"Nothing to do with you, snot-nosed!
Little Padfoot stared coldly at Severus's face, speaking indifferently.
"Oh, I just thought you would be ashamed of this, Black --"
Severus ignored some people's helpless expressions in the kitchen, and displayed false sympathy.
"Spent thirteen years in Azkaban, and the first thing you do upon release is lose the ancestral estate. I suppose the ancestors of the Black family would be proud of you, wouldn't they?"
Little Padfoot, filled with anger, stood up with a loud noise.
"Feel like a fight, snot-nosed? I'd love to join in!"
"Must it be like this?"
Remus shook his head and weakly smiled. The moon has been gradually full these days, and he has fallen into an uncontrollable weakness.
"Little Padfoot --"
The tense atmosphere between Little Padfoot and Severus upon their first meeting made Amelia feel anxious, and she called out softly.
Little Padfoot pursed her lips, looking away from Snape's mocking face and sitting down silently.
"Severus--"
Mrs. Weasley's hand anxiously wiped on her apron.
"I think. You haven't eaten your dinner yet?"
Severus sat at the table with many people, such as Bill and Tonks, who were his students before. Because of this, Severus did not attack anything verbally.
Glancing around, he found a seat between Mr. Weasley and Tonks.
"Dumbledore said he wouldn't be coming."
Severus's first words after sitting down shocked the audience.
"What trouble has kept Aberforth detained?"
Remus expressed slight surprise.
"About that, I suggest you ask our charming headmaster yourself."
Severus silently accepted the tray passed over by Mrs. Weasley, nodded almost imperceptibly to Mrs. Weasley, then answered Remus' question with a hint of malice,
"He always remains elusive."
The news brought a slight dip in the atmosphere at the dining table.
Dumbledore is the backbone of the Order of the Phoenix, and people will always feel uneasy without him present.
"What do you think Professor Dumbledore will be doing?"
In Fred and George's room, Hermione looked meaningfully at Harry.
"Of course, he must be looking for clues."
Ron joined the topic,
"He must be trying to figure out what kind of tricks the Ministry of Magic is playing."
An emotion of both gratitude and guilt arose in Harry's heart.
In recent years, his communication with the headmaster of Hogwarts had decreased, but Dumbledore had not decreased his concern for him. He was still busy dealing with his troubles.
"Listen up!"
Ginny suddenly covered her ears and whispered,
"They're starting to discuss your situation, Harry."
Harry quickly shook off his emotional thoughts and focused on listening intently.
"--Can you find out anything from the Ministry about Harry, Arthur?"
The question was posed by Harry's godfather.
"You also work at the Ministry, Little Padfoot --"
Mr. Weasley said with a low mood,
"There should be some gossip. People generally believe that Harry killing a Muggle was just a joke, but no one really has the courage to ask the Minister about it."
Decimus at the Elf Office actually claimed to know some inside information, but you know, he's a man who likes to exaggerate. I dare say he's just bluffing."
"Oh, I've seen through their tricks for a long time now!"
Euphemia Doge coughed and coughed, saying.
"The Minister must have pinned some mischief on the poor child's head!"
A buzzing commotion followed, Little Padfoot raised his voice, his voice was full of annoyance.
"That is indeed the most likely, but the key issue is that Fudge wants to successfully frame Harry. He must establish a link between this murder case and Harry. In the past year, Harry has been in Hogwarts. The only time we went to London was with me and Remus. He was under our watch at all times!"
"What are Dumbledore's and Amortice's thoughts?"
Bill asked.
"Abhorsh said in his letter to me that Amortice will solve Harry's trouble."
Remus looked worried.
"I think that Amortice has been investigating this matter these days without appearing."
"I don't think so --"
Mr. Weasley said solemnly,
"Someone saw him in Paris. I think we can follow the clues without having to go to Paris."
"Drunken can definitely know the ins and outs."
Little Padfoot's narrowed eyes shimmered with malice.
"Perhaps, we can take some direct measures."
"Inferi are bound to welcome you home, Black."
Severus sniffed and said, causing Little Padfoot's face to turn pale once more.
"I think we should be mentally prepared!"
Alastor roared,
"No matter how serious the consequences of what Fudge has done, there are only two outcomes: either Potter is finished, or he finishes Fudge himself."
"We need a security plan to ensure Potter can arrive safely at the Ministry that day. And, that he can safely leave!"
"Oh, look who's talking, Alastor."
Mungo Montgomery, who was hiding in the corner, looked worried.
"It seems that the Order is planning to fight with the Ministry like a mysterious person."
To be honest, that's quite unsettling.
As a legitimate government organization in the wizarding world, the British Ministry of Magic has been involved in many underhanded dealings behind closed doors. Many wizards have engaged in such activities, but it's not something that even Little Padfoot would consider doing publicly.
Bang--
The wooden door on the stairs made a crisp sound, and Alastor's magical eye immediately swept over.
"Oh, the key person is here."
Moody croaked a laugh.
"Sorry, everyone, I've been out on a trip --"
Amortice appeared in front of everyone looking winded, and surveyed the room, greeting them with a smile. His gaze finally settled on the cupboard behind the sink.
Not all members of the Order had ever interacted with Amortice, some for the first time meeting this newly legendary wizard. They all rose, bowed, and Amortice returned their salutes with a dignified smile.
"Did I miss any important topics?"
Amortice sat down on the space squeezed out for him by Little Padfoot, thanked Mrs. Weasley for the tray, cleared his throat, and smiled as he asked.
"Severus hasn't started his report yet, Amortice --"
Remus said with a laugh,
"But there's something that's also important. I think it would be best if you could help me with a decision before the formal meeting begins."
"What is it, Remus?"
Amortice asked with interest while slicing his sausages.
"The brave wizard from Brabantia."
Remus was choosing his words carefully,
"She sent in her resume to the workshop, um. I chatted with her as per the regulations."
Remus hesitated.
Amortice's eyebrows slightly furrowed. He almost forgot about it.
Fleur had indeed 'consulted' him before, asking whether it would be better for her to work at the Ministry of Magic or study at the Mechanical Workshop if she wanted to stay in Britain.
But Amortice knew that Fleur was 'pretending' to ask this question.
"Oh, that girl. Before the Triwizard Tournament began, a previous issue of the Daily Prophet once said that she has a veela bloodline--"
Tonks looked up, flicked her tonight's seaweed-colored wavy hair, and 'happily' looked at Remus.
"I'm sure she's driving you crazy, Remus, isn't she?"
"Cough cough--"
Remus' pale face, due to his weakness, flushed with embarrassment.
"Your joke, Tonks, is quite amusing. However... Well, Ms. Delacour is an outstanding young wizard who fully meets the requirements of our workshop for young and talented people. I was indeed planning to hire her, because of her abilities."
Remus spoke sincerely, looking at Amortice.
"Ms. Delacour was very straightforward in our conversation; she spoke openly. She said she came to work in Britain for this, and I was at a loss what to do, so I told her that I needed to think it over--"
"For what?"
In the fourth floor room, Harry asked in a daze,
"Did I misunderstand something?"
"To clear your name, Mr. Potter!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and retorted sharply.
