Chapter 316: Joining the Wizengamot
"Yes, it is a pity, but I think I might be able to become an Animagus later," Dylan said flatly. He had not let anyone know he could transform into a fire dragon.
However, the old man's remark broke the serious atmosphere of the courtroom. The wizards present smiled knowingly, and even Fudge, whose face had been tightly strained, couldn't help but curve his lips.
Once the laughter subsided, Dumbledore's expression became serious again: "Long before, when Dylan first enrolled at Hogwarts, I realized he was a courageous and highly intelligent young wizard."
"In his first year, he demonstrated astonishing talent, single-handedly subduing a Troll and saving his companions. Recently, Voldemort's influence has reappeared, and I believe we need to make some changes."
The three words "Voldemort" immediately sparked a low murmur of discussion in the courtroom. Most of the wizards present had lived through the First Wizarding War and had vivid memories of the terror brought by that name. Furthermore, Dumbledore had openly uttered the forbidden name, which made many people's faces turn solemn.
Dumbledore's voice continued to resonate in the courtroom, his tone steady and powerful: "In his second year, Dylan, together with Minerva [McGonagall], co-authored a thesis titled Quick Conversion Techniques for Transfiguration in Combat, which was successfully published in the magical world's most authoritative Transfiguration journal, Transfiguration Today."
"The magazine's editor-in-chief specifically praised the paper in the foreword for 'pioneering new paths for the practical application of Transfiguration.' More importantly, this thesis has now been incorporated into the compulsory curriculum for Auror training. Through the techniques presented, the practical combat efficiency of the Ministry of Magic's Aurors in confronting Dark Wizards has increased by at least thirty percent! This is a concrete contribution to the fight against the Dark Arts!"
Dylan blinked again. When did I publish a thesis?
After a moment of thought, Dylan recalled that during his second year, he had indeed discussed the practical application of Transfiguration in combat with Professor McGonagall. And, for one week, he hadn't received the copy of Transfiguration Today that Professor McGonagall usually sent him. Was it then? Had Professor McGonagall compiled their discussion into a journal article and published it?
Dylan paused. But why did no one else mention this to me? Well, young wizards typically wouldn't read such things. Even if someone had, they probably wouldn't run up to him and tell him. As for Harry... his roommates were all uninterested in reading. And Hermione? She did enjoy reading the paper, but even if she knew Dylan had published a thesis, she would likely just fume inwardly, annoyed that she couldn't be as powerful as Dylan. This meant Dylan himself hadn't known he had published a paper in Transfiguration Today. Did Professor McGonagall want to surprise him? He was speechless; he had already graduated from his third year and still hadn't discovered this.
Dumbledore's bright blue eyes turned towards the right side of the circular seating. A man with thick golden hair and broad, lion-like shoulders stood up, his voice loud and firm: "I can attest to this."
He was none other than Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office. He pressed his hands on the edge of the desk, his gaze sweeping over the audience. "Since integrating this thesis into the training system, our Aurors can more quickly Transfigure everyday objects into defensive tools during Dark Wizard surprise attacks. The success rate of capturing Dark Wizards in the latter half of last year increased by nearly forty percent compared to the same period in previous years. This is all due to Dylan's research."
After Scrimgeour sat down, Dumbledore continued: "Not only that, but Dylan recently succeeded in destroying a Dark Artifact left by Voldemort. It was an item that amplified negative emotions. If left unchecked, it would undoubtedly have caused very serious consequences."
"And in his third year, he even located the long-lost Diadem of Ravenclaw, bringing Ravenclaw's sacred artifact back to light!"
In the left rows of the courtroom seating, several wizards clearly sat up straighter. One bespectacled witch leaned forward, whispering to her companion: "So that is the boy who found the Diadem!" Her companion nodded, his eyes filled with pride. Several wizards who were Ravenclaw alumni exchanged glances, their looks at Dylan conveying genuine approval.
