69novels Page 209
Page 209
Levin recognized him.
The man nodded slightly to Professor Snape, his gaze lingering on Levin for a moment.
Levin glared back indifferently, but in the end, the other person looked away on their own.
Fudge stood up immediately and revealed the other party's identity;
"Oh, my old friend Crouch, what brings you here?"
That's right, this is the target that Levin and Jaina are planning to deal with this time:
Barty Crouch Sr., the former Director of the Department of Law Enforcement and a fighter against Voldemort.
They had just arrested Peter when the other side arrived immediately, clearly indicating that someone within the Auror organization had tipped them off.
His influence in the 2.9 Law Enforcement Division is evident.
“Connelly, I have something important to discuss with you,” Crouch said curtly, without a trace of a smile on his face.
Fudge frowned. "Miss Tonks, please take Professor Snape and Mr. Green to the lounge next door for a moment."
Levin obediently followed Tonks away.
This is a very spacious and luxuriously furnished lounge, very much in keeping with the minister's status.
Professor Snape casually sat down in a chair, turned away sullenly, and clearly had no desire to speak with Levin.
Even though it was Levin who found the real killer of Lily for him,
But being easily defeated by his own students and tied up in that way was an embarrassing experience that made him feel ashamed.
Levin also found a chair and sat down, casually flipping through the Daily Prophet on the table while using his psychic abilities to listen to the conversation of the three people next door through the soundproof and magic-resistant walls.
All three were powerful figures in the Ministry of Magic; their conversation, though seemingly calm, was rife with tension and intrigue.
Chapter 230 Political Clash
Without any pleasantries, Barty Crouch got straight to the point:
"Fudge, I heard that the Aurors have captured the escaped Black and Peter Pettigrew, who died many years ago?"
“Barty, your information network is really impressive. We just captured them ourselves.” Fudge’s tone was tinged with dissatisfaction at how quickly he had received the news.
This means that his control over the Ministry of Magic is still far from sufficient.
Then, Barty Crouch Sr. started giving orders directly:
"Now that the wanted criminals have been apprehended, why keep them in the Ministry of Magic? I think Sirius should be thrown into Azkaban immediately. As for that Peter Pettigrew, I think he's very likely an imposter. We need to test him to see if he's just an ordinary person under the Black Confusion Charm."
"I believe our Aurors are perfectly capable of judging whether a person is sane or under a spell." Fudge rarely had the opportunity to be so firm when facing a veteran official with distinguished service.
He felt extremely happy at that moment.
This is understandable, as the First Division of Law Enforcement is the most important department in the Ministry of Magic.
In some respects, the other six divisions should all be responsible to the Division of Magical Law Enforcement—with the exception of the Division of Mystic Affairs.
Even the liaison department of the Wizarding Council 08-Wisengamo is under the jurisdiction of the Legal Enforcement Division.
Founded by the first Minister of Magic, the head of the department is usually a top candidate for Minister of Magic, such as Barty Crouch the Elder.
This is precisely why Levin opposed Jaina's temporary transfer out of the Department of Legal Enforcement for a promotion.
However, before becoming Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge served as Deputy Director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters, which was arguably his most trusted department.
This is why, after becoming Minister of Magic, he could not fully control the Department of Law Enforcement, resulting in his power as Minister not being as great as imagined.
Barty Crouch the Elder, the Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, was so arrogant in front of the Minister because of his past power in the Department of Law Enforcement.
This is why Fudge was willing to cooperate with Gianna in this incident.
He viewed this as an attempt to expand his influence within the Department of Law Enforcement.
Seeing this, Jaina said, "This case is extremely serious, and I don't think we can just throw the suspect into Azkaban. I suggest we go through the formal process and have Wizengamo retry the case."
Her words were very much in line with her identity as the deputy director of the Law Enforcement Department.
“I think Deputy Director Gianna’s suggestion is very reasonable,” Fudge responded immediately.
Seeing the two of them singing in unison right in front of him, Crouch could easily tell that they had planned this all along.
His voice immediately turned cold: "Good, good indeed, the younger generation is indeed formidable."
He glared coldly at Jaina, but how could the princess of Kul Tiras be afraid of him?
As a hawkish politician, the man before him was far inferior to his father, General Dalyn.
As a spellcaster, Crouch wasn't even worthy of carrying the shoes of her teacher, the Archmage Antonidas.
Seeing that his glare had failed again, Crouch could only say fiercely, "Then I also demand that if the trial ultimately proves Sirius Black guilty, then the Ministry of Magic must, in turn, bring a trial against the slanderers."
"Trial the slanderers?" Fudge asked, puzzled.
