bioinnovel Chapter 110 Cornelius Fudge
Chapter 110 Cornelius Fudge
Chapter 110 Cornelius Fudge
December brought days of snow to Hogwarts, covering the castle and grounds in a layer of silver, and the game hut looked like a giant pumpkin covered in frost.
As the holidays drew near, a busy atmosphere filled the school. Professor Flitwick, while instructing the dueling club,
They once again took on the important task of decorating the auditorium.
Professor McGonagall collected the list of students staying on campus for the holiday as usual. Very few students chose to stay on campus for the holiday; everyone wished they could sprout wings and fly home immediately.
Before the much-anticipated Christmas holidays arrive, the last Hogsmeade weekend of the semester begins.
On Saturday morning, the sky suddenly cleared up, but it was windy.
Students in the third grade and above lined up in the lobby, waiting for Mr. Filch, the administrator, to check and let them in.
Mr. Filch, with his red nose, stood at the front of the student line, holding a long list in his hand, checking each student heading to Hogsmeade one by one.
A month and a half has passed since Halloween, but Filch still hasn't given up on waiting for the sign to be broken. A chair is still placed under the red letter left by the heir.
It seems that only by wandering around the crime scene and personally catching the naughty students can Filch temporarily relieve his grief over the loss of Mrs. Lorris.
Around nine o'clock, Belvina, dressed neatly, arrived at the foyer. She was wearing a thick, long brown trench coat and a dark scarf around her neck, giving off a warm vibe, like thermal underwear tucked into socks.
A little while later, Basilda also appeared in the foyer and found Belvina chatting idly with her students. The two professors waved goodbye and walked out of the castle together.
Belvina and Bassheda walked side by side across the white field, past the tall stone pillar topped with a winged wild boar.
Turn left onto the road leading to Hogsmeade Village.
Soon, the two arrived at the crowded Hogsmeade, where the rooftops of the huts and shops lining the roads were also covered in snow.
It has a crystal-clear white color.
Hogwarts students can be seen everywhere in the small village, moving between various shops, such as Honeydukes, which sells sweets and candies, Zonco's Joke Shop, which is both loved and hated, and Madam Patiffe's Tea House, which is full of lovey-dovey couples.
Belvina and Bassheda pushed open the door and entered the Three Brooms. The tavern was as clean, tidy, warm, and bright as ever. Mrs. Rosmerta was busy carrying trays back and forth.
Today, the Three Brooms had a lot of guests. Every table was occupied. Some were wizards who lived in the village, some were tourists who came to visit the village, and there were waves of Hogwarts students squeezing in.
Belvina declined the students' offer to share a table and instead found two empty seats at the bar.
Instead of ordering single malt whisky, Belvina and Bassheda each ordered a glass of mulled wine for a more festive feel, along with a crispy pork rind and a snack recommended by Ms. Rosmerta.
Drinking mulled wine usually signifies the approach of Christmas, and mulled wine with spices and fruits is also a drink that can ward off the cold.
Belvina wasn't used to the taste of mulled wine; one sip was all she could taste—a strong blend of spices and sweetness. The only thing that pleased her was the comforting temperature.
Basilda, on the other hand, really enjoyed mulled wine, unlike Belvina who just drank it out of curiosity. After all, ancient runic sweethearts were easy to feed, and they could happily eat noodles and bread.
About half an hour later, the tavern door was opened again, and the cold wind outside whistled in as three brooms flew in. Several hairy heroes turned around to start cursing, but when they saw who it was, they swallowed all their swear words.
"Rosmerta, my dear, I must say, it's so good to see you again!" Cornelius Fudge stood at the tavern door.
He spoke loudly, with two serious-looking male wizards behind him.
"Minister!" Ms. Rosmerta looked very surprised. "What brings you here? A glass of redcurrant rum, is that right?" The pub owner abandoned his customers and hurried over to the minister.
