bioinnovel Chapter 428 The New Official Takes Office
Chapter 428 The New Official Takes Office
Chapter 428 The New Official Takes Office
That afternoon, Belvina convened her first meeting at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
In the rectangular office, Belvina sat at the head of the table without hesitation, knitting a scarf with complete focus.
Assistant Director Gemma Farley stood at the conference room door, both to greet officials at all levels and to record everyone's arrival time.
Soon, the first group of officials arrived at the conference room.
Several law enforcement team captains, including Felix Ferguson, walked out of the corridor around the corner, chatting and laughing.
The Law Enforcement Team is an important part of the Magic Law Enforcement Division, and they are responsible for common law enforcement and arrest operations.
"Good afternoon, Gemma!" Felix waved enthusiastically.
With Felix leading the way, the other captains also greeted the newly arrived assistant director.
Almost everyone in the Ministry of Magic knew that Felix Ferguson bore the "Black" label.
Felix himself never shied away from this point. Thanks to his relationship with the higher-ups and his amiable personality, Felix was very successful in the law enforcement team.
Over the years, Felix has become able to name every member of the law enforcement team and has also developed good relationships with the battering department, laying a solid foundation for Belvina's takeover of the law enforcement division.
"Miss Black!"
Led by Felix, the captains shouted in unison.
While knitting her scarf, Belvina momentarily thought she wasn't a leader of law enforcement, but rather the head of some criminal gang.
"Please sit down." Belvina looked up, but her hands didn't stop moving. "Please sit down first. The meeting hasn't started yet, so you can continue your conversation."
With Belvina Black in charge, the captains were still a bit reserved in her presence. Fortunately, Felix was perceptive and led everyone to sit down, then started chatting quietly.
Just as the captains were chatting quietly about work, Arthur Weasley and Mafalda Hopkirk appeared together in the hallway outside the meeting room.
"Good afternoon, Bei—" Arthur hesitated for a moment when addressing him.
"Good afternoon, Arthur," Belvina said without looking up. "Does Molly have time today?"
"I have time. Molly's home every day," Arthur said. "Molly's making meatballs tonight, wanna come along?"
Belvina nodded and said with a smile, "That's wonderful! After dinner, Molly can teach me how to knit."
The short, gray-haired witch Mafalda Hopkirk silently stepped aside. She glanced at the captains in the conference room and thought to herself that they had arrived even earlier than her.
Hopkirk's idea was actually quite simple: she wanted to make a good impression on the new leader before the first meeting officially began, in order to prevent him from making things difficult for her later.
After all, the former head of the Office for the Prohibition of the Abuse of Magic was Umbridge, whose terrible relationship with Belvina was common knowledge within the Ministry of Magic.
"Mafalda," Belvina said suddenly, "though it's a bit late, congratulations on your promotion."
"Thank you, thank you, Miss Black." Hopkirk jumped up from her chair nervously. "I'll keep trying!"
"Don't be nervous, Mafalda," Belvina comforted her. "I have a bad relationship with Umbridge, not with the Office for the Prevention of Abuse of Magic. You don't need to be anxious."
The new director's words of comfort instantly warmed Mafalda Hopkirk's heart.
Back when Umbridge was still in the Office Against the Abuse of Magic, Hopkirk suffered a lot under her care.
Now that Umbridge has been transferred from the Ministry of Magic’s Office of Prohibition of Misuse, if she is still targeted by the new leadership because of her, wouldn’t Umbridge’s demotion have been pointless?
After the two office managers, the batter manager also arrived.
The Strike Force consists of a group of professionally trained wizards responsible for arresting high-risk criminals.
To become a striker, one needs at least five 0.WL certificates, and the Ministry of Magic has even prepared special wards for them at St. Mungo's.
In other words, the Strike Force is the dedicated enforcer of the Magical Law Enforcement Division, and they will be needed to fight in the war against Voldemort.
The number of people in the conference room increased, and the number of empty chairs decreased. Apart from the Auror office, the heads of the other major departments had all arrived.
Gradually, the talking in the conference room stopped.
The heads of the Legal Enforcement Division sat there staring at each other, while Belvina remained engrossed in knitting her scarf.
Gradually, the people in charge began to get restless, blaming Scrimgeour and the Aurors for not arriving yet, and wondering how much longer they would drag their feet.
Just as people were starting to get anxious, a series of hurried footsteps came from the hallway outside the door.
A moment later, Rufus Scrimgeour strode into the office, followed by several elite Aurors qualified to attend the meeting.
