Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 322 Proposals and Voting

An oval oak conference table sits in the center of the room. It is huge, but there are fewer than twenty chairs around it, making it seem sparse. Familiar faces are sitting on the chairs.

The powerful figures from various departments are the most influential wizards in the Ministry of Magic, including the Director or Deputy Director, the Minister or Senior Deputy Minister. Most of these faces appear in the Shadow Mirror or on the front page of newspapers.

Everyone was wearing the Ministry of Magic's standard black robes, with the department's emblem pinned to their chests.

Mid-level staff could only sit at the back and listen in. A total of 54 people attended, filling the conference room on the first floor of the Ministry of Magic to capacity.

This meeting room is adjacent to the minister's office. The interior was expanded using a seamless stretching charm, with the ceiling connecting to the floor. An intricately carved skylight was opened, allowing sunlight to leak in, and the shadow of the Ministry of Magic insignia should be on the table.

A magic wand sits in the center of a large 'M', its handle facing the head of the conference table, where Minister Fudge is seated.

The middle-level staff refers to people like Arthur and Amos. The backless wooden stools were placed almost in the corner. Arthur, sitting in the shadows of the corner, was still uneasy, clutching the report materials in his office.

In the past, the monthly end-of-month meetings included a reporting and performance review session, which was supposed to be chosen randomly. However, all departments have reached a consensus to make it a process for employees to showcase themselves and their work results. Generally, the selected employees will soon be promoted.

Arthur hadn't participated in briefings for many years, and he didn't care about them. The focus of today's meeting was the contest between Ms. Burns and Umbridge, the outcome of which would affect Sirius's trial arrangements.

"Damn it! That's Ludo Bagman from the sports department, the guy's laughing and joking with Umbridge! He used to laugh like that with young female Quidditch fans, is Umbridge drugged him?!"

Amos said in a low voice, "And Walton McNeil, the chief executioner of the Committee on the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, they really have gotten together with Umbridge! Ms. Burns may be in for a setback today, and Sirius Black will have to wait until after Easter."

"By Merlin! Am I seeing things? Crouch from the International Affairs and Cooperation Division, he and Umbridge exchanged glances! How did this rigid and stubborn fellow finally give in!"

Amos nudged Arthur's file folder with his elbow, his face full of righteous indignation.

"Don't speculate, we don't even know the specifics of the topic," Arthur replied in a low voice.

"Can't you guess? What else could it be? It's Black's trial date, the choice of the presiding judge... Aren't Fudge and Umbridge's attitudes obvious enough? If they control the direction of the trial, even if Wizengamo has Dumbledore and Machiban, and half the wizards are biased towards Black, Umbridge can still convict Black."

Amos clenched his fist: "Poor guy, I hope he doesn't have to go back to his old prison in Azkaban."

"Black is an Animagus, so there shouldn't be any worry about Dementors, right?"

“Umbridge will definitely find a way to restrict him and torment him!” Amos said, disgusted by his neighbor’s stupidity.

"Amos is right!"

The employee in front suddenly turned around. It was a dark-skinned, fat wizard, and next to him was a young Auror chewing gum. They were both from the Auror office.

Kingsley Shackle frowned and said, "Azkaban is already making preparations. The initial plan is to conduct regular inspections, renovate the cells, and have someone keep an eye on the prisoners whenever the Dementors torture them to ensure they can't transform and escape."

"To torment an innocent and pitiful person because of personal grudges, do we really want to let them succeed?" Arthur sighed softly.

Tonks shrugged. Her black hair today suggested she wasn't in a good mood. She'd asked Kingsley many questions that morning, which he'd brush off with excuses about confidentiality.

“They don’t see this as a personal grudge. Last week, when I went to the minister’s office to submit a report, I heard Umbridge brainwashing Fudge, claiming that it was to reduce Dumbledore’s political influence and regain the power that the Ministry of Magic had lost.”

"It was not Dumbledore who caused the Ministry of Magic to lose its authority and its influence, but the Void and the Death Eaters."

Kingsley said softly, "Fudge and Umbridge, in their pursuit of power, have disrupted the normal functioning of the Ministry of Magic, making the Inquisition no longer impartial and selfless. They are not only foolish but also malicious. Ms. Burns has had enough."

“What does that mean…” Amos scratched his head.

