Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 331 Ms. Burns' Invitation

"Guests from the Ministry of Magic, you need to go through security and register your wand."

"Go straight ahead, the security checkpoint is located at the far end of the main hall..."

The red telephone booth made a metallic creaking sound as it began to creak. Melvin stepped out of the booth, the indifferent female voice still echoing in his ears, wishing him a pleasant day.

The main hall was magnificent, with glittering gilded symbols inlaid on the peacock blue ceiling, constantly rotating and changing. The dark floor was polished to a mirror shine, and the surrounding walls were jet black and shiny, the materials of which looked precious and luxurious.

In the center of the foyer stands a pure gold fountain of magical brothers, with noble statues of male and female wizards. Around them are centaurs, goblins, and house-elves looking up in longing. Water droplets spray from the tips of wizards' staffs, centaurs' arrows, goblin hat brims, and house-elves' ears, splashing and gurgling.

Sorcerers occasionally stop by the fountain and toss coins at the statue, supposedly as a ritual to pray for good luck.

At the bottom of the pool were many shimmering silver scimitars and copper nurts.

All proceeds from the Magic Brothers Fountain will be donated to the St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries.

Melvin glanced at the stained signboard beside him and paused to think.

The pure gold statue, the fountain built in front of the Ministry of Magic's main hall, requires people to count the coins every day and alchemists to regularly inspect the fountain's base. The cost of this fountain statue may be tens of thousands of Galleons.

He was slightly curious as to how many years it would take to break even by simply collecting coins from the bottom of the pool for donations.

Given Herbert Spring's pragmatic therapist nature, he would probably prefer that the gold be donated directly to St. Mungo's.

"..."

Tonks approached from behind, intending to pat Melvin on the shoulder, but he was spotted as soon as he raised his hand. He could only grin and make a greeting gesture.

"Melvin! You're here?"

"Why are you here to greet me? Have you started another rotation for further studies? I remember the minister's office invited me to consult with Muggle researchers."

Melvin and Tonks walked into the main hall side by side, without lingering at the front desk for long. They received a temporary visitor badge and headed straight for the elevator.

“I passed all the Auror aptitude tests with high scores in every subject, so how could I possibly go back to my previous job? Ms. Burns is temporarily acting as the minister and also serves as the head of the Executive Division, so she recruited me as her assistant…”

Tonks said in a light tone, "Ms. Burns doesn't like the remaining staff in the minister's office. She still prefers the Auror's clean and efficient way of handling cases."

Turn right at the front desk, and you'll soon arrive at the elevator waiting area, a spacious circular hall.

There are at least twenty elevators here, separated by an exquisite gold-plated gate at the entrance. Although it is well-maintained and cleaned and looks brand new, the design is somewhat outdated.

According to Wright, this was designed by his father based on some of London's tall buildings, and it is now over a hundred years old.

Melvin and Tonks walked into a spacious-looking elevator and waited for the gate to open. Soon, a group of people gathered around them: a silent man from the Department of Mysteries, a sullen executioner from the Department of Fantastic Beasts, and a special employee from the Department of Disasters.

“Mr. Cornelius Fudge?” Melvin greeted him in surprise.

He was short and stout, with a receding hairline and sparse, graying hair at the edges. He wore a typical office worker's uniform robe with a bright red scarf tied around his neck.

"..."

I should have waited for the next elevator.

It's all that silent man's fault; he took up the corner and left him nowhere to hide.

Fudge inwardly sighed at his bad luck, but forced a smile and greeted her nonchalantly:
"Professor Levent, it's been a while. I've been looking forward to the new program on The Mirror, but it hasn't come yet. I hope to hear good news by Easter."

"It's already in preparation."

Melvin exchanged a few pleasantries with him, seemingly forgetting all the past grievances, but soon turned to look at Tonks with a questioning look in his eyes.

Tonks showed no regard for Fudge's feelings; they were now equals: "Umbridge and Fudge have no substantial evidence of wrongdoing. Although they are hateful, they are only relieved of their posts in the Minister's Office. They are not yet of retirement age and are still employees of the Ministry of Magic. Other departments are unwilling to accept them, so Fudge can only return to the Department of Disasters as an archivist, while Umbridge shamelessly returned to the Office for the Prevention of the Abuse of Magic."

