not directly oppose Tver's plan.
Of course, he would not support it either. That was why Cynthia needed to find an excuse to block the Ministry's criticism.
But if Barty genuinely supported this plan, then a great deal of pointless work could be avoided.
They could even be much more open about it.