The Leaky Cauldron was cold and deserted, as if the winter chill had seeped into its walls and furniture. The only sound was the crackling of the fireplace and the occasional clink of glasses. The greetings between Bryan and the Minister of Magic sounded very harsh in this quiet atmosphere, almost like a thunderbolt in a clear sky. Everyone, including the group of guys in the corner who were playing cards, turned their eyes to this side, curious and wary. Bryan did not want this matter to be known to everyone, especially those who might have ulterior motives. He glanced at the bar owner Tom beside him, but unexpectedly found that this hunchbacked old man did not show the surprise expression as he expected. Instead, he smiled knowingly and nodded slightly.
"Oh, Mr. Watson, I have a good relationship with Hagrid, and I heard him mention it a few times-" Tom, who was very observant and discreet, lowered his head and said obediently, as if he had seen many secrets in his long life.
Bryan pursed his lips, and a tick mark appeared on his forehead.
"Oh, a humble young man who likes to keep a low profile-" Fudge saw all this in his eyes and smiled and said, trying to ease the tension. "But I think that sometimes a little fame is not a bad thing."
"I just hope that my conversation with you will not be heard by some people of unknown origin-" Bryan smiled and said, then pushed open the wooden door of the compartment next to him, "I don't know if I can have the honor to invite you for a drink?"
Fudge hesitated for a moment, then nodded, feeling grateful for Bryan's hospitality. He followed him into the compartment, leaving behind the curious gazes of the other customers.
"Then I'll take the opportunity to deal with one bite. You can't imagine how many days I haven't had a good meal. Tom, that kid is still waiting for me upstairs, you take care of him for me first." He said to Tom before closing the door.
After entering the private environment, Fudge's chubby face expression was not so relaxed. Even without careful analysis, Bryan could see the frustration and loss in the heart of the leader of the current Ministry of Magic. He looked pale and tired, as if he had not slept well for a long time. His clothes were wrinkled and stained, and his hair was messy. He looked like a man who had been through a lot of trouble.
Bryan sipped the sweet wine in his cup and stared at the candlestick on the wall with interest, waiting quietly for Fudge to finish the butter bread in his hand.
"I want to thank you, Bryan-"
Fudge finally broke the silence after swallowing the last bite of bread. He picked up his wine glass, and before Bryan responded, he drank two mouthfuls of rum, clearing his mouth of food. After a long sigh of relief, he smiled tiredly, "The beast left by Slytherin made us famous. Many ministers of magic from various countries wrote to me personally, hoping that I would allow the Basilisk to go abroad for exhibition. Oh, of course, I think they are mainly attracted by Salazar Slytherin's name."
A few months ago, this Basilisk meant mainly the reward for the commission task for Bryan. It was okay to hand it over to the Ministry of Magic for research and disposal. But these days after returning from Avalon Island, Bryan thought that his decision was a bit rash. He felt that this thing might hide some deeper secrets.
"It can only play a greater role in the hands of the Ministry of Magic, Minister."
Bryan also put down his wine glass and smiled slightly,
"That poor Basilisk was blinded by Dumbledore's phoenix and hit by several of my curses. I thought it wouldn't last long. By the way, how is its current situation?"
"Oh, lively and energetic,"
Speaking of this, Fudge's fat face showed a little embarrassment,
"Actually, this beast's energy is too strong, more difficult to deal with than a fire dragon. Several guys from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures almost… Cough Cough,…I mean, for those invitations for overseas exhibitions, some I really can't ignore. Considering safety, we invited a master who deals with magical creatures and asked him to help tame it for a while."
Bryan nodded and wondered if he should get the Basilisk back from Newt Scamander. He had heard of this eccentric wizard who traveled around the world to collect and protect various magical creatures.
"Excuse me for being rude, Minister-"
Neither Fudge nor Bryan intended to spend too much time on this temporary dinner. After finding out who had the Basilisk now, after a few greetings, Bryan showed appropriate curiosity,
"You look very tired. Did the Ministry encounter any trouble recently? Oh, if it involves secrets, you can pretend I didn't ask!"
