bioinnovel Chapter 420 Wisengamo
Chapter 420 Wisengamo
Chapter 420 Wisengamo
The following day, the wizarding community's media began to report extensively on the attack on Magnolia Road.
Even magazines like The Wizarding Weekly, whose clientele is primarily witches, have stopped publishing articles about handsome male wizards and have instead started reporting on Death Eaters.
Overnight, the wizarding world's media all changed their tune; they stopped attacking Dumbledore and instead made safety a top priority.
All the newspapers and journalists seemed to have forgotten their previous inappropriate remarks, as if the previous smears against Dumbledore didn't exist as long as no one brought them up.
However, some members of the public have discerning eyes and are no longer willing to be led by unscrupulous media. They have abandoned the industry giant, The Daily Prophet, and embraced the newly emerging The Moon.
Within a single day, the Daily Prophet's cancellation rate hit record highs, causing its editor-in-chief, Barnabas Goughfe, to lose clumps of hair in distress.
While some were sad, others were happy. Rita Skeeter, the editor-in-chief of The Moon, couldn't stop smiling. It was the first time she had ever heard that writing truthfully could actually boost sales.
On the media side, the new king is already poised to replace the old one, while on the Ministry of Magic side, the old king is already preparing to announce his abdication.
In a public statement Monday morning, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that he was unwell and unable to continue fulfilling his duties as minister.
"I regret to inform you that a group of Death Eaters is wreaking havoc on the peace and stability we have painstakingly built over the past decade. At the same time, it is with the same regret that I announce that my poor health has rendered me unable to continue leading the Ministry of Magic, and I will be resigning from all public office this week to return to my family."
When reporters asked Cornelius Fudge if he had a preferred successor, the minister named the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Amelia Bornes. I believe Amelia has the ability to lead the Ministry of Magic out of its current predicament, and I strongly urge the wizarding community to give Amelia more support."
Ms. Burns is a choice that is both surprising and unsurprising. Unsurprising because she is the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, surprising because Fudge's preferred candidate is not Belvina Black.
With the help of Bob Gordon, head of the public information office, a tired and uneasy Connelly Fudge disappeared from the reporters' sight, but the media outlets were still unwilling to leave, as they had no intention of letting go of Fudge, who was in poor health.
The reporters also wanted to ask Cornelius Fudge whether there was any conflict between him and Albus Dumbledore, and whether there was any rift in his relationship with Belvina Black.
Of course, there's also that most frightening yet most concerning question: has the person whose name cannot even be mentioned, as Dumbledore said, truly returned—the Mystic?
Bob Gordon, head of the Public Information Service, did not directly answer reporters' questions, but repeatedly emphasized that the Death Eaters were on the move and that the Ministry of Magic would take new and tougher measures, while also reminding the public to be aware of their safety.
Although no direct response was received from the Ministry of Magic, its previous statements indirectly prove that the person whose name cannot even be mentioned has indeed returned.
That afternoon, a crucial high-level meeting was taking place at the Ministry of Magic, in Wizengamor.
In the solemn and dignified tiered conference room, at least fifty members of Wissengamo sat on rows of progressively higher benches.
They were all dressed in crimson robes with an exquisite silver "W" embroidered on their left chests, and they all looked down at Amelia Borns, who was standing on the podium in the center of the conference room.
Some people frowned frequently, seemingly dissatisfied with Ms. Burns's tough stance; others nodded frequently, agreeing with Connelly Fudge's proposal and believing that Ms. Burns was the most suitable candidate for minister at present.
"Death Eaters?"
Roland Foley, with his white hair and beard, slowly stood up. He was a veteran of Wizengamo.
"Please forgive me, I didn't see any Death Eaters. All I saw was the weakness and incompetence of the Ministry of Magic," old Foley said slowly. "Please tell me, where are the Death Eaters?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a buzzing discussion immediately filled the originally serious conference room.
Those Wezengamo members who were particularly unhappy with Ms. Burns were all beaming with joy. They hoped that Foley's words would be even more incisive and that he would take down Amelia Burns in one fell swoop.
"Are the Death Eaters on Magnolia Drive in Muggles?" old Foley continued. "Why would the Death Eaters go there? Why would they be following Harry Potter when he was only fifteen?"
Roland Foley gave Ms. Burns no chance to speak, continuing his rapid-fire monologue: "A dark wizard dares to murder a Ministry of Magic employee; as the Head of the Enforcement Division, you cannot escape blame!"
The old man's accusations were sharp and incisive, and a round of applause immediately broke out in the conference room.
Those Wizengamos who were dissatisfied with Ms. Burns were all cheering Foley on, hoping he could continue his efforts and defeat Amelia Burns.