Arthur also looked puzzled. Kingsley's words were too harsh; it seemed that the focus of this meeting was not just the trial.

"Quiet down, everyone!"

Umbridge called out in a delicate, high-pitched voice.

The staff present wisely stopped talking. Umbridge's nickname "Pink Toad" wasn't given for nothing; she was well-versed in the power of language. Although she outwardly pretended to be a delicate girl, if she set her sights on someone, her high-pitched, shrill voice would utter all sorts of seemingly normal words that, upon closer inspection, were full of malice.

A vicious curse comparable to that of a dark wizard.

"All colleagues are here. The meeting is now in session. Minister Fouché is still recovering from a cold and has a sore throat, so I will continue to chair this meeting."

Umbridge looked around: "Ms. Burns, Mr. Crouch, and distinguished directors, I am pleased to have you here. The regular meeting, which was originally scheduled for Monday, has been moved to today due to an emergency. I'm sure you've all seen the report in the Mirror News and the 'shout letter' that arrived this morning."

No one paid any attention to her opening remarks. Umbridge had climbed the ranks by stepping on her colleagues and currying favor with her superiors, and apart from Fudge, she had no one in the department who was popular.

"I believe everyone is aware that the insinuations and implications in the report, which accuse the minister and me of deliberately delaying the trial, are completely baseless slander."

Umbridge covered her mouth and chuckled twice. Her face didn't look young, and she had crow's feet when she laughed, but she still managed to act like a charming young girl, which made people frown.

She tossed out several courtroom scheduling documents and related case materials, from the first to the tenth courtroom, which looked packed full, with tight schedules and justifiable reasons.

"After returning from the Christmas holidays, there were many urgent cases that needed to be processed. The minister and I worked overtime to review and schedule them, and we were very responsible. All of this was for the reputation of the Ministry of Magic and to protect the interests of the wizarding residents."

Umbridge shook his head regretfully: "But some people have malicious intentions and have reported it publicly, which has had a negative impact on the Ministry of Magic. I think we should take measures to restrict the rampant expansion of the Shadow Mirror."

"Restricted mirrors?"

The staff members from different departments looked at each other. Was today's topic not the court hearing, but rather a matter concerning the Magic Mirror Club?
"I am still drafting and compiling the relevant bills. Before that, we need to dispel the rumors and hold a public trial for the fugitive Sirius Black and the suspect Peter Pettigrew. We will not let the escaped Death Eaters go unpunished, nor will we let the criminals who interfere with the investigation or break out of prison go unpunished."

Umbridge spoke with a resounding voice and a solemn expression; one might have thought she was giving a speech with lofty ideals.

"The chief judge should have been appointed by the minister, but we received a letter of opinion from Ms. Burns. She seems to have objections and has even tried to win over the Wiesengamo Council... Heh."

She glanced at Ms. Burns: "This is actually unnecessary work. Mr. Fudge is a minister who is good at listening to opinions, so we are holding this meeting to discuss the selection of the presiding judge."

The court did not delay the trial any further and directly selected a presiding judge, which seems to be a truly official procedure.

A few employees who were unaware of the truth looked surprised and were genuinely taken aback by her.

"Based on the documents submitted by the heads of various departments, the following three candidates are considered for the presiding judge. First is Minister Fudge, who intends to handle the case personally. When Black and Peter caused the explosion that brutally murdered twelve Muggles, Mr. Fudge was working in the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters; he is a witness to the crime…"

“Next is me, Dolores Umbridge, currently serving as Senior Deputy Minister, formerly in the Division of Execution, and I can recite the entire Wizarding Law from memory…”

Umbridge paused briefly: "Finally, Ms. Burns, the Director of the Executive Division." Ms. Burns showed no particular reaction to Umbridge's well-balanced introduction, simply nodding calmly.

"Let's begin voting."

"Wait first!"

Umbridge glared at her and regained control of the conversation: "Let me emphasize this again: the department head will compile the internal opinions, and each department will only have one vote."

There was a two-second silence in the room, followed by low voices talking.

There was really nothing to discuss. The opinions of middle-level employees were irrelevant. The outcome was decided long before the meeting even started. Voting was just a formality, and everyone gathered together mainly to chat.

Arthur, Amos, and Tonks sat close together, whispering bad things about Umbridge.

