Ministry of Magic

The next day, today is Sunday.

Harry opened the box, ready to take out the Christmas presents he had received and play something else to temporarily distract himself.

He suddenly noticed that his Invisibility Cloak was folded neatly, with a note attached that read: Just in case.

How could that be?

After Fred and George retrieved the Invisibility Cloak, they simply left it lying around, not folding it so neatly.

Moreover, it was written in a thin, concentric handwriting— Dumbledore's handwriting!

Does this mean his guess was correct? Why himself? And not someone else? Another professor?

Is it because of his own amazing magic that defeated Voldemort?

Harry suddenly felt a chill. Hogwarts was supposed to be a school, but Dumbledore treated it like a battlefield.

Harry himself was not afraid of Voldemort, or rather, he was even a little excited.

But his reason told him that he was still far from being Voldemort's equal.

Especially after his journey through the Forbidden Forest, he understood even more clearly that Voldemort, even in a half-crippled state, possessed such formidable power.

But was that black-robed wizard really Quirrell?

Is Voldemort really behind Quirrell's head?

It is not some ugly tumor created by a curse.

However, Dumbledore certainly didn't know that he could read his handwriting.

It was all because of Ryan that Harry learned about the extraordinary nature of his Invisibility Cloak and that it had always been with Dumbledore.

After receiving the Invisibility Cloak, a keepsake from my father, at Christmas, it goes without saying who wrote the note.

Both notes were written by the same person!

Recently, something very strange has happened: for some reason, Harry has been unable to see Ryan's figure.

A feeling as if his heart was being squeezed suddenly welled up inside him—Would Ryan be planning to get the Philosopher's Stone? If he got it, would he still be able to attend Hogwarts? And what chance did he have of getting the Resurrection Stone?

This matter completely captured his attention, and he no longer cared that Voldemort might have been left behind by Quirrell and taken the Philosopher's Stone.

This surprised Ron and Draco, who were originally going to advise Harry not to worry about the Philosopher's Stone and Voldemort.

"Harry, look at this report, it's really strange. Don't America wizards sleep?"

"According to Rita Skeeter, the wizards from the America. Department of International Magical Cooperation have been working for three days and three nights straight, and they haven't rested at all except for eating and going to the toilet!"

"Ron, this has to do with your stupid story. Because of your story, there have been several cases of Britain wizard poaching in America recently, and they're so busy they don't even have time to sleep!"

"Harry! —Harry! Do you know what this spell is? Or what Potions it is?" In the Great Hall, Draco picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet and read it aloud with feigned surprise.

After all, in his view, it was quite common for Rita Skeeter to exaggerate the content.

He even played the protagonist in Rita Skeeter's stories.

He noticed that although Harry didn't mention last night again, his brow was still furrowed, and he needed to distract Harry as planned.

"Department of International Magical Cooperation? What does that do, and what does it have to do with Ron?" Harry's attention was indeed drawn, and he asked curiously.

"Well, I'm not too sure, but it's basically about managing this and that," Draco said casually, gesturing for Ron to speak.

"The previous report by Rita Skeeter gave some of our seniors, who were having trouble finding jobs after graduation, a way to make money."

"It's about smuggling Care of Magical Creatures from other countries back home to sell. Our Britain Ministry of Magic doesn't have any laws that make it illegal—as long as you pay the taxes, nobody cares," Ron added.

"Pay taxes? As far as I know, the Ministry of Magic only has the following departments."

"Minister's Office and Support Staff, Department of Magical Law Enforcement (Auror Office, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, Office for Detection of Counterfeit Defense Charms and Protective Equipment, Office for Misuse of Magic, Wizengamot and Wizengamot Administration Services)."

"Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes (Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, Obliviator Headquarters, Muggle Affairs Mediation Committee, Invisibility Task Force, Muggle Liaison Office)."

"Department of Magical Creature Management and Control (Beast Office, Creature Office, Spirit Division, Goblin Liaison Office, Centaur Liaison Office, Pest Advisory, Misinformation Office)."

"Department of International Magical Cooperation (International Magical Trading Standards Body, International Magical Law Office, British Branch of the International Confederation of Wizards)."

"The Magical Transportation Department (Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, Apparition Test Centre)."

"The Department of Magical Games and Sports (the command of the Britain and Ireland Quidditch League, the Official Gobstones Club, the Office for the Patenting of Joke Products), the one that Ludo Bagman was in charge of before, who was arrested for gambling."

"The Department of Mysteries, I don't know much about it, just like its name, nobody knows anything about it. (But Ryan knows that it includes: the Hall of Brains, the Space Chamber, the Death Chamber, the Hall of Time, the Hall of Prophecy, and the Hall of Love studies the power of love.)"

"There are other departments (Experimental Charms Committee, Magical Maintenance Department, Ministry of Magic Public Information Office, Wizarding Examinations Authority, Ministry of Magic Inquiry Commission)," Percy chimed in from the side.

He mistakenly assumed that his younger brother was also interested in the Ministry of Magic, and patiently and thoroughly explained it to Harry and the others, saying, "Ron, you've really grown up!"

Percy gave Ron a rare look of loving kindness, giving Ron the feeling that his mother, Molly Weasley, was looking at him.

But this made him too embarrassed to explain that he wasn't actually interested, so he had to let Percy finish speaking.

Hermione, who was eating potatoes nearby, almost choked, amazed by Percy's knowledge of the Ministry of Magic.

Harry and Draco were also dumbfounded.

"If we're talking about taxes, I know." Susan Bones from Hufflepuff, with her hair in pigtails, leaned closer. As the niece of Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, she was very knowledgeable about this.

Percy, who was about to question Anthony, was immediately filled with respect and listened attentively when Anthony inadvertently revealed Susan's identity.

"Just like currencies like Galleons are controlled by Goblin, so are taxes."

"It's governed by an ancient contract that every penny you earn is automatically taxed and transferred to the Ministry of Magic's account."

"This account is beyond the control of the Minister for Magic; it is used to pay the Ministry of Magic's salaries and for its daily maintenance."

"That's why more people prefer cash transactions." Susan finished speaking, then blushed and went back to the Hufflepuff table.

This was related to Percy, who was standing to the side, puffing out his chest and clapping continuously.

Fortunately, Percy felt that his brother had had enough of his education, and he also needed to write down Susan's words in his notebook, which allowed Harry and the others to temporarily escape Percy's entanglement.

However, the question Harry really wanted to ask—why America wizards don't sleep—remained unresolved.

The Great Hall was too crowded on Sunday. If even one more person interrupts, the problem will probably never be resolved.