“I have reason to believe that this incident is a deliberate attempt to smear my personal image. No matter what the final outcome is, I will be labeled as someone who made a hasty judgment.”
Crouch's tone was filled with intense anger.
“But Peter Pettigrew is still alive, that’s an undeniable fact. Are you going to deny all of that to my face?” Fudge said unhappily.
“Hmph, Peter Pettigrew… who exactly fed you this rumor, Minister?” Crouch practically interrogated him.
Gianna chimed in again: "Mr. Crouch, this is not a story. The Department of Law Enforcement has a responsibility to inform the Minister of the truth as it is discovered."
Crouch understood her implication: since you're not part of the Enforcement Division, don't meddle in this kind of thing.
"When I was fighting the Dark Lord, you were still breastfeeding, young man! Don't spout nonsense in front of me!" Crouch roared.
“But at least I won’t give my son to the Dark Lord while I’m fighting him,” Jaina retorted.
Since we're going to expose each other's dirty secrets, let's just hurt each other then, who's afraid of who?
The next room fell silent instantly. Levin could almost predict how furious Crouch would be, his sore spot touched.
But in the end, he didn't say anything more.
Since relations have already been strained, arguing is pointless.
After a moment of silence, Mr. Crouch took his leave and left the minister's office.
After discussing the next steps with Fudge, Gianna left the minister's office, opened the door to the lounge, and walked in.
As soon as she entered, she greeted Snape: "Professor Snape, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for taking care of Levin at school; he has indeed learned Potions very well."
Snape understood the other party's meaning almost immediately.
This is to highlight her close relationship with Levin.
Snape looked at Levin with some surprise.
He never imagined that he, an outstanding student at Hogwarts, would be so familiar with this young director.
However, this also directly caused Snape to lose the desire to communicate with Jaina.
“It was entirely due to his own efforts,” Professor Snape replied simply, and then fell silent.
Gianna Proudmoore smiled slightly, seemingly unconcerned.
So, obediently, without much small talk, they went straight to the point, inquiring about the details of what had happened that day.
Beside her, a magic pen was writing and drawing on parchment, automatically recording the notes.
After recording Snape and Levin's statements, Jaina took Levin away in front of the Potions professor, making no attempt to conceal their relationship.
Levin spent the night in Jaina's office.
During this time, Gianna worked through the night and arranged the trial of Black and Peter in one night.
Even the jury has been contacted.
The next morning, with everything prepared, Levin accompanied Jaina to the Wizengamor courtroom.
This place is located on the tenth floor, the deepest floor of the Ministry of Magic, on the same floor as the Department of Mysteries.
Levin felt this place was more like a dungeon than a trial room.
The walls on all sides were made of dark stones, and the torchlight was dim and eerie.
The room had a bleak and eerie atmosphere. There were no portraits or decorations on the walls, only rows of long benches arranged in a tiered fashion around the perimeter.
A chair in the center of the room was particularly eye-catching.
The chair's armrests were covered with iron chains, one on the left and one on the right.
The chair was clearly intended for the person on trial; the chained chair was clearly visible from all angles.
An ominous silence descended as the heavy door closed behind Levin.
“Hmm, it seems we’ve arrived too early; we’re the first ones here!” Jaina Proudmoore said, somewhat surprised.
Soon, the judges and court personnel involved in the trial also arrived one after another.
In addition to Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, Barty Crouch Sr. himself was also present.
Fudge nodded to Levin and Jaina, while Crouch beside him remained expressionless, his eyes blazing with anger.
The largest group was the jury, numbering at least several dozen people, all from Wizengamo. They wore crimson robes with an exquisite silver "W" embroidered on their left breast.
Among them, Levin spotted a familiar figure—Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
This old bat is not only the headmaster of Hogwarts, but also the president of the International Federation of Wizards and the chief wizard of Wizengamo.
No wonder Fudge was so wary of him.
This trial was so important that Black, Peter, and Snape, three members of the Order of the Phoenix and former members of the Order of the Phoenix, were directly involved.
It's not surprising that he'd be here.
Headmaster Dumbledore had clearly noticed Levin as well; his eyes gleamed behind his crescent-shaped spectacles, and he gave Ailu a smile.
For Dumbledore, although he was forcibly dragged onto Levin's chariot this time, ultimately, Levin was helping his Order of the Phoenix absolve themselves of their sins and avenge their grievances.
Therefore, in this matter, the Phoenix Society actually owes them a great favor.
After meeting Dumbledore, Levin understood...
This plan can be considered a success.
Update [5/4], Bonus Chapter [44/83]