Toads landing on your foot won't bite, but they sure are disgusting. Eda's first meeting with Umbridge could hardly be called pleasant. The appearance of the pink toad made an already terrible day even worse.
Though foolish, the fact that Umbridge had managed to climb to the position of Senior Undersecretary showed she had some brains; she wasn't hopelessly stupid. Seeing that the situation couldn't be forced, she didn't push back against Amelia Bones's opposition and insist on punishing Eda.
The Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was usually regarded as a candidate for the next Minister for Magic, just like Barty Crouch had once been. Amelia Bones was also widely believed to be the successor after Fudge.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons Cornelius Fudge had always lacked confidence, because he had never held that position. Before becoming Minister, Fudge had worked in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.
Even today, people still found it unbelievable that Fudge had become Minister for Magic. Most thought he had taken the post because of Dumbledore's help.
Madam Bones was one of the most outstanding and powerful witches of this era. She had always been someone Fudge tried to win over, but she had no interest whatsoever in the olive branch the Minister extended.
A figure with real authority like her was not someone Umbridge could control; if anything, she had to do her best to curry favor.
After being rebuffed by Madam Bones and then mocked by Eda with thinly veiled insults, Umbridge's dignity wasn't just shattered—it had been stomped straight into the mud.
But this time Umbridge didn't lose her temper. To keep herself rational, she even turned around so she wouldn't have to look at the grinning Eda.
If you thought Umbridge was some broad-minded person, you would be very mistaken. She was even more petty than Eda.
For now, Umbridge couldn't do anything to Eda, but that didn't mean the matter was over. She had already carved Eda's name deep into her heart, hating her fiercely, waiting for the right moment to take revenge.
Since she had dared to offend the other party to the bitter end, she naturally wasn't worried about retaliation. On the contrary, Eda almost wished Umbridge would try to get back at her.
Standing outside in the pouring rain, everyone had their own thoughts. For a while, no one spoke, and not a single sound came from inside the building. There was no way of knowing whether the headmaster or the Minister had won the debate.
No one spoke, and no one left. They all stood at the door in the rain, waiting for the two leaders to finish their argument.
Umbridge stayed to flatter her superior, hoping to gain more support and trust from Fudge.
Madam Bones remained because she was waiting for the result, which would directly affect the subsequent hunt for Black—she wanted the answer as soon as possible.
As for Eda, she wasn't particularly concerned about the outcome; she stayed simply because the people from the Ministry hadn't left.
If the Ministry officials had gone, Eda would have immediately found somewhere to take shelter from the rain. The Hog's Head—small, shabby, and filthy—was the first place that came to her mind.
About an hour later, the wooden door finally opened again under everyone's eager gazes. Dumbledore walked out of the building, but the Ministry crowd couldn't tell from his expression who had won the debate.
Umbridge and Dawlish went inside at once; she believed Fudge needed her now. Madam Bones did not enter. Instead, she walked up to Dumbledore.
"Professor, what was the result?" Amelia Bones asked with concern.
She hoped Dumbledore had won, so that she could preside over the capture of Black instead of letting Fudge stand by and issue orders.
Dumbledore shook his head. Fudge's stubbornness had exceeded the headmaster's expectations; he had failed to persuade Fudge to give up his trust in the Dementors.
"After we get back, I'll assign more Aurors to make sure nothing like this happens again," Madam Bones said. "We'll capture… capture Sirius Black as soon as possible."
Ever since Sirius Black had broken out of prison, Cornelius Fudge had felt as though he'd been slapped hard across the face, so he personally took charge of the hunt for Black.
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Auror Office under it could only assist from the sidelines.
An amateur directing a group of professionals—and with the main force of the capture being the even less reliable Dementors—had made the operation extremely difficult.
The fact that Black still hadn't been brought in by today really ought to be credited to Cornelius Fudge and his Dementor partners.
"Thank you, Amelia," Dumbledore said. "You'd better go in a bit later. Cornelius is probably losing his temper." As if to confirm Dumbledore's words, the sound of things being smashed came from inside the building.
Amid Fudge's furious outburst, Dumbledore and Eda walked farther and farther away, gradually disappearing from Amelia Bones's sight.
"Director, should we go in?" Auror Walker gathered his courage and asked carefully. "Or…"
"Have you forgotten what your duty is, or do you need me to remind you?" Madam Bones said. "Also, I very much don't want to see the few of you around the Auror Office these days, Mr. Walker!"
The moment she finished speaking, the five Aurors, Walker included, scattered at once, braving the heavy rain to return to where they were supposed to be. Madam Bones wiped her face in the rain, adjusted her emotions, and only then walked into the Aurors' temporary contact point.
Under the vast curtain of rain, Dumbledore and Eda did not head straight back to the school. Instead, they took a detour toward the Twilight Cottage.
Ever since Dumbledore had handed the shack over to Eda, the place had begun to look more and more like a home. Eda could even take a comfortable hot bath here.
The moment he stepped inside, Dumbledore's face lengthened instantly—longer than a donkey's. The headmaster dropped onto the sofa and didn't say a word, not even telling Eda the result of the debate.
But he didn't need to. One look at his expression was enough to know it hadn't gone well.
Fudge certainly hadn't agreed to Dumbledore's proposal. Otherwise, Dumbledore wouldn't be wearing a look as if he'd swallowed a fly.
Dumbledore ignored everything and sat there like a lord, which left Eda to suffer for it.
Lighting the fire in the hearth, heating water for tea, finding snacks to fill their stomachs—Eda had to do it all by herself. It made her miss Agnes very much.
Perhaps it was because the cottage gradually warmed up, or because the food improved Dumbledore's mood, but he finally broke his silence. He asked, "You saw it all, didn't you?"
"I did. The Ministry is really disappointing," Eda said. "Madam Bones is the only one who isn't."
After meeting her twice, Amelia Bones had left a deep impression on Eda.
"When Voldemort was running rampant, many people didn't dare to resist out of fear," Dumbledore said sadly. "In order to fight him, I organized the Order of the Phoenix, and the Bones family gave me tremendous support."
In the early days of Voldemort's rise to power, the Bones family had been one of the most influential in Britain. The most outstanding among them was Edgar Bones, Madam Bones's brother.
Edgar Bones was not only an exceptionally talented wizard, he was also one of the original members of the Order of the Phoenix. In those darkest years, Edgar and his family were brutally murdered by Voldemort.
After the war, the once flourishing Bones family gradually declined. In recent years, only Susan Bones had come to Hogwarts to study magic.
"Professor, what are you going to do next?" Eda asked. She lifted the teapot to refill Dumbledore's cup and poured some for herself as well.
Dumbledore looked out the window. The rain fell without end; though it was still daytime, it was dark outside. He said softly, "Cornelius and I each took a step back. The Dementors will no longer appear near the school, and Fudge will strengthen his control over them."
"Then the problem is back where it started," Eda said. "Only when Black is caught will the Dementors go back to Azkaban."
Raindrops struck the window in chaotic bursts, disturbing Dumbledore's thoughts. He replied absentmindedly, "Yes, only by finding him can we know what really happened back then."
Eda immediately caught the key point. She knew there was more to Sirius Black's matter than it seemed.
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