From Azkaban

There are few wizards but too many Muggles. We need to solve the problem of Muggle magic pattern transformation technology, introduce suitable Muggle talents into the magical world, start the initial integration, and let them compete with wizards.

Anyway, many things that follow are not about powerful magical abilities, but about a smart enough mind. In this regard, Locke thinks that Muggles and wizards are also competitive.

Locke believed that those Muggle talents who came to the magical world would work extremely hard for the future of themselves and their descendants after experiencing the charm of magic for themselves.

"Let's focus on this new feature of the magic network and temporarily stop the development of the school version of the magic network."

Volume 1: Chapter 161: The First Step of Fusion

The first setback since coming to this world forced Locke to temporarily change his series of arrangements. Many of the original plans were put on hold and new arrangements were put on the agenda.

“Tell us what you think”

At another round table meeting held deep in the magic network space, Locke announced a new arrangement to all core members, asking them to shift their current focus and try to contact suitable talents among Muggles.

As for what constitutes the right talent, it is naturally the Muggles who are determined to be stable enough, easy to control, and who are sufficiently receptive to magic and wizards.

"I think there is nothing wrong with your decision. I have had a lot of contact with Muggles during this period, and I deeply understand what you said before. Just like wizards, Muggles also have very outstanding talents."

Lucius was the first to speak. He released his folded hands from Narcissa, stood up and looked around the round table while speaking.

"My dear colleagues, you have followed me for so long, and you must all know that Muggles are not stupid, nor are they weak. The so-called Statute of Secrecy is not meant to protect Muggles."

"Some time ago, I contacted the financial talents over there according to the instructions of the adults."

"To be honest, I was quite shocked by those Muggles. In their professional fields, their excellence and professionalism are unquestionable, and wizards can never compare with them."

Thinking back to the financial elites he had come into contact with in the City of London, Lucius had an expression of admiration on his face. It was truly a memorable experience.

Those financial elites allowed Lucius to see a lot, and also made Lucius understand the importance of financial economics to a society and a country.

"Before, the adults asked me to take some time to learn about Muggle knowledge. I followed the adults' instructions carefully and benefited a lot in the end."

Having said that, Lucius turned to Locke and bowed slightly, and Locke nodded slightly in response.

"After learning some knowledge, I compared it with the situation in the wizarding world. This made me feel that I might have made some achievements in finance."

Lucius smiled self-deprecatingly. "This kind of arrogance kept growing in my heart until I followed the instructions of my Lord and went to the City of London accompanied by the Dursleys to meet the Muggle financial elites working there."

"To be frank, compared to those Muggle financial elites, the little knowledge I have is just like that of a child. The gap is too great."

"It was at that moment that I truly understood the adults. Just as the adults said, we wizards master magic, which is where we are superior to Muggles, but Muggles also have their own strengths, and there are also aspects that we wizards cannot surpass."

The members at the round table looked at Lucius and listened to his story silently. Many members looked at the self-deprecating smile on Lucius' face and put away some of their own thoughts.

No one looked down on Lucius because of his words, thinking that he was incompetent. On the contrary, Lucius's heartfelt speech made everyone present pay more or truly pay attention to Muggles.

"So, my colleagues, I am not telling you all this to elevate Muggles. I just want to tell you to adjust your mindset and approach Muggle talents with an appropriate attitude."

"Everyone should understand that we are the adults, the face of the Round Table Council, and this will be our first step in contacting Muggles. It is an extremely important step for both the adults and the Round Table Council."

After saying this, Lucius bowed slightly to Locke again and slowly sat back in his seat.

"Lucius said it well, but what about the others?"

Locke looked at the other people at the round table, his eyes sweeping across the faces of each member.

"................"

No one spoke. Seeing this, Locke nodded, "It seems that no one has any objection."

Locke stood up with his hands on the armrests of the chair. Seeing this, all the members quickly stood up and stood up before Locke stood up.

"After Christmas, I hope to see initial results. I hope you won't let me down."

Locke's voice reached the ears of every member, and all the members present immediately bowed and said, "Please rest assured, sir."

"........."

When everyone looked up, Locke's figure had disappeared. Seeing that Locke had left the magic network, all members turned their eyes to Lucius.

"Lucius, I was just being a bit shy. Could you please tell us in detail about your experience with Muggles?"

"Yes, Lucius. You are the most experienced person in this area. Please teach me quickly. The Lord takes this matter so seriously. I don't want to mess it up."

"We have to have results after Christmas. Time is a bit tight. Lucius, how about I come back to England and do this with you?"

All the members were talking at once, and it was obvious that everyone was a little confused about the matter.

Of course, there are also people who are not in a hurry, like Snape. As the only close minister following Locke at the moment, he doesn't need to worry about this at all.

The rest are Sirius and Lupin, and what they are doing now is no less important than this, so Locke just made it clear at the meeting that they don't need to be distracted.

