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Page 411
Moreover, they committed so many crimes during the last Wizarding War that they are hated by the entire wizarding world!
It's incomprehensible that Dumbledore would make such an absurd suggestion!
Dumbledore sighed deeply. "Fudge, we can't run away from trouble just because we're afraid of it. Dementors may be intimidating to wizards, but they are also dangerous creatures. Besides, giants aren't unapproachable if we try with sincerity..."
"Enough!" Fudge rudely interrupted Dumbledore. "Dumbledore, I know you're great, but this is none of your business. I won't change my mind because of your words. I know what I'm doing in Azkaban, and I don't need your interference."
He sighed and stared intently at the old man before him.
He understood perfectly the underlying reason for Dumbledore's suggestions.
"Dumbledore, do you really believe that the mysterious man will be resurrected? Your suggestions seem utterly absurd to me!"
Dumbledore sighed softly, his eyes revealing a profound wisdom and determination.
“Fudge, I know this is hard to believe, but we have to prepare for the worst. The power of the Man of Void is far greater than we thought, and Harry saw with his own eyes that he really did come back to life.”
“How could a wizard who has been dead for over a decade possibly crawl out of his grave again? It’s absurd!” Fudge exclaimed, waving his arms excitedly.
"If he were truly capable of resurrection, he would have done so more than a decade ago," he sneered. "Why has it taken so long? It's utterly absurd!"
Even though his greatest ally and second-greatest political rival, Jaina, had previously stated that it was better to believe it than not, he still did not believe it.
Dumbledore looked calmly at Fudge. "Fudge, we can't choose not to believe just because things seem unbelievable. We must face reality and prepare for it. If the Man of Void really has come back to life, we must have a plan to deal with it."
"A response plan? What do you think we should do?" Fudge retorted, dissatisfied. "Are we really going to believe in that so-called 'bone, flesh, and blood' resurrection secret? That's just a legend!"
“Legends sometimes don’t come from nowhere,” Dumbledore said slowly. “Besides, Harry and I saw it with our own eyes.”
“That’s just a Death Eater plot!” Fudge said indignantly, trying to reassure himself, “It’s not surprising that those crazy Death Eaters would do anything.”
"Didn't they do enough absurd things during the First Wizarding War? A year ago, they even caused a huge ruckus at the Quidditch World Cup. In short, it's all the Death Eaters' fault!"
Fudge became more and more agitated as he spoke, as if only in this way could he vent his dissatisfaction and anger.
Seeing that Dumbledore remained true to himself,
Fudge sighed deeply: "Okay, let's assume... just assume, that there really is some kind of evil black magic that can resurrect a person, and that the mysterious person really does come back to life, so what? That doesn't mean you can make this information public."
He earnestly advised, "We can come secretly, under the guise of targeting the Death Eaters, not Voldemort. If you agree to this, I am willing to do everything in my power to strike down the dark wizards, the Death Eaters, and that mysterious man. I am even willing to ask Jaina to send her elite Auror brigade to deal with those dark forces."
That's really what Fudge thought.
If Dumbledore were willing to support him like Jaina did, he would certainly not hesitate to strike down the dark wizards, the Death Eaters, and even that mysterious man.
But Dumbledore shook his head: "I've said it before, only by making the news public and uniting the entire wizarding world can we possibly deal with the future crisis."
“Unity?” Fudge gave a bitter laugh. “What unity do we have? Once the news gets out, the entire wizarding world will be thrown into panic. The authority of the Ministry of Magic that I’ve spent over a decade building, the trust of the wizards, and the stability of society will all be destroyed in an instant.”
Dumbledore paused for a moment, then slowly said, “Fudge, I understand your concerns. But as leaders, we cannot be swayed by panic. We must stand firm in our convictions and lead the wizards to face this challenge together.”
"challenge?"
Fudge stared wide-eyed at Dumbledore.
“This is more than just a challenge! It concerns my career! It concerns my future as Minister of Magic! Once the news of that person’s return is confirmed, those wizards who are blinded by panic will direct their anger at the Ministry of Magic, at me, the Minister of Magic! If I lose my position because of fighting against the mysterious man, wouldn’t all my years of hard work have been for nothing?”
Dumbledore looked at Fudge with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. "Fudge, I understand your concerns. But as Minister for Magic, your duty is to maintain peace and stability in the wizarding world, not your personal position and power. We cannot disregard the entire wizarding world for personal gain."
Upon hearing this, Fudge felt a chill run down his spine.
He realized that there was a huge gap between his and Dumbledore's ideas.
“You make it sound so easy!” he shouted angrily. “You can always stand on your moral high ground and criticize me—you’re not the Minister for Magic! You don’t have to bear the pressure I do! You’ll always be the greatest and most beloved Albus Dumbledore! But let me tell you! No Minister for Magic would want to see this happen!”
The two had a big argument and parted on bad terms.
"Fudge, you'll regret this!" Dumbledore said before he left.
“Dumbledore, I am the Minister for Magic!” Fudge emphasized firmly.
After Dumbledore left, Fudge, still furious, sat in a chair, panting heavily.
His dissatisfaction and resentment towards Dumbledore deepened.
"Damn Dumbledore!" he gritted his teeth. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking! You want me to step down? Not so easy!"
