Dolores Jane Umbridge, a senior undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic who was promoted only last year.

A hateful pink toad.

Because no one wears a pink ruffled coat in the middle of winter.

Except for her.

If it weren't for the unsightly color, Percy wouldn't have noticed that there were still people in the woods.

"I think you're getting more and more obsessed with this seat now."

"Seems to have forgotten who exactly you're working for!" Umbridge's mouth was still sharp, but his tone was cold.

This was a different tone from what she was used to, and Umbridge was known to all the wizards the Ministry of Magic who had been in contact with her.

Typical smiling tiger.

Even if Percy had only been in contact with it a few times, he knew how disgusting this woman was.

She wouldn't speak in such a cold tone, maybe he hadn't seen Umbridge angry, but in the Ministry, she was smiling and saying all sorts of righteous and awe-inspiring words, and then coercing you to do something.

She will always put herself on the moral high ground.

"Shut up! I know what I'm doing. Another voice rang out, this one a little deeper, unlike the previous one. And it's a man.

"Then you'd better bring someone as soon as possible!"

"He's running out of patience, and the boy!"

"I can't slip out of Dumbledore's nose with two people at the same time!" The man's voice was a little irritated, "He doesn't trust me anymore, he sees some suspicions!" ”

"I need time to regain his trust!"

"When?" Umbridge sneered, and although Percy didn't see her face, he could imagine that the flabby face was definitely trembling slightly. "You should be glad you still have time, because you can still bargain with me here!"

"Shut up, it's disgusting that you're wearing this skin."

"Heh—maybe you should look for a mirror, I don't know, so you're dressed up."

The two continued to face each other.

Percy, on the other hand, was so interested that he did not continue to listen.

The minister and the deputy minister quarreled, what should you do as a subordinate?

Of course, you can run as far as you can!

Do you want to be cannon fodder?

So, although he didn't understand what the two people were talking about, he didn't understand a little. But Percy turned away with great interest.

Gathering his steps, he tried not to make a noise from under his feet.

And then a little bit of regression.

It wasn't until he got back on the trail, and even deliberately continued walking in the direction of Hogsmeade, that he stopped.

Such a distance.

I think even if the two of them saw him, they wouldn't think he heard anything.

Percy's current location is not yet out of the confines of the castle.

In fact, Hogwarts covers a huge area, and it is within the boundaries of the school from the castle to Hagrid's hut, the edge of the Forbidden Forest, or across the entire Black Lagoon, part of the woods in front of the station, the Quidditch pitch, and so on.

And within this range, anyone will be suppressed by the ancient magic of Hogwarts Castle and will not be able to use apparition. (Except the Principal)

This is also the reason why Hogsmeade fought and the Ministry of Magic captured and killed many dark wizards, because although they did not storm the castle, they were already in the area of influence of ancient magic.

"What are you doing here?"

The sudden sound startled Percy.

He quickly turned around, and then saw that Barty Crouch, the Minister of Magic, was walking from Hogsmeade Village, and had just walked into the main entrance of Hogwarts.

"Minister?" Percy's eyes widened as if something was stuck in his throat, and he squeaked, then he suddenly turned his head to look over into the woods.

A vast white patch, with no pink in sight.

"You weren't—"

"What's not?" Crouch frowned, and then said seriously, "Didn't I give you too much time to take a vacation, the leisurely time made you dizzy!" ”

"Roar!" The minister was followed by a toad.

She let out a quick, short, weird sound, after the attention of the two people around her was focused on her.

Then a smirk squeezed out of his loose face, and his round eyes glared at Percy and said: "The Ministry of Magic is a little less cautious in some personnel appointments and dismissals, and young people nowadays are so lazy, it seems that this is indeed related to Dumbledore's overindulgent education."

"No, no Mr. Crouch, I-"

"If not, just follow." Crouch said in an unquestioning tone. Then he looked back at Umbridge.

A sneer ran in his heart.

This woman was quite good and very cooperative in her actions to consolidate his power, but she was just too stupid.

I only know how to blindly cater to it, but I don't understand politics at all.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Percy Weasley went straight to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

What is that place?

The subordinate Auror Command, the director Rufus Scrimgeur, is a wall-to-wall grass, and the deputy director, Kingsley, is a Dumbledore through and through.

And almost all the Aurors, led by Moody, had a good relationship with Dumbledore, and even most of them were his people.

Amelia Bones, the director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was even worse, almost wearing the same pants as Dumbledore.

And that Scamander, the war hero.

Heh- Dumbledore wasn't the Minister of Magic, but half of the Ministry of Magic followed his instructions.

When Amelia Bones recommended this Weasley as his assistant, he did not hesitate at all and directly agreed to this exaggerated and extreme promotion.

One intention was to balance the forces of all parties and show Dumbledore a touch of goodwill.

