0309 Commendations

Words : 1386 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

0309 Commendations Amelia handled the unexpected situation that troubled Hagrid and Hermione with such ease, showcasing her abilities and the convenience of her power and authority to Bryan in full display. Truth be told, for a brief moment, Bryan seriously considered whether he should wade into the mess at the Ministry of Magic, but he quickly came to his senses. Indeed, under a stable social order, power is a very useful thing, but when social order heads towards chaos, his own strength holds more sway. Moreover, once one steps into the quagmire of power, it's not so easy to remain unscathed, just like Amelia in front of him. Amelia Bones has always had a good reputation in the wizarding world, seen as an upright witch. But even someone like her, when caught in the struggle for power, has to find ways to increase her own bargaining chips if she doesn't want to be kicked out. "Oh, ho ho, but who do we have here?" Just a minute before eight o'clock, a series of footsteps suddenly came from outside the office door. Cornelius Fudge, leading the way, opened his office door to see Bryan on the sofa and immediately showed delight, striding over with open arms. "Good morning, Minister Fudge. You're looking quite well—" Bryan rose to his feet and warmly embraced Fudge, his words accompanied by a cordial smile. "Yes, indeed, all thanks to the outstanding young hero who aided the Ministry of Magic in resolving a monumental predicament!" Cornelius Fudge said with a conspiratorial wink directed at Bryan, his expression couldn't be more friendly. Then, as if struck by a sudden recollection, he patted his forehead, stepped aside, and formally introduced the individuals who had followed in his wake into the office to Bryan. "Rufus and Dolores, you've had the pleasure of their acquaintance that fateful night, Bryan. These two are among Amelia's and my most capable assistants. Without their valuable contributions, we wouldn't be able to handle the complicated situation!" Fudge said with a beaming smile. Bryan noticed the fleeting displeasure in Amelia's eyes. Then, he realized what the problem was. Perhaps, what Fudge said was just a polite remark. Not to mention the change in attitude when they met again, smiling and assessing him coquettishly, Dolores Umbridge, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, was not someone to be taken lightly. Rufus Scrimgeour might not be in the same trench as Amelia. He was the Head of the Auror Office, a subordinate department of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. But when Amelia received him, she didn't bring along this crucial subordinate of the department. Instead, Rufus followed behind Fudge, which should be considered a snub. Bryan had encountered Rufus three times. The first time, he sent him to St. Mungo's, the second was a few nights ago when Rufus was all for attacking him, and now was the third. Bryan understood why the head of the Auror Office was cold towards him. From Rufus's reaction after seeing Bryan use the Fiendfyre Curse that night, it was clear he was someone who couldn't tolerate any flaws. Moreover, the Aurors had been tracking Greyback for years without success, only to inexplicably fall into his hands, which was almost like saying all Aurors were incompetent. "Ahem, and this—" Fudge's smile became somewhat strained as his gaze fell upon the final wizard to enter the office, "The esteemed head of the distinguished International Magical Cooperation Department, the famous Barty Crouch. Everyone in the British wizarding world knows him, and that includes you, right, Bryan?" Full of malice. Whether it was the calculated sequence of the introductions or Fudge's tone, Bryan could not fail to discern the unmistakable aura of malice that clung to Fudge's attitude towards Barty Crouch. Barty Crouch was a man in his fifties, with a chubby figure and a perpetually mismatched outfit. Unlike Fudge, who usually wore a friendly smile, Crouch stood straight with rigid movements. He wore a spotless, wide suit and a tie without a single wrinkle. His short black hair was equally neat, and the middle parting was so straight that it seemed like it was drawn with a ruler. His narrow mustache was trimmed as if it had been measured with a ruler as well. Bryan could sense the coldness in Crouch's gaze as he looked at him, rather than hostility or disgust. Bryan was somewhat surprised to hear this explanation. Fudge's decision to seize the spotlight for himself came as no great surprise – it presented an unparalleled opportunity to bolster public support and reinforce his tenuous grasp on power. As for Barty Crouch, Bryan swiftly discerned that this was likely a calculated form of compensation. After all, a "scapegoat" would soon be required to bear the brunt of responsibility for Sirius’s case. "This is a great victory. For a long time, the wizarding community has lived under the shadow of the werewolf criminal organization led by Greyback - there are many heartbreaking examples of innocent and kind wizarding residents losing their peaceful and tranquil lives due to werewolf attacks." The entrance hall of the Ministry of Magic was almost filled with reporters from various well-known media outlets at home and abroad and amidst the continuous sound of camera flashes, Fudge proclaimed with a booming voice, his face aglow, passionately denouncing the heinous crimes committed by Greyback in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds. It was as if, compared to the 'monstrous' Greyback, the darkest deeds of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were mere petty thefts. "It's incredible that not a whisper leaked from the Ministry beforehand!" Fudge boasted from the podium, while below, many Ministry employees were busy maintaining order. A sweating Mr. Weasley took a moment to catch his breath and spoke to Amos Diggory, who was also responsible for this task. "I agree with you, Arthur!" Amos Diggory, from the Department of Magical Creatures, exclaimed, "You know, Arthur, I have quite a few acquaintances in the Auror Office, but not a single one of them mentioned a word about it. Just now, I even ran into Kingsley over there, and he was very secretive about it. Oh, it's unbelievable that they actually kept silent and accomplished such a great feat!" Amos paused, his gaze drifting back towards the stage, where the unmistakable figure of Bryan Watson stood out in stark contrast to the assemblage of middle-aged witches and wizards, the majority of whom appeared to be well into their forties or beyond. "Tell me, Arthur, how much do you truly know about this Watson?" "Oh, him -" Mr. Weasley smiled cheerfully. "To be honest, I should be surprised, I mean, a wizard taking down so many werewolves. But when I found out it was Bryan, I somehow thought it was to be expected!" In the Ministry, if you had a juicy piece of gossip, you would be highly sought after. Amos's interest was piqued by Arthur’s cryptic response, and he grabbed Mr. Weasley's robe, 'ordering' him to clarify. "You all must know about last year's basilisk incident. Bryan saved my daughter Ginny and my youngest son Ron. Although Fudge claimed that Bryan was sent by the Ministry and the Hogwarts Board of Governors to the school, but in fact there was no such thing." "I've heard Cedric talk about this." Amos said enthusiastically, "He really liked Bryan Watson as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He even said that he was the only wizard in recent years to safely step down from that position. What do you think that signifies, Arthur?" A short wizard, resembling a stoat and dressed in a dark blue robe, also came over, "Perhaps—" This was Reginald Cattermole from the Magical Maintenance Department. He lowered his voice to avoid being overheard by the reporters who were everywhere. "There have been rumors for many years about the curse placed on that professorship by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and only this Bryan Watson has been the exception. Maybe—" Cattermole also stopped talking, not continuing. The reason he stopped was the same as Amos - because the speculation was too sensational, and they would find it absurd just thinking about it. ******************************* For More Chapters; /FicFrenzy

0309 Commendations

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