Chương 681: Chapter 679: Telephone Booth (Edited)
During the following week, the seventh-year students were immersed in their intense N.E.W.T. exams.
George and Fred, of course, were not among them, and although they took the exams just as seriously, they were in a very relaxed mood.
With the "help" of Umbridge, they had finally managed to gather enough money to open a shop in Diagon Alley, so the twins didn't care about the final results of their N.E.W.T.s.
Except for the seventh years, the other six years had finished their exams and were comfortably on campus, discussing Dumbledore's trial and eagerly awaiting the final dinner.
The fifth years were the most relaxed since their results wouldn't be available until July, so they didn't have any pressure at the moment.
Unlike the others, Harry took it upon himself to approach Snape and spend every night with him for his Occlumency training, and then in his free time, he would chat with his godfather at a distance using the two-way mirror Sirius had given him.
And so, a week quickly passed, and after enjoying the food at the end-of-term dinner, everyone boarded the Hogwarts Express the next day bound for London.
Naturally, Fish stayed at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall had work to finish and would soon return to the Ministry as a witness for Dumbledore.
Hermione also stayed behind, and the Grangers continued to travel the world, sending local food and small toys to Fish, as well as letters and postcards to Hermione.
Three days later, on the day after Fish's birthday, a long-awaited trial began for the magical community of England.
"Come on, Fish."
Dumbledore had put on Muggle clothing and carried an elaborate cane.
"Since we're going to trial, it's better to use the visitor's entrance." Dumbledore squinted at Fish and said, "I don't quite remember the exact location of the telephone booth, so it's best if we use the Muggle way of getting around."
"So, does Fish also have to wear Muggle clothes, nya?"
?ω?
Fish tilted their head and asked.
"If you don't mind hiding your ears and tail for a while," Dumbledore said with a smile and a pat on the shoulder, "or you could stay here in cat form, like you did last time."
Fish pondered for a moment and chose to adopt the form of a cat, leaping onto Dumbledore's shoulder.
Dumbledore smiled even more and nodded to Professor McGonagall and Hermione, "Well, we'll see you at lunch." Then he stepped into the fireplace with Fish on his shoulder.
In the next moment, they emerged from the fireplace in Diagon Alley.
With his cane, Dumbledore made his way to the ground floor of the Leaky Cauldron.
It was early, and there were no more customers in the Leaky Cauldron. Old Tom, the bartender, sat behind the counter, his head propped up in his hand, as if he could fall asleep at any moment.
Upon hearing voices coming from the stairs, Old Tom jolted awake and sat up straight. He wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and turned his head.
"Dumbledore!" Old Tom exclaimed in surprise before refocusing his attention on the cat perched on Dumbledore's shoulder. "And Fish?" He stayed still for a moment before saying, "Are you heading to the Ministry?"
"Yes, Tom." Dumbledore nodded, slightly smiling. "I don't exactly remember where the visitor's entrance is, so I'll have to borrow it from you, if that's alright."
"Of course." Old Tom chuckled, "But I'd prefer if you come have a drink with me when you're done."
It was clear that he had also chosen to trust Dumbledore.
"With your kind words," Dumbledore made a slight bow, "I will come after the trial."
With that, he led Fish out of the bar, while Fish, perched on his shoulder, raised his paw and waved to the old tom.
"Nya~"
(=ΦωΦ=)
As Dumbledore stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron, Fish looked around with curiosity. Normally, he entered Diagon Alley from the courtyard, but today was his first time on this side of the Muggle world.
The facade of the Leaky Cauldron was dirty and small, but it was located on a well-connected commercial street, flanked by a large bookstore and a record store filled with posters.
There weren't many pedestrians on the streets of London in the early morning, but a few happened to pass by the Leaky Cauldron without paying attention to the shabby pub that didn't fit in with the rest of the street. Even Dumbledore and Fish went unnoticed.
It wasn't until Dumbledore had walked a certain distance that people nearby noticed their peculiar combination...
A tall old man with a long white beard and a cute tiger-spotted cat crouching on his shoulder was a difficult combination to keep out of sight.
With a polite and friendly smile, Dumbledore nodded to the Muggles around him and strolled through the streets of London with an air of pride that said, "My boy is number one."
They passed bookstores, record shops, burger joints, cinemas, and then descended a escalator to the ground floor, where Dumbledore quickly headed to the ticket booth and pulled out some pennies from his pocket to purchase a ticket.
"What a lovely cat you have, old man." The ticket attendant couldn't help but compliment Dumbledore as he handed over the ticket.
"Oh ho ho ho... thank you for the compliment." Dumbledore stroked his beard and smiled happily.
(?ω?)
Fish, crouched on his shoulder, hesitated for a moment but ultimately gave up on the idea of giving him a smack.
When they boarded the subway, the few passengers in the carriage focused their attention on Fish, perched on Dumbledore's shoulder. Two even approached and tried to play with him, but Fish skillfully evaded them, much to his chagrin.
The subway headed toward central London, with a constant flow of Muggles boarding the train. After two or three stops, the train became crowded with people, mostly well-dressed with similarly shaped briefcases.
Once aboard, the group of workers, like the previous passengers, gazed in fascination at Fish on Dumbledore's shoulder. If the carriage hadn't been so crowded, there would have been several people, like the previous two passengers, who would have come over to try and play with the cat.
Nevertheless, there were still people making deliberate noises to attract Fish's attention.
When the subway reached one of the central London stations, Dumbledore, who had been basking in the sun throughout the journey, stood up from his seat and exited the train, leaving behind a trail of disappointed Muggles who wanted to play with Fish.
The escalator returned them to the ground floor, and they arrived on a street that was not as wide, with a mix of buildings on both sides. It didn't seem as busy as the distant streets, but there was still a good amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Dumbledore turned a corner and entered a discreet alleyway. When he emerged, he was greeted by a completely different, deserted street, with only a few rundown offices, a tavern, and an overflowing dumpster...
And a red, dilapidated telephone booth.
The telephone booth was missing several pieces of glass, and its back was attached to a painted wall.
Dumbledore entered the booth and closed the door behind him. He then picked up the receiver of the telephone, which was so twisted it could have fallen off at any moment, and dialed the number "62442" on the keypad.
When the dial returned to its original position, a cold female voice sounded from the booth, exactly like the voice Fish had heard in the elevator.
The woman's voice didn't come from a microphone; it was loud and clear, as if an invisible woman were standing beside them.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and the purpose of your visit."
"Albus Dumbledore. I've come to be judged by the Wizengamot, and Fish McGonagall is my witness," Dumbledore calmly replied.
"Thank you," said the woman's cold voice. "Guest, please collect your badge and fasten it to the front of your shirt."
With a tinkling of metal, two square silver badges slid out of the metal slots usually used for coins.
Dumbledore grabbed the badges, fastened one to his chest, and handed the other to Fish, who had resumed his human form.
Fish took the badge and looked at it, seeing the words "Fish McGonagall, Witness."
At that moment, the woman's voice said, "Ministry guests are required to pass through security and register their wands. The security checkpoint is at the end of the main lobby."
Suddenly, the floor of the telephone booth trembled as it slowly descended into the ground.
After a minute, a fine golden light shone on their feet and quickly filled the booth.
"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day," the woman's voice sounded again.
Simultaneously, the door of the booth opened, and Fish followed Dumbledore into the lobby with the golden fountain they had visited that night.
This was also the area Fish had marked recently.
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