So, after seeing that nothing happened afterwards, the three of them withdrew from the magic network space one after another and did not stay to wait for Lucius to impart his experience.

.......................

In the French magic world, with the concerted efforts of all parties, the Magic Network branch opened at the fastest speed.

As the ribbon at the door was split in two by the French Minister of Magic with his wand, the French wizards who had been waiting for a long time poured into the Magic Network Company like a torrent.

"How convenient! We should have introduced the magic network earlier."

The member of the French Ministry of Magic who was maintaining order at the scene was constantly receiving real-time information from the scene through the magic network. Feeling the convenience of this information transmission, he couldn't help but express his thoughts to the people beside him.

"Alas, I lost more than a year of my life."

His colleague shook his head. The reason why he said he would live one year less was because the speed of time flow in the magic network was different from that in the outside world. This was also a popular topic in the French Ministry of Magic.

Thanks to the foundation laid by Rodolphus in the French magic world in the early days, the promotion of the magic network in France was smoother than in the UK.

In just two days, the wizards in the French magic world basically completed the registration of the Magic Network account. On the third day, as a piece of news appeared on the Magic Network and in newspapers, a large number of French wizards logged into the Magic Network as soon as possible.

"Minister Fudge," in the Magic Network Public Square, the French Minister of Magic led a group of senior officials from the French Ministry of Magic to meet Fudge. Obviously, they were also here to attend Locke's awarding ceremony.

Volume 1: Chapter 162 If You Pretend Again, You Will Really Die

Outside the Wizengamot Public Square, a large number of wizards gathered here, while inside the chamber, the British Minister of Magic and the French Minister of Magic separated after a brief meeting.

Normally, a meeting like this should last for a while, but the current situation is abnormal. As the issuer of the badge, Fudge has more important things to do. How can he have so much time to chat with the French Minister of Magic?

There were not many members in the British Ministry of Magic who knew about Locke and Azkaban. Now all of them were brought by Fudge. Every once in a while, he couldn't help but ask his confidants for comfort with a worried look on his face.

In fact, when it comes to ability, Fudge actually does have some, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to sit in the position of minister and sit so firmly in it.

So during the time when Locke came out of Azkaban, Fudge seemed to be pretending to be dead, but in fact he did take some actions.

Let’s not talk about anything else, just take the Ministry of Magic as an example. Fudge had already noticed that something was wrong. The concept of magical science was too prevalent in the Ministry of Magic.

Also, Fudge had actually already noticed the existence of the Magic Network in the Ministry of Magic before the Magic Network Company opened for business.

As for how Fudge realized this, let's put it this way, no matter how terrible the Ministry of Magic is, it is still the gathering place of the most advanced technology and various talent resources in the entire British wizarding world.

After so many years of inheritance, even the people within the Ministry of Magic themselves cannot tell exactly how much heritage the Ministry of Magic has, let alone how much magic has been accumulated over the years in the Ministry of Magic itself.

Fudge was able to detect the existence of the magic network through a magic within the Ministry of Magic that was specifically designed to detect the flow of consciousness.

That magic was originally used to detect ghost-like consciousnesses, as well as some wizards who used magic to achieve out-of-body consciousness.

After all, magic in this world is not only flourishing in Britain, other countries also have their own magical civilizations.

To be honest, when Fudge first discovered the magic network, he was very confused. He didn't know how such an incomprehensible thing could exist in the Ministry of Magic.

At first he had someone search the place, but because he was influenced by Locke at the time, Fudge was very cautious and asked the people who were investigating not to make a big fuss.

Naturally, nothing was found out afterwards, but magic cannot be wrong, and that stream of consciousness still exists within the Ministry of Magic.

Just as Fudge was wondering what was going on, the Magic Network Company opened for business.

After that, Fudge stopped the investigation. What else could he do? If he really found out something, it would be difficult to back down. What would he do then? Break off relations completely? Or pretend to be blind?

Originally Fudge thought that perhaps Locke and the Round Table were just wary of the Ministry of Magic, and as long as he behaved quietly and did his job well, nothing would happen.

But later, as Locke came to the fore and brought Dumbledore along, Fudge knew that he had to make a choice.

You can't pretend to be dead anymore. If you continue, you will probably really die.

So Fudge spoke out in support of Locke at the Wizengamot meeting and took over the matter of awarding the medal from Dumbledore.

Fudge knew very well that he, the Minister of Magic, was nothing in front of a wizard like Locke, not to mention that there were a large number of pure-blood families and powerful wizards in the Round Table Council headed by Locke.

Not to mention that Locke also dragged Dumbledore into the mix. Faced with the combined efforts of the two most powerful legendary wizards of this century, Fudge chose to lie down from the bottom of his heart after his collapse and anger.

