In 1991, at this point in time, Fudge, as Minister for Magic, had only been in office for less than two years. He hadn't yet established his own power base by exchanging favors with the various families and powerful wizards within his departments.
Currently, he needed Dumbledore's backing in all matters.
So, as soon as he received the summons from Hogwarts, he scurried over, a wide, amiable smile plastered on his face.
One couldn't tell that a few years later, with his power consolidated, he would view Dumbledore as a compliant individual unwilling to rock the boat, and would brazenly shout at him, believing he could easily manipulate him.
As the saying goes, "He who has taken a bribe cannot refuse," and with so many people to appease, Minister for Magic Fudge immediately stated, when faced with what Professor McGonagall relayed, that he would do his utmost to advance the control of Boggarts, seal off related information, and monitor for any potential signs.
However, the head of the Department of Mysteries, who had accompanied Fudge to Hogwarts, was not as friendly. He attempted to pry for more information.
But under Professor McGonagall's calm handling, he gained nothing.
Although the incident was, strictly speaking, not without danger, it was nipped in the bud immediately and didn't cause much of a stir. It only required a simple report to the Ministry of Magic, so even if the Department of Mysteries wanted to do something, they had no leverage.
The head of the Department of Mysteries, having gained nothing, was pulled away from Hogwarts by Minister for Magic Fudge.
On the way…
"Fudge, this is no trivial matter. Are you fulfilling your duties as Minister for Magic by acting like this?" The head of the Department of Mysteries frowned, clearly annoyed, and spoke to the Minister for Magic without much courtesy.
"Of course, I know it's not a small matter. I'm not blind, nor am I stupid," Fudge retorted irritably.
"Then you..."
Fudge interrupted him, "Then what do you want to do?"
"The way this matter was handled is very uncharacteristic of McGonagall and Dumbledore." Fudge knew a little about Professor McGonagall from her previous work at the Ministry, and Dumbledore, his current biggest supporter, was someone he studied daily.
"Snape? Flitwick? Sprout?" Fudge listed the names of the heads of the other three houses, excluding Gryffindor.
"That doesn't fit either."
"So... do you remember the child standing behind her, silent, during our conversation with McGonagall?"
"That Seer?" As someone from the Department of Mysteries, it was impossible for him to overlook wizards who were exceptionally out of the ordinary. Many gifted individuals had dedicated files within the Department of Mysteries.
They studied extraordinary methods, so they naturally needed extraordinary people. Such individuals were always a focus of their attention.
"Yes, although your Department of Mysteries has his file, certain classified information cannot be accessed without my approval as Minister."
"Now, let me ask you, why do you think the Middle Eastern wizarding world didn't apprehend a Seer who, using the power of prophecy, wreaked havoc on the battlefield during the Gulf War? Do you know how difficult it is to suppress news of an eleven-year-old child breaking through the lines of a modern army?"
"Was it really just internal strife? Couldn't they have apprehended him first and then engaged in internal strife, instead of letting a Seer run rampant on the battlefield?" Fudge's lips curved into a knowing smile.
"...We're talking about the Demon of Fear, aren't we?" The head of the Department of Mysteries seemed confused.
"Because these two matters are highly related." Seeing that the other party's mind wasn't quite catching up, Fudge decided to stop speaking in riddles.
Riddles were pointless if the other party had no intention of guessing their meaning.
"Have you read 'Ritual Magic is More Than Just Blood Sacrifice'?"
"Of course. That book played a crucial role in the establishment of modern magic. Its author verified many key theories. Although it's a book from hundreds of years ago, most members of the Department of Mysteries have read it."
The book held a status in the wizarding world somewhat akin to "The Nine Chapters of the Mathematical Manual" in the Han Dynasty. While few people read it today, researchers in related fields would generally be curious enough to flip through it.
"Ritual Magic is omnipresent; it doesn't even require any setup. Merely people's 'belief' can forge an immeasurably vast ritual that influences everyone in the world..." Fudge softly recited a passage from the book's preface.
"The total number of followers for that pantheon is approaching 4 billion. Just the 'belief' of tens of millions of people could forge a large number of sacred artifacts in ancient times. Do you think there wouldn't be wizards eyeing that?"
The person from the Department of Mysteries scoffed, "Impossible. No one could achieve that by harnessing such power."
If the power of faith were truly that easy to utilize, wizards would have established their own churches with the convenience of magic.
Unlike simple belief, the power of faith is not only difficult to harness, but it is also... toxic! Even when forged into alchemical items, it could cause countless side effects, let alone...
Wait!
He suddenly realized what Fudge was getting at after going through such a long explanation!
"You understand now, don't you? A large amount of 'belief' naturally gathers immense power. That young Seer, under the guise of a religious prophet, created 'miracles' along the way. During the Gulf War, both enemies and allies would have a large amount of 'faith' concentrated on him."
"He's also a wizard with magic, so he should be more susceptible to influence, yet no strange phenomena occurred."
"That wasn't the 'anticipation' like Harry Potter's, but a more extreme, larger quantity of 'faith'."
"Sometimes, the absence of abnormality is the greatest abnormality!"
At this point, Fudge paused. "Although I'm not a powerful wizard, sitting in the position of Minister for Magic allows me to access a lot of information."
"His situation generally has three possibilities: one is that the abnormality on him is still accumulating, the second is that he has a special constitution that can avoid some negative influences... but whether he avoids the benefits along with the influences is uncertain."
"And the third possibility is that his very existence is a more terrifying anomaly than that faith."
"To return to the topic, if he falls into the first or third category, then this Seer is a nuclear bomb waiting to detonate. As for the second, he will become an important sample for research into the power of 'faith'."
Minister for Magic Fudge stopped walking and turned to the person from the Department of Mysteries with a serious expression. "Take the above as prerequisites."
"Now, reconsider: why didn't those Middle Eastern wizards apprehend this young Seer? Why did Dumbledore support his acquittal in the Wizengamot trial and allow him to enroll at Hogwarts? Why have the Middle Eastern wizards been causing trouble recently, and why is Dumbledore currently out of the country, having personally gone there?"
"And regarding the Demon of Fear, why is Hogwarts handling it differently than before?"
Because Fudge, who currently lacked power, viewed Dumbledore with the awe of a subordinate looking up to a superior, and the filter of an ordinary wizard observing a powerful one.
Therefore, he completely failed to consider the possibility that Dumbledore, due to his own painful past experiences, felt pity for Roger, and that Dumbledore himself was inherently a kind elder who was exceptionally lenient towards children.
Fudge, who liked to project his own thought processes onto others, saw everything as a conspiracy. He patted the man beside him on the shoulder and said, "So, don't meddle in everything, and don't dig too deep into everything."
"When the water gets too deep, you have to learn to turn a blind eye..." Fudge shared his survival wisdom.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Read 1111+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------