A team of wizards arrived at Buckingham Palace, and among them was the new young Minister of Magic, Nobby Leach.
As the first Muggle-born wizard minister in history, he was familiar with the Muggle world and its royal family. Accompanying him were staff from several grassroots offices of the Ministry of Magic.
Queen Elizabeth II sat at the end of the long table, her eyes filled with anxiety and majesty. "Mr. Leach, can you tell us what kind of magic this is? Why didn't you, the talented wizard guardians, notice this earlier?"
Nobby nodded amiably, but couldn't help complaining in his heart: "What do you mean by why? This curse has been in your family for hundreds of years! It was you who banned wizards from entering the palace at will!"
"Your Majesty, I have examined the stone carefully. It is the most intricate and exquisite spell I have ever seen. As it is engraved on the stone, it belongs to King Arthur and is blessed by Merlin."
Nobby paused and continued to explain: "This magic is designed to be hidden. No one in the world can easily find it. After all, the caster is Merlin. You must have heard of his legend. He is a real legendary wizard in our magical world."
The queen took a deep breath. If what she said was true, then the authenticity of the stone tablet was almost certain.
She asked anxiously, "Is there any way to find out who this so-called new king is?"
Nobby thought for a moment and said, "Not yet. This magic is too powerful. It is very likely that the identity and name of the heir have been tampered with by magic, making it impossible for us to guess. The best way now is to look through all the Muggle household registration books and search for someone named Pendragon."
"If you find one, take him to Green Nott and have the child take the inheritance test. Or, if the child is a wizard, his name may have been recorded on the Hogwarts admission list."
"Admission list?" The Queen looked puzzled.
"That book records the names of all magical children in Great Britain and Ireland. Whenever a child accidentally performs magic, their name will be automatically recorded." The Minister of Magic explained patiently.
Hope ignited in the queen's eyes: "Then... can we find the name from there?"
Nobby cleared his throat and said seriously, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm afraid that won't work. That book is an important property of Hogwarts, and only the headmaster and deputy headmaster are allowed to look through it. And it's only used to send out acceptance letters when children are 11 years old."
"Can we talk to Dumbledore about this..." the Queen asked tentatively.
Nobby's eyes widened, his heart surging with fear. "Does she want me to go against Dumbledore or bribe him? This is simply crazy!"
He quickly denied: "No, ma'am, you may not know that Dumbledore is a well-known hero and very influential in the wizarding world. He will never help you with something that violates the rules."
The Queen became increasingly frustrated: "Then tell me, if this child is found, will he really have the highest right of succession to the British throne?"
Nobby stared at the words on the stone tablet. He shuddered at the thought of the curse that the great wizard might cast. "Madam, if he is the true heir and has passed the inheritance test of the goblins, I'm afraid you will have to give up the throne. Otherwise, this curse may force you..."
He didn't finish his words, but the meaning was clear.
The queen hurriedly asked, "Is there any way to get rid of the curse?"
"First, we need to find out the specific content of the curse. Even so, the hope is slim. Merlin was taught by the great ancient wizard Salazar Slytherin, and Slytherin is one of the strongest dark wizards in history, especially good at the art of curse."
The Queen naturally understood the meaning of these words and suppressed her uneasiness: "So, we have to bear the curse first, and then you can find a way to lift it... Thank you for taking the time to come, Mr. Leach. Please enjoy some refreshments before leaving..."
She hurriedly left the room and went straight to the study, calling her assistant: "Search all household registers immediately and find me anyone with Pendragon in their name!"
The queen's chest heaved violently with rage. The hard work of her and her family for generations was now under serious threat. The feeling of despair almost overwhelmed her: "We must find this person at all costs!"
…
10 Privet Drive.
Meanwhile, Magnus had returned home safely and was feasting on his favorite food.
"How is it, Magnus? Is it delicious?" Grace looked at her son with loving eyes.
Magnus smiled widely even as his mouth was full of food: "It's delicious! My mom's chocolate waffles are the best!"
"Haha, that's good! After eating, wash up and go to bed. You've been tired all day." Adam also reminded with a smile.
"Okay, Dad!" Magnus responded happily.
Although his parents were in the military, they were officers, not ordinary soldiers. Grace was a heart surgeon and Adam was a mechanical engineer. Although the military salary was not generous, the family's life was stable and comfortable. The two fell in love when they were students, and they planned their future from then on. They both joined the army after graduating from college.
Magnus knew that his mother had always dreamed of owning her own hospital one day, and his father's greatest wish was to help his mother realize this dream.
But they all know that the money needed to build a hospital is astronomical.
Grace tucked in the quilt for her son and kissed him gently on the forehead: "You scared me yesterday."
Magnus looked away guiltily: "I'm sorry, Mom."
"It's okay, baby, go to sleep!" Grace stood up and prepared to leave.
"Mom..." Magnus suddenly called her, with a bright smile on his face, "When I grow up, I will build you the largest hospital in the world, I promise!"
Grace couldn't help but smile, her eyes full of relief: "Mom believes in you, go to sleep!"
She closed the door gently, leaving Magnus alone.
The little guy opened his bright blue eyes and looked at the ceiling. He was excited at the thought of growing up quickly and making his parents happy.
Taking one last look at his favorite superhero poster on the wall, he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep in the dim light outside the window.
…
Minister of Magic Nobby Leach has always been a thorn in the eyes of many pure-blood wizards.
On the day he took office, many pure-blood wizards angrily resigned from the Ministry of Magic.
But recently, he had contracted a strange disease for no apparent reason. He suspected that Abraxas Malfoy was behind it, but he had no solid evidence, so even if he accused him, it would probably be useless.
In desperation, he placed his only hope on Dumbledore, intending to exchange the information at hand to see if he could find an antidote.
He had even decided to resign as Minister - he had become the first Muggle-born Minister of Magic, had made his position clear, and there was no need to risk his life again.
…
Hogwarts.
Dumbledore's white hair was combed meticulously, his long white beard was tied into a braid, he wore a pointed wizard hat and a white robe, and he still looked old - after all, in everyone's eyes, this image made him look more wise.
He has only been president for four years and is working hard to gradually expand his influence.
Upon learning that the Muggle Minister was visiting, he went to greet him personally: "Welcome to Hogwarts, Minister Leach. I have not been notified of your visit."
"Ah, Dumbledore, I'm here for a private matter this time, so don't be so formal. Just call me Nobby." Nobby said.
He didn't like being called "Litch" in the first place. He felt unhappy when the queen called him that before, but he couldn't care less about that now.
Dumbledore nodded confidently, as if he had seen through everything. "Then perhaps my office is more suitable for us to discuss in detail over tea."
The two of them came to the headmaster's office, Dumbledore poured two cups of tea and asked gently, "So, Minister Nobby, what can I do for you?"