The ancient lift groaned and creaked as it rapidly descended, the rusted cables straining with the weight of its occupants. At last, it ground to a halt on the gloomy basement level one of the Ministry of Magic's subterranean offices. The wrought iron gate screeched open, and Norus, a tall, enigmatic wizard garbed in long crimson robes, strode out purposefully, not sparing a glance at his companions. His boots clicked sharply on the stone floor as he turned left, disappearing down the dimly lit corridor.
Bryan watched the mysterious figure's departure with keen interest, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Beside him, Amelia Bones, the formidable Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, indicated with a curt nod that they should proceed to the right. With the massive form of Hagrid lumbering along behind them, Bryan fell into step beside Amelia.
"This Norus..." Bryan began, his voice low.
The atmosphere on the basement level one, where the Minister's office was located, was solemn and dignified. Invisibly, there was a heavy force suppressing people's hearts. Hagrid was obviously a little afraid of the atmosphere here, constantly wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, and followed Bryan's steady pace, his expression showing no signs of abnormality.
"Norrus Deman, from the Department of Mysteries," Amelia Bones looked at Bryan with some surprise, seemingly not understanding why he was interested in Norus. However, she still introduced him briefly.
"The Department of Mysteries, huh," Bryan murmured, a hint of a conspiratorial smile playing about his lips as they strode along the corridor flanked by offices on either side. "I've heard it's the most mysterious department in the entire Ministry."
"Indeed," Madam Bones confirmed with a solemn nod. "The Department of Mysteries is one of the most reclusive and autonomous branches within the Ministry's bureaucracy. Its members, known as Unspeakables, are seldom recruited directly from Hogwarts, but rather come from old, respected wizarding lineages. When these researchers reach retirement age or can no longer serve due to health reasons, they personally select and train successors - often descendants or protégés - to take up the mantle and continue their work in anonymity. Given the extraordinary need for secrecy surrounding their operations, the Unspeakables enjoy a remarkably high degree of autonomy. The Ministry leadership refrains from meddling overmuch in their cryptic affairs."
'Interesting'
Madam Bones led Bryan and Hagrid into the Minister's office. It was a spacious semi-circular room. Although it was located underground, there were four bright windows outside, showing a bright sunny day.
Although located deep beneath the streets above, the office was rendered airy and well-lit by four broad windows set into the curved outer wall. Bright rays of sunshine streamed through the panes, banishing any lingering gloom or shadows. The weather in the Muggle realm above seemed idyllically sunny this April day.
To their left, an immense bookshelf stretched the length of the room, packed tightly with tomes and file boxes bearing labels designating them as top-secret material. Each container was secured by locks whose eight curved golden tines resembled the grasping claws of some beast. If anyone approached them without permission, the outcome would probably not be pleasant.
Meanwhile, the rightmost wall of the office was lined with display cases containing all manner of mysterious artifacts and antiquities, each more weird than the last. These clearly represented the luxurious personal collection of Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister for Magic.
"These are Cornelius's personal collections..."
Fudge was not in his office. After directing Hagrid to sit on the sofa, Amelia Bones turned around and saw Bryan, who was familiar with her, standing in front of the shelf, admiring the displayed artworks with great interest.
Compared to outside, Amelia's face was much gentler. She smiled and walked to Bryan's side, introducing to him,
"Most of them are goblin made artifacts, and some are antiques with a long magical history."
"It seems that our Minister of Magic is an open person."
Bryan also nodded with a smile, shifting his gaze away from a golden mask with a strong ancient Egyptian style. If he remembered correctly, this thing should have been smuggled back by them from Egypt last year. He didn't know why it ended up in Fudge's hands.
Bryan's comment was met with a gentle smile from Amelia Bones, who didn't deny it, but it was clear that she didn't appreciate Fudge's style.
Before getting into the main topic, some small talk was inevitable.