Scrimgeour, who resembled an old lion, did not offer an explanation. Although they arrived at the Auror office late, they were not actually late.
Rufus Scrimgeour nodded to Belvina and then sat down in the empty seat to her right. Robaz, Shackleton, Delilah, and the others also found their seats.
"Miss Black, when did you start to like knitting?" Scrinker suddenly asked.
To say that Scrimgeour didn't want to be a minister would be a lie. An Auror who doesn't want to be a minister isn't a good Auror, let alone the head of the Department of Law Enforcement.
The Ministry of Magic is currently going through a difficult period, and Rufus Scrimgeour wants to lead the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to overcome these challenges. He believes he is capable of leading the department.
Then, Belvina suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was transferred from the International Department of Magical Cooperation to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which inevitably made Scrimgeour feel some resentment.
In addition, Belvina had been somewhat neglecting her duties these past few days, causing Rufus Scrimgeour's anger to flare up.
"Just these last few days, I've suddenly started to enjoy knitting." Belvina looked at Scrinker, her hands still moving.
"Miss Black, don't you think you have more important things to do than sit here knitting like a Muggle—knitting a scarf?" Scrinker said seriously, disliking Belvina's current attitude.
"I don't understand what you mean by 'more important things'." Belvina looked down at the half-finished scarf in her hands. She had knitted it wrong, she had put the stitches in the wrong place!
As she rearranged the yarn, she continued, "If you can tell me right now where the Dark Lord is hiding, I'll drop everything and go with you to arrest him."
A buzz of discussion immediately filled the conference room.
Although everyone knew Voldemort had returned, Belvina was the first to say it outright.
"I don't know where the mysterious person is hiding." Scrimgeour's face darkened; he heard the accusation in Belvina's words.
"Rufus, I don't know how Amelia used to manage the Legal Enforcement Division, but now—" Belvina looked at Scrinker again, "I am the Director."
"Of course, you are the director, that's beyond question." Scrinker's tone remained serious, "but I still suggest you focus your energy on important matters, and put this trivial matter of knitting a scarf aside for now."
The people in the conference room looked at each other in bewilderment for a moment.
No one could have predicted that a dispute would arise between Belvina and Scrinker.
"Knitting a scarf helps me feel good and keeps me calm and clear-headed. I suggest you try it, Rufus."
Belvina continued, "As the head of the Auror office, impatience shouldn't be a quality you display. Impatience only harms yourself and others, so please keep that in mind."
"I also hope Miss Black will remember her duties and obligations," Scrimgeour said sternly. "This is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and our world is facing a great threat!"
"So what do you want me to do?" Belvina said, her eyes cold and stern. "Do you want me to continue leading you all on aimless wanderings across the mountains and fields for months, only to find nothing? Or do you want me to pretend to be able to protect everyone?"
Belvina suddenly threw the pointer and yarn onto the conference table, and continued, "I do have a list of Death Eaters. Do you dare arrest anyone on that list, Scrimgeour!"
If Rufus Scrimgeour privately suggested to Belvina that she should focus more on her work, Belvina wouldn't get angry.
However, Scrimgeour publicly criticized Belvina on her very first day of arrival. Given Belvina's temperament, she naturally wouldn't tolerate it, even though Scrimgeour was a seasoned and excellent Auror.
"This is the first time, Rufus," Belvina said, holding up one finger. "I hope this is the last."
As an Auror, Rufus Scrimgeour was tough, sharp, and decisive; as an official of the Ministry of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour was barely passable.
Rufus Scrimgeour wanted to say something more, but Kingsley Shackle and Gadwin Robards stopped him, preventing the stubborn Scrimgeour from making further mistakes and denying Belvina the chance to continue her outburst.
As a fellow member of the Order of the Phoenix, Kingsley Shackleton considered himself fairly familiar with Belvina. If Scrimgeour hadn't intervened, he would likely have lost his position as Chief of Staff of the Auror Office.
The reason Gadwin Robards stepped in to stop it was simple: he didn't want Scrimgeour to make another foolish mistake, and he didn't want the Auror office to deliver itself to Belvina's doorstep to establish their authority.
Everyone present realized that Belvina was establishing her authority in the Auror's office, except for Rufus Scrimgeour, who stubbornly charged forward.
At that moment, a slick, oily tone rang out in the corridor outside the conference room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so sorry I'm late." Pierce Sinkness slowly walked into the conference room.
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