"Didn't you hear about it yet, Bryan?" Fudge raised his short eyebrows and asked in surprise, "This matter is already known to everyone!"
"I've been staying in the Muggle world for some days recently, so-"
"Oh, trouble?" Fudge shook his head desperately, his whole face collapsed, "No no no, that can't be called trouble, but it should be called 'disaster'. Not my personal disaster, but the disaster of the entire Ministry of Magic. It doesn't matter if I tell you about it, Bryan. Since I became Minister of Magic, I haven't encountered such a tricky thing!" He said, as if he was venting his frustration and anxiety.
Bryan didn't interrupt, waiting quietly for Fudge to explain. He leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms, looking calm and composed. He wondered what kind of 'disaster' could make the Minister of Magic so agitated and nervous.
"Someone escaped from Azkaban!"
Fudge finally blurted out the shocking news, his voice trembling slightly.
Bryan's eyes flickered slightly. He felt a surge of interest and curiosity. Before going to Hogwarts, someone had hung a task at Kakus's place to rescue Lestrange couple and Carrow siblings from the notorious wizard prison. He had thought about it, but he had given up because of the high risk and low reward.
Could it be that someone did it? Tsk tsk, that's twenty thousand Galleons!!! He thought, feeling a bit envious of the mysterious rescuer.
"Sirius Black!" Fudge said a name in a heavy, almost collapsed tone. His eyes were full of fear and hatred, as if he was looking at the devil himself.
Bryan twitched his eyebrows in surprise. He recognized the name. It was one of the most infamous names in the wizarding world. The name of the man who was said to be the number one henchman of the Dark Lord, who had betrayed and killed his best friends James and Lily Potter, who had massacred twelve Muggles and a fellow wizard with a single curse.
"If I didn't hear it wrong, you mean that person; the one people call, The number one henchman of the Dark Lord, Sirius Black?" Bryan asked, pretending to be shocked and incredulous.
"That's the person, Bryan," Fudge sighed one after another, "I never dreamed of this day. I was the deputy director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes at that time. The day Black was caught, I was one of the first few to arrive at the scene." He said, as if he was recalling a nightmare.
Bryan was not interested in listening to Fudge's memories of that year. He interrupted Fudge's muttering and asked with a light voice,
"So, was he rescued by someone, or did Black run out by himself?"
"You are very sharp, Bryan." Fudge nodded approvingly, but his tone was still very depressed, "Both are possible, but we think he ran out by himself, because… oh, I'm sorry, Bryan, I can't tell you this." He said, biting his lip and looking around nervously.
"Understandable-" Bryan raised his wine glass and saluted Fudge, smiling politely. He didn't press further, but he felt more curious about how Black escaped from Azkaban. He wondered if he did it on his own or it had anything to do with his connection to Voldemort.
From Fudge's performance, it seemed that the Ministry of Magic had not figured out how he did it until now, but for his purpose of escaping from prison. Bryan glanced at the direction where Potter's magical presence was, and had a guess.
'Did the Dark Lord's number one henchman escape from prison to avenge his old master? Then, does that mean that our savior Mr. Harry Potter's task this year is to kill the Dark Lord's right-hand man?' He thought sarcastically.
Perhaps realizing that his private appearance of being downcast might be spread by the young man opposite him, Fudge tried to tidy up his expression, and his voice returned to confidence. He looked at Bryan who was frowning and thinking, and smiled confidently,
"Don't worry too much, Bryan, we have sent out all the elites of the Ministry of Magic to track down Black, even the Dementors of Azkaban are working hard for this. I think, in a few days, you will be able to see our great victory in the Daily Prophet!" He said proudly.
"I have confidence in you, Minister."
Bryan chuckled politely. But he was still surprised that the Ministry of Magic sent out such creatures as Dementors to hunt down Black. He had only seen this kind of creature that made wizards fearful in books. In reality, he had never encountered it!
He wondered what it would feel like to face a Dementor.
'Should I take the opportunity to get one back for research?'
When he opened the wooden door of the private room for Fudge, Bryan thought so with a smile on his face.
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