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Chapter 26: Incompetent and Furious, Debts Must Be Paid
Fudge walked into the office angrily and swept the papers off the table. "That's too presumptuous. How can he command the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic however he wants? Are there any rules?" Fudge didn't look back, and Revel Shacklebolt, who followed him, saw this scene and just closed the office door.
He looked at Fudge's incompetence and rage with disdain. Fudge's performance over the years had long disappointed the officials of the Ministry of Magic. Not only was he greedy for money, but he was also incompetent, so he could only rely on Dumbledore to make ends meet.
"Mr. Minister, why should you be angry? As the director of the Auror Department, I didn't say anything."
Fudge turned his head, stared at LeVert, and said, "As the director of the Auror Department, the people under you do not obey the orders of the Ministry of Magic. This is a serious dereliction of duty. How can there be someone like you in the Shacklebolt family?"
LeVell had an indifferent expression at first, but when he heard Fudge talking about the Shacklebolt family, his expression instantly dropped. As a pure-blood wizard, family honor is above all else. This is something that every member of the Shacklebolt family must remember.
"Mr. Minister, their salaries are not paid by the Ministry of Magic. Do you think no one knows how many Galleons you have embezzled over the years?"
Fudge frowned slightly. He and Cole were the only ones who knew about this matter. Unexpectedly, LeVille, the poisonous scorpion, discovered it. Seeing Fudge slowly sit down, LeVille also came to him.
"Mr. Minister, it was you who allowed the Black family to enter the Ministry of Magic. Now it has become a climate change. The responsibility should be on you. You are derelict in your duty. If news about the minister's corruption appears in the newspaper tomorrow, I wonder if you can still sleep."
LeVert's ghostly voice reached Fudge's ears like a devil. Fudge couldn't help but become afraid. There were many people who were dissatisfied with his position, and if it was published in the newspaper, his position would be gone, and Dumbledore would never come out to speak for him.
Fudge also knew what kind of person Dumbledore was. He cherished feathers. In the past, he just pretended not to notice. "What do you want to do? Do you want to deal with Cole? I can help you." He couldn't lose his position as Minister of Magic, but he could help the Shacklebolt family deal with Cole. In this case, both sides would lose, and it would be good for him.
LeVille smiled contemptuously and said, "Mr. Minister, do you think I am stupid? The Black family is in the ascendant. John and the others are so loyal to Cole. I have seen it today. Do you think it would be more beneficial for me to deal with the Black family or to cooperate with the Black family?"
LeVert stood in front of the table with his arms propped up, his eyes like those of a wild animal. "As long as the Minister can facilitate the Shacklebolt family on some matters, you are still the Minister of Magic."
Fudge was a little scared, his fat body trembling, and he said after a long time, "Okay, okay." LeVert walked out of the minister's office with satisfaction. After a long time, the secretary entered. Fudge's anger and fear slowly subsided with the help of the secretary.
Outside the fireplace in the hall, Cole was not surprised. Although what happened today was sudden, Dumbledore always did it after planning. Today was just to test his bottom line and really give Dumbledore a chance to come to Black Manor. Cole is absolutely confident that he can take down Dumbledore with the Mage Tower.
By then, the entire wizarding world would be afraid. Two generations of Dark Lords hadn't affected Dumbledore. If he was taken over by the Black family, many would pack their bags and flee England overnight. Ruling the wizarding world of England sounded like a good idea, but there were still too few people in the Black family.
If they couldn't defeat them, they could simply run away. There were only a few wizards in the world. When the time came, the Black family would be the only ones left in the wizarding world. What would be the point of playing around with them?
Just as Cole was about to walk into the fireplace, Lucius caught up with him. "Cole, wait a minute."
"What's wrong?" Cole turned back and looked at Lucius coldly. He didn't believe that Lucius had no time to inform him after receiving the news, but he could imagine that Lucius did everything for the benefit of the Malfoy family. Unlike the Black family, they had less contact with other pure-blood families. The Malfoy family's business was intertwined with many families, and the interests involved were intricate.
"Cole, it happened so suddenly. I didn't know about the meeting until I got to the Ministry of Magic."
Listening to Lucius' explanation, Cole showed no expression. "It's okay, it's just a small thing, I can solve it."
Listening to Cole's slightly distant words, Lucius couldn't help but regret it. With just a thought, the Malfoy family and the Black family seemed far apart. "Do you really have a solution for those bodies? Don't underestimate the dark power of Obscurus; it will truly destroy the Black family."
"Lucius, you have met Ben many times over the years. Do you think he has a dark heart?"
It wasn't that Lucius didn't hear the meaning of Cole's words. He also knew that the birth of Obscurus usually occurred when young wizards were persecuted and harbored extreme hatred, generating dark power. Although Ben usually didn't say much, he had a good relationship with Draco. Several children of the Black family often went to Malfoy Manor to play with Draco.
"I understand, as long as you can solve it. Avery still harbors resentment about John killing his father and has hated the Black family all these years."
This time, it wasn't without gain. Cole also became aware of Avery's evil intentions. The Avery family's main business was Quidditch, and Cole understood this wizarding sport. Although he didn't understand why wizards liked to chase balls on broomsticks, he respected them. Even the Quidditch competition had considerable prize money and attracted many wizards. There were many Quidditch fans in the wizarding world.
Just like football in the Muggle world, other industries derived from the Quidditch game made many pure-blood families jealous. Cole knew how much money the Avery family could make just from pre-game betting alone. Of course, this industry wasn't exclusive to the Avery family; other families were involved as well.
"Since they were the ones who provoked me first, they have to pay the price. I'm not a good person." Cole decided to intervene in Quidditch. The wizarding world's operating methods were too crude. The true capabilities of the sport weren't being explored. In this case, Cole wouldn't give up adding a golden goose to the family's assets.
"Well, good luck to you." Lucius looked at Cole's back faintly, but in his heart, he was praying for little Avery and felt sorry for the Avery family. There was nothing good to be gained from messing with Cole.