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*****
"I understand what the Minister means. Don't worry, I know exactly what to say."
Half an hour later, at the entrance of the shop, George smiled at Fudge as he spoke.
Fudge nodded in satisfaction and put on his hat.
"George, you're quite impressive. I admire you. You have a bright future in the Ministry of Magic!"
He had originally thought this visit might be troublesome—worried that George might be too rigid and inflexible—but to his surprise, everything went smoothly.
Despite his young age, George spoke and acted with the skill of someone who had been navigating the Ministry for over a decade. Without the need for explicit instructions, he could grasp the subtleties of what was being implied. His mind was sharp and quick.
So when Fudge said he admired George, he truly meant it. George had both strength and competence, and he also understood how to adapt. Even without Fudge's deliberate help, a wizard like him would undoubtedly thrive within the Ministry.
To be honest, with such potential, Fudge would have tried to win George over to his faction even without this incident—just to strengthen his own influence in the Ministry.
After all, being Minister for Magic didn't mean his word was absolute.
In fact, he hadn't even been the original choice for the position. Barty Crouch had been the favorite, but due to his son's scandal and Dumbledore's recommendation, Fudge had managed to secure the post instead.
That's why, over the years, many within the Ministry had remained unconvinced of his authority—especially the faction led by the Deputy Minister.
If this matter wasn't handled properly, there was a real chance the Deputy Minister would lead an effort to impeach him and force him out of office.
"In the future, I hope you'll continue to look after me, Minister."
George narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Fudge leave Knockturn Alley with the Aurors.
The matter Fudge had brought was simple. Three days later, on the day George was to officially join the Ministry, there would be a press conference.
George was to speak on behalf of the Ministry. Fudge hoped he would not let anything slip and ideally, he would say a few words that painted both the Ministry and Fudge himself in a favorable light.
Naturally, George was more than happy to go along—it was a chance to show where he stood politically, paving the way for his upcoming appointment as Director of the Office for the Prohibition of Improper Use of Magic.
Closing the door and returning to the shop, he resumed his research on the Thoughtform Spell.
He had actually been studying this magic for a while, but since he hadn't needed to use it urgently, progress had been slow.
After all, there were just too many spells he needed to study.
Now that he was about to begin his role at the Ministry, he wanted to ensure that his magical research wouldn't suffer due to work. So he accelerated his work on the Thoughtform Spell, and within the next couple of days, he expected to complete it.
The Thoughtform Spell allows the caster to create a controllable clone to act on their behalf, but it also cuts their strength in half.
However, in this world, even at half strength, George didn't believe any wizard could truly threaten him—so the drawback wasn't much of an issue here.
In places like Middle-Earth or Academy City, the spell would be less useful. If the Thoughtform were destroyed and his real body couldn't recover in time, it could be dangerous when facing persistent enemies.
After both Fudge and George had left, the nearby shopkeepers—like those from Borgin and Burkes—finally dared to poke their heads out.
With the Minister for Magic suddenly showing up in Knockturn Alley, these shop owners, who thrived on illegal trade, had of course noticed. But since none of them knew what was going on, they had all been too scared to emerge.
Now, they finally understood that Fudge had come to see George.
They had thought George only had ties with the Aurors, but now they saw that he could chat so cordially even with the Minister himself—he was clearly not someone they could afford to offend.
Last summer, when George returned to Knockturn Alley, he had already shown these wizards just how formidable he was. But that was individual strength. Many of them had planned to team up and teach him a lesson this summer.
Now, however, they realized George had not only raw power but also a powerful background. Not only did they no longer dare to provoke him, they were now worried he might bear a grudge—and come after them in retaliation.
"Who would've thought that little Dora, the slave-like child from two years ago, would change so dramatically."
The shopkeepers exchanged glances, silently communicating with one another, and then quietly retreated into their stores.
Three days later, George arrived at the Ministry of Magic, dressed in a typical wizard's suit worn by adult men of this era. His hair was neatly combed in a grown-up style, and he carried a briefcase—mostly for decoration. With a soft pop, he Apparated into the Ministry.
The grand, resplendent lobby shimmered with gold. Two rows of gilded fireplaces, the striking Fountain of Magical Brethren, and crowds of bustling wizards filled the space. It wasn't George's first visit to the Ministry, but today felt completely different.
Because today, he was reporting for duty.
When he arrived at the reception desk on the first floor, George hadn't even spoken yet when the pretty witch behind the counter smiled and asked:
"Hello, young man. Can I help you with something?"
"I'm George, a recent graduate of Hogwarts. I'm here to report to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
He handed over his letter of employment.
The witch's expression shifted to surprise as she read the letter.
"I'm sorry, Mr. George, but you look a little younger than your age."
She handed him a registration form. "Please fill this out, and then take it with you to the magical elevator. Head to Level -2 to complete your onboarding."
Hogwarts graduates are typically around seventeen or eighteen years old. While George was taller than most boys his age, his face clearly didn't look like someone in their late teens.
So the witch simply assumed he had a youthful appearance.
But when she saw George write "age: twelve" on the form, her pupils visibly contracted.
"Twelve years old, already graduated from Hogwarts, and now joining the Ministry? And in the most competitive department, no less—the Department of Magical Law Enforcement... Is this kid the child of someone important?"
Watching George walk off with his form toward the magical elevator, the witch's curiosity ignited like wildfire. She immediately began gossiping with nearby colleagues about who George really was.
"Did you hear? The Minister has an illegitimate son named George. He joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement today."
"No way. I heard he's Dumbledore's long-lost grandson."
"Dumbledore didn't even have a wife—how could he have a grandson? I heard he's the child of Amelia Susan Bones, the head of the department."
"You really don't know anything. Director Bones never married either. The only relative she has is a niece named Susan who attends Hogwarts—and she's a girl."
"See? I still say he's the Minister's illegitimate child. Who else could open such a huge back door for someone?"
Within less than an hour, various rumors began circulating throughout the Ministry in different versions.
After all, it was unheard of for someone to graduate from Hogwarts at just twelve and land a job in the most sought-after department. Since the founding of the Ministry, nothing like this had ever happened—no wonder everyone found it so suspicious.
So even before George finished completing his onboarding procedures, he had already become a hot topic among the Ministry's junior staff.
(End of Chapter)