Keeping Distance from Power

As they spoke, Wade and Dumbledore had already arrived before the Gargoyle below the Headmaster's Office. After saying the password, the two slowly ascended with the turning staircase.

Dumbledore asked with a smile, "It sounds like... you don't think much of Mr. Scrimgeour?"

There was no reproach in his tone, so Wade spoke frankly.

"A little."

He said candidly, "Mr. Scrimgeour is known for his hard-line methods, but outward toughness and inner strength are two different things... I'm worried he'll take some radical measures—"

"Not only against suspicious individuals, but also affecting ordinary people, even allies."

"Although I don't know Mr. Scrimgeour very well, I know Professor Moody—an excellent Auror can make a good professor, but it's difficult for one to become a qualified Minister for Magic."

Who would want a Minister for Magic who was suspicious, sharp-edged, and fond of high-pressure measures like arrests and surveillance?

"No one is perfect, Wade," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps you think I would make a better Minister than Fudge or Scrimgeour... ah, to be honest, I have that confidence myself. Or perhaps arrogance would be a better word..."

He opened the office door and led Wade inside, whereupon a Portrait gave a loud snort.

"Hmph, Dumbledore, you're far too modest... You're a hundred times better than those fools! If you wanted to do it, you could do it well. Think back to the ambitions you once had—I refuse to believe you've forgotten them all..."

Phineas tapped his knee with one finger as he surveyed Wade with a sly gaze.

"Thank you, Phineas," Dumbledore said. "Thank you for holding the foolishness of my youth in such high regard."

He gestured for Wade to sit, then turned and settled into the high-backed chair himself. On a nearby table, alongside the exquisite instruments, there was now a