章 137: 0137 Meeting Again

Bryan was blissfully unaware of the silent conspiracy that Greyback and his pack had hatched against him. If he had known, he might have welcomed it with a smirk. After all, he had been itching for some action since his return from the mystical Avalon Island, where he had gained a tremendous boost in his magical power. In order to adjust to the sudden surge of magic coursing through his veins, he had checked into a secluded hotel in the outskirts of London and spent a few days in solitude, meditating and practicing his spells. When he felt that his body had fully adapted to his new level of strength, he packed his bags and headed back to the wizarding world.

He walked into the Leaky Cauldron, the famous pub that served as a gateway between the Muggle and the magical realms. He had changed back into his wizarding robes, but he still wore a pair of sunglasses to conceal his eyes, which had acquired a more sharp glow after his trip to Avalon. He scanned the dimly lit hall with a slight frown on his face.

The Leaky Cauldron should have been bustling with activity at this time of the year, especially during the summer holidays when many young witches and wizards would visit Diagon Alley for their school supplies. The air should have been filled with the aroma of freshly baked pies, roasted meat, and butterbeer, as well as the chatter and laughter of the patrons. But instead, the pub was eerily quiet and almost empty. Only near the inconspicuous seats by the wall, there were a few shady figures who covered themselves with cloaks and hats and smoked long pipes that emitted strange-smelling smoke. Bryan glanced at them casually and calmly, but he felt a pang of curiosity in his heart.

Bryan had spent a long time in the underworld, the dark and dangerous side of the wizarding world where criminals, outcasts, and rebels lurked. He had learned to recognize the 'smell' of those who belonged to that place, and these people definitely had it. They were not ordinary customers who came to enjoy a drink or a meal. They were here for some ulterior motive.

Bryan didn't think there was anything wrong with these people appearing in the Leaky Cauldron. After all, it was a public place that welcomed anyone who could pay. What puzzled him was that when he looked at them with seemingly unintentional glances, they were also looking at him, and what's more, they cast naked and undisguised probing eyes on him.

And this, it seemed very wrong.

The wizards who were active in the underworld knew a 'basic common sense', that is, not to have too strong curiosity. If you are not determined to deal with someone, then you'd better not stare at someone, otherwise you are very likely to cause some unnecessary misunderstandings. You might offend someone who was more powerful than you, or attract someone who was looking for trouble.

These people came from there and couldn't possibly not know this common sense.

"Cliodna Coffey–"

The first thought that came to Bryan's mind was whether this woman who had escaped from his hands had exposed his true identity and thus attracted a group of people who had conflicts with 'Golden Viper' in the past. But then he thought it was unlikely.

It's not that he thought Cliodna wouldn't do that, but that if she did, he wouldn't be so ignorant.

He still had some well-informed friends in the underworld, such as Kakus, the goblin who ran an illegal pawn shop in Knockturn Alley. If his identity was exposed, he wouldn't get no warning.

While Bryan was pondering over this mystery, the group of sneaky guys by the wall withdrew their eyes one after another. They looked at each other and shook their heads secretly. Then they lowered their heads and dealt with the pipes and rum on the wooden table.

"These guys are looking for someone, but not me–"

Bryan squinted his eyes and came up with this conclusion.

Just then, a large group of people came out from the other side of the bar. They were in a hurry and carried large and small bags of luggage. They tightly protected a six or seven year old boy in the middle.

"Mommy, why do we suddenly have to go to Paris?" The little boy who was almost dragged along had a look of resistance on his face and muttered,

"Oh, I've told you several times already, dear. It's because your grandmother is not feeling well. We need to go and see her–" A middle-aged witch with messy hair who looked like she hadn't had time to tidy herself up before leaving answered anxiously.

"You're lying, Mommy. I know why." The little boy's childish face showed dissatisfaction with the perfunctory answer. "It's all because of that little–"

"Shut your mouth, Beck!" As they passed by Bryan's side, the boy's father glanced at him warily and scolded him in the most severe tone. "This is not something you can discuss in public. We don't know who is reliable!"

Bryan turned his head and watched as the family of three hurried out of the Leaky Cauldron's door, clutching their luggage and looking over their shoulders nervously. Their figures quickly disappeared from his sight, swallowed by the busy London street. He turned his head back and happened to see that the group of people by the wall also withdrew their eyes. Their eyes met in mid-air and moved away quickly, as if they had been caught doing something wrong.

Something was definitely wrong. And judging by the looks of it, it wasn't a small matter.

Bryan could smell the tense and uneasy atmosphere in the air, as if a storm was brewing. He easily came to this conclusion, based on his sharp intuition and experience.

"Wait a minute. Let me think. Oh, yes, Minister, room 11 is still vacant. You can put him there!" A voice came from the passage next to the bar. Bryan could tell that it was the hunchbacked owner of the Leaky Cauldron, Tom, speaking. He had a friendly and respectful tone, but also a hint of fear.

"Minister." Bryan's eyes moved slightly.

