Cornelius Fudge's orders carried the authority of the Minister of Magic.
However, the Aurors following him didn't dare step forward to execute his orders—after all, these Ministry Aurors were mostly graduates of Hogwarts.
Were they to confiscate the wands of the professors who had once taught them?
Who would dare be the first to step up!
In any case, these Hogwarts graduates didn't dare.
Of course, if they didn't dare, there were always others who would. Seeing the reluctance on the faces of the Aurors and their delay in action, an old woman in a pink cardigan in the ranks immediately showed annoyance.
"Didn't you hear Minister Fudge's orders?" The old woman's tone was severe. She stepped forward, ready to carry out the task assigned by Cornelius Fudge herself.
"Umbridge, it's times like this we rely on you." Minister Fudge was already showing embarrassment, somewhat unable to stand his ground due to his subordinates' disregard.
Fortunately, this old woman named Dolores Umbridge promptly saved his face.
"I am always loyal to you, loyal to the Ministry of Magic, and no external force will ever sway me!" Umbridge responded obsequiously, then proceeded to confiscate McGonagall and Grindelwald's wands.
"I think you must have received some false information. Although a professor here has indeed been murdered, it definitely has nothing to do with Albus."
Professor McGonagall appeared quite hesitant.
She was weighing whether to hand over her wand to cooperate with the investigation.
The Head of Gryffindor often prioritized the bigger picture these days, and she couldn't believe Albus Dumbledore would be involved in any Dark Arts rituals.
"We'll find out if there's a connection. Magic won't wrong an innocent person, nor will it let a guilty one go. We hope you can understand we're just fulfilling our duty."
The old woman named Umbridge spoke with great righteousness in her tone, but her innate sense of superiority wasn't concealed as she looked at Professor McGonagall with a sideways glance.
Professor McGonagall felt dissatisfaction in her heart but decided to cooperate. However, Grindelwald, standing beside her, was clearly not going to let Umbridge get her way.
"A wand is an indispensable part of a wizard; no one can take my wand." Grindelwald, disguised as "Lockhart," frowned deeply without moving.
"Are you looking to break the law? I guarantee you won't have a good outcome... Being a bestselling author doesn't give you the gall to openly defy the Ministry of Magic."
Umbridge glared at Grindelwald with a sinister look.
"Can I take it that you're threatening me?" Grindelwald squinted his eyes slightly, as a frosty chill emanated from the slits.
Umbridge felt a chill down her spine, somewhat frightened by Grindelwald's gaze. Panic inexplicably rose in her heart, making even her legs tremble involuntarily.
Fear? Anger!
Several emotions surged in Umbridge's mind, "Just a showy novelist, why should I feel such timid emotions towards him!"
She was a promising Ministry of Magic official! Minister Fudge's most trusted aide!
"If you choose to resist, don't blame us for being rude." Umbridge's voice was filled with annoyance as she drew her wand, though it appeared to Grindelwald utterly non-threatening.
Might as well wield a fire poker, or perhaps a stick dipped in mucus.
"Don't start a conflict with them, Professor Lockhart." Seeing the tension in the atmosphere, Professor McGonagall immediately tried to dissuade Grindelwald, but it seemed he didn't hear.
"No law grants them the right to confiscate a wizard's wand from someone not yet convicted."
"If these Ministry officials insist on exercising their privilege above the law, their actions would not be maintaining the Wizarding World's order."
"In such a situation, who knows how many more laws they intend to transgress? They also pose a threat to the little wizards—a latent hazard. We need to maintain our combat strength. Dumbledore certainly wouldn't blame us for that." Grindelwald's words, softly spoken, were truly persuasive.
Professor McGonagall, initially planning to hand over her wand, retracted her hand.
"The founder, indeed, his logic is sound and persuasive, even swaying Professor McGonagall." Hiding in the corner, Ian witnessed this and sincerely marveled.
He wasn't worried about being exposed.
After all, not just anyone could see through his Illusionary Body Spell. At least, hiding in the corner clutching Grindelwald's parchment, neither Cornelius Fudge nor the Aurors with him detected anything amiss.
"Has the Ministry of Magic lost its mind? Going after Dumbledore?" Even though he had received Grindelwald's instructions earlier, Ian didn't rush to action.
Not merely driven by a little wizard's curiosity about the reasons behind Professor Quirrell's death, he was also rather astonished that the Ministry of Magic would openly target Albus Dumbledore.
Something about this didn't seem quite right.
Everyone knew Cornelius Fudge had always wanted to win over Albus Dumbledore, and even if Dumbledore did some unorthodox things, Fudge wouldn't want the public to know.
Just like after the Gringotts robbery incident happened, even the Ministry of Magic knew to cover for Albus Dumbledore to avoid pushing him to the other side.