Chapter 347 No

The bright sunshine shines through the tall windows, casting a warm golden patch of light on the floor of the principal's office. Fox stayed on his perch, taking a nap with half-lidded eyes. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, put down a piece of parchment, and watched as Anthony and Umbridge walked up to him.

"If I understand correctly, you want to see us, Professor Dumbledore?" Umbridge asked, her voice even more annoying than before.

Dumbledore smiled, took out his wand and flicked it - Umbridge's footsteps paused for a moment warily - two armchairs with printed cushions that looked quite comfortable appeared opposite him.

"Good afternoon, Dolores," he said cheerfully. "Good afternoon, Henry, I hope I haven't intruded too much on your little gathering. Sit down."

"Not at all, Professor Dumbledore," said Anthony.

When both people sat down, Dumbledore sat up straight, touched his fingertips together, and looked at Anthony from behind his half-moon glasses: "So, how are you doing, Henry?"

Anthony said with some confusion: "Not bad..." Then, he suddenly thought of Umbridge sitting beside him, "But, sir, I think there is something you might want to know -"

"As long as you're willing to tell me, Henry, I'm always happy to know." Dumbledore interrupted gently, "Before that, let me confirm one thing: Do you have any plans to leave Hogwarts? "

"Me? Not yet." Anthony said, looking at Umbridge again.

Umbridge leaned back in her chair, lowered her head, and played with the lace of her cuffs with her stubby, ring-covered fingers. What made Anthony a little annoyed was that Umbridge's toad-like mouth grinned contentedly, obviously knowing what they were talking about, but he himself didn't know what was going on.

Dumbledore pushed the parchment in his hand over: "Same as I thought."

Anthony took it and looked down. The entire letter was written in a purple ink with a slight golden glow, and the handwriting was neat.

The beginning of the letter reads: Professor Henry Anthony of Zingui School (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, hereinafter referred to as Hogwarts) has devoted himself to research and achieved remarkable results. He hereby approves his application and agrees to join the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic.

"What?" Anthony said, looking up at Dumbledore. Dumbledore leaned forward slightly with great interest, and read the letter backwards from opposite him attentively, as if he found it all very interesting.

Anthony continued to look down:

According to the "International Consensus on Magical Research" and the "International Code of Special Magical Affairs", the Silent cannot hold any position outside the Ministry of Magic. In light of this, Hogwarts should assist Professor Henry Anthony in resigning from his professorship. We hereby write this letter and hope that it will be implemented before July 1st.

Senior Undersecretary of Magic

Dolores Jane Umbridge

Above "Senior Under-Minister of Magic" and Umbridge's name was a lavender Ministry of Magic stamp.

The letter is over.

Anthony looked at Dumbledore - his blue eyes were still staring at the letter with interest - then at the letter - the words "M.O.M" on the Ministry of Magic stamp were slowly rotating - and then at Um Richie - She tilted the letter, put on a nasty smile, and said delicately: "Oh, I forgot to congratulate you, Professor Anthony."

So many questions gathered in Anthony's throat that he seemed to be choked for a moment, not knowing what to ask first.

"However, I think it is not too late." Umbridge said hypocritically, "Professor Anthony, I am very happy to welcome you as my colleague. The work of the Silent People is important and noble, and of course, it is also Mysterious... Oh, by the way, we want to put you in the Hall of Death."

Anthony stared at Umbridge, feeling a dangerous urge to stuff the letter into her grinning mouth. After losing his peaceful, day-to-day life as a cashier, he ran head-on into this bizarre magical world. And after he fell in love with Hogwarts, they actually expected to take him away from this stable and warm world again. His life - his life - stripped away?

He took a deep breath.

Anthony heard himself ask: "Death Hall?"

Umbridge said, "I'm sure you'll like it there. You'll find it's a perfect fit for you." She turned to Dumbledore, "You won't object, will you, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore said calmly: "As long as Professor Anthony has not submitted his resignation to me, he will still be a professor at Hogwarts."

"We all know very well why the Ministry of Magic agreed to you taking him away in the first place." Umbridge gestured towards Anthony when she said "him", but did not look at him. "Hogwarts once asked the Ministry of Magic Guarantee that Anthony’s identity will not be discovered by the public, and he will not do anything that threatens the magical world.”

"I think I did say that," said Dumbledore politely.

"Now, since Hogwarts cannot fulfill your promise, perhaps magically dangerous individuals should be placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Magic. This was also the agreement we reached at the time."

Dumbledore said: "I guess I don't quite understand. Where did Hogwarts fail to live up to its promise?"

"Oh, Dumbledore, you understand." Umbridge narrowed her eyes slightly, "You did not fulfill your duty of care at all, but allowed a dark wizard to wander around the school, and even allowed him to go against the Ministry of Magic. , hindering the investigating officer’s investigation…”

"I thought I was doing something good," Anthony said.

"Tsk, tsk, you can say whatever you want now." Umbridge said with a smile, "But you will soon realize that the Department of Mysteries is more suitable for you than Azkaban."

Anthony asked, "What if I say no?"