"..."

All eyes in the elevator were on him, but Fudge kept his eyes fixed on the control panel, his face showing no unusual expression.

The thick skin he developed from dealing with pure-bloods over the past few years is what makes his title as the only former Minister of Magic so valuable.

"The seventh floor, the Department of Magical Sports, which includes the headquarters of the British and Irish Quidditch Leagues, the official Gobstone Club, and the Office of Patents for Funny Products..."

The elevator fell silent, with only the indifferent female voice echoing through the room.

"Sixth floor, Department of Magical Transportation... Fifth floor, Department of International Affairs and Cooperation... Fourth floor, Department of Magical Creatures Management and Control..."

The elevator doors opened and closed repeatedly, with documents folded into paper airplane shapes going in and out, until finally reaching the third floor.

"...The Division of Magical Accidents and Disasters, which includes the Reversal of Accidental Events Team, the Memory Deletion Command, and the Muggle Problem Mediation Committee."

Fudge breathed a sigh of relief and left the elevator without looking back. His steps were hurried, as if he were fleeing in panic, as if the people behind him were even more terrifying than Dementors.

"The second layer is the Department of Law Enforcement, which includes the Office for Prohibiting the Abuse of Magic, the Auror and Strikers Command, and the Wizengamor Administration."

They were now close to the ground, above which was the minister's office. Almost all the staff had left, leaving only Melvin and Tonks in the elevator. Just as they were quietly waiting for the elevator to close again, a hand with pink nail polish suddenly grabbed onto the elevator.

"Wait! Levent!"

Former Senior Deputy Minister, now a clerk, Dolores Umbridge blocked the elevator and stuck her head in.

His once loose-skinned face now looked even more haggard and aged. His short hair was unkempt and looked somewhat messy. He wore an ordinary uniform robe with the Ministry of Magic's emblem pinned to his chest, but the velvet bow ornament was gone.

At first glance, the witch seemed much more normal, but a hidden madness still flickered in her eyes.

"Levent! I know it was you and Dumbledore who manipulated the resignation decision behind the scenes. I have to go back to the minister's office. I want to run for minister!"

Seeing Melvin furrow his brow and reach for the door shut, Umbridge grew even more anxious, his voice sharpening: "I have dirt on you! I know about your unlicensed Apparition, and I've even found evidence!"

Melvin, observing the hysterical expression on her face, paused briefly, then winked at Tonks, who was watching the spectacle, signaling the Auror to fulfill his duty and kick her out. Tonks sighed, a look of regret in his eyes; the commotion hadn't been over yet.

Umbridge, a frail office witch, was no match for an Auror and was easily shoved back. She continued shouting defiantly, "I know other secrets about you! You must listen to me! Gringotts... the Lestrange family's vault..."

"and many more."

Melvin suddenly called out to Tonks, looking at the repulsive, short, plump witch with a hint of interest in his eyes for the first time, and a faint smile appeared on his face:

"You know what? I've changed my mind. Maybe we should have a good talk."

Umbridge looked overjoyed and was about to speak when he suddenly remembered something, straightened his collar, and seemed to once again adopt the demeanor of a senior deputy minister.

She cleared her throat and squeezed out a sweet, girlish voice: "Then it's settled, I'll write to you!"

"Ding……"

With no obstacles in sight, the elevator finally shut down.

The paper airplane hovered at the top of the elevator. Tonks glanced at the young professor, opened his mouth, then closed it again, repeating this several times before finally unable to resist:

“Umbridge has no bottom line; she’ll do anything to climb the ladder. No matter what information she has, don’t believe her lies!”

"Well, don't worry."

"I mean it. After she was dismissed, the Executive Division conducted a full investigation into her and found that she was a complete liar. She claimed on various occasions that she was a blood relative of the Selwyn family and a pure-blood, but in reality she was a mixed-race."

"Her mother was a Muggle, and she refused to acknowledge her father simply because Alford was a repairman in the ministry."

"She claims to have a phobia of other species that isn't entirely human, but that's just a reason for her to look down on other species."

"She also tried to seduce her boss several times, hoping to find a powerful patron to marry and gain political resources..."

