Start by logging into the Old Man's Ring at Hogwarts

It was clear from Fudge's statement that Fudge did not intend to let him off so easily.

Since that's the case, Lucius has no intention of showing any more mercy.

Chapter 253 Snape: I'm sorry, I'm an undercover agent!

Zicomo nodded in satisfaction and said, "Remember to include his past dereliction of duty, such as the theft at the Ministry of Magic last year and the Dementors attacking Hogwarts students."

At this point, Zikomo paused, then continued, "Anything that's bad for his reputation, include it."

"If you don't know how to say it, you can go to Rita. [The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the initial question.]"

Lucius nodded and reached up to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

He realized that Zicomo wanted Fudge to step down!

Lucius initially thought that Zicomo just wanted to teach Fudge a lesson.

Judging from the current situation, Zicomo seems to want Fudge dead.

For Fudge, who is obsessed with power and status, being removed from the position of Minister of Magic must be worse than death.

Looking at his son beside him, Lucius was momentarily at a loss as to whether Zicomo or Malfoy was the true Slytherin.

At this point, Dumbledore stepped forward and said, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? The Ministry of Magic still needs a leader."

Zicomo waved his hand dismissively and said, "Can't we just find someone to fill in?"

Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's not that easy. Not just anyone can be the Minister of Magic."

He wasn't trying to speak up for Fudge; Dumbledore didn't care who sat in the Minister of Magic position.

What he cared about was the normal operation of the Ministry of Magic, the leading body in the wizarding world.

30

While Fudge has been somewhat incompetent in handling major affairs over the years, he has done a good job in coordinating the work of the Ministry of Magic.

It can at least be described as well-organized.

After Dumbledore finished speaking, he noticed that Zicomo did not reply, but just looked at him quietly.

He thought of a possibility.

Dumbledore asked, "You don't mean to suggest I become the minister, do you?"

Zicomo nodded, confirming Dumbledore's guess.

Dumbledore waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Please spare this old man. I have no interest in that position."

Don't think that being Minister of Magic is an easy job.

All seven departments under the Ministry of Magic are managed and decided by the Minister, who spends a lot of time every day just processing documents.

Dumbledore isn't stupid; why would he take on such a thankless and arduous task?

Moreover, he had absolutely no interest in the position of Minister of Magic.

For Dumbledore, the title of Minister of Magic was merely a title that held little real value.

If he wanted to be one, he would have been decades ago.

After all, Dumbledore has taught countless students over the decades, and his influence is widespread.

These can all be considered his connections and power.

Whenever Dumbledore expressed his desire to become Minister for Magic, it was met with overwhelming support and a massive influx of followers.

Zicomo said, "It's just a temporary position for a few years, not a permanent one. You can retire once Hermione graduates."

For Zicomo, it didn't matter who served as Minister of Magic for the past few years, because in the end, Hermione would have to make way for him anyway.

If all else fails, Lucius or Lockhart can fill in.

"You're oversimplifying things. Even if I agreed, Hermione wouldn't immediately become Minister for Magic after graduation."

Dumbledore shook his head and said, "After Hermione graduates, she still needs to build up a certain prestige in the wizarding world and cultivate her own network. Only then will people support her to become Minister for Magic."

“This process will take at least several years, and I don’t want to stay in this position for that long.”

"You're overcomplicating things."

Zicomo rolled his eyes and pointed at Voldemort and the others not far away, saying, "Just what happened tonight is enough to make Hermione famous throughout the entire wizarding world, right?"

Putting aside what happened tonight, Zicomo had already started paving the way for Hermione to become Minister for Magic two years ago.

After Zicomo recruited Lockhart, he was in charge of developing connections.

As for prestige, Hermione's reputation as a genius wizard was already spread by Rita two years ago.

In addition to the current Triwizard Tournament champion, and the one-man victory against Voldemort and his henchmen.

These titles alone are enough to elevate Hermione's prestige in the wizarding world to a whole new level.

If it gets hyped up again, it might be able to match Dumbledore's level, or even surpass him.

After all, Dumbledore was already very old, while Hermione was still seen as a minor by outsiders.

Reminded by Zicomo, Dumbledore also remembered the existence of Voldemort and others.

To be honest, too much happened tonight, and it was quite a shock to his elderly brain.

Dumbledore felt he urgently needed to extract a portion of his memories and throw them into the Pensieve to give his brain a break.

What shocked Dumbledore the most was Voldemort's capture.

What happened to Harry being the savior?

What happened to the promise that only Harry could defeat Voldemort?

How did Hermione manage to take down Voldemort?

Could it be that Trelawney's prophecy was false?

Dumbledore was puzzled by this, wondering if he had been deceived by Trelawney.

They've even started considering whether or not to fire Trelawney.

Finally, it was Zicomo's voice that pulled him back from his reverie.

Dumbledore asked, "Excuse me, what did you just say?"

He was distracted and didn't hear what Zicomo said.

Zicomo repeated what he had just said: "I said, what should we do with this Dark Lord?"

Dumbledore thought for a moment and said, "May I speak with him first?"

Zicomo snapped his fingers, releasing Voldemort from the speech restriction.

He then gestured for Dumbledore to proceed.

Dumbledore approached Voldemort and said, "Tom..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Voldemort interrupted, "Tom is dead! Now there's only Voldemort!"

He refused to acknowledge his Muggle father's name.

Zicomo muttered to himself, "Now Voldemort is gone too, all that's left is a magical creature called the 'Hognose Snake'."

Although Zicomo's voice wasn't loud, everyone present could hear it.

A few scattered laughs rang out in the room, and even Snape smiled.

Voldemort noticed Snape's presence and roared, "Severus! You not only refuse to answer my call, but you also dare to mock me here!"

And you! Lucius, you betrayed me!

As he spoke, Voldemort activated their Dark Mark with a thought.

His Dark Mark is not just a mark used to summon his minions; it can also be used to punish them when necessary.

The next moment, Lucius clutched his left arm and screamed in pain, "Ah!!!"

As you can see, the Dark Mark on his left arm has turned from black to red, as if it were burning Lucius's skin.

Lucius was indeed experiencing a burning pain.

This is the punishment Voldemort inflicted on the Death Eaters through the Dark Mark.

Voldemort was feeling smug when he turned around and saw Snape standing there as if nothing had happened.

He asked, his face full of confusion, "Why are you alright?"

Snape rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arms, which were usually hidden beneath them.

He said calmly, "I'm sorry, but I'm actually an undercover agent."

Snape didn't know why he said that, but he thought it was cool.

Voldemort, seeing Snape's pale arm, exclaimed in disbelief, "No, impossible! How could you remove my Dark Mark? I don't believe it!"

His Dark Mark is a highly advanced form of dark magic; otherwise, it wouldn't have so many functions.

Voldemort did not believe that Snape was capable of breaking his magic.

Zicomo scoffed, "Nothing is impossible. After all, you wouldn't have believed you'd be defeated by a fourth-grade witch before."