Chapter 1096: The Ministry of Magic's Official Response
Chapter 1096: The Ministry of Magic's Official Response
Dumbledore beat Voldemort so hard that he fled in a panic. However, Fudge's fear of him not only did not decrease, but deepened instead.
It is undoubtedly a good thing for the British magical world to have such a god-like figure, but from the perspective of those in power, power that is not under their control will inevitably arouse suspicion.
It's a bit like a Muggle king who is afraid of his general who has made many achievements in battle. They fail to establish a real trust relationship.
Fudge and Dumbledore talked a lot, about Peter Pettigrew and Barty Sr., about Karkaroff who was controlled by the Imperius Curse, and about the final result of the Triwizard Tournament.
But after talking so much, Fudge never mentioned Voldemort, not even the nickname "The Mysterious Man".
Dumbledore did not mention it on his own initiative. In the end, he took Harry and Draco back. It was already past 11 o'clock in the evening when they arrived at the castle.
Although it was long past curfew, the lights were still on in the Owl Court Club activity room on the 5th floor.
No need to guess, it must be another all-night party.
Dumbledore told the two children not to play too late, and then went down to the dungeon alone.
"Knock Knock-"
Snape opened the door of his new office with a swish, his expression full of anxiety and uneasiness.
After Dumbledore entered, he didn't say anything extra. He just lifted up his sleeves to reveal his burned left arm. "I've damaged his body badly. How much time do you think we have?"
Snape's eyes remained on his injured arm. "It's been less than a month, and you won't be much better."
Most of the damage caused by dark magic is permanent and irreversible, and Voldemort's plan against Dumbledore was indeed successful.
After Snape applied the medicine, his expression became a little more relaxed. "Your hand cannot heal, and it will seriously affect your movements..."
Dumbledore lowered his sleeve and gently moved his bandaged left hand.
The scorching heat penetrated along the wound's skin into the flesh and bones. He frowned, "Can the impact be reduced?"
Snape lowered his head, and after a moment he turned and walked to the newly purchased cabinet. "Phoenix tears can relieve the pain, but this is not a solution."
He picked up a few herbs and returned to the newly purchased workbench to brew them. "I can make a potion that will last for half an hour, but after that you will suffer twice as much."
Dumbledore stared quietly at the scar on his left hand, "That is enough, Severus."
Without saying a word, Snape prepared the potion and divided it into small bottles.
Dumbledore took a long look at his left forearm as he put away the potion. "He is still calling you?"
Snape covered his left forearm in silence.
Voldemort, who had just regained his strength, had suffered severe physical damage. Although he was now very weak and in need of help, he was still able to suppress the Death Eaters.
"Severus, I wish you would come back—"
Snape trembled immediately. "No, Dumbledore! There is no point in going back now. If it weren't for Wayne's damn live broadcast, I would not object to your plan!"
No Death Eaters responded to the Dark Lord's call, not to mention that Voldemort himself was a suspicious person. Even if we go back to help him now, it would be difficult to gain his trust.
Dumbledore certainly understood that he was forcing Voldemort to do what he wanted, but if he wanted to get the news about the remaining Horcruxes as quickly as possible, someone had to be undercover beside Voldemort.
And such an important task can only be entrusted to Snape, who is proficient in the art of brain occlusion.
"Severus, he is very weak."
Snape trembled even more violently. "Didn't you catch his most loyal servant? This damned two-legged rat is so cowardly that he would betray anyone to save his life."
Dumbledore sighed softly, "Severus, I know this is not easy, please think about it carefully."
He then opened the door to his office and said, "Connelly's suspicion of me has almost reached its limit. I think he will soon restrict my actions."
Voldemort has destroyed three of his Horcruxes: Tom Riddle's diary, the Gaunt family's heirloom ring, and Slytherin's locket.
There are two Horcruxes that can be confirmed. One is the missing Hufflepuff's gold cup, and the other is Harry who is close at hand.
Although the restrictions of the Ministry of Magic are a joke, in order to avoid conflicts with them and thus making Voldemort aware of the abnormality, the best coping strategy is to honestly accept the restrictions.
Snape stopped trembling and showed a rare tangled expression, "Where's Wayne? This little bastard knows a lot of people all over the world. Maybe he can find out some information about the Horcruxes."
Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "Cornelly has not given up on covering up the whole thing until now. Even if Vincent will not be restricted like me, he will most likely be under close surveillance."
Every move is under surveillance for sure. The Ministry of Magic has not made any response to tonight's live broadcast. As long as Fudge can find Vincent's weakness, he will definitely use it as a bargaining chip to threaten him.
Snape's breathing became heavier and heavier, and he was still struggling long after Dumbledore left.
He didn't know whether he would be killed immediately after helping Voldemort recover his body. He only knew that if he didn't do this, Voldemort would never die in the true sense.
Even if only one Horcrux remains, Voldemort will return in the near future.
……
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After daybreak, the Ministry of Magic finally responded through the Daily Prophet:
"Interim Investigation Report on Some Unconfirmed Threat Rumors" -
"Since last night, some media and individuals have been spreading rumors of the so-called "revival of the Dark Forces". The Ministry of Magic is paying close attention to this. After preliminary investigation, the relevant intelligence has the following controversial points:
First, there is a possibility that last night’s live broadcast footage was faked, and the Ministry of Magic has contacted Wayne Enterprises to conduct relevant technical appraisals.
Second, there are indeed abnormal energy fluctuations in the Little Hangleton Cemetery, but the type of magic cannot be identified for the time being.
Third, Headmaster Karkaroff and two Death Eaters have been arrested and are currently under close surveillance and investigation. Their true purpose is not known for the time being.
Fourth, the Dark Mark has mutated on the Death Eaters imprisoned in Azkaban. The specific circumstances have yet to be confirmed, and it may be a magical anomaly.
In response to the above four controversies, the Ministry of Magic set up a special investigation team and assigned staff to give priority to restoring the damaged cemetery in Little Hangleton.
The Memory Deletion Command has been dispatched to deal with the relevant witnesses. (According to Article 9 of the Memory Modification Law, "Excessive Panic Memory Modification")
Raids on Knockturn Alley and additional Dementor patrols to Azkaban. (Warm reminder: bring chocolates for when you feel down)
The Ministry of Magic advises the public:
1. Please do not spread unverified nightmare content (especially those involving bizarre descriptions such as "snake-faced people" and "babies")
Second, please treat overseas information with caution to avoid being exploited by hostile foreign forces.
Third, the Ministry of Magic has opened an official reporting channel, and any wizard who reports rumors will receive a reward of varying amounts depending on the situation. (Please indicate the source of the rumor when sending an owl letter.)
The existing chain of evidence has not yet formed a clear direction. The so-called "resurrection ceremony" traces may be imitations of dark magic by the remnants of the Death Eaters. The Ministry of Magic is actively communicating with Albus Dumbledore.
The Ministry of Magic has always adhered to the philosophy that "the truth must be rigorously purified, and panic is more likely to corrode the foundations of society than rumors."
Finally, please be rational and discern all unconfirmed false information before the investigation results come out. The Ministry of Magic will introduce a new decree on the spread of false information in the near future. "
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dmims