Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil

No sooner had he finished speaking than a chorus of scorn erupted from the Slytherin table. Many of the young Slytherin wizards showed disdain at the mention of Barty Crouch's name, clearly indicating that they did not approve of him.

"Third, in my opinion, Connelly Fudge is more likely to be elected as the next minister."

Puni calmly added, "The mistakes that Barty Crouch's son made back then are enough for many wizards to remember for a lifetime, and this will be the biggest obstacle on his campaign path."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of enthusiastic applause came from the Hufflepuff table. Many of the young Hufflepuff wizards were filled with joy, because Cornelius Fudge was a Hufflepuff himself, and they naturally hoped that someone from their house could be elected minister.

Finally, Penny concluded, "I think that if Professor Dumbledore were willing to nominate either of them, the one nominated would certainly be elected smoothly."

Upon hearing this, the young Ravenclaw wizards nodded in agreement, believing that Dumbledore's prestige was enough to influence the election results.

Puni's reasoning was clear, logical, and well-founded, instantly convincing most of the young wizards present. The originally noisy dining hall gradually quieted down as everyone pondered his words, and many people showed expressions of agreement on their faces.

Puni shook his head as he observed the reactions of the crowd.

How could a crown possibly have the power to attract attention with just a few words, and even subtly brainwash others?

In short, it's none of his business; he just wanted to try out the function of the crown.

However, for the British wizarding world, which has enjoyed ten years of peace, the change of Minister for Magic is undoubtedly a major event that affects the entire wizarding community.

Over the past decade, wizards have escaped the fear and chaos brought by Voldemort, and their lives have become more stable. The tenure of Minister Millicent Barnold has laid a solid foundation for peace and stability in the wizarding world, and has also raised public expectations for the Ministry of Magic.

Although it will be quite some time before Millison Barnold officially steps down, after repeated attempts by the public to persuade her to stay failed to change her decision, the entire wizarding world's attention has completely shifted from "trying to retain the Minister" to "the next Minister candidate." Just like the young wizards at Hogwarts were arguing in the dining hall, everyone is speculating about who will take over this important task and head the British Ministry of Magic.

Just as Penny had predicted in the Hogwarts dining hall, there were only two people with the best chance of winning the election at the moment—Cornelly Fudge and Barty Crouch.

Both had served in the Ministry of Magic for many years and had extensive experience and a certain prestige, but Barty Crouch was far more popular than Cornelius Fudge.

The reason for this lies entirely in Barty Crouch's consistent adherence to principles and impartial law enforcement style over the years.

Over the years, he has handled countless magical cases. Regardless of the status or background of those involved, he treats everyone equally and never shows favoritism or bends the law. With this impartiality, he has won the recognition and respect of the vast majority of wizards and established a very high reputation among the people. Many wizards have said that Barty Crouch is the only candidate to be the next minister.

Despite his immense popularity, Barty Crouch's campaign was far from smooth sailing. Just as Pony had predicted, the fact that his son, Barty Crouch Jr., had been a Death Eater was like an indelible scar, a stain he could never shake off and the biggest weapon his rivals could use against him.

The people in the wizarding world often have subtle contradictions in their minds, and this contradiction is vividly reflected in Barty Crouch.

Upon closer reflection, human cognition is indeed peculiar. If a person commits numerous evils throughout their life, with their hands stained with sin, and one day suddenly has a change of heart and does a great deed that is enough to make up for their mistakes, many people will easily change their opinion of them, thinking that they are a prodigal son who has turned over a new leaf, and may even forgive all their past misdeeds because of this one good deed.

Conversely, if a person does good deeds in everything and dedicates their entire life to others and the magical world, and through years of accumulation establishes a perfect image in the hearts of the people, it's like gilding themselves and erecting an unparalleled monument. Then everyone will assume that they are the perfect person they are.

But if he makes even the slightest mistake, even a trivial one, he will be endlessly criticized and attacked. All his past achievements will be wiped out, his original invincible image will shatter instantly, his reputation will collapse, his status will plummet, and he will ultimately end up with a ruined old age.

Barty Crouch is currently mired in such a predicament.

For the past decade, Barty Crouch has never stopped trying. He has worked tirelessly to cover up his son’s Death Eater past with more achievements, hoping to bury that matter completely in the past.

But the more he tried to avoid it, the more it haunted him, always being brought up from various corners and used as a topic of conversation and a weapon to attack him.

Now, this is the closest he has ever come to the position of Minister of Magic, and the best opportunity for him to realize his lifelong ambition. But the closer it gets to the change of leadership, the more people are using his son's situation to their advantage.

Various voices of doubt and accusation kept coming in, and many newspapers even openly published articles questioning Barty Crouch Jr.'s character, his qualifications to head the Ministry of Magic, and his ability to treat every wizard fairly, based on his past.

In the dimly lit office of the Ministry of Magic, Barty Crouch sat behind a large desk, clutching several copies of the day's wizarding newspapers tightly.

The front page of the newspaper prominently featured an article attacking him, filled with malice. Every word and sentence mentioned his son's mistakes and even maliciously speculated that he had protected his son and abused his power for personal gain.

He stared at the glaring words, the anger in his chest like a ignited flame, spreading little by little, scorching his reason.

All the pent-up grievances, resentment, and anger he had accumulated over the years erupted at this moment. He could no longer suppress his rage and suddenly raised his hand, throwing the newspapers in his hand violently toward the fireplace beside him.

The newspaper was engulfed in flames the moment it was thrown into the fireplace, the crackling sound of the burning paper particularly clear in the quiet office, casting flickering light and shadow on Barty Crouch's face.