New Year, New Beginnings

Baruk stretched out his foreleg again, pointing to the Deep Purple Robe in Minchum's photograph.

"Nice."

Regulus glanced at it sideways. A spider with aesthetic sense? Who bred it?

He asked, "Do you think it looks good?"

Baruk clicked his tongue.

Regulus tilted the newspaper toward it, letting it see Minchum's face more clearly.

"This color suits people with darker skin tones; he's too pale, it doesn't suit him," he pointed with his finger. "It looks like he spilled purple cabbage juice on himself and didn't wash it off."

Baruk's limbs opened and closed, and he smoothly changed his tune. "Not good-looking."

Regulus ignored it and turned the newspaper over. The next page was filled with New Year's greetings and discount information, nothing much to look at.

I flipped back to the previous version and skimmed through Minchum's speech again.

"We will not favor either side."

"No individual or organization will be allowed to be above the Ministry of Magic."

He placed the newspaper on his lap.

He had some recollection of what was happening in the Muggle world: the oil embargo, the Three-Day Workweek in UK, global economic turmoil, and the first half of the 1970s when the entire Western world was going through tough times.

However, towns like Town of Cokeworth, which rely heavily on factories in the north, were particularly affected.

Power rationing means factories reduce production, which in turn means layoffs. Workers have no work and no money, making the New Year less than happy.

Lily's family lives in that town; it must be quite a troublesome place for them.

He didn't think much about it, but Minchum was someone he should pay more attention to.

Harold Minchum, he knew this man; his resume was impressive.

From the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, to clerk in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and then deputy head of the Auror Office, every step of his career has been within the core departments of the Ministry of Magic —a typical elite promotion path.

Known for strictly adhering to procedures, this assessment would normally be a compliment, but at this point in time, it carries a completely different meaning.

Regulus knew that Minchum's attitude towards the Death Eaters was ambiguous, and that during his term of office for the next few years, the Ministry of Magic would have little to no real impact on Voldemort's expansion of power.

He was not clear about the specific details of the governance, only about the general direction and key milestones.

The details must be deduced from the newspapers and existing information.

Ginny Jenkins' resignation was not voluntary.

Personal reasons, in the political context of the Ministry of Magic, mean being forced to step down.

Towards the end of her term, she realized that Voldemort's threat was beyond the Ministry of Magic's ability to handle, and she privately sought help from Dumbledore. Not many people knew about this, but it couldn't be kept from those who were interested, and among the Sacred Twenty-Eight were many such people.

The fact that a Minister for Magic would secretly seek help from the Hogwarts Headmaster demonstrates that the Ministry of Magic at that time was no longer able to deal with the Death Eaters ' infiltration through normal procedures.

She knew Voldemort was the real threat, but she dared not admit it publicly.

Admitting it would mean confrontation, and confrontation would offend those Pureblood families who had openly sided with Voldemort, jeopardizing her position. Therefore, she chose to handle the situation discreetly, never openly confronting him, attempting to use Dumbledore's personal prestige to balance the situation, exchanging delay and compromise for superficial stability.

This is typical institutional thinking, believing that any threat can be resolved through internal power struggles, and that Voldemort could be dealt with through political means. The idea itself isn't wrong, but the target is wrong. Voldemort didn't play politics; he played with fear.

Minchum is different.

Jenkins lacks ability, Minchum's stance is wrong.

His first act upon taking office was to emphasize neutrality, stability, and impartiality, but the Death Eaters ' activities had already become semi-public.

Pureblood families are being infiltrated; some have switched sides voluntarily, some have been threatened into switching sides, and a large number are observing from the sidelines.

The Auror Office received nearly twice as many missing persons reports as in previous years, but less than 30% of them were able to be investigated, because many families of missing persons did not report the cases themselves, or reported them and then withdrew them.

Saying these things in this context is to leave Voldemort room to continue expanding.

Not cracking down on it is tantamount to condoning it.

Baruk's foreleg stretched out again, this time referring to a word on the edge of the newspaper.

"... What... is this?"

Regulus glanced down; Baruk was referring to Wizengamot.

Baruk showed curiosity about writing, which pleased him somewhat; a cultured spider was better than an illiterate one.

He patiently explained, "The wizarding courts set the rules and judge people."

Baruk's chelicerae opened and closed twice, and he turned his head. "Interrogation... of a spider?"

Regulus corrected. "Don't examine spiders."

Baruk withdrew his front leg, probably having lost interest in the institution.

He continued to think.

