The news of the legendary fire dragon appearing in London spread like wildfire across the world.
Ministry of Magic, Entrance Hall.
The wizard staff who rushed over after hearing the news gathered together, pointing in the direction the fire dragon was flying in the projection screen, their faces filled with unease and agitation.
The Minister's Office was like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up. Fudge's Magical Communicator kept ringing, and the fire in the fireplace was almost never stopped. One urgent document after another spewed out with the flames, piling up on the once spotless desk.
The windowpane reflected his face, flushed with shock, anger, and bewilderment.
"Gringotts has been breached, the Ukrainian Ironbelly has been kidnapped, the scene is chaotic, Goblin casualties... unknown? Property damage... incalculable? And there's a suspected leak of Dark Magic items?"
Fudge held a preliminary briefing jointly updated by the Department of Accidents and Catastrophes and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, his hands trembling so much the parchment rustled, his voice shrill and almost shattering:
"Vincent Wayne? When did he get back? No, when did he sneak into Britain? What about our border detection magic? What about those incompetent Auror in Germany? What about the notification from the International Confederation of Wizards? Are they all fucking asleep?!"
He slammed the briefing onto the table, causing urgent official documents to bounce up one by one.
Percy, the Minister's Assistant in charge of the report, shrank back and whispered, "Mr. Minister, based on the magical traces left at the scene and the descriptions of a few Goblin witnesses who were not seriously frightened, it is almost certain that it was him."
He used that... the same powerful alchemical weapon he had used before at the Ministry of Magic, violently breaking through multiple layers of vaults, and ultimately escaped with the dragon.
As for when he entered the country... there is currently no record of him entering through official channels or triggering an alert.
"No record whatsoever?!" Fudge roared. "Then how did he get in? Apparition? Portkey? Or did he just swagger across the English Channel in that Muggle Steel Bird while our weather magic monitors were leisurely sipping afternoon tea?"
After shouting, he felt dizzy.
This was not only a heinous attack, but also a profound humiliation to the Ministry of Magic's security system under his leadership.
A wanted criminal, dubbed the Dark Lord of the new era, infiltrated the most central bank in the British Wizarding World with impunity, wreaked havoc, and escaped, even taking with him an important Magical Creatures asset.
What's even more troublesome is the public reaction. Those reporters are like sharks that have smelled blood. Although the Magical News Department has tried to suppress the news, the huge hole in Gringotts roof and the hundreds of witnesses in Diagon Alley have made the suppression a joke.
It's said that Rita Skeeter started a live stream immediately, and her voice must be hoarse from talking so much. The topics ranged from "Minister's dereliction of duty" to "The new Dark Lord's tour of Gringotts," "Are our Gold Galleons safe?" and "The trust crisis behind the collapse of Gringotts."
"Appease them! We must appease them immediately!" Fudge paced back and forth, pulling at his already thinning hair. "Issue a statement emphasizing that the Ministry of Magic has the situation under control, Gringotts' losses are limited, and the dragon's escape was an accident..."
No, just say the dragon was an ancient, uncontrollable guardian who bravely sacrificed itself to resist the invaders. Yes, sacrificed! Award it the Order of Merlin! In short, shift the focus to 'we repelled the invaders.' Also, inform the Goblins Brotherhood to keep their mouths shut. Take your time with the damage assessment; the priority now is stability!"
Percy quickly scribbled on the parchment; he seemed to want to say something, but ultimately said nothing.
Fudge stopped in his tracks, a deeper worry flashing in his eyes. "In the end, why did he go to Gringotts? Was it just to release the dragon? Or..."
He suddenly recalled the Berlin incident, when rumors circulated that Vincent had attempted to break the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. A more terrifying thought surfaced in his mind: sabotaging the wizarding economy? Or stealing something that could threaten the stability of the Wizarding World?
Another urgent document spewed out of the fireplace and landed right in front of Percy.
"Mr. Minister, many vaults at the scene were damaged, and emergency cleanup is still underway. The exact extent of the losses can only be assessed after the cleanup is complete."
"Get them to finish the cleanup as soon as possible!" Fudge lowered his voice. "Then secretly investigate what's missing from the vaults, especially the sensitive, historical ones. Absolutely no one can know that anything important is missing. Also..."
He took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, "Contact Rufus Scrimgeour and tell him his vacation is over, the Ministry of Magic needs him, immediately! Right now!"
Percy hurriedly pulled out a small notebook containing the contact addresses and leave records of all Ministry of Magic staff. "Mr. Minister, Director Scrimgeour... his leave was personally approved by you, and it's valid for four and a half months."
Fudge's face twitched. He recalled Scrimgeour's stiff face and his blunt criticism, and how he had granted Scrimgeour a six-month leave in a fit of anger, ostensibly to let him rest after returning from the United States, but actually as a subtle way of persuading him to resign.
"Tell Rufus ..." Fudge forced out the words through gritted teeth, "Now is not the time to throw a tantrum. Gringotts has been attacked, and that Dark Lord is riding a fire-breathing dragon over London!"
This is an act of war! I need the best Auror commander, not a former director lounging in the countryside! Issue an emergency order in my name: if he doesn't return... then consider permanent leave!
Percy hurriedly left the office, and Fudge sat back in his chair wearily, looking at the fireplace that was still spewing out urgent documents.
He knew that recalling Scrimgeour meant the return of an even more unruly subordinate, but he had no one else available at the moment, and the position of Head of the Auror Office couldn't remain vacant indefinitely.
Faced with such a thorny situation, he needed Scrimgeour's experience, prestige, and ruthlessness to stabilize the situation. The Ministry of Magic needed to arrest Vincent Wayne as soon as possible, or at least present a strong stance of pursuit in front of the public.
As for plugging those exposed security vulnerabilities and comprehensively upgrading security protections at borders and core facilities?
That would require a huge budget, international cooperation, and an admission that the existing system of the British Ministry of Magic is a complete failure.
Fudge's head was throbbing just thinking about the paperwork and the questioning by Wizengamot. His immediate priorities were arresting people, maintaining stability, and controlling public opinion.
Patch the loopholes? Once we catch that damned Dark Lord Vincent, everything will naturally calm down... probably.