Chapter 61 Stunning Fudge and the Pink Toad
In a sense, Basil could be considered the richest wizard in the world.
Gringotts was a name he had in mind.
Although such wealth wasn't recognized at the Weasleys Wizarding Tricks,
he could transfer magical coins and treasures from other people's vaults to his own.
Just as he could easily take the Hufflepuff Cup from the Lestrange family vault, he could empty the Malfoy
family vault in an instant.
But unfortunately, he couldn't now.
The reason so many wizards deposited money at Gringotts was because it was safe and trustworthy. Even if the whole family went to jail, the Ministry of Magic couldn't touch a single penny of the money in the vault; they could only confiscate the properties. It was convenient—
a steady stream of income,
and it wouldn't be discovered.
After all, with Death Eater families like the Lestranges in jail,
the goblins only conducted an inventory every few decades.
And if the Death Eaters' vaults were truly emptied all at once…
This is just a one-off deal.
Other wizards won't feel comfortable storing gold in Gringotts anymore.
Voldemort might even change the location of his Horcruxes' hiding place after realizing their secret has been exposed and their location is unsafe.
In that case, unless Basil learns some magic in another world that allows him to find other Horcruxes
, even if he can kill Voldemort alone, he'll still be bothered by this shameless scoundrel who bullies young people and kills babies.
Another unfortunate thing is that the largest dragon guarding the lowest vault, the Ukrainian Iron Belly, is blind.
Otherwise, he could make a card.
The remaining unlit areas follow the same mechanism as Hogsmeade Village.
Only public areas—streets, parks, etc.—are under his control.
Everything else requires gems to activate.
But some don't really need to be activated.
The shops, items, and even people in Knockturn Alley are an eyesore.
The storefront of [Florin Fosco Ice Cream Shop] extends outside, and there's also [Eira Owl Shop] with an owl motif, as well as shops like [Patchi Cauldron Shop], [Transcendent Clothing Shop], and [Bouncing and Playful Magical Joke Shop] where you can buy things with money.
The truly valuable locations are: Black's Old House, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Sorrows, the Fantastic Beasts Shop, the Daily Prophet's headquarters, and the Ministry of Magic.
Black's Old House contains the ancient and pure legacy of the Black family and a Slytherin locket made into Horcruxes.
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Sorrows has the most comprehensive collection of healing spells, case studies and solutions for magical accidents throughout the wizarding world, and various potions.
The magical creatures in the Fantastic Beasts Shop can serve as a resource library for future summoning cards.
The Daily Prophet's headquarters provides access to raw, unprocessed news circulating within the largest newspaper in the British wizarding world.
And the Ministry of Magic, needless to say,
is the center of power in the wizarding world.
Once activated, he could casually cast a Killing Curse in his Hogwarts dormitory to kill people like Fudge or Umbridge.
Not to mention Lucius Malfoy sometimes visits Fudge to bribe him with political donations.
If Basil were to cast a Killing Curse at that moment,
he could become Draco's stepfather much sooner.
Voldemort, seeking revenge, would even kill Fudge, the troublemaker, for Dumbledore.
Furthermore, the legendary Department of Mysteries would unveil its secrets to him.
Its various halls—the Hall of the Brain, the Hall of Space, the Hall of Death, the Hall of Time, the Hall of Prophecy, and the Hall of Love—simply evoke a sense of awe.
Britain's most elite research wizards reside in this department, studying the profound mysteries of magic (death, time, space, thought, and love).
Thinking this, he excitedly used his mind to survey the Ministry of Magic on the map.
[Zzzzz... Activate the Ministry of Magic for 10,000 gems?]
"Damn it! You damn system! You're utterly heartless!
It's so expensive!
It's all that pig farm's fault, always saying they'll update the map.
But they keep delaying.
They haven't even finished Hogsmeade Village.
Let alone London."
Sitting at a covered table outside Florin Fosco's ice cream shop in the snow, Basil, holding a spoon, dipped his ice cream into chocolate, raspberry, and nut pieces. His previously smiling expression vanished instantly.
He took a deep breath and tried zooming in on the map. The words "Ministry of Magic" disappeared.
In its place were ten floors, each with a corresponding name floating above it: "Office of the Minister of Magic and Logistics," "Department of Magical Law Enforcement," "Department of Magical Sports," "Main Hall," and "Wizengamot Tribunal."
A thought flashed through Basil's mind.
[Zzzzz. Activate the Minister for Magic's Office and Logistics Department for 500 gems?]
[Activate the Department of Mystic Affairs for 2000 gems?]
[Activate the Department of Magical Transportation for 1300 gems?]
"Yes."
Gems: 30075.635 (-3800)
In his mind, the fog suddenly dissipated from a dilapidated red telephone booth on a desolate street next to Westminster Underground station in central London, exactly like in the real world.
Everything on the first, sixth, and ninth floors of that magnificent building appeared clearly in Basil's mind.
Quickly scanning, Fudge, short and stout, with messy gray hair and dressed in a hodgepodge of clothes: a pinstripe suit, a bright red tie, a long black cloak, purple pointed boots, and a dark green top hat, suddenly appeared in his 'front'.
"Working on Sunday? Hmm, waiting for a meeting."
Shifting his gaze, he came to the [Office of the Senior Undersecretary for Magic].
A room filled with cat motifs—walls adorned with plates depicting brightly colored cats wearing bows, frolicking and playing—came into view.
A woman with a pale, toad-like face and droopy eyelids with bulging eyes was resting on a table covered with lace curtains, decorative cushions, and dried flowers.
This made her short, stout figure, curly gray-brown hair, large pink bow, and the fluffy pink cardigan over her robe stand out.
"She's so much uglier than in the movies!" Basil wanted nothing more than to gouge out the eyes of anyone who had seen this woman who was clearly Umbridge.
His hand reached for his wand, and a stun spell, kept within safe limits, was cast.
It forked at the tip of the wand, appearing separately in the air behind Fudge and Umbridge's heads before striking them both.
"Let's activate the Ministry of Magic for now; the rest can wait."
"Hmm, I should go." Basil stood up.
He stepped into the pristine white snow and vanished into thin air the next second.
His deeds remained hidden.
In the now-empty dormitory, Basil reappeared.
A thought flashed through his mind.
The winter robe, freed from the snow and water stains, automatically hung in the closet.
The black robe beneath, bearing the Gryffindor crest and the Hogwarts emblem, was
once again exposed. First-year student Basil Granger had reappeared.
The door was flung open, and Harry stretched and walked in.
He rubbed his eyes. "Basil, when did you get back?"
Basil shrugged. "When did I leave?"
No one knew that he had just left Hogwarts. He
had traveled to Diagon Alley, a thousand miles away, and had even knocked out Fudge and Umbridge.
The Ministry of Magic would spend the next week discussing the embarrassing incident of the two openly sleeping in their offices and missing a meeting with the International Confederation of Wizards.
And afterwards, their numerous, inexplicable fainting spells inexplicably made the Ministry of Magic much more efficient.
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(End of Chapter)