In the summer of 1992, two individuals shone brightly in the British Wizarding World.
One was a Quidditch prodigy; the other, a magnate whose staggering wealth stunned Britain—a wealth said to surpass anything seen in the past thousand years.
The Quidditch prodigy was named Dana Emrys, a legendary young wizard who held the extraordinary distinction of being the first person ever to be admitted into Hogwarts directly from Azkaban.
Since joining the Chudley Cannons, the team had never lost a match with Dana Emrys on the field. His personal winning streak stood at eleven games, and people had already begun comparing him to the greatest Seekers in history.
The magnate was Count Dak Dantes, an ancient French noble of Eastern descent. Many speculated that his wealth didn't originate solely in France. Instead, much of it was believed to come from ancient Eastern civilizations—after all, during the peak of magical development, the East was the center of the magical world. Some even believed that the legendary Stonehenge had not been lost but deliberately moved East during that powerful era!
And now, one of these modern celebrities was discussing the other in the Minister of Magic's office.
"Minister, then we have an agreement. I will arrange for people to purchase all the land in Ottery St Catchpole. Once the Muggles are relocated, we'll immediately begin construction on a new city for wizards. As soon as the city is completed, our new bank will open its doors there."
"Rest assured, Count. Everything is going according to plan!" said Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.
Count Dantes nodded in satisfaction and stood to leave, but Fudge quickly added:
"Count, please wait a moment."
Dantes sat back down, curiosity lighting up his expression.
"Is there something else, Minister?"
Fudge hesitated, then began, "It's about something... delicate."
He rubbed his nose before continuing:
"Have you heard of the Chudley Cannons?"
"Of course," Dantes replied. "I'm a Quidditch enthusiast."
"Right, well—this concerns their new Seeker."
"I know—Dana Emrys."
"Yes, that boy."
"He's a true genius," Dantes said with enthusiasm. "I've never seen a Seeker so talented—so skilled! There's no one better on the pitch than Dana Emrys."
"Exactly, he's brilliant," Fudge agreed. "But there's more to it than that."
"Oh? Do tell."
Fudge leaned forward slightly. "That child has a tragic history. At the age of seven, he was sent to Azkaban, replacing a prisoner. It wasn't until Hogwarts issued him an acceptance letter that we discovered the mistake. Of course, I wasn't the Minister back then, so it had nothing to do with me personally. But the Ministry's reputation has taken a hit regardless."
He sighed and continued:
"As Dana Emrys became more famous, fans started investigating his background. They were furious when they uncovered his past and demanded an explanation from the Ministry. Some even insisted we arrest Gai Avery, the original criminal whom Emrys had replaced, and launch a full investigation into the incident."
Fudge shifted uneasily.
"I approached the Avery family, but Ollivander Avery told me that the person responsible for replacing Gai Avery with Dana Emrys was a Ministry employee named Huo Jin Riches, who disappeared after the event."
(A loud mental "Pah!" echoed through Dana's thoughts.)
"Gai Avery, on the other hand, vanished somewhere in Europe. No one knows where he is."
Fudge looked exasperated. "Now the situation has become very difficult. If we don't handle it well, the Ministry's image will suffer greatly."
Count Dantes leaned back into the sofa, crossed one leg over the other, and clasped his hands together thoughtfully.
"Why didn't you deal with this issue when Dana Emrys was first released from prison?"
Fudge shook his head.
"Back then, no one thought this would matter. He was just an underage wizard without protection. Even his wand was provided by the Ministry. What kind of trouble could a child cause?"
"I imagine the Avery family thought the same. To them, if the boy ever came back seeking justice, they could crush him like a bug."
Dantes nodded in agreement, but a flicker of red passed through his eyes. He composed himself quickly and responded calmly:
"If the powerless dare to challenge the powerful, the outcome is always the same: total annihilation."
"Exactly! But no one could've predicted that this child would rise so high—becoming not only the youngest but the most celebrated Seeker in modern Quidditch. Now, we can't lay a finger on him."
"Yes, at least not openly," Dantes replied, narrowing his eyes. "But Minister, why are you telling me all this? Are you expecting me to help you cover this up?"
He laughed lightly. "No, no. You overestimate my influence. I'm new to Britain, and my connections are limited. Besides, don't let my appearance fool you—I value my reputation. Don't come to me to bully children or bend the law."
Fudge waved his hands quickly.
"Not at all! As Minister of Magic, I wouldn't dream of asking you to break the law."
"Then what do you want from me?" Dantes asked.
"I was hoping you might have some ideas or suggestions. You're a well-traveled, experienced man. Surely you've encountered similar situations before?"
Dantes tilted his head, thoughtful.
"I see. Well then, here are two suggestions.
"First, publicly declare that Gai Avery was under the Imperius Curse, and therefore not responsible for his actions. That would make him legally innocent, which undermines the claim that Dana replaced a criminal."
(Gai Avery will be declared innocent. That saves me the trouble of hunting him down myself.)
Dantes cleared his throat and continued:
"Second, place full blame for Dana Emrys's imprisonment on Huo Jin Riches alone. As for his motivation? Leave that to Rita Skeeter from The Daily Prophet. That woman has a vivid imagination—I'm sure she'll conjure up a story the public will believe."
Fudge grimaced.
"Rita Skeeter has a notoriously loose tongue."
Dantes smiled slyly.
"Minister, silencing someone requires only two tools: coercion and incentive. Don't pretend you're broke—I just gave you a 'thank-you gift.' Use a sliver of that if you must."
Fudge squirmed.
"But how would I coerce her? I can't just threaten her publicly."
Dantes leaned in and whispered, "I'll share a little secret—Rita Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus."
Fudge's eyes widened. In that moment, he realized Count Dantes was not just rich—he was dangerous. There seemed to be nothing he didn't know about the British Wizarding World.
From that day on, Fudge silently vowed never to cross Dantes. In the Wizarding World, money was more than just power—it was dominance.
"Thank you for your insight, Count," Fudge said with a polite nod. "Your suggestions are... brilliant. Direct, effective, and exactly what we needed."
"You're too kind, Minister. So then, shall we meet again soon?"
"Absolutely! Allow me to escort you out."
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