Minchum added, "No individual or organization will be allowed to be above the Ministry of Magic."

This statement, ostensibly referring to Voldemort, is actually about Dumbledore.

Jenkins at least knew to ask Dumbledore for help, which shows she could distinguish who the real threat was.

Minchum won't seek out Dumbledore; he'll see Dumbledore as a rival, Dumbledore's immense influence.

A seat in the International Confederation of Wizards, the position of Hogwarts Headmaster, and the title of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot —all these combined make the Minister for Magic seem insignificant.

Any minister who wants to be in control will instinctively see Dumbledore as a challenge.

A Minister for Magic who considered Dumbledore adversary was, in Voldemort's eyes, someone who, even if not an ally, didn't need to be dealt with. Moreover, it's hard to say whether the Death Eaters directly orchestrated Minchum's rise to power.

Voldemort had not yet openly infiltrated the upper echelons of the Ministry of Magic in 1974, but preparations had already been underway for some time.

The Malfoy family's network of connections within the Ministry of Magic, the Nott family's voting power in Wizengamot, and the keys to the vaults all laid bare. But more likely, Voldemort didn't need to personally install Minchum in power; he only needed to make the existing system feel threatened. Staging wizard disappearances to spread panic, planting spies in key positions to distort the truth, silencing or eliminating a few key figures—the system itself would then elect someone beneficial to the status quo.

Minchum represents a choice made by the system in a state of panic.

He wanted to maintain the status quo and didn't want anyone to disrupt the balance; Voldemort could use his neutrality to continue expanding.

Minchum is not Death Eaters, but for the next few years, the Ministry of Magic will turn a blind eye to Death Eaters.

This will mean several things.

The Order of the Phoenix will lose the unofficial support of the Ministry of Magic, and its room for maneuver will be compressed.

The Auror Office will receive instructions to remain neutral, and substantial attacks on Death Eaters will be reduced.

The Pureblood families who are still observing will accelerate their shift towards Voldemort, because the Ministry of Magic is no longer worthy of their trust.

The Ministry of Magic's neutral stance can only last a few years at most. Voldemort won't be satisfied with keeping others neutral; sooner or later, he will demand that they take sides. By then, Minchum will find that the situation he thought he could control has long since spiraled out of control.

"...this..." Baruk pointed to another word.

Regulus glanced at it. "Auror, a wizard who catches bad wizards."

Baruk continued, "Catching spiders?"

"Don't catch spiders."

Baruk was satisfied and retracted his front leg.

Regulus looked up from the newspaper and glanced at the sunlight streaming through the window.

Voldemort is expanding, the Ministry of Magic is backing down, so what is Dumbledore doing?

Based on the information he knew, Dumbledore was setting up defenses.

During this period, the Order of the Phoenix was being established, Dumbledore gathered trusted wizards to fight against the infiltration of the Death Eaters and protect those targeted by Voldemort.

The only one who can stop Voldemort right now is Dumbledore, but he won't take the initiative.

Whether he wanted to or not, he couldn't do it because the conditions for launching an attack weren't met.

The Ministry of Magic has not publicly acknowledged Voldemort as a threat, and most Pureblood families either secretly support him or remain neutral.

There were even Death Eaters sympathizers on Hogwarts ' Board of Governors, and the International Confederation of Wizards was taking a wait-and-see approach to UK internal affairs. If Dumbledore were to take the initiative at this time, openly declare war, and mobilize forces to besiege the Death Eaters, he would be accused of exaggeration, arrogance, and an attempt to supersede the Ministry of Magic.

Minchum's inaugural address made his point clear, Dumbledore's actions confirmed it. The Ministry of Magic will treat him as a second Grindelwald to guard against.

This is completely different from 1945, when Grindelwald wreaked havoc on most of Europe, and even the United States couldn't stop him. The international community had a legitimate reason to ask Dumbledore for help.

Voldemort is still in the shadows, and the Ministry of Magic hasn't gone to the point of publicly appealing for help. If Dumbledore takes action on his own, he is essentially putting himself in opposition to the Ministry of Magic and the Pureblood families.

The Order of the Phoenix was the only thing he could do in this situation: not to declare war, but to first establish a defensive line.

Regulus stood up and threw the newspaper into the fireplace.

The flames licked the edge of the paper, and the photo of Minchum pursed lips on the front page curled up, turned black, and turned to ash in the flames.

These things concern him, in fact, concern everyone, but at the moment they are none of his business.

So, forget about all that, let's save that Whomping Willow first.

