Chapter 697 Order of Merlin

Time always slips away quietly when people are not paying attention, and in the blink of an eye, 1997 is coming to an end.

The streets are decorated with lights and the image of Santa Claus is all over the streets, all reminding people that Christmas is coming.

In the past month or so, Hogwarts, which has stood for thousands of years, has been repaired. Students will return to school when school starts in January and continue their wonderful campus life.

Hogsmeade, which was reduced to scorched earth, has also been restored as before. Shopkeepers and villagers have returned to the village to resume production and life.

This wizarding village has become lively and prosperous again. The grumpy old wizard is still standing in front of the bar wiping dirty cups. People in the Three Broomsticks are drinking and drinking happily.

Thriving, in this cold winter, everything in the magical world is getting better.

The Ministry of Magic has also completed the trial of the Death Eaters, and the cells in Azkaban are no longer empty as before, but are now overcrowded. The Aurors and law enforcement teams on duty in Azkaban were complaining and demanding a raise.

I don’t know if there will be a theatrical performance in Azkaban at Christmas or if Christmas gifts will be distributed to the prisoners.

Although the dementors no longer guard the place, the management of Azkaban will not be so humane.

As Death Eaters died and were arrested, those pure-blood families who shouted "Pure Blood Supremacy" and "Eternal Purity" all day long became honest and no longer dared to be arrogant.

With their bones broken, they were afraid that they would be involved by the Death Eaters, labeled "Voldemort's remnants" by the Ministry of Magic, and then sent to Azkaban to eat a big bowl of prison food.

It really matches that sentence: If you follow Brother Fu, you will be shocked with electric batons every day; if you follow Brother Fu, your whole body will be covered with wounds.

Fortunately, the Ministry of Magic still has a bottom line in its work. It has not spared a bad person, nor has it wrongly accused an innocent person.

The Ministry of Magic will not shake the foundation of its rule for the sake of a few blind pure-blood families. Otherwise, what is the difference between that and Voldemort?

However, for families like Parkinson and Foley who once cheered for Voldemort, the Ministry of Magic will naturally want to settle the score, and none of them can even think of running away. Everyone has to pay the price for their choices.

As for pure-blood families like Weasley, Shafik, and Longbottom who have provided help to the Ministry of Magic, the Ministry has not even had time to thank them, so how can they cause trouble for them?

Speaking of the Ministry of Magic's gratitude, we have to mention Sir Merlin.

The Order of Merlin was an organization founded by Merlin in the Middle Ages. Merlin believed that wizards and Muggles should coexist peacefully, so the Order established regulations prohibiting the use of magic against Muggles.

In order to commemorate this famous wizard, the Wizengamot began to issue medals under the name of "Sir Merlin" in the 15th century.

Later, the Order of Merlin gradually changed its taste.

The Second Wizarding War was victorious, and under the leadership of Ada, the Order of Merlin began to take back the badges of those who deserved it and wipe away the stains on the medals.

For example, Arcturus Black only donated a huge sum of money to the Ministry of Magic and received the same first-class medal as Dumbledore. This is simply a shame for the Order of Merlin.

Another example is Cornelius Fudge, who awarded himself a medal in recognition of his contribution to the wizarding world. Cornelius Fudge had a shitty contribution. His only contribution was to keep Voldemort alive for one more year.

After recovering some of the medals, Sir Merlin will naturally issue new medals to those who contributed to the victory of the war.

The first is Piers Thicknesse, the former Minister of Magic, who was posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class; Rufus Scrimgeour, the former Director of the Legal Enforcement Department of the Ministry of Magic, was also posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class.

There is also the former Auror Alastor Moody, a veteran of two wizarding wars who was also posthumously awarded the First Class Medal.

There are former ministers, and naturally there are current ministers.

Arthur Weasley was also awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, in recognition of his bravery in leading the Ministry of Magic to defend against Voldemort and the Death Eaters during difficult times.

As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Remus Lupin also received a First Class Medal in recognition of his contribution to the victory of the war and his courage in darkness but with a bright heart.

Of course, the Ministry of Magic will not favor one thing over another and will not turn a blind eye to Hogwarts.

Current Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was also awarded the Order of the First Class in recognition of her staunch support for the Order of the Phoenix during the Second Wizarding War and her heroic performance during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Severus Snape also received the First Class Medal, which was in recognition of his going deep behind enemy lines and risking his own life.

This is only part of the list of honors awarded by Sir Merlin. The Ministry of Magic has also created additional types of medals to commend those who contributed to the victory.

It can be said that medals have been flowing out of the Ministry of Magic like water in the past fortnight.

The purpose of the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot is actually very simple, not only to honor the heroes, but also to inspire those who come after them.

As the person who truly led this war, Ada naturally received the Order of Merlin, First Class Medal, and no one would be able to lose her share. Not only that, the French Ministry of Magic also awarded her a Medal of Valor across the strait.

Hogwarts Special Contribution Award, winner of the Triwizard Tournament, Order of Merlin First Class, Medal of Valor, Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot. Although it is incomparable to Dumbledore, the string of prefixes Ada is still very bluffing.

Ada, who had nothing to do, would always dangle medals in front of the twins' eyes. Fred and George were so angry that their teeth were itching, and they were clamoring to give her some color.

Ada did not know the color of the eyes from the twins. She took the two brothers on a long trip on Christmas Eve, and the destination was Scarborough.

This is a small city on the coast with a long history.

The Vikings first landed here about a thousand years ago, and Scarborough gradually formed a regular market. For hundreds of years, the small town held a 45-day market every August, attracting merchants from all over Europe.

The beautiful song "Scarborough Fair" made more people remember this place.

The lyrics of this song date back to at least the thirteenth century. The tune is earlier and is said to be influenced by the Vikings and Celts.

Winter in England is always gray, and as soon as the three of them arrived at Ada, they were shivered by the sea breeze. The three of them wrapped themselves in their coats and walked along Westborough Street.

Although the weather is a bit cold, you can still see stalls selling spices on the streets: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

These four spices (flowers) are said to represent sweetness, strength, loyalty and courage. It is also said that these four kinds of flowers have the hidden meaning of "death", implying that the lover far away has passed away long ago.

The town was not big, and the names of the street signs kept changing along the way. Fred and George followed Ada with their heads down, not knowing where they were going. The two brothers were not not curious, but they were not very interested in seeing Ada, so they did not ask.

"Here we are."

After an unknown amount of time, Ada finally stopped. Her voice was very soft and could not withstand the cold wind in December.

"Finally we're here, I'm about to be blown away." The twins stopped their hurried steps and looked at the shop in front of them with Ada beside them.

This is a small coffee shop. Compared with the shops and restaurants on both sides of the street, it is not conspicuous at all.

"This is...?" George asked, he seemed to understand where this was.

"Go in, you'll find out when you go in."