"I think everyone should remember the trial concerning Sirius Black two months ago." Dumbledore's tone suddenly became serious. "Dylan attended as a key witness, not only providing evidence that Peter Pettigrew was a Death Eater but also revealing that Pettigrew had been hiding in the Weasley family for years, disguised as an Animagus—a brown rat—passing on information right under our noses."
He paused, gently tapping the speaker's platform with his fingertip. Though his voice wasn't loud, it seemed to carry a magical clarity to everyone's ears. "If not for his discovery, a Death Eater serving Voldemort would still be hiding among us."
At this statement, the courtroom instantly quieted down. Many wizards' faces paled slightly. Some unconsciously drew a sharp breath. The relaxed postures of others became tense. The thought that a Death Eater had been hiding right beside them filled everyone with a sense of dread.
Dylan listened silently. Actually, I never gave Harry much of a hint about Pettigrew; I just saw it on the map myself.How did it become my discovery of Peter Pettigrew?Forget it. They are all just titles. Ultimately, it is whatever the old man says, isn't it?
"Alright, those are generally my reasons for the nomination." Dumbledore slightly bowed. "Now, I ask you all to vote on whether to agree to Dylan Hawkwood joining the Wizengamot as the Youth Wizard Representative."
Dylan's expression was calm. He showed little reaction under the gaze of the others. With the old man's backing, getting this position was essentially a foregone conclusion. The only uncertain factor was Lucius Malfoy's attitude.
He looked towards Lucius's position. The man seemed to sense his gaze, immediately shifting his sight elsewhere. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the voting slip in front of him. His face was emotionless, but a subtle coldness was hidden deep in his eyes.
A moment later, the staff began collecting the votes. Dylan clearly saw Lucius tick "Abstain" on the ballot, fold it, and hand it over. Several pure-blood wizards allied with the Malfoy family hesitated upon seeing this. In the end, some voted to support, while others chose to abstain, like Lucius.
Dylan had no reaction to seeing Lucius choose to abstain. In fact, he was a little surprised. This guy isn't opposing me?Did he forget how I insulted him at the bookstore? His current behavior was truly strange.
Due to Dylan's presence, the plot would certainly not proceed step by step as originally intended. Several Horcruxes were now in Dylan's hands. Was it possible that Voldemort would appear earlier? That was highly likely. So... had Voldemort already begun contacting Lucius? It was difficult to explain the man's abnormal behavior otherwise.
Dylan kept his face calm while pondering inwardly. Based on his understanding of the original work, Lucius should wait until Voldemort was fully resurrected and demonstrated absolute power before fully pledging allegiance again. Before that, he would only observe and would certainly not take an easy stance.
Dylan mused privately. Since coming to this world, he had made many changes to the original plot. These changes had perhaps disrupted the original timeline, causing some events to deviate from prediction. But so what? Dylan didn't care whether Voldemort was alive or not.
"Alright, let's tally the votes now." Fudge's voice interrupted Dylan's thoughts. He signaled to the scribe standing beside him. A young wizard in a gray uniform and round glasses began to organize the collected ballots.
The young wizard quickly flipped through the slips, quietly tallying the count: "Votes for: 1, 2... 4, 5...; Votes against: 1... 6; Abstentions: 3." He double-checked, nodded to Fudge after confirming the numbers.
Fudge cleared his throat, picked up the tally sheet, his voice echoing in the courtroom: "There are 54 members of the Wizengamot present for this meeting. The tally shows 45 votes in favor of Dylan Hawkwood serving as the Youth Wizard Representative, 6 votes against, and 3 abstentions. The number of affirmative votes exceeds two-thirds of the total membership, which complies with the Wizengamot Statute."
He paused, forcing a formulaic smile on his face. Although he still showed reluctance, he announced according to protocol: "I declare that Dylan Hawkwood officially becomes the Seventh Youth Wizard Representative of the Wizengamot!"
As his voice fell, a burst of warm applause erupted in the courtroom. The applause was particularly loud from the Ravenclaw alumni and the Dumbledore-supporting faction.