Faced with the unreasonable demands of the old men in Wizengamo, Belvina frowned. She had long anticipated that Burns' path to taking over the Ministry of Magic would not be smooth, but she had not expected these old men to be so difficult to deal with, ignoring the facts right in front of them.
Why would Death Eaters go to Magnolia Road in Muggles? The answer is obvious: they went there for Harry Potter. Did they go to admire the sleek lawns of Muggles' homes?
Faced with the questions and accusations from the Wizengamo members, Amelia Borns had to give a concrete answer. She looked at Roland Foley, her face, clad in a monocle, bearing a menacing expression.
"Mr. Foley," Ms. Burns announced loudly, "Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr. has already confessed to his crimes."
Before Ms. Burns could finish speaking, old Foley rudely interrupted her.
"I'm talking about the stalking and attack that happened on Magnolia Road, not Barty Crouch Jr., and not the Triwizard Tournament!"
The old Roland Foley, puffing out his beard and glaring, continued, "My question to you is, how did you determine that the wizard who murdered the Ministry of Magic employees on Magnolia Road was a Death Eater!"
They prevented Amelia Borns from speaking, forcibly separated Barty Crouch Jr. from what happened on Magnolia Road, and used unreasonable methods to forcefully prove that the attackers were not Death Eaters.
Roland Foley's questioning once again won enthusiastic applause from those who opposed Ms. Burns, who did not want to see the Magical Tribe in the hands of hardliners and did not want the Ministry of Magic to become a stumbling block.
"That's right!"
"That's right!"
"Well said!"
Suddenly, the Wiesengamo Conference, which should have been solemn and dignified, became as noisy as Diagon Alley.
"That's right, what makes you think the attackers are Death Eaters!"
"That's right, just because someone wears a black hood and mask doesn't mean they're a Death Eater!"
"Well said! The Death Eaters have long been imprisoned in Azkaban. The attack was not carried out by them!"
This is what it means to lie through one's teeth. Everyone knows that the Death Eaters' signature attire is a black cloak and mask, yet these people still make trouble for no reason.
Now, this group is practically calling the Magnolia Road attack a copycat crime. They've already decided to deny that Voldemort has returned and that the Death Eaters are on the move.
Of course, not all Wizengamo are so anthropomorphic. There are quite a few members who support Belvina and Amelia, and they immediately began to refute these attempts to "settle things."
"Everyone knows this massacre was committed by Death Eaters, and you're still pretending to be stupid!"
"You didn't see any of the chaos at last summer's World Cup, or Barty Crouch's testimony? Are you blind?!"
"Why would the Death Eaters go to Magnolia Road? They're obviously there to hurt Harry Potter! Everyone knows Harry Potter defeated that person whose name can't even be mentioned!"
Diagon Alley was no longer enough to describe the commotion in the conference room at this moment. Wizengamo and the other attendees were divided into three groups: one group opposed Burns and denied the existence of the Death Eaters, while the other group supported Burns and believed that Voldemort had returned.
Another group remained neutral, neither taking sides nor acknowledging Voldemort and the Death Eaters, nor opposing Amelia Bornes, aiming to offend neither side.
However, neither Amelia and Belvina, nor Voldemort and the Death Eaters, will allow these people to remain neutral. Both sides want their support, or rather, their allegiance.
This is because Wizengamot is an important institution of the Ministry of Magic. It is not only the highest court of wizards, possessing legislative and judicial powers, but also has some of the functions of Parliament. No matter who wants to become Minister of Magic, Wizengamot is an unavoidable link.
As a combination of the courts and parliament, the Minister of Magic must win the support of Wizengamor in order to gain a foothold.
If he fails to secure the support of most of the Wizengamor, the new Minister of Magic will face endless votes of no confidence and will eventually be ousted from office.
Therefore, if Amelia Burns wants to make her mark during her term, she must win the support of this group of neutrals, ensuring that the new Ministry of Magic is in the majority and leaving no opportunity for opponents to hold her back.
Just as the attendees were making a ruckus, Roland Foley once again drew everyone's attention.
No one knew where the old man got such strength, but he banged his cane so loudly that it drowned out the noise in the conference room for a moment.
Old Den Roland Foley from Foley, Hampshire, shouted, "The people generally hope and believe the Mystic is dead. Amelia Bornes, are you going against the public?"
Instantly, everyone—whether Ms. Burns' supporters, opponents, or neutrals—fell silent; the conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Mr. Foley, since you say the Dark Lord is dead, where is his body?"
Belvina slowly rose to her feet, giving him a taste of his own medicine.