On the other hand, he had to put some of his people around Dumbledore.

And this young, power-hungry red-haired kid is the best candidate.

None of this is something that Umbridge can see.

After thinking about it, Mr. Crouch did not continue to speak, but walked directly along the path towards Hogwarts.

"Yes sir." Percy was full of doubts, but she couldn't speak. He could only follow.

On the way, Umbridge's eyes were particularly focused on Percy.

This young child, who had just graduated from Hogwarts for less than a year, was now an assistant to the minister, and the speed of this promotion made her a little jealous.

And such a person, for her, if she can't be included in the command, she can only be strangled into the cradle.

"The Americans are aggressive this time." She said behind Mr. Crouch in a sweet, greasy voice, "Let me say that something really happened at Hogwarts this time, and the two students fought to the point of killing each other.

This was a dereliction of duty on the part of Dumbledore. ”

"Hmm-" Crouch didn't say anything, just snorted.

"He's gathered a large number of people in private, Mr. Minister, and he doesn't listen to you a little."

"What do you want to say?" Only then did Crouch turn to look at her.

He was greeted by Umbridge's trademark greasy smirk, "I think he should be punished a little." ”

She didn't say anything and fired Dumbledore.

Because of the goblins, the current Minister of Magic needs Dumbledore.

"You need to show him that you're the Minister of Magic, he's not."

"Then what kind of punishment do you think?" Crouch frowned and opened his mouth, Umbridge's words were exactly what he thought in his heart, Dumbledore had become more and more 'arrogant and perverse' since the Battle of Hogwarts Village, as if Hogwarts was some kind of outlaw place, not controlled by the British Ministry of Magic.

Many of the things he does now are no longer told to him, nor to his purpose.

Even some messages are not very synchronized with notifications.

It's just presumptuous!

Although he was jealous of Dumbledore's influence, he was the Minister of Magic anyway.

Indeed—it's time to punish him.

"Since we still need him, then-" Umbridge's eyes rolled, and then the corners of his mouth rose to reveal a sinister look, "Let him be the headmaster, as for the headmaster of Hogwarts, we will transfer one from the Ministry of Magic, I believe we have so many capable people, plus the cooperation of the Ministry, it will always be much better than him alone!" ”

She smiled, her expression stiff like a weathered sculpture.

And heard Umbridge's advice.

Crouch didn't immediately express his attitude, as a veteran politician, he was much smarter than Fudge's guy.

Theoretically, the Ministry of Magic does not have the right to participate in the running of Hogwarts, whether it is the headmaster or the closure of the school, etc., which are the responsibility of the school board members led by the twelve wizards.

The Board of the Twelve Wizards is a group of pure-blood wizard families, such as the Malfoy family, the Smith family, and so on.

It is true that the Ministry of Magic does not have the right to demand a decision from them, but it may be able to do so through some kind of influence.

Plus what's happened recently.

Fueled by this, Umbridge's plan can be said to have a high success rate.

But—to be honest, he didn't want to break with Dumbledore right now.

After all, Dumbledore is still the 'greatest white wizard', and only Fudge's idiot will press forward step by step, if he wants to break with Dumbledore, he must be prepared in advance, and his means must be like thunder, and he will completely knock out Dumbledore at one time without covering his ears.

And come up with a proper and complete plan to deal with the current predicament, so that he will succeed.

Instead of simply squeezing Dumbledore away, you are stupidly facing those problems alone, and finally stumbling over the problems and falling all over the place, so that the general public can see your incompetence, and then meet Dumbledore and treat him as a savior.

Isn't that stupid?

Crouch is certainly not that kind of stupid person.

Umbridge was right, he should have taken a superficial stance to Dumbledore, but not now.

And Percy, who listened to the conversation between the two, was panicked in his heart.

What did he hear?

Mr. Crouch is going to replace Dumbledore?

"The principal has done so much for the school." He said urgently.

Hogwarts without Dumbledore was breached by Lord Voldemort last year.

This is an indisputable fact.

"He was the greatest Headmaster in the history of Hogwarts. He-"

"Shut up." Umbridge on the side said sharply, the smiling expression on his face made people feel hideous, "Pay attention to who you are now, boy." ”

"But—" Percy tried to plead, but someone wouldn't give him a chance.

Almost at the moment when he spoke, a deadly spell flew from the forest on both sides without warning.

And his target is none other than Minister of Magic, Barty Crouch.

"Who?"

Percy subconsciously waved his wand, and the magical barrier of silver water waves squeezed out of the air, and then collided with the dark green light, emitting brilliant fireworks.

Almost instinctively (bad habits left at school. ）

The moment he fended off the other party's spell, he swung the spell and threw out a merciless cutting spell, which hit a large tree in the distance.

The trunk of the tree was cut in half.

"Yo, yes, that's good."

