Ancient Wizards Return to Hogwarts...

Chapter 329 Rice: I hope the next minister will be capable.

"Alright, let's continue—Mr. Lint, please come up to the podium." Helga didn't let Rice off the hook just because there were people watching outside.

When Rice went on stage and pretended to fight with the puppet Helga conjured up, the parents outside the classroom were immediately intrigued.

"Do you think these kinds of dolls could be deployed in Azkaban?"

Among those watching Helga's lesson, a large proportion were Ministry of Magic officials, as Mr. Henry had conducted a preliminary screening. They immediately connected the "automatic combat dolls" with the "lack of guards in Azkaban."

"But this puppet doesn't seem that strong either? It's going to be evenly matched with a junior wizard," McNeil from the Department of Magical Creature Management and Control remarked.

Henry glanced at him and sneered inwardly.

McNeil's words raised a unease among the other Ministry of Magic officials: if the doll was merely for show and not for practical use, it couldn't be used to strengthen Azkaban's security.

They squinted and watched intently as Rice and the puppet fought.

With a flick of his arm, the air in front of the puppet distorted. Rice turned slightly to the side, his robes fluttering as if in a gentle breeze, and a several-foot-long crack appeared out of thin air in the wall behind him. He twirled his wand like a juggler, and the puppet flew into the air, crashing heavily onto the podium behind it.

The onlookers: ...

"Are you sure you can beat either of those two guys?" someone muttered to McNeil.

McNeil's face turned pale and then flushed, and after a long while he whispered, "All I need to do is close the distance quickly, then bend down to dodge the spell, and I can chop that doll in half with my axe."

No one took his attempt to save face seriously; everyone was earnestly considering the feasibility of deploying these dolls in Azkaban. Based on their recent demonstration of power, they were more than capable of serving as jailers, but many other factors remained: Did these dolls require wizard control? How long could their internal magic last? Could they adapt to Azkaban's damp and dark environment? And how much would each doll cost…?

Of course, some wealthy homeowners are also considering buying a few dolls to put in their homes.

Dumbledore stared thoughtfully at the mannequin that had been sent flying. It reminded him of the armor and statues at Hogwarts, but on a higher level. Most of the armor and statues could only be attacked with physical means, while Professor White's mannequin could use magic. He planned to talk to Professor White later to see if he could place some of these mannequins around the school or upgrade the existing armor and statues.

With their own differing thoughts, these people stubbornly sat in on the entire Defense Against the Dark Arts class outside the classroom. As soon as the bell rang and Professor White stepped out of the classroom, he was surrounded by the parents who had been waiting for him.

Faced with the enthusiastic crowd, Hufflepuff showed no stage fright and invited everyone to find a place to talk slowly with a big smile.

"The doll you just saw was just an appetizer, something I made on the spot—if you'd like, I can provide a more powerful and feature-rich doll."

Her words invigorated everyone, and they hurriedly followed her to an empty classroom to sit down and discuss the matter further. However, some parents were not interested in the dolls (because they couldn't afford them), and since lunchtime was approaching, Dumbledore simply led the parents who didn't want to discuss the matter with Professor White to the Great Hall.

However, one figure among the parents caught Dumbledore's attention.

"Henry, don't you want to buy a few dolls for the house?"

"Professor Dumbledore, my family's ancestral manor has defensive magic cast by Salazar Slytherin himself, and these dolls would take up too much space."

Dumbledore: ...

You managed to put on a show. With such depth and experience, no wonder you were able to protect yourself during the Wizarding Wars.

Mr. Henry took the opportunity to fall a few steps behind, ran to his daughter's side, and exchanged a glance with Rice next to him.

Upon arriving at the Great Hall, the group sat down in a corner of Slytherin House.

The moment her bottom touched the stool, Daphne couldn't wait to ask why her father was there.

"Let's check if you've finished your homework on time."

Daphne: ? ? ?

"Just kidding, we're here to see Cornelius Fudge, about the Dementors. There won't be any more Dementors around Hogwarts." Mr. Henry was ostensibly chatting with his daughter, but in reality, he was reporting his work to Rice.

"Cornell is finished now. He has lost all the prestige he built up after becoming Minister for Magic, and it's only a matter of time before he steps down."

Daphne: Oh, oh. (Thinking to herself, what does this have to do with me?)

Rice didn't say much, but simply took a piece of garlic steak from the plate in front of him. This was one of his favorite dishes: marbled beef coated with a thick layer of garlic sauce, sizzling and dripping with oil on a hot plate. The high temperature rendered the beef fat, which infused the garlic sauce, giving it a fried texture and allowing the garlic aroma to permeate the beef. It was a mouthwatering, garlicky dish.

"So, who do you think will be the next Minister of Magic? Would you like a steak? The garlic steak here is really good," Rice asked while cutting his steak, as if they were having a casual chat.

“Of course.” Mr. Henry took a steak like Rice and then spoke his opinion: “Who will be the next Minister of Magic depends on who gets the most support first—to put it bluntly, the support of us pure-blood families.”

Rice nodded. Although people like Henry Greengrass didn't hold particularly prestigious official positions, their influence in the wizarding world was considerable. Gaining the support of enough pure-blood families was indeed a top priority for any candidate for Minister of Magic.

"I hope the next minister is a capable fellow," he remarked casually, as if expressing a personal sentiment. "The magical world doesn't have much time left for fools and mediocrities to waste."

This was Rice's honest opinion. After interacting with Muggles, Rice felt that his time with the wizarding world was running out.

Henry felt a chill run down his spine: this was Lord Slytherin's requirement for the next Minister for Magic. He could not accept a mediocre person continuing in the position.

This demand actually contradicted their own positions. Pure-blood families naturally hoped that the Minister of Magic who came to power would be as incompetent as possible, so that they could seize more benefits. Those shrewd and capable individuals always wanted to do something to cause trouble for everyone. This was also why Fudge was able to defeat Crouch—Crouch's Death Eater son was merely a trigger.

However, Lord Slytherin's position is Henry Greengrass's position, and he will certainly find a way to make it happen.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next update will be before midnight.

There are still some in the evening

(End of this chapter)