The Day of the Draw at Hogwarts

"Albus, Professor Dumbledore, you know that I have always trusted you - without reservation."

In Dumbledore's office, the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was standing in front of Dumbledore's desk, fiddling with the bowler hat in his hand. This scene looks like a primary school student being called to the office by the class teacher.

However, there are two people standing next to Fudge. One is tall, strong-looking, with short gray hair, and is unsmiling. He is one of Fudge's bodyguards, an elite member of the Ministry of Magic, and a backbone Auror. He graduated from Hogwarts. At that time, all N.E.W.Ts exam results were excellent. If Delis is a talented person, then the other person brought by Fudge is very good.

She is short and fat, with short curly mouse-brown hair and a big scary pink bow headdress. To make matters worse, she is a middle-aged aunt wearing a pink sweater. This kind of outfit even though she is two years younger. Ten years old is too young. Her big face has rough skin, thick bags under her eyes, and a big toad-like mouth. She looks like a three-dimensional Disney fugitive princess - the Frog Princess.

She is Dolores Umbridge, Fudge's close confidant and Senior Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic. A woman whose mere sight made Professor McGonagall physically uncomfortable.

Dumbledore was not alone. As the vice-principal of the school, Professor McGonagall was also obliged to be present when the Minister of Magic came. Of course, her presence also made the atmosphere less like a leadership lecture and more like a negotiation. Otherwise, if one person sits behind the desk and the other three people stand in front of the desk, wouldn't that be the famous scene: "The Three of Us"?

At this time, Umbridge took over Fudge's words. She coughed twice and cleared her throat. Fudge also stopped talking nonsense and looked at Umbridge with a smile.

"The Ministry of Magic's attitude towards Hogwarts has always been to provide the most and best help possible, but the Ministry of Magic also has to serve the witchcraft in the UK. Recently, we have received news that Hogwarts Castle A three-headed dog and a giant monster appeared inside, and the lives, health and safety of hundreds of students were seriously threatened. Of course, we think this statement is ridiculous and a despicable slander without any sense of honor——"

"Then what are you doing here?" Professor McGonagall couldn't help but complain.

"Oh?" Umbridge looked shocked as if she had heard some strange talk, "Process! Minerva, process! We are a serious and responsible organization. The Minister and many Ministry of Magic officials work day and night. Our work is for the basic interests of the wizarding community - so since someone proposes this, we need to respond. Minerva, don't worry, it's just a 'routine inspection'..."

"So you are going to conduct a search of Hogwarts?" Professor McGonagall heard the implication of her words.

"In principle, that's the case. Your reaction is a bit puzzling to me." Umbridge showed a sweet smile, "There is a saying among us: If people don't know what you are doing, they won't understand it." I know you did something wrong. To be honest, the Ministry of Magic never knew what Hogwarts was doing..."

Then, regardless of Professor McGonagall's ugly expression, she turned directly to Fudge.

Fudge showed an expression of fake regret, then without hesitation took out a search warrant and started the search of Hogwarts. They headed straight for Hagrid's hut. After all, Hagrid has a criminal record! When he was in school, he kept an extremely dangerous Acromantula, causing the death of a student. After being expelled, it was said that he remained stubborn and had strange feelings for various magical animals.

If not, who would he check? If he really has a problem there, the Ministry of Magic can naturally use this as an excuse to send an official in to supervise the magical animal issues at Hogwarts.

Several people entered Hagrid's hut, but to Fudge's disappointment, there was nothing unusual here. It looked like an ordinary hunter's cabin.

"Why are there so many brandy bottles and dead chickens?" Delis looked curiously at the brandy bottles stuffed in the cupboard and the dead chickens hanging from the ceiling in the kitchen.

Hagrid said honestly: "I heard that chicken blood brandy can strengthen the body, so I made some."

Delis looked at Hagrid's majestic body and couldn't help being speechless: Do you still need to replenish your body?

But he suddenly realized something. He leaned over and coughed twice, "Well, tonifying the body, does it mean - that kind of tonifying?"

Hagrid was a little confused, but nodded.

Delis thought for a while and took a bottle of chicken blood brandy from the kitchen. "Then can I take one bottle away?" he asked with some expectation. Hagrid naturally had no reason to stop him.

Delis happily hugged his brandy bottle and left the hut. Fudge frowned, feeling that things were not that simple, and then he also took a bottle - it is said that it can replenish the body, so give it a try! If it works, I'll ask for another batch.

But this matter cannot be covered up by two bottles of brandy. When they arrived outside the house, Umbridge made another suggestion.

"I heard that Principal Dumbledore said to the students at the beginning of the school year, 'Anyone who does not want to suffer an accident and die in pain should not enter the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor.' I don't quite understand the meaning of this sentence. ——But in this case, is it convenient for us to go there and have a look? With a wizard like you here, we won't encounter any accidents, right?"

In her opinion, the corridor on the fourth floor was very suspicious. If the three-headed dog was hidden there, everything would make sense. Why do people who enter encounter accidents and die painful deaths? Of course it’s because if you go in, you’ll be eaten by a three-headed dog!

Umbridge suddenly became energetic. She quickly moved her short legs and ran to the fourth floor in one breath. As a bureaucrat who sits in an office all year round, it would be difficult for her to run all the way to the fourth floor. When they arrived on the fourth floor, everyone's breath was a little disturbed.

Dumbledore calmly opened the wooden door for Fudge with his own hands, revealing a dilapidated classroom, even the ceiling was somewhat rotten. Not to mention the three-headed dog, it didn't even soak in dog poop.

"This corridor is in disrepair and needs to be renovated, but the school's funds are tight, so it has been put on hold," Dumbledore said slowly, as if chatting, "For safety reasons, I have closed this corridor."

Fudge's face suddenly turned red. The funding for Hogwarts from the Ministry of Magic has indeed been reduced year by year in the past two years, even the subsidies for orphans and hemp students have been deducted...

Delis glanced at Dumbledore strangely, "A restoration spell can solve it." He took out his wand, "Recover as before!"

Nothing happened, and a brick even fell down.

There was an air of embarrassment in the air.