#746 - Lucius the wronged (asking for monthly ticket recommendation ticket)

Time flew by, and two days later, Anduin, having packed his bags, arrived at the Ministry of Magic once more. →Google search to read

Today, the Ministry of Magic was teeming with people, as wizards from various factions gathered, including members of the Wizengamot, representatives of pure-blood wizarding families, and renowned wizards from all walks of life, as well as foreign journalists and officials who had originally planned to attend the opening ceremony of the Magical Communication System tomorrow.

The department heads of the Ministry of Magic could be said to have pulled out all the stops, notifying almost everyone they could reach.

Anduin even saw many Diagon Alley shop owners, like Mr. Ollivander.

"Anduin, do you know what's going on? Why is the Ministry of Magic suddenly in such a hurry to hold a public trial? And why have they called so many people here?"

Newt Scamander, the magizoology expert, happened to run into Anduin in the Ministry of Magic's reception hall and approached him.

"Didn't they explain it clearly to you either?" Anduin raised an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed the Ministry of Magic's executives were keeping their mouths shut tight. Of course, it was also possible that there were simply too many people to notify, so they couldn't go into detail with everyone.

"They just sent me an urgent letter, but the wording was very exaggerated, as if I would lose thousands of Galleons if I missed it," Newt grumbled with some dissatisfaction. "What? From what you're saying, it sounds like you know who the subject of today's public trial is?"

"I do know some, but since the Ministry of Magic hasn't specified, I'd better keep some mystery. I can only say that the content of the upcoming public trial will be very exciting, and you won't be disappointed," Anduin replied with a grin.

"Is it necessary to be so mysterious?" Newt rolled his eyes helplessly, then looked at Anduin with a strange expression. "I have a feeling you're involved in this, aren't you? I hope the trouble you guys cause isn't too scary. This old man's heart isn't what it used to be."

This trouble wasn't that scary, really. It was just catching a wild Voldemort, Anduin muttered inwardly.

Then he softly reassured, "You're joking, Mr. Scamander. What kind of grand occasion haven't you seen? Next, you just need to wait and see."

"I hope so…" Newt clicked his tongue and replied casually, not knowing how much he believed Anduin's words. In any case, based on his understanding of this young man, the incidents he stirred up were rarely small.

The two chatted as they followed the crowd to the First Trial Room, located on the tenth level below ground. The Department of Mysteries and the Trial Rooms, located below the reception hall, could not be reached by elevator, and the First Trial Room was the largest trial room in the entire Ministry of Magic.→

This wasn't Anduin's first time here. Last time, during Karkaroff's trial, he had helped the Ministry of Magic officials catch Barty Crouch Jr.

Coincidentally, the father of that former Death Eater, Barty Crouch, who had been transferred to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, was acting as a receptionist at the entrance of the trial room.

Anduin wasn't unfamiliar with this Director Crouch. The Department of International Magical Cooperation, which he was in charge of, managed all international trade and had a lot of official business dealings with Silver Gleam Commerce.

In Anduin's eyes, Director Crouch was a good person, usually very easy to get along with, and a righteous, meticulous, and somewhat rigid Ministry of Magic official. This might be related to his years of service as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

It was just a pity that his family was unfortunate; his own son was actually a Death Eater.

Seeing Anduin and Newt approaching, Crouch's eyes lit up, and he took the initiative to greet Anduin.

"Mr. Wilson, would you mind chatting for a few minutes before going in?" Old Crouch said, then looked at Newt a little embarrassedly.

"You two chat, I'll go in first." Newt knew that Crouch probably had private matters to discuss with Anduin, so he very sensibly walked into the trial room alone.

"Did you need something from me?" Anduin looked at Old Crouch curiously.

"Yes, but it will only take a few minutes of your time…" Crouch nodded, then glanced around. After confirming that he hadn't attracted the attention of others, he pulled Anduin to a corner.

Seeing Old Crouch's behavior, Anduin felt even more strange. This director was usually very serious and never liked to beat around the bush.

"Mr. Wilson," Old Crouch murmured hesitantly after pondering for a moment, "Although I confirmed it with you and Dumbledore once before, I still want to make sure, that person has really been… ?"

"That's absolutely true, and you'll see him with your own eyes in a moment." Although Anduin didn't know what Crouch was struggling with, he wasn't angry because of their past friendship.

"Can you ensure that the other party can't escape from you?" Crouch's eyes, looking at Anduin, were slightly anxious. Clearly, this was what he was most concerned about.

"Honestly, I can't guarantee that, but as of now, he's still under my surveillance. If he really had the ability to escape, he probably wouldn't have delayed for so long, so you don't need to worry too much about that."

Anduin thought that Crouch was afraid that Voldemort would take revenge on him after escaping, so he kindly comforted him. After all, the old man in front of him had tried many Death Eaters back then and had even sent his own son to prison.

"I'm relieved to hear you say that." Old Crouch breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had put something out of his mind. "Please forgive me again for taking up your time. It was really important for me to confirm this with you."

"Please don't be so polite." Anduin shook his head indifferently. It wasn't a particularly important matter to him; he just felt a little inexplicable.

After ending his conversation with Crouch, Anduin turned around to enter the trial room, but he ran into Lucius very coincidentally at the door.

Anduin hadn't planned to pay attention to this guy, but who would have thought that the other party would come over on his own accord.

"Mr. Wilson, I want to lodge a strong protest with you!" Lucius still had that arrogant expression. "The courses you've arranged at Hogwarts have exceeded the range that normal students can handle. You haven't put the safety of those young wizards first at all."

"I'm warning you!" Lucius suddenly threatened with a straight face, "If you continue to subject the students at Hogwarts to those crude and rude training methods, I will propose to the school board that your position as professor be revoked!"