Connelly Fudge was equally pleased, saying, "You have one too, it's on me."
Fudge glanced at the crowded tavern lobby and asked, "Do you have any private rooms? I have some things to take care of and need a quiet place."
At this moment, Belvina, who had already stood up, walked over. She didn't speak, but stood there quietly, glancing at the two pillar-like bodyguards. Belvina was certain she had never seen the two male wizards following Fudge before.
"Look who this is, Belvina!" Fudge's voice rose sharply. "She's paler, but thinner. The awful weather at Hogwarts is always unbearable."
Belvina smiled but remained silent, not taking the initiative to actively engage in conversation.
"This must be Miss Barblin!" Fudge said again. "I've always heard Belvina mention you; it's great to finally meet you today."
At this moment, Basilda's social anxiety surfaced. Instead of exchanging pleasantries with the minister, she responded with a sweet smile, abruptly ending the conversation.
Led by Ms. Rosmerta, Cornelius Fudge went first into the brightly lit cubicle, while two tall, burly wizards remained outside, standing on either side of the doorway.
Belvina followed the minister into the cubicle. Although Fudge's two big, clumsy bodyguards were unfamiliar with her, they didn't foolishly stop Belvina or ask her to remove her wand.
Once inside the cubicle, Cornelius Fudge quieted down, no longer raising his voice an octave. He stood by the window with his hands behind his back.
He stared out the window without saying a word.
Fudge didn't turn around until Ms. Rosmerta put down a glass of redcurrant rum, closed the door, and left.
"What's going on at Hogwarts?" Cornelius Fudge asked grimly. "The parents have already sent me their complaint letters!"
Belvina recalled what she had written in her reply before speaking: "First a cat was attacked, then a student, Colin Crevy, a freshman in Gryffindor."
"Of course I know something happened to a student, otherwise why would I have come all this way?" Fudge's facial muscles twitched. He couldn't understand why Hogwarts had become like this, with the Philosopher's Stone and students being attacked.
Fudge paced back and forth in the cubicle, annoyed. What he wanted was stability, stability in every aspect, but Hogwarts had problems for two years in a row!
"Minister, please calm down," Belvina said, pushing a bottle of rum on the table toward Fudge. "Just as I said in my reply to you, the secret room has been opened again. Mr. Crevy, who was attacked, had Muggle parents."
An annoyed Fudge finally sat down in a chair, then picked up his glass and took a big gulp, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
"What about Dumbledore? What has he been up to lately?" Fudge asked, frowning.
It's unclear when exactly, but Cornelius Fudge's attitude changed. He no longer respected Dumbledore as much as before, and even wrote fewer letters to Dumbledore.
Belvina lowered her eyelids and said calmly, "I'm not sure. She's probably holed up in her office looking through documents. The castle has undergone many renovations over the centuries; maybe we can find some clues in those blueprints."
Cornelius Fudge took off his hat to keep warm and kept fiddling with his gray hair.
He said, "The school can't afford any more accidents. What I need is stability, you understand? Stability! Stability is more important than anything else!"
"Of course, I completely understand and fully support your decision," Belvina said calmly. "But I think we should give Dumbledore more time; the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets has been around for almost a thousand years."
Professor McGonagall's stance at the Duel Club was very firm, but every professor knew perfectly well that the chances of finding the secret room were extremely low.
"Furthermore, Mr. Crevey is a Muggle," Belvina continued. "I think we should be careful about that, to prevent anyone from trying to sow discord between us and Dumbledore."
Fudge tapped his bent fingers on the armrest of the chair for a long while before finally speaking, saying, "Of course I know. I know what those people want to do. They think they can use me to get rid of Dumbledore."
Haha, if Cornelius Fudge's words were believable, the Slytherin heir would be dead tonight.
She rushed from London to Scotland, and the first thing she did was to question Fudge about his wicked intentions. Others might not know, but Belvina certainly could.