Chapter 350 Minister’s Office
At night, London is full of bright lights, and the streets are bustling with traffic and people.
But near the bustling city center, there is a desolate, deserted side street. There were only a few shabby-looking offices, a bistro and a dump truck that was almost overflowing.
There were only two pedestrians on the desolate side street, one was an old man with a white beard, and the other was a blond girl. The girl was holding a metal cage in her hand, which contained a lifeless mouse.
The old man and the young man were Dumbledore and Ada who had just left Twilight House. They came here for an old case twelve years ago.
Ada looked around. Compared to the French Ministry of Magic built on Furstenberg Square, the entrance to the British Ministry of Magic was really inconspicuous, just as inconspicuous as the Leaky Cauldron.
"Here we are." Dumbledore said, pointing to a dilapidated red telephone box. "This is the entrance to the Ministry of Magic."
The red phone booth was really shabby, with several pieces of glass missing, and there was a wall behind it that had been painted into a mess. This entrance is absolutely terrible and completely outclassed.
"Professor, why don't we just go in?" Ada said. "This phone booth really brings down the impression of the Ministry of Magic."
"Don't you think there should be different attempts in life?" Dumbledore asked, "The guest entrance of the Ministry of Magic is a different kind of attempt." After saying that, Dumbledore took the lead in walking in and facing Ada. Wave.
In desperation, Ada had no choice but to squeeze in. Fortunately, both of us were very thin, so it didn't feel particularly crowded.
Of course, the indispensable thing in the phone booth is the telephone equipment. The phone hangs crookedly from the wall, as if a vandal once tried to tear it off.
Dumbledore picked up the phone and dialed the number 62442. If it were the nine-key input method on later generations of mobile phones, this string of numbers would type the word magic.
As the dial whirred back to its original position, a woman's cold voice sounded in the phone booth. This voice did not come from the receiver. It was loud and clear, as if an invisible woman was standing beside them. .
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, please state your name and your business."
"Albus Dumbledore, Esmeralda Drizzt, come to see Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic." Dumbledore said.
"Thank you," the woman said in a cold voice, "Guest, please pick up the badge and pin it in front of your clothes."
Ding Lingling, clatter, two square silver badges slipped out of the metal chute for withdrawing coins. Dumbledore picked up the badge and handed Ada's badge to Ada.
"Guests of the Ministry of Magic, you are required to be checked and register your wand at the security desk. The security desk is located at the end of the main hall."
The ground of the phone booth suddenly trembled, and they slowly sank into the ground. There was only a monotonous, harsh grinding sound in their ears. After a while, a thin golden light appeared, and then the golden light gradually became wider.
"The Ministry hopes you have a good day," the woman's voice said. The door to the phone booth flew open, and Ada stepped out first.
It was night now, so there weren't many people in the splendid hall, which seemed a bit deserted. Unlike the starry ceiling at the French Ministry of Magic, the ceiling at the British Ministry of Magic is peacock blue and studded with glittering gold symbols.
Stepping on the shiny dark wooden floor, Ada, led by Dumbledore, passed through the fountain and the ironic solid gold statue in the foyer, and went straight to the elevator.
Dumbledore entered the Ministry of Magic in an ordinary way. That was just for him to experience life. It didn't mean that he really had to undergo a wand test. Didn't you see that the headmaster didn't even bother to wear his badge?
In front of the elevator, some wizards working overtime or on duty recognized Dumbledore and greeted the principal one after another, and Dumbledore responded one by one.
After saying hello, Dumbledore took Ada into one of the elevators without anyone else following.
The fence door slammed shut, the elevator slowly rose, the chain rattled, and the cold female voice in the phone booth appeared again.
Dumbledore didn't take Ada out of the elevator until the first floor, where the minister's office and logistics department were located. The floor is covered with thick carpets, and the walls are covered with cold, black tiles, solemn and solemn.
There is a small sign on each wooden door on this floor with the name and position written on it. Ada also saw a familiar name: Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary of Magic
In front of the largest door, Dumbledore and Ada stopped. The minister's office arrived. There was no knock on the door, and Dumbledore didn't speak. The door to the office opened automatically, and Fudge's voice came from inside.
"Ah, Albus, you said you were coming over, did you bring any good news?" Fudge said loudly, "Let me guess, did you have news about Black, or did you catch him?"
In the spacious and luxurious office, there was another person besides Fudge. Umbridge was still looking like an unappetizing girl, and she was holding a pile of parchment in her arms.
"That's about it, Cornelius, I've brought you a great gift." Dumbledore said.
Fudge stood behind a large desk. He called Dumbledore and Ada who walked into the office to sit down. The minister's expression looked very enthusiastic, and he did not seem to be unhappy at all about the previous incident in Hogsmeade, as if there had never been any estrangement between him and Dumbledore.
