#228 - Chapter 228: Principal's Portrait Commission

The air in the headmaster's office had almost solidified. Fudge and Dumbledore stood at opposite ends of the desk, neither willing to yield an inch.

Fudge was still wearing his slightly oversized green robes, but the expression on his face was now completely different from his usual smoothness.

Dumbledore was no longer the gentle, kind old man either. His gaze was stern, and his blue eyes shone like cold ice.

"Cornelius, I think I made it very clear in my letter that Hogwarts does not welcome Dementors, and I will not allow any Dementors to enter Hogwarts."

Dumbledore's voice was low, his tone filled with unquestionable determination.

After hearing Fudge's intention, his face turned as black as ink. The usual kind facade was completely torn away by anger, replaced by an awe-inspiring majesty.

Fudge tugged at his collar uncomfortably, a forced smile on his face, but stubbornly insisted.

"Dumbledore, I understand your concerns, but Black is out there, and we can't afford to be careless!"

"Black is too cunning. The only thing we can be sure of is that he will come to Hogwarts. Only here will he have the opportunity to harm Harry Potter."

"Dementors are the most effective protection. They... they must be present!"

"Dumbledore, you must understand my difficulties. Black's escape has already caused panic throughout the magical world. If he harms the Savior, I simply cannot bear the responsibility."

"Dementors cannot distinguish between good and evil. They will only indiscriminately devour the students' joy and hope!" Dumbledore's voice was no longer gentle, but filled with thunderous anger.

"I will absolutely not let them enter Hogwarts, no matter what you say!"

"Dumbledore, the safety of Hogwarts is my responsibility!" Fudge raised his voice, his hands on the desk, leaning forward slightly, his tone tinged with impatience.

"The Ministry of Magic has decided that Dementors will be stationed at Hogwarts!"

Dumbledore stared intently into Fudge's eyes, suppressing his anger, and said:

"Cornelius, you are risking the lives of students. Do you really understand how terrible Dementors are? Do you want to turn Hogwarts into another Azkaban?"

"Dumbledore, I repeat, Dementors are employees of the Ministry of Magic. They will follow the Ministry's instructions and do nothing superfluous."

The atmosphere between the two was tense. Although Fudge felt uneasy, he still straightened his back and looked at Dumbledore with stubbornness.

Sebastian had been sitting beside them, observing silently. Only now did he feel it was necessary to intervene.

This Fudge, he had to drag me along.

If only he and Dumbledore were present, Fudge's attitude might not be so firm.

But now that I am here, Fudge doesn't want to show any weakness.

After all, as the Minister of Magic, his authority cannot be trampled on.

Then let me step in and be a peacemaker.

Sebastian sighed softly, stood up, and walked to the two of them.

"Minister, Headmaster Dumbledore," Sebastian said, trying to dissuade them, "Both of your concerns are reasonable."

"How about we choose a compromise?"

"The Dementors can come, but they can only guard outside the walls of Hogwarts or at the various entrances. This way, they can effectively prevent Black from entering the campus without causing too much impact on the students' daily lives."

"What do you two think?"

Fudge seemed to have found a way out and quickly agreed to the suggestion, nodding repeatedly.

"Yes, yes. The Dementors are outside the school, not entering the campus, so the students won't be disturbed."

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Sebastian gratefully.

Luckily, he brought Sebastian along, otherwise, it would have been difficult to end this today.

Being stared at by Dumbledore was too much pressure.

Fortunately, he persisted and didn't lose face in front of Sebastian.

He forced a smile, "Isn't this the best solution?"

Dumbledore frowned slightly. Although he was still unwilling, he knew this was the best compromise.

After all, Fudge was the Minister of Magic, and he didn't want to embarrass Fudge.

"Alright, let's go with this plan. As long as the Dementors don't enter the campus, I can accept it for now."

After reaching a consensus, the atmosphere in the headmaster's office eased, and everyone was chatting and laughing, showing no signs of the previous tension.

After chatting for a while, Fudge got up to leave. To ease the relationship between the two, Dumbledore decided to see him off personally.

"Sebastian, wait here for me for a moment. I'll go see Cornelius off."

The door to the headmaster's office had just closed when Sebastian heard someone call him.

"Hey, kid from the Swan family!"

Sebastian turned his head and looked at the headmaster's portrait that had made the sound.

The person in the portrait was the most unpopular headmaster in Hogwarts history—Phineas Nigellus Black.

"Headmaster Black, what do you need me for?"

"Come closer, let's have a little chat." Headmaster Black's goatee twitched, looking quite comical.

A little chat?

What kind of private conversation could we possibly have?

Sebastian walked to the portrait in confusion, ready to hear what he had to say.

Seeing the gazes of the other headmaster portraits, Headmaster Black pursed his lips and said softly.

"You are Slytherin's most outstanding graduate, and I am a headmaster from Slytherin. Considering this relationship, I hope you can do me a favor."

A favor?

This is a bit new. I wonder what this former headmaster wants me to help with.

Sebastian smiled and said, "I'm all ears."

"Do you remember Sirius Black? You two were classmates who entered the school in the same year."

"Of course, I remember. He just escaped from Azkaban, and now the Ministry of Magic is hunting him down all over the world."

"Oh... that good-for-nothing," Headmaster Black's face showed a hint of sorrow, "I've been dead for so long, and I still have to worry about these descendants."

"Sebastian, we are all Slytherins, barely considered family, so family doesn't talk like strangers. I want to ask you to help him."

"Help Sirius?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "Headmaster, I don't know if you remember, but my relationship with that guy isn't good."

"Consider it me owing you a favor," Headmaster Black muttered softly, "The Black family is suffering. There are only two men left."

"The proper heir is missing. It's been so many years since he disappeared, he's probably dead outside."

"Now there's only Sirius left. Although he was expelled from the family, he has the blood of the Black family in him. He's the only descendant of our family."

"Please, find him and lock him up at Number 12, Grimmauld Place."

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