Percy paused, cleared his throat, took a letter from his robe pocket, and unfolded it with great solemnity.
"I bet that's the commendation letter for his Order of Merlin, Third Class."
Fred snickered under his breath. "Or the speech that Mr. Security Review Envoy spent three days and three nights preparing."
His twin brother nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Percy raised his head, his gaze passing over everyone before settling on some distant point at the end of the Great Hall. With deep reverence, he said:
"Before we begin officially, I would like to read a letter."
He raised the parchment slightly.
"This is a letter personally written by Minister Scrimgeour to Headmaster Dumbledore. I have obtained Headmaster Dumbledore's permission, as well as the Minister's special authorization—"
At last, he looked at everyone. With his chest puffed out and head held high, he looked as though he were accepting the crowd's admiring gazes on Minister Scrimgeour's behalf.
"—to convey the contents of this letter to every person at Hogwarts."
"At the same time, it is to let everyone know that the Minister has always cared about Hogwarts, and about every one of you here."
The Great Hall fell quiet, and some students looked moved.
In most people's eyes, the Minister for Magic remained an untouchably lofty figure.
Just as Percy had once been at school, they had consciously or unconsciously bestowed every sort of halo upon that "important figure" who governed the British Wizarding World.
Many firmly believed that if someone could become Minister for Magic, it must be because they were exceptionally wise, dependable, powerful, clear-headed, calm, fair, and possessed an iron will and decisive judgment.
Even with Fudge once in office, ordinary wizards still would not associate words like slippery, showboating, condescending, cowardly, and afraid of death with the