At dawn, Hermione awoke suddenly. She sat up, cold sweat soaking through her pajamas. Phoenix, who was next to him, turned his head, still asleep.

Hermione really thought the castle was eerie, maybe there were too few people, and there were only her, Phoenix, and a rare butler in such a large castle, as well as two cousins who didn't show up.

Maybe it's the same in the dwellings of the wizarding world. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and picked up the women's watch that had been placed beside her bed—a purely mechanical Muggle-made watch from Phoenix as her birthday present.

Seeing that there was still some time, I got up and went to wash first. When the sky is slightly brighter, I leave the bathroom and dry my hair with magic and spray it with a quick smoothing agent.

"Wake up, it's time for you to get up. She nudged Phoenix.

He opened his eyes in a daze, saw that it was still dark outside the window, and asked in a low voice, "What time is it?"

"Five o'clock, hurry up, today is important. At Hermione's urging, he got out of bed half-asleep and washed. Dressed in the Wizengamot robes, the burgundy robes were pinned with a small silver badge 'W'.

Hermione hurried into the dining room.

The house-elves have already set up breakfast and newspapers. The cold breeze blowing from the balcony sobered Phoenix up a little.

"Don't—worry," Phoenix yawned, "I think Professor Dumbledore, be prepared." With his intelligence, it is not difficult to imagine that Fudge will have a hard time grasping him, and he will definitely attack Harry. ”

"I understand that Article 7 of the Law on the Reasonable Restraint of Underage Wizards clearly states that wizards can use magic in front of Muggles when their lives are threatened. Hermione finished. Eden appeared with a note, dropped it, and flew to the balcony handrail to look at Hermione.

"Hell, they changed the time. Phoenix said a little annoyed, "The venue of the trial has also changed." ”

"What—?" Hermione spat out a sip of milk, "Why? Harry knows? You're still the presiding judge, right?"

She asked a series of questions.

"I've sent him an owl, of course it's me, and Fudge hasn't planned to replace me yet. He said, "Do you want to come with me?" ”

"I'm — not quite right. She hesitated, deciding that it wasn't a good idea.

"What's not right, it's not fun to stay in the castle all day. Phoenix knew that Hermione didn't seem to like the castle very much, so he offered to take her out for a walk.

"Well, well. She looked reluctantly agreed, and the two of them quickly finished their breakfast. But Phoenix forgot that the most important thing was how they got to the Ministry of Magic.

It would be nice to have only Phoenix, but it would be a bit of a hassle to add Hermione. Peverell Castle is not usually connected to the Floo network, and is only open temporarily when necessary. There is also a certain risk in having Hermione's entourage apparition shift, in case it splits into trouble. Eventually, Phoenix asked someone from the Ministry of Magic's Floo Network Administration to temporarily connect to the network.

The two of them stepped over the fireplace one after the other, but they didn't come out of the same fireplace. He stood in the resplendent halls of the Ministry of Magic. The floor is a polished dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling is inlaid with glittering gold symbols, constantly moving and changing, like a giant bulletin board. The walls on all four sides are lined with dark wood panels of jet black and shiny, and many gilded fireplaces are embedded in the boards.

With a soft pop, a wizard popped out of one of the fireplaces on the left. And on the right, there are several people waiting in line in front of each fireplace waiting to leave.

The others looked around, searching for Hermione.

"Looks like I found you first," Phoenix hugged Hermione from behind, startled, as the people next to him looked at them.

"You scared me, I'm still looking for you. ”

"You're so pretty, you're naturally quite conspicuous in the crowd—" A wizard stepped forward and interrupted Phoenix.

"Who are you, and did the parents bring you here?" Phoenix let go of Hermione and turned to look at him. Seeing Phoenix wearing a burgundy robe with the Wizengamot badge on it, his face turned red.

"You're from the Division of Magical Law Enforcement?" he said in a calm tone.

"No, sir—I mistook someone, sorry. After saying that, he turned around and joined the crowd and disappeared.

"He seems to be afraid of you?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"Burgundy is usually the uniform of a Ministry of Magic intern, but I'm a member of the Wizengamot, so it's very different. They also joined the crowd, and Phoenix explained to her, "The Wizengamot has legislative power, and the judicial power is a very powerful department, so the people who can be part of it are not ordinary people." ”

Hermione was even more confused and asked, "And Fudge can remove Dumbledore?"

"The problem is that the Minister's power is also great, and Dumbledore is not willing to fight Fudge. Phoenix shrugged as they came to the foyer, with a fountain in the middle.

In a circular waterhole stands a group of solid gold statues, larger than a life. The tallest of them all was a noble wizard holding a wand high and pointing to the sky. Surrounding him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. The centaurs, elves, and house-elves all looked up at the two wizards with infinite adoration. Beams of shining water shot from the tip of the wizard's wand, from the centaur's arrowhead, from the tip of the elf's hat, from the ears of the house-elf. There were the sounds of dingdong and dingdong and rattling water, the popping and snapping sounds of phantom shifters, and the chaotic footsteps of hundreds of witches and wizards.

With the lifeless expressions of the morning on their faces, they strode toward the row of golden doors at the end of the foyer. Some carried piles of crumbling parchment in their arms, some carried tattered briefcases, and others read the Daily Prophet as they walked. As he passed the fountain, Phoenix saw a number of glittering silver sicols and bronze nats beneath the waterhole, and a small smudged sign next to it read: All proceeds from the Fountain of the Magic Brothers are donated to St. Mungo's Hospital for the Injured and Wounded.

Go through the gate and come to a smaller hall over there. There were at least twenty elevators, blocked by refined golden fence gates. They walked into the crowd in front of an elevator that was gathered around a booth. Standing next to him was a small wizard with a beard, holding a newspaper and talking to the people next to him. From time to time, there was a disgruntled voice.

"Phoenix, dear. Fudge walked over in the fuchsia Wizengamot wizarding robes. I don't know if it's a coincidence or an intentional one.

"Hello, Minister. Phoenix bowed graciously.

"Don't be so angry, if you want to call me Uncle Fudge, my father and I are old acquaintances. Fudge waved his hand generously, "Come on, I'll take you to the Inquisition, just to introduce you to the Ministry of Magic, I think you'll come more often in the future." Is this—?"

"You're so polite, my classmate, she's interested in practicing law, so take her by the way, okay?" said Phoenix.

"Of course, it's nothing, the case is clear, and I think your first case will go well. Fudge smiled and walked into the elevator. Hermione, next to her, looked nervous at first, and flicked Fudge as if she thought Harry must have been convicted, and froze in place. Phoenix backed her back before she came to her senses.

With a clattering sound, an elevator descended in front of them. The golden fence door slid open, and Phoenix and Fudge walked into the elevator together, but no one dared to go up, only a middle-aged witch followed calmly. The fence door slammed shut, the elevator slowly ascended, the chain clicked, and the voice of an indifferent woman rang out.