Suddenly, two wizards burst out of the woods, dressed in black robes, with pointed hoods, and iron masks on their faces, which were full of serpentine patterns, and had only a thin slit in their mouths.

"Death Eaters?" As an old man during the war years.

Both Barty Crouch and Umbridge know the outfits of these two.

"I didn't expect that Hogwarts doesn't all produce waste now, and there are people like you."

It was a woman who spoke.

With a tone of banter and madness.

The sound is very iconic and familiar.

On the other side, the silent Death Eater was not so 'polite', and he directly raised his hand to the killing curse.

The light of death shone on the snow, and the green was particularly terrifying, as if death was whispering.

Then, after a second's pause, the killing curse headed straight for Barty Crouch.

"Bang!"

Mr. Crouch was not slow to react, swinging his wand and grabbing the dead wood from the ground to fend off the Killing Curse, while he dodged sideways and countered with a petrification charm.

Sawdust flew and made a terrifying sound.

In an instant, the dead wood was torn to pieces by the Killing Curse.

"Idiot, are you going to kill him?" The woman's voice sounded in a low voice, and she seemed annoyed by the killing curse she had just taken.

"Shut up, I'm measured!" The man easily resisted the petrification spell, and then reprimanded him in the same tone.

As he spoke, he ignored his companion's sneer, and raised his wand upward, and a rising pillar of fire ignited from the tip of the wand, a full five feet high, and with a blazing temperature, it rained like magma on the three people in front of him.

It's not out of Hogwarts yet.

No one can apparition.

"Ultimate Guardian!"

"Iron Armor!"

Percy and Mr. Crouch lit their wands at the same time.

The defense spell held up almost immediately.

"Fight back! Shoot back! Percy screamed, and he was yelling at Umbridge.

But the other party seemed to be dumbfounded, and stood in place, the short wand in his hand, which was only nine inches, completely furnished.

She hadn't heard Percy at all.

"What are you stunned about!" He yelled again. Eyes can breathe fire.

Yes, there was a fire in his eyes, and the shadow of lava was in his eyes.

"Shoot back!"

It's louder than ever!

Then, Umbridge came to his senses.

"Shut up! I'm the deputy minister, and it's not your turn to order me! She stiffly raised her wand and shouted hysterically, "Now, I command you, block them for me, block them."

Otherwise, you will be judged by the Ministry of Magic! ”

She seemed to scream, and the sound of barking made Percy want to turn around and punch the pig in the head.

Did she forget that the minister was next to her.

Soon, though, someone helped him.

It was the Death Eater woman who cast several spells aimed at Umbridge.

And what about Umbridge?

Just barely fended off the first attack.

Then he was knocked out by the next series of spells.

The sheer power of the spell enveloped her, causing her to glide through the snow for a long time!

Finally, I hit a rock, tilted my head, and fainted.

"!" Percy scolded!

Even he couldn't help but say: what a fucking shit.

As a 'Gryffindor senior' who had been through two years of house war at school, he had experienced countless battles.

Although it was only between young wizards, sometimes he would personally lead the team to fight back.

Although he is a little stubborn, he is also angry.

Umbridge just now didn't perform as well as the little wizards of the third and fourth years of Hogwarts!

But fortunately, this kind of thing of pig teammates affecting their own people's performance did not last.

Because just when that Death Eater woman was about to attack them next.

The real fourth-year Hogwarts wizard has arrived!

"Soul Torrent—"

Running.

Miss Granger charged her magic, then leaped to her feet, and with the help of the terrain, a thick column of water mana poured down.

At that time, the female Death Eater was about to cast a spell against Percy and them, and Miss Granger's sneak attack made her too late to cast a spell to resist, so she could only quickly dodge sideways, but everything was too fast.

The magic of the water column was like a sword melon over her left arm.

The corner of the black robe was torn open, and a dark wound appeared on the left arm, which was sickly white, and the wound was still oozing blood.

"Damn—" the woman scolded.

And Miss Granger's curse is far from over.

Then another cloud of dark blue light came, and she urgently cast the Iron Armor Spell. But when the two spells collided with each other, there was a strange 'tearing' corrosive sound, and her iron armor spell was getting fainter and fainter.

"Corrosion?"

The witch was in disbelief?

The Corruption Charm, one of the dark arts, is one of the few spells that can break through the defenses of the Iron Armor Charm, which has taken the limbs of countless wizards during the war years, and because of the curse effect it carries, the corroded limbs of the body cannot grow back.

So it is listed by the Ministry of Magic as one of the most evil black arts.

And now, she was seen in a little witch in the third or fourth year of Hogwarts.

"Hermione?" Percy was overjoyed.

He suddenly remembered that when he had just left the castle, Hermione and Harry had followed.

She was supposed to have come out to breathe, just in time to bump into the attack.

(End of chapter)