HP Dual Masters and I had a blast in Hogwarts.

Chapter 289 Punishing Umbridge and the Minister of Magic

I am very relieved to leave this matter to Butler Chen. Since Umbridge dared to offend me, a student of Slytherin, she should learn her lesson from me.

I leaned back comfortably on the soft sofa in the Slytherin common room, the image of Umbridge's repulsive appearance constantly replaying in my mind.

Her garish pink outfit and her sharp, sarcastic demeanor disgusted me to the extreme.

I smiled coldly, thinking to myself that I would wait and see what Butler Chen would do next, and I would definitely ruin Umbridge's reputation.

Butler Chen is known for his ruthless methods yet secretive approach.

For the next period of time, Umbridge continued to act arrogantly at Hogwarts, feeling that she had the Minister of Magic backing her up, and her behavior became increasingly outrageous.

She even mocked him in my Severus class. When I found out about this, I had already sealed her fate in my heart.

Butler Chen knew about Umbridge's many shady dealings, whether it was embezzlement and bribery at the Ministry of Magic or abuse of power at Hogwarts, each of which was enough to completely ruin her reputation.

Every time I receive evidence collected by Butler Chen, I become increasingly cynical.

I can almost see Umbridge's haughty demeanor crumble in the face of the truth.

Butler Chen first used his connections in the wizarding world to quietly deliver evidence of Umbridge's embezzlement and misappropriation of school supplies to several upright officials in the Ministry of Magic.

The evidence is detailed and conclusive, with every account clearly recording her greed.

The Ministry of Magic quickly launched an investigation, and Umbridge was immediately caught in a media storm.

Students and teachers at the school began to discuss the matter, expressing anger and dissatisfaction with her actions.

Meanwhile, Butler Chen arranged for some skilled shapeshifters to cleverly use magic when Umbridge attended an important event. Their spells transformed her clothes into bizarre shapes, and wriggling worms appeared in her hair. Umbridge was thoroughly humiliated in front of everyone; her screams and disheveled appearance became the talk of the town.

As the investigation deepened, more of Umbridge's crimes were revealed.

The news that she was secretly colluding with dark wizards in an attempt to use the school to cultivate her own power was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar in the magical world.

Officials at the Ministry of Magic could no longer tolerate her misdeeds and decided to put her on a severe trial.

On the day of the trial, Umbridge was pale, her eyes filled with fear and despair.

She tried to defend herself, but faced with overwhelming evidence, her voice sounded so pale and powerless.

Ultimately, she was found guilty and not only lost all her status and power in the wizarding world, but was also imprisoned in Azkaban.

I stood at a distance, watching all of this, and a feeling of exhilaration welled up inside me.

Butler Chen's methods worked as expected; Umbridge finally received the punishment she deserved, and her reputation was ruined.

As for me, I'm just a Slytherin student; it's all irrelevant to me.

But the anger in his heart did not subside with Umbridge's downfall.

After all, she was just a pawn being used, while the real manipulators and backers behind the scenes were still at large.

After a secret investigation, I discovered that the forces behind Umbridge were pointing directly at the Minister of Magic.

In order to consolidate his power, he attempted to control Hogwarts through Umbridge and suppress those forces that might threaten his position.

I absolutely cannot tolerate such behavior of using any means to pursue personal gain.

I know all too well that dealing with the Minister of Magic is no easy task.

He wielded great power and was surrounded by numerous supporters and powerful magical guards.

But Slytherins have cunning in their blood, and I have plenty of ways to deal with it.

I instructed Butler Chen to continue handling this matter. Based on his previous experience in successfully bringing down Umbridge, I believe he is capable of helping me achieve my goal.

Butler Chen acted swiftly.

He used his extensive connections in the wizarding world to gather evidence of the Minister of Magic's corruption, bribery, and abuse of power.

Each piece of evidence is like a puzzle piece, slowly piecing together the ugly face of this hypocritical person.

Meanwhile, I was also secretly contacting some like-minded young wizards at Hogwarts. We formed a secret resistance group, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the Minister of Magic at the right time.

As evidence continued to be collected, the time was gradually ripe.

Through clever means, I leaked this evidence to some righteous and influential media outlets.

The magical world was in an uproar, and public trust in the Minister of Magic collapsed.

The Ministry of Magic is also beginning to split, with some officials with a sense of justice stepping forward to demand a thorough investigation into the matter.

Faced with public pressure and internal turmoil, the Minister of Magic began to panic.

He tried to cover up his crimes and suppress those who revealed the truth, but all of this was in vain.

With my continued efforts, the Ministry of Magic was forced to establish a special investigation team to examine him.

Ultimately, faced with irrefutable evidence, the Minister of Magic could not deny it.

He was dismissed from his post and received the punishment he deserved.

He, who was once invincible, has now ended up disgraced and ruined.

Butler Chen wrote to ask if I should continue dealing with the remaining people.

I don't feel there's any need to deal with those people; it's simply impossible to completely eradicate all the parasites in the Ministry of Magic.

"Severus, don't you think I'm particularly cruel?" I scribbled in my notebook with a quill pen.

“Ayers, they just got what they deserved. They did so many stupid things, they deserved it.” Severus didn’t even look up, still grading the young wizards’ homework.

"Really?" I put down the quill and looked at my palm.

"What's wrong?" Severus was waiting for me to speak when he suddenly fell silent and looked up at me.

"Don't you think I'm becoming more and more like Riddle in my behavior?" I clenched my fist, raised my head, and shielded my eyes with my arm.

When Severus saw my actions, he knew something was wrong. He put down his pen and came to my side.

“Ayers, this isn’t your fault.” Severus reached out and grasped my fist.