"Although she didn't pass those tests of yours, Susan spoke highly of your interesting Defense Against Dark Arts practical lessons. I must say, Bryan, you have quite the imagination and courage. Few professors dare to present Inferi before young wizards, but I believe it's the right thing to do. Hogwarts bears the important responsibility of supplying talent to the Wizarding world, and in recent years, we've noticed that the young wizards graduating… As always, they are excellent, but they clearly lack some necessary qualities, such as decisiveness, resilience, and distinctiveness. These are very important issues, but some short-sighted people just don't take them seriously."
'Was she criticizing Dumbledore or hinting at something else?'
Bryan modestly defended himself, keeping a calm expression while his mind raced.
Amelia Bones held a high position in the Ministry of Magic and was also the most popular candidate for the next Minister of Magic after Fudge. In the Ministry, the only one who could compete with her on an equal footing was Barty Crouch from the International Magical Cooperation Department. However, after the events involving Sirius Black came to light, Barty Crouch was completely out of the picture and couldn't be her competitor.
"Indeed, a peaceful life can easily indulge people, blinding certain short-sighted wizards to the hidden dangers within."
Bryan smiled and agreed.
When the future war breaks out, people like Fudge will only be a burden and not of much use. At that time, Bryan hoped that someone in the Ministry would take his opinions seriously. Using force to coerce and intimidate is not advisable, as it will only lead him down the path of the "Dark Lord."
For this reason, he needed someone in the Ministry who could represent him and speak for him. Now it seemed that Amelia Bones was an excellent choice.
Bryan hoped to find an ally within the Ministry of Magic, and at present, the most suitable candidate seemed to be Amelia Bones, and he currently has The first point is the most clear and obvious, which is his position Director of the Student Safety Office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even without Dumbledore, Hogwarts holds a superior position in the wizarding world, and the staff at the school can be considered 'officials' to some extent. Not to mention that when Dumbledore established this position, he defined it as being on the same level as of the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts.
The second point is the wisdom Bryan displayed in dealing with the trouble caused by Sirius Black.
The third point is even more crucial.
Compared to the Muggle world, the wizarding world still retains some characteristics of ancient human society, namely 'might makes right.'
The power Bryan displayed when dealing with the Werewolf pack exceeded the armed forces possessed by the Ministry of Magic. If it weren't for Albus Dumbledore still being there, the entire Ministry of Magic might have fallen into panic due to the sudden appearance of such powerful individual in the British wizarding world.
However, forming an alliance is also dependent on the willingness of both parties.
In Bryan's point of view, Amelia Bones has already shown a certain willingness, but she still remains cautious of him.
This is a normal; after all, the two of them had never interacted before, and now he has forcefully stood in front of the Ministry of Magic in such a prominent manner, forcing them to take notice of him and acknowledge him. Anyone would be cautious in such a situation.
"So, Amelia--"
At the request of Madam Bones, Bryan addressed her by her name directly,
"In fact, besides being invited to participate in the press conference and the award ceremony, I also have some personal matters to attend to during my visit to the Ministry. Originally, I was planning to ask Minister Fudge--"
Madam Bones blinked in surprise, then a smile appeared on her lips.
Asking someone for help is also a way to show intimacy. On the night when Greyback died, she had tentatively invited Bryan to join the Ministry, but he had rejected the olive branch she extended. This made her think that Bryan, like Dumbledore, was not very interested in getting involved in the Ministry. But now, it seems that Bryan is also seeking something.
"Is there anything I can help you with--" Madam Bones immediately said with a smile, "Don't be polite, Bryan. Even for Susan's sake, I will do my best."
She didn't mention Greyback or Sirius Black, instead bringing up Susan, a young witch at the school whom Bryan hadn't paid much attention to--, This was just a discussion of personal relations.
Dealing with smart people was indeed efficient, Bryan nodded to himself.
"Hagrid, tell me of this trouble you mentioned..."
"Uh? Wha'? Oh, righ', not tha'..." the massive man collected himself, mopping his brow nervously with a soil-stained handkerchief. "It's...it's Buckbeak I need help with!"
Nervous and flustered, Hagrid regained his senses.
Given his own troubled history of being unfairly expelled from Hogwarts during his youth, he is always particularly nervous about anything that goes against the law.
