"What did you say?" the Prime Minister looked at Fudge in disbelief.

Fudge took a deep breath and pushed his chest outward, "Prime Minister, I am very sorry to tell you that he is back. The demon whose name he couldn't even mention is back. ”

"Come back, you say, 'Come back'...... He's still alive? I mean ......."

The prime minister groped in his memory for the details of that terrible conversation three years ago, when Fudge said that everyone was afraid of this wizard, who mysteriously disappeared fifteen years ago after committing more than a thousand horrific crimes.

"Yes, it's alive," Fudge said with a bit of a deflated ball, and his whole body went limp.

"That's it...... I do not know...... If a person can't be killed, does that mean he's alive? I don't really understand the word, and Dumbledore doesn't explain it - but he has a body, he can walk, he can talk, and he can kill, so I think, for the sake of our discussion going on, yes, he's alive, and I've seen him in person, right in my Ministry. ”

The Prime Minister didn't know what to say, but out of a long-standing habit of wanting to be more knowledgeable in every topic discussed, he began to search for any details he could recall from previous conversations.

"Sirius Black is following along—uh—the Adversary who can't even mention his name?"

"Blake?" Fudge said as he spun his top hat around and was distraught.

Sirius Black...... Oh no...... That was a few years ago, and Sirius Black proved to be innocent, he wasn't the man who was next to the man, he played for Dumbledore, and at the Ministry of Magic, he was also involved in the confrontation with the man......" Fudge turned his top hat faster and said in general, "Everything points to this—we have more than fifty witnesses—but anyway, the man is back...... It was hard to deal with, and we captured a few of his men, but Azkaban ...... Well, it's not a difficult thing to do, for that person......"

To Fudge's great surprise, a hint of pity for Fudge flashed on the Prime Minister's face. But the Prime Minister immediately disguised it, thinking that while he might not be as good as Fudge in his appearance from the fireplace, he would not have allowed a murder to take place in the government department under his jurisdiction...... In any case, there is no ......

The Prime Minister stole his wooden table, and Fudge continued, "But we're just mentioning Blake in passing." The point is that we are at war, and Prime Minister, we have to take measures. ”

"At war?" the Prime Minister repeated nervously. "Surely it's an exaggeration. ”

"That Adversary whose name he couldn't even mention now has a group of followers, you know, they escaped from Azkaban in January," Fudge said more and more rapidly, turning his top hat so fast that it looked like a gray-green blurry ball. "Since they were freed, they have been creating a disaster of revenge. Brodale Bridge - he did it, Prime Minister, and he threatened that if I didn't give way to him, there would be a whole bunch of Muggles going to die, and...... This time he wasn't just around these escaped jailbreak fanatics, there were some worse things......"

"What is it?"

"They exist in your legends. ”

"In fact, if nothing else, you're included. The Prime Minister said, "What's that?"

"Vampires, and werewolves, and if possible, a whole bunch of dark creatures and giants......"

"Oh my God, what are these!" the Prime Minister said in shock, but then reacted, "So...... So it's all your fault that those people died...... These horrible monsters, exactly, and I had to answer that it was because of the rust of the wires and the corroded joints, and I didn't know anything else!" said the Prime Minister furiously.

"My bad!" Fudge blushed, "will you succumb to blackmail like that?"

"Maybe not," the Prime Minister stood up and strode around the house, "but I will do my best to keep this blackmailer alive before he commits any such atrocities." ”

"Do you really think I'm not making every effort?" Fudge said fiercely. "Every Auror in the ministry has sought him out—and is looking for him and rounding up his followers, but we happen to be talking about the most powerful wizard of all time, one who has escaped pursuit for almost thirty years. ”

"So I suppose you're going to tell me that he also created the hurricane in the Southwest?" the Prime Minister grew angry with every step he took. It is infuriating to find the cause of all these terrible disasters and not to make them public;

"That's not a hurricane," Fudge said sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the prime minister shouted, stomping his foot. "Trees have been uprooted, roofs have been torn apart, lampposts have been bent, terrible casualties—"

"That's what the Death Eaters did," Fudge said. "The follower of the Adversary whose name he can't even mention. And...... We suspect that the giants are also involved. ”

The Prime Minister stopped him as if he had hit an invisible wall.

