"What happened, Minister?"
Lucius Malfoy soon arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and met Fudge.
Compared with everyone else, Lucius Malfoy was always a welcome sight.
Lucius would never be indecisive like other people, nor would he ever show them disrespect.
When dealing with the Minister, he was always generous and smooth in his dealings.
Fudge's face lit up when he saw Lucius Malfoy. He explained his thoughts to Lucius, hoping to get help from this elegant man with pale blond hair.
"I need you to help me convince those people. Please make sure they approve my decision to add someone to the wanted list. Also, I'd like you to arrange for the Dementors to be stationed at Hogwarts until Sirius and Dewey are caught."
He remembered that Lucius had donated to Hogwarts.
Lucius was also on good terms with the School Governors.
Seeing the thoughtful look on Lucius's face, Fudge added, "I'll handle Dumbledore."
"Even better, Minister."
Lucius said cheerfully, "I'll take care of it for you."
Fudge burst out laughing.
He had a strange, unshakable confidence in himself.
He had never seen the true might of a person, so he thought Dumbledore was nothing more than a powerful Wizard.
It wasn't just him. The Hit Wizards and Aurors in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement all thought the same way.
If he wanted to, he could have Dumbledore sent to Azkaban at any time.
Hearing the Minister say this, Lucius Malfoy smiled charmingly.
"Glad to be of service."
He bowed slightly as he spoke. Fudge laughed with delight, thinking it was the best news he'd heard in days.
One good turn deserved another.
Fudge would use this opportunity to secure even greater benefits for Lucius.
The Minister couldn't handle everything himself.
He didn't necessarily know as many people as Lucius Malfoy, either. The Malfoy Family had endured for generations, maintaining ties with every Pure-blood Family and all sorts of factions.
Lucius Malfoy himself was a master of influence.
He had once served as a senior official under Voldemort and committed countless atrocities.
And yet, after Voldemort's downfall, he had emerged unscathed, even making his way into the Ministry of Magic as a high-ranking official.
He had even joined Hogwarts's circle of School Governors and was a regular guest at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
"Thank you, Lucius."
Fudge grabbed Lucius's hand with his sweaty palm and thanked him warmly. Lucius took his leave politely. When he returned to his manor, he washed his hand over and over in disgust.
"Where have you been?"
Lucius's wife asked from behind him.
Lucius's wife came from a Pure-blood Family, too. Her name was Narcissa Malfoy, though Malfoy was the surname she had taken after marrying Lucius.
She had been born a Black—Narcissa Black—just as Bellatrix had taken the surname of her husband, Lestrange. She and Bellatrix were sisters.
Unlike her deranged sister, Narcissa was a clearheaded woman.
She was even more clearheaded than her husband.
The only thing she cared about was her family.
Within the family, her son came before her husband, Lucius.
She had always done everything in her power to protect her family.
"That idiot Fudge."
Lucius never bothered to pretend around his family. He loudly mocked the foolish new Minister, describing his pathetic behavior.
"Do you remember Dewey? Dewey Jones, that pathetic little sycophant who used to fawn over me?"
He asked.
Narcissa shook her head. She genuinely couldn't remember. As Bellatrix's sister and Lucius's wife, she had held a high position in the Dark Lord's circle. After Voldemort fell, she hadn't paid any attention to the Ministry's reckoning.
Who was Dewey?
She didn't know, and she wouldn't pay attention to some nobody.
Even if that nobody had gone hunting Aurors with her sister.
"Ha, even you don't know who he is?"
Lucius grew even more pleased.
"And yet this nobody has that idiot Fudge scared out of his wits. He came begging me for help. Do you know what he said?
'Lucius...'"
Lucius reenacted the scene, grabbing Narcissa's hand and speaking earnestly. "I need your help. Hahaha, it's ridiculous. He needs my help.
All because he was frightened out of his wits by a fool like Dewey."
As he laughed, someone appeared in the doorway.