Unexpectedly, his assistant, a young male wizard, suddenly spoke up:
“Minister Fudge,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “I think you might want to reconsider Dumbledore’s suggestion. Over the years, he has never considered replacing you. Perhaps there really is a problem? He is the greatest white wizard in the wizarding world. There is no need for him to spread rumors.”
Fudge sat behind his desk, his face grim as he glared at the young wizard across the table, his gaze sharp as knives, as if he wanted to pin the other man to the spot.
The atmosphere in the entire office was extremely tense, as if a storm was about to break.
“I think you’re probably no longer competent for your current job,” Fudge said coldly, his voice carrying an undeniable authority. “You’ll receive your transfer notice by tomorrow at the latest. Now—you’re fired.”
Fudge glared fiercely at the young wizard across the table, signaling him to get lost.
The young wizard was stunned. He stared at Fudge, hardly believing his ears.
I only spoke a few truths, how could I lose this promising job?
His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something to defend himself.
But under Fudge's piercing gaze, he ultimately chose to remain silent.
Watching the young wizard's dejected figure disappear into the distance, Fudge's lips curled into a cold smile.
In his view, although the assistant was capable, he did not know how to understand his superior's intentions, which was his biggest mistake.
He needs an assistant who can help him solve problems and troubles, understand his thoughts, and is absolutely loyal, not a fool who only acts according to his own ideas and occasionally causes trouble.
Clearly, this young male wizard did not meet his requirements.
"What do you mean by 'Dumbledore had no reason to spread rumors'?"
Fudge repeated the sentence to himself with a cold laugh.
At such a young age, he presumptuously offered what he called "correct advice." Having dealt with Dumbledore for so many years, how could he not understand Dumbledore's character?
Didn't Dumbledore know that he wasn't interested in the position of Minister of Magic?
However, considering that he had worked diligently and conscientiously for two years, I'll give him a chance this time—it's just a transfer, not a direct dismissal. I've done my best to be kind and righteous!
Fudge thought so.
Cornelius Fudge knew better than anyone that he was able to sit in this prominent position entirely because of Dumbledore's polite refusal.
Even after becoming Minister for Magic, Fudge never forgot that he clearly remembered Dumbledore's soaring popularity and support during the election, surpassing Crouch, who was the most popular candidate at the time.
Fudge, riding the wave of this opportunity, coupled with Crouch's scandal of having his son become a Death Eater, ultimately secured the position of Minister of Magic.
Fudge was extremely jealous and hated Crouch.
But he never felt that way about Dumbledore. Because Dumbledore was never his rival, but rather an asset in consolidating his position.
Fudge knew that he needed to leverage Dumbledore's reputation to solidify his own position.
The old man seemed happy to offer him such help.
Therefore, Fudge always showed Dumbledore extreme respect and reverence, at least on the surface.
Dumbledore's support was crucial for Fudge:
Whenever Fudge issues a new decree, as long as it has the endorsement of Dumbledore, the decree can be quickly accepted and implemented.
As everyone knows, these important decrees had been approved and discussed by Dumbledore before they were issued.
If even Dumbledore thinks there's no problem, then what's there to question?
His political enemies, of course, wouldn't deliberately come out to contradict him.
Maintaining a friendly relationship with Dumbledore would not only solidify Fudge's position but also protect his image within the Ministry of Magic.
Therefore, even when he did not entirely agree with some of Dumbledore's decisions, he would choose to remain silent.
For example, the time when Dumbledore decided to hire a werewolf as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Fudge knew perfectly well that this kind of thing would never be allowed in the magical world, but he ultimately chose to turn a blind eye.
Of course, he did this not because he agreed with the matter, but because he felt it was an internal Hogwarts matter.
Even if something unexpected happens, it will be entirely Dumbledore's responsibility and will not affect him as Minister of Magic.
But this time it's completely different.
To be honest, Fudge never imagined that Dumbledore, who was known for his wisdom, would make such an absurd suggestion.
"How could this possibly be successfully repaired?"
Fudge muttered to himself, even suspecting that Dumbledore might be testing his intelligence in this way.
"Has Dumbledore become senile? How could he come up with such a stupid idea?"
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Update [4/3], Bonus Chapter [92/107]
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Chapter 456 Fudge's New Assistant
If Dumbledore could propose a solution that would neither cause panic among wizards nor hinder the fight against the dark forces, while also earning him a good reputation, he would be more than willing to accept it and actively cooperate with Dumbledore.
Maintaining peace in the wizarding world is of paramount importance to him, as the next election is fast approaching.
— Elections held every seven years are always accompanied by changes in power and policy shifts.
He glanced at the wall clock, his thoughts drifting to the days following the election.
If he can be successfully re-elected, that would be the best outcome.
But if he is unfortunately not elected, he hopes to leave behind a peaceful and stable situation for the magical world before retiring.
That way, those "bad things" won't happen to him.
However, Dumbledore's actions clearly went against his expectations.
Fudge couldn't help but wonder if Dumbledore intended to use this crisis to oust him and install a more assertive new minister. This thought lingered in his mind.
This kind of thing is bound to happen if everyone believes Dumbledore.
He also believes that in order to deal with the mysterious man, Dumbledore might even personally take on the role of Minister of Magic, leading the entire Ministry of Magic in a powerful attack.
He could even imagine that scene:
If everyone believes Dumbledore, then this kind of thing is bound to happen.