As everyone watched Fudge leave, their expressions varied.
Most of them were disappointed.
Despite being well aware of Cornelius Fudge's character, his behavior still left them disheartened.
Only Alaric had a knowing smile on his face.
He subtly glanced at Madam Bones, who nodded back at him.
Fudge's reaction had been part of their plan.
Bones sighed, then turned to Dumbledore.
"Now... there is some work I must do," she said seriously.
"Albus... if I'm not mistaken, I can count on you, can't I?"
"Of course," Dumbledore replied with a smile, "in opposing Voldemort, you and I share the same stance."
"Good." Bones managed a faint smile.
"We must notify everyone who can be persuaded to see the truth.
I will contact those in the Ministry who are not as short-sighted as Cornelius, and you—you have quite a few supporters as well.
If I recall correctly, you have gathered a group of like-minded witches and wizards to fight against the Dark Lord, haven't you?"
"Yes, Amelia," Dumbledore answered, "we call this small assembly the 'Order of the Phoenix.'"
"Then, Albus," Bones said solemnly, "I hope you can also reach out to everyone who can help us in this fight against the Dark Lord. We must unite!"
That night, Bones and Dumbledore talked for a long time, discussing strategies to counter Voldemort's rise.
Bones decided to gather all the strength she could, win over everyone who could be swayed, and quickly move to unseat Minister Fudge, or at least ensure that as her second-in-command, she could stand on equal footing with him in the Ministry.
Then they could immediately implement measures to counter Voldemort.
Dumbledore was pleased with this.
Given his character, he would not interfere with the Ministry if Fudge was uncooperative.
In other words, with Fudge as an obstacle, all his and the Order's actions would not only lack support but would also face official suppression.
But now things were different.
Besides Fudge, the dovish politician, there was someone in the Ministry who shared his views—and this person happened to be the second in command.
This meant that he not only didn't have to worry about the Ministry being a hindrance in the fight against Voldemort, but there was also a chance it could become an ally.
This would greatly reduce Voldemort's threat to the entire wizarding world.
Although the Ministry alone could not defeat Voldemort, it could at least significantly delay his domination, giving Dumbledore time to find and destroy the Horcruxes.
And Bones? She gained Dumbledore's support.
Although Dumbledore disliked interfering in politics, his influence in the wizarding world was immense, with many supporters in the Wizengamot.
With Dumbledore on her side, Bones' chances of wresting power from Fudge increased significantly—Fudge, who had the backing of pure-blood families.
Additionally, Dumbledore himself was a force capable of opposing Voldemort.
Working with Dumbledore also gave her a chance to avenge her brother's family, who had been killed by Voldemort.
This was a mutually beneficial collaboration.
However, there was a third party in this cooperation: Alaric.
By this time, Bones had developed a deep respect for Alaric.
Over a year ago, this young man had already foreseen the current situation.
After making an impression on the Wizengamot, he had proposed working with her in a private meeting.
During that meeting, Alaric had predicted Voldemort's return and outlined an entire plan to counter him.
The specificity of his prophecy and the meticulousness of his plan had almost made Bones doubt it at the time.
But now, everything was unfolding just as he had predicted.
Voldemort had indeed returned, and Fudge's attitude was exactly as he had described: like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Bones could already foresee what Fudge would do if no one stopped him.
He would suppress Dumbledore while allowing Voldemort to infiltrate the Ministry.
Bones could hardly believe that this was the boy's prophecy—it was not vague or fragmented like ordinary prophecies.
On the contrary, it was specific and complete.
Bones preferred to believe that this was the boy's analysis of the situation.
But in any case, it had proven that this powerful boy possessed not only strength but also wisdom comparable to Dumbledore's.
Moreover, judging by the plan he proposed and the methods he used, he was more unrestrained than Dumbledore.
This made him even more formidable.
At least compared to Dumbledore, Bones had a greater sense of awe for Alaric.
Now, everything was going according to his plan.
This was another reason Bones respected Alaric, and one of the reasons she feared Voldemort less.
At least, based on the boy's plan—even though he didn't disclose some parts to her—there was a high possibility that Voldemort could be defeated.
In the end, the Triwizard Tournament concluded rather anticlimactically.
Harry Potter was technically the first to grab the Triwizard Cup, but in the end, it was Alaric who, along with Hermione and Fleur, brought Harry back.
When they returned to Hogwarts, it was the four of them holding the Cup—three of whom were champions.
This made it difficult to decide on the winner.
Finally, due to Hermione and Fleur's bravery in rescuing Harry, all three of them were awarded the title of champion, and the prize money was divided among them.
"That makes the championship less valuable!"
Fleur complained, though Gabrielle and her parents seemed quite pleased.
They felt that Fleur's bravery in stepping up was more praiseworthy than winning the tournament.
Harry did not attend the final award ceremony; he was taken to the hospital wing, accompanied by the Weasleys, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.
Additionally, he secretly asked Alaric, Fleur, and Hermione not to tell anyone that he had survived the Killing Curse.
He also wanted to share his portion of the prize money with the three of them, as he felt that being rescued disqualified him from being a champion—even one of three.
However, while they agreed to his first request, they refused the second.
After all, it was just a small amount of money, and Alaric himself didn't care about it.
After the night's events, Fleur's relationship with Alaric and Hermione improved significantly.
Hermione, in particular, was very satisfied with Fleur's actions that night.
At least she had the courage to face danger with them.
Although facing Voldemort wasn't a big deal for Alaric, it was still a matter of life and death for the two girls.
Hermione even began to tacitly approve of Fleur's pursuit of Alaric.
On one hand, she had already resigned herself to Alaric's flirtatious nature, and on the other, she had come to accept Fleur.
Quite a joyous occasion indeed.
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