Chapter 734
Minister Candidates
Chapter 734 Minister Candidates
Wade had expected Dumbledore to contact him soon to discuss Slughorn's memories, Voldemort's Horcruxes, or further news about the golden jug, but nothing came of it.
For several days in a row, he didn't even see Dumbledore.
As he looked up at the teachers' section as he entered the auditorium again, searching for the figure who always sat in the center, a cool voice suddenly came from the side:
"Professor Dumbledore is not at the school."
Wade turned his head and saw Ms. Grey's translucent figure float quietly beside him, passing through several empty chairs.
As she spoke, Ms. Grey did not look at him; her melancholy gaze passed over Wade's head and fell upon the empty principal's seat.
"Where did he go?" Wade asked in a low voice.
Ms. Grey said softly, "The Ministry of Magic."
"Something terrible has happened!" Headless Nick suddenly poked half his body out from the wall, steadied his swaying head, and said nervously, "I just heard from the Headless Hunters that we might be getting a new headmaster!"
Wade looked up abruptly: "What do you mean?"
Nick lowered his voice mysteriously: "That's right... they're all saying that Dumbledore has been nominated as the new Minister of Magic twice in a row!"
“Absurd!” The blood-covered Barrow appeared out of nowhere, looking sinister, and said with a stern face, “Albus Dumbledore would never abandon Hogwarts.”
The chains on his body clanged, and Ms. Grey snorted coldly before disappearing through the wall.
As Blood Man Barrow watched her disappear into the distance, he suddenly lost interest in speaking. His entire ghost sank down and vanished through the floor.
"This time is different!"
Nick made an exaggerated gesture, his head sliding off his neck and dangling precariously in front of his chest. He hurriedly pressed his head back in and said:
"I heard that the Ministry of Magic is very insistent... Even though Dumbledore refused, they still jointly nominated him as a candidate, and most of the seats in Wissengarmot also support Dumbledore..."
The portly monk floated over, sighed, and his round face was full of worry: "Actually... sigh... I heard that many people just don't want Scrimgeour to be minister..."
He said with concern, "Dumbledore recommended Scrimgeour, but most people think he's too... too much like a grumpy lion, or a stinky, hard rock... In short, they can't accept that guy as minister..."
Wade was speechless, feeling somewhat bewildered.
The reason why Scrimgeour, who advocated "violence begets violence," was able to rise to power was because Voldemort's resurrection plunged the British wizarding world into panic, and a hardline leader was urgently needed to restore confidence.
Scrimgeour's promise to "protect the people with actions, not lies" made the people feel safe and trusting, which is why he won the support of most people.
However, although Voldemort has now been publicly resurrected, most viewers believe that he is dead again, making the "Auror mindset" approach to governance seem less urgent.
Fudge didn't have time to make a series of blunders. He was smooth-talking, resourceful, and equally flexible in his approach to things. He frequently appeared in newspapers and on camera, cultivating a very approachable image.
After getting used to this "gentle and approachable" leader, Scrimgeour's stern face and sharp words inevitably make him seem somewhat unapproachable.
Pure-blood families worried he would infringe on their privileges, merchants worried he would raise taxes or tighten product censorship, and ordinary people worried he would enact extremely harsh laws but lack the knowledge to manage the economy. It's worth noting that most wizards actually teeter on the edge of legality year-round; even a universally acknowledged good man like Arthur Weasley, an official of the Ministry of Magic, secretly modified a Muggle car, and his sons frequently caused minor accidents.
Therefore, after considering all these factors, Scrimgeour's "predator" mentality actually became a drawback—the people needed a manager who could protect their interests, not a commander.
"There's another reason."
Nick glanced around, then leaned closer to Wade, covered his lips with his hand, and whispered furtively:
“A few days ago, Grindelwald announced that he would visit the Minister for Magic, so… you understand? Everyone thinks that only Dumbledore can shoulder this responsibility… or rather, only he can face this threat without worrying about his life…”
Wade: "..."
After a moment of silence, he suddenly chuckled: "So now the entire Ministry of Magic is pushing Dumbledore to step in and settle this? How ironic!"
"Sigh...that's just how the Ministry of Magic is..." the fat monk stammered. "Besides, that person is Grindelwald, you know. Decades ago, his gang was ruthless killers. Isn't it perfectly normal for everyone to be afraid of him?"
"It's not just decades ago. Look at the newspapers. Even now, the UMNO party is still killing people everywhere! It's just that they only kill bad people, so it's easier to accept."
Nick quickly said, "I have to say, compared to those people, the Mysterious Man is nothing..."
"Shh!" The fat monk quickly shushed him, "Don't talk nonsense! Although that guy is gone now, if he wants to deal with you, even we ghosts can't completely escape..."
The two ghosts whispered about the exploits of the two dark wizards, who had been dead for a long time, and they still trembled frequently.
Wade didn't listen anymore. He silently finished his meal, returned to the Room of Requirement, and continued repairing the puppet that had been damaged last time.
When he was halfway through his work, Zoe suddenly burst in.
“Mr. Gray! Zoe knew Mr. Gray was here!”
The house-elf excitedly tugged at his sleeve and exclaimed, "Dumbledore's back at school! Just now! Zoe was the first to tell Wade Gray!"
"Thank you, Zoe!"
Wade immediately put down his work, went outside and, seeing no one around, transformed into a peregrine falcon and flew through the window toward the principal's office.
Dumbledore had just returned to his office when he took off his hat and hung it up. Turning his head, he saw a bright-eyed bird standing outside the window, pecking at the glass with its beak.
"Oh, you're really well-informed; you've probably surpassed me in that regard."
Dumbledore said with a smile, and reached out to open the window.
The peregrine falcon flew in and instantly transformed into Vader's appearance. He composed himself and asked, "Professor, how's the election for Minister of Magic going?"
"Ah...it's been resolved..." Dumbledore said casually.
Wade frowned and asked worriedly, "So...you and Mr. Grindelwald...fought again?"
(End of this chapter)