The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 219 Funeral and Fudge

It was 2 p.m.

Number 12 Morig Place, the old Blake family home, welcomed its first real guests in over a decade.

Even though these people were just there to attend the funeral, they still brought a lot of life to this once-abandoned old house.

The green flames in the fireplace continued to rise, and people continued to emerge from it.

The sky was overcast, as if bearing endless sorrow; the low-hanging clouds weighed heavily on everyone's mood.

In this solemn and somber atmosphere, everyone gathered to attend Regulus's funeral.

In the backyard lawn of Blake's old house, black flags fluttered in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if whispering the names of the deceased.

Dumbledore stood quietly before the coffin, clutching a eulogy tightly in his hand.

The Weasleys stood in the crowd, their faces etched with sorrow. Arthur Weasley held his wife Molly's hand tightly, as if offering her strength.

Their children, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny, also stood silently with somber expressions.

Lupin stood quietly in the distance. Unlike the others, he genuinely liked Regulus, who was someone who didn't look at him with strange eyes after learning of his werewolf identity.

Similarly, the Malfoy family also attended the funeral, since Regulus was theoretically Draco's uncle, a blood uncle.

……

Funerals are always a heavy topic.

At the funeral, no one will speak unless absolutely necessary.

Communication between the living and the dead is disrespectful to the deceased.

Wearing a long black silk robe, Ino stood quietly in a corner, exchanging glances with many familiar people, and they merely nodded to each other.

Over time.

Fudge and many Ministry of Magic officials also came to the scene. Although many of them had not been invited, the English magic scene is really that small, and everyone is well aware of any developments.

Of course, it remains unknown whether these officials were there to give the deceased a proper send-off or to expand their own social circles.

However, one thing is certain: everyone wore a sorrowful expression, and their eyes revealed respect and remembrance for the deceased. No one could find fault with that.

3 PM.

In the hazy sky, tiny snowflakes began to fall silently.

The glistening snowflakes fell silently, landing on the black coffin with a soft rustling sound.

As the snowflakes fell, Ino slowly released the magic wand hidden in her sleeve.

At the same time, Dumbledore slowly stepped forward and began to read the eulogy.

His voice was deep and powerful, and every word was clearly audible.

It tells the story of Regulus's short life, his courage, his wisdom, and his spirit of self-sacrifice.

The people present also demonstrated the complexity of human nature; some were truly immersed in the grief and memories, while others simply listened silently.

But whatever it is, it's all in the past now.

As the eulogy concluded, people came forward and placed the flowers they held in front of the grave.

Each flower represents a moment of sorrow and a blessing; together they form a sea of ​​flowers, making Regulus's tomb exceptionally beautiful.

The sky was still overcast, but amidst this sea of ​​flowers, Ino felt as if she could truly see the boy's figure through the tombstone.

But after a fleeting glimpse, it vanished again.

He didn't pay too much attention to it, and gently put down the white cosmos flowers in his hand to express his condolences.

……

Those who have passed away are gone; those who are still alive continue to live as before.

The fireplace in Blake's old house flickered frequently once again.

Many people have left, such as Regulus's sister, Andromeda, and her daughter, Fadora Tonks, and Lucius and his wife...

Of course, many people stayed.

After explaining the situation to his parents, Draco quietly ran over.

"Why don't you go home? This isn't your territory." Ino turned her head slightly.

"Home field?" Draco was slightly puzzled, but he quickly noticed the problem: seven or eight red-haired people were too conspicuous.

"It's alright, you're here! They won't dare do anything."

Hearing this slightly arrogant answer, Ino shook her head helplessly.

Draco's appearance surprised him slightly. Just a moment ago, he was planning to chat with the twins, since their Christmas presents this year were quite interesting.

But for now, I have no choice but to abandon that idea.

After all, taking someone with the surname Malfoy to find someone with the surname Weasley has probably gone beyond the realm of stirring up trouble...

Although we can't find Weasley, there's another place we can go.

……

Blake's old house.

In the spacious living room, Fudge was speaking to everyone with a sorrowful expression.

Looking at that expression, anyone who didn't know better would think that his younger brother was lying in the coffin.

However, this grief did not last long. When Fudge saw someone coming, he quickly switched to another face, one of care and appreciation for the younger generation.

"Excuse me, Minister," Ino said calmly.

This was his first time meeting Fudge, but he didn't have much of an opinion on this almost villainous Minister of Magic in the original story.

It's very simple: the world is never simply black and white.

Even if all the colors in the world disappeared, leaving only black and white, they would still blend together to create a new color—gray.

Therefore, many things are not about right or wrong, but about perspective.

At the same time, Fudge was full of admiration when he saw this rising star, especially since the only son of the Malfoy family was with him.

Many things can be understood from a single glimpse.

"How fortunate I am! Every time I see you, I feel so grateful for the future of the English wizarding world! So truly grateful!"

Fudge's voice sounded a little hoarse, but combined with his impeccable expressions and body language, he always conveyed sincerity in his words and actions.

"Thank you for the praise, Minister!" Ino shook her head slightly. "I'm here to clarify something about Regulus. This is his handwriting..."

A yellowed parchment, though magically treated, still bears the marks of time.

After seeing Fudge at the funeral, he knew that some things had already been settled.

Fudge's attendance at the funeral was a silent statement, and also an acknowledgment of Regulus.

Even so, Ino still intends to make this last message public so that more people can know the hidden story.

However, there are many ways to make it public, and the most effective one is undoubtedly for the Ministry of Magic to make the announcement, as it is authoritative and beyond question.

Fudge took the note and saw the childish message on it.

After a long pause, he nodded very seriously.

"Leave this to me. No one will forget the contributions Regulus made."

Fudge's statement also revealed a rare glimpse of sincerity in Ino, a politician.

(End of this chapter)