"What is involved?"

Fudge smiled wryly. "The last time he was looking for a grand effect, he used the giant. The Misleading Office is working around the clock, we have a team of memory cancellers to revise the memories of Muggles who have seen the real situation, and almost all the members of the Department of Magical Beasts Management and Control are busy in Somerse, but we can't find the giants - it's a disaster. ”

"Is this true?" said the prime minister furiously.

"I wouldn't deny that morale in the ministry is very low right now," Fudge said. "In addition to those, we also lost Amelia Bones. ”

"Lost whom?"

"Amelia Bones. Director of the Legal Enforcement Division. We thought it was the Adversary who couldn't even name her to kill herself, because she was a very talented wizard, and—and that's the sign that she actually fought. Fudge cleared his throat and seemed to make a great effort not to turn his hat.

"But the murder made it to the newspapers," the prime minister quickly suppressed his anger. "Our newspaper. Amelia Burns...... It only says that she is a middle-aged woman who lives alone. That's — dirty murder, isn't it? The cops are confused, you know. ”

Fudge sighed. "Oh, of course they will. Killed in a locked house, didn't we? On the other hand, we know exactly who did it, but that doesn't help us catch him. And then there's Emmeline Vance, maybe you haven't heard that name—"

"Oh, I've heard of it!" said the prime minister. "It's actually happening around here. The newspapers made a big fuss about it: trampling on law and order in the Prime Minister's backyard -"

"And as if that weren't enough," Fudge said, barely listening to the Prime Minister, "we still have Dementors pouring out and attacking the crowd everywhere. ”

In the past, this phrase may have seemed inexplicable to the prime minister, but he is now more sensible.

"I thought the Dementors were guarding Azkaban Prison?" said the Prime Minister cautiously, having heard Fudge say the name and was used by the Ministry of Magic to guard the wizard's prison.

"They used to be," Fudge said wearily. "But not anymore. They abandoned the prison and took refuge with the demon whose name he couldn't even mention. I wouldn't deny that it was a sudden blow, but, in fact, Dumbledore was right, maybe the Ministry of Magic shouldn't have used Dementors to guard Azkaban, but in fact, there was no better Warden than Dementors. ”

"But," the Prime Minister said, sensing a growing sense of fear, "you're not telling me that they are creatures that can drain people of hope and joy, do you?"

"In fact, that's it. They are breeding. That's what fogged up. Fudge said helplessly, these Dementors who had left the Ministry of Magic were unwilling even wizards to deal with.

To be exact, there are so few people who can fight the Dementors' Patronus Charm that they have been slacking off for a long time, and with the exception of a few Aurors, few have learned this kind of magic that is very difficult but not often used.

The prime minister slumped into the nearest chair. The thought of those unseen animals flying around towns and villages, spreading despair among his electorate made him feel weakened.

"Now, listen, Fudge—you have to do something! It's your responsibility as Minister of Magic!"

"My dear Prime Minister, after all of this, will you believe that I am still Minister of Magic? I was fired three days ago! It's been two weeks since the entire wizarding world vehemently demanded my resignation. I've never seen them so united in my tenure!" Fudge mustered up the courage to smile, but the smile was a little reluctant.

Two weeks ago, it had been something he had tried to avoid, but now it seems that what he did was not taken seriously.

The prime minister was speechless for a while. Although he was very angry about his current situation, he was quite sympathetic to the shriveled man sitting in front of him.

"I'm so sorry," he said eventually. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Thank you very much, Prime Minister, but there's nothing more I can do. I have been sent tonight to provide you with an update on these recent events, and to introduce you to my successor. I think he's supposed to be there, but of course, he's supposed to be very busy at this point, with so many things going on at the same time. ”

Fudge looked back at the ugly man with curly silver-white hair in the portrait, who was gouging his ears with a quill. He made contact with Fudge's gaze and said, "He'll be here in a moment, he's almost done writing his letter to Dumbledore." ”

"Good luck to him," Fudge said, sounding a little bitter at first. "I've been writing a letter to Dumbledore every two days for the past two weeks, but he's unmoved. If he's ready to convince the boy, I'll ...... Well, maybe Scrimgeour would have been more successful. ”

Fudge retreated into a distressing silence, but it was immediately broken by the crisp, official-tone voice of the portrait.

