Chapter 447: Fu Party Conspiracy

I didn't expect the trial to end so abruptly.

Schelling shook his head in his heart. Although he was mentally prepared, Fudge's performance was too poor. Otherwise, Harry would never have been able to escape so easily.

Schelling put the matter behind him and climbed the stone steps. When he reached the corridor on the ninth floor, Cornelius Fudge stood a few steps away from him, talking quietly with an old man.

Although this old man was old, he was not dull and kind like other old people. Instead, he was shrewd and cunning. His eyes were deep-set, but they always flashed a deep light, and his high hooked nose made him look even colder.

Xie Ling frowned, as if he sensed something. He quickly lowered his head and secretly opened his magic eye to observe his surroundings.

Sure enough, near the elevator, Xie Ling saw a pair of shoes with their tips looming in the air. Although it was only for a moment, it still did not escape Xie Ling's sharp eyes. It was a pair of ordinary old leather boots, and the footsteps were cautious. It was obvious that the owner was trying to hide his presence.

Xie Ling raised his eyebrows, his eyes turned slightly, and he understood. Sturgis Podmore - his poor invisibility cloak did not completely cover himself, exposing the flaws under his feet.

Xie Ling snorted and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: No wonder in the original book, he was discovered by Lucius Malfoy and eventually fell into the control of the Imperius Curse. This guy is too careless in doing things.

However, there is no plot of fighting for the prophecy in this world, and the Department of Mysteries should not have what Voldemort wants. It seems that Dumbledore sent him here just in case, and the plot of Podmore being controlled by the Imperius Curse should not happen again.

So, without thinking too much, he took the elevator and left.

……

A few hours later, at the Ministry of Magic, on the first floor, the highest floor, the Minister's office.

Few people know that there is actually a small secret room next to the Minister's office, which is used to store the Minister of Magic's top secrets. Moreover, the secret room can only be opened by the Minister of Magic himself. Otherwise, the entrance to the secret room would be just an ordinary wall.

At this moment, in this dark secret room, the eerie atmosphere was filled with a heavy sense of oppression, and the flames in the fireplace cast distorted shadows on Fudge's flushed face.

He slammed the table hard, and the teacup fell over due to the vibration, and the scalding tea spilled all over the floor.

"Damn it!" He roared in anger, his chest heaving violently, as if he had not yet recovered from the frustration just now. "It's unbelievable that Potter actually...actually escaped trial like this!"

He never thought that he would lose, let alone that so many people in the Wizengamoy would support Dumbledore. Even those who he thought were his loyal supporters chose to remain silent. This severely hurt his self-esteem and made it difficult for him to face this reality.

Umbridge sat opposite, tapping her fingers lightly on the armrest of the velvet chair, with her usual gentle smile on her face, but there was a coldness in her eyes.

"Dumbledore is certainly our formidable enemy," she said slowly, her voice as charming and gentle as ever, but with a cold alert hidden between the lines, "but there seems to be an undercurrent surging within the Ministry of Magic."

Her fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, her eyes hidden in the shadows, and she continued slowly: "Minister, haven't you noticed? Over the past year, there have been frequent small and hidden personnel changes in the Ministry of Magic. Many of our confidants who were originally loyal to us have been suddenly demoted or transferred just because they made some minor mistakes. This has caused our power to shrink more and more. The most terrifying thing is that all this happened without our knowledge, as if there was a mysterious mastermind behind the scenes manipulating everything..."

Fudge's face changed slightly. He certainly knew that his authority was being eroded. He had recently frequently felt that the attitudes of some officials had changed subtly. Although he was the Minister of Magic, he encountered mysterious resistance in the implementation of many things. It seemed that his influence and control over the Ministry of Magic was far less stable than he had expected.

He pursed his lips and tapped his fingers on the table nervously.

