After the Champions took their seats, the banquet officially began.
Unlike previous feasts, no house-elves appeared to deliver the food, nor was it piled high across the tables all at once. The long table held only neatly arranged knives, forks, and plates, polished so brightly they reflected the hungry faces staring down at them.
Just as confusion began to spread, Dumbledore lifted his menu.
"Pork chop!"
A perfectly roasted pork chop materialized in front of him, fragrant and steaming. The hall stirred with sudden understanding.
So that was why everyone had been given a menu.
Tver rather liked the arrangement. With interest, he picked up his own and gave it a quick, sharp scan.
"Jam meat pie, honey steak… wow, they even have French seafood soup…"
In his previous life as a Cantonese, Tver had never cared much for European-style thick soups. Only this seafood soup stirred a faint sense of familiarity, a reminder of home.
The other Champions, however, were nowhere near as at ease. Sitting at the same table as several headmasters for the first time, they were visibly stiff.
The contrast between Tver's group of three and the others, especially Harry and Viktor, could not have been clearer.
While Tver and his companions chatted and laughed as they enjoyed their food, the others kept their heads down in near silence, attacking their plates as though plain white bread were more captivating than their dance partners.
"By the way," Tver murmured quietly to Cynthia and Percy, "if we can't resolve Fudge's position anytime soon, we can shift our attention to Umbridge."
Cynthia sighed.
"Don't be fooled by how reckless Umbridge seems. She's actually very skilled at finding the right regulations to justify everything she does."
"No matter how outrageous it looks, she's still operating within the authority the Ministry has granted her."
"So we can't deal with Umbridge through the Ministry's channels either?" Percy asked.
"That's right."
Tver immediately understood. In the original storyline, three Ministers of Magic had come and gone within a few years, yet Umbridge, as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, had remained firmly in place.
It was only after Voldemort's defeat that she was finally thrown into Azkaban.
"But we can use other methods," Tver said, a sly smile curling at his lips.
"For example, if we use revoking the targeting measures as bait and exchange it with Fudge for a Senior Undersecretary position, do you think he'd agree?"
"Would Fudge really cut off his own right-hand man that easily?" Percy asked, curious.
Tver took an unhurried sip of his seafood soup.
"Everything Fudge does is about consolidating his position. We can praise him publicly for a while, then hand him a few tangible achievements. Settling the werewolves, lowering prices in the wizarding world… Once those are credited to him, he'll know exactly what choice benefits him most."
"Besides, we're not asking for Umbridge to be dismissed. A promotion on the surface but a demotion in practice is something Fudge can easily accept."
Cynthia and Percy's eyes lit up at once.
"And once he loses the Senior Undersecretary as his main support, Fudge will naturally rely more on the Minister's Advisor and Minister's Assistant."
Cynthia immediately began reviewing potential candidates in her mind.
Within the Minister's Office, there were actually three senior positions created specifically to assist the Minister: Minister's Advisor, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, and Minister's Assistant.
The Minister's Advisor was usually an elderly wizard from the Ministry. It sounded powerful, but in reality it was little more than a cushy post.
The Senior Undersecretary was the most important of the three, with the Assistant ranking just below.
"We can use this opportunity to move into those two positions," Cynthia said. "For example, the Minister's Assistant. If I remember correctly, that position has been vacant ever since Umbridge was promoted."
"Even if we take the Senior Undersecretary seat, Fudge might not allow someone close to us to become his Assistant," Tver said cautiously.
Cynthia only smiled, utterly confident.
"Then we'll arrange for someone who appears to oppose us. There are plenty of people in the Ministry who secretly support us while keeping a straight face on the surface."
"Including me," Percy said suddenly, his voice firm. "If I were to accidentally let slip my connection to the professor again, Fudge certainly wouldn't refuse an assistant willing to 'see the light'."
Tver looked at him with a strange expression.
In the original storyline, Percy had indeed been appointed by Fudge as Minister's Assistant to monitor Dumbledore and Harry.
And now Percy was volunteering to go undercover at Fudge's side. It gave Tver an odd sense that fate had a will of its own.
The difference was that this time, Percy stood with him.
Unfortunately, Tver's expression made Percy think he was being doubted. He hurried to explain.
"I'm the most suitable candidate. Assistant positions are usually given to newcomers, and among the new recruits at the Ministry, my performance is definitely the best."
"Calm down. I didn't say you weren't suitable," Tver said quickly, patting his shoulder in reassurance. Their earlier exchange had already drawn more than a few curious glances.
"Sorry."
Realizing this, Percy forced his expression back to neutrality. Suppressing his emotions was something he had long since learned to do well.
Tver studied him with quiet approval.
Back during the summer holiday, Percy had still seemed somewhat stiff and restrained. Half a year later, he had matured noticeably.
"Then we'll leave it to Percy. I believe he'll handle it well."
Cynthia shot Percy a surprised look.
She had caught the fleeting hint of dissatisfaction on Tver's face earlier. Yet he had changed his stance so quickly, even someone as strong-willed as him.
"Understood. I'll arrange for Percy and Barty to have an argument, and make sure Fudge happens to witness it."
With business settled, they turned their full attention to the food. There wasn't the slightest trace of anxiety on Percy's face about becoming a spy beside the Minister of Magic. He even exchanged the occasional smile with Penelope, who had been watching him.
The real highlight of the evening was the ball after the banquet. So even though the house-elves had put in tremendous effort, everyone finished dinner efficiently, glancing over at Tver and Dumbledore as they leisurely recommended desserts to one another.
"Ahem," Dumbledore said, having eaten relatively little and the first to concede this quiet contest. "It seems you can hardly wait any longer. Up you get, and prepare to dance."
With a flick of his hand, the food vanished from the tables. At the same time, the tables and chairs stacked themselves neatly into the corners, clearing a wide open space in the center of the hall.
A slightly raised stage appeared against the stone wall on the right, lined with various musical instruments.
Moments later, the famous wizarding band The Weird Sisters stepped onto the stage to thunderous applause, each taking up their instrument.
As soon as everything was ready, Professor McGonagall shepherded Tver and the other Champions onto the dance floor.
The opening dance was simple, set to slow, melancholic music.
Tver promptly stepped on Cynthia's foot.
"Sorry," he said awkwardly, adjusting his stance. "It's been a long time since I've practiced dancing. I'm a little rusty."
To be exact, he hadn't practiced since finishing his formal pureblood family training at the age of eight.
Fortunately, the fundamentals were still there, and with his excellent coordination, he quickly found the rhythm and began moving in sync with Cynthia.
As expected, the two of them became the second-best pair among the Champions.
The top spot, of course, went to Fleur and Hermione.
Fleur in particular guided Hermione through each movement with effortless ease. Coupled with her Veela heritage, she drew the eyes of nearly everyone in the hall.
Of course, some people were probably just there to watch two beautiful girls dancing close together.