Delix's Memories

In the private dining room at Breen Manor, reserved exclusively for its master, Amosta left the table and returned to the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. With his hands behind his back, he silently watched the lush vegetation in the courtyard, his expression blank.

Needless to say, Delix and the other Auror had certainly acted on orders from higher up.

Though he had not investigated it, it was not difficult to guess that the Ministry of Magic's current powerful female Deputy Minister must have been involved.

On the day Hermione was attacked, to demonstrate Hogwarts's outrage over the assault on a young wizard, he, Dumbledore, and Amelia had worked in concert in the Headmaster's office and directly stripped her of control over the Department of Magical Transportation. Fudge had also urgently needed a scapegoat, and had practically acquiesced to Amosta's punishment of Umbridge.

Dolores Umbridge had never been a selfless or broad-minded person. Her attempt at retaliation had been expected; it was only surprising that the opportunity had come so quickly, and that Harry's well-intentioned act had given her something to seize upon.

Amosta could more or less guess what Umbridge was thinking.

More than ten days had passed since the incident. The reason Umbridge had not immediately made a move was probably because she was waiting for the right moment—or perhaps because she wanted to keep it as a trump card.

Dumbledore could not possibly stand by and watch Harry be sent to Azkaban. To ensure that, when Umbridge presented this matter to Dumbledore, he would have to make corresponding concessions. For instance, using Dumbledore to drive him out of Hogwarts.

The standing he and Dumbledore currently held in the European wizarding world was also something Umbridge had to be wary of.

She had to make sure that when she used