"To the Muggle Prime Minister. Request a meeting. Urgent. Fast recovery. Rufus Scrimgeur, Minister of Magic. ”

"Yes, yes, well," said the Prime Minister distraughtly, and he barely flinched as the flames in the fireplace turned emerald green again, and another wizard spun out from within, and in a blink of an eye he was spat out by the flames onto the quaint cushion.

Fudge stood up in amazement, and after a moment of hesitation, the Prime Minister also stood up, and they watched as the new guests stood up, dusted off their long black robes, and looked around.

When the Prime Minister first saw Rufus Scrimgeur, he thought he was like an old lion. He has long brown hair and thick eyebrows interspersed with strands of gray hair, and a pair of sharp yellow eyes under a pair of metal-framed glasses. Although he walked with a slight limp, he exuded a casual and leisurely elegance. It immediately gives the impression of being shrewd and capable.

The Prime Minister suddenly felt that he understood why the wizarding society had chosen him to replace Fudge as the leader in such a critical time, and in times of chaos, decisiveness and ferocity were the most effective means.

"Hello. The Prime Minister said politely and held out his hand.

Scrimgeour simply grabbed it and shook it, his eyes scanning the room, then pulling a wand from his robe.

"Minister Fudge has told you everything?" he asked, striding over to the door, tapping his wand to the keyhole. The Prime Minister heard the lock ring.

"Uh-yes," said the Prime Minister. "If you don't mind, I hope you don't lock that door. ”

"I don't like to be interrupted," Scrimgeour said succinctly, "or to be watched by anyone." He added, and pulled down the curtains on the window with his wand.

"Okay, then, I'm a busy man, so let's get busy. First, we need to discuss your security. ”

The Prime Minister jumped up and said, "I'm very happy with my security situation at the moment, and I'm very impressed—"

"Alright, well, that's not the case," Scrimgeour interrupted. "For Muggles, if their Prime Minister is controlled by the Imperius Curse, their prospects are not good. The new secretary in your office outside—"

"I'm not going to give up Kingsley Shackle, if you say you're going to give up on him!" said the prime minister vehemently. "He's very capable, and can do twice as much as the rest of—"

"That's because he's a wizard," Scrimgeour smiled as a trained Auror was assigned to your protection. ”

"Wait!" said the Prime Minister. "You can't just put your people in my office, it's up to me to decide who works for me-"

"I thought you were happy with Shackle?" said Scrimgeour coldly. "I am—that means, I was—"

"Then that's fine, isn't it?" said Scrimgeoiard. "I ...... Well, as long as Shackle's work remains...... Belch...... Outstanding," the prime minister stammered, but Scrimgeour barely listened to him.

"Now, about Herbert Jolly, your under-secretary," he continued. "The one who delights the masses by imitating ducks. ”

"What's wrong with him?" the Prime Minister asked.

"He's clearly caught a not-so-clever Imperius curse," Scrimgeour said. "It broke his brain, but he's still dangerous. ”

"He's just learning how to crow!" said the prime minister weakly. "Of course, there are some other problems...... Maybe like drinking......"

"While we were talking, a group of therapists from St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Injuries were examining him. So far, he's tried to strangle three of them," Scrimgeour said. "I think it's better to isolate him from Muggle society for the time being. ”

"I ...... All right...... He's going to get better, isn't he?," the prime minister asked anxiously. Scrimgeour just shrugged his shoulders and had already gotten up and walked to the fireplace.

"Okay, that's what I want to say. I'll let you know how things are going, Prime Minister – or, at least, I might be too busy to come to you personally, in which case I'll send Fudge. He had promised to remain in a position where he would advise. ”

Fudge tried to smile, but was unsuccessful; Scrimgeour had begun to fumble in his pocket for the mysterious powder that would turn the flames green. The Prime Minister stared at both of them in despair for a moment, and finally couldn't help but utter the words that he had suppressed all night.

"God—— you're wizards! you can do magic! You're sure you can solve—um—anything!" Scrimgeour turned slowly, exchanging a skeptical look with Fudge.

Fudge really tried to squeeze a smile out of his face this time, and he said gently, "But the problem is that that there is magic on that side too, Prime Minister." With that, the two of them walked into the bright green flame one after the other and vanished.