Order of Merlin, Second Class

"To commend Mr. Isaac Waldore's unyielding spirit and outstanding achievements in the fight against the Death Eaters.

Upon application by the British Ministry of Magic and approval and issuance by the Wizengamot, we have decided to award Mr. Isaac Waldore the honor of the Order of Merlin, Second Class.

The Ministry of Magic will also grant Mr. Isaac Waldore a reward of 1,000 Galleons in recognition of his brave resistance in the face of evil."

No sooner had Cornelius Fudge finished speaking than a pink figure appeared at their side.

Isaac's description had been remarkably accurate. Just how pink was this figure?

She wore a fluffy pink cardigan, a pink robe trimmed with ruffles, and matching accessories.

She was extremely short. Judging by her height, there probably would not have been much difference between her standing and sitting; her fingers were short and thick, adorned with several gaudy old-fashioned rings.

In Harry's terms, she looked exactly like a pale, oversized toad.

Short and fat, she had a broad, sagging face, no visible neck just like Vernon, and a large mouth that drooped at the corners;

her eyes were huge, round, and slightly bulging.

Even the black velvet bow perched on her short curls looked more like a fly about to be caught by a long, sticky tongue.

Without question, only one person could possess such traits: Umbridge, Minister Fudge's trusted confidante and a senior Ministry bureaucrat.

Umbridge carried a tray over to Isaac and Fudge, first offering her minister a fawning smile.

Then she forced out what she apparently considered a warm smile for Isaac.

The problem was, there was nothing warm about it no matter how one looked at it.

If Isaac had been an ordinary young wizard, that old toad-like face might have made him flinch.

Harry's tongue really was vicious, but his description was also spot-on.

Isaac looked forward even more to meeting Harry Potter. He was genuinely curious whether this world's Harry was the book version or the film version.

If Isaac had to choose, he would prefer the book version.

At least compared with film Harry, book Harry was not such a miserable punching bag.

"Minister, please~" Umbridge drawled as she held the tray out toward Fudge.

Fudge picked up the purple ribbon from it.

He had probably grown accustomed to this subordinate's fawning behavior. Without even looking at Umbridge, he simply explained things to Isaac.

"Isaac, the Order of Merlin is the Wizarding World's highest honor. It has three classes.

First Class, Second Class, and Third Class.

The distinctions between them lie mainly in their ribbons—First Class uses a green ribbon, Second Class a purple ribbon, and Third Class a white ribbon.

Your Headmaster Dumbledore is a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Fudge slowly placed the purple ribbon and medal around Isaac's neck. As he bent down, Isaac heard an almost imperceptible murmur from his lips.

"When the Ministry held its meeting, Director Crouch was only willing to apply for a Third Class medal for you. But I couldn't let our little hero wear the same class of medal as a clown like Lockhart."

Hearing Fudge's words, Isaac looked at the Minister of Magic before him in surprise.

Fudge secretly winked at Isaac, his expression saying, This is our little secret.

It had to be said, once Isaac had stepped outside the confines of the original timeline, the stances of the Wizarding World's major figures became rather intriguing.

Most of the shops in Diagon Alley were backed by pure-blood families, and Dumbledore's special care for Isaac in Diagon Alley had presumably spread through the entire pure-blood wizarding circle.

There were only so many pure-blood wizarding families in Britain, and Fudge's family was one of them.

So he must have known about Dumbledore and Isaac's "special relationship."

This was precisely the period when Fudge was trying hard to break free of Dumbledore's influence.

As a wizard, Fudge might not have been particularly formidable, but as a politician, he had been quite successful.

Strictly speaking, Cornelius Fudge's rise to power had been an accident—at the time, the two most favored candidates had been Dumbledore and Barty Crouch Sr., head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

The Ministry of Magic had repeatedly invited Dumbledore to become Minister for Magic, but he had firmly refused.

The reason was simple: Dumbledore needed Hogwarts to contain the beast within his heart. He feared that power would consume him and lead to irreparable consequences.

For the greater good, after all~

Most importantly, as the Wizarding World's foremost figure at the time, if Dumbledore truly decided to do something, no one in the entire Wizarding World could stop him.

Most of those capable of stopping Dumbledore were his friends. Those who were not capable simply could not beat him.

It was precisely because Dumbledore understood himself too well that he resolutely refused the position of Minister for Magic.

As for Barty Crouch Sr., the second choice, his son had been exposed as a Death Eater and had participated in torturing the Longbottoms.

With such a stain on his record, Barty Crouch Sr. naturally could not rise to the position. The only reason he had managed to retain his current post as head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was because he had put justice above family and dealt ruthlessly with the Death Eaters.

Then Fudge, who had been Deputy Minister, ushered in the spring of his political career.

With acceptable qualifications, a mild manner, and no controversy surrounding him, Fudge became the only acceptable compromise candidate.

At the time, Ministry bureaucrats and wizarding society generally believed that using him to "maintain the status quo" during peacetime was a safe choice.

Fudge had indeed done well.

Because he initially lacked prestige, he sought Dumbledore's advice on everything, and owl messengers flew frequently between them.

But as Fudge gained a firm foothold as Minister for Magic, he began seeking greater influence and gradually removing Dumbledore's influence over the Ministry.

Though that was difficult.

In other words, from a standpoint of interests alone, Fudge had no reason to treat a young wizard favored by Dumbledore so well.

Yet the goodwill Fudge was showing Isaac right now was far from insignificant.

There was another point. Minister Fudge had just called Lockhart "that clown," hadn't he?

Did that mean that, within some group or circle, they actually knew what a fraud Lockhart was?

Interesting. Truly interesting.

Isaac had only just entered the Wizarding World, yet this world had already brought him so many surprises. To be honest, Isaac had initially thought that possessing the gift of foresight would make the world very boring.

People truly were the creatures most capable of surprising others.

"I salute you, Minister Cornelius. You truly are a Minister for Magic worthy of respect!"