Minister for Magic

Moriarty's trip to the Forbidden Forest ended after Hagrid gave sage and musk mallow to the centaur Bane, but he had received a hint from Firenze, and Marcus had also grown closer to Hagrid. Overall, it had been richly rewarding.

Early the next morning, Moriarty began another day of his life. Unlike before, whenever he saw a student, professor, or even a ghost, he would always ask a few extra questions about Peeves.

Before long, the entire school knew that Moriarty was interested in Peeves. They had also noticed that Peeves had not appeared for quite some time. Then, as though he could read minds, Peeves appeared.

But Moriarty discovered that Peeves avoided him, doing his best not to meet him.

Thus time passed into November. The weather became bitterly cold; the mountains surrounding the school were gray and blanketed in ice and snow, while the lake was as cold and hard as quenched steel.

Every morning and evening, frost covered the ground. Whenever that happened, Moriarty would go outside and let the Water Elemental Magic within him draw close to the cold air. Nature's gift had loosened the bottleneck in his magical level, which had remained unbroken for so long.

Moriarty now had many things to do each day: sparring with Tonks at dawn and occasionally brewing Potions.

If he had classes in the morning, he attended them. If not, he went to the frozen lake to practice several spells.

At noon, he was always memorizing Potion recipes.

If he had classes in the afternoon, he attended them. If not, he usually studied Ancient Runic Script and Ancient Latin in the library, where he occasionally ran into the senior student Gemma.

At night, he applied what he had learned to the spells Salazar had left behind. By Moriarty's estimate, the Levitation Charm would be usable in a few more days.

His packed studies consumed all of Moriarty's time, leaving Jericho, who had always wanted to discuss Quidditch tactics with him, increasingly anxious.

"We're about to play Gryffindor! But Prefect William and Prefect Leon are busy preparing for exams, and Moriarty is always impossible to find!" Jericho slapped the table in the common room. "Are we supposed to lose to Gryffindor? Percy will definitely gloat!"

Suddenly, the stone door to the common room opened, and Marcus rushed in. "Where is sir? Professor McGonagall asked him to go to the Headmaster's Office!"

"Why?" Jericho asked.

"I don't know," Marcus said hoarsely. "But I saw the Minister for Magic, Millicent Bagnold, and a reporter—Rita Skeet?"

"It's Rita Skeeter!" Lilith rose from a nearby sofa, where several other girls were sitting.

"She's a third-rate reporter who would sell out anyone for a story, though she's fairly respectful toward Moriarty." With her arms folded across her chest, she spoke confidently and eloquently. "As for Millicent Bagnold? Things haven't been going very well for her lately! So don't worry. Her visit to the school definitely won't be bad for Moriarty.

"And you ask where Moriarty is? Hmph. At this time of day, he's either with Senior Tonks or Senior Gemma, or perhaps he's out measuring the hills of Hogwarts with his footsteps again. I hope you can find him."

After saying that, Lilith smoothed the long hair hanging over her forehead and left the common room with graceful poise.

Marcus's mouth fell open. "What's wrong with her?"

Jericho spread his hands. "Do you think I would know? Ever since Mr. Moriarty started vanishing from our sight so often, she's become elusive too. Oh, Merlin, I feel abandoned!"

"Then where should I go to find sir?" Marcus looked at Jericho imploringly.

"Didn't Peverell say it? He'd rather spend time with Tonks and Gemma than play with me." Looking heartbroken, Jericho left with the tactical notes he had painstakingly prepared clutched in his arms.

"So where exactly am I supposed to find Tonks or Gemma?" Marcus looked around blankly, hoping the other little snakes could offer him some advice.

Just as everyone was worrying over being unable to find Moriarty, he returned to the Castle. Bloody Baron had found him.

"Go. Go to the Headmaster's Office. The password is Fizzing Whizbees," Baron said in his distinctive voice. "We can discuss our business later."

"All right, Baron. I hope you'll be honest with me." Moriarty stepped onto a floating staircase and lightly tapped the floor with his wand. A stairway leading to the Headmaster's Office on the eighth floor appeared automatically.

