The two walked side by side toward the Ministry of Magic's main hall.
After walking quite a distance and confirming that Dumbledore and the others could not hear their conversation, Fudge hesitated before speaking.
"Mr. Grindelwald, please keep the matter of the truth serum a secret for a while."
"If British wizards find out that Scrimgeour has used this potion without permission, it will cause immeasurable damage to the reputation of the British Ministry of Magic."
As if afraid that Argus would not agree, he hurriedly explained.
"Don't worry, the British Ministry of Magic will definitely give you a satisfactory answer to this matter!"
Argus turned to look at Fudge, a meaningful smile on his face.
"Does Minister Fudge really want to suppress this matter?"
"What do you mean?" Fudge frowned, puzzled.
"Or should I ask a different question? Is Minister Fudge willing to be a... puppet?"
Before arriving in England, Argus had done thorough research on the British Ministry of Magic.
The Ministry of Magic was divided into seven departments, but these seven departments were not as harmonious as outsiders imagined.
Before becoming Minister of Magic, Fudge had been the Director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters, and it was quite fortunate that he had been able to become Minister of Magic.
If it weren't for the fact that Barty Crouch's son had been a loyal Death Eater, he would never have gotten this ministerial position.
Therefore, he could only control a very few departments within the entire Ministry of Magic.
Barty Crouch, Amelia Bones, Rufus Scrimgeour, Pius Thicknesse...
Each of them wielded great power, and none of them were people Fudge could control!
Barty Crouch was even more capable of rivaling him and was always ready to take his place.
Otherwise, Fudge wouldn't have spent all his time courting British pure-blood families, trying to gain their support.
Argus's words were tantamount to tearing off his last fig leaf!
Fudge's voice turned angry: "Mr. Grindelwald, do you know what you're saying?!"
"Just because of what you said, I can..."
"Minister Fudge, there's no need to say such meaningless things."
Argus didn't care at all, looking directly into his eyes, his tone seductive.
"Think about it carefully. If today's events were to reach the ears of British wizards, what would they think of Scrimgeour?"
"But the British Ministry of Magic also..."
"Ha!" Argus chuckled. "So what? At most, they'll curse a few times. Can they cancel it?"
"But if this were to be made public, it would be a devastating blow to Scrimgeour's reputation."
"It's not impossible to take him to the trial room!"
"Scrimgeour controls the Ministry of Magic's most important Auror Office. With him removed from his post, the position of Head of the Auror Office will be vacant."
Fudge fell into deep thought: "The Auror Office belongs to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which is Amelia's territory. She has a high reputation in the Ministry of Magic, so even if Scrimgeour is imprisoned, she can temporarily take over the position of the Auror Office."
"As you have already said, the Auror Office is under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. As a subordinate, Scrimgeour's actions make the Director bear an unshirkable responsibility."
"No, although the Auror Office is nominally under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, it is actually a nearly independent department. It will be very difficult to use this opportunity to bring down Amelia!"
Argus stopped and looked toward the hall: "Minister Fudge, do you think ordinary British wizards would know this?"
"What the facts are has never mattered; what matters is what people believe."
"They only know that the Aurors belong to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. How much do they really know about the internal situation?"
"If Amelia chooses to reveal the inside story, according to convention, she will no longer have the possibility of interfering with the Auror Office. If she does not reveal it, this blame is enough to make all British wizards question her."
"No matter what she chooses, she can only watch helplessly as the Auror Office slips away from her."
"Isn't that so?"
Fudge fell silent.
The childish disdain in his eyes when he looked at Argus was gone.
There was even a hint of fear in it.
A keen understanding of human nature, a sharp judgment of the situation, and the confidence to strategize effectively.
None of these were something an eleven-year-old wizard could possess!
Even after years of working in the Ministry of Magic, he didn't have such keen political instinct.
After a long while, he slowly opened his mouth.
"What is your purpose in doing this?"
"I don't believe in help without a reason."
Argus had anticipated this: "My father."
"Your father?" Fudge paused for a moment before realizing Argus's identity.
Son of Grindelwald!
"That's right, you should know about the relationship between the acolytes and Dumbledore."
"You know better than anyone the influence Dumbledore has had on you."
"You want me to help you deal with Dumbledore?" Fudge felt he had grasped the truth and visibly relaxed as he spoke.
You are qualified to negotiate only if you know the other party's purpose.
Otherwise, you'll just be led by the nose by the other party.
"His existence has hindered too many people!"
"But he is Dumbledore!" Fudge was still hesitant.
Dumbledore had defeated two generations of Dark Lords, and his immense power was beyond doubt.
Even if he were the Minister of Magic, no one would dare to confront him directly.
Argus turned his head and looked directly into Fudge's eyes: "Minister Fudge, are you really willing to be Dumbledore's puppet forever?"
"A puppet minister who has to cater to everyone's whims and is always sidelined when decisions are made?"
"Mr. Grindelwald, watch your tone!"
His face immediately turned extremely ugly.
Argus's words undoubtedly hit his sore spot!
"Tone of voice? Do I need to be careful about my tone when talking to someone who could step down at any moment?"
"Dumbledore's lapdog?"
Argus's words were extremely sarcastic.
Fudge's face turned red at a visible speed!
He wanted to refute, but couldn't come up with any rebuttal.
He could only stare intently at Argus with his eyes.
"Minister Fudge, you don't need to glare at me."
"You know, I'm telling the truth."
"If you want me to keep it a secret, pretend nothing happened, and continue living in Dumbledore's shadow, I can understand."
"After all, being a puppet minister isn't so bad. Although you have to be mindful of others' feelings, it's still much better than being an ordinary wizard."
"Oh, by the way, I'd like to ask you to continue helping out at the shop! You can make quite a bit of Galleons while you're here!"
"Anyway, that's all you can do!"
"Shut up! I told you to shut up!" Fudge roared.
He suddenly pulled his wand from his pocket and aimed it at Argus.
Argus walked step by step toward Fudge, without stopping until the wand was pressed against his chest.
"You only get one chance!"
"Will you choose to continue being his puppet, or will you take that step forward and truly take control of the Ministry of Magic?"
"Answer me!"
Fudge was sweating profusely, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was panting heavily.
He struggled internally!
Despite being the Minister of Magic, he held a second-highest position in Britain.
Sometimes, they also had to be mindful of the attitudes of their ministers and directors, and even some pure-blood families!
He'd had enough of this pathetic life!
No!! No! No!
"I am not a puppet! I would never become Dumbledore's puppet!"
"No way!"
Argus smiled and gently hugged Fudge, whose body was trembling.
"A wise choice!"
...
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