Ludo Bagman suddenly leaned over: "You guys don't know this, do you? Umbridge is much smarter than you think! Fudge wanted to be the presiding judge, and she not only helped him campaign for votes but also participated in the nomination process herself, making Fudge feel even more accomplished after achieving his goal!"

He had neat blond hair, and his nose was somewhat flat from the hard knocks he made while playing Quidditch in his younger days. He was quite old, but his blue eyes were still bright, his skin was ruddy, and with his cheerful personality, he looked like a big boy.

Despite his past entanglements with Death Eaters, it did not affect his position as Director of the Sports Department, where he was very popular.

Tonks couldn't help but retort, "You were just chatting and laughing with her, did she win you over too?"

"Well..." Bagman chuckled twice.

Seeing that he had acquiesced, Arthur and Amos immediately glared at him angrily.

Kingsley, however, didn't care at all, and even joked: "After joining the Magic Mirror Club, you resold game videos, opened your own betting platform, and now you've paid off your debts. You're not short of Galleons. What did they use to win you over? Umbridge's beauty?"

Bagman felt a chill run down his spine and shuddered: "My nose is collapsed, but I'm not blind or mentally impaired!"

"What is that?" Tonks couldn't help but ask.

"Isn't next year the Quidditch World Cup? The final will be held in Britain. Umbridge persuaded the Quidditch World Cup organizing committee for me that the sports department, which is me, will be fully responsible for the commercial activities outside the event."

"With such a big event, are you even mentally capable?" Tonks stared at him suspiciously.

Bagman glared back, snorted twice, and didn't bother arguing with this junior Auror.

Kingsley pondered for a moment before asking, "Is this what Professor Levent wanted?"

"Shh..."

Bagman immediately fell silent, neither admitting nor denying, muttering a few vague words, and as he left, he said something about trade secrets that were inconvenient to disclose.

Arthur and Amos stood frozen in place, Tonks' eyes widened and he gasped, while Disguised Magus slightly lost control, his eyes changing color.

Did Professor Levent accept a bribe from Umbridge for personal gain?

Did he betray Dumbledore?

If he had sided with Umbridge, how could Shadow Mirror have reported the truth of the case?

A deathly silence fell over the corner. The information that had been inadvertently leaked shocked the three of them. Although they had figured out the content of today's meeting last night, their clear thinking now seemed to be shrouded in a fog. The entanglements of interests were unclear and unresolved.

Arthur and Amos exchanged a silent glance. No wonder they hadn't been promoted all these years; their thinking was still too simplistic.

Ten minutes later.

Umbridge cleared his throat and began tallying the vote results:
“Department of Legal Enforcement, Amelia Borns.”

"Minister Fouché, Department of Accidents and Disasters."

"Minister Fudge, Director of the Department of Fantastic Creatures."

"Department of International Affairs and Cooperation abstains."

"The Department of Magical Transportation abstains."

"Minister Fouché, Department of Sports and Recreation."

"The Department of Mysteries abstains."

"..."

The middle-level staff looked surprised; the vote difference was even greater than expected. Of the seven departments, only the Executive Division headquarters voted for Bones. The female director seemed to have made no preparations; she simply submitted a letter of self-recommendation to become the presiding judge.

Arthur clutched the documents tightly, the young professor's face flashing in his mind, and a wave of anxiety washed over him.

Regardless of Professor Levent's plans, and regardless of the amount of interest involved in the case, is Sirius really going to become a sacrifice?

How could such a gentle and kind professor be corrupted by dark magic and do such a thing?

At the head of the table, Ms. Burns' face was expressionless, Crouch lowered his eyes as if it were none of his business, Bagman grinned, and the other directors who voted looked up and exchanged smiles with the minister.

"Three to one, the result is already clear."

Umbridge made no attempt to hide his smugness, his smile widening considerably: "With Minister Fudge as the presiding judge, I'm confident he'll deliver a fair and just verdict."

A polite but rather lukewarm round of applause filled the conference room.

Tonks gave his superior, Kingsley, a slightly nervous look, and Kingsley shook his head slightly, indicating that there was no need to rush.

"Now let's move on to the second topic."

Ms. Burns's crisp voice echoed in the conference room like a thunderclap:
"Proposal to remove Connelly Fudge from his post as Secretary and Dolores Umbridge from his post as Deputy Secretary."

(End of this chapter)