dmims Chapter 114 Awarding of Medals
Chapter 114 Awarding of Medals
Felix curled the corners of his lips and walked into the reception room.
This room was also enchanted with the Unseen Stretching Charm. It didn't look big from the outside, but inside it resembled a smaller version of the Hogwarts Great Hall.
The floor was covered with dark, glossy black wooden planks, and the blue ceiling was inlaid with glittering gold symbols that were constantly moving and changing.
Two rows of torches were stuck in the four walls, their red flames burning quietly.
There were about twenty people in the reception room, scattered into seven or eight small circles.
Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was surrounded by the most people. He looked very lively, with a big smile and a protruding belly, completely different from when he was at Hogwarts.
Not far from the door, Snape was talking to a tall, thin, middle-aged wizard with brown curly hair.
"Severus, you've come too." Felix walked up to the two of them.
Snape looked at him with surprise, his eyes fixed on Felix, and said softly, "I didn't expect them to invite you. I don't recall you achieving anything remarkable in the field of potions."
Felix smiled. "Belby and I are friends, and we correspond with each other frequently."
Snape clicked his tongue but didn't say anything.
Felix turned to look at the wizard. "Damocles, it's been a long time."
The wizard before them was none other than Damocles Belby, the potion master who invented the wolfsbane potion.
Belby shook his hand warmly, "Felix, I'm so happy to share my joy with you."
He suddenly leaned closer and said in a secretive tone, "I recently saw a Muggle show that was really fun. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you do."
"What's it about?"
"A story about a group of cats having a party?" he said, not quite sure. "To be honest, I always thought it was an opera, but Muggles call it a musical, and I don't understand the difference."
"Hmm..." Felix tried to recall.
Snape listened to their conversation with amazement. Even Kareddy Bubbaggie, the Muggle Studies Professor at Hogwarts, didn't delve too much into Muggle life.
In a way, it was Felix who led Belby into this mess.
The two first met when Belby wrote a letter refuting some of the statements in his book, arguing that he had exaggerated and using rather harsh language. At the time, Felix simply regarded him as a delusional pureblood and proceeded to satirize him in a variety of ways, providing evidence and supporting data.
As it turned out, Belby actually studied it seriously and eventually wrote a letter admitting his mistake.
The two began to correspond more frequently, and Felix even visited him several times.
This potions master was introverted and not good at socializing, but he was actually quite sensitive and perceptive. In his letters, he lamented that his obsession with potions had alienated him from his family.
Felix suggested that he and his family find common ground and discover overlap in their interests.
Belby, on the other hand, chose opera.
According to what Felix later learned, Belby invited the whole family to see the very famous magical opera at a family gathering, which surprised them, but they gladly accepted.
Later, Felix casually mentioned that there are also many excellent operas in the Muggle world...
During the conversation, Belby pulled someone over, "This is my brother, Kleist, Kleist Belby."
Felix looked at the short man with the same hair color. "Hello, Kleist."
"Hello, Mr. Hep," the man said enthusiastically, "I've heard Damocles mention you; he speaks highly of you, and he bought a hundred copies of your book..."
"Ahem!" His brother coughed twice, somewhat embarrassed.
Felix: "..."
Before long, other wizards on the field noticed Felix and came over to talk to him.
"Hyper, long time no see. I heard you went to work at Hogwarts."
"That's right, I'm in charge of ancient runes. Ogden, have things been busy with Wizengamor lately?"
"It's nothing, I don't really care about these things," the wizard muttered.
Fudge came over to say hello, hinting that he had a private party coming up soon. Felix pretended not to understand and wished him all the best.
During this time, many people came into the room, mostly experts in the field of potions and members of Wizengamor, as well as some Ministry of Magic staff and a few reporters.
A commotion arose at the entrance. Felix looked up and saw a short, plump witch dressed in pink.
As she passed by, a strong scent of perfume wafted towards me.
The witch walked straight up to Fudge and spoke to him in a high-pitched voice.
"She's the host today," Belby said, frowning. "That's my only complaint."
"That is—"
"Dolores Umbridge, head of the Department for the Prevention of Misuse of Magic, and of course, a member of Wizengamor. She doesn't have a very good reputation in the Ministry of Magic; she's a very demanding person..."
The witch suddenly chuckled, and Belby tightly shut his mouth.
Soon, the ceremony officially began.
Umbridge stood on the high platform, giving a sweet smile to the thirty-odd guests below.
"As a member of Wizengamor, I am honored to stand here and preside over this award ceremony. I am especially grateful to Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge for his trust in me; without his wise leadership..."
Felix had been listening attentively, but after ten minutes, he finally started to drift off. Although he would exchange pleasantries with strangers, he had never gone on at such a long rant.
When she said twenty minutes, the noise from below grew louder. Umbridge had to pull her wand from her pocket and tap the wooden board in front of her to quiet the crowd.
Felix's gaze swept past the pink bow in her hair and fixed on the wand in her hand—an eight-inch-long birch wand.
Three or four minutes later, when the commotion broke out again, Umbridge finally got to the point.
"Let us welcome today's protagonist—Damocles Belby, whose outstanding contribution to the invention of the Wolfsbane Potion earned him the Second Class Badge of the Knights of Merlin!"
Belby walked up to them expressionlessly.
"—and the awarding guests, Secretary Augustus Gray and Secretary Cornelius Fudge."
The head of the Wizengamo Affairs Office was an elderly wizard who shakily handed Belby a gilded certificate before being pulled away.
Then Umbridge handed Fudge a box, which Fudge opened with a big smile and took out a gold medal with a purple ribbon on it.
Fudge pinned the Order of Merlin to Belby's chest and shook his hand warmly.
Felix noticed that Belby's smile was very stiff.
Below the stage, the white lights of cameras flashed and the sound of "click" echoed.
Next, Fudge delivered a passionate speech, praising "Belby's outstanding contribution in eliminating the centuries-old werewolf threat, a historic step."
Felix cast a "hearing block" spell on the area around him, quietly turned his head, and whispered to Snape beside him.
"Where's Dumbledore?"
Snape forced out a sentence through his teeth, "He rarely participates in these activities unless he deems it truly necessary."
"Isn't he the chief magician of Wizengamor?" Felix asked.
"That's an honor, Felix. Aside from judging a bunch of dark wizards at the end of the war, Wisengamour spends most of his time meddling in trivial matters. Do you think Dumbledore would get involved?"
With Snape's explanation, Felix gained a new understanding of the institution.
Wizengamor is a prestigious body, serving as the highest court in the wizarding world, functioning as a combination of a court and a parliament. However, in practice, their authority highly overlaps with other departments of the Ministry of Magic.
The members of Wizengamo can be viewed in two parts: most members are renowned wizards in various fields who are invited to join; while the other part, the Wizengamo Affairs Office, is responsible for routine management and paperwork.
However, they fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic.
Ordinary illegal cases are handled by this department. Only in high-profile, controversial cases are all members of Wissengamo invited to serve as juries and vote to reach a verdict.
Even so, the Ministry of Magic often directly appoints judges.
……
As they left the drawing room, Felix asked Belby, "What are your plans lately?"
Belby let out a long sigh of relief. "I'm going to take a break and try new things—that's your advice, isn't it?"
A thought suddenly popped into Felix's mind. He looked Belby up and down, and just as the potions master was starting to feel uneasy, he finally spoke—
"Damocles, would you be interested in experiencing campus life?"