Volume 1 Chapter 59 Banquet Hall and Principal's Office (Part 2)
The dinner was coming to an end.
And every wizard here knows very well that the gentleman has not announced the most important thing.
On the podium, teachers and students who had not seen each other for a long time seemed to be chatting happily. No one dared to urge them to go back to bed because it was already late. As long as the teacher did not speak, the dinner would never end.
Finally, the wizard next to the platform heard the gentleman's casual words.
"When you come to me, just be the Minister of Magic for the time being, teacher. It just so happens that Cornelius just talked to me and he feels incapable of managing the Ministry of Magic."
The faces of the wizards all paused when they heard this, but they soon reacted and continued chatting and laughing. Only Cornelius Fudge, who had always been trying to please the gentleman, froze the pug-like smile on his face.
But this stiffness only lasted for less than two seconds, and his round face was once again filled with a chrysanthemum-like smile.
"Ah, it would be great if Dean Slughorn could take over my position. His abilities are obvious to all. I believe that the Ministry of Magic will become even better under his leadership."
Slughorn kept a smile on his face throughout the whole process and politely declined.
"I'm already so old, I really don't have the energy to run the Ministry of Magic for you. You should just find me a leisurely job and enjoy life. Of course, the salary must not be less. I heard that the pineapple preserves in Diagon Alley are not cheap."
The gentleman laughed. He did not seem so determined to make Slughorn Minister for Magic. His initial remarks seemed to be made casually.
"The teacher is right. It's time for you to enjoy life. But candied pineapple is really not cheap. The salary of a normal job can't afford to buy you food every day."
He seemed to have thought of something and turned to look at Fudge.
"I remember you said that Thorfinn, who was in charge of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, didn't want to do it anymore?"
Fudge smiled and said, "He has been complaining that there is no way to communicate with those Frenchmen. During the previous meetings, he even got to the point of using wands. He also told you about this before, saying that he actually wanted to return to being a Death Eater."
"Then let him go back. After tonight, the escort team will probably have a few vacancies. Let him count one as one."
He said it lightly, his voice still as casual, but this time it carried a tone that could not be refused.
"Teacher, you can be the Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I feel much more at ease handing it over to you than to those baboons who can only wave wands. You can also add a position of Deputy Minister of Magic. After all, you are my teacher, so even if you become the Director, you can't just be the Director."
Slughorn did not refuse this time. He smiled and nodded, but glanced at Fudge from the corner of his eye, who looked obviously relieved.
He knew clearly that in the future in the Ministry of Magic, even without the explicit instructions of his students, this puppet-like minister would definitely keep an eye on him all the time, and this was exactly what his students wanted to see.
The gentleman played with the blood-red stone in his hand, and finally picked up the goblet beside him.
He did not stand up, but sat in the main seat, gently raised his wine glass, and spoke loudly to all the wizards in the banquet hall.
"For the purest bloodline!"
Below the stage, wizards and witches raised their glasses and gave speeches for the final moments of the dinner.
"For the purest bloodline!"
…
Fox on the golden branch was combing his colorful feathers with his sharp beak.
When Dumbledore mentioned his failure, there was no expression of frustration or shame on his face. He still spoke calmly.
"The Dark Lord's talent in magic, especially in black magic, is unprecedented. But before that, his will was always very chaotic, even crazy. This made his black magic more powerful and uncontrollable, but also made him affected by the will of magic, rather than controlling magic with his will. He and his organization brought unspeakable terror to the magic world, and this terror only made countless people spontaneously oppose his rule."
"But one day, he changed in a way that no one knew about. He became more like his former self, good at disguise, knowing how to disguise his desires with nobler goals, knowing how to unite the people around him with things other than violence, and knowing how to truly master his own power."
"After that, the wind direction of the wizarding world began to change. He almost completely eroded the Ministry of Magic without any notice. At that time, Hogwarts Castle became the only place that could compete with him. It was at that time that he took the initiative to ask me for a fair duel. On the day of the duel, he led his men to attack Hogwarts Castle at night."
"The students hid in the kitchens in the basement, the teachers and others who opposed his rule fought in the corridors, lawns, classrooms and other parts of the castle, and he and I had the final showdown in the astronomy tower, the tallest tower in the castle."
Jon held his breath, and through Dumbledore's narration, his mind subconsciously imagined the scene of that tragic night.
There were battles everywhere in Hogwarts Castle. Death Eaters kept falling down, and professors in Hogwarts dying. But the only thing that could decide the outcome of this war was on that high tower.
But in the end...
"In the end, I lost." Dumbledore said calmly, "His spell knocked me to the ground, and the killing curse on his wand had already lit up. I still remember clearly what he said to me: 'Professor Dumbledore, I have proved to you that the most powerful magic in the world is not that bullshit love, but something greater and more fascinating!' Then before he released the killing curse, it was Fawkes who saved me. That night he successfully ruled the entire British wizarding world."
He stared at the elderberry wand in his hand, and there was not much regret in his words, but rather some emotion and relaxation.
"From that day on, this wand became ordinary in my hand, because I was no longer worthy of being its master."
"As for your second question, Jon, whether he is truly invincible or not, as a loser, I cannot give you a definite answer, but what I can tell you is that even if he has defeated me once, he cannot guarantee that he will be able to defeat me the second or third time like he did the first time, even if the wand in my hand can no longer exert its full power."
Dumbledore said seriously.
"The source of his extremely powerful strength is unknown, but this strength must be unstable, otherwise he wouldn't want to drag it out with me like this, letting time wear away my magic power. Since he is afraid of something, it means he is still far from being invincible."
Jon was silent.
He finally got the answer he had always wanted to know from Dumbledore. Not only did Voldemort kill Harry Potter that night, he also became stronger and saner than before.
But even Dumbledore himself didn't know why things turned out like this.
Or maybe he had actually found out some things, but his trust in Jon was far from the point where he would tell him everything he knew.
Even what he was talking to Jon about now, Jon felt was a bit too much.
Before tonight, the number of times they had communicated with each other could be counted on one hand, but why should she say ?
Just because Jon discovered Slughorn's secret of going undercover?
Jon felt that the conversation between him and Dumbledore tonight would not be so simple, and there must be a deeper purpose in the end.
Just when he thought of this, Dumbledore looked at him and suddenly asked.
"I heard from Horace that you have a great talent for Occlumency?"
Jon was stunned at first, then nodded slightly.
"The teacher did say that I learned this magic quite well."
Dumbledore's eyes became serious and he asked sincerely.
"So Jon, would you be willing to help me do something?"
