In the room, Sirius poured a cup of tea for both himself and Kingsley.
"When Dumbledore came before, I already said I have more important things to do. I'm sorry, but I won't be returning to the Order of the Phoenix. After this cup of tea, please leave."
Kingsley didn't touch the tea in front of him. "More important things, like growing potatoes?"
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Say what you will, Kingsley. I have a child to take care of, remember? I won't take risks anymore."
"By Merlin, I can't believe these are your words," Kingsley looked astonished. "I never thought Sirius Black would fear death."
"Fear death?" Sirius's eyes widened, nearly angered, but he quickly exhaled. "Alright, goading won't work on me. Yes, I do fear death now, Kingsley."
"I used to not care about life, didn't see any value in it, because I had nothing to hold onto."
"Back then, I could execute the most difficult tasks, fight the most dangerous wizards without fear, because death to me was just leaving this terrible world and finally finding peace."
"But now, things are different. There's a child who needs me. He has already lost so much, I can hardly imagine him losing me too, it would break my heart."
Kingsley was silent for a while. "You really have changed, Sirius."
"OK, OK, you can call me a coward if you want."
Kingsley shook his head. "I wouldn't say that. You and James were recklessly brave in the Order, just because of the ignorance of youth. Later, James had important people, he bore responsibilities, so he understood the value of life. You seemed to never care."
"I'm glad you've come to realize it now."
Sirius looked at him. "You're not going to try to convince me anymore?"
"You've already made your decision," Kingsley said. "Finding what you truly want to do isn't easy, so I won't waste my breath."
Sirius was somewhat surprised but relieved. He thought for a moment and pulled out the phoenix feather Dumbledore had left him.
"Return this to Dumbledore for me."
Kingsley didn't take it. "You keep it. Regardless, you're a member of the Order. Keeping it won't hurt; you might need it."
Sirius hesitated but eventually put the phoenix feather away.
He still had a lot of affection for the Order.
"Speaking of which, how did you come back? Aren't you still wanted?" Sirius asked.
"The President of the United States is visiting Britain. Their Muggle and wizard relations are poor, no wizards were sent for protection, which is very dangerous at this time. The purpose of the US President's visit is disadvantageous to Murphy's Muggle power. Dumbledore asked me to protect the President, just in case."
Sirius frowned, then asked the inevitable question, "How is the Order doing?"
Kingsley glanced at him. "To be honest, not very well. Murphy's influence is enormous; he's turned the Ministry of Magic into an impenetrable fortress, we can't infiltrate it. Some of the older members are basically under surveillance by Murphy. We've tried to develop some new members, but it hasn't been going well."
"You said you need me, just because you're short of hands?" Sirius asked.
Although he also understood that once he heard the other party's request, he might find it hard to refuse, he couldn't completely detach himself from caring.
"That's not it," Kingsley said. "Recently, the International Confederation of Wizards sent a delegation to investigate the Ministry of Magic's compliance with the Secrecy Act. They also had another secret mission, but it's been more than ten days now, and they haven't contacted me."
Sirius frowned. "I saw in the newspaper yesterday, the investigation team doesn't seem to be well-liked."
"Yes, I saw that too. Their behavior is a bit off. I know those wizards; they aren't the type to be disliked. Moreover, there's been no contact until now; I suspect they've been controlled."
"Or replaced," Sirius said. "I understand, you want me to check on them?"
"Yes, in fact, we know almost nothing about the situation inside the Ministry now. Murphy's Ministry has many relatives of the Black family. If…"
Sirius thought for a moment. Just passing some messages seemed manageable. "Alright, I'll inquire. If there's news, I'll inform you with a Patronus."
"Thank you very much, Sirius," Kingsley breathed a sigh of relief. "The President of the United States will leave tomorrow. I'll come back after sending him off."
Sirius nodded. "How are things with the Muggles? Did you succeed?"