Fudge received a purple-red silk robe from the assistant behind him. The robe's collar and cuffs were embroidered with golden patterns, and the Wizengamot crest was embroidered on the chest, along with an exquisite silver badge. The badge was engraved with a capitalized "W," representing the status of a Wizengamot member.
Fudge walked forward, solemnly presenting the robe and badge to Dylan, his tone stiff but compliant: "On behalf of the British Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot, I extend my congratulations to you."
"This is the robe and badge exclusive to Wizengamot members, and this Instrument of Rights and Responsibilities. You must sign the contract to confirm your duties and obligations as a representative."
Dylan reached out and took the robe and badge. His fingers felt the fine smoothness of the silk robe. He looked down at the silver "W" badge on the chest, a mixture of emotions flooding his heart. There was the joy of becoming a representative, mixed with worry about the future situation.
Dumbledore, watching this, narrowed his eyes and showed a look of satisfied contentment, his white beard slightly curled. He didn't applaud like the others, but gently tapped the back of his left hand with his right—his unique way of congratulation, his eyes conveying full recognition and encouragement for Dylan. Moody, sitting next to Dumbledore, also managed a rare smile. His magical eye rotated, and he nodded at Dylan.
Dylan returned home, casually putting away the Wizengamot's purple-red robes and the silver "W" badge. He sat down at his desk, picking up the silver contract paper embossed with the Wizengamot seal. His fresh blood seal was still visible on it; the contract was officially in effect.
He read it meticulously, word by word, and found that the privileges enjoyed as a Wizengamot member were significant. Not only could he apply for a reduction on certain magical item transaction taxes, but wearing the badge allowed him to Apparate directly within the Ministry of Magic, without needing to use designated fireplaces.
When he saw the clause about Apparition within the Ministry, Dylan's eyes instantly lit up. This privilege could greatly enhance his operational efficiency! That's quite good.
Especially considering Lucius's abnormal attitude earlier, he was even more certain that Voldemort had begun secretly contacting his old followers. Let them contact each other, let them gather, and then I'll catch them all in one fell swoop. Dylan smiled. Many Dark Wizards now revered him again. He wondered if Voldemort would be angered to death again upon learning this.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. Dylan went straight to the laboratory in his suitcase space and opened a wooden box. The box's surface was carved with anti-theft magical runes. Lined with black velvet, it held a transparent crystal glass bottle. Inside the bottle was a pitch-black heart, its surface covered with bulging blood vessels, beating at an irregular frequency: "Thump-thump, thump-thump." Dense black magic swirled inside the bottle, continuously churning and hitting the glass walls like a living thing, restless as if it would burst free at any second.
This was the heart of an Obscurial, which Dylan had acquired from the Borgin and Burkes store earlier.
Dylan took the glass bottle to the window, letting the sunlight pass through the glass and illuminate the heart. The blood vessels glowed with an eerie black magical light in the sun. It was clearly saturated with the power of the Obscurus, and the entire heart's essence had been completely transformed into a "bomb" containing destructive power.
Dylan raised his wand, injecting a trace of his own magic into the bottle. As the magic contacted the heart, the beating instantly intensified. The black magic surged even more violently, and a faint white frost appeared on the bottle walls.
Dylan returned to his bedroom, glanced out the window, and saw that the clouds in the sky were growing thicker. He decided to wait for the darkness of night before taking action. He was already planning to give Voldemort and his Death Eaters an unexpected surprise.
Night quickly enveloped the land. Tonight should have been a full moon, but the heavy clouds completely obscured the round moon, not allowing even a sliver of moonlight through. The world was plunged into darkness.
The mention of the full moon made Dylan think of Professor Lupin. Since Borgin had him working at the XY Potions factory, Dylan had deliberately added an extra day of flexible leave each month for all employees, in addition to the weekends. Employees could choose their vacation time freely. At this moment, Lupin was probably utilizing his leave to go out. Dylan couldn't keep tabs on him right now anyway.
.......
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