The Ministry's Routine Investigation

Fortunately, Umbridge fit the definition of a good dog perfectly, eagerly searching the cabin as soon as she entered.

She meticulously combed through every possible spot for traces, occasionally tapping furniture with her wand or lifting bedsheets with her nails to check for hidden letters. However, Evan had cleaned thoroughly, and she found nothing.

"If you have no other business, return to the castle immediately," Professor McGonagall hinted for them to leave.

Evan nodded and prepared to depart, but before he could exit, Umbridge's voice stopped him.

"Wait..."

"Minister Fudge, these children are mentioned in the report as witnesses. I believe they might know something," Umbridge suggested.

"Umbridge, as I recall, Professor Dumbledore has already explained the situation clearly to you. These children know little; they merely stumbled upon clues and informed me," Professor McGonagall retorted with a frown.

"But I suspect there might be something being concealed," Umbridge pressed on, stepping closer, her broad, sagging face nearly touching Evan and the others. Ron instinctively stepped back, but Umbridge didn't mind, offering a sickly sweet smile.

"We've heard that someone saw a young wizard riding a dragon yesterday."

"That was from Seamus. Have you not inquired within the school? He's known for his explosive mishaps with spells. Perhaps he made up a story to gain attention," Evan replied calmly.

"I will certainly question him," Umbridge said, her eyes fixed on Evan, searching for any sign of deception.

However, she quickly realized Evan's expression remained unchanged.

"Enough, Umbridge, perhaps we should check other places," Fudge said impatiently, uninterested in pursuing a story concocted by a student.

In truth, Fudge had little interest in the dragon matter.

He came personally to see if Dumbledore was up to something behind his back, hoping to undermine Dumbledore's reputation if possible.

Although he acknowledged Dumbledore's "minor" assistance in his campaign for the Minister of Magic position, now that he held the most powerful position in the wizarding world, Fudge didn't want someone overshadowing him, even more influential than himself!

This was absolutely intolerable!

When Fudge first became Minister, he naively thought Dumbledore was old and would retire or die within a few years.

Yet, ten years passed, and Dumbledore remained vibrant, even more energetic than Fudge. He suspected Dumbledore might outlive him, still serving as Headmaster at Hogwarts.

He knew the greatest wizard of the century was close friends with Nicolas Flamel and might have consumed some longevity potion.

"I think we should check the fourth floor of the castle. Some students were warned at the beginning of the term not to go there if they didn't want to die a horrible death," Umbridge, ever the dutiful dog, quickly proposed a new idea.

"Alright, let's go there..." Fudge became interested again.

"Fudge, do you really think I would hide a dragon in a castle corridor?" Dumbledore finally spoke up.

"I'm just looking... How could a dragon possibly fit there?" Fudge, feeling a sudden panic under Dumbledore's gaze, tried to maintain his composure.

"I've already shown you the accident site; it was just a regular attack. Hagrid was injured by magic, there were traces of a fire spell where the fire burned, and the unicorn died from the Killing Curse... There's no evidence that Hogwarts kept a dragon or violated Ministry regulations!" Dumbledore emphasized.

"I know, but this is a routine Ministry investigation!" Fudge felt his authority challenged and spoke firmly.

Umbridge timely produced a search warrant, presenting it to Dumbledore...

However, Dumbledore didn't even glance at it, just silently staring at Fudge.

The already cramped cabin seemed to fill with an intangible pressure, making Harry and the others uncomfortable, Fang curled up with its tail between its legs, and Umbridge struggled to speak.

Evan, meanwhile, remained an uninvolved spectator, not intending to intervene since this was Dumbledore's doing, not his.

What slightly surprised him was that the Ministry seemed unaware or only partially informed about Dumbledore's use of the Philosopher's Stone as bait.

But considering Fudge's attitude towards Voldemort's return in the original story, Evan understood. Fudge simply didn't want to believe Voldemort was alive, let alone use the precious Philosopher's Stone to set a trap.

If Fudge had agreed, the trap would likely have been set at the Ministry, with Fudge himself and dozens of Aurors waiting.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron didn't share Evan's relaxed mood; Fudge's words worried them, knowing there was a Cerberus on the fourth-floor corridor. They couldn't imagine Fudge's reaction upon seeing it.

The tense atmosphere persisted for a while until Dumbledore broke it.

"The Ministry can investigate, of course. There's nothing to hide there," Dumbledore's tone softened, not wanting to alienate the Ministry.

"I assure you this will be the last place we search," Fudge also relaxed, conceding.

Dumbledore didn't say more, heading towards the door with a composed demeanor that made Fudge question his own insistence.

But Fudge quickly reaffirmed his resolve, as Dumbledore's reaction proved he was definitely hiding something. He signaled to Umbridge with a look.

Understanding immediately, Umbridge turned to Evan and the others, offering a sickly sweet smile.

"You should all come along. Don't let me catch you doing anything sneaky."