"You mean Bones? Or Scrimgeour? Or Crouch? No, it can't be Crouch, he just got back to work not long ago..." Fudge said with a gloomy face. "Each of them is possible, but we can't rule out a new, hidden political enemy that we didn't expect..." Umbridge said solemnly, "This force is very mysterious and hidden very deeply. It has been slowly and secretly eroding our power. And from today's trial, it should not belong to Dumbledore's side. In other words, in addition to Dumbledore, we also need to beware of an enemy in the dark..."

Umbridge smiled slightly and leaned back in her chair, hiding her face in the shadows. "I think you should have realized that the power in our hands is no longer enough to control the entire Ministry of Magic."

"Then, what should we do now?" Fudge scratched his sparse hair and said fiercely: "No, I have to do something - Dolores, now I only have you to rely on, do you have any suggestions?"

"Since we need more powerful forces," Umbridge smiled and clapped her hands softly, "of course we need to recruit new troops and new subordinates from outside the Ministry of Magic to ensure their loyalty."

As soon as he finished speaking, a secret door in the depths of the secret room slid open silently, as if a crack had appeared in the abyss. From the darkness, several burly figures walked out one after another.

The smile on Umbridge's face deepened. She slowly stood up and turned to the figures that were filing out of the secret door. Her voice was sweet but revealed a hint of cold satisfaction.

"Minister, please allow me to introduce you to these future claws and fangs." She waved her hand gently, motioning everyone to step forward.

"This is Grimson, an experienced bounty hunter. His tracking and fighting skills are well-known throughout Europe." A burly man with sinister eyes nodded slightly, a hunter's sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Grimson?" Fudge's face changed slightly when he heard the name. "Who is Gunnar Grimson to you?"

"My grandfather," Grimson replied coldly.

Gunnar Grimson is a well-known bounty hunter with a reputation for hunting highly dangerous magical creatures. In 1932, the British Ministry of Magic hired him to eliminate the Obscurus after being rejected by Newt Scamander.

And it is said that his grandson seems to have inherited his grandfather's skills. At a young age, he has made great achievements in hunting magical animals and performed very well. He is also considered a figure in today's bounty hunter world.

"And this one, Scabio, you may be more familiar with his nickname 'Black Wolf'. He is quite prestigious in the underworld - whether it is torture, intelligence gathering, or rounding up fugitives, he has unique methods." A thin but dangerous man leaned against the door frame, with a cunning light flashing in his eyes.

Fudge swallowed and roughly guessed the identity of this person.

Scabior is a famous gangster and a cruel desperado. He once fought one against five in Knockturn Alley and killed a gang leader who was against him despite being seriously injured. He has disappeared for many years after being wanted by the Ministry of Magic, but he is still notorious. If it weren't for the recent appearance of a new "Queen of the Night" in Great Britain, the name of Black Wolf might still be the most terrifying title in Knockturn Alley.

If Sherin were here, he would know that this guy was the leader of the new hunting team specially set up to hunt down Muggle wizards when Voldemort was in power in the original book.

"As for this one," Umbridge slowly walked to a man wearing an old Auror uniform and with an unshaved beard, and said with a hint of regret, "Darrick, a former senior Auror of the Ministry of Magic, was unfortunately expelled for misconduct... However, his ability has never been questioned." The man snorted coldly, said nothing, and swept his gloomy eyes over everyone in the room.

"Finally, here are our two pardoned prisoners, Willy Weathersing and Willy Wagstaff. I just got them out of Azkaban," Umbridge clapped her hands with a smile, and two men with cunning faces stepped forward. "They may have some bad records, but I assure you, Minister, their desire for freedom will make them more loyal than anyone else."

"Greetings, Minister. We are willing to die for you." Two men with ferocious expressions stepped out with hoarse laughter. Although their prison uniforms had been removed, the shadow of Azkaban still remained between their brows, and they were filled with an almost morbid madness.

Umbridge tilted her head slightly, the corners of her pink lips raised a deeper arc, and her voice seemed to drip with honey: "These are all people who are willing to serve you. They are our new strength, Minister."

Fudge's eyes slowly swept over them, the hesitation in his eyes was fleeting, and finally, he nodded, tacitly agreeing to Umbridge's arrangement. (End of this chapter)