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Level Two, Underground – Ministry of Magic
George stepped out of the magical elevator and passed through two heavy oak doors. In front of him was an open-concept office space divided into several small cubicles.
This was the Auror Command Center. Each cubicle was occupied by an Auror.
"Hey, George!"
Led by Tonks, a few Aurors who used to frequently visit his shop for free meals immediately stood up in excitement and ran over the moment they saw George at the entrance.
"I can't believe you actually joined the Ministry—and in the same department as us! If I hadn't confirmed it with the director myself, I would've thought it was a joke!"
A few days ago, she had received a letter from George saying he would be reporting to the Ministry today, but she genuinely thought he was joking.
Although she had been at Hogwarts that day, as a newly promoted Auror, she had only been assigned to outer perimeter security. She hadn't heard the conversations between Fudge and George inside.
And afterward, she had to sign a confidentiality agreement, meaning she wasn't allowed to speak about anything that happened that day.
So she had no idea that George had taken the Ultimate Wizarding Exam, graduated early, and was now joining the Ministry.
At the time, she had been impressed by George's strength—being able to subdue Sirius Black and a Hogwarts professor. Part of her attention had also been drawn to that professor.
Because, well... he was rather good-looking.
"Life is full of surprises. I didn't expect to graduate and start working this soon either," George replied with a chuckle, hugging Tonks in greeting.
Honestly, it was a good thing the wizarding world didn't have any laws prohibiting child labor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to enter the Ministry this early.
After a quick chat with Tonks and the others, he crossed the Auror office hall and arrived at the section designated for the Misuse of Magic Office.
This area split into three corridors.
At the end of the dim and shabby hallway was the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, staffed by just two wizards—one of whom was Arthur Weasley, Ron's father.
The second corridor was noticeably brighter and cleaner. It led to the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects Office, staffed by over a dozen wizards.
The third corridor led to the Head Office for the Misuse of Magic—George's destination.
The door was open. He stepped in a few paces and was immediately met with an overwhelmingly pink, girlishly-decorated room.
Gaudy lace trim and cat-themed ornaments were everywhere. It looked nothing like a serious office for a department head.
Seated at the desk was a middle-aged witch, approaching forty. Her face was broad and sagging, with short, curly hair adorned with a tiny black velvet bow.
And that pink dress she wore… it was a real eyesore.
Now, being old and unattractive wasn't a crime—but dressing like a teenage girl when you looked like that was just downright awkward.
If it weren't for the fact that he had just joined and couldn't directly take her place by eliminating her, George honestly felt like making her disappear right then and there. She was simply too much of an eyesore.
Of course, how long Umbridge would remain alive would depend entirely on her attitude moving forward.
If she behaved anything like she did in the original story—harsh and petty—then George wouldn't hesitate to make her vanish early. He had plenty of ways to secure a promotion.
Even if he didn't get promoted, it wasn't a big deal. His main goal in joining the Ministry was to gain experience and deepen his understanding of this world's magic. Becoming Minister would simply make that journey more entertaining.
If he wanted to be blunt and ruthless, he could just learn from Voldemort and use the Imperius Curse to control the entire Ministry leadership. With his power, he'd do it better than Voldemort ever did. But that wouldn't be much of a learning experience.
"Are you Director Umbridge? I'm George, the new assistant."
George knocked on the door. Umbridge looked up, forcing on a very fake smile.
"George, come in quickly. The Minister has already spoken to me about you."
She didn't dare underestimate this new assistant. The Minister personally came by yesterday to give instructions—to treat him well. It was obvious he was highly favored.
She had looked over George's files. He was indeed powerful, exceptional even, and was about to receive an award.
But that wasn't the main point. The real reason was George's strong background—not only was he admired by the Minister, but Dumbledore had personally written a recommendation letter for him. The Deputy Director of International Magical Cooperation had also spent heavily in recent times to build connections across departments on George's behalf.
She herself had never risen from a lowly Ministry intern tasked with cleaning duties to become the director of the Magical Law Enforcement Department through strength or talent. Her climb had been fueled by sycophancy and opportunism.
If George were an ordinary graduate, he'd be her personal servant—dare to disobey her even slightly, and she would ensure he never rose in the Ministry.
But George was obviously not ordinary. That meant she had to adopt a different approach.
"To achieve so much at such a young age... no wonder the Minister admires you so much."
After the onboarding paperwork was done, Umbridge squinted at George.
Though her words sounded like praise, her heart burned with jealousy.
She remembered how much she had suffered when she first joined the Ministry—how much she had to grovel and flatter others, how many sacrifices she made to reach her current position. And here was George, only twelve years old, already her assistant.
More than that, he might even replace her as director someday.
"A threat, indeed."
She wouldn't openly make things difficult for George, but she also wouldn't let him shine or earn merit that could one day cost her the job—unless she herself advanced to Department Head.
"George, you've just started. You don't need to do much yet—just get to know your colleagues. I'll call on you if anything comes up."
She had another assistant find George a workspace in the outer office area and then left him alone.
George was someone she needed to keep an eye on, but not obsess over. Her real rival was Rufus Scrimgeour, the Auror Office director.
So she clung tightly to the Minister, flattering and trying to read his mind.
For George, this was a comfortable arrangement. Though his physical form was just a thoughtform, he wasn't about to waste time on busywork.
He spent the morning visiting various departments, making acquaintances, and learning about their applications of magic.
By afternoon, just after starting work, he was summoned by the Minister—because a press conference was about to begin.
This conference wasn't just for the Ministry's top brass. Representing Wizengamot were Dumbledore and Sirius Black himself.
"Now, please welcome the greatest hero of this event, George, assistant of the Magical Law Enforcement Department—our little hero!"
Under Fudge's booming voice, countless magical cameras flashed continuously as George, dressed in a small tailored suit, stepped onto the stage.
...
(End of Chapter)