Above the courtroom was the Department of Mysteries. To leave by elevator, everyone had to pass through this floor.
Galvin Robards had no intention of squeezing into an elevator with the others. He went alone to the veil in the Death Chamber, as though listening to the whispers within.
Harry felt terribly uneasy when he arrived.
The last time he had been here, he had witnessed Sirius's death. Even now, the traces left by that battle remained, as though the past ten years had had no effect on this place.
"Oh, you're here, Harry." The head of the Auror Office turned around and smiled at him, his manner utterly different from how he had acted during the meeting.
"I can explain."
"You don't need to explain anything to me, Director. You made yourself very clear at the hearing." Galvin calmly turned his gaze toward the veil. "I don't actually agree with treating Werewolves as pests either."
"Then why did you say that?"
"People's bottom lines keep sinking, while the Wizengamot likes compromises. The Muggle Prime Minister Churchill once said, 'When eagles are silent, parrots begin to chatter.' There are many times in life when you should keep your mouth shut, but that wasn't one of them. I set a bottom line, they debated it, and then we got the result we wanted."
"We?" Harry asked, confused.
"You don't support going to war with the Werewolves, Harry? You think we should listen to Robert and satisfy the conditions they proposed?"
"No..."
"Are you afraid?" Galvin looked at Harry with his gray eyes. "I understand. When the Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts last time, even being bitten by a Werewolf wouldn't turn someone into one. This time is different..."
"I'm not afraid of that!" Harry said impatiently. "You know I'm the godfather of