Tver told Mrs. Primpernelle every detail of his plan for the merchants. Naturally, that meant he was handing this soon-to-form business alliance over to her.
Although Ian Russell had been dealing with magical items for quite some time, and Bulstrode would also explain matters of the wizarding world to him, Mrs. Primpernelle still understood magic better, and she understood the merchants of the wizarding world better too.
From now on, one of them would handle technology, and the other would handle magic. When it came to business affairs, Tver would have a hundred times less to worry about.
But as everyone knew, whenever Tver found a way or plan to make things easier for himself, something else would come looking for him.
The Ministry of Magic.
Voldemort's attack had not affected the Ministry of Magic's facilities. In fact, Tver's appearance had kept Voldemort from sparing the Ministry even the slightest thought.
But that did not mean everything at the Ministry was going on as usual.
The old Minister stepping down, the new Minister taking office in haste, and Voldemort's attack had all left the Ministry staff uneasy.
During the last Wizarding War, although most of the fighting had been carried out by the Aurors, they, as employees of the Ministry of Magic, had never stopped being targeted by You-Know-Who's methods of infiltration.
Pius Thicknesse, who had recently been controlled by the Imperius Curse, was a typical example. The Dark Lord loved using such methods to undermine and control the Ministry of Magic.
So in order to reassure the frightened staff, even Dumbledore did not object to holding a small banquet here to calm everyone's nerves. He even attended in person.
A banquet for the new Minister's formal appointment.
By the time Tver, who had hurried over, and Cynthia, who had come to greet him, walked into the modest banquet hall, it was already filled with officials from the Ministry's various major departments.
"Why are you so late? Fudge's resignation speech is already over." Babajide, who had been watching the entrance the whole time, walked over, the crimson wine in his glass swaying slightly. "Of course, there wasn't anything worth making busy people like you come all this way for."
Why did that sound so resentful?
Tver gave an odd little cough and did not take the bait.
"So that means only Barty's inaugural speech hasn't started yet?"
He searched the room and, sure enough, found Barty, who was about to go onstage, and beside him, Percy, the assistant who remained no matter how Ministers changed.
Percy had, of course, reconciled with his family. From the smile at the corner of his mouth, it was clear that regaining his family's acceptance had truly dispelled all his old gloom.
Only, the moment Mrs. Weasley learned that Percy had been an undercover agent planted in the Ministry of Magic all along, she wrote letters for an entire week to voice her complaints.
Fortunately, the Weasley family's owl could not find Tver's address, so those letters were naturally dealt with by Cynthia.
"If possible, we would also like to hear speeches from Professor Fawley and Professor Dumbledore."
An elegant lady walked over slowly, though the extraordinary firmness in her gaze did not quite match her gentle face.
Seeing the slight confusion in Tver's eyes, she nodded and introduced herself. "Amelia Bones, current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Madam Bones." Tver gave a perfectly appropriate smile and shook her hand lightly.
He had actually seen this Head's information long ago in the Ministry materials Cynthia had given him. What surprised him was what Madam Bones had said.
"However, my position in the Ministry is far less important than yours. I imagine everyone would much rather hear the opinion of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Madam Bones tilted her head slightly, as if assessing Tver. Her eyes studied every trace of expression on his face with curiosity.
After a moment, she said with unclear meaning, "Even Dumbledore back then, no, even Dumbledore now, is not as good at hiding himself as you are."
"Tver Fawley, judging from this series of plans, you are far more outstanding than the young Dumbledore. But after defeating Grindelwald, Dumbledore hid away in Hogwarts and willingly became a headmaster."
"And you? After defeating Voldemort, will you still remain at the school as a professor?"
Her somewhat probing gaze stayed fixed on Tver. The words she spoke were shocking, but her tone remained calm from beginning to end.
At the very least, even Tver, a master of Legilimency, could not sense the meaning behind her words.
Or rather, he did not know what answer she wanted to hear.
Speak to humans like a human, and to ghosts like a ghost. That was the first and most important skill Tver had learned from his teacher.
But now, Tver was actually somewhat unsure whether Madam Bones was human or ghost.
"What is it? Is my question difficult to answer? Or have you not thought it through yet?" Madam Bones revealed a faint smile, as if she had not been the one to ask such a troublesome question.
As expected, the leader of the Ministry of Magic's largest and most important department could not possibly be an easy person to deal with.
Tver smiled helplessly and shook his head. The unexpected gesture made even Bones pause.
"To say I haven't thought about it at all would be too insulting to your intelligence, Madam Bones. But the focus right now is still Voldemort, isn't it?"
He swept his gaze around the entire banquet hall and naturally spread his hands.
"Whether it is Dumbledore and I, or everyone here…"
The slight rise in his voice seemed to attract everyone's attention, and curious gazes turned toward him one after another.
Tver took the opportunity to step past Bones and move into a more conspicuous position, forming an inexplicable contrast with Barty, who had already stepped onto the stage.
"Everyone, I know you all have your own private thoughts." He raised his right hand and listed them one by one. "How to protect yourselves in the coming war, how to secure your own interests, and even, if the situation turns bad, what method you should use to pledge yourselves to Voldemort."
"To be honest, I have my own private thoughts as well, even more than all of you."
"So I completely understand, and I allow you to have those private thoughts."
He suddenly turned and looked at the astonished Madam Bones.
"But the problem is, right now, we are the most important force the Ministry of Magic, and even the wizarding world, has against Voldemort."
"Do not forget how Voldemort drove wedges inside the Ministry during the last war, and how he drove wedges between us and the Order of the Phoenix."
"That is exactly what Voldemort is best at."
"I allow you to have private thoughts, but I absolutely will not allow you to show them. Everyone, Voldemort is not what is frightening. Mutual suspicion is our greatest weakness."
"Clap, clap, clap."
Dumbledore, arriving late, slowly walked in while gently clapping in time with his steps. In the banquet hall, which had suddenly gone silent, the applause was like a small hammer, striking everyone's hearts again and again.
"Tver is quite right. I can let the Ministry's past actions against the Order of the Phoenix go, but that does not mean I can tolerate your continued suspicion of the Order."
"If I discover it, I absolutely will not mind letting you see the methods I use against Voldemort."