[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring":3,"chapter-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-261":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Starting at Hogwarts, Logging into Elden Ring",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1496154,1944,"Chapter 261: Fudge’s Inevitable Fall, and Fleur’s Initiative","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-261",261,"\u003Cp>In Lucius's view, the Magical Recording Stones were practically tailor-made for spreading Hermione's fame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he had to do was place one in the center of Diagon Alley and loop the recorded footage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one would doubt that Hermione had defeated Voldemort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Lucius planned to install one in every major wizarding gathering place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But let's set that aside for now and return our focus to the Great Hall at Hogwarts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing Witch Weekly, Arthur handed it to Hermione beside him, teasing,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here you go—the real Savior of the Wizarding World?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione shot him a coy glare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fresh from her coming-of-age, that single gesture carried a hint of allure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur nearly stared himself silly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione took the magazine from him, but after flipping through barely half of it, she couldn't keep going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pages were filled entirely with praise for her—it made her feel unbearably embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She set the magazine aside and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cousin, are you really planning to force Fudge out and have Professor Dumbledore take his place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur swallowed his breakfast and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mhm. Fudge stepping down is basically inevitable. Even without my little push this time, he wouldn't have stayed in that position much longer anyway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's accomplished almost nothing over the years, and his derelictions of duty are piling up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed—especially over the past two years—the wizarding world had faced one major crisis after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not a single one had truly been resolved under Fudge's leadership.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sirius Black's escape had unearthed a wrongful conviction from over a decade ago, only for the real culprit—Peter Pettigrew—to escape yet again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, the Dementors had nearly attacked Hogwarts students afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then there was the Quidditch World Cup riot, where Death Eaters terrorized the campsite—Fudge and the Ministry merely showed up afterward to clean up the mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And last year's thefts from both the Ministry and Gringotts…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well. That one was her cousin's doing. Best not bring it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of all that, this year's Triwizard Tournament—despite the death of the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation—had been allowed to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which ultimately gave Voldemort the chance to revive and nearly rise again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So many disastrous decisions. So much incompetence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large portion of the wizarding world had long been dissatisfied with Cornelius Fudge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur had simply tossed a spark onto a massive pile of already-dry kindling—lighting a fire bright enough for everyone to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That said, who actually becomes the next Minister is still up in the air. Dumbledore didn't explicitly agree to it last night.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione thought about it and realized he was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant the wizarding world was probably in for a period of turbulence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that had nothing to do with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomorrow morning, she would be boarding the train home with her cousin—returning to the Muggle world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, she intended to fully enjoy the joy of winning the Triwizard Tournament—and the happiness Arthur had given her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, the students officially began their journey home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the banquet the night before—there wasn't much to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like any other celebration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except that Hermione, the star of the evening, had been utterly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From start to finish, the smile never left her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Familiar faces and complete strangers alike came to congratulate her one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end of the night, she'd barely eaten anything—and was completely drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young witch even felt that spending an entire day running experiments with her cousin would have been less tiring than attending that banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still hadn't recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So now, she'd turned into her cat Animagus form and was curled up in Arthur's arms, sleeping soundly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with Hermione in cat form, Arthur's train compartment still housed five people:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur, Ranni, Penelope, Luna—and Fleur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fleur was there too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had graduated from Beauxbatons this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already harboring feelings—or perhaps outright affection—for Arthur, she chose to stay in Britain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for what she planned to do next, she hadn't quite decided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All she knew was that she was sticking with Arthur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The witch from the land of romance was open and proactive when it came to love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she liked a man, she made sure he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staying in Britain. Following Arthur around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her intentions couldn't have been clearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur's attitude was simple: if she wanted to follow him, let her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It cost him nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And besides, having more beautiful women around was pleasant for the eyes and good for the mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the train arrived, Arthur looked at Fleur—who still hadn't decided where she was going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he decided to let her stay at his place for the time being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Fleur: It's not that I didn't know where to go—I was waiting for the man I like to take me in. Teehee.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she'd crossed countries and left home to follow him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving her to fend for herself would be downright heartless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione had no objections whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Fleur's excellent social skills, the two had gotten along quite well—even as competitors in the Triwizard Tournament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Hermione's eyes, letting a friendly classmate stay over for a while was no big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Hermione wasn't blind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew Fleur was clearly coveting her cousin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Ranni—the official fiancée—wasn't panicking, why should she?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young witch had already made her peace with such matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because no matter how many \"sisters\" there might be in the future, she would always be the most special one in Arthur's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, no one else could be his cousin, his treasure, and his little kitty all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What's more—she'd already gotten the first bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was even ahead of Ranni, the rightful queen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone secured her a unique place in Arthur's heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that confidence, Hermione was completely unbothered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking back to the \"experiments\" she'd conducted with Arthur the night before, she unconsciously licked her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe tonight… we could do some more experiments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the station, Mr. and Mrs. Granger were waiting nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they saw Fleur standing beside Arthur, despite never having met her before, the same thought surfaced in both their minds:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did our daughter… use magic to completely remodel her face?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, Hermione was still in her cat form, curled up in Arthur's arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since the Grangers didn't know about Hermione's Animagus ability, the misunderstanding was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They approached Fleur cautiously and called out,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hermione?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione lifted her head from Arthur's arms, utterly confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why were her parents calling her name toward Fleur?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur immediately realized what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised the little cat in his arms and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uncle, Aunt—Hermione's right here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that their daughter had merely turned into a cat—rather than undergone a complete magical makeover—the Grangers breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then immediately froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn't turning into a cat even worse?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Granger asked in disbelief,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hermione… why are you a cat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione was just about to answer when Arthur covered her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn't the place to talk,\" he said. \"Let's go home first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The station was full of Muggles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone noticed a cat speaking, Arthur would have to spend time erasing memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He led everyone to a quiet corner and Apparated straight back to the Grangers' home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside, Hermione jumped down from Arthur's arms and shifted back into human form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their daughter restored, the Grangers finally relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Granger asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of magic was that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione explained,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Animagus magic. A witch can transform into an animal that reflects their personality.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Granger marveled,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That really is incredible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione tilted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"More importantly—why did you think Fleur was me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pointed at Fleur beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grangers exchanged an awkward glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn't very well admit they thought their daughter had magically had cosmetic surgery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would be even more awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh—so your classmate is named Fleur!\" Mrs. Granger quickly changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome to our home! Why haven't we heard you mention Fleur before, Hermione?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deflection was obvious to everyone present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fleur was a guest, and Hermione couldn't very well leave her hanging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She temporarily set aside her doubts and introduced her properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is Fleur Delacour. It's normal you haven't heard of her—we only met this term.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione briefly explained how she and Fleur had met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening, Mrs. Granger asked curiously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And this Triwizard Tournament—what kind of competition is that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hermione blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she turned her head toward Arthur and asked quietly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Cousin?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Advance Chapters Available on Patreon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>patreon.com\u002FWhiteDevil7554\u003C\u002Fp>",1446,"2026-06-06T04:19:46.382Z",1,"novelbin.me","7c8b3f1806f2bd439fb5d0f3fcf9d57813055129e273f1181f7b5c95dada45b3","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-262","starting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-chapter-260",281,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-at-hogwarts-logging-into-elden-ring-cover.jpg"]