They gently lifted my arm and leaned down to look at me.

“Severus, don’t you think I’m being cruel right now? Just like Riddle back then, using any means to achieve your goals. Umbridge didn’t openly offend me, and I could have used a gentler approach, but I still chose the most ruthless method.” My voice trembled slightly, and I was filled with self-doubt.

Severus gazed at me with a firm yet gentle look, his thumb lightly stroking the back of my hand.

“Ayers, you are fundamentally different from Riddle. His cruelty stems from a mad pursuit of power, while everything you do is to protect everything we cherish. You are simply protecting us. Isn’t that right? The crimes those people committed are unforgivable, and you are just giving them the punishment they deserve.”

I looked up, my eyes filled with confusion: "But is it really right to use such ruthless methods? Sometimes when I look at my hands, I feel like they're covered in blood."

Severus gently pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head: "Conflicts are never gentle. We are in a dark vortex. If we don't use some tough measures, how can we survive in this cruel world, how can we bring hope to those innocent people? You are not cruel, you are fulfilling your responsibility, you are fighting for our common beliefs."

I closed my eyes, feeling his warm embrace, and the unease in my heart gradually subsided. "But I'm afraid, afraid that one day I will lose myself and become someone I don't even recognize."

Severus cupped my face, making me look directly into his deep eyes: "Ayers, I will always be by your side, watching over you, reminding you. No matter what happens, I believe in you. You are the gentlest person I have ever met, don't doubt yourself because of temporary difficulties."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "Thank you, Severus. With you by my side, I feel like I have more courage to face all of this."

Severus smiled gently: "You're welcome. We're all in this together. If you ever encounter similar troubles again, think of us, think of those you need to protect. Everything we've done has been worthwhile."

I leaned on his shoulder, and a firm belief was rekindled in my heart.

Yes, I can't let these self-doubts defeat me in order to protect the people around me.

After Severus's guidance, I've come to a much better understanding of things.

"Ayers, thank you." As I was leaving Severus's place and heading back to my dorm, Harry blocked my way.

"Harry, it's almost curfew, aren't you going back to the Gryffindor common room?" Having composed myself, I wouldn't reveal what I'd just done to Harry.

“Ayers, I’ve already seen the related news in the prophet’s prediction. I know you did all this for me.” Harry lowered his head, not daring to look at me.

“Harry, you don’t need to feel too much pressure. I’m doing this for the sake of everyone at Hogwarts. You don’t have to take everything on yourself.” I raised my hand and ruffled Harry’s hair.

“But this happened after you talked to me.” Harry finally raised his head, and his emerald green eyes, without his glasses, looked at him. They were truly beautiful.

“No, that’s not true. Actually, Umbridge has offended me too. I just dealt with her.” I smiled and stroked Harry’s cheek.

“Anyway, Umbridge has already been taken to Azkaban, so let’s not mention her anymore.” Harry grabbed my hand and rubbed it against my palm.

“Harry, do you know that what you’re doing right now sounds a bit like you’re begging me to come to my dorm again?” I pulled Harry into my arms and whispered in his ear.

Harry's cheeks flushed instantly, and he felt his heart pounding faster, as if a swarm of butterflies were fluttering in his chest.

He opened his mouth slightly, but was speechless for a moment, his emerald eyes filled with surprise and bewilderment.

“This…this isn’t really appropriate,” Harry stammered, his voice barely audible to himself. Although he had already spent a night in Ayers’s dormitory, he still felt flustered upon hearing Ayers’s invitation again.

After all, going to someone else's dorm room late at night, if discovered by others, who knows what kind of rumors would spread.

“It’s almost curfew, and if Filch catches us, we’ll all be punished.” Harry tried to find a reasonable excuse to refuse, while also trying to calm himself down from his panic.

He tried to struggle gently, but found himself held tightly by Ayers, the warm breath on his ear making his face burn even hotter.

However, the deep longing within him made him waver.

He cherished the warmth and sense of security he felt when he was with Ayers.

He recalled the moments he had shared with Ayers, and how each conversation made him feel understood and cared for.

“But…” Harry bit his lip, a hint of hesitation in his eyes, “I’m still a little worried.” He looked down at the ground, his fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of his clothes.

Ayers sensed Harry's hesitation, chuckled, and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, with me here, we won't be discovered."

"Besides, I just want to spend a little more time with you and chat." With that, Ayers released his arm from Harry's and looked at him tenderly.

Harry looked up and met Ayers' expectant gaze.

At that moment, he felt all his worries gradually dissipate in that gaze.

He took a deep breath, nodded, and said softly, "Well... okay."

Ayers' lips curled into a bright smile. He took Harry's hand and whispered, "Come on, follow me." The two carefully avoided areas where patrols might be on, and headed towards Ayers's dormitory.

In the quiet corridor, their footsteps were exceptionally clear, and Harry's heart pounded faster and faster with each step.

I secretly brought Harry back to his Slytherin room.

Luckily, I also got a separate dorm room this year, and Harry, wearing the 'Confusion Charm', made it into my dorm room without any problems.

"Please sit here for a bit, I'm going to take a shower." He led the person into the room and locked the door immediately.

In the steamy bathroom, I washed myself while reminiscing about my experiences with Harry.

Since Riddle woke up, Hogwarts has been in turmoil, with a tense atmosphere pervading the place.

Harry, as Riddle's rival, was under immense pressure.

When I came out of the shower, I saw Harry sitting by the window, the moonlight shining on him, and he looked a little lonely.

I went over to him, handed him a cup of hot water, and sat down beside him. "Harry, don't worry too much, we'll get through this together," I said softly.