บท 120: 120: Entering The Ministry Of Magic
Dumbledore had discussed these matters with Ivan before.
But Ivan didn't agree.
He was himself, and Dumbledore was Dumbledore; their personalities and outlooks were entirely different.
The path Dumbledore had chosen for himself might not be the right one for Ivan.
Of course, Dumbledore's intentions were well-meaning, and even if Ivan didn't fully accept them, he wouldn't reject them outright.
There was no reason to refuse the connections Dumbledore offered.
Still, Ivan couldn't help but notice that the Minister of Magic seemed... skeptical.
'What nonsense from a little wizard.'
'Publishing academic papers in his first year? Absurd.'
'Creating his own spells? Does he think he's the reincarnation of Merlin?'
Through his use of Legilimency, Ivan caught fragments of Fudge's thoughts.
What could he say?
The Minister was even more foolish than Ivan had initially assumed.
"Oh!" Fudge exclaimed aloud, a strained smile on his face. "Of course! I always admire your vision, Albus."
"But now…"
Fudge was clearly on the verge of asking Dumbledore to send Ivan away.
"Now we can discuss the matter at hand," Dumbledore said smoothly.
The old headmaster gestured for Ivan to sit down. His demeanor made it clear to Fudge that Ivan was not only welcome but also qualified to hear the conversation.
'Old fool!'
Fudge was furious at Dumbledore's blatant disregard for the authority of the Minister of Magic.
He took a few deep breaths, reminding himself that now wasn't the time to openly oppose Dumbledore.
"It's good for students to know about things outside of school ahead of time," Fudge said with a forced smile. "After you graduate, perhaps you'll join the Ministry of Magic, won't you?"
"Cornelius," Dumbledore interrupted gently, steering the conversation back to the issue at hand.
"Alright, alright," Fudge grumbled. "Let's get to tonight's matter."
He then explained the peculiar case of the cursed items that had appeared at the docks in eastern England.
As Fudge spoke, Dumbledore listened intently, focusing on the curse's mechanics and how it might be broken. Ivan, on the other hand, had a very different reaction.
'What the hell!'
Ivan thought to himself, startled. 'Gold coins that transform people into skeletons, salvaged from a sarcophagus under the sea, with a curse targeting the first person to touch them? This is almost exactly like a movie I saw in my past life.'
'Aren't these the Aztec gold coins from Pirates of the Caribbean?'
Ivan couldn't help but question the origins of these gold coins. Until now, his focus had been solely on the Soul Coffin, assuming that the main task for his first year would involve a North Sea monster—or perhaps even a battle against Davy Jones.
He hadn't expected cursed gold coins reminiscent of the Black Pearl to show up alongside the name "Soul Coffin."
'But the system only seems to have summoned that box of cursed gold coins...' Ivan thought further. 'Maybe they weren't pulled directly from Pirates of the Caribbean, but instead, the system reshaped them through magic, much like the Secret Wardrobe's creations.'
Regardless of their origin, Ivan knew it was his responsibility to address the issue.
'But will the Ministry of Magic even let me get involved?' he wondered.
Ivan understood the significance of the Ministry of Magic, but he couldn't bring himself to like it.
It was no surprise—his preconceived notions from the original novel made it hard for him to trust the Ministry.
Figures like Umbridge and Fudge weren't anomalies; they represented a larger problem within the Ministry of Magic.
Even now, whenever Ivan suggested a method to break the curse, Fudge would immediately dismiss his ideas.
'Tsk! Ridiculous political struggles,' Ivan thought with disdain.
They were wizards, individuals who wielded incredible magical power, yet they bickered over power and profit like ordinary people.
"Let's go," Dumbledore said, rising from his chair and gesturing for Ivan to follow. "Cornelius? You don't mind if I bring along a student to observe and learn more, do you?"
"Of course!" Fudge replied, though his tone was strained.
Inwardly, Fudge wanted to retort, 'What's this little wizard doing here in the first place? Why is he coming to the Ministry of Magic?'
But Dumbledore's firm demeanor left him no room to argue. All Fudge could do was nod and grudgingly agree.
"I'll see you soon," Dumbledore said, disconnecting the communication of the mirror.
Turning to Ivan, Dumbledore added, "We'll use the Floo Network. Our destination is the Ministry of Magic."
Although they could have used Fawkes and his phoenix-assisted Apparition to travel directly to the Ministry, Dumbledore refrained.
"That kind of Apparition is a trump card," he explained. "It's a life-saving tool, so it's best not to expose it unnecessarily during ordinary circumstances."
"Professor," Ivan asked curiously, "do you recognize this type of curse?"
"I've never seen it before," Dumbledore admitted. After hearing Fudge's description, even the experienced headmaster seemed puzzled. "But my guess is that it might be a form of ancient witchcraft from the Americans."
"Witchcraft?" Ivan asked.
"The magic practiced by Native Americans," Dumbledore explained briefly.
He didn't elaborate much on its characteristics but did mention that witchcraft often carried a reputation for being cruel and bloody.
"In the European magical world, witchcraft is generally categorized as dark magic," Dumbledore added. "This perception makes British wizards, in particular, quite resistant to anything labeled as witchcraft—at least on the surface."
...
Boom!
Ivan and Dumbledore stepped into the fireplace one after the other and used Floo powder to travel to the Ministry of Magic.
Emerging from the green flames, they found several Ministry members waiting for them near the fireplace.
At the forefront stood Fudge, accompanied by Rufus Scrimgeour, Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Bartemius Crouch Sr., Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation; and Kingsley Shacklebolt, a senior Auror.
Their presence underscored the severity of the cursed gold coin incident.
At this hour, the Ministry of Magic would typically have finished for the day. Summoning such high-ranking officials back for an emergency meeting spoke volumes about the situation's gravity.
"Dumbledore," several voices called out as the group moved forward to greet the headmaster.
Their eyes fell on Ivan, who stood just behind Dumbledore.
"Aha, isn't this the genius little wizard?" Kingsley said with a knowing smile as he took in the scene.
It didn't take him long to understand what was happening. Clearly, Dumbledore was mentoring Ivan, right?
Kingsley had never seen Dumbledore show so much care for a student.
This alone spoke volumes about Ivan's extraordinary talent—enough to compel even Dumbledore to take a personal interest in mentoring him.
"I've heard about you," said Amelia Bones, smiling warmly at Ivan. "You've been able to transform spells since you first arrived at Hogwarts."
She added, "I read your paper published in The Future of Spells. It's remarkable that someone as young as you could pass the rigorous review process of such a cutting-edge magical journal."
"You're too kind," Ivan replied humbly. Recognizing the name Bones, he quickly asked, "Excuse me, are you related to Susan?"
"She's my niece," Amelia said with a soft laugh. "When she came home for Christmas, she couldn't stop talking about you."
"It's my pleasure to know her," Ivan responded politely.
He then proceeded to greet Bartemius Crouch Sr. and Rufus Scrimgeour.
Although Fudge appeared visibly impatient, he refrained from voicing his frustration. Since Dumbledore had brought Ivan along, Fudge had no choice but to tolerate the introductions without disrupting the moment.
___________
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