Minister for Magic Fudge?
Harry quickly put away his wand, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Little Wizards were forbidden from using magic during the holidays. Using magic secretly in a Wizarding family was fine, but doing it in front of the Minister was another matter entirely.
He didn't want to be caught by Fudge and get into trouble.
"Sebastian, I heard Harry Potter is staying at your place now?" Fudge's voice came from afar, "I've come to visit him."
Looking for him?
Harry looked confused as Fudge walked towards him, following Sebastian.
What could the Minister of Magic want with a Little Wizard like him?
"Harry, I am the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge," Fudge extended his right hand to Harry, looking very amiable.
Harry quickly reached out and shook Fudge's hand: "Hello, Minister Fudge, it's a pleasure to meet you. Is there something you need me for?"
"I've come on behalf of the Ministry of Magic to check on you. I originally thought you would be staying at your aunt's house, but it's not too safe there now."
Fudge said with a smile, "This place has top-tier magic protection, so you're very safe staying here. That's the most important thing right now."
So that's it.
Minister Fudge was worried that Sirius Black would go to his aunt's house to cause trouble.
Indeed, as a former friend of his parents, it was normal for him to know his aunt's address.
Now it seemed that leaving his aunt's house was a good thing after all.
If he couldn't find him, he probably wouldn't lay a hand on his aunt and uncle.
"Harry, were you just practicing spells?"
Fudge smiled and patted Harry's shoulder, just like an elder.
Oh no!
The Minister still found out. Would he be expelled?
"I... I was just exercising," Harry stammered.
"What a diligent child! That's good, it's always good to practice magic diligently."
"Ah?" Harry asked blankly, "I thought you would punish me."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Harry regretted it.
It seemed Minister Fudge didn't mind, so why did he have to bring it up?
Who did he learn this quick-witted habit from...
"Punish?" Fudge blinked in confusion.
"I mean..." Harry hesitated, "I violated the 'Reasonable Restriction of Underage Wizardry Act', and underage students shouldn't use magic during the holidays."
"Hahahahaha--" Fudge laughed heartily, "The Ministry of Magic won't punish you for such a small matter."
"Different situations require different approaches."
"If it were a Little Wizard living in the Muggle world, they would receive a warning letter at this time."
"After all, underage Little Wizards using magic without adult Wizard supervision can easily lead to the exposure of the Wizarding World."
"But you're currently staying at Swan Manor, and no one will care if you use magic here."
Hearing this, Harry felt relieved and took the opportunity to ask, "Minister, is there any news of Sirius Black?"
Fudge's smile froze slightly.
"Well... we don't have any news of that madman for now."
"But don't worry, catching him is only a matter of time."
"Of course, before we catch him, I hope you stay here. You can surely understand our good intentions, right?"
"Alright, you continue practicing spells here. Sebastian and I will have a few words."
Fudge smiled, shook Harry's hand again, and then followed Sebastian into the living room.
He sat on the sofa, sighing with emotion, "Who would have thought that Black, as James's best man and Harry's godfather, would betray them and join You-Know-Who?"
"But for a madman like him, nothing is impossible. He didn't even spare his friend, Peter Pettigrew."
"I still remember the day he was caught, the scene was truly tragic."
"Bodies lay everywhere, and there were Muggles wailing all around. Black just stood there laughing hysterically."
"Even now, thinking about it sends shivers down my spine."
"Sebastian," Fudge picked up his teacup and took a sip, "If I may add a word."
"You must keep a close eye on Harry Potter. Don't let him go out alone. Even if he goes to Diagon Alley, you must accompany him."
"After all, no one can guarantee that madman won't be crazy enough to make a move in Diagon Alley."
"Don't worry," Sebastian smiled faintly, "Harry's safety is absolutely guaranteed."
"By the way, Minister, I heard that Black escaped from Azkaban the day after you went for an inspection."
Hearing this, Fudge's face turned as Black as charcoal: "Isn't it? It was a disaster!"
"Now there are rumors about me everywhere, and some unscrupulous tabloid reporters even speculate that Black was able to escape successfully because I provided him with the opportunity."
"It's so terribly unfair!"
Fudge complained with a gloomy face, "We all know what a terrible place Azkaban is."
"But as Minister, I must fulfill my duty and inspect it regularly."
"During the inspection, Black actually wanted The Daily Prophet from my hand, saying he wanted to do the crossword puzzle in it to pass the time."
"I felt sorry for him, so I casually threw the newspaper to him."
"Who knew what he saw in the newspaper? He escaped that very night."
"According to our investigation afterwards," Fudge's expression was full of helplessness, "the prisoners said that after I left, that madman kept shouting, 'He's at Hogwarts! He's at Hogwarts!'"
"Because of this, everyone says there was something hidden in the newspaper I gave him, which is why he was able to escape successfully."
"Don't you think I'm wronged?!"
Fudge was filled with helplessness.
Ever since Black's escape, his reputation had plummeted.
But Black was incredibly slippery and couldn't be caught anytime soon.
Therefore, he urgently needed to do something to improve this situation.
There was nothing he could do; his subordinates were somewhat incompetent and had not been able to help him improve his situation until now.
In desperation, Fudge thought of Sebastian, that extraordinary person.
The press conferences about the Wolfsbane Potion and the Norwegian Ridgeback had certainly boosted his reputation significantly.
"Sebastian," Fudge looked at Sebastian, his eyes full of anticipation, "Can you help me turn around my public image?"
Hearing this, Sebastian subtly raised an eyebrow.
Asking him for help?
It seemed Fudge was quite desperate.
Looking closely, Fudge indeed showed signs of being agitated.
Sebastian pondered for a moment, then spoke to Fudge.
"The best way is to catch Black immediately."
"If that's not possible, you can make a statement regarding Azkaban."
...
...