Chapter 1283 Fudge's Split Headache
The news of the legendary fire dragon appearing in London spread like wildfire across the world.
Ministry of Magic, lobby.
The wizard staff who rushed over after hearing the news gathered together, pointing in the direction the fire dragon was flying in the projection screen, their faces filled with unease and agitation.
The minister's office was like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up. Fudge's magical communicator kept ringing, and the flames in the fireplace were almost never stopped. One urgent document after another spewed out with the flames, piling up on the once spotless desk.
The windowpane reflected his face, flushed with shock, anger, and bewilderment.
"Gringotts has been breached, the Ukrainian Ironbelly Dragon has been kidnapped, the scene is in chaos, goblin casualties... unknown? Property damage... incalculable? And there's a suspected leak of dark magic items?"
Fudge held a preliminary briefing jointly updated by the Department of Accidents and Disasters and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, his hands trembling so much the parchment rustled, his voice shrill and almost shattering:
“Vincent Wayne? When did he get back? No, when did he sneak into Britain? What about our border detection magic? What about those incompetent Aurors in Germany? What about the notification from the International Wizarding Federation? Are they all fucking asleep?!”
He slammed the briefing onto the table, causing urgent official documents to bounce up one by one.
Percy, the assistant minister in charge of the report, shrank back and whispered, "Minister, based on the magical traces left at the scene and the descriptions of a few goblin witnesses who were not seriously frightened, it is almost certain that it was him."
He used that kind of... powerful alchemical weapon that he had used before at the Ministry of Magic, violently breaking through multiple layers of vaults, and finally escaped with the dragon.
As for when he entered the country... there is currently no record of him entering through official channels or triggering any alerts.
“No record whatsoever?!” Fudge roared. “Then how did he get in? Apparition? A Portable key? Or did he just swagger across the English Channel in that Muggle Steel Bird while our weather magic monitors were leisurely having afternoon tea?”
After shouting, he felt dizzy.
This was not only a vicious attack, but also a great humiliation to the Ministry of Magic's security system under his leadership.
A wanted criminal, dubbed the Dark Lord of the new era, infiltrated the most central bank in the British magical world with impunity, wreaked havoc, and made his escape, also taking with him an important magical creature asset.
What's even more troublesome is the public reaction. Those reporters are like sharks that have smelled blood. Although the Department of Magical News has tried to block the news, the huge hole in Gringotts roof and the hundreds of witnesses in Diagon Alley have made the blockade a joke.
It's said that Rita Skeeter started a live stream immediately, and her voice must be hoarse from talking so much. The topics ranged from "Minister's dereliction of duty" to "New Dark Lord's tour of Gringotts," or "Are our Galleons safe?" and "The trust crisis behind the collapse of Gringotts."
"Appease them! We must appease them immediately!" Fudge paced back and forth, pulling at his already thinning hair. "Issue a statement emphasizing that the Ministry of Magic has the situation under control, Gringotts' losses are limited, and the dragon's escape was an accident..."
No, just say the dragon was an ancient, uncontrollable guardian who bravely sacrificed itself to resist the invaders—yes, sacrificed! Award it the Order of Merlin! In short, shift the focus to 'we repelled the invaders,' and also, inform the Fairy Brotherhood to keep their mouths shut. Take your time with the damage assessment; the priority now is stability!
Percy quickly scribbled on the parchment, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Fudge stopped in his tracks, a deeper worry flashing in his eyes. "In the end, why did he go to Gringotts? Was it just to release the dragon? Or..."
He suddenly recalled the Berlin incident, when rumors circulated that Vincent was trying to break the Law of Secrecy. A more terrifying thought surfaced in his mind: sabotaging the wizarding economy? Or stealing something that could threaten the stability of the magical world?
Another urgent document spewed out of the fireplace and landed right in front of Percy.
"Mr. Minister, many vaults at the scene were damaged, and emergency cleanup is still underway. The specific losses can only be assessed after the cleanup is completed."
"Get them to finish the cleanup as soon as possible!" Fudge lowered his voice. "Then secretly investigate what's missing from the vaults, especially the sensitive, historically significant ones. We absolutely cannot let anyone know that anything important is missing. Also..."
He took a deep breath, as if making a decision. "Contact Rufus Scrimgeour and tell him his vacation is over. The Ministry of Magic needs him, immediately!"
Percy hurriedly pulled out a small notebook containing the contact addresses and leave records of all Ministry of Magic staff. "Minister, Director Scrimgeour... his leave was personally approved by you, and it has four and a half months remaining."
Fudge's face twitched. He recalled Scrinker's stiff face and his blunt criticism, and how he had granted Scrinker a six-month leave in a fit of anger, ostensibly to let him rest after returning from the United States, but actually as a subtle way of persuading him to quit.
“Tell Rufus…” Fudge squeezed out the words through gritted teeth: “Now is not the time to throw a tantrum. Gringotts has been attacked, and that Dark Lord is riding a fire dragon over London!”
This is an act of war! I need the best Auror commander, not a former director lounging in the countryside! Issue an emergency order in my name: if he doesn't return… consider permanent leave!
Percy hurriedly left the office, and Fudge sat back in his chair wearily, looking at the fireplace that was still spewing out urgent documents.
He knew that recalling Scrimgeour meant the return of an even more unruly subordinate, but he had no one else available at the moment, and the position of Auror Chief of Staff couldn't remain vacant indefinitely.
Faced with such a thorny situation, he needed Scrimgeour's experience, prestige, and ruthlessness to stabilize the situation. The Ministry of Magic needed to arrest Vincent Wayne as soon as possible, or at least present a strong stance of pursuit in front of the public.
As for plugging those exposed security vulnerabilities? And comprehensively upgrading security measures at borders and core facilities?
That would require a huge budget, international cooperation, and an admission that the existing system of the British Ministry of Magic is a complete failure.
Fudge had a splitting headache just thinking about the paperwork and the questioning by Wizengamo. His immediate priorities were arresting people, maintaining stability, and controlling public opinion.
Patch the loopholes? Once we catch that damned Dark Lord Vincent, everything will naturally calm down... probably.
……
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