"Sir?" Truman took a deep breath and said loudly, "You're just leaving?"
"What's the matter?" Percy Weasley, a junior official in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, turned to look at Truman with mild impatience, his nose slightly upturned as if he smelled something unpleasant.
"In other words, am I just supposed to accept this?" Truman's voice was thick with frustration. The Ministry of Magic's handling of the entire situation had been nothing short of disgraceful.
"Yes, it was a complete misunderstanding," Percy said, adopting the Ministry's well-rehearsed, detached tone—one he had surely learned under Dolores Umbridge's strict tutelage.
Truman shot a glance at Albert, who stood beside him with crossed arms. His voice was laced with anger as he said coldly, "I deserve an apology. Do you have any idea how much this false expulsion letter affected me? Do you know how furious I was when I found out I was being expelled from Hogwarts for something I didn't even do? Now you expect me to simply accept that it was a 'mistake'? Do you think a student is that easy to brush aside, Mr. Weasley?"
Truman's fists clenched as he spoke, his words gaining intensity. The Ministry's blatant disregard for fairness was infuriating. Albert had warned him about this, but it was another thing entirely to experience it firsthand. His voice shook at first but gradually steadied into a determined demand. "I want a formal apology from the Ministry of Magic. This entire mess was caused by your department's incompetence, and I refuse to be dismissed like an afterthought. Furthermore, I expect compensation for the undue stress and humiliation I suffered."
"What?" Percy blinked, his smug demeanor faltering. Even Dumbledore, who had been observing the exchange quietly, seemed mildly intrigued.
"You heard me," Truman said, his grip tightening on his wand. "I expect compensation. Let's say… one hundred Galleons."
Percy's face twisted in an expression of sheer incredulity. "Compensation? There's no precedent for that."
"Then set one," Truman retorted sharply. "Or are you implying that the Ministry of Magic is incapable of taking responsibility for its mistakes?"
Percy cast a nervous glance toward Dumbledore, who merely raised an eyebrow.
"I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience," Percy muttered stiffly. "But the Ministry—"
"Your apology lacks sincerity," Truman interrupted. "You're only saying it because I forced you to."
Albert chuckled and shook his head. "You know, Percy, I had a professor like you once. Always following orders, never thinking for himself."
Percy's expression darkened.
"Of course," Albert continued smoothly, "you're free to treat us like foolish schoolchildren. But keep in mind that the wizarding world doesn't take kindly to officials who abuse their power. The press, for instance, just loves stories like this."
Percy's eyes flickered with something close to fear, but he quickly masked it. With a final huff, he turned on his heel and left, his face burning red.
"Then I suppose this is goodbye, Headmaster," Albert said with a polite nod toward Dumbledore. "Thank you for stepping in. If Truman had been expelled because of this farce, I'd have felt personally responsible."
"Goodbye, Mr. Anderson. And to you, Mr. Truman," Dumbledore responded, his ever-present twinkle of amusement glinting in his eyes before he, too, departed.
As soon as they were alone, Truman let out an exasperated groan. "Those Ministry officials are insufferable! The nerve of them, treating me like a nuisance rather than the victim."
Albert smirked. "Well, how about we write to The Daily Prophet?"
At the mention of the newspaper, a glint of mischief sparked in Truman's eyes. "Oh, that's perfect. We'll expose them."
Albert grinned. The situation had triggered a rare opportunity—not just for justice, but for a strategic advantage.
"Fine," Truman said, "but if this turns into a scandal, I expect half of whatever compensation they cough up."
"Deal."
Truman hesitated. "By the way, are your parents really lawyers?"
"Of course," Albert replied smoothly. "So trust me, I know how to handle cases like this. Besides, the public loves an underdog story. If we do this right, we'll make sure our names and faces never appear in the paper—only the Ministry's shame."
Meanwhile, at the offices of The Daily Prophet, London…
Rita Skeeter tapped her emerald-green nails against her desk, frowning at the lack of sensational news. "Dreadfully dull week, isn't it?" she muttered to her assistant.
The wizard shrugged. "Unless you count the goblins protesting at Gringotts…"
"Please," Rita scoffed. "Hardly front-page material. We need something scandalous. Something that exposes the Ministry's incompetence. Something…"
A pile of letters landed on her desk. She waved her wand lazily, sending them flying open one by one. Most were the usual nonsense—fan letters, gossip, minor complaints. But then, one particular letter caught her eye.
Her lips curled into a delighted smirk. Attached was a Ministry-issued expulsion letter, complete with the bureaucratic nonsense that had wrongfully accused a Hogwarts student. Oh, this was gold.
"Well, well," Rita murmured, twirling her quill between her fingers. "Looks like young Mr. Truman and his friend have handed us quite the story."
Two days later, The Daily Prophet's front page exploded with the scandal. The headline read:
"Ministry Injustice! Innocent Hogwarts Student Nearly Expelled Due to Department's Blunder—Officials Refuse to Apologize"
Rita's article was merciless. She detailed how the Ministry, particularly Percy Weasley, had mishandled the situation, calling them untrustworthy, negligent, and unfit for their positions. She included a statement allegedly from the victim:
"Do you think a child is easy to bully, sir?"
The wizarding world ate it up. Letters poured into the Ministry, demanding accountability. Public outrage was immediate.
Within days, Percy Weasley was placed on temporary leave, and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement scrambled to do damage control.
As Truman sat in the Great Hall, sipping pumpkin juice and flipping through the newspaper, he smirked. "I got my 25 Galleons."
Albert chuckled. "Told you it'd work. And look, no names, no photos—just the Ministry's humiliation."
The two exchanged a satisfied nod. Not only had they won, but they had sent a message: never underestimate a Hogwarts student.