"Buckbeak is a Hippogriff, and it had an accident in the Forbidden Forest, oh... no, it, it caused an accident to Draco during class."
Hagrid's stuttering words confused Madam Bones, and she furrowed her brow in confusion,
"Lucius Malfoy's son, what happened to him?"
Bryan glanced at Hagrid, whose face had turned red, and casually said,
Bryan shot a sidelong glance toward the perspiring half-giant, his lips pursing in faint disapproval at the man's escalating agitation. With a practiced air of nonchalance, he smoothly interjected.
"It was nothing terribly serious, Amelia. Just a minor accident during one of Hagrid's lessons. Young Mister Malfoy, no doubt seeking to impress his peers with his boldness, neglected to follow proper safety protocols when approaching the hippogriff Buckbeak. The creature was provoked by the boy's reckless posturing and lashed out, inflicting little more than a scratch on his arm."
Noticing the slight frown on Madam Bones' forehead, Bryan added,
"He recovered the same day, it wasn't a serious injury."
Madam Bones's frown eased, and after a moment of thought, her eyes brightened with amusement, "Lucius making a mountain out of a molehill?"
"The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures has filed a formal lawsuit against Buckbeak, and it's very likely they'll execute the innocent creature."
Though the precise wizarding aphorism eluded Bryan's grasp, her meaning was unmistakable - the Malfoys were manufacturing a crisis out of a trifling misstep in order to bully and cajole the Ministry toward disciplining Hagrid. No doubt bribes and underhanded manipulations were being employed with Cornelius Fudge's typically pliant administration.
Bryan picked up the teacup, the red tea in the cup was crystal clear, and when the liquid was still, it looked like a ruby. But Bryan only took a sip, his face calm.
"I know this is not easy to handle--" Madam Bones was silent for a moment, while Hagrid's large hands were clenched tightly, sweating profusely, "As long as... as long as you can spare... Buckbeak, I can give up any reward!"
Madam Bones suddenly stood up from the sofa, causing Hagrid to think that he had angered her and he was about to explain, but Bryan gave him a reassuring gesture.
Madam Bones quickly walked to the assistant's desk, took out a quill from the pen holder, and quickly wrote a few words on the paper. Then, she took out her wand and tapped it, and the parchment immediately folded itslef into a paper airplane, zooming out of the office through the crack in the door.
"I've written to Macnair, asking him to reassess the situation. I don't think they'll bother you anymore, Hagrid."
Madam Bones returned to the sofa and said kindly.
Was that it? Hagrid looked bewildered; he had been tormented by this issue for half a year!
"There's one more thing, Amelia--"
Hagrid was still in a daze, while Bryan had already put this matter behind him,
"I think you might have a memory of it. Last summer, a young witch at Hogwarts applied to the Ministry for a Time-Turner for her studies."
After a brief thought, Madam Bones nodded, "There was indeed such a thing. I don't quite remember the young witch's name, but I do recall Minerva brought the child's end-of-year exam results and comments from all her professors to the Ministry for Connolly to sign the form."
"That Time-Turner broke."
Bryan took out the Time-Turner that he had broken himself from his pocket and showed it to Madam Bones.
"It broke?"
This time, Madam Bones's expression became much more solemn. Time-Turners were strictly controlled magical items, each registered and accounted for. If one broke without a valid reason, the Ministry would undoubtedly investigate thoroughly.
"Yes--" Bryan nodded, "That young witch's name is Hermione Granger—a very intelligent and hardworking young witch. She can't remember exactly how the Time-Turner broke, but it was probably on the way when she and Harry Potter were escaping from the werewolf's pursuit."
"In other words, Greyback broke it?"
Madam Bones's expression softened.
"Yes, the 'culprit' has already been punished."
Bryan said without a flush or skip of a heartbeat, framing Greyback was easy, and if anyone objected, they could ask Greyback to speak for himself.
"That makes things much easier." Madam Bones said, "Well, tell Hermione Granger to write a statement explaining the situation, have Minerva and you, both sign it, and then I will give the statement to Cornelius to sign a disclaimer and return it to the Department of Mysteries. Then, this matter will be resolved."
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