A magical journey that begins in Azkaban.

Chapter 577 Employment Consultation
Amelia frowned, suspecting he was hiding something: "Do you have anything else to say?"

Cedric felt his throat go dry and he shifted uncomfortably, wringing his hands nervously.

"No...no, ma'am." He shook his head hurriedly, his voice trembling slightly.

"Mr. Cedric, if you think of anything, remember to speak up. The Ministry of Magic can always be trusted, and we are on your side." Her tone was very gentle, as if she was comforting a frightened little animal.

Cedric nodded reluctantly. Just at that moment, he really wanted to make the agreement between Rogue and the Death Eaters public.

"Why should I be judged down there while Jessica Travis can decide where we go up there? This is not fair!" he said fiercely in his heart.

However, the unbreakable oath could kill his soul in an instant. No matter how much dissatisfaction he had in his heart, he had to choose to keep it secret.

"He never trusted me!" Cedric murmured, "If I were the secret keeper, I would never become a betrayer like Peter Pettigrew."

……

The next morning, countless owls were flying in the sky, their wings shining, and each one carried a special edition of the Daily Prophet.

These hardworking little guys travel to every corner of Britain, delivering the news of the Ministry of Magic's great victory to every wizard.

When the wizards unfolded the newspaper, a large, bold, black headline immediately caught their eyes:
"The Dark Lord's body is destroyed! The Ministry of Magic declares a great victory!"

The subtitle explains in detail: "The evil, tyrannical, terror-mongering Dark Lord Voldemort has been defeated by the Ministry of Magic and his physical body destroyed. Aurors are on the hunt for his escaped soul."

At the same time, Amelia sat in the newly renovated minister's office, with a glittering dragon crystal mirror in front of her.

In addition, there are twelve secondary magic mirrors placed around for broadcasting to New Zealand, Australia and other places.

Amelia's expression was both serious and hopeful as she read the victory announcement to the magic mirror.

Dear fellow wizards,

Today, I am extremely excited to announce an exciting news to you all. After the unremitting efforts and heroic struggles of all our wizards, we have finally achieved a great victory against the Dark Lord!
Voldemort, the evil that has long threatened our peace, has suffered a mortal blow.

The danger is gone and peace is here!
However, we must remain vigilant. His soul escaped by self-destructing his body at the last moment. The Ministry of Magic has reason to believe that his soul is still wandering somewhere.

I therefore implore all of us in the wizarding community to remain vigilant. If you become aware of any unidentified malevolent activity, no matter how minor, please contact the Ministry immediately.

We will mobilize all resources and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of every wizard.

At the same time, we also uphold the principles of tolerance and rehabilitation. For those Death Eaters who woke up at the last moment, resisted Voldemort and caused him severe damage, the Ministry of Magic decided to give them a chance to start a new life.

They will be exempted from fixed sentences and travel to America to participate in the scorched earth reconstruction program.

This is not only a punishment for them, but also an opportunity for them to atone for their sins and start over. They need to prove with their actions that they are worthy of being accepted back into the magic society.

I am pleased to announce that from today, all control measures such as the Floo Network are officially lifted, and all activities will resume as normal. Have a game of Quidditch, or set off some fireworks... Dear wizards, you can safely resume your daily life and work.

In addition, since the recent volcanic eruption may cause the climate to cool, we recommend that all wizards stock up on necessary food and supplies in advance.

The Ministry of Magic is closely monitoring the movement of the volcanic ash, and we will release relevant information and response guidelines in a timely manner.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all wizards for their unity, courage and wisdom during this crisis. It is because of your support that we can achieve today's victory.

The Ministry of Magic will continue to work tirelessly to ensure peace and safety in the wizarding world!
A few breaths later, thunderous applause broke out in the minister's office. Miss Percy, Dawlish and other staff members rushed forward to express their congratulations and respect to their strong and wise minister.

"Minister Burns, you are amazing!"

"You have led us through this crisis. The wizarding world will never forget your contribution!"

Streets across the UK were filled with joy as wizards and witches wore colorful pointy hats.

Some marched holding banners with slogans such as "Voldemort is defeated!" and "Long live peace!", while others rode on brooms and sang loudly.

The magic wand shoots out brilliant fireworks from time to time, creating beautiful patterns in the sky.