Revoke me? Who the hell do you think you are?

Anduin was amused by Lucius's presumptuous behavior. Did this guy think that because he had been relatively quiet these past few years, he could use his pure-blood family and board member status to suppress him again?

Did this idiot forget how badly he was beaten in that duel eight years ago? He really doesn't learn!

Anduin wasn't polite with the other party. "Oh? Want to revoke me? Do you have enough votes? If you think you can do it, you're welcome to try."

Then Anduin pretended to count on his fingers one by one. "First of all, the Bulstrode and Macmillan families probably won't even pay attention to you. The Ollerton, Whitehorn, Catchpole, and Horton families, who run the flying broom industry, all have business dealings with me. You probably can't command them either."

"Not to mention the Abbott and Greengrass families. Their heads have all expressed great appreciation for my training methods. They all say that their children have improved a lot this year."

"So, if you count it like that, you don't seem to be able to get seven votes no matter what, do you?" Anduin revealed a contemptuous sneer, gazing at Lucius.

Lucius was choked speechless by Anduin's words. He only now realized that the other party was not just a businessman. After operating this school year, Anduin's relationship with the local wizarding world's major families was also very good.

"But that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!" Lucius retorted angrily. "Wizards should look like wizards. Making them run and exercise like those Muggles every day is simply squandering their talent."

"I think Draco has been led astray by you. He's been practicing with knives and guns day and night. Wizards' weapons are only wands, not those Muggle items without magic!"

Hearing Lucius's complaint, Anduin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. So, this guy was so agitated because he was dissatisfied with Draco's current changes.

However, Anduin hadn't expected Draco to work so hard at home during the Christmas holidays. It was hard to believe that this useless piece of trash Lucius would give birth to such an ambitious child.

"Whether my training method is good or bad needs to be observed with your eyes and tested with time, not speculated with your narrow prejudice," Anduin coldly met Lucius's gaze.

"Honestly, Draco is doing well at school. If you really care about him, don't be a fool and hold him back!"

After harshly scolding Lucius, Anduin walked into the trial room without looking back. He didn't want to waste time on this idiot.

Lucius, who had tried to find fault but was instead lectured, was trembling with anger, but he really couldn't do anything about the other party.

In terms of force, Anduin could have pressed him into the ground and hammered him when he was in the third grade. In terms of wealth, the Moody and Weasley families, who only had some connections with Anduin, had now become nouveau riche. They were richer than the Malfoy family now.

If it came to power, it would be even more self-humiliating. The Malfoy family was, to put it nicely, a pure-blood noble; to put it bluntly, they were a bunch living off their ancestors' legacy.

However, Lucius was very unhappy with Anduin's ways and looked down on his Muggle-born status.

"Damn it! If my sister Yulia were still here, how could she let a Muggle bully us like this!"

Lucius suddenly felt a burst of grievance in his heart and couldn't help but clench his fists. He still couldn't understand why his sister's family had suddenly decided to leave England as a clan back then.

Unfortunately, what Lucius didn't expect was that the sister he once relied on so much was the one who had been bullied by Anduin and ran away.

At this time, Anduin, who had entered Trial Room One, discovered that the space here had been temporarily expanded a lot by the Ministry of Magic. The entire room was at least twice as big as before, clearly prepared to accommodate more wizards.

Seeing Anduin's arrival, Fudge, who was on the trial platform, quickly beckoned him over.

"Anduin, you've finally arrived. You're the main character of this public trial. Come, come, your seat is right next to me," Fudge said with a smile, pointing to the nearest seat beside him.

"What? Are you planning to personally preside over this public trial?" Anduin looked at the other party in surprise. General trials were basically presided over by personnel from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so theoretically, it should be Amelia standing on the trial platform today.

"Of course, I have to personally take the stage for such an important trial!" Fudge raised his chin rather proudly. "Don't look at the fact that I only worked in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes before, but I'm not unfamiliar with the trial process at all."

It's not a question of being unfamiliar, it's a question of whether the procedure is reasonable!

Anduin shook his head helplessly. He naturally knew that Fudge wanted to show off personally, but what leader personally acted as a judge?

However, Fudge didn't continue this topic with him. Instead, he leaned in close to Anduin's ear and muttered about how much preparation he had made for this public trial, acting just like a child showing off to their parents.

After a while, the entire trial room was filled to the brim with wizards, and Hogwarts deans and headmaster-level professors such as Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape also arrived one by one.

"Silence!"

Seeing that the personnel were basically all present, Fudge didn't waste any time and immediately banged the gavel in his hand loudly.

After the scene finally calmed down, Fudge slowly opened his mouth. "The reason why everyone has been summoned here today is to conduct an extremely special and very important trial, which requires everyone in the British wizarding world to be a witness. If this has caused any inconvenience to everyone, please allow me to say sorry to everyone here!"

Faced with Fudge's polite opening remarks, most wizards nodded in agreement, but some individuals couldn't help but interject.

"What exactly is so important?"

"Have they caught another long-time wanted criminal? There's no need to make such a big fuss, is there?"

"Start quickly, I have to hurry back to watch the store!"

"Silence!" Seeing the crowd discussing, Fudge knocked the gavel carelessly, then said solemnly, "Next, we will officially begin today's trial meeting."

"The cause of this matter originated from Anduin Wilson, the head of Silver Gleam Commerce and professor of tactical training at Hogwarts. Seven days ago, he discovered the whereabouts of a special criminal!"

Fudge paused deliberately at this point.

"And that criminal… is the long-lost, but proven to be still alive, leader of the Death Eaters—Voldemort!"