Kingsley sighed. "It's not that easy. Murphy seems to have done something to the Prime Minister, making him unusually assertive... Ah, Murphy is becoming more and more brazen."
"But such actions won't last. I heard the US President say the Muggle parliament might impeach the Prime Minister..."
...
The attack on Umbrella was brought on by the visit of the President of the United States, but this was not merely the work of the United States alone.
The President merely acted as a catalyst.
The rise of Umbrella meant the displacement of countless large corporations, especially in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries.
In fact, Umbrella had almost monopolized these two sectors in Britain.
With Umbrella around, they could only starve.
Thus, following the "west wind" of the President's visit and the hearing, countless "ghosts" slaughtered by Umbrella found their chance and began to kick the company when it was down.
At this time, the Prime Minister, controlled by Murphy, unexpectedly toughened up, resisting the pressure from the US President and risking a significant drop in public opinion and poll numbers, forcibly applied the brakes on the "anti-Umbrella" tide.
Such contrarian actions naturally consumed a lot of political capital.
After the US President returned, he immediately implemented a series of sanctions against Britain and Umbrella. The parliament, frightened by the father's discipline, immediately saw the emergence of a "moderate faction," urging the Prime Minister not to be rash, to respect the ally's opinions, and not to disregard the father's interests.
But the Prime Minister, under the Imperius Curse, was stubbornly single-minded, ignoring all advice. Regardless of how the public opinion turned, how the polls plummeted, or how his own party threatened, he staunchly supported Umbrella to the end.
After repeated setbacks, they finally realized the Prime Minister might have gone mad; he actually wanted to break away from his party and go solo!
Indeed, many were attracted by such a strong Prime Minister and stood by his side, but the Prime Minister under the Imperius Curse was essentially a puppet, unable to smoothly rally allies or gather his own team.
The opposition, of course, would not miss such an opportunity and immediately prepared to launch a motion of no confidence, voting to end this government and call for new elections.
Originally, the Conservative Party, to which the Prime Minister belonged, was reluctant to see such a situation, but the increasingly uncontrollable Prime Minister ultimately made them decide to support their opponents' actions.
Thus, two months after the hearing, after several rounds of interest exchanges between the parties, the British House of Commons passed the motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister was forced to step down, but the government did not need to be reorganized. The ruling party internally selected a new party leader and Prime Minister candidate.
The political turmoil highlighted the deep-seated issues within the British political system and the extensive influence that external pressures could exert on internal politics. The United States, through its sanctions and political pressure, along with the domestic discontent stirred by the monopolistic practices of Umbrella Corporation, created a perfect storm that even a Prime Minister under magical influence couldn't weather.
The Umbrella Corporation found itself at the center of a geopolitical maelstrom, with its innovative technologies and market dominance attracting envy and fear in equal measure. The company's ties with Murphy and the magical community only added layers of complexity to the situation, making it a focal point of international intrigue and domestic political battles.
As the new Prime Minister took office, the political landscape began to shift. The fresh leadership was expected to adopt a more conciliatory stance toward the United States and possibly take steps to address the monopolistic concerns surrounding Umbrella Corporation. However, the deep-rooted issues of magical influence and the intertwined interests of the magical and Muggle worlds remained unresolved, setting the stage for future conflicts.
Meanwhile, within the magical community, the Order of the Phoenix and its allies continued their struggle against Murphy's expanding influence. The situation with the International Confederation of Wizards' investigative team raised alarms about the extent of Murphy's control over the Ministry of Magic and the potential for further abuses of power.
Sirius Black's decision to stay out of the fray and focus on Harry's welfare represented a personal resolution to prioritize family and personal safety over the broader battle. However, his willingness to assist in gathering information showed that he was not entirely detached from the ongoing struggles of the magical world.
The political and magical upheavals underscored the fragile balance between power, responsibility, and the quest for a peaceful existence, whether in the Muggle or magical realms. As the characters navigated these tumultuous waters, their choices and actions would continue to shape the future of both worlds, for better or worse.
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