He stood up, pushed open the door, and the sunlight shone on his face, warm and comforting.

Baruk squinted at him on the shoulder, his eight legs gripping the fabric as he leaned down.

He walked towards the open space.

The good Whomping Willow tree was still swaying slowly in the morning breeze, its hooked branches reflecting the sunlight.

The other tree was still lying there, just as it had been this morning, its branches dragging on the ground, its trunk cracked and lifeless.

He walked up to it and probed it with his Magic Perception.

It was almost empty inside.

The day before yesterday, after he extracted the Magic Power, there was still some residual flow running in the circuit. It was almost dry, but not quite.

Today, even that little bit of data is gone. The circuit is still there, the structure hasn't collapsed, but there's nothing left inside.

It's just an empty shell, completely dried up.

The natural vitality in the tree trunk is also fading away; the leaves are long gone, and the ends of the branches are becoming brittle. When the wind blows, a small section breaks off and falls to the ground, dry as a piece of firewood.

It's called the Whomping Willow," but it's not even as good as an ordinary dead tree. At least an ordinary dead tree can still absorb water from the soil, but this one doesn't even have any Magic Channel in its root system.

He placed his palm on the tree trunk; the bark was dry, cracked, and rough, feeling like cardboard to the touch.

Natural Magic Power surged from my palm, seeping into the cracks in the tree bark.

Natural Magic Power has a high affinity with plants; no connection needs to be established, no adjustments are needed, it just flows in.

He forcefully opened the circuit, starting from the root and pushing upwards along the main trunk, diverting some of his Magic Power into the branches when he encountered forks.

The circuit is open, the structure is still there, the angle of the bifurcation point hasn't changed, and the width of the Conduction path hasn't collapsed; it's just empty now.

After the Magic Power was injected, the circuit lit up again, and the previously gray lines began to flow again, like water being poured back into a dried-up riverbed. The Magic Power circulated through the circuit, but it was weaker than before, as some of it was absorbed by the Whomping Willow.

The loop has started.

As long as there is Magic Power flowing through the circuit, the circuit will maintain itself. Magical Plant have Magic Power inertia, provided there is something inside them. He continued to pour in the magic.

Natural Magic Power flows continuously from the palms inwards, filling the circuits, repairing the cycle, and reactivating the Magic Power absorption channels in the root system. The channels in the root system are key.

Like all Magical Plant, the Whomping Willow normally relies on its roots to absorb dissipated Magic Power from the soil to maintain its operation.

Once the root system is open, it can absorb Magic Power from the outside world on its own, without needing constant watering.

Baruk sat on his shoulder, his eight legs slowly spreading out, flattening his body. His front legs rested on the highest point of his shoulder, while his hind legs dangled down, making the whole spider look like a small blanket spread on his shoulder.

The overflowing of Natural Magic Power was an extremely comfortable experience for Baruk.

Its Magic Power is naturally affinity with nature, and the Forbidden Forest is one of the places with the most concentrated Natural Magic Power. It grew up in the Forbidden Forest, and this feeling is home.

He ignored Baruk and continued pouring.

His Natural Magic Power is of high quality; direct infusion is completely different from the gentle permeation during the initial connection establishment.

Even the healthy Whomping Willow tree next to him reacted; it had been lazily swaying its branches, but now it was swaying noticeably more happily, with the small branches at the ends starting to shake, pointing in his direction.

The half-dead plant showed a more pronounced reaction.

The edges of the cracked, grayish scars on the tree trunk began to change color, turning from grayish-white to grayish-brown, like dried skin re-soaking in moisture. A few drooping branches twitched slightly.

The most obvious change is at the end.

At the end of a dying side branch, a tiny, tender green bud sprouted from its dry, blackened tip.

He sensed it; the Magic Power circulation inside the tree trunk was accelerating.

Not only was the Natural Magic Power he poured in running, but a portion of the remaining life force of the Whomping Willow was also activated. The two forces combined and ran more and more smoothly in the circuit.

The channels in the root system are also recovering. He can sense that the ends of the roots are beginning to absorb slightly, and the Magic Power in the soil is being drawn in bit by bit. The speed is extremely slow, but it has already begun.

He continued the infusion, and a long time passed until the sun rose directly overhead from the east.

Around noon, footsteps could be heard coming from the open space.

Agnes walked over from the Greenhouse, carrying a food box in her hand, with a self-heating teapot floating behind her.

She stopped at the edge of the clearing; she was the one who told Regulus about the attack range of the two Whomping Willow.

Then she saw the one on the left.