When Fudge saw the series of changes and situations in the Ministry of Magic, he realized that Locke and Dumbledore were preparing to take action against the Ministry of Magic, or to be more precise, against him.

If he wants to continue to maintain the power in his hands, he can no longer pretend to be dead, but must make his position clear quickly, otherwise, what awaits him is a decent end.

Isn't it just about taking control of the Ministry of Magic? Can't I do it for you? As long as you don't take any action, everything will be fine. This is what Fudge is thinking at the moment.

...................

Outside the Wizengamot House, as more and more wizards arrived, Locke, who had been keeping an eye on the place, had to expand the venue outside to ensure that all the wizards could be accommodated.

"With this number of people, almost all the wizards from France have arrived."

Locke's eyes were hanging high above the public square, taking in the situation below.

Locke was very satisfied when he saw this situation. It was not because he could show off in front of more people, but because this situation would bring a lot of good things for subsequent plans.

Retracting his observation, Locke, who was sitting in his office, logged into the magic network and appeared in the hall of the Wizengamot House.

"Professor Cazier"

At this moment in the hall, Dumbledore was chatting with some friends he hadn't seen for a long time. Judging from their uniforms, they were all members of the Wizengamot. Locke was seen by him as soon as he came online.

"You've arrived just in time. The ceremony is about to begin."

After chatting and laughing with a few old friends around him, Dumbledore said goodbye to them and walked in front of Locke.

"Then let's get started"

.........................

"It has been unanimously decided by all members of the Wizengamot to award Locke Cazier two First Class Orders of Merlin in recognition of his great contributions to the wizarding world."

On the open-air platform that attracted everyone's attention, Fudge, wearing a Wizengamot uniform with a serious and dignified look on his face, stood in front of Locke and placed two First Class Order of Merlin medals on his left chest.

"Oh~~~~!"

"Professor Kazir!"

Seeing this scene, many wizards below could no longer hold back. They raised their arms, and the magic wands in their hands continuously sprayed colorful magic fireworks into the sky.

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang~"

Brilliant magical fireworks exploded in the public square, and dense flashes of light temporarily dyed the entire sky.

The award ceremony ended quickly. In the wizarding world, there is no tradition of giving speeches or acceptance speeches. Basically, people would just say a few words if they wanted to, and then end it if they didn't want to.

But Locke didn't intend to say anything. At this time, it didn't matter whether he said anything or not. The effect he wanted had been achieved.

So after the ceremony, the wizards who came to participate left one after another, but he did not leave. Instead, he returned to the Wizengamot House and came to a room.

"I wonder what Minister Fudge wants to see me about?"

Locke pushed open the door, and Fudge, who was sitting in the chair waiting, immediately stood up, an overly enthusiastic smile on his face, lowered his upper body slightly, and walked towards Locke with his hand outstretched.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you, Professor Cazier."

Locke looked at Fudge and reached out to shake the hand he extended, "There's no need to do such superficial work. After all, Minister Fudge, we are old acquaintances."

Volume 1: Chapter 163: Old man, it’s time to resign

Locke's words made Fudge's smile freeze. He didn't expect Locke to be so direct. He had been so polite during the conversation just now.

Of course, this was just Fudge's complaint in his heart. In fact, he knew very well that Locke was just putting on a show, and of course, he was the same.

"Well... since you said so, I will just say it directly."

Letting go of Locke's hand, Fudge forced himself to smile, but the smile looked a little forced and stiff.

He withdrew his hand, clenched his fist, and shook it up and down in front of his chest a few times, apparently trying to use this action to ease the embarrassment and cheer himself up.

Seeing him like this, Locke did not respond. He kept a gentle smile on his face, slightly raised the hand he had just extended, and signaled Fudge to continue with his eyes.

"It's like this. I know your purpose very well, so I came here today to discuss something with you. You see, I can help you control the Ministry of Magic. Although I know that it can be done with or without me, please believe me. With my help, I will definitely save you a lot of trouble."

Fudge didn't give Locke any riddles or politicians' jargon. Those things are used to treat inferiors and equals. Now he is the inferior, and a humble one at that, so it is best to speak directly and express his value.

As for using his excellent eloquence and ability to speak to Locke, fully demonstrating his abilities and making Locke take notice of him, Fudge was not able to do this and did not dare to do it.

Just as he said, what Locke has to do is the same with or without him. Besides, in the wizarding world, magic is power. It is useless to just talk. Without talking, Fudge doesn't know what talents Locke would appreciate.

"Oh~ Minister Fudge's decisiveness really surprised me. I thought you were just like that, but I didn't expect that you are not completely useless."

Locke really didn't expect that Fudge would be so decisive in choosing to surrender to the enemy. This overturned his stereotype of Fudge. But when he thought about it again, it was right. This is the real world. It is not surprising that people change, let alone a politician like Fudge.

"Well... I am lucky to have you change your mind about me. So... look at me..."