Number 10 then issued a Muggle version of a victory declaration, and the Muggles rushed out of the room and joined the revelry.

"Harry, I heard that you participated in the great Battle of Godric's Hollow?" Ron rushed into the dormitory and asked excitedly, "The prophecy published in the newspaper said that you are the one destined to kill the Dark Lord. Is it true? What power is it that the Dark Lord does not have?"

Harry sighed softly and replied weakly, "Not me."

Seeing the disappointed expressions of his classmates, he reluctantly added, "Principal Dumbledore defeated Voldemort. In the end, Bellatrix and others betrayed him, so he had to blow himself up and escape."

"How is this possible?" Seamus exclaimed, "They are Death Eaters, how could they betray their master!"

At this time, the dormitory was full of Gryffindor students. Everyone wanted to know how Voldemort exploded.

"Now Malfoy can be proud again. His father is a Death Eater."

"That was during the last war." Someone reminded, "Harry, Neville was also born at the end of July, right?"

Harry turned over and faced away from everyone, "You should ask him."

He buried his head in the pillow, as if recalling the battle of that day.

When Voldemort made the prophecy, he thought he was really the savior, the child chosen by the prophecy. In the future, he will kill Voldemort, avenge his parents, and maintain world peace.

However, he never expected that Neville had the same conditions as himself.

"If Voldemort hadn't chosen me back then..." he murmured to himself, his parents' warm smiles appearing before his eyes, "Would I have a warm home, and that house wouldn't be left with only half of it..."

His thoughts began to drift. The scar on his forehead ached, as if reminding him of that terrible night. A green light flashed in his memory, and his mother's screams echoed in his ears, making him shudder.

"Oh yeah, the newspaper said Neville was there too. We can go ask him."

"I saw him going to Professor Trelawney's greenhouse. Let's go find him."

As soon as the voice fell, the crowd in the dormitory disappeared without a trace, leaving only the sound of footsteps echoing in Harry's ears. As the last student left, the room fell into a suffocating silence.

At this moment, he only felt lonely and confused.

The joy of victory had nothing to do with him, because the mother resurrected by Voldemort was his most hated aunt Petunia, which made him feel like a knife in his heart.

"Let's all go, let's all go!" he yelled viciously in his heart, tears sliding down silently, soaking the pillow.

At this moment, a familiar voice broke the silence. "Harry, are you okay?" It was Ron. He did not leave with the others, but stayed firmly beside Harry.

He patted Harry's shoulder gently, trying to comfort him, "I know how bad it feels to be ignored. Believe me, I understand it too well. But you are still very good, for example, in Quidditch. You are the hero of Hogwarts and helped us win the junior league." "Ron~" Harry raised his head, his voice trembling, "Thank you for staying with me."

The two of them looked at each other unconsciously, and a strange atmosphere spread in the room. At this moment, Ginny rushed in, and seeing her brother and Harry's ambiguous look, she couldn't help but screamed: "Yes, I'm sorry..."

After saying that, she turned around and ran away.

"Ginny, it's not what you think!" Harry and Ron shouted in unison. The two boys' cheeks instantly turned red, and they hurriedly got up and rushed out to chase Ginny to explain.

In the common room, Harry and Ron chased Ginny breathlessly, trying to clarify the misunderstanding.

But Ginny ran very fast, her long red hair fluttering behind her like a dancing flame.

"Ginny, wait!" Ron shouted, "You've got this wrong!"

However, she ran up the stairs without looking back and soon disappeared around the corner.

Harry and Ron hurried to catch up, but just as they stepped onto the stairs, the stairs suddenly changed and the steps disappeared. The two of them slipped down unexpectedly and fell to the ground.

"Damn magic stairs!" Ron cursed, rubbing his sore back.

Harry looked at the direction where Ginny disappeared with frustration, "We must explain it clearly! This is a huge misunderstanding! If Qiu Zhang knew..."

"Qiu Zhang?! Cedric is trying to get acquitted, maybe..." Ron suddenly stopped and said, "How about Transfiguration class tomorrow?"

"Good idea," Harry nodded in agreement.

Their eyes met accidentally, then quickly looked away, as if they were burned.

"I'm going to schedule career counseling for next week, yours?"

"Uh, mine is this Friday. But it can be adjusted." Ron's voice stuttered.

After the Transfiguration class on Friday, due to the sudden change in the list, Roger came to Professor McGonagall's office half a day early.