Tonks angrily rebuked them, expressing her utter contempt for this pure-blood worship.

"I'm serious, don't worry, Tonks, it's just some club business."

Melvin chuckled and said softly, "I think Umbridge's personality is well-suited for some special work. It just so happens that an old friend of mine is preparing to start a new business overseas. Perhaps Umbridge would be willing to leave the Ministry of Magic and accept a fresh, exciting, and well-paid job."

"..."

Tonks looked at the young professor with suspicion, feeling that there was something else behind his words.

"First floor, Minister's office." The cold female voice rang out again from inside the elevator.

……

Five minutes later, in the minister's office.

Tonks pushed open the door, and Melvin followed him in, only to find that someone was already waiting in the office: Scrinker, Crouch, and Ms. Burns were sitting around a round table.

This is a warm and bright room. There are obvious marks on the floor near the wall, indicating that a carpet that had been laid out for a long time has been removed, and the boundary between the old and new is clear.

The room was surrounded by bookshelves, piled high with stacks of documents, each with a date marked on the cover. They had all been delivered in the last few days and came from different departments.

“Professor Levent.” Ms. Burns led the way by standing up, and several people came over to shake hands in turn.

"Has the Muggle government discovered the wizarding world? Are we about to go to war? I really can't think of any reason why the acting minister and two high-ranking officials would go to the trouble of inviting an ordinary professor." Melvin sat down at the table, and Ms. Burns handed him a cup of black tea.

"The Sports Department is preparing for the Quidditch World Cup final. We heard from Bagman about the cooperation agreement reached between the Magic Mirror Club and the tournament committee. It's novel and promising. We never thought we could do this before."

Ms. Burns explained, "After Fudge and Umbridge were dismissed, Ms. Machiban had a very insightful conversation with me. She told me that Muggle things were changing the wizarding world, that this was the trend of the times, and that this was the future of wizards..."

She paused briefly: "As acting minister, I certainly can't believe everything, but I've witnessed firsthand the changes the Shadow Mirror has brought to the British magical world, so I think perhaps I should listen to the opinions of professionals. What do you say, Professor Levent?"

Upon hearing the question posed by the acting minister, Melvin paused for a moment.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Ms. Burns will be the next Minister. Aside from Voldemort, who is an unstable factor, and considering her abilities and age, the position of Minister of Magic will not see much change in the next ten years.

This conversation may influence the Ministry of Magic's policy direction for a long time to come.

"Then... what about the secrecy law?" Melvin asked tentatively.

Ms. Burns was very patient: "As an original member of the International Confederation of Wizards, the British Ministry of Magic has always been committed to maintaining stability in the wizarding world, ensuring that we are on the right track, and uniting wizards from other countries. The Statute of Secrecy was established and implemented by the predecessors of the Ministry of Magic and has lasted for four hundred years. If it no longer meets our needs, perhaps it should be changed appropriately."

"Are you going to abolish the secrecy law?" Melvin thought she was being too radical.

“No, not abolish it. I know wizards still can’t be exposed to Muggles. What I mean is, we can relax the restrictions appropriately.” Ms. Burns carefully chose her words: “For example, communication and cooperation with Muggle governments.”

"Muggle government...communication and cooperation?" Melvin was genuinely surprised now.

“Professor, you should know that every Wizard Minister talks with the Muggle Prime Minister as a kind of handover ceremony.”

None of the people present were surprised. The Executive Division had compiled a lot of information on the prime ministers, and several Aurors had been placed in Buckingham Palace. Kingsley had even infiltrated 10 Downing Street and was receiving a generous monthly salary.

"Because of Peter's escape from prison and Fudge's dismissal, I will be meeting with the Muggle Prime Minister."

Ms. Burns pointed to a painting on the wall, an oil portrait of an ugly man, with steps behind her leading to another framed painting: "I have no intention of repealing the secrecy law in the short term, but perhaps we can start some preliminary cooperation with them, cooperation that is beneficial to both sides, business dealings, knowledge exchange, or something else."

She looked directly into Melvin's eyes, her gaze filled with sincerity and earnestness:

"Professor Levent, I need your advice."

Melvin raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Happy to help."

(End of this chapter)