Lupin looked unsurprised as Fudge and the Aurors came calling once again. He took a deep breath and tried hard to resist the urge to mimic Snape's biting sarcasm.
Although he had long known from various sources that the current Minister of Magic was thoroughly incompetent, facing him in person still managed to make Lupin's blood pressure rise.
"Sirius has gone after Peter Pettigrew," Lupin said, forcing himself to maintain a calm and gentle tone.
"Even though you've personally admitted that the matter is suspicious and that Sirius is innocent... he hopes to catch Peter Pettigrew with his own hands and exact revenge."
"What?! He has a lead on Peter Pettigrew? How did he get it? And how can he guarantee he'll catch him?"
Fudge demanded loudly and his small eyes glinted with cunning, as if silently saying, "Finally, I've caught you slipping."
Lupin inhaled deeply and exhaled again.
"Sirius never guaranteed that. He simply hopes he can catch him! He's putting in his utmost effort—something your Ministry of Magic has utterly failed to do when it comes to an escaped convict!"
Lupin couldn't resist adding a sarcastic jab.
He had already realized that Fudge wasn't just unintelligent; he was also stubborn.
In Fudge's mind, a predetermined conclusion had already taken shape, and no matter the situation, he would bend everything to fit that narrative.
Sure enough, Fudge skeptically said:
"Hmm? How can you be sure he's genuinely trying to capture him and not working to cover it up? I've heard about your school days. Apparently, Sirius has been unruly from the moment he enrolled and caused quite a lot of trouble..."
Lupin's anger flared, and he raised his eyebrows. "Minister, do you think you know Sirius better than I do? He is—"
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A sudden knock on the door interrupted Lupin mid-sentence. Everyone froze for a moment, and then they saw Harry, who had been silent all this time, run to open the door.
"Wade!"
Harry's surprised voice came from the doorway.
"It's been a few days, Harry. Here's a gift I brought you from America."
Wade handed Harry a brightly colored jar of candies and asked, "Where are Remus and Sirius?"
"Um… Sirius went out, and Remus is home," Harry answered cautiously, not understanding Wade's intent.
"I also brought gifts for them..."
Wade entered the room and glanced around at the people in the living room. As if only just noticing the situation, he exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, I didn't know you were entertaining guests."
"No, Minister Fudge is here to take Sirius for an investigation—"
Lupin had barely begun his explanation when Fudge interrupted him.
"Wade! So glad to see you!"
The chubby minister raised his voice, and eagerly stepped forward to shake hands. "I must say, Steaming Mirror is an extraordinary invention! And Book of Friends—no wizard can do without it anymore!"
"Hello, Minister," Wade replied politely, and shook his hand.
"Hahaha, I wanted to say this the last time I was at Hogwarts, but unfortunately, I didn't get the chance."
Fudge said with a beaming smile: "Using something as incredible as the Streaming Mirror to broadcast those minor sports games is such a waste. I believe it should play a greater role in promoting Ministry policies…"
Fudge had long been eager to establish a good relationship with this young prodigy of alchemy, but he had never found the opportunity. Even during his last visit to Hogwarts, he failed to strike up a conversation.
Now, unexpectedly encountering Wade at the Black household was, for Fudge, like a large piece of cake falling into the hands of a starving man. Sirius was instantly pushed to the back of his mind, and his attitude became noticeably warm and enthusiastic.
"Actually, we've thought about that too. But we weren't sure if the Ministry would find it inappropriate for journalists to use the Streaming Mirror to record broadcasts…"
Wade responded with a smile as well, and his tone carried a hint of anticipation. "If you don't mind, could you arrange for Madam Umbridge to collaborate with us on a promotional project?"
"Umbridge?"
Fudge's smile faltered slightly, turning a bit stiff. "You know Umbridge?"
His first thought was frustration—Umbridge had known about my desire to connect with Wade Grey, so why didn't she help make an introduction earlier?
Only then did he hear Wade's explanation.
"No, I've only met Madam Umbridge twice. But she probably doesn't know me."
"Who's Umbridge?"
Harry, utterly confused, couldn't resist whispering to Lupin.
In truth, Lupin wasn't sure either. But Wade overheard the question and turned with a cheerful explanation:
"She's the Senior Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic. I've heard she was an outstanding student during her school days and has performed remarkably since joining the Ministry.
She's been promoted quickly and is now just one step away from becoming Minister!"
Hearing this, the Aurors—who were well aware that Umbridge's rise was entirely due to her false flattery of superiors and stealing credit from others—exchanged odd looks, and their expressions grew increasingly strange.
"And Madam Umbridge is also very elegant, gentle, and full of childlike wonder," Wade continued.
"She loves cats—although I haven't spent time with her personally, people who love cats are usually kind at heart, broad-minded, and responsible. Madam Umbridge must be like that too, right?"
At this point, Harry, who had never met Umbridge, took these words at face value. Imagining a noble and gentle woman, he said longingly, "She sounds wonderful—it's a pity I've never met her."
"You'll definitely get the chance! Who knows, she might show up on the Streaming Mirror in the next couple of days!" Wade said.
The Aurors: "..."
Please, stop. We're about to lose it.
The person these two were talking about bore no resemblance whatsoever to the tyrannical, self-righteous, cold-blooded, control-obsessed "pink toad" they knew.
Lupin noticed the strange expressions on the others' faces and started to suspect that the truth about Umbridge might not align with Wade's description. Yet he couldn't figure out why Wade was speaking this way.
As for Fudge, even though Umbridge was "one of his own," he couldn't help but feel like he'd just swallowed a fly.
The discomfort deepened when Wade continued:
"—I believe Madam Umbridge has a strong chance of becoming the next Minister. With her abilities, she's certainly no less competent than Minister Millicent Bagnold!"
"Minister Fudge, don't you agree? I've heard that Madam Umbridge is one of your most trusted subordinates—you must know her capabilities better than anyone."
Fudge sat there, expressionless, thinking: What abilities? Her talent for flattery? Or her ambition to push for something more than a professional relationship with me?
He had always thought Umbridge's words were pleasing, as if she could read his mind, but for the first time, he felt she was utterly revolting.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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