A day at Hogwarts.

Chapter 653 Working
The first weekend of October arrived quietly, and the sky over London was shrouded in a thick gray cloud, with the whole city enveloped in a drizzle.

The old, red telephone booth stood silently on the street, now welcoming a dozen or so unusual visitors.

Led by Sirius Black, Harry followed closely behind, wearing a flaming dragon badge on his chest like the others.

The wizards filed in and squeezed into the cramped, almost suffocating space, but no matter how crowded it was, the small phone booth could always fit everyone in just the right amount of space.

“Remember this number,” Blake’s voice was particularly clear in the small space. He instructed his colleagues from Farbatton Castle as he forcefully turned the numbers on the dial with his thick fingers. “62442.”

The call connected quickly, and Blake explained his purpose. Immediately afterward, accompanied by a violent tremor and a deep rumble, the phone booth plummeted like an out-of-control elevator.

Harry's heart pounded. This wasn't his first visit to the Ministry of Magic, but his last visit had left him with some lingering trauma.

As the gate slid open silently, revealing a magnificent underground hall paved with gleaming marble, he cautiously looked around, worried that another Auror might suddenly rush out to grab someone.

Fortunately, his trip was ostensibly for "work-study" purposes, accompanying Black and the staff of the Dragon Guard to participate in the installation of the Ministry of Magic's latest security system.

The Fire Dragon Guard has gained a reputation in the magical world in recent years. It belongs to Phoenix Logistics and is committed to developing and providing the most cutting-edge and reliable magical security solutions. Its business scope covers individual protection for private residences to systemic defense networks for important national institutions. It has won widespread praise and trust with its groundbreaking technology and outstanding efficiency.

Its core team consists of elites recruited from all over the world, and its working style is known for its rigor, efficiency, and high profile.

The burning dragon emblem on their chests not only represents their identity, but also symbolizes unparalleled power and a steadfast commitment to protection.

Charles was speechless at the corporate culture that Moss Jeff had created; the young people in the company liked it, so the boss just let it be.

The group stepped out of the elevator and lined up in front of the Magic Brothers Fountain.

"Alright, focus." Sirius Black patted Harry on the shoulder, pulling him back from his brief reverie, his tone still carrying his characteristic nonchalance, "Now that we're here, we have to get to work."

"Now, let's hear what Moss has to say."

Moss Jeff and Charles arrived earlier to meet with the Ministry of Magic, and he assigned tasks by the fountain.

"Here you go, this is your task list, construction drawings, and workpieces."

Harry took a roll of parchment and a tool bag from Moss.

He carefully unfolded the drawings and found that they resembled the Marauder's Map. The intricate, maze-like floor structure of the Ministry of Magic was precisely outlined with extremely fine lines. Many easily overlooked corners or intersections were marked with flashing lights, making his location clear. Red dots indicated the areas where he needed to work.

His task was to strictly follow the instructions on the blueprints, locate each of the marked points, and precisely install the tiny, crystal-clear glass bottles, no bigger than a thumb, from his tool bag.

It's not surprising that the blueprints resemble Marauder's Map, since Blake just hangs out at the company and does some work on the side.

What intrigued Harry the most were the glass bottles that were about to be installed.

These glass bottles may seem unremarkable at first glance, but each bottle is imbued with an extremely sophisticated spatial expansion spell, making its internal volume far greater than its external size.

Through the clear glass, Harry could clearly see several tiny figures, no bigger than a fingernail, with indistinct outlines, standing at the bottom of the bottle, as if cast from some strange metal.

They were all in different poses, yet remained motionless, like miniature armored knights in eternal slumber, exuding a chilling aura.

Between busy installations, Harry stopped what he was doing more than once, held the glass bottle up to his eyes, squinted, and tried to see the structural details of the tiny "armor".

However, they were so tiny that the light shining through the glass bottle was somewhat distorted. Even if he concentrated and held his breath, he could only barely make out the general outline of the human figure covered by the armor plates. The more intricate structures were completely invisible, as if separated by a layer of undulating water.

This feeling of being so close yet unable to truly grasp something was incredibly alluring, fueling his curiosity and prompting him to consider the possibility of accidentally breaking it several times.

Just as he was once again lost in thought, staring at a small bottle, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the cool glass surface, a calm yet slightly scrutinizing voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Mr. Potter, are you having some kind of trouble?"

Harry was startled and his hand trembled. He quickly turned around and saw Moss standing a few steps away, smiling at him, giving the impression that he was ready to answer any questions at any time.

“No…no, sir,” Harry replied somewhat awkwardly, quickly stuffing the bottles back into his tool bag. “I just thought their design was quite unique.”

Jeff nodded slightly, seemingly having anticipated Harry's reaction.

