The knights were fast, and in a few moments, they were standing in front of the red-brick department store that had been built only as a cover for St. Mungo, but had never actually opened. The war didn't reach here, it was still as dilapidated and deserted as it used to be, with only a few cracked dummies in the windows, wearing crooked wigs and postures, dressed in clothes from at least ten years ago. The dusty doors are hung with large signs that say "closed for renovation".

Lockhart leaned close to the window, looked up at the ugly dummy, and said, "Visit Rufus Scrimgeur." ”

As if realizing that it was the Minister of Magic, the dummy reacted quickly, nodding slightly, and beckoning his fingers together. After a fluctuation of magic, Lockharra took Hermione and led the other two boys straight through the glass.

Although order in the wizarding world has been restored, St. Mungo's is still very busy - some of the wizards who were injured in the war have not been discharged, but it is impossible for a large number of wizards who have moved to the vicinity of London not to be sick or injured for this reason...... Rows of witches and witches sat in rickety wooden chairs in the waiting room, some looking normal and reading a magazine provided by the hospital, while others were clearly injured by flashbacks or out-of-control spells and dark magic.

Several of the strikers standing by the wall to protect St. Mungo's were the first to recognize Lockhart and nod hello to him, and one of them, who was supposed to be the captain, came over and whispered to him where Scrimger's ward was.

"Fifth floor. Lockhart turned back to the other three.

――

Scrimgeour's ward was in the innermost hallway on the fifth floor, and eight or nine beaters were inspected along the way, but in fact, the biggest task of the strikers stationed at St. Mungo was to protect Scrimgeour.

St. Mungo's own anti-apparition shifter, if someone attacked, the guards' strikers would warn the Ministry of Magic under the cover of simple protective spells inside the building, and the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic and even Lockhart could arrive a few miles away.

This is obviously the best room in St. Mungo, spacious, bright, fresh and clean. Scrimgeour sat pale on the bed, reading the latest Daily Prophet. His wife looked at him tenderly from the sidelines.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. Lockhart greeted the middle-aged witch politely, and despite his acquaintance with Scrimgeur, it was indeed the first time he had seen Mrs. Scrimgeour - the veteran Auror had clearly done a good job of keeping the family in Article 12 of the Auror Code.

"Mr. Minister!" Mrs. Scrimgeour stood up, it was not the first time she had seen the Minister of Magic, although the Minister in front of her was completely different from the previous one, she did not look nervous, but cleanly contorted four chairs with her wand: "Please be seated...... And three young gentlemen and young ladies -- this is the minister's wife?"

"Uh-yes. Hermione happily replied, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Scrimgeour." ”

"The minister's wife is so beautiful. The middle-aged witch praised: "I heard that it is still a powerful Phoenix Society......?

"How can you have high skills...... "The minister's wife was a little embarrassed.

"How is Rufus's health, when will he recover?" asked Lockhart, sitting down in his chair.

"Rufus was struck by defensive magic on the walls of the Ministry of Magic during the battle...... The snakes in the anti-death spell vest he wore were all squeezed flat, but fortunately he was not dead, and he blocked a death curse for him. She said, "It's a pity for Kingsley, to save him...... That's it. ”

"The Shackel family...... Give them a treat. I'm so weak now that I get dizzy even when I sit for a while, and I might have to work hard for you a little longer. Scrimgeour whispered with a squirming lip. "Mr. Potter is an Auror now?"

"Yes, sir. Harry hastened to reply.

"Well, good job, the old fellow of Alasto said. You'll be a good Auror. Scrimgeour nodded, and after a few words, he felt a little tired.

"How long will it take for Mr. Scrimgeour to be discharged from the hospital?" Hermione looked sadly at the man on the hospital bed, and the impression of Scrimgeour was always standing straight, his eyes sharp, and imposing. At this moment, he was half-lying and half-sitting on the pillow. The sunlight streaming in through the window illuminated his face, making the mighty Auror pale with gray hair. It's like a terminally ill patient who is about to reach the end of his life.

