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Someone wanted to see him. Hodge Blackthorn was utterly baffled and asked who it was.
Could it be that Dumbledore had sent the letter directly to some Ministry of Magic official? But the old wizard's words made Hodge's heart sink. "Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Dolores Umbridge."
That name was infamous, to say the least.
"Never heard of her," Hodge said flatly.
The two Ministry officials exchanged a glance.
The old wizard exhaled a puff of white mist, explaining, "She's an official personally appointed by Minister Fudge, someone he trusts implicitly. She's also a member of the Wizengamot's judicial panel, currently leading the investigation into the magical incident that took place in central London a few months ago. And you, it seems, are the key witness to that event."
Hodge's mind churned with conflicting thoughts. He wanted to know what the Ministry had uncovered and the reasons behind the strange occurrences, but the mere mention of Umbridge's name filled him with dread. It seemed anything tied to her spelled trouble.
"Why isn't she coming to the school to find me?" Hodge asked, puzzled by the arrangement.
The old wizard fell silent. The younger wizard, however, shrugged casually. "From what I've heard, her request to summon you was denied by Professor Dumbledore."
"Summon? Summon?" Hodge repeated, his tone sharp.
"Oh, don't get worked up," the old wizard said soothingly. "It's just routine questioning, a bit of a chat, that's all."
"I have my doubts," the younger wizard said, giving Hodge a knowing wink.
Hodge caught the signal loud and clear, and it made him warm to the young wizard. Keeping his face impassive, he turned to the old wizard. "The matter's clear enough. I should follow the school's decision."
The old wizard dropped his pretense, his voice turning stiff. "You should cooperate with the Ministry's investigation."
"As a matter of fact, I've already done my part," Hodge shot back. "I wrote to Headmaster Dumbledore just yesterday about this very issue. You can tell that official to ask him directly."
The old wizard was momentarily at a loss for words. He wiped his wand with a cloth, as if steeling himself to do something drastic, but in the end, he merely nodded curtly at Hodge. "I'll pass along your message," he said, before he and the young wizard Disapparated with a flourish.
The sky grew darker, and the bushes cast heavy, inky shadows.
On his way back, Hodge was deep in thought. Umbridge wanted to see him, and she was the lead investigator for the incident. This aligned with what Evelina Selma had told him—Umbridge had aggressively demanded patient records from St. Mungo's Hospital.
Tonight's encounter only deepened Hodge's suspicion that the Ministry's investigation had hit a dead end.
In his mind, he conjured an image of Umbridge as a toad-like figure. He tried to think from her perspective, starting with her personality. Beneath her polite veneer lay a streak of hypocrisy—friendly on the surface but sinister within, willing to do whatever it took to maintain her authority. People like her were often narrow-minded and obsessive, unable to tolerate dissent. This matched her reputation for cruelty and abusive behavior during her time at Hogwarts.
As he stepped through the door, Hodge reached an obvious conclusion: this wasn't over.
He hurried up the stairs—"Want some Christmas pudding?"—"I'll be right down, Mum!"—and returned to his room, sitting at his desk. He grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled a quick letter. Sealing it, he rushed downstairs and handed it to Mrs. Blackthorn.
"If Nyx comes back and I'm not home, send this letter."
"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"I ran into—" Hodge began, but before he could explain, an owl appeared at the living room window, pecking at the frame. His heart skipped a beat. He opened the window, and the owl dropped a letter before flying off.
Hodge unfolded the parchment and read:
*Mr. Blackthorn,
We have received intelligence that you performed two offensive spells in a public place at 7:27 p.m. this evening.
As you are aware, underage wizards are prohibited from using magic outside of school. Should you engage in such behavior again, you may face expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Clause 3).
A Ministry of Magic representative will soon arrive at your residence to escort you to the Ministry for further questioning.
Additionally, please be reminded that, under Clause 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, any magical activity likely to draw the attention of non-magical persons (Muggles) constitutes a serious violation.
Wishing you a pleasant holiday!
Mafalda Hopkirk
Improper Use of Magic Office, Ministry of Magic*
It had finally come. Strangely, Hodge felt a sense of calm settle over him, though he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. Fortunately, he'd prepared the moment he got home. He handed the letter to his father. Mr. and Mrs. Blackthorn read it together, their brows furrowing.
"What's this about? It says you misused magic, but I thought this morning—"
"It's not about that," Hodge interrupted. "At least, not with my family background—it's debatable. To put it simply, I witnessed a Ministry arrest operation, and due to a misunderstanding, I cast two spells. That's what triggered this letter. It's sent automatically—or at least, it's supposed to be."
"Someone tampered with it?" Mr. Blackthorn asked sharply.
"Maybe because I cast those spells in front of two Ministry officials," Hodge said, trying to downplay Umbridge's involvement and keep his tone light. "It's just procedure, you know, like company regulations. I saw it coming, which is why I wrote that letter…"
Mr. and Mrs. Blackthorn exchanged a glance, unease flickering in their eyes.
"You want Dumbledore's help?" his mother asked softly.
Hodge replied calmly, "I want him to know this is happening."
It was his final safeguard.
Two minutes later, a faint sound came from the door, followed by a knock. Hodge told his parents to stay put and not come out. He opened the door to find the old wizard standing there.
"You move fast," Hodge said coldly. "I thought you'd at least wait until Christmas was over."
By then, he'd already be back at school.
The old wizard, expressionless, presented an official Ministry document, verified Hodge's identity, and wordlessly led him away. Hodge felt the crushing sensation of Apparition, colors fragmenting in his vision. When his feet touched solid ground again, he found himself in a grand, gilded hall.
He stood near a fountain, its circular pool adorned with a golden statue of a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. Streams of water jetted from the figures, and at the pool's base, silver Sickles and bronze Knuts glinted in the light.
"Let's go," the old wizard said, shaking his head as if coming to his senses.
Hodge stepped forward, knowing a battle lay ahead—not one of wands or fists, but a game of wits, navigating the Ministry's imposing authority to get the information he needed. He was ready.
It was Christmas, and the Ministry was nearly deserted.
Only one old wizard, looking thoroughly bored, was on duty. He greeted them half-heartedly. "Evening, Clive. This the second one tonight? Did I get the date wrong? Is today still Christmas?"
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