bioinnovel Chapter 262 Incompetent Commander
Chapter 262 Incompetent Commander
Chapter 262 Incompetent Commander
"First floor, the Minister of Magic's office and logistics department—"
Accompanied by a hollow, indifferent female voice, the golden gate slid open to both sides with a whoosh.
Belvina stepped out of the elevator and stood in the corridor that symbolized the pinnacle of power in the Ministry of Magic, and for a moment she was somewhat taken aback.
Once upon a time, she thought she could live a peaceful life in the Ministry of Magic, that she could stand on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight, letting them beat each other to a pulp.
Now, she has stepped out from the crowd and taken to the forefront of the fight against Voldemort, secretly plotting how to purge the Ministry of Magic. The change is so drastic that she seems like a completely different person.
Or perhaps she pretended to be harmless for so long that she herself forgot what she originally looked like.
Belvina strode forward, walking along the thick carpeted corridor lined with nameplates on both sides, and soon arrived at the minister's office.
Even with the office door closed, Connelly Fudge's furious roar could still be heard.
"—Indiscriminately attacking wizards and Muggles, setting fire to encampments—tell me! Where are your security measures?! Are they all just sitting around doing nothing?!"
The Ministry of Magic has been busy for a whole year in order to ensure the successful hosting of this year's Quidditch World Cup.
Everything was ready, everything was going smoothly, and just when everyone thought the World Cup was about to come to a perfect end,
The campsite left a huge mess.
Not only was Cornelius Fudge furious, but even Belvina felt that this was somewhat unreasonable.
"...You failed to detect the anomaly at the campsite beforehand, and you failed to stop the dark wizard's party from causing a disturbance in time. Do you think you deserved every single copper coin you received?!"
Well, Connelly Fudge's accusations are indeed valid.
The Department of Law Enforcement certainly bears primary responsibility for the riot that occurred at the campsite.
Their main responsibility is to provide security during the World Cup and ensure its safe operation.
Now look what's happened! The Department of Law Enforcement's security has botched, and the Ministry of Magic has been branded a disgrace at the World Cup, losing all face.
If this were in the island nation where the magic institute is located, the entire legal enforcement department would probably have to commit seppuku to wash away the shame; the spirit of craftsmanship would be useless now.
"The Black Mark! The Black Mark again! Can anyone tell me what the Black Mark is? Why is it at the World Cup campsite? Why has it reappeared?!"
Cornelius Fudge's furious roar was as loud as a dozen shouting letters exploding at once, even causing the brass plaque hanging on the door to shake.
Compared to the riots at the campsite, the Black Mark was what Fudge feared most and what he least wanted to see.
Everyone knows what the Black Mark means; even if it's just a bad April Fool's joke, it's enough to scare many people.
"Get out, all of you! I don't want to see you right now!"
A moment later, the gleaming wooden door to the minister's office was opened from the inside, and Amelia Borns walked out first, followed by Rufus Scrimgeour, the Auror's chief of staff.
Ms. Burns looked exhausted, with a hint of anger in her eyes, making her a formidable figure.
As the highest-ranking official in the Department of Law Enforcement, Ms. Bonn is undoubtedly responsible for such a huge oversight at the World Cup camp.
Upon seeing Belvina waiting outside the office door, Ms. Burns did not speak, but nodded slightly as a greeting.
As one of the top officials in the ministry, being scolded like this would make it difficult for anyone to have a lively conversation with others.
Besides, the area outside the minister's office is not a place to talk.
After the two officers from the Legal Enforcement Division had walked away, Belvina knocked on the gleaming door of the office.
"Come in."
Cornelius Fudge's voice came from inside the office.
Belvina pushed open the office door and walked in, saying as she went, "Minister, you wanted to see me?"
Upon hearing this, Cornelius Fudge looked up.
The minister, his face full of sorrow, sat dejectedly behind his desk, propping his head up with one hand, looking utterly hopeless.
Only a few hours had passed since the encampment riot and the Black Mark taking off, yet Cornelius Fudge looked as if he had aged more than ten years in an instant.
"It's you, Belvina," Fudge said worriedly. "What's the reaction from all sides? And what's the attitude of the International Confederation of Wizards?"
Belvina walked to the desk, crossed her hands naturally over her lower abdomen, and said seriously, "Judging from the current situation, things may not be as bad as we thought."
"Sit down, sit down and let's talk." Fudge waved his hand wearily.
Belvina pulled out the armchair in front of her desk, sat down gracefully, and continued, "The reactions of the magic representatives from various countries were quite lukewarm, except for the French representative. As for the International Wizarding Federation, they didn't say anything at all."
Upon hearing this, Connelly Fudge snorted coldly. The indifferent reactions from all sides made his already chilling heart even colder.
He said, "Saying nothing means saying everything, just behind our backs. This time, we've really lost face in front of the whole world."
