Ivan: Fudge! How Dare You Defame My Innocence?!

The Ministry of Magic arrived far sooner than Ivan had expected, and he had only just finished breakfast when Fudge arrived.

In other words, the Ministry of Magic should only have been in office for a short time, and the current Minister had already rushed over. It was clear how much importance the Ministry placed on this matter…

Ivan shook his head and sighed inwardly. If he had been this efficient at other things, he would not be where he was today.

"Ivan, is something wrong?" Hermione had also heard Fox's cry, and she recognized Dumbledore's phoenix.

Sirius, Harry, and Ron stopped talking and looked at Ivan.

"No, it's nothing. Professor Dumbledore wanted to see me about something. I think it's because the Ministry couldn't wait and came early!"

Yvonne stood up and reached out her hand, and Fox, who had flown in through the window, stopped on his arm.

Ivan then looked at Sirius and spoke to them.

"In addition, I think it would be best to postpone your celebration until after the trial. Sirius's name will not be cleared before the trial, so it would be best if he did not leave the school without permission, in case someone finds a reason to attack Professor Dumbledore…"

At Ivan's words, Harry and the others, who had been in high spirits, wilted.

Sirius realised this as well. He had been so happy that he had forgotten his status as a fugitive. If he had gone outside openly, he might have caused a scene…

Seeing that they understood the need to remain at Hogwarts, Ivan left them alone and headed out of the Great Hall.

"Yes, it's quite like that! I don't suppose anyone will find out?"

When the changes had stabilized, Ivan used Transfiguration to get a full-length mirror and examined it.

After all, they were going to see Minister for Magic Fudge, which was different from fooling the professors at school. If they were exposed, they would be doomed.

In keeping with Dumbledore's tastes, Ivan went so far as to put on a set of flashy purple robes to make himself look like a headmaster…

"What do you think, Fox?" Yvonne asked, cocking her head at the phoenix with its golden-red feathers.

Fox stared at the mirror for a moment, then nodded. It gave nothing away.

Ivan was relieved when he saw Minister for Magic Fudge approaching with a large group of Aurors.

Yvonne frowned, knowing that Fudge was up to no good, but he quickly composed himself and went to meet him.

"Cornelius, it's been a long time!" Ivan greeted them warmly, pretending not to notice the hostility on their faces.

Fudge didn't appreciate it at all. He rushed to Ivan's side, his eyes blazing with anger, and closed the distance between them.

"Albus… what exactly are you planning to do?"

"Doing what needs to be done, of course, such as finding the culprits of the current unrest…" said Ivan, raising his eyebrows nonchalantly.

"That's the job of a Ministry Auror!" Fudge interrupted angrily.

"Don't ever say that, Cornelius! This is also a threat to the safety of all students, and as Headmaster of Hogwarts, how can I ignore it? And I'm more than willing to do what I can for the wizarding community," Ivan explained calmly.

"Then you should have discussed it with me first, instead of going off on your own…" Fudge said hotly.

Fudge knew full well that Dumbledore was responsible for the Daily Prophet's publication today, or they would not have dared publish such a thing without his permission.

"How could I forget you, old friend? In fact, I've sent an owl with a letter from me to explain all of this to you…" Ivan went on in gentle tones.

"What about your owl? I didn't see it!" Fudge demanded, as if he had reached the end of his patience, and the string in his head was about to snap.

When he arrived at the Ministry of Magic early this morning, he received hundreds of letters demanding to know the authenticity of the Daily Prophet's contents, including a large number of Howlers.

Fudge was even forced to send a commissioner to deal with the owls that tried to break into the Ministry of Magic, and to select the important letters to send to his office.

But there were no letters from Dumbledore!

In addition, the latest edition of the Daily Prophet had nearly driven him to his grave, which was why he had abandoned all his work and rushed here with the Aurors!

In the face of Fudge's questioning, Ivan spoke with regret.

"Perhaps Hogwarts is too far from the Ministry of Magic. The owl I sent will take some time to fly. If you hadn't come to me by now, you might already be reading that letter…"

The ever-cautious Ivan would never give Fudge an excuse to get at him, so he really did send a letter to the Ministry!

Only the messenger owl had left Hogwarts only ten minutes ago…

Fudge almost laughed at Ivan's words, as everyone in the wizarding world knew that Dumbledore had a phoenix, and that important messages were delivered almost instantaneously.

Moreover, even if he used an owl to deliver a letter, it was impossible for him to fly all night without arriving… The other party was obviously deliberately targeting him!

Fudge let go of his earlier reservations and sneered. "I heard from the editor of the Daily Prophet that you were the one who threatened them with this information?"

"Is that what he told you? We had such a nice chat," Ivan went on, looking at Fudge with wide, surprised eyes.

"The editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet told me that he was very willing to let you know the truth."

Ivan was not happy with Fudge's earlier comments about how a pleasant conversation had turned into a carrot and stick…

How could he accuse someone of nothing?

(PS: Seeing someone who doesn't understand Fudge's actions, the angel explains a little. Actually, changing the scene makes it very clear.)

After being tortured for more than a decade for mistaking a war hero for a spy from Cross Country, a real spy who faked his own death earned the title of hero, and now that the spy has been caught by an agent, it turns out to be a misjudgment. Do you think the higher-ups would rather just kill him and be done with it, or would they rather just announce it?

So it's not a matter of who's in power, it's a matter of scandal for the whole Ministry, and shifting the blame is fine, of course, but it's only used when there's no other way. For Western politicians who only care about profit, it's much easier to just get rid of the informed when the opportunity presents itself, and pretend that nothing has happened… it's much easier than public relations afterwards.