"Uh."
Draco Malfoy stood at the door.
He was used to this sort of thing.
When Narcissa saw her son, she pulled her hand free.
"What brings you here?"
She asked Draco Malfoy gently. Draco said he'd heard voices—and, more importantly, he was curious about what his father was talking about.
"Oh, here's what happened."
Lucius explained everything, focusing on mocking Fudge and showing off his own brilliance and greatness.
Draco didn't react, but Narcissa had already leapt to her feet.
"No. Absolutely not!"
She shouted. Narcissa knew how dangerous Dementors could be, and she wouldn't let her son spend a whole school term in such peril.
"Lucius, let's go see Snape and have him arrange a year of sick leave for Draco.
Hogwarts is far too dangerous.
We can't let Draco take that risk."
Narcissa said.
"It's all right, Mum. Don't worry, I can handle it."
Draco said, fearless in his ignorance. Lucius reassured his wife as well. "Don't worry about it, Narcissa. With Dumbledore there, the Dementors won't be able to cause much trouble at Hogwarts.
Besides, even if Sirius really does come to Hogwarts, he won't hurt Draco."
Draco Malfoy and Sirius were related, after all.
The Malfoy Family was related to nearly every surviving Pure-blood Family. Even when they weren't, they could always find some connection if they tried.
More importantly, even as a former Death Eater, Lucius still trusted Dumbledore's abilities without reservation.
As for Dewey?
He hadn't given Dewey a second thought.
Everyone had a flaw. Lucius's was one of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride.
St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Mad-Eye Moody was in a hospital room. The two injured officers had briefly woken up, but now they had fallen into a deep, drowsy sleep again.
Dumbledore stood beside Mad-Eye Moody, talking with him.
The Dementors' arrival at Hogwarts was now settled.
He was the headmaster, the one who managed Hogwarts—not its owner.
With pressure from both the School Governors and the Ministry of Magic, he had no choice but to let the Dementors into Hogwarts.
To make the Dementors leave, he had to find Sirius and Dewey.
He was busy.
After obtaining Tom Riddle's Diary, Dumbledore had even more to do.
On the one hand, he was searching for the other Deathly Hallows. On the other, he had resumed his search for Tom Riddle.
He had sensed that the Diary—the one that had lured Ginny Weasley—was no ordinary book.
A Horcrux.
Dumbledore had thought of the term. He realized Voldemort was making Horcruxes.
Voldemort was the cleverest, most talented student he had ever taught. He just hadn't expected his former pupil to have learned how to make Horcruxes, too.
Even many masters of Dark Magic couldn't create one.
With so much to do, his attention was pulled in every direction. As he spoke with Mad-Eye Moody, Moody described what the two officers had looked like when he first saw them. He had been startled. "They looked as if they'd been beaten up by a Werewolf or a Half-blood Giant," Mad-Eye Moody said. "I've never seen a Wizard fight like that, Dumbledore. Does Dewey have Werewolf blood?"
"No, I can say for certain that he doesn't."
Dumbledore said. Even he couldn't understand Dewey's behavior.
Harry Potter had been in the greatest danger when he left home and got into the car. Why hadn't Dewey attacked then?
Wasn't Harry Potter his target?
Why had he simply beaten up Ministry officers?
Was it just to vent his anger?
What was his goal?
What would he do next?
Dumbledore couldn't understand Dewey's actions. Everyone had an underlying logic to what they did. Once you understood that logic, you could predict their movements.
"Dewey... What is he trying to do?"
Even Dumbledore couldn't be sure what Dewey would do next.
Besides, Harry Potter would be going to Hogwarts soon, and Dumbledore had plenty of things of his own to take care of.
He really didn't have time to pursue a criminal across the country.
He still wanted to search for the Deathly Hallows on his own.
The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak.
Dumbledore had made a mistake, too.
One of the Seven Deadly Sins: Greed.
Before you continue