'At Dinner time, the busy Minister of Magic should be appearing at the noble parties held by the pure-blood families, but he ran to the Leaky Cauldron to arrange a room for someone?' This question crossed Bryan's mind. In less than a second, he made a decision and decided not to meet Cornelius Fudge for the time being.

From the two meetings before and after solving the Chamber of Secrets incident last semester, Bryan could see that Fudge was a typical politician.

The 'friendship criterion' of a qualified politician is whether this person has any use value, or in other words, whether he can bring enough benefits to himself.

Bryan didn't want to have too much involvement with politicians, especially big politicians like the Minister of Magic. Admittedly, connections are a very valuable resource, but in order to obtain this resource, you need to pay a huge price, or, along with it, a lot of trouble.

"–Well, that's fine. As long as it's comfortable, by the way, Potter's luggage." Fudge's voice came from inside the passage.

"I'll send Mr. Potter's luggage to his room. You don't have to worry, Minister!" The bar owner Tom said attentively.

Potter?! Bryan's footsteps stopped abruptly as he was about to leave quickly. He looked at the corridor with a stunned expression.

How many Potters in the wizarding world could make the noble Minister of Magic care about their luggage personally?

But Potter shouldn't be spending his summer vacation at his uncle and aunt's house. How did he suddenly appear in the Leaky Cauldron?

It had only been a week since they last met. Bryan was sure he didn't get the date wrong.

The footsteps inside became fainter. Bryan narrowed his eyes and then changed to a friendly expression. He quickly pulled open the barrier next to the bar and walked in. His eyes jumped over Tom who was coming out and looked at the short and fat wizard in a striped cloak inside. He waved his hand and shouted,

"Please stay, Minister Fudge!"

Fudge stopped in his tracks as he was about to climb the stairs. He turned around and saw the young man who had called out to him by the bar. His eyes widened in recognition and delight, and his face brightened up. The deep wrinkles on his forehead that betrayed his fatigue and stress smoothed out a bit.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't…" Fudge exclaimed and walked towards Bryan with open arms.

"The hero of the hour, the brilliant young wizard who cracked the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets and generously donated a priceless Basilisk to the Ministry of Magic - Bryan Watson!" He said with enthusiasm and admiration.

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章 138: 0138 Trouble for Ministry

The Leaky Cauldron was cold and deserted, as if the winter chill had seeped into its walls and furniture. The only sound was the crackling of the fireplace and the occasional clink of glasses. The greetings between Bryan and the Minister of Magic sounded very harsh in this quiet atmosphere, almost like a thunderbolt in a clear sky. Everyone, including the group of guys in the corner who were playing cards, turned their eyes to this side, curious and wary. Bryan did not want this matter to be known to everyone, especially those who might have ulterior motives. He glanced at the bar owner Tom beside him, but unexpectedly found that this hunchbacked old man did not show the surprise expression as he expected. Instead, he smiled knowingly and nodded slightly.

"Oh, Mr. Watson, I have a good relationship with Hagrid, and I heard him mention it a few times-" Tom, who was very observant and discreet, lowered his head and said obediently, as if he had seen many secrets in his long life.

Bryan pursed his lips, and a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"Oh, a humble young man who likes to keep a low profile-" Fudge saw all this in his eyes and smiled and said, trying to ease the tension. "But I think that sometimes a little fame is not a bad thing."

"I just hope that my conversation with you will not be heard by some people of unknown origin-" Bryan smiled and said, then pushed open the wooden door of the compartment next to him, "I don't know if I can have the honor to invite you for a drink?"

Fudge hesitated for a moment, then nodded, feeling grateful for Bryan's hospitality. He followed him into the compartment, leaving behind the curious gazes of the other customers.

"Then I'll take the opportunity to deal with one bite. You can't imagine how many days I haven't had a good meal. Tom, that kid is still waiting for me upstairs, you take care of him for me first." He said to Tom before closing the door.

After entering the private environment, Fudge's chubby face expression was not so relaxed. Even without careful analysis, Bryan could see the frustration and loss in the heart of the leader of the current Ministry of Magic. He looked pale and tired, as if he had not slept well for a long time. His clothes were wrinkled and stained, and his hair was messy. He looked like a man who had been through a lot of trouble.

Bryan sipped the sweet wine in his cup and stared at the candlestick on the wall with interest, waiting quietly for Fudge to finish the butter bread in his hand.

"I want to thank you, Bryan-"

Fudge finally broke the silence after swallowing the last bite of bread. He picked up his wine glass, and before Bryan responded, he drank two mouthfuls of rum, clearing his mouth of food. After a long sigh of relief, he smiled tiredly, "The beast left by Slytherin made us famous. Many ministers of magic from various countries wrote to me personally, hoping that I would allow the Basilisk to go abroad for exhibition. Oh, of course, I think they are mainly attracted by Salazar Slytherin's name."

A few months ago, this Basilisk meant mainly the reward for the commission task for Bryan. It was okay to hand it over to the Ministry of Magic for research and disposal. But these days after returning from Avalon Island, Bryan thought that his decision was a bit rash. He felt that this thing might hide some deeper secrets.

"It can only play a greater role in the hands of the Ministry of Magic, Minister."

