"I have to say, Ares, for an outstanding young man like you, not joining the Ministry of Magic is truly a waste of talent!"
When Fudge left Hogwarts, it was as if he had swapped faces; there wasn't a trace of his previous worry-laden expression.
He patted Ares enthusiastically on the shoulder.
"What do you say, Ares? Are you interested in coming to the Ministry? I can appoint you directly as a Junior Assistant to the Minister... Ah, of course, that would certainly be against protocol, but for an exceptional young wizard like you, I believe an exception should be made!"
"Thank you very much for your appreciation, Minister—"
Ares naturally declined with a smile.
"But I have my own career."
"Oh, you're only twenty, Ares. Surely you don't plan to hole up in a school for the rest of your life... I'm not saying teaching isn't good, it's just—compared to your talent, it's a huge waste!"
Fudge gripped Ares's shoulder tightly, looking 'heartbroken'.
"Oh, heh heh, Minister, you misunderstand—"
Ares glanced at Dumbledore, who was frowning slightly, and smiled beamingly.
"I don't intend to stay at Hogwarts forever either... In fact, my contract with the school is only for one year. After that, I plan to return to Diagon Alley to continue my business."
"That little shop called 'The Agency'?"
"You know of it, Minister?"
"Heh heh, naturally... You don't think I know nothing about you, do you?"
Fudge put on a 'benevolent' smile.
"As the Minister for Magic, how could I not know a bit more about a rising star like you... Hmm—you plan to go back and do that sort of... commission business?"
Fudge withdrew his stubby fingers, pondering for a moment, lost in thought.
"Yes, yes... indeed an interesting business—you are very capable. I admire your imagination, Ares... very interesting—"
Fudge's thoughts wandered 'unrestrained' for a few seconds before he snapped back, looking at Ares amiably.
"Anyway, Ares, you've given me another brilliant idea this time. I'll remember it..."
"Ah, what do you mean by that, Minister?"
Ares furrowed his brow in 'confusion'.
"Forgive my forgetfulness, Minister, but what idea did I give you... Ah, I see. You must have gotten some inspiration from our chat just now?"
Fudge's chubby face flushed a deep red; he looked like he wanted to kiss Ares!
"Ares is definitely a talent, old friend!"
Before leaving, ignoring Dumbledore's solemn expression, Fudge patted Dumbledore's arm.
"Cultivate him well!"
With that, he turned and strode out of the school gates, walking with a spring in his step!
Once Fudge left, it was as if a hand had suddenly sucked the lightness out of the air. The atmosphere between the remaining two seemed like solidified amber!
"Our Minister is truly a lovely wizard, isn't he?"
Ares, seemingly oblivious to the strange atmosphere, smiled and watched Cornelius Fudge until he Disapparated.
"You shouldn't tell the Minister for Magic to deceive the public, Ares—"
Dumbledore stared at Ares, a cold light flickering in his blue eyes. He ignored Ares's 'banter' and pointed it out directly.
"Or is it that... the train losing control really has something to do with Quirrell..."
"Teaching the Minister for Magic to deceive the public... where did that come from, Professor Dumbledore?"
Ares tilted his head, meeting Dumbledore's sharp gaze with a calm expression.
Falling dead leaves traced the shape of the wind, swirling around them.
After a long time—
"If there's nothing else, Professor Dumbledore, I'll go back to eat first."
Ares said, bowing slightly to Dumbledore. Without waiting for a response, he walked straight away.
Dumbledore didn't immediately walk back to the castle to taste his beloved dessert.
He just stood there, his gaze following Ares's receding back, his expression heavy.
The accidental meeting outside Quirrell's safe house;
Ares Delfino being forced to take the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position in The Agency;
The Hogwarts Express losing control... according to that boy Percy Weasley, Ares was alone in his compartment at the time;
That dragon-skin trunk full of gold that most likely didn't belong to Ares;
Harry's scar hurting more intensely than ever before;
Ares... stopping the runaway Hogwarts Express;
Compared to back then, Ares's suddenly high-profile and unscrupulous style of doing things;
The strange question Ares asked during their conversation today, seemingly unintentional but actually deliberate;
Pointing the finger for the train losing control... at Quirrell;
One by one, Dumbledore pondered the events since his unexpected reunion with Ares Delfino in August.
Behind each event, things didn't seem so simple.
Indeed, as he had told Ares when he expelled him years ago, he was very good at finding clues in seemingly unrelated events.
However, he couldn't find a suitable thread to link the events of the past month together.
The only thing he could be sure of was—
There seemed to be some conspiracy behind all this... Things had slipped out of his control.
Sigh—
A sigh mingled with the whistling wind.
Albus Dumbledore, who controlled almost everything happening or about to happen in this school, took heavy steps in the rustling wind, walking toward the magical castle he would protect with his life.
.....
Life on the Hogwarts campus has a distinctive feature compared to life outside—regularity.
And once life falls into a routine, time slips away like sand through fingers...
Ares felt like he had just zoned out in his office for a while, thinking about what Dumbledore said today, and the moon had already climbed to the zenith. It was time for his night patrol.
"I'll come down to check halfway through—"
Severus Snape knocked on Ares's office door right on the dot, his face dark.
"To check if you are strictly fulfilling your night patrol duties, Professor Delfino."
"Oh, come on, Professor Snape. We are close colleagues, aren't we? Where is your trust in me?"
Having forgotten to sleep in the first half of the night, Ares draped a thick cloak over his arm and walked out yawning, looking at Severus with dissatisfaction.
"It's just night patrol. What 'unorthodox' things do you think I could do?"
"Hard to say, Professor Delfino—"
The corner of Severus's mouth tilted into a sneer, and he huffed a laugh.
"For example, sneaking back to the office to sleep halfway through patrol... It wouldn't be the first time, right, Professor Delfino?"
"Cough cough—"
Ares looked 'bashful'.
"I swear to you, alright, Professor Snape? I absolutely will not sneak back to the office to sleep halfway through tonight... happy now?"