"Hello, professor." He closed the door gently and sat on the sofa opposite the professor.

Professor McGonagall nodded, picked up her glasses from the scattered pamphlets on the table and put them on. Her eyes were serious and kind, signaling Roger not to be nervous.

"Mr. Roger, the purpose of this conversation is to discuss in detail your future career plans to help you decide what subjects to continue studying in the sixth and seventh grades."

As she spoke, she flipped open a silver and green folder that contained Roger's school file. "Have you ever thought about what you would do after leaving Hogwarts?"

"Well, travel around the world and enjoy life." Roger answered without hesitation.

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, obviously not expecting that answer. She put down her quill and folded her hands on the table.

Her eyes were a little sharp, but her tone was still friendly: "Have you ever thought about becoming an Auror? Or joining the Ministry of Magic? According to Professor Snape's evaluation, your performance in Potions has always been a role model for all students."

She paused, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a smile of approval: "I have no doubt that you will get full marks in the OWLs exam in a few months."

"You have all the qualities that will allow you to make outstanding contributions to the wizarding world in the future."

"Thank you very much, Professor." Roger smiled politely and continued, "Potions, spells and enjoying life are not in conflict. They are part of life."

"Perhaps I will go to the scorched earth after the magma is extinguished and use magic to plant grass and trees. Perhaps I can research potions for plants, specifically for environmental restoration.

I believe that with the right magical formula, we can accelerate the growth of vegetation and even create life in some extreme environments."

"Besides, mom Jessica has been extremely busy these past few years. After graduation, I'll be able to help her with some things."

"There is also a cat, three owls, and a phoenix at home... and I also need to plant oak trees. I promised them. And there is also the protection of the Golden Snidget..." He counted on his fingers and soon found that ten fingers were not enough.

Professor McGonagall nodded slightly, a thoughtful expression on her face.

She thought to herself, "The situations in Slytherin and Gryffindor are really very different."

After graduating from the Serpentine Academy, most students entered the family business or the Ministry of Magic according to their parents' plans. Even those wizards from relatively poor families could rely on their classmates' relationships to get good jobs after graduation.

Therefore, for Slytherin students, career counseling is more like a routine matter, unless some students really want to get rid of the influence of their family and decide to work alone.

Professor McGonagall looked at Roger thoughtfully. She knew that the young man in front of her had already fulfilled some of his potential. The strength he had revealed was enough to shock the professors.

During his time at Hogwarts, Roger might just be Slytherin's shadow prefect and classmate, but after graduation, he is likely to become the boss of many people, and not just Slytherin.

She put the grass-green parchment into the file and said with a smile, "Rogge, our employment consultation conversation ends here. I hope you can prepare well for the OWLs exam. I believe that with your ability, you will be able to pass it smoothly."

"Thank you, professor. I will continue to work hard."

Looking at Roger's leaving back, Professor McGonagall muttered in her heart: "If you keep trying, you will scare a lot of people."

She sighed, picked up the folder and knocked on the principal's office.

"Come in, Minerva," Dumbledore's voice came from inside.

Professor McGonagall pushed open the door and saw Dumbledore standing in front of the window, staring at the sky in the distance. Thick dark clouds were floating from the west. It was volcanic ash from America, which had begun to invade the British wizarding world.

"This is Roger's employment consultation record." Professor McGonagall put down the file and said with a hint of relief: "He seems to have no intention of working in the Ministry of Magic. And..."

"What is it, Minerva?"

"It seems that after graduation, he has become more youthful, doesn't want to be constrained, and is more willing to enjoy life."

"Enjoying life?" Dumbledore responded softly, while flipping through the file.

His eyes lingered on a certain line for a moment, "Using potions to restore the scorched earth environment has something in common with Lady Jessica's plan."

The office fell silent again as the two experienced educators pondered the future of this young man and the impact he might have on the wizarding world.

"He must be given something to do," Dumbledore thought. "A conflict with a clear goal is more certain than leisurely and quiet freedom."

Professor McGonagall suddenly asked, "Albus, no news from Newt yet?"

"Newt was indeed kidnapped by Bella. Not only that, but everyone in Ilvermorny suffered the same fate." Dumbledore closed the file and sighed, "Perhaps I shouldn't have taught him that set of space magic."

(End of this chapter)