At three in the morning, Snape had searched almost the entire castle, but still couldn't find a single clue.
After they had eaten their fill, the six little ones had already quietly slipped back to their dorm.
Cedric and Rolf went out and turned left; the remaining four could manage with the Marauder's Map.
On this day, Gryffindor still had the most points.
Several hours later, in the early morning.
Whitehall, Westminster, London.
As dawn broke, a man with long, flowing golden hair and dressed in a silk-like robe appeared on the bustling street.
He held the silver snake head of a black cane in his palm, and every step he took exuded elegance and composure.
This place is not only home to many government departments of Britain Muggle, but also a hidden location for the Ministry of Magic.
The tall, slender middle-aged man was very handsome.
His gloomy, pale face, combined with his attire, clearly indicated that he was no ordinary person.
Strangely, however, the passersby seemed not to see this aristocratic-dressed "passerby."
The man, as if he couldn't see them either, turned into a dirty street with several dilapidated buildings.
The Scabbers red telephone booth in front of him seemed to be the place he was heading to.
He picked up the microphone and put it aside, then reached out and dialed the number "62442" on the dial pad.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and the service you require."
The cold female voice didn't come from the receiver, but from the top of the phone booth on the man's forehead.
"Lucius Malfoy, I have an appointment with Minister Fudge."
"Confirmed." The female voice was no longer cold; in fact, it was unusually warm. "Please take the badge."
The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day.
Lucius did not take the metal badge that popped out of the coin slot.
He waited a few seconds, and then the floor suddenly seemed to collapse and sink.
The darkness did not last long.
This tiny room, resembling Muggle elevator, stopped in front of a magnificent, golden hall.
Its dark wood floors were polished to a gleaming shine.
The peacock blue ceiling is inlaid with Winky gold symbols that are constantly moving and changing, like a giant high-altitude bulletin board.
The walls on both sides were inlaid with many gilded fireplaces, from which people constantly appeared and disappeared.
The most eye-catching feature in the hall is a pure gold statue fountain.
It features wizards, Centaur, Goblin, and House-elf.
Under the influence of magic, water jets were sprayed from different parts of the sculpture.
Lucius walked straight toward the golden gate at the end.
He pushed open the door and went inside, where he was greeted by more than twenty magical elevators.
Just as he was walking toward the leftmost elevator, a black and white vortex suddenly appeared not far in front of him.
Accompanying this was a rather ear-piercing gas explosion.
As soon as the back of a tall, thin man came into view, Lucius turned his gaze to the somewhat sparse back of his head.
Red hair, suit slightly faded.
The tall, thin man turned around instinctively and gently pushed up the glasses perched on his nose.
"So it was you, Malfoy— "
He stepped forward with great interest. "No wonder I was almost late today. It turns out you, my distinguished guest, are coming to the ministry!"
"Weasley." Lucius glanced coldly at his forehead, which was even sparser than the back of his head.
His elegance and composure vanished instantly. "You need to take better care of your health, don't just worry about the children."
The man who was almost the same height as him was Arthur Weasley, the father of the twins and Ron.
Thank you for your kindness.
Arthur glanced down at his chest. "Where's your badge, Malfoy?"
Lucius scoffed. "Since when did the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office have the right to question me?"
He raised his hand to push Arthur aside, who was blocking his way. "Weasley, I don't have time for you."
You'd better be careful.
Arthur turned his head, his face full of smugness, "You know about Quirinus Quirrell, right?"
I have already submitted a request to the department to thoroughly investigate all items imbued with Dark Magic.
Lucius stopped and turned around. "Ridiculous. Such an absurd application will never be approved."
"Really? You really think so?"
His pale face remained unmoved.
"Weasley, I am completely innocent and could never have any connection with the dark forces." With that, he turned and stepped into the elevator.
Arthur stared intently until the door was completely closed.
"Oh no, I'm really going to be late!" He hurriedly ran into the second-to-last elevator on the right.
The Minister for Magic's office is located on a lower level, deeper than the main hall.
The style here is very vintage, and there are several promotional posters on both sides of the corridor.
Each sign has a different slogan, but Fudge's big face is always on them.
Lucius paused at the door, adjusted his expression slightly, and then reached out his hand.
"Knock knock—"
"Come in."
He pushed open the door, forcing a fake smile. "Your Excellency, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me."
Fudge, sitting behind his desk, returned the smile with the same intensity. "Lucius, given our relationship, no matter how busy I am, I always have to see you first."
He clapped his hands lightly, and two cups of hot tea appeared on the table.
"Please."
Lucius sat down opposite him somewhat awkwardly. "You're too kind."
He leaned the Serpent-head Cane against the chair, trying to appear as harmless as possible.
After taking a small sip of hot tea, Uric Gamp looked down at the portrait of the first Minister for Magic hanging behind him and suddenly felt dizzy.
Lucius didn't put down the teacup he was holding until the portrait started snoring.
"Your Excellency, don't you think this process is too cumbersome?"
"That's the rule he set." Fudge turned to look at the portrait. "Only when guests have tea can anything discussed in the office be kept secret."
"I know, that's why I prepared this as well." Lucius reached into the robe.
"I just need a hint." He pulled out a small box, about the size of a palm, but exquisitely crafted.
Fudge raised an eyebrow. "Dumbledore is very certain."
Lucius's expression changed drastically, but he quickly regained his composure. "I am very grateful to you, Minister."
Voldemort really did appear, even if it was just Dumbledore's side of the story.
"There's one more thing."
"Speak." Fudge stopped his right hand, which was hovering above the box.
"What has Your Excellency thought of my previous proposal?"
Lucius had already been here more than two weeks ago.
"Is it still the same reason?" Fudge decisively picked up the small box.
"Leaving aside whether Dumbledore would assist in the investigation, doing so would just attract countless criticisms against the Ministry of Magic."
Lucius understood the subtext.
It's not that it's impossible, but rather that the benefits haven't been realized.
A fake smile once again appeared on his pale face. "I heard that the department's funds are limited recently, and I am a very kind-hearted person."
Fudge carefully put the small box away. "I need to think carefully about how to minimize the impact."
Firstly, it could damage Dumbledore's reputation, and secondly, it could serve as a warning to the Wizarding World.
As the current Minister for Magic, his initial real reason for refusing was actually because Lucius was too stingy.