Umbridge trotted all the way to prepare drinks for the two visitors, and then the pink toad stood behind Fudge very doggedly. When Fudge looked at her, he showed a disgusting, flattering smile.
"That's great. I'm sure your gift will be very inspiring." Fudge said, "You know, people are very worried about Blake. I was discussing this matter with Dolores just now. On."
How to discuss? What to discuss? Send more dementors? It would be better to wait for the Dementors to capture Sirius than to wait for Sirius to surrender to the Ministry of Magic. Ada complained silently in her heart and leaned back, as far away from Umbridge as possible.
Ada, who never judges a book by its cover, learned how to judge a book by its cover after meeting Umbridge.
"That's what I'm here for, Cornelius." Dumbledore said, "We have caught the person who betrayed the Potters and the person who blew up half the street."
"Where is he? Where is Black?" Fudge asked excitedly. Black's incident caused the minister's public image to decline rapidly. The wizarding world was very dissatisfied with the performance of the Ministry of Magic, and some even shouted slogans for Fudge to step down.
Unlike Fudge, who was under great pressure and very excited, Dumbledore said slowly: "No, Connelly, the criminal is not Sirius Black, the real criminal is someone else..."
"You mean Black was wrongly accused?" Fudge interrupted Dumbledore rudely with a wave of his hand, "Impossible! How is this possible! Black is the Potters' secret keeper, and only he has the opportunity to betray the Potters! Ah! Bu Si, you are telling a joke, right?"
Fudge became even more excited, as if Dumbledore was talking about some fantasy. Behind Fudge, Umbridge looked very disdainful and disdainful of Dumbledore's statement, but in order to cooperate with the minister, she still kept giggling.
Ada was afraid that if Umbridge continued to laugh like this, multiple eggs would appear behind her.
"This is not a joke, April Fool's Day is still several days away." Dumbledore said, "Sirius Black is indeed innocent. The person who betrayed the Potters to Voldemort is Peter, Peter Pedro."
Fudge laughed even louder, as if he had heard the funniest joke in his life.
After laughing for a long time, Fudge said: "Albus, we all know that Peter's child is dead. The poor child only has one finger left. In recognition of his bravery and fearlessness, he was also awarded the first degree of the Knights of Merlin." Where’s the medal!”
"I know this sounds weird, but it's true. I saw Peter today." Dumbledore said.
Then the Headmaster told the story of the Potters' secret keeper, how Peter framed Sirius, and how Peter was caught today.
After hearing all this, Fudge acted even more stupid than Ron. He didn't believe what Dumbledore said, or he didn't want to believe it in his heart.
Believing Dumbledore's story and believing that Sirius Black is innocent proves that the Ministry of Magic is wrong. Imprisoning an innocent man in the terrifying Azkaban for twelve years was a fault that the Ministry of Magic did not want to bear.
"This is impossible, this is absolutely impossible." Fudge said slowly, "Since Black was wronged, why didn't he say he was wronged when he was arrested? Why has he never cried out in the past twelve years? This is impossible it is true!"
Fudge's performance was also within Dumbledore's expectations. Since he came to see Fudge, Dumbledore was naturally fully prepared. The principal looked at Ada and signaled that it was time for Ada to perform and let me, an old man, take a short break.
The purpose of bringing herself along was to let herself do this. Of course Ada understood what Dumbledore meant. So she simply put the cage in her hand on the large desk.
Looking at the metal cage on the desk and the sluggish rat in the cage, Fudge and Umbridge both frowned. When she saw Ada taking out her wand, Umbridge stood in front of Fudge in an exaggerated manner and pulled out her own short wand.
Pooh! A villain who only knows how to flatter, Fudge's bitch.
Ada was very disdainful of Umbridge's performance. She curled her lips and ignored the pink toad, which was facing a formidable enemy. She tapped the cage with her wand, and the metal cage disappeared immediately.
Ada clicked the mouse on the table with her wand again, a blue light lit up on the tip of the yew wand, and Peter Pedillo appeared "incredibly" on the desk in the Office of the Minister of Magic.
The appearance of the wretched middle-aged man from the Mediterranean made Minister Fudge suddenly fall into his chair. Fudge muttered absently: "Impossible, how is this possible, how can it be like this..."
Peter did not frame his good brother Sirius again. He lay sluggishly on his desk and said nothing.
"Cornelly, now that you have seen it, you should believe that Sirius is innocent, right?" Dumbledore said, "We have many ways to verify it, including Legilimency, Veritaserum, etc."
And Ada was really cooperative with Dumbledore, and she took out another small bottle from her pocket. The colorless liquid in the vial is Veritaserum, and it only takes two or three drops to make a person tell him everything he knows.