Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 493, Section 491: Separated by a Wall

Meeting Room 1.

Sheen silently stopped beside the fireplace.

Fudge looked at Sheen with his smooth smile, as if he were examining some treasure.

"How much longer until you graduate, Mr. Green? I heard you're going to be a junior."

Oh dear, how could anyone have guessed? Dear Mr. Green is still a student who hasn't even taken the OWL exam yet!

Fudge's compliments didn't sound offensive.

But Sheen simply nodded slightly.

“I mean, a wizard as outstanding as you.”

What do they all call you—the greatest wizard of the future? The youngest wizard in the Chocolate Frog cards? Or… the number one wizard destined to surpass Dumbledore?

Fudge said with a smile,
"People say your talent surpasses Dumbledore's, but I don't know if that's accurate."

"Headmaster Dumbledore is far superior to me."

Sheen answered without hesitation.

“Ah, ah, that’s now. And what about the future? Mr. Green, the future is yours.”

Fudge went around in circles.

Sheen stared at him silently, his green eyes always possessing the magic to see through people's hearts.

Sheen probably understood Fudge's purpose.

Minister for Magic is theoretically the highest-ranking position in the British magical community.

They control the operation of the British magical community.

However, Fudge did not seem to receive a status commensurate with his power, because there was always a transcendent wizard in the British magical world—

The greatest wizard of this century—Albus Dumbledore.

"Oh, that's exactly what I wanted you to know. I'll support you..."

After Fudge finished speaking in his smooth-talking manner, he focused all his attention on Sheen's face.

However, that face remained calm, revealing nothing.

"Thank you."

Sheen said.

"Oh, that's good. The Ministry of Magic has urgent matters to attend to, so please allow me to leave now."

But you see, you know, my heart is with you—”

Fudge left with her big pregnant belly.

Before leaving, he winked at Sheen.

"Cuckoo-"

Just then, Bai Yi flew in through the window.

It tilted its head back and stared at Fudge's back, probably meaning that it didn't like the fat wizard in front of it.

Fantastic creatures have always had more acute senses than wizards.

So... what kind of person is Fudge?
He may be glib and smooth-talking, or he may be driven by greed, but there is no denying that he is a politician with the basic wisdom of a politician.

A wizard with virtually no advantages became Minister of Magic, not through convincing ability, but through political maneuvering.

The support he spoke of had probably been given to Headmaster Dumbledore countless times already.

After all, in Hagrid's words:

"Old Connelly Fudge was the most clueless man in the world; he always messed things up."

So every morning he would send many owls to Dumbledore to ask him for ideas.

Imagining Dumbledore waking up surrounded by owls, Sheehan couldn't help but smile.

Is Fudge supporting Sheehan himself?
It's possible he had such considerations, but perhaps what he would prefer to support is:

A wizard who can rival Dumbledore.

But what Fudge didn't know was that Sheehan was Dumbledore's man most of the time.

What Sheen didn't know was that long ago, Dumbledore had quietly transformed into a complete and utter little wizard.

Outside the Leaky Cauldron bar, the sky was changing rapidly, from a velvety deep blue to a somber gray, and then slowly turning into a pink tinged with golden light.

Flames crackled and popped in rooms 1, 10, and 11.

Outside room 11, Harry followed Tom up a beautiful wooden staircase to a door with the brass number 11 on it.

Tom unlocked the door and opened it for Harry.

Inside was a very comfortable-looking bed, several pieces of gleaming oak furniture, and a crackling, cheerful fire burning in the fireplace, while on top of the wardrobe—

"Hedwig!"

Harry shouted excitedly.

The snow-white owl tapped its beak, flapped its wings, and flew to Harry's arm.

"You're such a clever owl,"

Tom chuckled softly.
“It arrived just five minutes after you got here. Mr. Potter, please don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.”

He bowed again and left.

If Hedwig's appearance made Harry relax a little, then what happened next—

"Boom boom boom——"

There was a knock on the door.

Sheen stood outside the door, looking at the bronze medal number 11, then turning to the bronze medal number 10.

Will told him that Sirius was in this house.

Perhaps it was a strange coincidence that Harry and Sirius were separated by only a wall.

Sheen took out the magic hand mirror, and ripples appeared on its surface, revealing a respectful Will and a haggard Sirius Black who was intently reading a newspaper.

He pressed his ear against the wall, but his eyes were fixed on everything about Green in the newspaper.

"The wizard who dealt with Voldemort's servants," "The wizard who discovered the Chamber of Secrets and defeated the Basilisk," "The wizard who pulled out the sword of Gryffindor"...

Sirius frowned. During the decades he had been imprisoned in Azkaban, such a genius had suddenly emerged in the wizarding world.

"An ignorant wizard."

Will gave a soft hum.

“You are right, Pukchi.”

Sirius Black had figured out Will's identity, and what delighted him even more was that just moments ago, someone had checked into the room next to his. If his ears, tormented for decades, hadn't misheard, Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, had said—

“Harry”.

Sheen looked at the opened door and said softly.

"Sheen!"

Harry seemed very surprised.

The two sat down, and Harry was completely unaware that there was a trembling ear on the other side of the wall.

"You said I'm not in danger, Sheen, why is that?"
But that criminal, Sirius Black, he…

Harry asked tentatively, puzzled.

"Yes, he won't hurt you, Harry."

Sheen said.

"why is that--"

Harry was stunned; he couldn't understand it at all.

His mind was in a mess. One moment he was thinking that Sirius might be looking for Sheen to settle scores with, which was why he didn't have time to pay attention to him—after all, Sheen had thwarted Voldemort's schemes several times.

Then he thought of him again. It was the first time Harry Potter had truly made Voldemort disappear, so why wouldn't Sirius Black come to hurt him?
Meanwhile, Sirius Black in his next room was about to burst out of the door.

"Wait! You idiot, you're going to get arrested—are you trying to ruin my husband's plans?!"

Will drew his bow and stopped him directly.

"Let me..."

Sirius knew he couldn't make it; Will was far stronger than he was now, and he almost pleaded.

"Please, husband, let me see him..."

(End of this chapter)