"Oh, no. No, no, no, you can't say no." Umbridge said, as if Anthony was a willful child. "The work of the Silent Man is very important. Of course, people cannot join or leave at will. Department of Mysteries, or else All hell breaks loose, right? As it says here—" She stood up, walked around her chair, and looked closer at the letter, "Yes, the International Code of Special Magical Matters—it requires the Silent Persons of every country. I have to keep the magic I’m studying a secret.”

Umbridge paused contentedly: "As for the requirements of the British Ministry of Magic... Wizards cannot leave within three years after becoming a Silent Person, and cannot serve outside the Ministry of Magic within five years after leaving. Since you have joined Department of Mysteries, I guess it won't be easy to leave." She patted Anthony's arm reassuringly and put her hand on his shoulder.

Anthony turned his head, looked directly at her, and repeated, "And what if I say no?"

Umbridge smiled broadly: "The Department of Mysteries is not Azkaban, Anthony. Do you think those things about dark creatures are some kind of advanced magic? Stunning spells, or some other muttering stuff... Wizards have long been Find a way to deal with them."

Anthony suddenly heard a slight cracking sound. Almost instantly, several streaks of black smoke emerged from between her fingers, wrapped around her thick and short fingers, and then quickly flowed through her entire palm... It was only then that Anthony noticed it. One of her ugly rings was shattered.

Anthony was surprised to find that his undead magic suddenly disappeared. He couldn't feel it anymore. He felt completely empty, as if he suddenly discovered that his roommate had moved away, the shoes and umbrella at the door disappeared, and the buzzing of bees in the kitchen even echoed.

Dumbledore's expression became more focused: "Gravedigger's Hand, Dolores? I thought someone as opposed to dark magic as you would not use such a thing?"

"Magic items that have been searched, seized and reviewed by the Ministry of Magic." Umbridge corrected, "Don't worry, Dumbledore, you know the purpose of this item. As long as your professor doesn't try to use dark magic, he won't Something happened."

Dumbledore glanced sharply and concerned at Anthony.

Anthony smiled at him and tried to push Umbridge's hand away, but found that he couldn't lift it. In fact, he found that he couldn't move at all - his heart was slowly slowing down - his blood was flowing slower and slower - and overall, he was becoming the person he was meant to be. Appearance: Ordinary corpse.

"I thought our conversation could be lighter, Dolores," Dumbledore said seriously. "I'm surprised that you seem quite offensive and impulsive."

He groped every inch of the body, trying to find where the necromancy had gone. Dumbledore might have thought that Anthony had the same soul as the necromancers in history. He probably didn't expect that Anthony was actually made of undead magic. Without the undead magic, he was just a corpse. But this is not very reasonable. How could he still think clearly without undead magic? Shouldn't he be like a good corpse and think of nothing? But then again, he didn't know if the other corpses really didn't want anything...

Please...you...collect_6_9_书_Bar (Six//Nine//Books//Bar)

"You must be surprised, Anthony." Umbridge said softly, "The department you are about to join has done a little experiment on this magical item, specifically targeting inferior dark creatures..."

He found it.

Dumbledore seemed to be saying something to Umbridge, about whether the necromancer was a dark creature or a human being, or about Dumbledore disagreeing with Umbridge's request. But he doesn't care much anymore. He found it, or rather, the necromancy found him. Undead magic followed his thoughts and flooded back into every corner of this body, setting off an even bigger wave.

The soul closest to him was like a bottle of milk that had been standing for a long time. The cap was slightly bulging, and the light yellow solid condensed on the wall of the bottle, making people reluctant to unscrew the cap. But it could also be a bottle of yogurt, still edible. There is such a probability.

No.

A little further away, there is another soul, a mixture of sweet and sour taste and some complex spice smell, and it is gradually becoming more intense, like an apple pie in the oven.

No.

Apple pie sounds good, right? he thought. And he was a little hungry.

No.

He heard some noise: "The Ministry of Magic...the Department of Mysteries...required..." The voice was intermittent, as if it came from above the water.

"But Henry Anthony is the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts," Applepie said very clearly.

That smells really delicious.

No. Anthony thought.

Light and sound flooded into his consciousness together.

The world tilted slightly, as if everything would fall down with just a slight push - everything, Umbridge's disgusting smile, the letter written in purple ink, the black tea on the table, Dumbledore's half-moon glasses, the silver instruments that blew smoke, the tall windows, the old bricks...

The sweet voices, the sneers outside the window, those arrogant and stupid tones, Peeves's shrieks, Myrtle's crying, the fierce quarrels, the loud training whistles on the Quidditch field, the laughter... All these messy sounds, just a slight push, will return to a "pop", followed by endless, empty silence...

Fawkes chirped crisply.

...And he will fall down with him. Anthony will also fall down.

Umbridge was saying: "...He may be frightened at first, he will be hesitant and trembling, but the Minister will always realize that all this is necessary. He certainly won't agree, but the Silent Man-"

Her voice suddenly interrupted. Because Anthony turned his head, raised his hand, and removed her short, thick, smoke-wrapped hand from his shoulder.

Umbridge half opened her mouth, as if she was suddenly stuck in her own words.

Dumbledore smiled at Anthony, fingertips to fingertips, waiting calmly.

Anthony said, "I said no."