bioinnovel Chapter 212 Bewilderment and Confusion
Chapter 212 Bewilderment and Confusion
Chapter 212 Bewilderment and Confusion
The last weekend of February is the full moon, and Lupin will face another fuzzy little problem.
Unlike before, tonight Lupin will not only be able to take the wolfsbane medicine to relieve his pain, but the big black dog will also be by his side.
The moonlight was perfect outside the castle, a cool breeze was blowing, the snow and frost were gradually melting, and spring was arriving at Hogwarts without anyone noticing.
Belvina left the school alone and headed towards Hogsmeade Village by the bright moonlight.
In order for the fishing plan to proceed smoothly, Belvina wrote a letter to Connelly Fudge in London, wanting to meet with the minister to discuss the details.
Belvina originally planned to go to London on her own, as she was expected to be polite when asking for favors. However, Fudge did not play by the rules and came directly to Hogsmeade.
The village of Hogsmeade is peaceful and serene at night, free from the hustle and bustle of the day, making one want to slow down and not want to break the tranquility.
However, Belvina walked quickly and hurried along the main road of the village toward the Three Brooms Tavern.
At this time, the three brooms were still lit, and a few customers sat in twos and threes inside the shop. Belvina stood at the entrance of the tavern for a while, carefully trying to discern the voices inside.
There was no conversation in the tavern; it was very quiet. Even when Belvina pushed open the door and walked in, none of the customers looked up.
Apart from Ms. Rosmerta, who was standing behind the counter, she looked up at Belvina as she walked in.
"This way, the minister is waiting for you," Ms. Rosmerta said as she stepped out from behind the bar. "This way," she gestured with her arm.
After leading Belvina to a private room inside the store, Ms. Rosmerta nodded and left without knocking.
They didn't even ask Belvina what she needed.
After Ms. Rosmerta left, Belvina gently knocked on the cubicle door, and Cornelius Fudge's voice immediately rang out.
"Belvina, do you have some good news to bring me?" Cornelius Fudge asked as he looked at Belvina as she walked in.
The Minister of Magic was still the same as always, with a head of fluffy gray hair, a kind smile, a pinstripe outfit, and a black travel cloak hanging on a coat rack.
"After receiving your letter, I immediately finished everything I was doing and rushed over without stopping," Fudge said with a kind smile. "If you suddenly ran back to the department, the people below would start speculating again."
This is an embarrassing topic. The last time Belvina appeared at the Ministry of Magic, she caused the Ministry a lot of trouble.
The Dementors guarding Hogwarts were driven back to Azkaban, and the Aurors, Strikers, and Law Enforcement Team headed to Hogwarts.
Cornelius Fudge is no longer in charge of capturing Sirius Black; the task of hunting down Azkaban fugitives is now entirely in the hands of Ms. Burns.
In addition, Dolores Umbridge, the minister's rising star, was demoted to the lowest level and sent to the Magical Repair and Maintenance Department to sweep floors.
Whether Connelly Fudge's joking remark tonight indicated he had no grudges or was a subtle warning is something only he knows.
Belvina didn't speak. Yuan Zi sat down opposite Fuji and deliberately made a creaking sound as he adjusted the armchair.
"Minister, I have something to discuss with you," Belvina said bluntly. "It's very important." She didn't want to mince words or beat around the bush.
"Is this good news?" Cornelius Fudge asked excitedly. "Sirius Black has been at large for so long, the department desperately needs some good news to boost morale."
As Fudge spoke, he poured himself a glass of mead.
The glass of mead was placed in front of Belvina, while a glass of red currant rum was placed in front of Fudge.
“You know, the Ministry is under a lot of pressure. No one has ever escaped Azkaban before,” Fudge continued. “We have to catch him as soon as possible, before the Ministry of Magic is completely disgraced.”
"Minister, what I want to talk about is Sirius Black," Belvina said. "A few days ago, he broke into Hogwarts again and went into Harry Potter's bedroom."
Upon hearing this, Cornelius Fudge was shocked. After a moment of panic, anger rose on his round face.
"How did Amelia and the Aurors do their jobs?!" Fudge slammed his fist on the table in anger. "So many people couldn't even protect one school!"
Belvina chose to ignore the statement. Whether Fudge was angrily denouncing Ms. Burns' incompetence or indirectly criticizing Dumbledore, Belvina did not want to continue reading.
"Minister, why do you think Sirius Black wanted to escape from Azkaban?" Belvina asked tentatively. "He's been imprisoned for twelve years, why would he suddenly escape?"
"How would I know? He might have gone insane, after all, his master fell from power," Fudge said vaguely. "You know, Dementors are always watching him—"
"Minister, that's not what you said last time," Belvina said.
