#232 - A confusing invitation

A full three days passed before the Aurors increased their daily patrols in Diagon Alley.

Watching the law enforcement teams in twos and threes, and some wizards who were clearly plainclothes Aurors, Moon finally felt safe enough to leave the bar.

To avoid appearing too out of place at the banquet, Moon went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and spent 80 Galleons to have a set of mid-range black dress robes custom-made.

Hearing that Moon was going to the Ministry of Magic to attend Professor Snape's award ceremony, Madam Malkin even gave him a blue bow tie for free.

At six o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, after packing everything, Moon went alone to the secluded red telephone booth.

Because it was his first time entering the Ministry of Magic, Moon couldn't use the Floo Network from the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace, so he could only go through another passage.

After entering the dilapidated telephone booth, Moon dialed the number 62442 (MAGIC).

"Welcome to the British Ministry of Magic. Please state the reason for your visit."

A gentle female voice suddenly came from the telephone booth, very close, as if it were right in front of him.

"Invited to attend Severus Snape's award ceremony."

Moon said blankly to the telephone booth.

"Okay, please take your pass. The elevator will go directly to the main hall on the eighth floor."

As soon as the female voice fell, a silver badge fell out of the coin return slot of the telephone.

At the same time, the telephone booth plummeted.

When the door reopened, Moon could be considered to have truly arrived at the Ministry of Magic.

"Come over here, child. Who are you with? Where are your parents?"

Outside the elevator, a Ministry of Magic employee in gray work clothes with long brown hair was checking the invitation letters of each wizard.

Seeing Moon come down from the telephone booth alone, holding a pass in his hand, he waved and motioned for Moon to come over.

"I came alone, this is my invitation letter."

Moon quickly walked over and took out the card that Fawkes had given him.

"Alone, really, Albus, no, why do you have Professor Dumbledore's invitation letter?"

"Oh, the Headmaster asked me to come in his place."

"Is that so?"

The brown-haired wizard looked at the words written by Dumbledore that appeared on the invitation letter and no longer doubted it.

He handed the invitation letter back to Moon with both hands, then patted the little wizard on the shoulder.

"This viewing seat is a bit close to the front, good luck."

"Viewing, what do you mean? Doesn't coming here just mean you can have a good meal?"

Moon had no idea that the Ministry of Magic would not only hold a banquet today, but also hold an award ceremony for Snape before the banquet.

At that time, all invited wizards would watch from fixed seats.

"You can have a good meal, but that's later. Next, please show your invitation letter."

Seeing that more wizards were arriving, the brown-haired wizard immediately devoted himself to his work.

Moon had no choice but to enter the main hall of the Ministry of Magic to look around.

Although it was underground, the decoration was very luxurious.

The dark wooden floor was polished to a shine, and the peacock blue ceiling was inlaid with sparkling golden symbols, constantly moving and changing, like a huge bulletin board suspended in the sky.

On both sides of the main hall were inlaid many gilded fireplaces, and at this time, Ministry of Magic employees were coming here in twos and threes from the fireplaces on the left.

"Luckily I didn't bring Bungee, otherwise it would definitely want to take a fireplace back."

Moon walked along the corridor to the center of the hall, where there was a fountain statue.

A temporary viewing platform had already been set up under the fountain, and there was a semicircle of chairs around the fountain statue, with the names of the wizards written on each chair.

Arriving at the first row, after successfully finding Dumbledore's chair, Moon understood why the security guard had wished him good luck just now.

The chair on Moon's right hand side said Cornelius Fudge, and the chair on his left was Amelia Susan Bones.

One was the Minister of Magic, and the other was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Isn't this a bit too abrupt?"

Moon held the invitation letter, looking at Dumbledore's seat with some guilt. He had never thought of meeting these Ministry of Magic bigwigs.

"Don't worry, I think Dumbledore asked you to come, it should be for this position."

A familiar and cold voice sounded, and Moon turned to look at Snape who appeared behind him.

As the protagonist of the evening, his seat was arranged on Fudge's right hand side.

"Professor, are you alright?"

Looking at Snape, whose eyes were bloodshot and his face was pale, Moon subconsciously cared about the other party.

"It's nothing, I've just been studying potions these past two days and got a little too engrossed."

After getting the Snow Berries from Moon, Snape plunged into his laboratory.

Because there was only one set of materials, in order to make reasonable use of the Snow Berries, he consulted a large number of ancient potion books.

He found many potion-making methods that were full of loopholes and lacked precise details.

For the past three days, Snape had been sorting out various refining methods day and night.

"Oh, Professor, you should pay more attention to rest."

Hearing Moon's words, Snape made a cold snort through his nose, and then sat down in his seat.

"Professor, you just said that Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to come, it was for this position, what does that mean?"

Seeing Snape sitting in the chair, closing his eyes and preparing to rest, Moon quickly asked the doubts in his heart.

"Don't ask me, only you yourself know the answer to this matter."

Snape closed his eyes tightly, and after saying that, he gently tilted his head back and leaned on the back of the chair, pretending to sleep.

"Ask me?"

Moon pointed to himself in confusion, and seeing that Snape didn't say a word, he helplessly put away the invitation letter, sat in the chair, and began to think about Dumbledore's intention.

"What's the use of a position next to the Ministry of Magic's high-level officials?"

Although he didn't meet Dumbledore often, Moon found that this Headmaster liked to design puzzles for people like this and never said things clearly.

Although he was quite disgusted with this way of communication, Moon knew that this old white-bearded wizard would not do anything meaningless, so he had to think deeply.

"Could it be that Dumbledore knows everything?"

Moon recalled what he had done at Hogwarts and found that it was not enough to be awarded this front-row invitation letter.

But besides these, all that Moon had left was the secret he carried on his body.

After saying this hypothesis, Moon felt a little relieved, but also a little scared and his hair stood on end.

Being caught with a pigtail by the greatest wizard is no joke.

But only if this hypothesis is true can all things be explained.

A wizard from another world appeared in England, no matter how absurd this matter was, according to convention, the Ministry of Magic should come forward.

But now Moon didn't want to reveal the secrets on his body, so Dumbledore chose such an opportunity to let him meet with the high-level officials of the Ministry of Magic, even if it was just to become familiar.

Of course, this was just Moon's speculation. As for Dumbledore, he was thinking much further than these.

"What, figured it out?"

Seeing that Moon hadn't spoken for a long time, Snape's voice sounded again.

"Yes, figured out a little."

Moon replied indifferently, then stood up again and tidied up the clothes on his body.

This time, he was representing another world to attend the British Ministry of Magic's banquet for the first time, and he couldn't lose face.

"It seems that the Headmaster considered it more thoroughly."

Snape said helplessly and let out a sigh.

He actually wanted to know the secrets on Moon's body, especially the source of those magical potion ingredients.

But now it seemed that these two wizards, one old and one young, were not prepared to tell others.

Just as Moon tidied up his clothes, the high-level officials of the Ministry of Magic entered the venue one after another.