“These are combat dolls designed and made by Mr. Smith, with extremely intricate and complex structures.” He paused, looking into Harry’s eyes, which were gleaming with intense curiosity, and softened his tone slightly. “If you are really curious about these technologies, you might as well visit Farbatton Castle when you have time after today’s work is finished.”

“There you can find more vivid and intuitive information about their factory testing.”

The suggestion sounded casual, but it piqued Harry's curiosity. He wondered if Charles would teach these puppets boxing. He nodded vigorously, making sure he remembered this unexpected invitation, and then threw himself back into the installation work.

Harry suddenly thought that failing the monthly exam wasn't such a big deal. Although he couldn't go to Hogsmeade, coming along to work seemed like a good option. Why not invite Ron and Hermione along?

While Harry wandered through the corridors and corners of the Ministry of Magic, focused on placing the glass bottles containing the secret weapons, the atmosphere inside the Minister of Magic's office was completely different—relaxed and cheerful.

The heavy oak doors completely shut out the noise from the outside world, while the interior was filled with the aroma of parchment, black tea, and a faint scent of pastries.

Rufus Scrimgeour sat upright behind his large, imposing desk. Even at the heart of his power, his posture resembled that of a lion poised to pounce, his face resolute and his eyes constantly alert.

Charles sat opposite him, drinking tea and eating snacks while discussing serious matters.

They are in in-depth discussions about the final testing plan after the security system is installed.

“…Therefore, Mr. Minister, simply conducting basic functional tests is far from sufficient.” Charles’s voice was more serious than ever before. “The situation is tense now, and we need a comprehensive exercise that closely resembles actual combat to test the system’s reaction speed and ultimate defensive effectiveness under extreme pressure.”

Scrimgeour leaned forward slightly, his scarred fingers crossed on the polished tabletop, a hint of interest flickering across his otherwise resolute face. "Live-fire exercises? Not a bad suggestion," he said.

“Explain your idea in detail, Mr. Smith.”

Which specific 'extreme stress' scenario would you recommend simulating?

Charles met Scrinker's scrutinizing gaze without flinching, and said in a calm but weighty tone, "My suggestion is to use 'the mysterious man leading his core Death Eater forces to launch a frontal assault on the Ministry of Magic' as the core setting of this exercise."

The air in the office seemed to freeze instantly upon the appearance of this taboo name.

Scrimgeour's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, but then quickly recovered.

Silence enveloped the office for a full three minutes, with only the crackling of the wood burning in the fireplace and the slurping of Charles's snacks standing out starkly in the stillness.

Finally, Scrimgeour slowly leaned back into the thick back of the high-backed chair, letting out a low nasal sound.

“I think it’s possible.” His voice was hoarse but resolute. “Prepare with all our might according to this plan, and strive to make it as realistic as possible.”

"I want to see the ultimate pressure resistance of this system with my own eyes."

"The exercise is scheduled for 8:00 AM next Saturday. I will be there in person... um... playing myself."

He paused, then added with emphasis, "I will notify all departments that during the exercise, all departments must cooperate fully and unconditionally. I want to see an emergency response state that is as close as possible to a real attack!"

Charles nodded, unsurprised by the outcome.

Scrimgeour is a well-known pragmatist and hardliner with an almost obsessive pursuit of combat effectiveness. He uses the most direct and powerful threat as the ultimate test standard, which suits him perfectly.

At the same time, because of Voldemort's attack on Gringotts, many people had developed a slight liking for him and thought he might be worth talking to.

Using Voldemort as the target of the exercise is a good way to release some kind of information.

However, it will not be said explicitly at the moment; only code names will be used instead.

“As you wish, Minister.” Charles, having finished eating and drinking, stood up gracefully. “We will ensure the exercise goes perfectly and solemnly demonstrate to you what an indestructible new magical shield the Ministry of Magic now possesses.”

He gave a slight bow in greeting, then turned and walked steadily out of the minister's office, returning to the office of the head of his Malaysian liaison office.

Harry continued tirelessly moving about, placing the small glass bottles one by one into place, some of which needed to be installed in the office.

"...Huh, nobody's here?"

Harry opened an office door, blinked, left a message, and then left as if no one was there, closing the door behind him.

He could clearly see that a young director was sitting behind his desk, while a young and beautiful female employee was sitting sideways beside the desk, just like the scene that would appear on the first page or two of some of the director's collections under his bed.

Eleanor turned around and asked Charles, puzzled, "What's Potter doing here?"

“Never mind him.” Charles shrugged. “He failed his exams and can’t go to Hogsmeade, so Black brought him here to clear his head.”

"What interesting news has there been lately? I think Umbridge has been unusually quiet."

(End of this chapter)