"St Mungo's is already providing the best treatment. His wife said helplessly, "But it will take at least a month to be discharged from the hospital, and half a year to return to normal." ”

"Hermione, Harry, Ron, you guys get out, I have something to discuss with Rufus. ”

"Oh, good. Hermione immediately stood up, grabbing the boys' clothes and telling them to stand up too.

Mrs. Scrimgeour did not wait for her husband to speak, but she stood up of her own accord and said to the three children, "Go, I'll take you out to see the patients in the other wards." ”

――

After there were only two people left in the room, Rufus glanced up at Lockhart and shook his head slightly: "Gildero, I read everything you did in the newspaper...... I understand your mood and thoughts...... But, it can't be like this. ”

Of course, Scrimgeour couldn't have stared at him like Mrs. Weasley and wanted to marry several wives, and what he said naturally meant that he had killed several Death Eaters.

It can't be like this? What if it can't be like this, it's not like that, if it's "not allowed to be like this," then it's a matter of debate.

Lockhart didn't respond, moving his chair closer to him, "There's a lot of criticism, I know. But I want to do something bigger now, and here I want to talk to the next Minister of Magic. ”

"Bigger?"

"There are hundreds of wizards in the prison, and there are twenty or thirty of them that I want to kill. "But I can't come up with any claims or evidence that would sentence them to death, and if I do it, I'll have a hard time when I leave office......

"Alas......" Scrimgeour didn't know what to say, but he understood: Voldemort wasn't dead, and some people really couldn't let go. "Creating accidents. ”

"Who wouldn't have thought of that, but what kind of accident can kill all these guys and keep me out of the way?" Lockhart shook his head, dissatisfied with his answer: "No matter what accident causes the death, I will be responsible, but there is a big difference between 'responsible' and 'everyone thinks I did it'." In the former case, I can pretend that I am forced to resign under tremendous pressure and let you go up, while in the second case, I will face endless retribution......"

"You have done so many things so murderously, and you are still afraid of revenge?"

"I'm not afraid, but I have parents, an older sister, and a beloved wife. Lockhart looked Scrimgeour in the eye and said, "I can't let them live in fear for the rest of their lives, and if I could, I'd love to kill all the Death Eaters and their families, but when I calmed down, I knew I couldn't." ”

"Well, I'm glad you're still aware of that...... But why do you have to kill them, you don't have any family to die in this war, what kind of hatred and grudge?"

"Moody's is my family. Lockhart said lightly, "The day he died, I vowed to kill all the Death Eaters in the world." ”

"Oaths ...... such things"

"Oaths are meant to be broken, and that's true—if I can't do what I swear to do, or don't want to do it, I break it, and there's no psychological burden. But the point is that I can do it now, and I want to do it, so why not think of a way. Lockhart leaned over Scrimgeour and propped his hand on the edge of his hospital bed, "It's selfish, but even if you don't think about it, the new course and prospects I've planned for the wizarding world don't need these stubborn pure-blood families...... To be precise, it is better not to have such people. ”

Scrimgeour didn't speak, and nodded slightly.

After a while, he spat out a word: "Dementors." ”

"Dementors?" Lockhart straightened up and repeated the term, instantly understanding what the other meant.

"Hmm. ”

"Understood. But now the Dementors haven't returned to the Ministry of Magic, so they don't know where to hide. Lockhart got the hint, and he was immediately satisfied: "Then the plan is clear, but it depends on whether the Dementors can cooperate...... I'll clean up the mess and wait for you to take over. What you have to do now is to take care of your body and make a good impression on the people of the wizarding world when the time comes. ”

"Gildero, think before you decide to do that. ”

"I know what to do. Lockhart assured him, then stood up and walked towards the door: "Good luck with a speedy recovery." ”

――

【Recommended Ticket】

――(To be continued......)