"Really? I forgot. I don't remember what we said last time," Fudge said vaguely. He was only concerned about whether Sirius had been caught.
Belvina picked up her glass, swirled it aimlessly, and repeated Fudge's words one by one.
She said, "You're surprised to find that Blake seems perfectly normal, and he talks to you quite rationally, which makes you uneasy..."
Before Belvina could continue, Connelly Forgetten stood up abruptly, his brow furrowed, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.
Fudge spoke rapidly, "I know what you're trying to say. I guessed it when I received your letter—you want to clear Sirius Black's name! Merlin, after you went through those old case files, I thought you finally had the ambition to climb the ladder, but it turns out you're doing it for a murderer!"
Cornelius Fudge looked angry, his eyes revealing his disappointment in Belvina.
"I personally led the team to the scene back then, and I—I'll never forget that scene; I still dream about it sometimes," Fudge continued. "A huge crater was blown up in the middle of the street, and Blake was just standing there laughing!"
Fudge suddenly sat back in his chair and said solemnly, "Don't do anything foolish, Belvina. The evidence against Sirius Black is irrefutable; there's nothing you can do. I know how important offspring are to the Black family, but I really don't see what good this will do you."
Fudge, still frowning, spoke even faster: "Even if you value the Black family, there's no need to bring Sirius into this. You could just send a woman over—"
The cubicle suddenly fell silent. Fouché stopped talking. As a minister, he shouldn't have said such things, much less made such a suggestion.
"Minister, I appreciate your kindness," Belvina said with a smile. "I do want to clear Sirius's name and I hope to see the Black family flourish again, but what I want is a Black living in the sunlight."
Belvina paused for a moment, then continued, "Minister, Sirius Black has broken into Hogwarts time and time again, each time with a very clear purpose, but his target is not Harry Potter."
"I told you, he might be mentally unstable. He just seems normal on the surface, but he's actually been crazy for a long time," Cornelius Fudge said reluctantly, arms crossed. "There's no need to rush things, and we don't need him. Don't waste your energy."
Connelly Fudge had already secretly devised a plan to maintain his own people in charge of the ministerial post.
From Fudge himself to Belvina, and from Belvina to Rufus Fudge, three generations have shaped the Ministry of Magic belonging to the Fudge family.
Therefore, the selection of Belvina as the minister for the transitional phase is very important, and no mistakes can be made.
Trying to overturn the irrefutable evidence against Sirius Black is tantamount to ruining one's future. Not to mention how many people one would offend, it would also destroy the reputation one has built up over time.
"Minister," Belvina said carefully, "clearing Sirius's name is a bad thing for the Ministry of Magic, but a good thing for you and me. Besides, I have already won Dumbledore's support."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fudge pulled down his eyelids, looking somewhat displeased. He muttered, "Since you already have Dumbledore's support, why are you telling me all this?"
Then, Cornelius Fudge suddenly widened his eyes and asked incredulously, "What did you say? You mean Sirius Black was framed? How is that possible? I caught him myself, and there were so many eyewitnesses!"
A warning sign rang in Belvina's mind; it seemed that Dumbledore and Fudge's second honeymoon was already on its last legs.
“Yes, Minister. I’ve discovered that someone who should have died years ago is actually still alive,” Belvina said. “That person is at Hogwarts.”
"A person who should be dead isn't dead? Are you sick, or drunk?" Fudge leaned over to look at Belvina. "Why are you starting to say things that no one can understand!"
"Peter Pettigrew is very likely still alive; he's at Hogwarts," Belvina said seriously. "If Peter is still alive—"
Connelly Fudge jumped to his feet, bumping into the table in front of him and knocking over the rum on it.
"Impossible! That brave young man is dead! He was blown to pieces by Black!" Fudge's eyes widened. "So many Muggles heard and saw it all. Black is the murderer."
Fudge lowered his voice, gritting his teeth, and said, "And also, Black was the Potters' confidant, a fact personally testified to by Dumbledore. That's Black's biggest crime!"
"Muggles? Muggles don't understand magic, so how credible are their testimonies?" Belvina retorted. "Besides, I already have Dumbledore's support."
"Impossible, how could it be, absolutely impossible!" Cornelius Fudge muttered. "Peter is dead."
I found fragments of his body at the scene. Black was the secret agent; he's the one who killed the Potters—.”
Sirius Black was wrongly accused; Peter Pettigrew did not actually die. Cornelius Fudge could not accept this, nor did he want to accept it.
If Sirius Black, who has been imprisoned for twelve years, is innocent, what will the Ministry of Magic do, and how will he, as Minister, conduct himself?
At this moment, Cornelius Fudge's thoughts were a jumbled mess, like a tangled tangle.
"Minister," Belvina dropped a bombshell, "I've captured Sirius Black."