Bryan also put down his wine glass and smiled slightly,

"That poor Basilisk was blinded by Dumbledore's phoenix and hit by several of my curses. I thought it wouldn't last long. By the way, how is its current situation?"

"Oh, lively and energetic,"

Speaking of this, Fudge's fat face showed a little embarrassment,

"Actually, this beast's energy is too strong, more difficult to deal with than a fire dragon. Several guys from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures almost… Cough Cough,…I mean, for those invitations for overseas exhibitions, some I really can't ignore. Considering safety, we invited a master who deals with magical creatures and asked him to help tame it for a while."

Bryan nodded and wondered if he should get the Basilisk back from Newt Scamander. He had heard of this eccentric wizard who traveled around the world to collect and protect various magical creatures.

"Excuse me for being rude, Minister-"

Neither Fudge nor Bryan intended to spend too much time on this temporary dinner. After finding out who had the Basilisk now, after a few greetings, Bryan showed appropriate curiosity,

"You look very tired. Did the Ministry encounter any trouble recently? Oh, if it involves secrets, you can pretend I didn't ask!"

"Didn't you hear about it yet, Bryan?" Fudge raised his short eyebrows and asked in surprise, "This matter is already known to everyone!"

"I've been staying in the Muggle world for some days recently, so-"

"Oh, trouble?" Fudge shook his head desperately, his whole face collapsed, "No no no, that can't be called trouble, but it should be called 'disaster'. Not my personal disaster, but the disaster of the entire Ministry of Magic. It doesn't matter if I tell you about it, Bryan. Since I became Minister of Magic, I haven't encountered such a tricky thing!" He said, as if he was venting his frustration and anxiety.

Bryan didn't interrupt, waiting quietly for Fudge to explain. He leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms, looking calm and composed. He wondered what kind of 'disaster' could make the Minister of Magic so agitated and nervous.

"Someone escaped from Azkaban!"

Fudge finally blurted out the shocking news, his voice trembling slightly.

Bryan's eyes flickered slightly. He felt a surge of interest and curiosity. Before going to Hogwarts, someone had hung a task at Kakus's place to rescue Lestrange couple and Carrow siblings from the notorious wizard prison. He had thought about it, but he had given up because of the high risk and low reward.

Could it be that someone did it? Tsk tsk, that's twenty thousand Galleons!!! He thought, feeling a bit envious of the mysterious rescuer.

"Sirius Black!" Fudge said a name in a heavy, almost collapsed tone. His eyes were full of fear and hatred, as if he was looking at the devil himself.

Bryan twitched his eyebrows in surprise. He recognized the name. It was one of the most infamous names in the wizarding world. The name of the man who was said to be the number one henchman of the Dark Lord, who had betrayed and killed his best friends James and Lily Potter, who had massacred twelve Muggles and a fellow wizard with a single curse.

"If I didn't hear it wrong, you mean that person; the one people call, The number one henchman of the Dark Lord, Sirius Black?" Bryan asked, pretending to be shocked and incredulous.

"That's the person, Bryan," Fudge sighed one after another, "I never dreamed of this day. I was the deputy director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes at that time. The day Black was caught, I was one of the first few to arrive at the scene." He said, as if he was recalling a nightmare.

Bryan was not interested in listening to Fudge's memories of that year. He interrupted Fudge's muttering and asked with a light voice,

"So, was he rescued by someone, or did Black run out by himself?"

"You are very sharp, Bryan." Fudge nodded approvingly, but his tone was still very depressed, "Both are possible, but we think he ran out by himself, because… oh, I'm sorry, Bryan, I can't tell you this." He said, biting his lip and looking around nervously.

"Understandable-" Bryan raised his wine glass and saluted Fudge, smiling politely. He didn't press further, but he felt more curious about how Black escaped from Azkaban. He wondered if he did it on his own or it had anything to do with his connection to Voldemort.

From Fudge's performance, it seemed that the Ministry of Magic had not figured out how he did it until now, but for his purpose of escaping from prison. Bryan glanced at the direction where Potter's magical presence was, and had a guess.

'Did the Dark Lord's number one henchman escape from prison to avenge his old master? Then, does that mean that our savior Mr. Harry Potter's task this year is to kill the Dark Lord's right-hand man?' He thought sarcastically.

Perhaps realizing that his private appearance of being downcast might be spread by the young man opposite him, Fudge tried to tidy up his expression, and his voice returned to confidence. He looked at Bryan who was frowning and thinking, and smiled confidently,

"Don't worry too much, Bryan, we have sent out all the elites of the Ministry of Magic to track down Black, even the Dementors of Azkaban are working hard for this. I think, in a few days, you will be able to see our great victory in the Daily Prophet!" He said proudly.

"I have confidence in you, Minister."

Bryan chuckled politely. But he was still surprised that the Ministry of Magic sent out such creatures as Dementors to hunt down Black. He had only seen this kind of creature that made wizards fearful in books. In reality, he had never encountered it!

He wondered what it would feel like to face a Dementor.

'Should I take the opportunity to get one back for research?'

When he opened the wooden door of the private room for Fudge, Bryan thought so with a smile on his face.

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