In just one night—no, in just a few hours—the image of the British Ministry of Magic’s incompetence had spread throughout the world, leaving it essentially beyond redemption.
"Minister, the riots at the World Cup campsite are a done deal, so let's look forward," Belvina advised. "We should focus more on the upcoming Triwizard Tournament and ensure that the event goes smoothly."
"How could I not know all this? But when I think of the newspaper reports and the gossip those foreigners are spouting behind my back, I just—"
Cornelius Fudge let out a long sigh. He wanted a prosperous and stable future, and he wanted to become a Minister of Magic who would go down in history, but someone was determined to prevent him from having his way.
The riots that occurred just last night are enough to place him among the "incompetent ministers of the Ministry of Magic".
It could be said that Connelly Fudge's hard-earned reputation and prestige over the years were completely destroyed by what happened last night.
All her hard work was ruined in an instant, no wonder Cornelius Fudge was so angry and didn't give Amelia Burns any face.
"Tell me, do you have a way to save face immediately?" Fudge continued. "You've always been full of clever ideas, you must have already come up with one."
Belvina didn't reply, sitting there as if in a trance.
There are solutions, but Cornelius Fudge certainly wouldn't dare to follow them blindly.
Since that's the case, Belvina simply kept her mouth shut and didn't say a word, so as not to cause herself any trouble.
"Speak," Fudge continued, "it's just the two of us here. What you say will come out of your mouth and into my ears, and only the two of us will know."
"Minister," Belvina began slowly, "you've already figured out a solution, haven't you?"
Cornelius Fudge's face darkened. He had thought that Belvina would have a brilliant solution, but it turned out to be the same as his own idea. Wasn't it a waste of time to ask her?
"Minister, you've served the Ministry of Magic for many years," Belvina continued. "The true identities of those people last night certainly couldn't have escaped your notice."
Cornelius Fudge shook his head and gave a wry smile.
He could indeed guess the true identities of those people from last night; even if he couldn't guess them all, he could guess about 70-80%.
It was precisely because he could guess the true identities of those people that he dared not act rashly; he knew his own limitations very well.
To put it bluntly, Connelly Fudge didn't have the courage to go all in.
Both the methods Belvina suggested and the methods he came up with himself involved arresting people directly without any evidence.
If we just bring all those people back, we'll have all the evidence we need.
Get on the bus first, then buy your ticket.
However, Connelly Fudge dared not use this method.
Belvina knew the minister wouldn't dare do that, so she didn't say it outright.
Besides directly inviting people back to the Ministry of Magic for a chat, Belvina actually had an even more insidious method—framing them one by one.
The Ministry of Magic arrested quite a few of the henchmen who caused trouble at the campsite last night. If just one of them is willing to give a few names, then we'll have evidence!
Moreover, the names are all readily available.
Lucius Malfoy, and Goyle and Crabbe, you can name them any of them.
Take one of these three back to the Ministry of Magic first. If Cornelius Fudge can withstand the pressure, they won't be able to deny their guilt.
However, the same old problem remains—Cornelly Fudge doesn't have the courage; he certainly can't withstand the pressure, whether internal or external.
Once the leading minister is overwhelmed by pressure, it's all in vain for the subordinates to fight back with their wands.
They should release the person when the time comes, even if they face retaliation later.
This perfectly encapsulates the ancient and mysterious language of the East: "An incompetent general can lead to the downfall of an entire army."
Such is the current state of the Ministry of Magic: with an incompetent leader like Cornelius Fudge, even a court full of capable ministers is useless.
Belvina stared intently at the minister behind the desk, hoping that Fudge would defy expectations and dismantle the mountain of prejudice that weighed on her heart.
All Cornelius Fudge needed to do was nod—no, Fudge didn't even need to nod, just a glance, a single glance was enough.
Belvina will surely be able to deliver a satisfactory result within a day.
"The Dark Mark?" Fudge asked dejectedly. "Any clues? Who put that thing up in the sky?!"
Sure enough, Connelly Fudge never disappoints when it comes to being disappointing.
"No," Belvina said calmly. She belonged to the International Magical Cooperation Department, not the Legal Enforcement Department, so why ask her these questions!
Disappointed?
Not disappointed at all, just a little dissatisfied.
Belvina was already used to Fudge's hesitant and cautious manner, and she would find it strange if he suddenly became assertive one day.
Some might even suspect that someone is impersonating the Minister of Magic using Polyjuice Potion.
"Belvina," Cornelius Fudge said, "the Triwizard Tournament absolutely cannot have any more problems."
The minister seems to see the three-way battle as his last lifeline.
"I will do my best."
"It's not just about giving it your all, it's about absolutely having to! We must be absolutely certain of success."
Belvina fell silent; she dared not pat her chest and assure the minister that everything would go perfectly.
Hogwarts, a magical place where nothing unexpected would seem surprising.