Baron watched Moriarty leave, and for the first time, an expression of fear appeared on his face.

When he reached the entrance to the Headmaster's Office, Moriarty said to a gargoyle, "Fizzing Whizbees."

"Hey~ Hello, Slytherin! Paro, your ever-loyal Hogwarts Headmaster's Office guard, salutes you~"

The gargoyle seemed to shout at the top of its lungs. At the same time, it hopped aside, revealing a slowly rising spiral staircase hidden behind it.

Moriarty glanced at the stone beast, said nothing, stepped onto the stairs, and entered the Headmaster's Office.

It was a spacious, beautiful circular room filled with all kinds of faint whispering sounds.

Various silver instruments sat atop tables with slender legs, spinning as they puffed out little clouds of smoke.

The walls were covered with portraits of former headmasters, men and women alike, all staring sharply at Moriarty.

"Hello~ Young Mr. Slytherin, I can't wait for you to put me on your head," the Sorting Hat said happily from atop a huge desk.

Its words drew the attention of the others in the room, and a crowd of people turned to look at Moriarty.

There were Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and a woman Moriarty did not recognize, with a burly wizard standing behind her.

"Oh, young Mr. Moriarty, you're here," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "This is Millicent Bagnold, Minister for Magic. The Minister has brought good news. And this is Cornelius Fudge, from the Office of the Minister for Magic's Advisers."

That burly wizard was Fudge? The Minister for Magic who governed during Voldemort's return?

Moriarty could not help looking at Fudge a few more times. So he had put on weight only after becoming Minister, then?

"Good morning, Minister, Mr. Fudge." Moriarty greeted them politely.

The Minister glanced at Fudge, who immediately took a roll of parchment and a silver badge from his bag.

He read aloud from the parchment, "In recognition of Moriarty Slytherin's three submitted papers—'On Transfiguration Throughout the Ages,' 'Questions Regarding the Five Exceptions to Gamp's Five Principal Exceptions to Transfiguration,' and 'Animagus and Essential Transfiguration, Essential Transfiguration and Elemental Transfiguration'—which hold epoch-making significance, the members of Transfiguration Today have unanimously agreed to award Moriarty Slytherin the Most Promising Newcomer Award!"

Applause immediately broke out in the room. Dumbledore smiled, Professor McGonagall clapped vigorously, and even Severus Snape nodded.

Fudge shoved the badge and parchment into Moriarty's hands, then waved toward the door. Rita Skeeter entered, carrying a magical camera.

"Quick, Mr. Slytherin," Fudge said eagerly. "Take a photograph with the Minister. It'll definitely make the front page."

Moriarty narrowed his eyes. "I refuse."

The atmosphere froze instantly. No one had time to react.

"What? You mean—uh, haha..." Fudge laughed awkwardly, shooting Dumbledore meaningful looks.

The Minister for Magic's face turned green, though her complexion had never been good.

Moriarty glanced at the two politicians and said calmly, "I don't like having photographs taken for people to look at, nor do I like being famous or attracting attention. I believe Rita understood that when Mr. Lockhart invited me to appear in order to add color to his novel."

Rita held her camera and smiled awkwardly.

"As for the claim that taking a photograph with the Minister would benefit me, I care even less about that. I dare say everyone here combined isn't as wealthy as I am."

When Moriarty finished speaking, the headmaster's office fell silent.

"Ha ha," Dumbledore said with a shake of his head, breaking the silence. "All right, Fudge, don't make things difficult for this old man. What if I anger young Mr. Moriarty and he fires me? You know, the Four Founders' surname... ah, that isn't something an old man can afford to provoke."

"Uh, yes, I see." Fudge was sweating profusely as he looked toward his Minister.

The Minister gave Dumbledore a stiff nod. "Goodbye, Albus."

Then she cast Moriarty a cold glance and strode out. Fudge bowed and nodded to everyone in the room before following closely after her with Rita.

"She's about to lose her position, isn't she?" Moriarty asked as he walked up to Dumbledore.